Koneko was a little sweetheart.
I’m pretty sure she completely forgot that she was supposed to be spying on me.
Or maybe she didn’t, and I’m just paranoid?
Oh, who cares.
We didn’t talk much.
We just ate in peace.
I enjoyed her company, and I liked to think she enjoyed mine as well.
When the bell rang, she left with a small smile.
Cool.
I’ve made a friend.
[Minor Bond Stabilized.] [Warning: Bonds create recognition.] [Recognition creates consequence.] Great.
— Koneko POV “I like him,” I said flatly as I finished my report to my King.
“Ahh, widdle Koneko has a crush!” a sultry voice rang out as Akeno walked over with the tea set.
Her hair was onyx-black, and her eyes were bright and clear.
She was wearing a school uniform just like me.
But she…
filled hers out.
“Shut up, dairy cow,” I mumbled.
“Akeno, don’t tease her,” Rias chuckled.
Well.
I guess I’m just going to be teased more now, aren’t I?
“He’s just a normal guy.
He doesn’t seem to know about the supernatural.
But he has a pretty interesting personality,” I added.
I didn’t think a normal human would be interesting to me, but he was a good guy.
“He even gave me his curry bread.” “Do I need to worry about my Rook being tamed?” Rias asked seriously, her lips quivering with humor.
I’ll ignore that.
“Why didn’t we notice him before?” Kiba asked gently.
“He’s in Koneko-chan’s class, isn’t he?” “I don’t know,” Akeno hummed.
“His magical energy isn’t strong.
That’s the strange part.
He feels mundane, but he has presence.” I didn’t know how to explain it.
He seemed like an ass and an idiot.
But he wasn’t an asshole or a moron.
“He smells fresh,” I mumbled in embarrassment.
“Like a clean sheet of paper.” Akeno couldn’t help but giggle.
Stupid Akeno.
— Raoul POV I have the power!
Not really.
I couldn’t figure this shit out to save my life.
Onmyōdō, from what I understood, was less “throw fireball” and more “define the invisible thing well enough that reality has to admit it exists.” The incorporeal became corporeal.
Corruption, evil, spiritual pollution, hostile intent—all those vague invisible things could apparently be measured, named, contained, cleansed, or destroyed if you knew what you were doing.
I did not know what I was doing.
The talismans called on Japanese gods, borrowing their authority to establish rules over spiritual phenomena.
At least, that was the basic idea.
Unfortunately, the knowledge of Onmyōdō granted to me by the System was more like reading a wiki than inheriting any training.
I understood the surface-level explanation, but not much elese.
Why did invoking two gods allow the caster to define magical energy one way, while invoking two different gods with similar authority changed the result entirely?
Something about their myths?
Domains?
Relationships?
Divine jurisdiction?
I knew the basics.
I did not know how to continue.
[Host is new to magic.
There is no need to rush.] I’m not rushing.
I’m frustrated.
These talismans look like I’m doodling on paper, and they do absolutely nothing.
[…You have not used any reagents.] Ah.
That would be an issue, wouldn’t it?
— On my way home from school, I noticed that everything seemed more lively.
People had always moved around the town, obviously.
I wasn’t stupid.
But the area actually felt alive now.
Families walked through the shopping district, buying their children toys and clothing.
People handed out flyers.
Students laughed in groups.
An old woman argued with a shopkeeper about prices like the fate of the world depended on a few yen.
It was uncomfortable.
Yesterday, they would have been background motion.
Today, they were people.
No.
Focus.
I needed to find reagents.
According to my knowledge, the materials I needed for basic wards and evil-repelling charms were mostly mundane.
Good paper.
Proper ink.
Salt.
Incense.
A good brush.
Clean linework when drawing the talismans.
The annoying reagent was the blood.
I had no idea where I was supposed to find “blood of a magical species” to mix into ink.
Otherwise, the process seemed simple enough on the surface.
Burn agarwood incense while writing the talisman.
Hold the desired effect in mind.
Project intent into the characters.
Use the magical energy in the blood as a vector to invoke the proper authority.
Simple.
In the same way building a computer was simple if someone only told you to “put the parts together.” All blood had magical energy in it.
I paused mid-step.
Right.
I should probably never willingly give my blood to anyone.
That felt like the kind of thing that could cause a lot of problems in a world full of devils, contracts, gods, curses, and suspiciously specific magic systems.
[Wis increased by 1.] Huh.
Neat.
[Achievement: Your common sense has survived its first contact with magic.] Do I get a reward?
— [Quest Generated: First Steps into Onmyōdō] Objective: Craft five working talismans.
Steps: 1.
Reason out the basic structure of a magic system.
[Semi-Complete] 2.
Obtain materials and reagents.
[Incomplete] 3.
Craft five working talismans.
[Incomplete] Reward: Pending.