#091. The Weeping Woman (1)
The mana being channeled into the lock suddenly rebounded outward.
'...There's a locking spell.'
The front gate appeared impassable.
Then perhaps they'd have to climb the wall.
Ray glanced upward.
The gate and walls bristled with dense, spike-like structures that looked painfully sharp—clearly designed to deter intruders.
'Those won't be an issue.'
Metalization could easily prevent skin abrasions.
The real problem was height.
The gate and walls loomed impossibly tall, beyond what even enhanced leaps could overcome.
"......"
No usable footholds were visible nearby.
As Ray stealthily circled the mansion while contemplating alternatives—
"Huff... Wheeze... Finally caught up."
"Hoo... I thought my heart would burst."
Philip and Veronika emerged from behind.
"You arrived quicker than expected."
"Wheeze... Veronika can... wheeze... use enhancement magic too."
"Hooo... Not as potent as Ray's, though. My enhancement elements are limited. Hoo. And there's the stamina gap."
Red mana constituted one of the smallest proportions in Veronika's ring.
For Ray, it ranked second only to pale pink.
"Should've... wheeze... exercised more regularly."
"Agreed. Hoo. Didn't move much at the bookstore."
As the two caught their breath, Ray shared his findings:
"So Petro's inside the mansion now?"
"Since Ray sensed mana fluctuations, it's definitely magic. Not a ghost—absolutely, truly. Likely teleportation-type."
Petro's presence remained stationary within the building.
"Then he's not dead."
Death would have severed the binding magic's trace.
"Hmm. Are all the missing children here too?"
"Highly probable."
While Philip and Ray conversed, Veronika inspected the lock and retreated with vigorous head-shaking:
"Umm... The circuits are too complex. Beyond my current ability to unravel."
Questions arose:
Who owned the mansion?
Why abduct children?
What became of them?
Without sufficient clues, no conclusions formed.
"Stack items to scale the wall?"
"Too risky to enter blindly. We don't know who's inside."
"Observe from afar with a telescope?"
"All windows are curtained."
No safe investigation methods came to mind—until Veronika proposed:
"What if we try this?"
●
One hour later.
In Ray's room at the inn:
"Finding the children depends on you now. Do well, Nero."
Veronika cradled a black-furred cat with yellow eyes.
The creature lay contentedly in her arms, belly exposed and tail swaying—the same cat that had napped on the inn's outdoor table earlier, stretching upon seeing her before rubbing against her legs.
"Strange. He usually avoids humans but fawns over you immediately."
"Animals have always liked me since childhood. Ray, try the familiar binding first?"
Ray nodded.
Purple mana chains soon connected from his palm to Nero.
The cat showed no immediate changes.
Purrr—
It simply groomed itself as before.
Yet when Ray manipulated the mana to issue commands, Nero obediently turned its head or lifted paws.
"Ray, attempt sensory synchronization now?"
Sensory synchronization.
A spell sharing all senses between summoner and familiar.
"Definitely safer than entering—scouting through the cat."
Philip nodded and reached for Nero's head.
Hiss—!
He jerked back from a swift paw swipe, looking crushed.
"What? Why just me?"
"I wanted to pet him too..."
While Philip sulked, Veronika calmed Nero by stroking its back.
Ray focused intently on activating sensory synchronization,
having learned the method from Michael.
The problem:
"Still not working properly."
The spell required not only high skill but prolonged emotional bonding with the familiar—established rapport.
"Ah, right. You mentioned previous attempts. Maybe try this instead?"
Veronika handed over a notebook packed with formulae.
"This is..."
"Modified synchronization formulae I devised. Allows connection even with shallow bonds."
Hope and anxiety warred in Veronika's expression.
Modifying established spell formulae bordered on impossibility—
elemental combinations were already optimized.
Though improved formulae occasionally emerged, they required extensive research.
Yet Veronika had tried regardless:
I just wanted to help Ray.
Pouring every theoretical scrap her grandfather taught her
during their wilderness travels:
Hmm, maybe this element ratio here? Or inversely...
Not that she hadn't become engrossed in the challenge itself.
She'd ultimately produced 48 formulae.
"All variants use control/connection elements as base, with modulated components..."
Ray flipped pages rapidly while listening.
"Can't test all today, but—"
"This one."
"Huh?"
"Formula 38. This works."
