The venomous spider and the boy

 
 (How sinister…!!)
 
 I looked at 『that』 for the second time.
 
 But the thing clinging to Theo right before my eyes, the venomous spider tormenting him, released a far more repulsively sinister sensation than what was in my distant memory.
 
 (This is the very malice of its maker.)
 
 At first glance, it has a black lustre similar to an actual spider, but it’s actually made of metal.
 
 This fact indicated that it wasn’t a natural thing, and that it is a magic tool made by someone with a clear intention.
 
 
 
 “Ugyaaaaaahhh!!”
 
 As the sharp pain courses through his entire body, Theo writhes, screams, and scratches.
 
 “-!!”
 
 Innumerable scars peeked through the exposed gap in his sleepwear.
 
 Welts ran across his arms and body, probably as self-inflicted wounds.
 
 “Coco! Mel! Help me!!”
 
 “’Kay!”
 “Of course!”
 
 Together with my call, the two bears flew out from my bag.
 
 I moved them to hold Theo down, and then shouted out.
 
 “『Queskio Magia《Magic Power Stabilisation》』!”^[1]
 
 I flow my magic power through the bears, and Coco and Mel’s hands shine.
 
 After a blink of the eye, those lights coming from their hands — the ends of their four round hands — formed a bluish-white film with a quick wind-like sound.
 
 “——— let’s go.”
 
 In that state, I steadily lowered the bears.
 
 Eventually, the film of light covered the writhing Theo from head to toe.
 
 “-!!”
 
 A wave of disorderly magic power.
 It shook me similar to a swinging arm of long rope.
 
 
 
 “——— quiet down.”
 
 The franticly raging magic power was shut out.
 
 “Ugyaaaaaahhh!!”
 
 Theo screamed out.
 
 Right now, inside his body, my magic power is playing a game of tug-of-war with his own rampaging magic power.
 
 Theo had a considerable amount of magic power.
 
 The venomous spider clinging to his chest, after sucking up his magic power, would mess with the wavelength and return that magic power back to his body.
 
 The disordered magic power ran wild, and the torrent of energy ran about Theo’s body in chaos.
 The sharp pain caused by this is beyond words, and those who touch him are struck by that same pain.
 
 It is truly a 『curse』.
 
 What’s worse is that, the moment you try to rip it off, this spider is designed to release its maximum output of stored magic power in one go.
 
 Last time, I didn’t notice that booby trap.
 
 As a result of pulling off the spider without knowing of that, he suffered a serious injury last time, resulting in him losing his hearing and sight.
 
 
 
 (——— however, I won’t make that mistake this time!!)
 
 I slowly increased the magic power sent to the bears.
 My magic power shut’s out Theo’s discomposed magic power with a bam.
 
 “-! Hah, hah, ooh!”
 
 Theo’s breathing softened somewhat.
 
 As the spider continues to operate, the disturbance of his magic power cannot be completely subdued.
 
 But, the pain can be greatly mitigated.
 
 “…… alright.”
 
 In that state, I reached out my left hand to his tormentous curse… the spider magic tool.
 
 The 『booby trap』 was the cause for last time’s failure.
 
 In order to examine how to avoid triggering it, it’s necessary to thoroughly investigate the workings of this devil’s magic tool ——— the structure of the magic circuit.
 
 In order to do this, I had no choice but to touch the spider directly with my hands while it was still operating, and follow the flow of magic power.
 
 Scary.
 Terrifying.
 Disgusting.
 
 ——— however, I’m going to save him this time.
 
 My terror roused my courage, and I touched it.
 
 Crack crack crack crack!!
 
 “Uguu!!”
 
 Even though I shut out the wave of magic power by force, the sharp pain still pounced on me.
 
 “Guuuu!!!!”
 
 I grit my teeth, and concentrated on feeling the flowing magic power with my left hand.
 
 “-!”
 
 From 『beneath』 the surging waves of magic power, I saw a magic circuit operating on a different wavelength.
 
 
 
 First, the top layer.
 
 While bearing my pain, I studied that circuit I saw.
 
 “……-”
 
 It seems the top layer controls the entire circuit.
 
