In Another World With JUST MONIKA 66 Mutation?

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"Sir Zaaaaaah!"

"Mah Sueeeee!"

I knelt down on one knee and opened my arms. Sue happily barreled into my chest. I swept her up into a hug and stood up, swinging around joyfully. "Ahahahahaha!" we both laughed as we danced around in front of the Ducal mansion.

I hugged Sue tight and rubbed at the top of hair, inhaling the rose scent. That was one difference between this world and the 17th century on Earth; at least here people liked to take baths. When many could draw themselves clean water or fire whenever they wanted, it seemed it was easy to dismiss the idea of the 'chill' leading to disease. They still had the miasma theory though, but coincidentally a lot of aromatics are also antibacterial.

And there were of course also various magic-based diseases and illnesses.

/"You're lingering a bit long on that hug, Player. Suspiciously long. In the end, would you Marry Sue?"/

I snorted. Monika, no, for then they would rip me apart into a Marty Stew.

Although that pun doesn't quite work because Sue's name isn't p.r.o.nounced like 'soo' but more like 'suh'. 'Suh-chee Ort-leen-di'.

I put down Sue. She put her hands behind her back, pirouetted in placed, bowed and then beamed up at me again. Ah! So bright! So cute, Sue! This smile must be protected!

Behind me, servants discreetly put away the folded glider. I landed at the outskirts of Alephis and it had been somewhat a ha.s.sle dragging it to town until I could hire a wagon. Leather and wood were still valuable. Just because I liked to spend money didn't mean I liked to just throw away things. That sort of nonchalance for planned obsolescence is why many people don't accrue savings.

"Thank you again, Sir Zah! I'm so happy that you're back!" she chirped out.

"Indeed, we are most grateful, Sir von Chara."

I looked up to see the Duke Ortlinde descending down the staircase, accompanied by the d.u.c.h.ess Ellen. He carefully held her hand as they slowly walked down the steps, but the d.u.c.h.ess unlike most people didn't even need to look down. She stared at me, and were it not for the care of her husband's hand she would have tried to rush downstairs.

Now that she no longer felt like an invalid, she displayed the strength and beauty that Sushie could someday claim. The d.u.c.h.ess Ellen was no delectable waif chosen for her beauty and breeding, but a daughter of a long line of n.o.bles and healers. When her illness and resulting disability removed her from the court, the country as a whole weakened. Petty n.o.bles t.i.ttered over how ironic it was and perhaps that said something about the fortunes of the dynasty.

As soon as the pair reach the entryway, Ellen bowed deeply to me in defiance of her aristocratic station. "You left too quickly the last time, my lord. Thank you very much for saving my daughter."

"Um. I won't say 'it's nothing' because Sue is certainly not nothing and I'm happy to have helped. You're welcome. But still not a n.o.ble, please do not call me a lord."

"Ahahaha. Do you really think anyone believes that?!" the Duke laughed and slapped my shoulders. He leaned in close and whispered "Just say the word and you'll get a t.i.tle."

"Just because I'd be willing to burn down half a kingdom for Sue's smile doesn't mean I'd be willing to allow someone authority over my family, sorry."

"Fair enough."

Sue covered her face and squeaked "... you… you like me that much, really?"

"I'd burn down half because Monika would be burning down the other half," I grinned and patted her head again. "We like not just because you're cute on the outside, but you shine on the inside. To protect one little girl's smile… is not nearly enough to make up for all those smiles we failed to protect before. But you give us hope, dear girl, and that's worth living for."

Then I booped her nose with my index finger. "But not valuing study, that would be just disappointing."

She puffed her cheeks, glanced back to her mother's eyes and then back at me. "I will! I'm going to study hard! I'll be the best healer ever!"

She was lucky to be born with loving parents, she was born wealthy and powerful, but that merely meant that she had a greater power to help others and greater potential to live up to.

/"Player, I really hope you understand what that means and don't accidentally make a Panacea or a Bonesaw."/(1)

She would still be terrifyingly adorable.

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We were inside a dimmed library. Before we get into Sue's studies, first we had to check up on d.u.c.h.ess Ellen's eyes. "Gwah!" I cried out upon seeing them.

