Aozaki Aoko Case File [203]

"Huh? You're saying you're a mage from another world?" Lina Inverse looked at Aoko with a suspicious expression. "Do you have any proof? Don't think you can fool me just because I look young!"

"Hmm, take a look at this book. You've never seen this kind of writing before, have you?" Aoko casually handed Lina a book she was reading—a university textbook. "This is the type of textbook we use in schools in my world. Now, do you believe me?"

Lina took the book and examined it closely. As a high-ranking sorceress, she was certain she had never encountered this kind of writing before. The quality of the paper was also extraordinary—pure white, a type she had never seen in any library. This made her inclined to believe Aoko's story.

Besides, judging from the power of the magic Aoko had demonstrated earlier, it didn't seem like she had any reason to deceive her. There wasn't much to gain from doing so.

A mage capable of spatial teleportation and unleashing large-scale, deadly magic spells didn't need to trick her; if she intended to harm, Lina would already be dead. However, Lina couldn't completely rule out the possibility that this woman, who called herself "Aoko Aozaki," might be trying to use her to infiltrate a human city.

"...Fine," Lina sighed. "Since you killed those bandits to save me, I can't exactly complain."

"Ara, thank you for your understanding," Aoko responded with a cheerful smile. "In my world, banditry, robbery, and murder in organized groups are grounds for law enforcement to execute them on the spot."

"Eh? That's a harsh law... Anyway, who's that idiot over there? Do you know him?" Lina pointed toward the blonde man still lying on the ground.

"Of course not," Aoko said awkwardly. "Looks like he tried to play the hero and save you from the evil mage—me."

"We can't just leave him here, though... He might get eaten by wild animals," Lina said, troubled. "We should wake him up and hope he's the reasonable type."

Though she wasn't particularly skilled in healing, Lina could manage simple healing magic. She crouched beside the blonde man, her palm glowing faintly. In a moment, the man woke up, though he looked a bit dazed.

"Ah, did you heal me? Thank you, little girl!" the blonde man said with a goofy smile. However, Lina did not appreciate being called "little girl" and looked rather awkward.

The blonde man then turned and saw Aoko standing nearby, leaning on her staff. He immediately sprang to his feet and drew his sword, on guard. He clearly remembered that this woman had killed all the bandits in an instant and even knocked him unconscious.

Fortunately, Lina, being a clever girl, quickly cleared up the misunderstanding between them with just a few words.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the blonde man said, scratching his head. "I misunderstood you... My name is Gourry Gabriev, a swordsman on a journey."

"Aoko Aozaki, a mage from another world," Aoko introduced herself succinctly. It seemed that the magic Aoko had used to kill the bandits, along with her ability to incapacitate Gourry, left little room for him to doubt her identity. The conversation between them was quite cordial.

However, since Lina had healed Gourry with magic, he mistakenly assumed she was a cleric from Sairaag, much to her frustration.

"Hey, look at my outfit! Enchanted robe, black cloak—how on earth do I look like a cleric?" Lina yelled at Gourry. "I'm a sorceress! A sorceress!"

"R-right, sorry," Gourry apologized. "I haven't met many sorceresses before."

So far, Aoko has gathered quite a bit of information from these two. For instance, this world had an Occupation System of sorts, with roles like sorcerer and cleric.

Additionally, Aoko found the name "Lina Inverse" somewhat familiar. She vaguely recalled it being the name of a character from a game she had played in her previous life. However, that game didn't have much of a complex story, so she couldn't glean any further details.

For now, she needed to keep gathering information—preferably by visiting a nearby town.

"Are you heading to a nearby town?" Aoko asked. "As a traveler from another world, I know nothing about this place. Can I join you?"

"...I don't see why not," Lina replied after some thought. "I was planning to go to Atlas City. It's a big city, but it's still quite far from here—about ten day's journey. We'll probably have to stop at a few towns along the way."

"No problem!" Aoko said with a cheerful smile. "I'd love to see what your towns are like. Let's go together."

"Oh, oh! Let me be your bodyguard!" Gourry said, suddenly full of energy. Despite being electrocuted earlier, his sturdy swordsman physique had recovered quickly with some basic healing. "My destination is also Atlas City!"

"Just you?" Lina gave him a skeptical look, seemingly evaluating his abilities. "You, who were taken down in one move by Miss Aozaki?"

"That was just an accident! An accident!" Gourry protested. "How was I supposed to know she could just 'whoosh' behind me like that?"

Aoko smiled as she watched the two bicker, her mind busy evaluating the parameters of this world.

So far, her arcane magic seemed to function normally. Thanks to the presence of arcane fragments, her arcane magic was even smoother and more efficient than usual.

However, Aoko noticed that her magic circuit output seemed slightly weaker here compared to the Type-Moon world, where she had been able to wield her powers without restraint.

The most compelling evidence that she had truly arrived in another world, though, was the temporary inability to use her Fifth Magic.

It was well-known that the Five True Magics flowed directly from the Root itself. While the Second and Third Magics might serve as means to reach the Root, the Fifth Magic was undoubtedly a principle Aoko had directly obtained (and completed) from the Swirl of the Root.

The fact that she couldn't use her Fifth Magic here strongly suggested that this world lacked a Swirl of the Root or that its existence here was fundamentally different from that of the Type-Moon universe.