Jonah looked at Serina and spoke with a little fear making his voice tremble.
“I can explain.”
“I sure hope so.”
Serina’s smile didn’t move as she crossed her legs, leaned forward, and rested her chin on her arm, whose elbow rested on her knee.
“Uh, well, I wish I could explain.”
“That doesn’t sound too promising, Jonah Wilchammer.”
Jonah nodded.
“I get that. But please listen to me before you decide to kill me, okay?”
“I won’t be making any promises. But I can at least tell you that you were never going to die, Jonah Wilchammer. It’s just that your answer will decide whether you have a choice about what not dying means.”
‘Is this a third personality? Doesn’t look like she’s keeping up an act this time.’
Jonah tried to analyze Serina while he thought about what to say. But he couldn’t glimpse much from the icy facade she had raised or maybe revealed after tearing apart her previous fake personas.
“I’m assuming you know what my status window looks like? Can anyone see it?”
“Yes and no. If you try to stall anymore, Jonah Wilchammer, you will lose your opportunity to decide your fate.”
“H-hey! Wait a minute. I’m trying to make sure we’re on the same page here!”
Jonah sensed that it wasn’t an empty threat. He could also tell that she wasn’t as patient as the coolness in her voice and expression made her appear to be.
Serina just looked at Jonah to urge him to continue.
“Then, you must be wanting an explanation in regards to [Decapitation], right?”
Jonah took the slight forward tilt of Serina’s head as confirmation and continued.
“The problem is that I don’t know why I have that. I haven’t killed or decapitated a single living being! You’re not the only one who wants an explanation!”
Serina raised a skeptical eyebrow as she looked at Jonah, struggling to convince her.
“Is that true?”
“Yes! Of course, it is!”
“Hmm.”
Serina tapped her chin as she looked up and down at Jonah with a scrutinizing gaze.
“Are you going to believe anything I say? I could tell you about how my home world is a mostly peaceful place, especially where I live. If you killed someone, you would get caught in a matter of months at most and sent to jail for years. I don’t know, but since [Decapitation] is lvl 2, while other things I’m good at, like magic theory, aren’t even listed, shouldn’t I be pretty good at it?”
“I guess that’s one way to look at it.”
“And to get good at it, shouldn’t I have needed to practice a lot– Wait a moment.”
“Yes?”
Jonah lost his indignation at the existence of [Decapitation] on his status window as realization filled his eyes with light.
“Um, does the System take into account practice or, like, theoretical knowledge?”
Serina raised her eyebrow again but tilted her head forward.
“It does if it’s enough to warrant its own skill. If you’re good enough at something, the System will recognize your efforts and talent and help it grow even further. As for your concern regarding your knowledge of magic theory, it probably isn’t sufficient to warrant its own skill, or it could be part of your [Triangle Magic]. Does that help you answer my request for an explanation?”
Jonah nodded, perplexed by Serina’s sudden helpfulness and amenability but a little frightened by the chill with which she delivered her words.
‘Has to be a third personality.’
“It does. Thank you. So, here’s my theory. While I haven’t actually decapitated anyone, I have practiced how to do it.”
“So you were planning to do it?”
“No. It– It was just a way to vent my frustrations. I would have to tell you a bit more about myself to give you the full picture. But, in short, I can only use one kind of magic.”
“I saw.”
“I don’t think you understand.”
Jonah shook his head. Based on how Serina had freely manipulated her mana to grab his face like that was proof that she was probably similar to the mages on Earth.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“It is physically and magically impossible for me to do any magic unless it's with triangles. I wish I were kidding, but I’m not.”
“Meaning?”
“Uh, since we’re from different worlds, we might have different ways of using magic, but I’m assuming it’s somewhat similar.”
“Mhmm.”
“Where I’m from, mages begin by studying simple formulas for spells like Magic Missile, an easy-to-understand magic without any attribute that everyone should be able to cast with relative ease if they have even a smidge of talent.”
“Ok. Not too different, it seems.”
“Good. That will make it easier to understand.”
“And so…?”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can’t use Magic Missile?”
Jonah shook his head.
“Nope. I can’t do anything aside from my triangle magic. That trick where you grabbed my chin? Can’t do it.”
Serina held up her hand to stop Jonah from continuing while she rubbed her nose bridge.
“Wait. So you’re telling me you can’t even manipulate mana? But you have [Mana Control]?”
“Oh, no. I can manipulate mana. I just can’t do anything with it outside my body aside from casting spells, which never work, no matter what I do. Unless I use triangles.”
Jonah explained with mixed feelings. He was happy since it seemed like Serina believed him. But at the same time, talking about his inadequacies as a mage only brought up bad memories.
