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When Hayato realized the turtle could talk, he told it everything that had happened to him. Then the turtle offered to teleport him to the nearest town, but first, they had a problem to solve.
──୨୧──
The turtle's words surprised me and left me confused. I checked myself for anything unusual, then asked.
Hayato:
"What, so this is how they welcome people from another world?"
Turtle:
"Oh no, that's not it. The problem is the mana you're giving off. If you go there radiating such destructive mana, you'll find yourself in the middle of a fight before you can even explain anything."
Hayato:
"But I can't sense anything… And yeah, I remember the Demon Lord saying his mana got trapped around my body, but that's not even mine."
Turtle:
"It doesn't really matter whether it's yours or not. And just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there."
I checked my body again, even looking under my clothes. I stood up and spun around, but there was no sign of any mana anywhere.
Hayato:
"But I really don't see anything..."
Turtle:
"I think it's because of what the Demon Lord said. You've never had mana, so it makes sense you can't see it either. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been foolish enough to jump into the cave sealed with strong magic."
Hayato:
"So... what do we do now? I mean, isn't there a way to hide it somehow? How do others do it?"
Turtle:
"We do it instinctively, it's not something you normally need to learn. Mana flows inside your body, leaving almost no trace, but whenever you sense danger or feel ready for battle, it naturally spills out and becomes visible. At least, that's how I know it works..."
Hayato:
"Looks like that method won't work for me..."
Turtle:
"Exactly. If it did, I'd be talking to the Demon Lord now, not you."
Hayato:
"You're right… Somehow, I owe my life to having a body that is not built for mana. I don't even know if that's good or bad yet… But isn't there another way someone like me can manage it?"
The turtle struggled to keep its eyelids open as it listened. After stretching and almost yawning, it answered.
Turtle:
"Hmm... I don't know, there's probably. But we can look into it tomorrow, okay?"
Hayato:
"Okay, but we're not going to sleep here, right—"
Before I could finish, the turtle had already fallen asleep. I looked around, in the darkness, almost nothing was visible. Then I thought of the cave, if only I could enter, I'd be safe inside. I went to the entrance, leaned against the wall, and tried to sleep there.
Turtle:
"Hey! Hey kid, wake up! We've got a problem!"
The next morning, just before sunrise, I woke to the turtle's voice. When I opened my eyes, it was sticking its head through the entrance, looking at me worriedly. At first, I didn't understand, but then it hit me, and I asked in shock.
Hayato:
"How did you manage to get in? Isn't this entrance sealed?"
Turtle:
"Yes, it was, but I think it disappeared with the Demon Lord."
Hayato:
"What? I thought no one could enter because it was sealed, so I was safe sleeping inside..."
Turtle:
"Really? Did you think anything could get near you with that massive mana you're giving off? Right now, you're the most dangerous monster over here."
The turtle pulled its head back from the entrance, so I stood up and stepped outside. As I woke up more, I remembered the problem it had mentioned.
Hayato:
"Okay... what kind of problem are we talking about?"
Still yawning, I watched as the turtle squinted its eyes to make sure, then dropped the bomb on me.
Turtle:
"The problem is your mana... it keeps increasing. Right now, it's twice as much as last night."
Hayato:
"What?!"
My jaw nearly hit the ground from shock. I didn't fully understand what was happening, but I sensed big trouble.
Hayato:
"B-but how is that possible? Is it because I slept inside the cave?"
Turtle:
"No, I don't think so... But somehow, you might be turning into the Demon Lord, or something like that, I'm not sure. He had the most mana of any being in this world. So if he somehow connected with you..."
Hayato:
"Wait a second... what does that even mean? So... in the end, am I going to turn into the Demon Lord?"
Turtle:
"No, I don't think so. Maybe... I'm not sure. I have a guess, but I don't know how to put it into words..."
The turtle paced back and forth, trying to gather its thoughts, while I struggled to make sense of anything. Then, as if an idea struck, it turned to me excitedly.
Turtle:
"Normally, when a being dies, its mana leaves and returns to nature. But it seems the Demon Lord didn't fully die, he's more… fused with you. So this does explain the situation..."
Hayato:
"I remember he said that before dying, his soul was absorbed by mine, or something like that… But how does that explain my situation now?"
Turtle:
"So, since the Demon Lord didn't fully die, his mana can't leave him, and because it can't enter your body, it gathers around you. It's like… you've swallowed a queen bee, and now the whole colony is being drawn to you."
After a moment of thought, I had to admit the turtle was right. Its explanation matched my situation perfectly. So, I guess that's it… for now, it seemed like the most logical explanation. But there was a more important matter that needed clarification.
Hayato:
"I see… so how long will his mana keep being drawn to me? I mean, what exactly were the limits of the Demon Lord?"
Turtle:
"I don't know the exact amount, but one thing's sure, it was extremely large. No other living being could hold that much, I guess."
Hayato:
"Wait.. desn't that also mean... one day I'll collapse under his mana?"