The knock was repeated. As was the ‘oh, shit.’ At least I managed to keep it in my head. That wouldn’t sound suspicious at all coming from the room with the closed door, the drunken Song Mage, and the adorable bar girl.

“Master Chris? It’s Miranda. Is Meg still with you?” The voice sounded more than a little apprehensive about disturbing me. Or maybe they were worried I’d revealed my true asshole-with-power colors.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice a little high. I swallowed and tried to calm down. “Hang on.”

“It’s fine, Master Chris, we just needed h…” The voice trailed off, as if suddenly realizing what they might be interrupting. But they’re not! Not interrupting! Because that is not happening! For a split second I regretted that they weren’t interrupting what they thought they were interrupting. Then I shook my head. Then I blinked and realized that I was still a little drunk and I needed to not shake my head so hard. Then I got up and walked toward the door.

“It’s fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I reached the door and fumbled until I got it open a crack. Miranda was standing in the dim hallway, looking concerned.

“Hi.” This did not alleviate the look of concern. “I… um… we have a problem,” I said. I had absolutely no idea what to say. Or to do. Or whether this was going to get me arrested. Or whether this kind of wacky thing happened on the Magical World Of Laroha every day and nobody would care. That last one seemed unlikely.

“Problem, Master Chris?” She went from concerned to worried-verging-on-frightened. “Has Meg offended you? She’s a good girl, she didn’t mean a…”

“No, no, no,” I said hurriedly. “She’s great. She just, um…” I paused. I didn’t see a way out of this. “Look, she was showing me her magic and I showed her my magic and there was a little bit of an accident but she’s fine, she’s not hurt, everything’s cool, it just…” I ran down again.

“Accident?” We were now at full-on frightened with gusts to terrified. “Is she all right? Does she need the doctor?”

“She’s fine,” I said again, trying to sound soothing. “If you promise not to freak out, I’ll let you come in and tell you what happened, okay?” Non-drunken me would probably have realized this was unlikely to help, but then again non-drunken me hadn’t internalized that I was kind of a Big Deal now and I could get away with a lot.

“I… all right, Master Chris,” she said, her voice trembling. I opened the door and stood to the side so she could come in. The glow stone’s light revealed Meg sleeping peacefully at the table. Miranda looked at her, eyes huge, then looked at me. For a second I think she forgot I was a Song Mage and was just outraged that I’d done something despicable to her niece.

“What happened?” she said, fear and a little anger in her voice.

“She’s just asleep,” I said quickly. “It was an accident. She’ll wake up in an hour or so, no harm done.”

Miranda opened her mouth and fire flashed in her eyes for a moment. (Not literally. Though maybe she could do that. Who knew?) Then she did remember and a choking sob smothered the storm she’d been about to unleash.

“Master Chris, she’s a good girl. You didn’t have to drug her! She liked you! She would…” Miranda swallowed and tears started running down her face.

“I did not! Drug her! I didn’t even… magic her!” Nobody talks about how you have to learn new grammar when you get isekai-ed, even if you automagically learn the language. But you do. “It was an accident!” I shut my mouth and took a deep breath. “Look. See that glass of water on the table there?”

Miranda looked at it. She was too far away to see its weird murkiness, so she just looked back at me and nodded, her face still miserable. I felt like an absolute villain.

“I was showing her my magic. My domain is Thought. Somehow, the water got enchanted and it put her to sleep. But the description says she’ll wake up in an hour or so. It won’t hurt her.” I tried my best to sell this. My best apparently wasn’t very good because the misery just turned into confused misery.

“The description? What description? What is that? How can you enchant water?” The confusion was not getting better, obviously. I thought for a second and then my jaw dropped as a revelation struck me.

People here don’t have Status Screens.

I paused.

Well, maybe Song Mages do, I don’t know, but obviously she doesn’t and she doesn’t know about them or she’d know what I meant by the ‘description.’ And she knows things can be enchanted, Meg didn’t think the glow stone was unusual, just expensive. But the idea of enchanting water is throwing her for a loop. I’ve done something really, really weird. Definitely a cheat power.

“I’ve read about this kind of thing,” I said slowly. Which was literally true. “I think that’s what’s called Dream Water. It just puts you to sleep for a little bit. It’s harmless.”