"Is something wrong?!" Sue asked, panicking.

I coughed into my fists, embarra.s.sed. "No. I think? I hope not? That's not what her eyes looked like before we left. Your eyes are glowing in the dark, Lady Ellen. Did you know about this?" Her irises were glowing green like night vision lenses. And her pupils were W-shaped now.

/"Is that a Gea.s.s?!"/ Monika gasped.(2)

"No, it's more like the pupils of octopi or dolphins." Freaking magic. Can't predict side effects. "Does it hurt anywhere, milady? Do you feel any discomfort?" Monikaaa did we just create a permanent mutation?

What did this mean for other people we we were boosting for extended periods of time?! [Amplify] and [Supercharge] were just too useful not to stop using.

d.u.c.h.ess Ellen shook her head. "It is all still a bit disconcerting, but none of it hurts. I truly appreciate all that you've done, this… is sufficient. I'm happy enough just to be able to see my family again."

I made a noncommittal noise. "But unfortunately, you /are/ still blind. [Blind Sight] is a magical effect that we are maintaining. And it is too politically awkward that someone else is responsible for your medical needs. It even sounds like we might hold your sight hostage. It would be too dangerous if it cut out just suddenly." She could go blind while going down a staircase or near a balcony and then just fall over and die or something.

"Oh. I understand." She turned towards where the Duke Ortlinde was sitting at a nearby sofa. "It is quite interesting to see the world this way though." Oddly shaped as they might be, relief was clear in those eyes. She had long been the weakness of the family. Unfortunately, going out in public with animal eyes might still provoke even more unsavory rumors.

"Could you teach this spell?" the Duke asked. "There is a sizable bounty for new spells, you know?"

"This spell is just an interim solution. Our goal is still a full cure of d.u.c.h.ess Ellen's eyesight, remember?" I shrugged. "Although I am somewhat proud of this spell. For example… milady, could you please point north?"

d.u.c.h.ess Ellen blinked, and then pointed to her left.

"Now could you please point to where the sun is right now?"

She pointed up and slightly over to the right.

"[Blind Sight] not only allows for vision without light, but also an intuitive grasp of direction. It's little compensation for not being able to see true colors or read flat text on a page, I admit. But it's even the basis for my predictive combat sense magic."

"Should you be telling us that?" the Duke asked.

"I'm bragging. And if I do manage to make it teachable, I'm not turning down free money."

"There /are/ existing dark vision spells…" he objected. "It is not that special. The intuitive grasp of direction would be immensely useful though."

I snapped my fingers and caused a painfully bright flash of light to appear. Everyone flinched. Except the d.u.c.h.ess Ellen. "How many of them are not affected by flashbangs? [Blind Sight] is immune to sensory overload. I'm really quite proud of this spell, because while the first power is always willpower, the second power is awareness."

Please don't execute me if we accidentally created a Kekkei Genkai.(3)

/"You know, it's a good thing Elze and Linze aren't here, because then they'd be asking - wait, if you come from a place without magic, how are you so absurdly good at constructing new spells?"/ Monika muttered privately.

I covered my mouth and whispered soundlessly 'Magic is just science without having to use tools.'

"Impressive indeed!" said the Duke. "It truly is a pity that it is not teachable." And then under his breath "Being able to see behind my back would sure be so useful in that nest of backstabbers."

d.u.c.h.ess Ellen frowned slightly. "Dear, that's not a nice thing to call the palace. Our relatives live there."

"That doesn't make it not true," he continued churlishly and sank into his seat, a grown man crossing his arms and boxing in his shoulders like a disgruntled little boy. "Tristwin needs more help than what we can give."

To their credit, neither turned to look at me. They didn't want to place their burdens on some random stranger. This day was all about Sue.

And then the library doors forcefully banged open.

"Zah Playah! Zah Playah von Chara! IS HE HEEEERE?!" Charlotte yelled piercingly into the room.

"Show me this man, that I might kill him!" someone moaned from behind her. "Or ask him to slay me to end my suffering…!"

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AN:

(1) A reference to the superhero web serial WORM by Wildbow.

(2) From Code Gea.s.s, of course.

(3) And Naruto.

Also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue