Songstress of Schwarzwald: The Secret of Zoe, the Exiled Music Mage Chapter 7 : Singing Magic?

I burst into the house and announce with complete confidence to Selina, who lounges on the couch reading a book as usual.

“I can use magic now!”

Despite my enthusiasm, Selina rely glances up from her book with an irritated “Hmm.”

“Listen—I can do both Rasonpré and Air Cutter!” I provide the details, thinking perhaps I haven’t conveyed my achievent clearly enough.

“Fine, fine.” She finally stands and cos outside with . “Go ahead, show .”

The pressure of performing on command makes nervous.

I chant “Rasonpré!” but nothing happens—not even a single twig or dried leaf appears.

“Air Cutter!” Panicking, I try to cut a small branch, but it’s useless.

“I really could do it before! I swear I’m telling the truth!” I plead desperately to Selina, who watches with intense scrutiny.

“I don’t think you’d tell such an easily exposed lie. You’re trying too hard to impress , so your magic isn’t working properly. Think back to when you used magic before and try again.”

Relief washes over —she actually believes !

When I used magic before... let recall.

“I sang it!”

I’ve loved singing since before I recovered my past-life mories. I learned Selina’s off-key songs that she sotis belts out when she’s drunk, and I sing them with the sa nonsensical lyrics.

“Rasonpré♪” This ti, dead branches and fallen leaves pile up into a small mountain.

“Interesting. Try Air Cutter as well.”

Does Selina find this singing approach funny? But doing it the normal way doesn’t work.

“Air Cutter♪” A small branch snaps cleanly in half.

“Hmm. Seems like you really can use magic properly now… Though singing like that is kind of la. Co to think of it...” Suddenly, Selina rushes into the house with apparent urgency.

“Aren’t you supposed to say sothing encouraging? This is my first successful magic!”

I follow her inside, complaining to her retreating figure as she rummages through the already-chaotic bookshelf, creating an even greater ss.

“Cleaning will be horrible if you scatter everything about like that. Selina, you always say only you can touch the bookshelf!”

The children’s books I’m allowed to read are kept in a separate container. Though I do steal glances at the others when Selina’s away.

“Agh, you’re so noisy! I’m looking for a book I read ages and ages ago!”

She rifles through several volus, flinging them to the floor, then finally finds her target, devouring it with her eyes.

Once Selina enters this state, my words can’t reach her at all. She ignores periodically under normal circumstances, but when she’s absorbed in a book, it’s hopeless no matter what I say.

“I’ll go collect the branches I gathered! Let know when you figure sothing out!”

It seems there were people who used to cast magic through song long ago, I think? Not that I’m really certain.

After I finish carrying the pile of branches to the woodshed, hunger strikes.

“Guess I’ll just have the leftover porridge for lunch.”

I enter the house through the woodshed door and warm the porridge. Selina still sits on the floor, absorbed in her book.

“Hey, it’s lunchti!” When I tap her shoulder, she looks up with a start.

“Zoe, you might be a Music Mage—a Troubadour.”

What’s that?

I have nurous questions, but first I need to satisfy my hunger.

“Co on, Selina, you should eat too!”

I ladle porridge into wooden bowls and drizzle in so of rry’s milk and precious honey. This’ll be my personal celebration feast for successfully using magic.

“Delicious!” I savor every bite, while Selina eats absent-mindedly.

“You’re wasting it eating like that!” I scold her.

“Agh! You’re so noisy! There haven’t been any Troubadours for hundreds of years. It says here that today’s bards are their descendants... but magic songs have fallen into obscurity...”

Selina mumbles around her large wooden spoon as she consus her porridge.

I take my ti savoring my special honey-sweetened porridge feast. Selina sotis hunts Killer Bees and brings back honey, but we don’t have much left.

After finishing her al, Selina suddenly jumps up and begins frantically stuffing sellable items into her bag.

“Selina! Are you going to the royal capital? Take with you!”

I’ve asked hundreds of tis before!

But once again, I receive a flat “No!”

“More importantly, you need to gather dicinal herbs. We’re going to sell them in Lang Village.”

“Wait—you’ll take to Lang Village? When?”

She curtly replies “When I get back!” and heads off to the royal capital.

“I wonder when she’ll return?”

I sigh, gazing at the teleportation circle on the floor of the potion room I’m forbidden to enter. Will I ever get to teleport as well?