Aozaki Aoko Case File [217]

When the carriage arrived at the next town, it was already approaching evening.

The town wasn't very large and didn't have a magic shop. Fortunately, Aoko had bought enough materials at the last magic shop, and her inventory was well-stocked. She wouldn't run out of supplies for her usual spellcasting or magic research anytime soon.

Gourry stretched lazily, then jumped off the carriage. Lina, on the other hand, looked a bit unwell and carefully tried to climb down. However, she misstepped and was about to fall hard onto the ground.

Speed had always been Aoko's forte as a spellcaster. She effortlessly caught Lina before she could hit the ground. But the moment her hand came into contact with Lina's body, Aoko noticed something was off, causing her to frown slightly.

"Th-thank you, Miss Aoko," Lina said, rubbing her waist and thanking Aoko for catching her. "Let's hurry to the inn and reserve a room."

Aoko didn't say much, as the area was crowded. She decided to ask Lina about her condition in detail later, once they were in the privacy of their room.

The three of them arranged for a room at the inn and ordered some food to be delivered to their room. Then, they headed straight to their suite, which consisted of a main hall and a bedroom.

"Is it really okay for me to share a room with you two?" Gourry asked awkwardly as he surveyed the suite.

"I just need to meditate at night," Aoko explained. "I can sit beside Lina all night, so you can sleep in the main hall. Just make sure not to sleep too deeply in case someone tries to ambush us."

"Alright," Gourry said, scratching his head. "Got it. Is Lina feeling unwell?"

"…There are several reasons," Lina replied weakly. "For the next few days, I can only manage simple spells. Something like a light spell is about my limit."

"I see…" Gourry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Is it that time of the month?"

"W-what?! How does a jellyfish-brained guy like you even know about that?!" Lina jumped up, her face bright red, and kicked Gourry a few times. However, due to her weakened state, her kicks were neither painful nor effective, so Gourry didn't take them seriously.

"Well, there's an older sister who runs a fortune-telling shop near the entrance to my village," Gourry explained. "She once told me that witches, female sorcerers, and priestesses lose some of their magic power during that time of the month, which can cause their spells to fail. It's just how it works."

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Aoko asked curiously. "Are you saying that female magicians in this world experience a drop in magic power due to their menstrual cycle?"

Aoko's straightforwardness left Gourry temporarily stand guard outside the door, while Aoko and Lina discussed this rather personal topic in private.

"…That's just how it is," Lina said, blushing. "I can't help it. It just happens to be these few days, so I've temporarily lost most of my combat ability."

"But I'm so envious of the female magicians from your world," Lina sighed. "Your magical abilities aren't affected by that time of the month…"

"Why would they be affected by menstruation?" Aoko replied with a puzzled expression. "First off, my magic is powered by magic circuits, which are essentially virtual nerves. Second, when it comes to spellcasting through the magic Weave, most of the power is drawn from the weave itself. As long as the weave is intact, the impact is negligible."

"And besides," Aoko added, "I don't have a menstrual cycle."

Lina's eyes widened in shock, utterly speechless.

"D-don't tell me…?" Lina hesitated to ask the question on her mind, but Aoko answered it before she could.

"Gaining a certain level of control over one's bodily functions is a basic skill for any spellcaster," Aoko explained. "Controlling one's menstrual cycle is something female mages learn as children. After all, spellcasters are expected to be rational beings. Male mages have similar training for their issues."

"Then, could I…?"

"Probably not," Aoko said after some thought. "You don't have magic circuits in your body. Forcing magical control over your biological functions would only harm you."

Feeling uncomfortable, Lina collapsed onto the bed, silent and dejected. Aoko took out a bottle of alchemically-prepared stamina recovery potion and handed it to Lina.

"This will help you recover some energy. Drinking it should make you feel better," Aoko said. "Ordinary girls sure have it tough."

Lina shot her a blank stare, then unscrewed the cap and gulped down the potion before falling asleep.

Around 11 PM, Gourry was sound asleep on the couch in the living room, clutching his sword. Lina lay deeply asleep in her bed, looking a little pale but resting peacefully. Aoko, meanwhile, sat cross-legged in midair with her eyes closed, meditating. This was a method she had extracted from the magic Weave—a form of meditation that could replace sleep by refining one's mental energy.

Aoko didn't use this technique to replace sleep every day. She believed that sleep itself was an enjoyable activity. If a person completely gave up on enjoying life, they would lose their sense of humanity, and Aoko didn't want that to happen to her.

But tonight was an exception. That Zelgadiss Graywords seemed to be a man of his word. He had promised to cause trouble for them, and it seemed he intended to follow through.

With a loud bang, the door to the room was violently kicked open, and a figure rushed inside. However, the intruder was immediately met with a low-pitched explosion and a scream of pain.

Aoko opened her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. She cast a soundproofing spell around Lina to ensure the patient's rest wouldn't be disturbed.

When Aoko stepped into the living room, she saw Gourry standing with his sword drawn, maintaining a vigilant stance. Several intruders lay on the ground, all of them bloodied and covered in numerous small, bleeding wounds.

Among them, one who appeared to be the leader—a warrior-type with a bald head—was wearing armor that had managed to protect his vital areas. However, Aoko's magical traps still left him with a head injury, and one of his eyes had been destroyed.

Aoko had used a modified version of her self-detonating spider golems, creating conditional-trigger magical bombs.

In simple terms, these were magic-based claymore mines. The shrapnel inside was specially designed and enchanted to counteract the regenerative abilities of trolls.

Aoko nodded at Gourry, who immediately stepped forward and decapitated all the intruders except the bald warrior. This ensured the trolls wouldn't regenerate, earning Aoko's approval. It seemed this golden-haired swordsman, despite his dimwitted demeanor, wasn't the overly merciful type.

Looking at the injured leader, who had been incapacitated by pain but was still alive thanks to his armor, Aoko smiled mischievously. She intended to thoroughly interrogate him, hoping to uncover information about Zelgadiss Graywords and the Orichalcum statue.