Third Outer World Story Series: Pumpkin Sorcerer - Chapter 10

Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

“So, what’s your name? Don’t worry, I don’t have a skill to utilize your real name, so you can safely reveal your name.”

“My name…”

The creature said with a chuckle.

He concentrated his attention on them. It would appear that they had a fair amount of light, though they were equally adroit at masking it as he was. In all likelihood, the total amount of light from them was greater than him.

In that case, it would be wise not to provoke them as much as possible. Even though they were not showing any hostility now, he might have to run away when it came to a battle.

“My name is… ah…”

“What’s up?”

And when he was about to say his name, he thought about it, but then he realized that he had forgotten his name when he was on earth, and he hadn’t needed it before, so he hadn’t put much thought into his current name.

So I have to think about it urgently.

Kabocha[i], pumpkin, kabochi, kabocha, pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, stealth pumpkin, yellow flower, I can fly… this is not good. My thoughts are drifting in a strange direction.

“Come on, tell me your name already. Even I don’t have leisure time.”

Oh no! I have to come up with something fast!

That’s right. My name is…

“My name is Pump… Pumpkin!”

“…”

This is the end. In many ways, I am done. Just because Kabocha = Pumpkin doesn’t make this…

“Ah… yeah… I know it’s a borrowed name, but it’s fine if you want to introduce your name in this way.”

“Somehow, I’m sorry…”

The atmosphere was beginning to feel extremely unpleasant there.

But it was inevitable. I couldn’t think of anything else. I don’t know what to call a pumpkin, who is suffering from chuunibyou.

He descended to the ground with a depressed look on his face.

“Oh well. My name is Mizuki. You can call me that. I am the water spirit maintaining this lake that the humans call Lake Accumulate.”

“Heh?”

Mizuki introduced herself and changed her appearance to that of a young girl.

I see. So spirits exist in this world? This is a different world, after all.

But what is a spirit? Besides, I don’t grasp how she came in contact with me. At any rate, I can tell that Mizuki possesses a greater amount of light than I do.

For now, I should ask her why she approached me.

“I have a brief question. Why did you approach me?”

“Wouldn’t you be concerned if a creature with a very different magic power from what it appears to have approached your place of residence?”

Ah, that would certainly be a concern.

I mean, did you say “magic power”?

“You mean this is what magic power is?”

He gathered the light on his palm and demonstrated it to Mizuki.

“Ah, so you can control magic power, after all. Well, I guess there’s a difference between what you look like and what’s on the inside.”

“!!?”

Mizuki’s words startled him.

Or rather, I was right about this light = magic power!

In other words, if this light, or magic power, can be controlled at will, then there would be a possibility of being capable of using magic!

“You seem strangely overjoyed.”

“Of course I’m overjoyed! Because it’s magic! We’re talking about magic! This is so fantastical, I’m practically dancing.”

“You’re already dancing.”

Mizuki gave him a sharp rebuke as he was dancing with all his might.

But I’m happy to be rebuked, you know!

“You’re strange-looking like you’re performing a ceremony. On top of that, you have earth magic and yet you fly… if you don’t mind me asking, are you a reincarnated person or something? Most reincarnated people are so excited when they hear about magic and magic power and all that.”

“Oh! I think I’m classified as a reincarnation.”

He replied to Mizuki’s words while maintaining a small leap in his step.

In addition, I do recall my prior life—or more specifically, I remember being on Earth. I can be classified as reincarnation, possession, or anything similar even if my physical form is a pumpkin.

“You mean there are other reincarnated people out there besides me?”

“There are some from time to time. It would appear that they only recall a portion of their past existence when they reincarnate.”

“I see.”

He nodded involuntarily at Mizuki’s words.

I don’t remember my name when I was on earth because my name wasn’t a part of it.

Furthermore, based on what Mizuki mentioned, it appears that those who have been reincarnated have a legitimate place in this society. I should keep that knowledge in mind for the future.

“I’ve never heard of a former human being who turned into a pumpkin. At best, they are treated as magical beasts. At worst, I think they’d be called unknown monsters.”

“Oufu.”

At Mizuki’s words, the tension dropped dramatically, and he took a position as if to rub his head against the ground.

Ah, yeah. After all, I suppose that most people are reincarnated as a more normal living being. I feel like asking God for at least an hour why I am a pumpkin.

After that, he asked Mizuki about several terms in the conversation that he didn’t understand. She said, “Well, I’m not a social butterfly, so I don’t know that much about it,” and then proceeded to teach him a lot of things.

According to her, a spirit was an entity that had gained self-will over a long period of time from the magic power accumulated in one place in the natural world, and although Mizuki was classified as a water spirit, she was still young.

The term “magical beast” referred to all animals that were conscious of operating magic, and he would be classified as a magical beast as well.

Reincarnated people certainly had useful knowledge and were privileged in various aspects, but since there were unusually few reincarnated people who had knowledge about weapons, there was a suspicion that God had erased dangerous knowledge of that kind before their reincarnation.

And here came the main question.

“Yes, Mizuki. You mentioned in the conversation something about magic and magic power, but what exactly is it?”

He asked Mizuki, raising one of his hands in a pose like sitting on the floor.

“I don’t know much about it either, but I can tell you what I know.”

“By all means.”

So, here begins Mizuki the water spirit’s lecture on magic and magic power!

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T/N:

[i] While kabocha means squash, I don’t think is the literal meaning. Kabocha is simply another word for pumpkin in Japanese. And the word pumpkin is written in katakana and kabocha is written in kanji. Both mean pumpkin but it’s going to be confusing if I wrote it as pumpkin side by side so I translated pumpkin as kabocha, but the meaning is the same. Also, there are three protagonists in this novel. And the title will be changed into the English version once revision for the other Outer World Story series is completed