True Magician

Chapter 41

The Black Lily.

It's been about fifteen minutes since the meeting started, and the conversation still hasn't started. Not because I don't have any questions or anything, but because I just don't know where to start.

Dealing with an embodied concept with a mind and will is a lot of fun, judging from my experience with the Ophis. Though, given the current circumstances, I'm more likely to be dealing with a flirtatious mature lady than someone... abnormal. And the slight smile on Death's face kind of hints at that.

- "Now, now, don't be shy, Romani. I don't bite," she said, deciding to start a conversation, "Although I'm not used to waiting, I have a busy schedule, you know."

- "So, you're a busy person, Lady Death," I said, tilting my head to the side. "In that case, what have I done to deserve this level of attention? More specifically, what did Zelretch tell you about me that would interest you?"

- "The Touch of Heaven, of course," she smiled sweetly as she studied me with her gaze, "True magic that can affect souls? Pretty intriguing. When I first heard about it from him, I thought it was one of his pranks. But..."

- "But?"

- "But now that I've seen your soul with my own eyes and what it is, for the first time in ages, I'm intrigued."

- "Hmm? Would you mind telling me exactly how you see my soul?"

- "The soul of every living creature is a small flame of light. It's like how people see the stars from the surface of a planet. Yours is like a black hole. Huge, volatile and devouring. The stars simply can't compete with you and have to submit to you in silence."

I raised an eyebrow. The analogy is... odd. Huge? I suppose she means powerful, but it gets more complicated from there. The inconstancy might indicate a change in me, but what kind of change? In the time I've been using 3rd magic, I haven't felt any change in myself. The only part of me that could indicate this is the loss of past life memories.

Regarding the third adjective? It could refer solely to 3rd magic. And I have no idea what it is exactly.

- "What do you mean, 'devouring'?"

- "Hmmm..." she hesitated, tapping her index finger on her chin, then pointed at some guy sitting at another table, "Apply your magic to him. Nothing drastic, something ordinary will suffice."

I just shrugged and did as she asked, making do with just a soul reading. And there was nothing interesting there. Ordinary childhood, ordinary friends, ordinary job. There was nothing to latch on to. Then he shifted his gaze back to Death... whose eyes naturally glowed at what he saw. Intrigue and childlike interest danced in her abyss-black eyes.

- "How interesting!" exclaimed Death and, jumping up from her seat with bullet speed, brought her face close to mine, from which the distance between us was just millimeters, "Really interesting!"

- "Uh..."

- "Do you realize what you've done, Romani?! I'm so horny now!"

- "Lady Death?"

- "I want to dissect you right now and find out how your magic works!" With a crazy grin on her face, she ranted, making my soul naturally leap to my heels, "You don't mind, do you?! Right?!"

I'm... I'm scared. I'm definitely scared. And Death isn't really listening to me, I can tell. Any more and she'll do what she said she'd do. And this is the one who gave the impression of being a proper lady? So dealing with concepts is a pure headache. Even Goetia was silenced by shock. I think we'd better reschedule our conversation for another date.