Chapter 136 – Rune Mage

It’s not Bella’s name that I just called out.
I called the mascot of my performance, the quality guji, but for some reason Bella answered me.

“Why are you answering? Is Bella-san’s name Hwasangguji?”
“Gasp.”

Bella’s eyes, which had always been calm, now shook as if an earthquake had occurred.
It was the first time I had seen Bella, a bugilma, panic.
When she went out in front of adventurers, she always showed a charismatic and composed figure like the Queen.

‘I’m starting to get a feel for it.’

As I watched the shivering Bella, I was sure she had something to do with her mascot, the quality Gooji.
My instinct as a golden sun whispered to me after a long time.
Now I’m pretty much caught on the weakness of her woman, Bella.

Woohyo-!

It’s been a long time since I’ve had this thrilling feeling.
It’s a similar feeling to when I questioned Kate, who had been caught and rejected as not being a troll in the guild escort quest.

Now I saw Bella’s whole body zoomed into every nook and cranny.

A hand floating awkwardly in the air, purple eyes that couldn’t make eye contact with me, and a white nape dripping with sweat.
The breasts of a young office lady wrapped in a shirt rise and fall erratically.
The smooth calves in stockings were restless and trembled.

There is no such thing as physical evidence.
But I’m determined to push Bella here.

“Was Bella good at image quality?”
“Yes? I’m a crow. What do you mean by that?”
“Didn’t you use magical means to transform her body into a crow?”
“I’ve never learned magic. I’m too busy running a guild, so where’s the time to learn magic?”

Indeed, like her seasoned office lady, Bella quickly regained her composure and removed my accusations.
I didn’t back down and immediately opened my mouth again.

“I felt a sense of incongruity from a while ago. Bella’s aura is very similar to the crows I grew up with. In particular, my crow’s eyes are different from other crows’ in that they are purple. It just happens to be the same color as Bella’s.”
“Are you suspecting that a person is a crow just because their eyes resemble each other? It’s rude to say that Mr. Luke is one of the few wizards in our guild.”

Bella ran a hand through her fine ebony hair and shrugged her shoulders.
As her long hair fluttered in the air, a fragrant smell wafted through me as I stood nearby, wondering if I was using a good shampoo.

“Write.”

As I inhaled the smell of her hair, I felt my concentration improve.
When I do perverted things, Bella says, ‘What are all these guys like?’ I looked at him with an expression that seemed to want to say something.

“What are you smelling?”
“It smells like lying.”
“Yes?”
“You smell of lies from Bella.”
“Where is that smell!”
“It smells great, especially the ring on Bella’s finger.”
“…Oh!”

Bella hurriedly hid his ringed left hand under the table.
However, I have already confirmed all the ring shapes.
A ring with runes engraved on its rim.
Unless Bella was an occult maniac who carved runes into her belongings as a hobby, the ring must have been a magic tool.
Thanks to learning the runes through Rumi’s lessons, he realized at once what the runes on the ring mean.

‘Hagall.’

It is a rune that implies an intense physical change.
All of the magicians’ spells that transform them into animals or transform their bodies are based on the Hagar rune.
The ring Bella is wearing is a magic tool that activates transformation spells.

“Bella. The ring you are wearing has the Hagar rune engraved on it. It is a rune that transforms people into different forms. The runes have changed a lot, so others may not know it well, but I can’t fool myself.”
“…”
“Now answer me. Is the identity of the crow that helped me with my performance Bella? Did it change into a magic tool?”

With this, my reasoning is over.
In fact, I could provide more evidence here.
For example, how did you know that the image quality was a crow, even though you didn’t say it?
But just by guessing at the interpretation of the runes, Bella already seemed to have given up the idea of ​​fooling me.

Whoa, heaved a short sigh as Bella opened her mouth.

“You’re the wizard I’m paying attention to. I didn’t know that the runes on the ring I’m wearing could mean that. You were arrogant to try to hide your magic from the wizard.”

Bella let out a sigh and lifted her ringed left hand.
It is a ring with runes engraved on the rim and decorated with luxurious carnelian.

“That’s right. My identity is the crow that helped you.”

At the same time as obediently revealing the truth, Bella caressed the ring she was wearing.
At that very moment, Bella’s body began to change.

Dig! At the same time as her dazzling brilliance burst out, the beautiful woman’s body instantly turned into a crow.
She, of course, had turned into a crow, much smaller in her frame, and her original clothes did not fit at all.

Sweat-soaked shirts and skirts spilled onto the office floor.
A crow wriggled over her in a pile of her clothes, then poked her head out of her and neighed.

Caw. Caw.

“That was correct.”

The moment I muttered something to myself, the crow popped out of the pile of clothes and lightly flew up.
The crow flew up and landed on my horn exactly like a dove feeling its homing instinct.
Before I knew it, I spoke to the crow that clung to me like during a performance.

“Can you talk to a human in that state? Because it’s a bird, the vocal cords must have a very bad structure.”

I was curious and let her speak. Bella the crow really talked to me.
But Bella didn’t speak with her voice, she communicated directly into my head like a telepath.

[Like this. I can convey my thoughts directly in your head, Mr. Luke. The ‘Raven Ring’ that transformed me into a crow also has a built-in function that allows me to communicate with others.]

It must have been a very expensive item to have a magic tool with a built-in mental sensor function.
In the first place, magic tools that perfectly transform people into beasts are very rare.
It is said that the risk of body transformation is so great that it is not recklessly produced.

