36 As Fun as Useless
It had been minutes since I had tried that dreadful magic and Ofris yet had to find his calm. There was still a slight red on his cheeks, but also a feeling of guilt to be seen in his gaze.
I had long since started playing with the remaining food, desperately trying to escape the awkward silence. It was only when I had eaten it all, that I reluctantly leaned back and turned towards my two visitors.
Risa still looked shocked beyond rescue. After seeing it with her own eyes, it was obvious she believed me that there was a goddess playing around with me, but that didn't really change her feelings towards me. In her eyes, I was still a rival for Ofris's love even though I would never feel that way towards a man.
A loud sigh came from the man who had been put into the focus off all this chaos. Ofris looked for a more comfortable sitting position, before speaking up.
"Is that all she has taught you?"
"No. There are three other magics, too. All of them seem kinda useless, though ..."
"They aren't dangerous?"
"If only they were ..." I sighed deeply before I reached out my finger and used the first of the new, seemingly useless magic spells: 『Kindle』
The magic gave birth to a small flame. It hovered above the tip of my finger without feeling unbearably hot. Maybe it was the magic itself that protected me from its own power, or it was my affinity towards fox-magic that did the trick, I didn't know.
«I guess I have to ask that elf about it ...»
『Radiance』 was somehow a flashlight of some sort. I could use it to make any part of my body glow in a dazzlingly bright, white light, making me look like a ghost. Seeing my arm glow like this, I couldn't help feeling reminded of a certain anime I had watched years back.
«Is she trying to turn me into a squid?!»
Ofris looked at me confused when I starting making the light pulsate like I had seen the animals do in documentations.
"This is somehow fun."
"It doesn't need mana?"
"It needs quite a lot, actually."
"What?!"
After playing with the dancing colors a few more moments, I began reciting the description of the spell. Even though it seemed even more useless than Kindle, it seemed quite complex:
『Radiance: Makes a part of the body glow. After activation, effects can be altered by thoughts or vocal commands. Mana consumption depends on the percentage of body surface covered and brightness of the glow. Initial mana cost: 10. Costs another 1-5 mana per minute to maintain, depending on body surface covered. Affinities: Fox magic, light magic, nature magic (Enables complex patterns, enables change of colors, decreases mana cost by 50%)』
Ofris looked even more confused. "Why would there be a spell like that?"
"She looks like a firefly," Risa decided, finally breaking her silence, "not like a fox."
A slight dizziness attacked me before I could even answer them. I hurriedly canceled the magic, but it was already too late. A large chunk of my mana was long since wasted on sparkling and bemusing light effects.
Ofris didn't leave my pale skin uncommented. "Is everything ok?!" He asked almost panicked.
"I- I just played around a little too much."
"Played around?! You have to take care of your body!"
"I'm fine!"
"We should let you rest for now."
"I just used a little too much of my mana!"
"Didn't Sahria tell you how dangerous that is?!"
"How am I supposed to know how much mana I have left without being able to feel it?!"
"Don't you have that 'status'-thing you told me about?"
"Do you want me to use that every single time I use magic?"
"Yes!" Ofris seemed almost angry now. "That is exactly what I want you to do!"
The expression in Ofris face didn't even allow me to think about talking back to him. He wasn't angry because I did something wrong, but because he was afraid I would end up hurting myself. And even though I did not want to accept it, I knew he was right.
"So what are we going to do now?" I asked almost inaudibly.
"We have to get you stronger as soon as possible," Ofris said after realizing a long sigh, "the whole town knows you are a fox, after all."
"How is that an issue?"
"You look like a beastkin, after all. Even with those white tips you got now."
"Do you think they will attack me?"
"This town is pretty safe compared to others, but even here there are those you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley."
"They would try to kill me just because I look like this?!"
"Kill?" Ofris shook his head. "They would try to sell you, instead."
"Sell me?! Like a slave?!"
"There are many legends about the magic the fox kin possessed. You could easily become a tool of power, able to make a kingdom fall."
"A kingdom?! I am weaker than a child!"
"But you probably won't be weak forever. And even if you stay weak, your children could very well become magicians that are more powerful than any elf."
"I won't get any children!"
"They wouldn't leave you any choice. Once you are a slave, nobody will ask for your opinion. They will just try to make the most profit of you and make you carry their children or those of other slaves."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Don't you think that is a little too dark!?"
"He is right," Risa chipped in, clearly unwilling to do so. "You should take better care of yourself and don't trust strangers."
"Who am I supposed to trust, then?!" I protested. "In this world, there isn't a single man or woman that isn't a stranger to me!"
A long sigh left Ofris's lips. He was hurt, so hurt in fact that he averted his gaze and fell into a heavy silence. I could only resist seeing him like this for mere moments, before I hurriedly tried to comfort him, instead.
"I trust you! I really trust you, Ofris!" My voice got weaker and weaker. "It is just that I don't know anything about you. When you found me, I didn't even know if you were going to attack me or-"
"What can I do to make you trust me."
"Just- just stay with me ..."
"I can do that much ..."
⊱————- Extra ————-⊰
Risa: Hey?
Risa: Hello! Ofris?!
Risa: They totally forgot I am here, did they?
Risa: What is with that flirty atmosphere!?
Shiro: Aren't they cute together?!
Risa: It should be me in her place!
Shiro: But you aren't cute!
Risa: I am!
Shiro: You have no fox ears, no fox tail, no fox-
Risa: I can't be cute without being a fox?!
Shiro: Try to say 'kon!'
Risa: Kon? Kon! Kon! Kon-kon!
Ofris: ...
Rika: ...
Shiro: (◕▿◕ )
