I had been doing the foolish task of pouring water into a bottomless jar. Though System’s presence still felt strange, magical power flowed much more smoothly since his appearance.

The positive change became increasingly apparent with each summoning of Agnus.

“Things definitely seem better now.”

As I muttered confidently with my arms crossed, an obvious snicker came from beside me.

– What exactly has improved?

“It’s definitely better than before.”

– So you think your magical power is an inexhaustible spring? You’ve merely gone from a bottomless vessel to a small plate that can hold pickles. Keep summoning like that, and you’ll soon find yourself dialing your speed dial number 2.

“I’ll practice more from now on. I promise…”

System clearly wasn’t one to stay quiet. With a smiling face, he meticulously picked apart my statement, leaving no room for argument. I finally sent Agnus back to replenish my magical power and collapsed onto the practice room floor. After letting out a deep sigh, System approached, perhaps feeling somewhat concerned.

– Let me share some good news, at least.

“Only to scold me again afterward, I’m sure.”

– What exactly do you take me for?

System slightly furrowed his brow before relaxing his expression and speaking.

– From now on, you’ll be able to hear voices according to the magical creatures’ will.

“…What?”

– However, until your relationship evaluation reaches ‘intimate,’ magical creatures won’t understand your words.

This news made my eyes instantly widen. As I abruptly sat up, System chuckled softly.

– How about that? It’s the ‘protagonist’ ability you so desperately wanted.

System tilted his head slightly, trying to gauge my reaction. The bright smile that had immediately formed on my face dropped like a weight. Of course, had this happened when I first arrived in this world, I might have been purely happy. But not now. What followed this new ability wasn’t excitement but anxiety.

– You don’t look particularly pleased.

When I first read the novel, I couldn’t understand why Iris’s ability was considered a curse. From a researcher’s perspective, I had firmly declared it a blessing. But now I could somewhat understand her complicated feelings.

“…Because I know what kind of life Iris led with that ability.”

With ability comes responsibility. The reason protagonist Iris took risks to mediate between magical creatures and humans wasn’t solely due to her sacrificial nature.

“Hearing magical creatures’ voices would make it easier to communicate with them. But you’d also hear desperate pleas that others can’t hear—and shouldn’t have to hear.”

How many people could ignore voices desperately crying for help? What if they came from vulnerable beings without society’s support, or even young animals whose voices couldn’t reach others?

Perhaps even someone who claims they could coldly reject such pleas would end up helping when actually faced with the situation. Not because they were born with heroic qualities, but out of instinctual response. I would be no different.

– Didn’t you say it yourself? There’s no deal without losses.

System placed his hands neatly on his chest and spoke while slightly bending at the waist.

– A new mediator between humans and magical creatures has been born, so this story is now yours. Whether humans will remain, magical creatures will dominate… or they’ll coexist according to your ideals—no one knows. Only your choices as the protagonist will create the ending.

His red pupils shone particularly bright through narrowly opened eyes.

Only my choices will create the ending. Hearing those words reminded me of what my father earnestly told me when I was learning to play Go as a child.

‘You must place each stone carefully.’

On a board not even four spans wide, someone cries while another laughs. Once a black or white stone leaves your hand, you can never return to the previous state. That’s why my fingers always trembled slightly when holding a Go stone. The hope that a clumsy move might become a brilliant one and the anxiety that it could become an irreversible blunder were plainly visible.

Yes, I’m playing Go with an unknown opponent. Though many offer advice from the sidelines, ultimately it’s my fingertips that decide the next move. All I can do is put my best effort into each move. Even if the game already seems to be tilting in one direction…

The time has come to place a new stone. To prevent it from becoming a losing move, I need to review this game from the first move. My beginning wasn’t at Angelus University or House Ameli, but in the middle of nowhere.

Back then, I fell into this world as a nameless, penniless person and was completely disoriented. Nevertheless, my desire to research magical creatures remained desperate. But what about now?

Though living in a better environment than before, I’m weighed down by too many worries, and that desperate heart has faded like discolored paper.

If I went back there, could I recapture that pure passion I had at the beginning? Perhaps an unexpected brilliant move might come to mind.

With academic conference preparations beginning, the vacation Asrein had given me was coming to an end. On the last day of my vacation, before heading to Mount Montena, I briefly stopped by the research lab. Asrein’s desk was still covered with theses and reports. I left a short note in case the busy professor might look for me.

Afterward, for the first time, I boarded a carriage alone without anyone’s help. The carriage quickly left the city center and after a long journey stopped at the foot of the mountain. Stepping down from the footboard, I handed the coachman a few coins and said:

“Please wait here for a little while.”

The coachman silently nodded and remained by the carriage. Leaving him behind, I entered the sparsely populated mountain path, and gradually the noise from the village faded away. Around halfway up the mountain, I saw a warning sign about magical creature appearances. Despite the ominous writing, I felt no sense of crisis, only a gentle smile.

“It’s been a while…”

I had finally returned. To my starting point, Mount Montena.

Though it had become somewhat desolate with the approaching cold winter, the scenery where warm sunlight filtered through remained the same. Following the path laid out by herbalists, I could see a familiar field through the trees in the distance.

This was it. The place where I first opened my eyes after the accident. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory. Being surrounded by hostile knights in an unfamiliar environment had made my heart pound with anxiety. Nevertheless, I couldn’t forget that moment. It was natural. It was the beginning of everything.