Ray had already closed his eyes.
The darkness behind his lids now showed Nero's perspective:
'So this is what I look like.'
Having rarely seen mirrors, his own face felt strangely foreign through another's eyes.
"Wait, really? It actually worked?"
—Wait, really? It actually worked?
Voices overlapped in dual perception—his ears and Nero's both hearing.
"You've already tested all the formulae?"
"That's right."
Veronica couldn't hide her astonishment and excitement.
Who could have dared anticipate this?
He’d tested dozens of mana formulas in less than a few minutes.
‘And these weren’t ordinary formulas either.’
They were intricate equations woven with precise ratios, tolerating no margin of error—demanding not only mana control but intense concentration.
“Wow, wow, wow! Unbelievable! I gave my all composing them, but I never expected any to actually work!”
Overcome by excitement, Veronica shot up from her seat.
In that instant, Nero landed on the floor, tilting Ray’s vision. Ray promptly made Nero leap back onto the table to restore his view.
Then he said:
“Correct. They’re your formulas.”
A half-truth.
All of Veronica’s formulas had been utterly ineffective.
Ray had simply modified the most well-structured ones to finalize the equations.
Designer: Veronica.
Finisher: Himself.
But revealing this seemed unnecessary.
The reason?
‘This way, I see more emotions.’
Through Nero’s eyes, Ray couldn’t perceive others’ emotions directly.
But their reversed vision allowed him to discern something else—
facial expressions.
The radiant smile blooming on the girl’s face.
The kaleidoscope of emotions spilling from it.
For a moment, they stole the boy’s breath.
For a long while.
For what felt like an eternity.
●
The next morning.
An alley distant from the mansion.
“Nero. Safe travels. Finish your mission, and a grand reward awaits your return.”
Philip waved a stick-shaped cat treat at Nero.
Hiss—!
Only a sharp warning sound answered him.
“…He hates me. Why?”
“No idea. No obvious reason. Bad first impression?”
“I’ve tried so hard to bond since yesterday. Now I’m just stubbornly annoyed.”
Philip sulked.
Ironically, Ray had succeeded in befriending Nero the previous night.
「Sensory synchronization depends on familiarity with your familiar—your bond.」
Following Veronica’s advice, Ray focused on connecting with Nero.
「Approach slowly, give a slow-blink greeting. If Nero responds, gently pet his head. Move your hand carefully…」
「……」
He doubted.
Could someone like him befriend Nero?
Sector animals treated him as little more than a moving boulder—
neither wary nor affectionate.
Ray assumed it was because he lacked human emotions.
An unverified theory claimed animals were acutely sensitive to them.
「Greet him mentally. Hello. I’ll greet you properly. Nice to meet you.」
「……」
「You’re truly beautiful. I want to be your friend.」
“You’re truly beautiful.”
“No—don’t say that while staring at me! Mentally! At Nero!”
A first attempt.
The result?
Blink.
「Nero returned the slow blink!」
“That brat—ignored all my greetings! Damn cat!”
Nero not only accepted Ray’s greeting but climbed onto his lap, purring.
‘…Last night’s incident.’
It was Ray’s first experience receiving such warmth from an animal.
The reason eluded him.
Perhaps linked to his recent emotional growth.
Regardless—
Mew—
Their sensory sync had reached acceptable levels.
“……”
Ray slowly blinked at Nero, who gazed up from his feet—a silent thanks for sharing senses.
Nero blinked back.
Mew—
After nuzzling Ray’s ankle, Nero turned toward the mansion.
Ray closed his eyes.
A bobbing perspective unfolded—several tiers lower than human height.
────
Soundless steps.
The approaching gate.
Nero slipped through its gap into the garden.
Plants of varied sizes surrounded them.
Pruned sections of blackened branches stood out.
‘Someone maintains this place.’
Contrary to Melom and Dnine’s claims of long abandonment.
Pitter-patter!
The scenery lurched closer—Nero had spotted gooseberries and bolted.
No. Not there.
Ray hastily redirected him through an open window.
Meeoooww—!
A complaint-heavy cry.
But expediency demanded it.
The view shifted to a sunlit hallway.
Dust-free decor implied meticulous upkeep.
Then—
「Ahahaha—!」
「Hahahaha—!」
Laughter echoed.
Simultaneously, Nero’s waist was gripped—their vision began rising.
