nfortunately, I didn't get much of a rest. Soon, I was jolted awake by the excruciating pain of being burned alive. My body convulsed, and I desperately tried to run, but something held me and dragged me deeper into the flames!
"Shut up, or I'll shut you up," Gladra barked.
What...? Oh, so this fire wasn't real; it was Gladra's soul power. But it felt just as hellish! She grabbed me and hoisted me onto her shoulder. As for what had happened before... well, there was no time to think about that now! I had to get rid of this searing pain!
"Please... please put me down!" I begged, struggling slightly.
She ignored me completely and turned back toward the carriage. This hateful woman even took a deep breath, and the heat emanating from her soul began to rise! The pain washed over me in waves, and eventually, all I could think about was this unbearable agony. I started screaming again, crying and begging her to stop.
Finally, she stopped and exhaled. The heat dissipated into the air, and as her soul's storm calmed into a warm breeze, I felt relief. I stopped struggling, feeling a wave of relief.
"Feeling better?" she asked.
"Yeah," I panted. "Much better."
"That's good," the High Inquisitor muttered gruffly, throwing me back into the carriage. I landed heavily on the floor. "Next time, if you're sensitive to magic, just tell me."
I blinked. Was her soul's storm made of magic?
"I never knew I was sensitive to magic," I admitted honestly. "This has never happened before."
She tilted her head, and the carapace helmet on her head moved with her.
"Really? Sit still."
Her hands moved so fast that I could barely see them. The heat in her soul intensified slightly, gathered, and then dissipated. I felt a pressure around me, similar to the oppressive force I'd felt when Remus drew his sword.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
"No, not really," I replied.
She frowned, and the pressure increased a bit. The air became as thick as paste, but I still didn't feel any pain.
"Still nothing," I told her.
"Hmm, it seems you're sensitive to magic, but only when it's being channeled."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means you're in for a rough time with me around," she replied. "Most mages don't channel magic when they're not casting spells. But I'm different. It helps me prepare spells, serves as exercise, and brings me closer to the Mist Watchers. For someone truly talented, this little danger is nothing."
Penelope, who had been eavesdropping from behind, frowned. Yeah, those words stung.
So, magic would cause agony, but only when I sensed magic being channeled by someone else's soul. That was strange. If I channeled magic myself, would it hurt me? No, that didn't make sense. If I were a natural mage, wouldn't I be channeling magic every time I used those bizarre abilities?
Wait, wait, I needed to sort this out. What had happened? Pinta had been in control before, so I started examining my soul, which triggered... well, maybe I shouldn't think about that again, or I'd start hatching again. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch. I might need Pinta's help. Wait, damn it, where was Pinta?
I reached into my pocket and thankfully felt the little slime's soul inside the mouse we'd brought, safe and sound. Phew, thank goodness. She must have escaped to the mouse's body to avoid the searing pain. I didn't want her staying in the mouse for too long, so I gently poked her. She shrank back, hiding deeper in the pocket. I tried again more gently. She hesitated, then oozed out of the mouse and slid into my hand.
"By the way, how does channeling magic bring you closer to the Mist Watchers?" I asked. I figured Gladra wouldn't notice Pinta if she wasn't careful, but distracting her while the little slime moved around was a wise choice.
The High Inquisitor chuckled at my question.
"Magic naturally originates from the Mist Watchers. To some extent, everything in this world does. Islands float, the sky shines, rain falls... all follow the will of the invincible Mist Watchers. Magic is the manifestation of that will in our world, and when we use magic, we're merely borrowing it."
She extended her hands, and soul power surged. I felt the same burning heat I'd experienced when touching her before... she drew it in from the outside, extracting it from places I couldn't see. The power transformed within her, becoming a storm of flames. I saw a frosted, smoking crystal form above one of her hands. Above the other, the air rippled like a mirage, trembling and wavering.
"When I cast a spell, I simply take a tiny fraction of the Mist Watchers' power and shape it. I command the world, 'Move all the heat from above my right hand to above my left,' and the world obeys because the Mist Watchers' power surpasses the world itself."
She clapped her hands sharply, and the resulting shockwave nearly burst my eardrums. The spell ended, and her soul returned to calm. I hadn't even seen her fingers move... but I thought she was a knowledgeable mage?
"All magic works this way," she continued, "whether you worship the Mist Watchers or not. For me, revering the source of my power is only logical. Though I suppose it doesn't really make a difference."
