I’m sitting on my mother’s lap.
I am, well, on the small side for a 15-year-old.
«Your hair has grown long, An.»
Mom stroked my hair.
My hair is a pale golden color, like my father’s, with fine lines.
«I think I’ll cut it.»
«It’s such a waste.»
«But I can’t tie it up…….»
My hair is almost to my waist.
My mom has been trying to stop me from cutting it, but I think I can’t go any further. I’m not going to make it shorter, but I have to maintain the length.
«So, my dearest daughter, what kind of «magic» have you conjured up?»
«………….»
Why do you say that like I’m the first person to make it?
………… But after I talked about it, I can’t hide it.
«……Hagurumaho.»
«Hagurumaho?»
«The skill to create gears.»
«What’s that?»
«Sounds interesting~»
«It’s not that interesting…….»
Turn your palm upwards.
A metal disk comes out of the space a little above me.
«»Oh!»»
Ni ~yokinyokinyoki (Tl note: I don’t know how to imagine this sound lol)
Kurukuru kurukuru~
«It’s beautiful!»
«Ha-ha-ha! Hey! It’s spinning! Amazing!»
«It’s more mysterious than a golden metal?»
«Isn’t it pale orange?»
«Then it’s orange gold. It’s pretty.»
«No, the gears are cute…….»
I was amazed. I can’t believe they accepted it so easily.
I felt like a fool for having been so worried about it.
«Can you make more than one of these?»
«Maybe?»
I turn my other hand upward.
Ni~yu
Ni ~yokinyokinyoki.
Kurukuru kurukuru~
The number has increased.
«Ha-ha-ha! Good! That’s good, my daughter!»
«Hey! You’re making fun of me!»
«Oh, it’s getting bigger now~»
«What?»
«When you screamed, An, the gears shifted for a second.»
«Can you change the size of it?»
«Um…»
Shu!
«Oh, it’s expanding!»
«It spins so well!»
I can change the size of it……..
I was so depressed I didn’t try anything.
Oh, it’s back to its original size.
«Oh, this! I thought I’ve seen this somewhere before!»
Mom suddenly put me down and trotted upstairs, only to come back a few moments later with a picture book in her hand.
«That’s …….»
«You loved it, didn’t you, the picture book about the Sun Priestess?»
That brings back memories. I used to read it all the time.
The story is about a sun priestess who travels around and helps people and keeps the peace with the power of the sun.
«Look, look at this page.»
«Well, it sure looks like it.»
The page Mom opened was the last scene, where the sun priestess was gathering the power of the sun in her hands.
On top of a picture of a woman with one hand raised, there is a deformed illustration of the sun. The color and shape of the illustration is just like a haguruma (Gear).
«Wow, they really look alike.»
«Maybe the priestess in this book is not a sun priestess, but a haguruma (Gear) priestess!»
«What are you talking about?»
You are reading story Gear Drive at novel35.com
«But if you put them together, they look exactly alike~»
Actually, the official title of this picture book is not Sun Priestess. The picture was originally discovered in a certain archaeological site, and the publishing guild analyzed it and sold it. The size of the sun in the picture book is roughly the same as the small gear spinning in front of my eyes. When I put them together, they were indeed similar.
«But……. you can’t do anything with magic like this.»
«No, I don’t think so. I’m sure you can mix up an egg or something pretty quick.»
«Hey!»
«Hahahaha! Well, I’m only half kidding, Anti, but I think you’re the one who got chose to have that magic.»
«What? Why?»
«Well, I can’t explain it, but it’s the color!»
«What color?»
«The color of the gears reminds me of your hair and your eyes.»
«Thats right~»
«Just for that reason……»
«But you know, that gear spinning next to you, it just feels right. That’s your power, for sure.»
I don’t feel like being rolled in the wrong direction.
«You said earlier that this kind of magic can’t do anything, but come here.»
«Huh?»
I went to the entrance of the store, outside.
It was between sunset and night.
It was a fantastic scene, but people were hurrying to get in front of the coming darkness.
«Look at that.»
«……..It’s a kid.»
I think he’s on his way home. He’s holding a windmill made of straw paper.
«It’s spinning.»
«Yes? Yes.»
It’s a toy, you know.
«Look at that one.»
«Yeah.»
The carriage. It’s going to be dark soon, so they’re in a bit of a hurry.
The wheels are spinnng.
«It’s spinning.»
«Huh? Uh, yes.»
«And here.»
Dad pointed to the gear spinning beside me.
It’s still spinning.
«What are you trying to say?»
«Look, Anti. Windmills spin to entertain children. Carriage wheels spin to carry people.»
«…………»
«Spinning is supposed to be a force for good, you know. I was just kidding earlier, but if you shove this gear into an egg, it will definitely turn into a beaten egg in no time. There’s a lot you can do.»»
I understood what Dad was trying to say. Surely, it makes sense?
There’s always a chance that this kind of power could be useful for something.
«Dad. It’s nice of you to say so. I think you’re right. But I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up in school with this power.»
«Oh, you mean the 15-year-old thing.»
«Yes. When all students reach the age of fifteen, most of the classes will be practical, and the classroom work will be done on your own. You can get a minimum of graduation credits from the classroom exams alone. But you won’t be able to go on to higher education or get a job in magic.»
«Hmm, Anti. It’s not like your mom and dad actually wanted you to be good at magic so they sent you to school.»
«What?»
«When we were kids, this town didn’t exist yet, and kids didn’t tend to congregate in one place.»
«I wanted you to have a lot of friends of the same age.»
«…………»
I don’t mean friends, I mean rotten friends, bad kids, bad girls, but …….
«I don’t know who you’re thinking of when you make that face, but I’m pretty sure most of the kids in your class come here to eat. They’re pretty good, aren’t they?»
«Well, it’s not like I hate them or anything.»
«An seems to be having fun arguing with everyone~»
«I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m going to have to go back to…… being a cafeteria girl.
«Then, let’s do this, Anti.»
«?»
«I don’t mean to offend you by saying this, but we don’t care about your magic skills. You’re a good girl, and you count as 100 people when you are in the kitchen!»
«Then──»
«But, Anti, you can always be the star of the show, can’t you?»
«Yeah, so why don’t you try something?»
«Try?»
«Yeah. See what you can do, what you can do with that sidekick of yours spinning around beside you.»
«Fufufu.»
Is this what you call a buddy?
But yes, it is.
It’s just a little bit of fun.
«All right. I’ll give you a little time to test yourself.»