Standing where I had once knelt, staring blankly at the field, System spoke to me.

– It’s been quite a while.

“You remember Mount Montena too, System?”

– Of course. I was merely an observer then, but I thought it would end right there.

“Really? I thought it was a dream.”

Even until a rough hand grabbed me by the hair, I hadn’t realized I was inside a novel. In the midst of that, I met a mysterious being. The magical creature I had last encountered in the novel before my accident on the road, and the first one I faced upon entering this world.

“I wonder how it’s doing…”

– So you came to see Opalus after all.

“Yes. It’s quite a meaningful magical creature to me.”

I still vividly remember the image of the magical creature holding its head high toward the sky. It was a dreamlike moment for someone who had always wanted to see magical creatures. That’s why I wanted to meet it again. Opalus was like the starting gun announcing the beginning of a long marathon.

But meeting Opalus was no easy task. Based on the encyclopedia’s contents, I searched through all kinds of books related to Opalus. Thanks to that, I discovered old but meaningful information: the sound of a human whistle resembles the sound made by Opalus offspring.

“Will it really come? It surely knows I’m human, not one of its kind.”

– Since you’re not an ordinary human, the probability is high.

“…Really?”

– Thanks to the magical creature essence dwelling within you, you’ll emit their scent despite being human. So Opalus will likely lower its guard against you.

Trusting System’s words, I walked to the field where Opalus had once stood. Standing where sunlight filtered through the trees, I pursed my lips and whistled. Wheeet— The light sound cut through the quiet mountain. But despite whistling several times, the forest remained quiet. Even the chirping insects sensed something and disappeared.

“It’s not working…”

Just as I took another short breath, it happened. Shriek— A bizarre cry came from far away. A shiver of fear and excitement ran down my spine. Nevertheless, I whistled again to signal my location to Opalus. In response, a much clearer sound returned, answering the howling.

Flutter. Birds startled by the creature’s roar simultaneously took to the sky.

“…It’s coming.”

I sensed it instinctively. Opalus was approaching. Standing proudly in the open field with nowhere to hide, I waited for Opalus to arrive. Soon, a massive shadow fell over my head. I had no time to look up and confirm its appearance. The wind created by powerful wingbeats was enough to challenge my ability to stand on two legs. Even the deeply rooted weeds in the field all lay down, avoiding Opalus.

“……”

As the wind gradually subsided, I carefully raised my head. The first thing that entered my vision was, as expected, its eyes. In those eyes were the vast universe and nebulae of intertwined colors. When I unconsciously let out a gasp of admiration, Opalus roughly exhaled and shook its head. A sign of wariness.

If I approached rashly now, it would flee. Wondering if letting it smell me might help, I slowly raised my hand. I remained still with the back of my hand extended, but Opalus only stared at me without moving. In those jewel-like shining eyes, I could read neither signs of approach nor attack.

So I simply waited. Even as my hand grew numb and my arm trembled, I didn’t move until Opalus approached first. It felt like an invisible, tense tug-of-war. About 10 minutes passed like that.

“…Oh…!”

Opalus slowly lowered its head and pressed its brow against the back of my hand. The weight that touched me with a thud transmitted to my shoulder, pushing me slightly backward. Barely containing a cheer, I flipped my hand and slowly stroked Opalus’s head. Purr, a low sound scraping its vocal cords resonated pleasantly.

“Hello, Opalus.”

Only after several months had passed did we finally exchange greetings. Stroking this magical creature that I could only observe from afar before filled me with indescribable emotion. Even System’s notification confirming our communication was secondary now.

Not long after, Opalus spread its wings again and rose into the sky. Though our meeting was brief, it was enough. The sight of the magical creature crossing the firmament was the epitome of freedom. What warmed my heart in that moment wasn’t some grand resolution like “I must save the world.”

It was simply the desire to observe that form for a long time. That alone moved me.

– With Opalus, you now have a total of six magical creature individuals registered in your relationship evaluation.

“Still a long way to go. Will I be able to meet all the magical creatures in the encyclopedia?”

– That depends entirely on you.

At System’s words, my heart pounded just like when I first met Opalus. When did I start fearing meeting new magical creatures? Worrying whether there might be suffering creatures like Sainur, or those caught in conflicts between the two races like Ophelia. I always fell into those concerns whenever I went to meet magical creatures.

Thinking back to the beginning, my purpose was incredibly simple. I wanted to research magical creatures. That was all. I didn’t wish to come to this world to take sides between humans and magical creatures. I had forgotten that fact for a while.

“Isn’t Opalus beautiful when it flies?”

– Pardon?

“It would be too unfortunate if I were the only one to see it.”

There must be others like me. So I need to move with the hope that magical creatures will be researched for a long time, and that no species will remain only in records for future generations. No matter what terrible sights I might encounter in the future, I just need to ensure my beliefs don’t waver.

“Don’t you think?”

Unlike when I came up, I turned with light footsteps, and System spoke:

– The dark clouds seem to have cleared considerably.

“I’ve realized once again what I need to do.”

I clenched my fist, trying to remember the soft touch and living warmth that had contacted my hand. My purpose, which had become blurred over time, seemed to have regained some of its true color. Quietly observing this, System smiled faintly and bowed his head.

– I will stay by your side until your adventure ends. So that you may arrive at the right place at the right time.

A cold wind blew through the silent forest. It was a signal announcing a new beginning.