Working up the courage to walk past me, Miranda moved to Meg’s side and looked her over. Meg was breathing slowly and regularly, her color was fine, and she even had what might have been the cutest smile I’d ever seen on her face. Miranda tentatively touched Meg’s shoulder. Meg didn’t react. She gently shook the sleeping girl, with no effect. Then she looked up at me. The misery had eased but the confusion had not.

“I’ve never heard of Dream Water,” she said slowly. “Why won’t she wake? She won’t even stir.”

“Dream Water puts you to sleep for an hour or so and you won’t wake up until it wears off,” I said. Better not tell her about the dreams, she might think it’s some kind of… actual drug. “It’s harmless. It actually sounds pretty nice, people are supposed to sleep really well.”

“Why did you…” She cut herself off, pursing her lips and looking a little frightened again.

Great. She still thinks I drugged her niece.

“I’ve only read about it,” I said. “I’d never actually seen any until tonight.” Then I had an inspiration. “It’s probably because I was drinking. I told Keeper I don’t drink a lot. You can ask him. I’m a little out of it still. It was an accident. When Meg wakes up, you can ask her. I didn’t even give it to her, she touched it and I didn’t know what it was until she fell asleep.”

Miranda’s eyes were still glistening, but she seemed a little more receptive to my claims that it was an accident. At least, her face was loosening up.

“Ma’am, I’d never hurt Meg,” I said, feeling defensive. “I zapped those two thugs because they were hurting her. Where I’m from we don’t do that to women.”

Well, we’re not supposed to, I thought to myself. Magical roofies would probably be a big hit with certain scumbags.

Anyway, I’m not sure what ‘ma’am’ translated to in Gastonian, but Miranda’s eyes got wide, again, and her mouth opened in shock.

“Master Chris,” she said in a wavering voice. “I didn’t mean… I’m sorry… please don’t lower yourself…” She sounded as uncertain as I felt.

“It’s okay,” I said, trying to smile. “I wouldn’t blame you for being mad. I know what this looks like.” She shook her head, thinking I was accusing her of accusing me. “I said it’s fine. Do you want me to carry her to her room or something?”

Then I winced, because while I probably could carry her, at least a little ways, trying to do it in a dark hallway while I was still a little drunk was an absolutely idiotic idea. Brilliant, Chris, I thought. Dropping her down the stairs and breaking her neck will absolutely fix this.

“Oh, no, Master Chris,” she said hurriedly. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’m sorry if I was rude to you, I was just worried. Please forgive me.”

“Nothing to forgive,” I said, smiling. “How about we put her on the bed, then?” Then I winced again. “And then I can… not be in here. Until she wakes up.”

“I can’t put you out of your room, Master Chris,” said Miranda, still shaking her head with concern. “Not after what you did for Peter.”

“Put me in the room next door, then,” I said. “It’s fine.”

“Well…” she wavered, and I nodded encouragingly. The brandy must have been wearing off, or at least succumbing to my new body, because the room hardly shook at all. “All right.”

We carefully maneuvered Meg to the bed. She wasn’t heavy, but she was absolutely limp. So it was harder than I expected. But it wasn’t far and there were two of us, so soon she was laid out on the bed, a thin line of drool running down her cheek. I pretended I didn’t see it.

“Okay, lead on,” I said. I still didn’t have any luggage, but I grabbed the glass with the Dream Water in it because I didn’t want anybody else messing with it. Miranda took me to the next room down the hall.

“Please wait a moment, Master Chris,” she said. She opened the door and walked in carefully, popping out with a candle on a candlestick. Or a candleholder. One of those deals with the little flat circle and a handle. Like Jack jumped over.

“I’m sorry, but this room doesn’t have a glow stone,” she said nervously. She lit the candle from one of the lamps in the hall, and walked back into the room. I followed her. It looked very similar to the first room.

“That’s okay,” I said. “I think I’ll just lie down anyway.” I realized with great surprise that now that I knew Meg was going to be okay and Miranda wasn’t going to call up a mob with pitchforks and torches, I was about to pass out. Maybe I’m still drunk. Or the adrenaline is wearing off. Or I’m still drunk and the adrenaline is wearing off.

I set the glass on the table and kicked off my shoes while Miranda put the candlestick on the little stand. Then I sat on the edge of the bed. It wasn’t exactly a memory foam mattress, but it felt okay.

“This is good,” I said. “Just going to rest a little bit. Long day. Really long day.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Miranda nodded, her lips pursed a little bit. “I mean, seriously, you don’t even know…” I trailed off, still not sure whether to laugh or cry.

