MTLNOVEL Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Even so, I've always been weak to stories about children. Whether it's movies or dramas, when children are involved, my tear ducts loosen up.
On top of that, Ellie finally accepted herself. Her parents only worried about her and never acknowledged her. She was constantly compared to her three beautiful sisters, severely bullied in class, and never had any friends. Ellie, who was shy, timid, and yet had a kind heart, was finally able to accept herself and found a place she belonged.
Ellie, you're truly a strong girl.
If I were in the same situation, I can't even imagine what would have happened.
Her family was full of good-looking people, so she was constantly compared. She was bullied in class and had no friends. And yet, when something wrong happened, she bravely spoke out against the bullies. She practiced reading aloud at the orphanage for the one she loved. Even when the children called her fat and made fun of her, she didn't act cold. Believing that sincerity would get through, she interacted with people with a pure heart.
She's a wonderful girl. A girl like the Holy Mother.
Cliff must have been drawn to Ellie's kindness and asked her to read aloud for him.
What's more, Ellie even began researching Light Magic, recklessly trying to heal Cliff's eyes.
She read quite a few books in the library and practiced a great deal. It seems her magic power was low, so her practice didn't progress well, but she still studied properly and gathered as many resources as she could afterward.
The diary moves into winter break, New Year's, and the third school term. The school vacation cycle seems to be almost the same as in Japan.
Ellie met with Cliff during lunch breaks, read aloud at the orphanage, and trained in Light Magic during her free time. Her handwriting had become clearer than in her first year, and I suspect she had gained confidence. In fact, there was even a scene where she boldly rebutted and drove off the two main bullies.
While she did write that it was still painful and sad not having a place in class, there were no scenes as cruel as those in her first year.
I started thinking that maybe the diary would end peacefully just like this.
It's the diary of a girl with no self-confidence, who finds her place and works hard. That thunderstorm day, the lightning that struck the pond might have been just a coincidence. Her face twisted in despair and her painful cries might have been because her magic research wasn't going well. Thinking that, I turned the page—only for my hands to start trembling uncontrollably.
The handwriting in the diary had turned into angry scrawls.
It was long text, written in slanted, messy handwriting that didn't seem like hers.
'March 10th, 1005 — Cliff-sama is gone. In the conversation room at the back of the library, there was a note. It was hastily written and only said "Ellie, I'm sorry." The crumbling handwriting was unmistakably Cliff-sama's. I was confused. I searched the whole school. The grounds, the rooftop, the cafeteria, the training hall, the faculty room, the magic lab. When I went to the fourth-year Light Magic classroom where Cliff-sama used to be, they looked at me like, "What's this fat girl doing here?" but I didn't care. He wasn't there. Neither Cliff-sama nor his butler were there. Even after lunch break ended and class began, I wandered around the school with the letter from the conversation room in hand. I had a bad feeling. Deep down, I knew. Cliff-sama is the grandson of Pope Seller. Even as the second son, his position is far higher than mine. Maybe something happened in his homeland. I was so worried I didn't know what to do. I held the note to my chest and cried again and again. Even if I cry, Cliff-sama won't come back. I know that. After school, I knocked on the principal's door to ask where he went. The principal just twirled his white beard and told me nothing. I went to the largest church in town where Cliff-sama lived and asked the priest about his whereabouts. He just smiled and said nothing. I went into every church shop and private home I could, asking about him. No one knew. Very few even knew about Cliff-sama. He stood out so much, someone should have known. At night, a Church Knight caught me and told me to refrain from disrespectful behavior, then threw me out of that area. I never thought I'd lose that smile so easily. I knew that someday we'd say goodbye, but this was too sudden—my heart can't keep up. It feels like it's going to break. I can't bear that Cliff-sama is gone. I went to the orphanage, hoping someone would comfort me. But the orphanage was gone. As if a war had happened, the building was completely destroyed and burned to the ground. Only the security corps putting out the fire were there. Not a trace remained. Thinking I had the wrong place, I retraced my steps. I hadn't been mistaken. The orphanage was supposed to be there. I grabbed one of the security corps members there and asked what happened. He said there was a bandit attack and all the children were taken. I don't understand anything anymore. They're gone. Everyone's gone. I ran. I ran outside the town. Because I'm fat, I fell over and over. I got up and kept running. No one was there anymore. On the way, I was caught by a patrol unit doing rounds. When I told them what happened, they told me to go home. When I said I couldn't, they put me in a carriage and forcibly escorted me home. My father and mother were furious when they saw me all muddy. But I didn't care. My head is spinning. I don't know why I'm writing in my diary at a time like this. Cliff-sama and the children are gone, so why am I in my own room? I don't understand. It hurts. It's sad. Cliff-sama. Cliff-sama. Someone help me.'
It wasn't just hastily written—it was angry scrawling.
The last line, especially, was far from her usual meticulousness; it was written over other text.
My heartbeat quickened with curiosity as I turned the page with thick fingers.
The next page was even more chaotic than the one before.
Though it barely retained the form of letters, without being used to her handwriting, it would be hard to decipher. That's how scrawled it was.
'March 11th, 1005 — The eldest son of the Ricky family, Bob! Unforgivable! The orphanage is gone because of him! I saw the children being taken away in a carriage with cages! I saw it! He laughed at the orphanage's burnt remains! His father is in charge of the orphanage! He must have done something! I won't forgive him!'
