It had been four days since then.
Fighting Minosdoll had already become part of my daily routine.
But not for the sake of Relics.
In fact, Munieka had already told me.
At this stage, the Relic Silent Auto Move (Half) probably wouldn't evolve.
She said it was unexpected, and without some other external factor, it probably wouldn't happen.
But I kept fighting Minosdoll anyway — to build up real combat experience.
I'm lacking in a lot of things. What I'm lacking most is real combat experience.
Minosdoll. Their strength ranged from regular Minos units to Minos Guardians.
They weren't particularly strong.
But they had the combat techniques of a first-class delver — Munieka's.
That was more valuable than going into the dungeon and fighting monsters.
That's why I kept up my lessons with Minosdoll.
However, after I told Munieka about Shaldina, she stopped showing up. She was banned.
Although... no, no, it was probably just my imagination.
Every time another Minosdoll appeared, I started to feel a resentful aura from somewhere.
It's probably just my imagination, but I think I'll deal with Hiyarn next time.
Anyway, on to the main topic.
The day after that late night... morning. The witch was still a witch.
Still, she was somehow stiff and awkward about it, forcing a deflecting smile.
Well, I was probably feeling much the same way.
More importantly, though, there was Chive.
When she got drunk and bold, she was just too cute, and I'd ended up going too far.
She passed out, so I carried her to the next sofa and tidied up.
The moment she woke up, she kicked Shiro out and locked herself in the nap room.
That nearly caused a fight with Shiro, and Munieka kept staring daggers at me.
Hmm. It seemed like Munieka had figured out quite a lot.
It was only natural, really, but I braced myself for being avoided.
After the lecture, I went to the bath to wash off the sweat, and Chive was lying in wait.
Of course, she was naked. But even when I spoke to her, she said nothing, so I stayed silent too.
Something like that, but by evening she was more or less back to normal.
Still, I had a feeling our relationship would never truly go back to what it was before.
From that day on, Chive stopped sleeping on the sofa next to mine.
She actually tidied up one of the guest rooms and started sleeping there instead.
I thought she was avoiding me, but she talked to me in her usual light tone, same as always.
And every now and then, from a distance, she'd fix me with a heated gaze.
When our eyes met, she'd look away. What was that all about?
But still.
Somehow, even though we hadn't crossed a single line, it felt like we already had.
Time for some self-reflection.
And then tonight.
Before dinner, the witch came back.
She set a slightly fancy bottle on the table.
"Hehe, hehe, hehehe, hehehe! At last, at last, it's finally done!"
She looked happy, but her energy was way higher than usual.
Munieka let out a sigh.
"You're noisy. What is that?"
"Hmm?"
"What is it?"
"Witch. What's that?"
"Oh my, oh my! Everyone, listen up! This is the Awakening Water!"
What was that liquid with the suspicious name?
The contents… I couldn't tell, because the amber-colored bottle hid everything.
"Waaaah!? You mean the Awakening Water, that one!?"
Chive, who had been acting completely uninterested, was in shock.
"What is it. Be quiet."
"You're the noisy one."
"Whaaat, even Munieka and Shiro don't know!? The Awakening Water is a legendary elixir that lets you awaken and become way more powerful the moment you drink it!"
"T-that kind of thing exists!?"
"I think I've vaguely heard of it somewhere. They called it a superhuman drug or something."
"Yes— that's it!"
"Shiro doesn't know about it."
"Fufu, fufu— even for a top alchemist like Con, it took quite a while to make."
"So the witch has been going out nonstop this whole time just to brew this?"
"Well, yes, that about sums it up. The brewing ingredients were awfully hard to come by."
So that was it.
"Wait, wait— not only that, but the recipe for the Awakening Water was supposed to be unknown— how did you even find out about it?"
"Oh, the lab!"
I said it on instinct. Chive clapped his hands together.
"Oh— now there's an idea—!"
If it was the lab's database, there just might be a recipe in there.
"I see. So that's how it was."
"You really thought it through."
Both of them seemed satisfied.
"Well well, with some help from Haiyan, we somehow managed to pull it off."
"Hmm. That lab... might be even more dangerous than I imagined."
"Well, well, I can understand the concern. We've been giving that matter plenty of thought. Now then, young Wof. Here is your Awakening Water."
"Y-yes. I-I'll have it then."
I took the rather fancy bottle in hand and drank.
Hmm, this is—?! This taste! My memories from my past life make it crystal clear.
This is cola! Carbonation-free cola!
Surprised but strangely nostalgic, I drain it in one go.
The instant I do, my body gives a deep thump and trembles faintly, mind and soul together.
"——!"
What. What. What. What.
What. What. What. What.
My body is... —no, my mind is... —my soul is going somewhere. Where?