“All right, Master Chris. You’re sure Meg will wake up soon?” Miranda’s voice had calmed somewhat but she still looked very nervous.

“An hour. Maybe a little more. She’ll wake right up, promise,” I said, lowering myself wearily until I was lying down. “If she doesn’t, come get me, I’ll see if I can do anything. But it’ll be fine.”

“I’ll… leave you to your rest,” she said. Then she backed out of the room and shut the door. Not even bothering to blow out the candle, I closed my eyes and pretty much passed out. I didn’t even undress. Not like I had any pajamas or anything anyway.

I’m not sure how long I was asleep, but it felt late when I became vaguely aware of someone gently tapping at the door of my room. The candle was still burning, though it was pretty short.

Now what? I thought muzzily. I’ve always been a light sleeper, which is the only reason I woke up at all, because they were tapping insistently but quietly.

“Wha?” I said, rolling to face the door. Apparently it was loud enough for them to hear, because the tapping stopped.

“Master Chris,” hissed a familiar voice. “Please let me in. I have to talk to you.”

“Is that you, Meg?” I said, trying to keep my voice low. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what’s happening,” she said. “Please, you have to help me.” She sounded terrified, at least as terrified as somebody can sound whispering through a door.

I stumbled up and opened the door. Meg stood there, looking like she’d seen a ghost. I moved and she darted into the room, then pushed the door shut. It had some kind of a latch, I hadn’t really paid attention. But she held it so it closed quietly, then looked up at me, her eyes wild.

“There are… words,” she said, her voice breaking. “Words hanging in the air!” The pitch of her voice was rising. “They won’t go away, they just float there!”

“Easy, easy,” I said soothingly. Words in the air. She has a Status Screen now? “What do they say?”

“I don’t read very well, Master Chris,” she replied. “But I think it says, ‘You have joined the Band. You may leave at any time.’ What does that mean? What’s a Band? How have I joined it? Does this have something to do with us singing together? Am I cursed?” She was rapidly becoming frantic.

“Meg, calm down,” I said. “You’re not cursed. It’s… um… part of my Song Magery. We can fix it.”

“It is?” she gasped. “I’ve never heard of such a thing! What’s happening to me?”

“When we sang together, you joined my Band. A Band is just a group of people who sing together. That’s all. It’s harmless.” I was still trying to wake up, but I was pretty sure this wasn’t that big a deal.

“Why are there words in front of my eyes?” she said.

“It’s a Band thing,” I replied. “Try looking at the words and thinking, ‘Dismiss.’”

Meg blinked. “They’re gone!” She looked at me like I was suddenly seven feet tall and made of cake and rainbows. “Oh, thank you, Master Chris!” She started to cry. “I was so afraid. I thought I’d gone mad!”

“Nope, you’re not crazy.” Then it was my turn to blink. “Hey, are you all right? After the whole passing out thing?”

“I’m fine now,” she said still crying, but with a smile. “I had a lovely dream, and the next thing I knew, Aunt Miranda was waking me. But the words were there and I didn’t know why and I had to go and help her in the kitchen and she finally went to bed and I snuck up here to find you.”

“Oh, good,” I said with relief. “That’s what the description said would happen.”

“What description?” she asked with confusion. “Do you see the words too? Did they tell you what was in the water?”

“Sort of. It’s called Dream Water,” I said. “It makes you go to sleep and have a nice dream, that’s all. Harmless.”

The tears had mostly stopped and Meg looked at me in wonder. The candlelight cast soft shadows on her face. She’s so pretty… I thought randomly.

“Did you enchant water?” she asked breathlessly. “That’s impossible!”

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“Because water can’t hold vibrations,” she said. That whole ‘how do you not know this’ tone was back. “Only stones can do that. Everyone knows that.”

“Well, apparently everybody knows wrong,” I said, “Because that stuff is now Dream Water. I don’t know if that counts as enchanting water, but you saw it for yourself.”

“I did…” Her voice trailed off. “This isn’t possible. This isn’t how magic works.”

“Says who?” I asked, smiling at her adorable confusion.

“Every child learns to control their gift,” she said, staring at me like I was a Martian. Mars is probably closer to Earth than wherever I am is. The random thoughts were thick tonight. Not important.

“And what every child learns is that only stones can be enchanted, and no two gifts can affect each other,” she continued. “Who are you, Master Chris? How can you be a Song Mage of such power and not know these things?”

I winced.

“Well,” I said slowly, “That’s… complicated.”