I frowned.
"Why no difference?"
"You'll understand when we reach the Edge Lands. Lie down there and rest. We need you combat-ready to poison my predecessor."
"...Wait, what?"
Gladra blinked, and her soul flared with fiery flames again. She walked to the front of the carriage, shouting for the other inquisitors to continue the journey. Penelope jumped beside me, and the carriage started moving again, leaving just Pinta, Penelope, and me in the carriage.
I wanted to apologize to Pinta, but she slowly climbed up my arm. Anyway, I was curious about other things.
"So... Penelope, what do you think about magic originating from the Mist Watchers?"
She frowned, exhaled, and blew a strand of curly hair from her face.
"Well, I wouldn't dare argue with the Annihilator herself, but magic is everywhere to some extent. The theory that magic comes from the Mist Watchers is mainly based on the fact that islands closer to the Mist have higher magic density, and the higher the altitude of the island, the lower the magic density. While this seems related to the Mist Watchers, I think it's obvious there are many other possible explanations. In my opinion, it's more likely that the Mist Watchers dwell where magic density is high because of the abundance below, not that the magic density is high because they're there."
"Ha, okay."
Finally, Pinta reached my neck and settled down, so I waited. Once she finished reading my memories, she'd know I wanted to talk to her.
"You apologize by making me read your memory first? Isn't that strange?" Pinta whispered, covering my mouth.
Rowan said I treated many strange things as normal. But I do think many things are strange!
"Rowan is... a very peculiar liar. You and Penelope will interpret this incident completely differently."
I believe you. But hey, are you okay?
"I... yeah, I think I can hold on."
What do you mean?
My body sighed.
"Sigh, I'm trapped, and my only lifeline is rapidly losing her mind and planning a genocide against my kind, and you're still messing with your soul in front of the High Inquisitor!"
Hey, when you talked back to the High Inquisitor, you weren't exactly subtle either. You always expose yourself! I thought you'd pretend to be me so you wouldn't be discovered.
"I don't want to become you!" Pinta hissed angrily. "I just want to be myself!"
Well, yeah. I want that too, Pinta. I like you. But I just meant, if you're going to scold me for doing something stupid in front of the High Inquisitor...
"Isn't this when you should apologize to me?"
Oh, right. Yeah, I should apologize. Sorry. I don't know what came over me, but I definitely lost control. I scared you, sorry.
My body took a deep breath.
"Thank you for your sincere apology, and for saying it. I... I was worried about losing you too, you know. The thoughts you had when you were in that trance... those were the scariest."
What do you mean?
My entire body trembled.
"Vita, the longer I stay inside you, the more you merge with me. But I don't want to become... whatever you are. I just want to be normal. I want to go shopping with friends, take a comfortable bath, enjoy a good meal, without having to torment others to get these things. I want to be human."
Well, you're not human. I don't know if I am either. We can never be normal. It's not our fate.
"I know! Don't you think I know that?"
I remembered when I mistook her for Penelope. Remember how comfortable we were bathing together, seeing my own face, watching her and Nora laugh all the way home.
Well, you're already more human than I am. I just don't understand why you're so desperate to be human.
"Vita..."
But that's not important! Maybe I... don't understand humans as well as you do. But I want you to have what you want! I want you to be happy!
"I don't think you realize how many of your actions scare me."
Then tell me! Talk to me! When it's safe, we can give you more time to be yourself. We can find a way to give you a body! We're friends, right?
"I don't know! Are we?" Pinta raised her voice, speaking sharply. "You hardly know me, and I'm not treated as an equal. You say we're friends, but you lock me up whenever I'm in the way! You say we're friends, yet you threaten to kill me every day! If you only care about me when it's convenient, then you don't really care about me at all! Am I your friend, or your prisoner?"
"Lower your voice," Penelope whispered. "If others hear, they'll think you're talking to me! Besides, what makes you think you shouldn't be treated as a prisoner, you parasite?"
Pinta became even more terrified, and my face turned pale instantly.
"Pe... Penelope, I never thought—"
"I don't care what you thought. I hope you relive every moment of torment in Vita's mind until you die. Now shut up."
Oh, my god. Pinta, you want me to go to—
She detached from my neck and left full control of the body to me. I frowned. Well, with or without her participation, there were some things I wanted to say. I stretched slightly, carefully looked at my teammates, and spoke.
"Penelope... do you know why I spared her?" I asked softly.
