In any case, Eiji finally understood.
The only thing he needed to do was... nothing.
All he had to do was wait for Aoko and the others to track down Touko. The process required no effort on his part.
Fine by him—he was happy to take it easy.
Then, Alice took out a specially prepared parchment, on which she wrote a contract stipulating that neither side would attack the other until Aozaki Touko was dealt with. Finally, both parties signed their names.
The Self-Geis Scroll was now complete.
This thing was essentially a type of curse, binding both parties in the form of a Geis. It carried extremely strong restrictions, but it only worked on magi. Violating it would invoke a powerful curse, one that could even affect future generations. No magus would willingly take such a risk.
Eiji pondered for a moment.
Without a doubt, I am also a magus!
And just like that, their alliance was formed.
"Aoko told me you've never learned any magecraft?"
The moment the contract was signed, the tense atmosphere in the room dissipated. Alice took a small sip of her black tea.
She probed Eiji with her question.
From her perspective, she couldn't say she was completely uninterested in him.
Though this "interest" was more of a physical... no, rather, she was curious about why his physical body was so formidable. An ordinary person couldn't leap over 500 meters into the air and then beat the Oil of the Moon to death head-on.
This inexplicable aspect of him had piqued her interest somewhat.
So, she absolutely refused to believe that Eiji truly knew no magecraft at all.
"I really don't."
Since he was asking for their help, Eiji decided to be completely honest.
"..."
Alice's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable as to whether she believed him or not.
"But your Magic Circuits should be open, right? Then let's try the most basic 'Analysis' and 'Reinforcement.'"
Alice rose from the sofa and retrieved a plate from the cupboard in the adjacent room.
"Channel your magical energy into this plate."
Her instructions were simple and clear.
This was an easy task. Eiji quickly picked up the plate and did as told, diverting a small portion of his limited magical energy into it.
By Rakudai standards, his magical energy was at least D-rank—enough to maintain a full-body barrier for about ten seconds. Compared to before, he was practically swimming in energy now. If it was just about infusing a plate, he could probably keep it up for several minutes without issue.
"How does it feel?"
Alice watched him calmly, her dark eyes seemingly devoid of emotion, yet carrying an undeniable intensity.
"It's like... I can sense its internal structure."
Eiji frowned as he continued channelling energy into the plate.
His expression was a mix of confusion and dawning realization.
If all magi had this ability, wouldn't they make excellent electricians?
But—
Magical energy in Rakudai definitely didn't have this kind of function.
There, magical energy could only be used for bursts of power or defense. While highly effective, it absolutely did not possess the abilities of analysis or reinforcement.
'So, has my magical energy adapted to this world's rules?'
Eiji pondered silently.
If that were the case, it'd be fantastic.
After all, the multiverse was vast, and not every world operated on magical energy. Being able to adapt was definitely for the best.
Though he wasn't sure if this was an innate ability from his transmigration or a side effect of being a doppelganger.
Tap tap!
Alice lightly knocked on the plate before nodding in approval.
"Analyzing and reinforcing an object's composition is the most basic application of magical energy. It seems you've succeeded."
Judging by his reaction, he was picking up the use of magical energy remarkably fast—but he was unmistakably a complete novice.
Did he really not know a single spell?
Alice felt a twinge of disappointment.
But alongside that disappointment came an even stronger curiosity.
If it wasn't magecraft, then why was he so powerful?
This bothered her deeply.
Most magi were the type to grow curious about unknown phenomena, then follow their desires to research them—sometimes going to extreme lengths to obtain their "research material."
Alice was comparatively more humane. Her witch of a mother had passed away shortly after her birth, and her ordinary father hadn't lasted much longer. She had grown up mostly alone, untouched by the typical magus mindset, though she was still rather cold by nature.
"Next, let's try constructing a simple spell formula."
Alice extended her hand.
Magical energy flowed from her pale fingers as she slowly traced a tiny magic circle in the air.
Memorize the circle, then reconstruct it with magical energy—that was the most basic way to cast a spell.
But this method was incredibly cumbersome, and losing focus during the construction would ruin it. Few magi chose to construct spells on the spot; most modern magi preferred to create Magic Crests instead.
A Magic Crest was essentially a solidified spell—a way to store what was normally intangible magecraft in a physical form. By channelling magical energy into the crest, the corresponding spell could be activated.
"Did you memorize it?"
"No problem."
Eiji studied it for a few extra seconds.
He visualized the magic circle's framework in his mind, cross-checking to ensure there wasn't a single mistake, then nodded.
Taking a deep breath, he held onto a sliver of hope as he extended his finger and began copying what he'd seen.
Alice and Aoko both turned their attention to him, clearly invested.
First attempt.
Magical energy dispersed into the air, barely beginning to take shape before collapsing entirely.
Second attempt.
No change in the outcome.
One minute later.
Alice and Aoko exchanged glances, both seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
Even if he hadn't succeeded, he shouldn't have been unable to trace even the faintest outline... right?
Three minutes later.
Aoko gradually lost patience and wandered off to the tea room to brew herself a cup.
Five minutes later.
Alice's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Ten minutes later.
"Enough. Are you mocking me?"
Alice's face had begun to show clear signs of anger.
"I'm really not!"
Eiji shook his head firmly, wiping sweat from his brow.
His expression was anything but fake—the exhaustion from meticulously controlling his magical energy was unmistakably genuine. This only deepened Alice's confusion.
"Then why can't you even draw a circle after ten minutes?"
Forget a circle.
He couldn't even manage a curved line.
Though he could control the magical energy leaking from his body, the moment he tried to shape it into a pattern, it would scatter like an unruly child.
Given how quickly he'd grasped basic energy manipulation, this made no sense.
"...So it's really impossible, huh?"
Eiji slumped onto the sofa, looking utterly defeated.
"Maybe you could teach me some spells that don't require magic circles?"
"Are you giving up?"
"...Yeah."
"Fine. Suit yourself."
Alice shook her head, offering no further comment.
"Aoko, he's your problem now."
With that, she turned and left the room without another glance.
***
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