Aozaki Aoko Case File [204] 

Credits: Razlan Mohd

Although she couldn't currently use the Fifth Magic, Aoko vaguely sensed that it hadn't disappeared from her body. Her Magic Crest and magic circuits were still functioning perfectly. If she could find the right method in the future, it might not be impossible to let the Fifth Magic shine once again in this world.

The principle she had obtained from the Root was still operating within her, which proved that this world had a comparable existence to the Root. Though she had lost her ability to Redshift and could no longer maintain her state of strict defense through temporal dislocation, for now, she could only proceed with caution until she fully recovered her previous powers.

Technically, Aoko could use interdimensional teleportation to return to the Type-Moon world as soon as tomorrow. However, she hadn't yet figured out who had ambushed her during her teleportation. Thus, returning immediately didn't seem like a wise choice.

Moreover, this world appeared to have its unique magical system, different from both the Arcane Magic of the Weave and the magecraft of the Type-Moon universe. Aoko found this quite intriguing.

And so, Aoko teamed up with Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, forming a temporary trio of adventurers as they headed toward the nearest village.

When they had taken down the bandits earlier, Lina had estimated it was around 9 a.m. Now, after walking through the forest for nearly three hours, it was approaching noon. Aoko adjusted her wristwatch accordingly.

"…I'm so hungry…" Lina Inverse muttered with a soft complaint. "I can't believe we couldn't find a single restaurant or inn before reaching the next village…"

"…We agreed not to talk about this, little girl," Gourry said, looking utterly exhausted. "Sometimes, a man just has to endure!"

"Hey, Miss Aoko and I aren't men!" Lina snapped back angrily.

"Women need to endure too when necessary," Gourry replied weakly, glancing back at Lina and Aoko.

"If you're hungry, I still have some food," Aoko said with a cheerful smile. "If you don't mind, you're welcome to it."

Like magic, she pulled two large, Snickers-like peanut chocolate bars from her waist pouch and handed them to Gourry and Lina. Since they seemed unfamiliar with plastic wrappers, Aoko had to unwrap the packaging for them and hand them the bars directly.

"Ugh, so sweet!" Lina exclaimed after taking a bite. She seemed to find the sweetness overwhelming, but, given how hungry she was, she finished the peanut chocolate bar in a few quick bites despite her initial reaction.

"It's delicious!" Gourry said, devouring his chocolate bar in just two bites. "I love this kind of sweetness!"

"Since it's an emergency ration designed to replenish energy, the sugar content is quite high," Aoko explained. "Its sweetness might be too much for some people."

"It's fine—thank you," Lina said, expressing her gratitude. "At least I'm not as hungry now, and I have enough energy to make it to the next town!"

With the chocolate bar giving her a second wind, Lina hoisted her heavy pack and continued walking. Judging by the sound it made, Aoko guessed it contained quite a few metallic objects.

Earlier, when they had split the coins taken from the bandits they defeated, the amount wasn't substantial—just enough for a small pouch each. But Lina's pack seemed to contain much more.

"Lina, what's in your bag anyway? It looks heavy. Aren't you tired of carrying that thing?" Aoko asked casually.

"Ah, well… it's a treasure," Lina replied sheepishly, scratching her head. "Last night, I passed by the Dragon Fang Bandits' hideout and decided to do a little justice!"

"…So, the reason those bandits were chasing you earlier was because you stole their treasure?" Aoko said, speechless. "I thought you just happened to cross their checkpoint or something."

"That's not wrong!" Lina retorted. "Either way, they ambushed me, a beautiful young maiden, on this road. They got what was coming to them!"

"Oh! There's a river up ahead!" Gourry shouted, shading his eyes with his hand. "The town shouldn't be too far now!"

"Little fishies, little fishies~ We'll have fish to eat~!" Lina sang in a strange tune, hurrying toward the river to peer into the water.

She pulled a few long strands of her hair, tied them together, and attached them to a tree branch of uniform thickness, creating a makeshift fishing rod.

"Done!" Lina said excitedly. "Gourry, hold this for me!"

Handing the rod to Gourry, she crouched by the riverbank, lifting a few stones to reveal several unidentifiable bugs wriggling underneath. She hooked the bugs onto the fishing line, connected it to her makeshift rod, and sat on a large rock by the riverbank to fish.

"Are you still that hungry?" Aoko asked curiously as she approached. "I still have more…"

"You don't understand," Lina said, wagging a finger. "Fishing and eating grilled fish is a way of life! It's not something that dry rations can replace!"

Well, well… there's always a fishing enthusiast wherever you go!

"Lina, you're pretty resourceful," Gourry praised. "You must have a lot of experience traveling."

Lina was indeed an extraordinary fishing enthusiast—though not your average one. Holding the fishing rod in her left hand, she made a few simple gestures with her right, muttering an incantation under her breath. Aoko could faintly sense a subtle trace of magic flowing along the hairline fishing line, guiding the hook underwater to actively search for nearby fish.

Girl, that's cheating! Other fishing enthusiasts would roast you for this!

Still, since Aoko wasn't into fishing herself, she didn't mind Lina using magic to catch fish. And sure enough, within moments, Lina had caught two or three fish, making even Aoko tempted to give it a try.

Taking out a strand of silver wire hidden in her sleeve, Aoko decided to show off a little in front of Gourry and Lina. She used the magecraft of the Einzbern family for manipulating metallic forms, skillfully weaving the silver thread into a creation.

"Shapeist Leben!"

With that brief chant, the silver thread intertwined and fused, forming a lifelike silver hawk perched on Aoko's arm. The hawk let out a silent cry.

"Go," Aoko said, sending it off.

Under the stunned gazes of Gourry and Lina, the silver hawk swooped down into the river and effortlessly caught a fish much larger than any of Lina's, dropping it onto the rock in front of Aoko.

"Magic from another world is truly amazing," Gourry said, stroking his chin in awe. "It seems like magic can do anything!"

"That's not true!" Lina said sternly. "Magic can only do what it's suited for—there are still plenty of things it can't accomplish."

Aoko, however, had her perspective on the matter. Smiling silently, she let the silver hawk disassemble back into threads, which returned to her sleeve.

Magic is power, Aoko thought to herself. And power is everything.