I kept talking to Bella the crow that hung over her horn.

“Are my horns that good? You’ve been hanging on to them ever since we first met.”
[The riding comfort is great. Luke’s antlers are more comfortable than any rope I’ve ever hung.]

I don’t know if it’s a compliment or not that the horn ride is great.

“Let’s ask one more thing while you’re hanging. What was the reason you transformed into a crow and helped me with my performance? You didn’t miss a day and played the role of a mascot.”
[It’s frustrating to stay in the office, so I just blown the air outside.]
“Are you saying that you did all sorts of cute acts to the citizens just to get some fresh air? I don’t think it’s something a noble lady who will inherit the guild would do?”

The more I think about the crow’s true identity as Bella, the more absurd it is.
A noble young lady respected by the citizens of Joensuu transformed into a flying beast and was trembling in mischief.
Bellatrix’s origin is the Rignot family, which can be called Toho in the Western Continent.
In the Northern Kingdom, a title was given to the Lignot family, so Bella could be said to be a noble lady.
I’m not in a position to do a double-headed salute on the street covered in dust.
In response to my question, Bella the Crow cried sadly and responded with a telepathic response.

[I know very well that it is a disgrace if people get caught. However, if you stay true to yourself, you always have to show a strict and serious side to people. To relieve stress, you need to break away from time to time like this. Even if I’m not helping Luke perform, I’ve been walking around in the form of a crow since the old days.]
“Since ancient times? Since when?”
[3 years ago. I was so angry that the adventurers were swearing at me while swearing at me. I took out the family treasure, the Raven Ring, and started to deviate from then on.]
“Ah, Dumbella…”

Dumbella.
It is an anonymity that adventurers call Bella when they gossip about Bella who is not good at running a guild.
Being called that nickname would only add to the stress.

‘Was this woman probably twenty-three? She’s not that old either.’

At twenty-three, she is still a female college student by Earth standards.
She had been working frantically at a bookshop since she was a teenager and hadn’t been able to play.
It must be that she is solving the stress accumulated while working in her own way.
It was a bit absurd to turn into a crow and solve it, but what can I do?
It doesn’t bother me, but it’s okay.

“I see. I understand Bella’s situation. She’s relieved that everything she’s been curious about has been resolved. There are some regrets, too.”
[What’s missing?]
She said, “If she was a real crow, I thought I’d tame her and keep her as a pet. She’s actually a horse-sized girl inside, so I couldn’t tame her. She can’t pet the deputy guild master. Because there is no.”
[That’s right. I’m sorry.]

Crow Bella guarked in surprise.
She’s that, she’s a blonde tanned Incubus. Anyone who thinks she’s almost been kept as a pet would have goosebumps.

“Are you still coming to my performances?”
[Guard. There’s nothing special to do this month. My day’s work is over in the morning.]
“Wow. Are you making money by working only in the morning? It seems like a good place to work in Bugilma.”
[It’s only this month. From next month, I have to prepare for the end of the year, so I am hectic. Around December, I’ll have to settle for lodging at her office.]

It’s a national rule for office workers to be busy at the end of the year.
Perhaps this month, October, seems to be the time when Bella can afford it.

“…”
[…]

It’s something to ask each other after everything is over.
There was awkward silence in the office for a while.
Bella the raven still dangled discreetly over my horn.

[… Mr. Luke over there.]
“Yes?”
[Are you going to tell people? I mean turning into a crow and committing eccentricities.]

I wondered what to ask carefully, was it to ask if she would go around exposing her secret?
Of course, I’m a heavy-mouthed dreamer, so you don’t have to worry.

“I’ll keep it a secret. Thanks to Bella, the performance was successful. The children really liked the quality.”
[I like it too, the name Hwajirguzi. I like it because it’s a naming like something from a legendary animal.]

It’s a legendary animal.
It’s a bit burdensome because they evaluated my naming sense so well.

“Ah… Yes, something like a legend.”
[Thank you for giving me a good name when I was a nameless crow. But now I want to go back to being a human. Can you leave?]
“Can’t we just transform right here? Do I have to get out?”

At my question, Bella the crow gave out a puzzled voice.

[Are you saying you know what I look like if I transform right away?]
“What is it like?”
[Nude. I can’t go to that house.]

Then I looked at the clothes Bella had left on her office floor.
If you look carefully between the clothes now, you can even see bras and panties.
Since all of her clothes were removed while transforming, she would of course be naked when she returned to her human form.

“Holly Sheck.”

Bella, the crow hanging from the horn, flew to the clothes she had taken off.
I hurriedly got up from the soft leather sofa and went out of the office.

Seruk. Seruk.
As I waited in the hallway, I heard several rustling of clothes from inside the office.
Returning to her human form, Bella put on her clothes and opened the office door a moment later.
But she didn’t open the door all the way, but poked her head out and looked at me standing in the hallway.

“Finally you can speak human language. Now that you’ve finished your tea, go home.”

I guess it’s time to go back home.
The office leather sofa was so comfortable that I didn’t even notice how much time had passed.

It was when I turned my back and was walking down the hallway on the top floor.
Suddenly, behind my back, Bella cautiously spoke her words to me.

“Hey. See you tomorrow. Mr. Luke.”
“Tomorrow…?”

Thud.
Before I could answer, the office door was closed.