Chapter 7 : Trying Out Magic (Part 3)

An emotion of the unknown came over me as the water tentacle slowly and gently coiled around my hands, leaving odd-shaped markings in my palms that resembled runes from ancient Norse.

Then the orb's mild glow became stronger over time until it eventually enveloped my eyesight and made it impossible for me to see. The light then abruptly and gradually receded as it came; my vision was clear and comfortable, and I was thrust back into the reality of my garden. I carefully examined my hands, feeling a bit uneasy and bewildered, and was a little astonished and perplexed to see that there were no markings on my palms.

A booming success or a crushing failure?

Over the last five years in this world, my memory of anime has gotten exceedingly hazy and faded, making it extremely difficult to recall every little anime detail. I have never read the many volumes of its novel; therefore, I have a limited idea of how magic exactly works. I just have a cursory knowledge of the subject.

I also lacked the time to read the entire book of water magic to know more about the specifics of the subject, nor could I sneak into the grand library at any time.

After much contemplation, the only thing that sprang to mind was to attempt to conjure water from my hands and monitor the outcome.

I cupped my hands and focused my entire mind on creating a little sphere of pure water out of nothing. It was challenging and mentally taxing.I could feel myself being put under a great deal of strain; my breathing grew heavier and my hands shrank yet I remained focused and determined to summon water from my hands.

After waiting for minutes without even a hint of success in conjuring water, I began to think that my efforts had failed. I was ready to give up as my mind cried and screamed, but I refrained after noticing that, for a brief moment, a drop of water was conjured in my hands, floating on its own and standing firmly in one place while vibrating at the same time.

My face lit up with happiness, and my blood was pumping with success. Even if it wasn't a water sphere that I wished to summon, it was a clue that I could do so. It was a success, no matter how tiny, and after that, I suddenly felt the impulse to taste water created entirely by magic and a yearning to do so.

I have no idea how I got that sensation, but I did. I moved my tongue in the direction of the conjured water drop, and as soon as it made contact with my mouth, I tasted something no man can taste. It was both distinctive and not distinctive, neither sweet nor sour. This was beyond my expectations, which, if I had to sum it up in one simple phrase, would be "plain water."

I said, "I wasn't really expecting that," with a hint of dismay. I was expecting it to be something more, you know, because it's a magically produced drop of water.

Then I made the decision to summon water once more, but this time to make a sphere out of it, which was an error. To try again while my body was still experiencing the effects of the last attempt, and as a result, my conscience in my mind faded and everything went blank as darkness covered my eyes.

.....

.....

.....

My consciousness came back, and I woke up. I looked around and, to my surprise, saw that I was in my bed with my wife soundly dozing next to me.

She must have pulled me back to our bed from outside, which made me feel guilty. She had already grown weary from doing all the chores, and I was still causing her more problems.

"I'm such a terrible husband, aren't I, dear? You have done so much for me, but I haven't done anything in return," I said in a low tone as I gazed at her face. "I wished you were married to someone else who could have provided you with a far better life. I'm really not a good fit for you."

I then tightened my fist and said, "I can't let her live like this any longer; I need to take some drastic measures right now."

I never imagined I'd do this, but there's only so much time. I'll have to intervene in the narrative and alter the plot.

Sorry, protagonist of the narrative, but I must take care of my wife; therefore, I may be stealing some of the scenes from you when you excel.

Perhaps I could also attempt to save Marie's life; she's wealthy, so I could ask her for money in exchange for saving her life, though I'm quite sure that sounds ethically wrong.

It's not that people from Earth will criticise me for it though.

There was still plenty of time until I had to get ready to go and clean the Academy once again, so I closed my eyes and went to sleep.