“Then, how do you know you can only use triangles if you can’t use magic?”
Jonah’s gaze grew distant for a moment as he continued explaining.
“Well, since it was apparent I was talented at mana and understanding magic, my mother helped devise a spell to check compatibility. Basically, you put your mana into the spell, and the spell will conjure a representation of the most suitable element or magic. For me? It was a black triangle. At first, hoping that it would be something unique and extraordinary, my mother continued helping me make spells that would let me cast magic. But as soon as it became obvious that my triangles were useless, she stopped. More than a decade later, and here I am.”
As he returned to the present after talking about an abbreviated version of part of his tragic backstory, Jonah noticed that Serina was looking at him with a slack jaw and wide eyes.
‘Fourth personality?’
“Um, you there?”
At Jonah’s concerned voice and worried expression, Serina realized she had been staring into empty space, and she snapped her face back into place.
“Of course. Where else would I be?”
‘Back to the second personality, I guess.’
As if she realized something, Serina fished a pocketwatch out of her pocket and looked at it.
“Shit. We’re running out of time. I want to know more about your and your mother’s magic tinkering, but quickly tell me about why you have [Decapitation].”
“Uh, I managed to make a spell that lets me conjure and shoot blade-like triangles. I shot them at training dolls a bunch.”
“Hmm. That’s plausible–”
Serina stood up and looked around. She peered out a window.
“Damn! They’re here already. Inquisition bastards. I’ll be right back.”
Serina left for the door.
“What about me?!”
Jonah’s only answer was the door slamming shut behind Serina after she left the shed.
‘’Inquisition bastards.’ They are probably the ones in charge of hunting down and killing invaders.’
Jonah looked for clues in what he had heard Serina say.
‘Serina… isn’t trustworthy… But if she’s telling the truth, I should avoid the inquisitors and stick with her, at least until I get a grasp on this world and can find a way back. She did say not just anyone could read my status, but if the inquisitors are sent to kill invaders, they probably won’t need that.’
Jonah sighed. He didn’t know what was going on. It was just one thing after the other, all of which seemed life-threatening.
‘This is a damn mess.’
Since he couldn’t wait for Serina to come back or trust that she would successfully get the inquisitors to leave, he had to deal with things on his own. It would be best if the inquisitors left without finding him, at least if Serina spoke the truth.
But for now, Jonah decided to assume she was. Doing so when she hadn’t yet killed him seemed like the way to ensure his survival. And considering the description on his [Invader (lvl 1) HIDDEN], her words were pretty reasonable.
Of course, it was only natural that the natives wanted him dead when he had a wicked advantage and would gain extra benefits for killing them. He couldn’t claim he would be any different in wanting to get rid of threats before they could become proper threats.
However, Jonah wasn’t just going to sit around and wait for Serina and the inquisitors to come back and finish him off.
He calmed down and focused on his mana. He guided it to his hand, where he used it to conjure a thin black triangle that fell into his hand. Jonah didn’t feel confident enough in using his magic in this mana-dense atmosphere to launch the triangle and cut the ropes in one go.
Fortunately, the triangle was sharp enough to saw through the ropes in only moments.
He briefly wondered what would have happened to Serina if an invader more capable than himself had appeared but quickly shoved the thought out of his mind. It wouldn’t change the fact that he was here on Thyskria. And maybe Serina used the ropes she deemed necessary for restraining Jonah.
Jonah was in the middle of cutting the ropes that tied his legs to the chair’s legs when he heard a muted outcry, cut short before he could tell if it was a scream or someone calling out and shouting something.
“Shit.”
That scream didn’t sound like it was something good.
After untangling himself from the ropes, Jonah got up and snuck a peek out the same window. He only glanced from a corner, and he barely saw anything since he didn’t want to risk getting caught.
‘Should not have done that.’
Jonah felt his jaw and throat tense up. He had seen a figure, but he hadn’t had time to see if that figure belonged to Serina or not. The grime on the window hadn’t helped.
But if it were an inquisitor, he might have just revealed himself.
Jonah gulped before crawling below the window over to the door, only moments before he heard a voice.
“Hey, it’s all clear. The fellows from the Thyskria Alliance Inquisition are gone.”
It was Serina’s voice.
It was Serina’s figure he had glimpsed outside the window.
‘Fifth personality? Or is it fourth?’
Serina had once again changed how she spoke. So far, neither of the facades Serina had put up seemed like one that would say the full name of the Inquisition.
Jonah heard Serina walk up to the door and grab it. She opened it.
“Hello? Did you hear me? They left. There’s no reason to hide.”
‘That confirms it.’
Serina had left Jonah tied to the chair.