The Reincarnated Onmyoji Who Returned From Another World ~ I Was Reincarnated Into An Onmyoji Family On The Verge Of Decline, But Thanks To My Experience As A Hero Who Fought In Another World And The Magical Power Training I've Been Doing Ever Since I Was Born, This Life Seems Like It Will Be Easy ~ - Chapter 16&17

Chapter 16: One Month

A whole month had already passed since the Williams family party came to stay with the Koutoku family.

But that didn’t mean my life had changed particularly much.

After all, I hadn’t even heard Margaret-chan’s voice yet.

“You two get along well today too.”

“…Well, yeah.”

However, it seemed like Margaret-chan had taken a liking to me somehow.

Olivia-san was interacting with my father and mother, and sometimes went outside, showing quite a sociable side, but Margaret-chan had been stuck to my side this entire month. She didn’t interact with other people at all.

She spent most of each day beside me.

From the outside, we probably looked like we got along incredibly well.

The reality was that we’d never even had a proper conversation.

“Ahh… so cool…”

It was a heavy, stifling midsummer day, one where even the cicadas weren’t chirping.

On a day when I could feel the heat even with the air conditioning on, I hugged Margaret-chan who was next to me. Her body was refreshingly cool, and it felt good to hold onto her.

Having gotten used to Margaret-chan being beside me, this was just how things were currently.

[Using a girl as an air conditioner, what a sinful man you are.]

‘Shut up.’

[So, how is your innate technique training progressing?]

‘Meh.’

My innate technique was quite a quirky one.

I’d been taught how to use it, and I could activate it too.

But I still couldn’t control it well.

‘I can’t exactly show Margaret-chan me using my innate technique. I’m doing my best just quietly reading books about jujutsu.’

While clinging to Margaret-chan, I continued reading the jujutsu book in my hands.

The book I was reading now was about general-purpose techniques.

The only technology that was unique to this world so far was the “kyukyu-nyoritsu-ryo” technique. The others also existed in the other world. Or rather, I felt like the other world had a higher level in most cases.

It was similar to magic, so I probably wouldn’t gain much from reading this.

“You two are lazing around too much.”

“Huh?”

“…”

The housekeeper spoke up with a somewhat exasperated tone to me as I was leisurely clinging to Margaret-chan and relaxing.

“Master Touya. Ever since Margaret-sama arrived, you’ve been doing nothing but lazing around without moving your body, right? Physical development during childhood is important, you know?”

“…”

I responded to the housekeeper’s words with silence.

[Ha! You got told off. You’re letting your intellectual curiosity get too far ahead of you!]

‘Shut up.’

Even if it was true, being pointed out by a demon was irritating.

“How about moving your body for the first time in a while?”

“…That’s right. I certainly have been too much of a bookworm this past month.”

In front of my parents and Olivia, I had been playing together with Margaret-chan, but other than that, I’d been reading books constantly. This might have been bad for my health.

“Let’s move around. You’ll join us too, right, housekeeper-san?”

“Of course. I’ll join you.”

“I thought you’d say that, housekeeper-san. Alright, let’s do it.”

I put down my book and stood up, separating from the refreshingly cool Margaret-chan.

“Margaret-chan, will you do it with us too?”

“…”

In response to my question, Margaret-chan didn’t answer anything as usual.

But instead, she nodded by moving her head vertically and gently took hold of the hem of my clothes.

Chapter 17: Sparring

Magic power was magnificent.

Using magic power, one could even manipulate one’s body growth. You could grow your body into the form most suitable for combat.

“Seah!”

“A bit slow.”

That said, I was still only three years old.

My body’s growth was still far from complete, and my body wasn’t fully developed yet.

“Ugh.”

My physical abilities weren’t particularly high.

“Fah.”

I let out a strange sound as all my punches and kicks were lightly parried in sparring with the housekeeper, and my body was rolled to the ground.

“Your movements are getting better. Now it’s just a matter of your body’s growth.”

“I’m still only three years old, after all.”

“No matter what, if I lost to a three-year-old in pure physical ability, I’d be depressed too. My confidence would be shattered.”