"Wof! Wof, are you alright?!"
"Master! Sir!"
"What on earth is happening?!"
"Wof! Wooooof?!"
Voices called from far away.
This place...
A pale blue space crisscrossed with white lines.
Sterile-looking, like a bers grid.
Floating in it is a sphere with a round frame.
That is my Banish. I somehow know that.
A transparent sphere. I find myself wondering. What exactly is this transparent sphere?
If it's transparent, you can't see it — so why is it spherical?
Why is this frame sphere round?
It shouldn't have to be. Square or triangular would work just fine.
Ah, right.
The reason it's round is because it's used with the hands.
If it has to fit the palm, a sphere is the optimal shape.
But why does it have to be held in the hand?
There's no need to give it a physical form, is there?
...Was it not necessary?
Like the blue, sterile space of this frame burst.
I activate Banish. A sphere of frames materializes in my palm.
I'll break this apart.
How?
No — I already know. This is probably the awakening drug's effect.
Understanding everything, and awakening as a result.
The sphere of frames drifted away from my hand.
Crown's Banish was also a sphere, but it hovered freely, detached from the hand.
Right. Banish used to be different at first.
But because it was dangerous — too dangerous — I shaped it into a sphere that fit the palm so it wouldn't slip free.
The first time I used it, I'd already made it safe.
Let me revert it.
I initialized my Banish.
Restoring it to the original Banish.
The flame sphere vanished without a fuss.
That should do it.
Then the blue flame space dissolved around me.
I opened my eyes. My vision was hazy.
A gray reptilian face was staring right at me from up close, and its eyes went wide.
"Whoa! Everyone—Wof woke up!"
Chaibu, huh? Wait, where was I—I was lying on the sofa.
Had he been nearby? The others rushed over right away, and when they saw me, they looked relieved.
"Wof-kid, Wof-kid, are you really okay!?"
The witch's anxious face came into view.
"Calm down. How are you feeling?"
Shiro asked in a gentle voice, looking at me.
"Master. Please drink this."
Kototto Munieka set a cup on the table.
"I... collapsed, didn't I?"
I asked as I picked up the cup.
Much appreciated. My throat was parched.
"Geez, geez, it was awful! The witch and Shiro were both totally panicked."
"You'd be the same."
"But, but, I never imagined it would turn out like this!"
"I was appalled that you didn't even run a reagent test."
"But, but, we confirmed in the lab that there were no toxins or side effects."
"Still, you never know what might happen."
"Witch. When it comes to medicine and compounding, this isn't like you at all."
"Ugh... ugh... I can't even groan properly."
The witch bowed her head and groaned.
I sipped my cold potion. For the Witch, this was a surprisingly elementary mistake.
Normally, you'd test on guinea pigs a few times to make sure there was no danger.
The Witch had always used guinea pigs and testing equipment, especially for new drugs.
Her lab's credibility was high, but the fact remained — I had collapsed.
The Witch looked at me. Her moist amber eyes always made my heart skip a beat.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, young Wof. It's Con's fault, isn't it. I'm sorry."
She bowed her head deeply. I stood there dumbfounded and let out a small laugh.
"...Please be more careful next time."
"Truly, truly, I'm terribly sorry."
The Witch bowed her head again. She seemed to have reflected.
I knew that her anxiety and loneliness had driven her to rush the results.
Shiro set down her teacup and asked.
«So, how is it? Do you feel stronger?»
«That's the thing—»
I summarized the chain of events as succinctly as I could.
«I see, I see. You were limiting a spatial Relic yourself.»
«You mean the Relic that manifested in my childhood was being suppressed unconsciously for safety reasons?»
«That's actually fairly common. But forgetting about it entirely? That's unusual.»
«Mm—so you remembered, and then undid the restriction.»
«Yes. Banish reset to its initial state when it manifested.»
Chive let out a long, thoughtful hum.
Shiro asked, sounding annoyed.
«What's your problem?»
«Well, it's just—this is supposed to be the legendary Awakening Potion, right? And the result feels... kind of underwhelming.»
«Legends are often like that.»
«But, but—Wof-kun forgetting about it, and being unconsciously limited, and then breaking free of that—all of that was only possible thanks to the Awakening Potion!»
The Witch emphasized the outcome, clearly proud. Gathering the ingredients must have been a real ordeal.
Then Munieka spoke up.
«What is Banish like after the reset?»
What is it like?
The next day. Morning.
I wasted no time in testing the initial Banish.
The witches came to observe the proceedings.
And for that purpose, Minosdore appeared as the opponent.
"…Sh, Chardina…"
"What is the meaning of this?"
The person who had appeared there was, without a doubt—
Chardina, who had been banned from the premises.