Ellie's once-gentle heart now filled with rage made my breathing rough.
I felt terrible heartburn and instinctively clutched the chest of my pajamas with both hands.
I couldn't believe that the quiet and kind Ellie would refer to someone as "that guy."
No matter how much she was bullied, she had never used harsh words before. For Ellie to go this far—what did the Ricky family's eldest son Bob do?
The children were taken away in a carriage with cages?
Cages—that means it was a transport wagon, of course meant to prevent escape.
This is unforgivable.
Once the facts are confirmed, he should be punished so severely he'll never recover.
I turn another page.
'In a back alley of the town, I met an old man in a robe. He taught me how to draw a magic circle to summon necessary things, and the incantation for lightning magic. Either way, I have nothing left. If the magic succeeds, maybe I can summon Cliff-sama. I'll use the lightning spell on Bob. Just kidding. I know there's no way I could pull off such complex magic. It's okay if I fail. It's okay now...... Amy-nee-sama, I'm sorry. Clarice, I'm sorry. Father, Mother, Elizabeth-onee-sama, Edwina-onee-sama, Barry—everyone, everyone, I'm sorry. Cliff-sama, I'm sorry. Ah, Cliff-sama. I wanted to see you one last time. I wanted to read books together again in the library. I wanted to see your embracing smile. I want to see you, Cliff-sama......'
Tears spilled from my eyes.
I wiped them with my sleeve and steadied my breathing.
Since the diary ends here, Ellie probably got struck by lightning after this. Her pain that stormy day, when she cried like she was shredding the world, pierced my heart through her diary.
When I opened the next page, a piece of brown parchment fluttered down.
I pulled my flabby flesh off the armrest as I nearly fell, and picked it up. On the paper was a complicated pattern centered around a circle.
A circle was drawn first with blue ink, and inside it, four evenly sized circles were aligned. Inside each of the four circles, dense letters floated in a Möbius strip-like form. I couldn't tell if they were letters or just patterns.
Is this the "summoning magic circle" mentioned in the diary?
Nothing was drawn on the back.
I thought my vision was blurry, but it was because tears I thought I'd wiped away kept pouring out.
Huh, why?
I didn't think I was crying.
Tears fell down my cheeks and onto the carpet, completely independent of my will.
Could it be... Ellie is crying?
After several deep breaths, it finally stopped.
Outside the window, it had become bright. Birds chirped, and the soft morning sun streamed into the room. I flipped through the pages leaning against the window frame, checking if any other magic circles were tucked into the second half of the diary, and thought about my plans. The soft sunlight felt good on my sleep-deprived body.
For now, my goals are set.
First, get revenge on Bob.
Second, find the orphanage children.
Third, find Cliff.
Fourth, go on a diet.
Fifth, find a way to return to Japan (in my original form).
While avenging Ellie's regrets, I'll also look for a way to return to Japan.
At this point, Ellie is no longer a stranger. I'll try living freely while doing what she wanted to do. Well, I'm fat and ugly, but that's probably a perfect handicap for a handsome elite salesman like me.
Man, I really am super positive—
The only thing tucked into the diary was that magic circle, but on the last page, a lightning spell incantation was hastily written.
Whoa, magic really exists. Amazing.
''《Thunderbolt》'
This is so embarrassing—will this really work?
Is magic always this much of a hassle?
I'd absolutely hate to say this in front of people. Oh well, no one's around, so I guess I'll try reading it out loud.
"Two fated souls to be divided......"
The moment I read it, I knew this was bad.
A power unlike anything I'd felt before surged from below my navel and raced through my entire body, about to burst out. It felt a bit like trying not to vomit after drinking too much, but with way more explosive force—and it was my whole body. From fingertips, chest, head, throat, shin, elbow—power was trying to escape from every possible exit.
I gripped the diary tightly and endured.
The thought of stopping the chant crossed my mind, but I immediately dismissed it.
If I stopped halfway, my whole body would probably be torn apart.
Can I really finish reading this?
I tried to rush through it, but with every word, my mouth stiffened like clay and wouldn't move.
So this is what magic is.
Calm down, calm down!
I can do this. If anyone can, it's me—the super elite, genius, handsome salesman.
I forced myself to read the words.
As I spoke the words, the power inside me grew. I used sheer willpower to suppress the hot "something" that felt like it would explode.
When I somehow managed to say the final word, my body suddenly felt light, and the condensed power bounced around inside me like a pinball.
I understood by instinct.
"Fall."
A thunderous roar tore through the air, and lightning crashed down from the sky, splitting a ten-meter tree in the hospital yard in two.
Birds in the nearby trees shrieked and flew off all at once.
Hospital staff, security guards, and nearby residents gathered around the split tree in shock.
"Ah............"
S-sorryyy! I was practicing magic and it just kind of worked by accident! My bad!
Yeah, no way they'd forgive a fat guy like me saying that.
This... isn't funny...
As I tried to think of an excuse, my body suddenly felt heavy, and I collapsed on the spot.
Overcome by an intense drowsiness, I lost consciousness—unaware that the lightning spell was an outrageous magic, or rather, not even considered magic at all—feeling the texture of the carpet on my cheek.