[Elmer]

Because I don’t know when the young man would enter, I became very nervous when practicing magic. In the old days, it was a similar feeling when sneakily reading a manga in my room instead of studying before a test. Aah, incidentally I even predicted the scenes in the manga, it was strangely amusing to do so. I wonder why?

Moreover, this time my life depends on this.

No… that time was also a life and death situation. Mom was very scary…

The young man appears to be in the room connected to the room where I am through a door (It is likely that he lives there). Until now, the maid wakes me up in the morning for breakfast. This time, only the young man comes to wake me up every morning.

I only just woke up from my dream and opened my eyes nonchalantly, when I was surprised to be greeted with an extremely good looking face turned my way. There really was no question that he was an extremely handsome man [*ikemen]. I never had something like a part-time job, but I think it would be an absolutely good idea for him to become a model. He’ll surely be popular quickly. I’ll keep this in mind and tell you when I reach an age where I can speak.

“Good morning. This morning will unfortunately rain…” (So long.)

When I wake up every morning, he always talks to me.

Because I’m a baby, an answer wouldn’t be expected. But diligently in my mind, I answered “It was such a fine weather yesterday though!”

To be honest, since I can’t go outside I really don’t care about the weather… The policy of the family is to raise the child inside the room! That’s why I never once went outside.

I like the beautiful scenery seen from the window, but I fight something unknown as magic every day so I’m really troubled, is my body going to be alright?

Once in the past, when the cla.s.s had to read an English text, it was written that children were allowed to play outside to build up immunity from diseases and to be strong from gaining injuries.

To begin with, I’m never exposed to the sunlight and with a fair complexion that it’s almost white, I worry a little. I’m going to be a beansprout at this rate.

“…today is a personal day, so please don’t hold back. My apologies, but if you have some orders…”

Uh-oh, his greeting is apparently still continuing. I listened to his words again. Yes, my hearing is already perfect.

The young man opened the curtains, placed a pitcher on the desk nearby, then bowed and left the room.

The time when the young man isn’t present = the time when I can practice magic. I immediately started.

In fact I’m already doing it.

I lay on the bed, not changing my posture while staring at the ceiling.

10458, 10459 and 10460, 10461.

I was counting the ceiling pattern. Because the time that I should lie without doing anything recently was long, it became some sort of challenge. I continued steadily since then, advancing smoothly, and only a little remains until I’m done.

I count the numbers efficiently before I forgot them.

10768, 10769, 10770…

It’s the last spurt.

… 11108, 11109, 11110, 11111.

I counted the last design of the ceiling’s lower left corner… it’s done!

I really have a good eyesight. My mind was filled with a satisfaction. There might really be rarely a fellow who can finish counting the number of ceiling designs completely.

After resting my eyes since it did too much staring, I got up.

Well then, it’s time to begin. Since I had a lot of time, I’ve been thinking of experiments recently.

I spilled some water from the pitcher to my palm. I intently watched at the water dancing due to the slight vibration of my hand.

“[Come forth, become a beautiful flower of ice!]”

I maintained an image in my mind together with the incantation. With a cracking sound, the water gathered to the center of my palm. No matter how many times I saw it, magic is really interesting. I wonder if it was because I came from a world where magic is impossible? Something like this is common to the people here after all.

I tried to roll the ice which gathered on my palm.

Somehow…

It’s not very beautiful. I imagined something more fantastic.

To begin with, when looking at a flower no one thinks about its symmetry. When I looked at the ice flower, I had a hunch that it was because of my lack of understanding my ability.

Why does this happen?

In this world, I can’t live if I can’t use magic. For the sake of continuing to live, I have no choice but to improve my ability. In other words, it’s technique.

If freezing is the only thing I can do, then… In that case, I…

I have no choice but to be a manager of a coffee shop!!

Shake is in demand during summer. A cla.s.sic music softly flows, giving the store a calm feeling. Juice with shaved ice floats is also pretty popular. Young women and children moderately fills the inside of the store.

I can already see this perfect vision in my mind. Therefore, this is the necessary first step.

Even so, it still takes time to make a beautiful flower of ice bloom. I want to reach the point where I would be able to make a big ice statue for the interior of the coffee shop, of course there will be small ones with beautiful shapes, too. I will produce large quant.i.ties so they will be available for business.

It was eventually time for lunch. I finished eating with an innocent look. Today is Snake-san‘s day off. There were only three of us in my room, the young man was present with a maid when I ate my meal this time.

When they both left, I resumed my practice. The baby bottle that was left on the bed came into my view. It’s the first time a baby bottle was left. Did you finally notice that it was no use leaving a gla.s.s of water next to a baby? Good grief! If it was a normal baby, it would really be a serious matter.

I opened the lid of the opaque baby bottle and peeped inside. White, so it must be milk.

Milk, huh… now that I thought of it, I always drink milk every meal time… but why was it not in the usual baby bottle? Were the contents separated ahead of time?

Today’s a lucky day! I’m alone in my room with some milk. This is the best situation.

I looked at the contents of the baby bottle and chanted, [Freeze].

To make sure that it went well, I poked at the surface of the milk. The surface of the water shook with the friction.

I pinched a thin piece of the hardened liquid and tossed it inside my mouth. When I moved my mouth, it made a cool crunching sound.

Iced milk completed!

But it tastes somewhat plain. I can freeze all fluids. But if I eat everything frozen, I’ll get a stomachache so I reluctantly closed the lid of the baby bottle and put it aside.

I have already known that I can’t freeze liquids without direct eye contact, I understood it from an action sometime ago.

This practice is a continuation from before. At any rate, if I use up all my magic power everyday, it increases its absolute quant.i.ty. I can already place the gla.s.s of water 5 meters away.

Because even the weakest can make the strongest ice.

“[Freeze!]”