Penelope just glared at me, her eyes burning with naked hatred. However, her soul revealed more. The melody of her soul was filled with pain and fear.
"I know she's a monster," I said softly to her. "She hurt you, and if I hadn't intervened, she would have continued to hurt you. She's terrifying and dangerous, but like me, she can't control her nature. I could be killed just for existing, and to hide the secret and survive, I've also killed people. I don't want to, but that's the reality. How can I condemn her for the same thing?"
"As I said before, Vita," Penelope replied quietly, "we'll do it your way. But let me be clear: we're doing this because I owe you a favor, not because I think it's a wise decision. If you expect me to like this, you'll be disappointed continuously. If that monster dares to speak to me again, you'd better prepare for a week of heartburn."
I swallowed hard. I didn't know what heartburn felt like, but it sounded awful.
"Okay. Sorry. But can I keep talking to her?"
"As long as that 'manipulator' of yours keeps quiet. You might have forgotten, but we're surrounded by damn inquisitors, and I guarantee, after your little performance earlier, they haven't forgotten you. Collapsing suddenly in the forest... I really don't understand why they didn't turn the carriage around and declare you unfit for the mission due to mental instability. I owe you a favor, Vita. I'm almost starting to like you. But my patience for your whimsical actions has its limits."
I nodded, poking the pouting Pinta hiding under my skin with my finger. She slid back down my spine and took control of the body.
"What?"
We were talking about how you feel like a prisoner.
She shuddered and took a deep breath.
"That's right."
I'm sorry. Every time I think about killing you, it scares you. You know I never actually intended to kill you, right? Most of the people I wanted to kill, I didn't.
"You were being so serious about comforting me, which was even scarier."
I groaned inwardly.
Pinta, have you ever heard the phrase "desperate times call for desperate measures"?
"Uh, since you've heard it, then obviously—"
I'm sorry I scared you so much. I'm scared of myself too! And I'm sorry your life is so terrible! But you know what? Face reality! You're stuck with me now, sharing a body, not because I had to! You can't be a rich debutante anymore! You can't go shopping, take comfortable baths, or enjoy good food! You're not Penelope, never were! Stop sighing over losing someone else's life!
"Then should I give up on becoming human like you?"
Is that why you're so afraid? You're not human! You're just a mind-controlling slime! You know what? I think it's super cool!
"Don't think like that!" Pinta hissed.
I felt my soul twist in annoyance.
Why can't I like you for who you are? What do you want from me?
She took a deep breath.
"I want time for myself. To be myself, even if it's inconvenient for you."
Okay, we'll figure this out. Anything else?
"I want a sense of security."
Yeah, we both do, Pinta. Unfortunately...
"...I know. We'll never have security."
Unless we become stronger.
She let out a dry laugh.
"Stronger? Do you think we can one day stand up to Gladra, the damn Annihilator? We'll always be small fries in this world, Vita. One day, we'll be devoured, bones and all."
Unless we devour enough of the other "small fries" first.
"When will these 'small fries' become people?"
Oh, if only someone who worried about such things could constantly watch over us...
"You don't really expect me, a mind-controlling slime, to be your moral compass, do you?"
You know I'm serious.
She sighed.
"How can you be so calm about all this?" she asked. "It's not normal. You gave me your body, your memories... you trust me completely. You know what I could do to you."
When others do good things for me specifically, I trust them, and it's never failed. It's just... if I didn't, you'd die, so I trust you much more than usual. I don't think you should die. Is that really so strange? Of course, it's a bit scary that you have all my memories, but regarding body control... Hmph. If it weren't for putting us in danger, I wouldn't care at all. It's just a body.
"Just a body, huh? What if you abandon this 'poor shell' of yours? Can you give it to me? I don't have a body of my own."
Have I ever thought that? Hmm. Well, actually, my body is quite terrible, you know? If I could live without it, that would be great. But I didn't mean it like that at the time.
"I have to disagree with you. Your body might not be perfect, but it's way better than a blob of goo. But I still want my own body."
We'll keep looking for a solution. In the meantime, how about you try to stay free as long as I don't engage in any terrifying soul torture?
"...I want to. I really want to try."
Then go have fun. If I feel like eating one of the inquisitors, slap me.
She chuckled softly, jumped out of the carriage. She appeared to be smiling on the surface, and I was smiling inwardly too. She stretched my arms, and I tried hard not to make any stretching movements myself.
Today was a bizarre day, but by my standards? Not too bad.