“That’s true too.”

I nodded to the housekeeper’s words while turning my gaze toward Margaret-chan.

“Margaret-chan, want to spar too? I’ll be your opponent?”

“…”

In response to my question directed at Margaret-chan, who was sitting down drenched in sweat after finishing running and practice swings, she vigorously shook her head sideways.

Her breathing had already recovered and so I thought she could manage it… but no good, I guess.

“Ah, you won’t do it?”

Even to my confirmation, Margaret-chan answered by shaking her head strongly vertically.

“Master Touya. Please stop bullying Margaret-sama.”

The housekeeper, who had been watching our exchange from the side, said something outrageous.

“What!?”

Bullying!? I had no such intention though!?

“Master Touya, who can properly spar with adults, is abnormal. To an extent that doesn’t seem human.”

“…”

It didn’t go as far as not seeming human, did it?

She was overestimating me a bit.

“Sparring with Master Touya would be a bit too much to handle, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Margaret-chan nodded very vigorously at that.

“That’s a little sad…”

“I’ll take care of being Master Touya’s opponent, so please don’t worry. Well then, shall we stop here for today? It’s no good to pack too much into one day. The important thing is to continue doing it consistently.”

“Yeah. That’s certainly true. Let’s call it here for today.”

We’d already been at it for nearly two hours.

It was probably about time to stop.

“Well then, shall we return to the surface?”

“Yes!”

I nodded to the housekeeper’s words and moved to follow her toward the surface.

“…Touya.”

After the housekeeper had climbed the stairs completely and disappeared from view, Margaret-chan, who had been following behind me, called my name.

“Hm?”

…Huh? Wait? Did Margaret-chan just talk to me? This was the first time I’d heard Margaret-chan’s voice. It was clear and beautiful.

And she could speak Japanese, huh.

I had thought one reason she didn’t talk might be because she couldn’t speak Japanese, but she spoke the language quite fluently.

“…Touya, what do you fight for?”

“Hmm?”

“…Ever since you were small, you’ve been working so hard… practicing onmyoji arts too, trying to get stronger and stronger.”

“Well, that’s true.”

I nodded to Margaret-chan’s words.

“Why do you seek… strength so much?”

“Hmm…”

Now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t really thought deeply about it.

“…Because that’s my way of being, maybe?”

But thinking about it, this was probably it.

Ever since my previous life, I was a hero. If strength was demanded of me, then as a hero, I saved others. That was my way of being, my reason for existing.

“…Way of being.”

“Right. Way of being… it’s probably not an answer that would satisfy you, huh?”

“…No, it’s enough. Thank you.”

“Really? I’m glad if you’re satisfied with it.”

My reason to fight.

Really, nothing had changed from my previous life.

■■■■■

The stench of clinging blood and decay.

‘Demon!’

‘…!’

All human dignity trampled underfoot, hell dancing.

If I, the hero, could have wielded my power, if only I could have fought better…

This situation wouldn’t have happened. I could have saved the girl in front of me.

‘…Ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.’

It was my fault.

It’s my fault it’s my fault it’s my fault.

Vomit.

My body trembled, tears overflowed, and I spewed up the contents of my stomach.

Be a hero.

That was all I could be.

■■■■■

…I remembered an unpleasant memory.

No, it was more like I had never forgotten it.

…

………

I didn’t want to see that hell twice.

I had no intention of seeing it. As long as there was a place where I could fight, I believed I’d continue to wield my power as a hero.

“But anyway, what was that all about so suddenly? This is the first time I ever heard Margaret-chan speak.”

“…”

“Hm?”

“…”

“Huh!? You went back to being silent again!?”

Margaret-chan didn’t answer my question and just grabbed the hem of my clothes again.

“…Sticky with sweat. Want to take a bath.”

“Hm? Ah, yeah. That’s fine. Let’s go.”

Yay. She spoke to me properly.

I didn’t think that answer could have been satisfying, but she seemed to have warmed up to me more than before. I wondered if she liked something about it?

“…Going.”

“Yeah.”

A little behind the housekeeper, I left the underground area together with Margaret-chan.