That Time I Got Reincarnated as an Overpowered Elf (Tensura x OC)

(13) Familiar Stranger

In my past life, I knew a brilliant man.

No matter what I showed him, he was always able to break it down and figure exactly how it ticked. 

It was something that annoyed me, but more than that, it was something I admired and respected him greatly for. To some degree, I saw him as a rival, but also my best and only friend at the time.

My admiration for him only grew once he solved the major power crisis my world faced by creating the first ever perpetual motion machine. 

After that, he only seemed to soar higher and higher, and all I could do was lock myself away, trying to catch up.

Even after he died ━ after he killed himself ━ I spent the next forty-something years trying to make a name for myself just as grand. And, well, me being here is the most I got out of that...

However, as this random boy ━ Orvar Levitt ━ took my hand, for some reason, I couldn't help but be reminded of all of it...

And so,

"...Have we met before...?" I asked aloud, before I could think about it.

Orvar raised an eyebrow as he stopped shaking my hand, "Mm...? No I don't think so. I doubt I'd forget someone with eyes as cool as yours! The red fading to gold really works."

"Oh. Uh... Thanks?"

That was the only thing I could really say in response. 

I mean, after spending a majority of my life isolated from people, I kinda just stopped ignoring my appearance after a while. 

Even with the seven years I've been alive in this world, I'd never really worried over what I look like, so the compliment was pretty unexpected. 

Especially given that it had nothing to do with the question I asked.

That aside, Orvar wasted no time in moving on to the next topic of the conversation.

"But, anyway, I'd heard rumors of a boy with a bunch of monsters hanging by the lake throwing spells around. Seeing as you checked off all the boxes with your..." He briefly looked over to Pairih and the cubs, who all seemed to have let their guards down and gone back to running around as the conversation progressed, "...Pets?"

"Something like that..."

Somehow I feel like I shouldn't spread the fact that I named all of them.

It seems like news spreads like wildfire around these parts...

"Right! So I decided to come over and say hi. But then I heard you mention some pretty lively Elemental Spirits you were contracted with, so I had to come over!"

"Oh, do you have a particular interest in Elementals?"

At that, if possible, Orvar's eyes seemed to shine even brighter than they had been this whole time. 

"Absolutely!" He said cheerily. 

"I did mention I'm a scholar, right? Well, I have a particular interest in Magic. Not just Elemental Magic, but Spiritual Magic, too! Sure, when you think about it, Elemental Magic on its own is a gateway to infinite possibilities in the right hands. But, with Spiritual Magic, even people like me who have lower mana reserves can keep up!"

For most, it would seem like he was just rambling, but for me, what he said actually brought some questions.

Mana is required to manipulate Magicules, and thus, a significant quantity of it is needed to even construct the magic circles for Elemental Magic. From what I know, for the most part, that's why most humans don't bother with learning powerful spells.