The Troubles of Miss Nicola the Exorcist: Volume 1 [Parts 1 to 4] by Ito Iino

Author:Ito Iino
Language: eng
Format: epub

8

“First of all, can you tell me what it was that I saw yesterday?” asked Alois.

Nicola could not immediately respond when asked exactly what the thing was. Remaining somewhat defiant, Nicola folded her arms imperiously as she sat on Sieghart’s knee. He showed no sign of getting tired of annoying Nicola as he began to put her hair in braids.

“Hmmm... If I had to describe it, I might say that it is ‘something nameless,’” ventured Nicola.

“You don’t even have a name for it?” Alois said and frowned almost imperceptibly. At this stage, it may have sounded like Nicola was just trying to sidestep the question, but there was really no other way of putting it.

“Quite right. It is one of the endless, nameless apparitions one might find anywhere. Amongst these, some will snuff you out the moment you lay eyes on them while others will simply float around. The one in the courtyard yesterday was a somewhat disagreeable example, but there is still no definitive name for it. In fact, Your Highness, let me say this.”

Nicola paused for a beat and leaned closer to Alois, staring him squarely in the eye. She was about to tell him something she had reminded Sieghart of repeatedly ever since they were little.

“You must be very careful about giving such things a name.”

Alois was silent for a moment. “But why?” After blinking once in surprise, Alois’s boyish face looked more childlike than ever.

“Names are the shortest spells in the world. A name represents the true nature of a thing. The very act of granting something a name can give a hazy apparition a more clearly defined shape. So you must not go around naming things without a good reason.”

On the flip side, the act of granting a name could bind an apparition’s existence to this plane and make them easier to command. But it was unrealistic to expect a layperson to pull this off, so there was no need to tell Alois that.

Though Alois still did not look entirely satisfied, he reluctantly nodded. “Hmm, well, I can see what you’re saying. Basically, it’s better for some things we don’t know to remain unknown.”

“That is what I am saying.” Irritated by Sieghart’s chin resting on top of her head, Nicola shook her head furiously to get rid of him. When she did so, several braids of black hair fell back down. Sieghart must have gone to the trouble of removing the hairpin he had used for his hair to style hers in an updo. Nicola looked back at Sieghart suspiciously. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Hm? I was putting your hair in a braided chignon, Nicola. You’ve just been talking to Alois this entire time, leaving me all by myself. I was bored,” replied Sieghart.

“Sorry, Sieg. But I’d still like to ask a few more things. Please lend me Miss Nicola for a little while longer,” said Alois.

Once again, something insulting nearly slipped past Nicola’s lips. She wanted to say something to the effect of,

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