In a Different World with a Smartphone

#8 Magic and Aptitude

[Saying you want to be taught magic....Touya, do you have any aptitude?]

[Aptitude?]

[Magic greatly depends on the aptitude one is born with....A person who doesn’t have any aptitude cannot use magic no matter what they do.]

I see, so it would seem it’s not an ability that’s usable by everyone. Hmm. If everyone can use it, then it wouldn’t be strange if civilization developed further into the magic side.

[Aptitude. Huh...yeah. However, wouldn’t it be alright? A certain person guaranteed and said I can use magic immediately if it’s me.]

[Who is it, that person?]

[That...he is a really important person.]

God-sama desu. Will they question my sanity if I say it? I’ll stay silent about that.

[Whether I have aptitude or not, I have no method to find out.]

To my question, Lindsey takes out some translucent stones from the pouch on her waist. They are shining like glass from red and blue, yellow to colourless approximately at the size of one centimetre. Which reminds me, there is something like that on the silver wand that Lindsey bought, but that one was much bigger.

[This, what is it?]

[...This is a magic stone, desu. Magical power is amplified, stored and it can be released. We can investigate your aptitude using this. However, only roughly.]

[Water] I wonder if it’s easy to understand...I mumbled. Lindsey picks up a bluish transparent stone in her hand and then places it above the cup of tea that I just finished drinking.

[Come forth, water.]

When Lindsey speaks those words, a small amount of water begins to flow out from the magic stone and falls into the cup.

[Ooh.]

[...This is the state when magic is invoked, desu. The magic stone produces water in response to my magical power.]

[By the way...]

The nearby Elsie receives the magic stone from the younger sister and chants the incantation the same way.

[Come forth, water.]

But, the magic stone doesn’t show any reaction. Not one drop of water came out.

[This is what happens when you have no aptitude in water. So this means I can’t use water magic.]

[Even though you’re twins, Elsie can’t use it.]

[Don’t just bluntly say what’s on your mind.... Well, not that I mind.]

Oops. That was a slip of the tongue. However, Elsie isn’t seriously angry. I’m a little relieved.

[Onee-chan can’t use water magic, but instead she can use body strengthening magic.... In contrast, I can’t use body strengthening because I would need the aptitude to able to use it.]

I see. So that was the source of her outrageously destructive power. Even though her body looks slender, it is mysterious where that power is coming from. This solves that mystery.

[Magic is something that everyone possesses, but if they have no aptitude for it, they can’t use the skill.]

So it all depends on aptitude. Because if one doesn’t have any talent, then the world is unfair if I had to say it.

[Then, if I do that too, we’ll find out if I have aptitude or not.]

[Yes. ...hold the stone in your hand and concentrate your consciousness on it. Then please recite [Come forth, water].]

I receive the blue magic stone from Elsie and then I bring the magic stone above a plate to avoid the table getting wet when I invoke the magic.

I concentrate my consciousness on the magic stone and recite the words they taught me.

[Come forth, water.]

The next moment, water starts to overflow from the magic stone like a broken faucet.

[Uowaa!?]

When I let go of the magic stone in surprise, the water stops instantly. However, the table is flooded and the tablecloth is sopping wet.

[.....What does this mean?]

I demand an explanation from the two people for this clearly abnormal situation, but the twin sisters are dumbfounded with their eyes wide open. Their expressions are just so alike that I almost laugh unintentionally.

[......I think it’s because Touya-san’s level of magical power is far superior.... Yet, there’s no way....the first time by such a small magic stone and a fragment of an incantation. And it’s clear the magic quality is at an impossible level, I can’t believe it.]

[You’re absolutely more likely to become a magician. I’ve never seen something like this.]

I have aptitude as expected. Well, it’s from God’s approval after all. At any rate, perhaps this level of magical power is also from God’s effect. However, this is still better than a little. Anyhow, this means that I can use magic.

We apologize for the table we flooded and leave the coffee shop in haste.

Because it is already evening by the time we arrive at the inn, then magic will be for later tomorrow.

I have Lindsey teach me reading and writing in the dining hall after we finish dinner. I get Mika-san’s permission just in case.

To start with, I have Lindsey write a simple word and then I would write next to it the meaning in Japanese.

[...These are characters I haven’t seen. This is from where?]

[nnn, These are characters limited to the area of my home town. I’m probably the only one who uses these characters around here.]

Let alone in this area, there’s probably no one who uses them anywhere in this world. It resembles something like a secret code.

For now, Lindsey seems to understand even though she becomes mystified.

Thereafter, I’m taught the words steadily and I convert them to Japanese. I wonder if it’s because Lindsey is good at teaching. The words are rapidly entering my head. Oh? Did I have such good memory? Is this also from God’s effect?

If that was the case, wouldn’t it be better if I was able to read and write from the beginning? Although thinking about it, I’ve probably received more various conveniences from God. Or should I say, luxuries.

I finish studying at a good pace, say goodbye to Lindsey, and return to my room.

I write down the memory of today’s events on the smartphone and peek on the information from the other world. Hmm, that person received a People’s Honour Award. Aah, I wanted to see this movie.

Woops, that’s right. It’s been on my mind, so I check Ishen on my map. I find that it is an island country considerably east from here at the edge of the continent. It seems to slightly resemble Japan. I want to go there sometime if there’s an opportunity.

Is it because I became tired from the demon subjugation today? I become sleepy immediately. I stop any useless resistance and quickly crawl into bed. Good night. Guu.