 There were two circuits that looked like timers.
 One of them repeatedly goes on and off with 0.5 second intervals. The so-called clock generator.
 I wonder, is this maybe mechanical?
 
 Several lines connected to it.
 
 What stood out were 3 parallel lines, and a 3-stage switch.
 The path switches every 1 second.
 
 “This, huh…!”
 
 A mechanism to disrupt the absorbed magic power.
 The core of which was this set of switches.
 
 THe second and third layers probably have a thick channel to pass through THeo’s magic power, and using the values provided by these switches, it changes the traits of the filter that’s there.
 
 It happened as I followed after that line again.
 
 Crack
 
 “Kyaah!”
 
 At the same time of a sound like the switch snapping, a high output of magic power flowed out in a single instant, and I unconsciously let go of the spider.
 
 And then———
 
 “Haah, haah, haah, haah…”
 
 Theo’s breathing returned to a rough but regular one.
 
 The spider had halted its functioning.
 
 “Haaaaaaaaahhh…”
 
 I let out a huge sigh, and plopped down on the spot.
 
 “Young master^[2]!!”
 
 “Lord Ainsworth!!”
 
 From behind, I heard the voices of the two guys calling out to us.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 ——— three hours later.
 
 Having lunch a little late and resting in the room given to me, Lord Kessel told me that 『Theo had awoken from his faint』, and I went to visit Theo’s room again.
 
 “How are you feeling?”
 
 I asked as such, and the black-haired boy on the bed lifted his gaze from below my hands and looked at me begrudgingly.
 
 “…… not bad.”
 
 The younger boy mumbled so.
 
 Apparently I won’t be kicked out of the room this time.
 
 “That’s good.”
 
 Seeing me smiling at him, unconsciously, Theo looked away.
 
 And then, he turned to Lord Kessel and Fabio who were behind me, and spoke in a slightly loud voice.
 
 “I want to speak to her, just the two of us.”
 
 Does this mean that he’s come to trust me to a certain extent?
 
 “But…”
 
 When Lord Kessel hesitated, I nodded to him.
 
 “——— I understand.”
 
 “I will stand by outside.”
 
 Saying so and bowing, the two of them left the room.
 
 
 
 I watched the two of them leave, then sat down on a seat placed near by and turned to face Theo again.
 
 Slightly, he glanced this way, then immediately looked away again.
 
 “Is there something I can help you with?”
 
 When I tilted my head, Theo frowned, turned to face a different direction and began speaking.
 
 “Y-, you…”
 
 “?”
 
 “You aren’t afraid?”
 
 “Huh? What???”
 
 I tilted my head even more.
 
 And then Theo turned back to me and shouted.
 
 “Like I said, me ——— the 『thing』 stuck to me, I asked you if you’re not afraid of that!”
 
 “……”
 
 “……”
 
 I wonder what this kid’s talking about.
 
 “There’s no reason to be afraid of Theo, is there?”
 
 When I replied so, Theo grit his teeth and turned his face away.
 
 “… why?”
 
 “Huh?”
 
 “Till no, there was no one that saw 『this thing』 and wasn’t afraid. Even though I did my best to get back in one piece, Father and Mother frowned, and the servants fled, frightened. Ani-ue^[3] even said 『don’t come near because the curse will spread』. ——— and yet, why are you calm like that?”
 
 Hearing what he said, I understood.
 Just what kind of treatment this child got at home.
 
 That’s why, I spoke of my own frank feeling with him.
 
 “Honestly, I think that spider is creepy. When I think of the mental structure of the person who made it, I feel disgusted as a fellow magic-toolsman^[4]. ——— But even so, Theo-sama didn’t wish for it, right?”
 
 The boy gave a small nod in response to my words.
 I stood up, and took his hand.
 
 “!?”
 
 Theo looked up, his eyes wide.
 I looked into his eyes and spoke to him.
 
 “Then, there’s no reason for me to get a bad feeling from Theo, or for me to feel frightened. THat spider is not a 『curse』, but a magic tool. If it’s a problem caused by a magic tool, then I swear on the name of Ainsworth that I’ll solve it. ——— That’s why, let’s do our best together.”
 
 “……”
 
 I single drop fell from Theo’s eye, and he wipe it away with his hand in a fluster.