Weekly chapters (2/2)
Enjoy the chapter~
Translator: Raizu
Editor: Shirayuki
Chapter 23 – Stuck in the mud
After taking a bath, I put my hands over the tray filled with hot water and tried to work up some magic power. For some reason, I remembered drawing a figure-eight pattern in the bath to create a whirlpool (like a flow of hot water), so I tried moving it in the same way and was able to create a large whirlpool.
[Yep yep, seems like I’m pretty good at moving things with magic.]
Two days have passed since I consulted the petite-bodied Sensei at the Mage’s Guild about training methods. I didn’t miss training on the four basic magic attributes every day. I mainly do it after dinner and before going to bed to clear my MP before going to bed.
It seems that MP recovers pretty quickly while sleeping, so this is more efficient.
Unfortunately, there is currently no phenomenon where the maximum MP increases due to super recovery after using it all out.
Water magic training, I need to make a stream of water to flow by flowing magic power into the water.
As for earth magic, it’s by collecting sand outside and moving it by flowing magical power in the same way.
Wind magic is a little difficult.
Wind magic diffuses magic power into the air and creates wind. At first, I was advised that it would be safer to prepare a sealed box and apply pressure to the air inside to make it circulate. However, unlike water or sand, it is difficult to know where to pass the magic, both visually and tactilely.
I heard that it is a magic attribute that many students at the High School of Magic fail to use because they cannot grasp it.
And the most difficult one for me is fire magic.
Fire magic training involves lighting a match or torch on top of the water prepared for water magic, making the flame sway, and making it bigger or smaller.
…Let the magic pass through the fire.
What do you mean by passing magic through fire?
I don’t understand the meaning beyond letting the air pass through. I’ve gradually become able to start a fire with the advice of converting magical power, but how to control the fire with magical power is too mysterious.
Streaming like water… it’s impossible to put that image in my mind.
As a result, I ended up in a strange situation where I only improved at the supposedly more advanced technique of “creating something from nothing”.
I have my second class tomorrow, so let’s try to get some more advice.
Suddenly, I felt a gaze behind me, and when I looked back into the room, I saw Sasha sitting on the bed, looking at me.
[What’s up?]
[Master has been quite enthusiastic about it lately…]
[Indeed.]
It feels like I got a new toy, and it’s starting to become a bit of a fad.
[It’s been a long time since I’ve been obsessed with something, so it was fun… Did you feel lonely?]
[Y-no, I mean, not at all.]
Apparently I asked a question that was difficult to answer.
I lied to Sasha, who was wandering around, saying, [Oh, nevermind then], and then turned to the tray again.
Well, I felt like I’ve been burdening Sasha a bit too much for a while, so it would be nice if she could think of it as a temporary respite.
After all, we hadn’t been able to hunt monsters properly for the past two days.
We went out every day, but we couldn’t find any monsters at all, so I’m completely in the red.
I’ve decided to give up on making money in this area and use it as a period of training and relaxation until I move on to the next city.
If we really run out of money, perhaps I should consider looking for an escort job to the south.
It is almost certain that we will move south.
The sacred land for monster hunting is in the southwest, but looking at the distribution of monsters, the further south you go, the more there are, and the larger the monsters appear.
Conversely, if you go north, you will get closer to the Royal Capital, and there will be almost no monster territory. It is said that as you go north of the Royal Capital, you can find villages that are not surrounded by walls. I would like to go sightseeing if I have time, but I don’t have the option of doing so in terms of making money.
To the west, I’ll be heading back the way I came, so I’ll leave it alone this time, and to the east is the sea.
By the process of elimination, it becomes the south.
With a pop, I created a ball of water from inside the tray and rotated it around it.
I learned through trial and error yesterday and today that it is easier to float and move in the air when used in conjunction with wind magic.
I don’t really know what to do with it, but it’s still magic, isn’t it?
However, using water and wind magic at the same time is extremely tiring, and it also drains my MP. Although it is somehow manageable because of the high MP from the combination of 『Magician』and『Magic Gunner』.
I collected water balls in the air into a large lump, then when my MP had been drained, it dropped into the tray with a bang. Sasha, who seemed to be looking at me blankly, gave me a light applause.
I truly felt like a mage now.
[Ah, MP is already exhausted…time to get some sleep.]
[Good night.]
=============
[There you are.]
[Yeah, morning, Sensei.]
[Morning what! How dare you making your Sensei arrived before you]
[Sorry.]
Having said that, if I came 10 minutes before the start time, you’d be already there. How early did you expect me to come here?
[Isn’t there school today?]
[There’s no lecture in the afternoon. I passed the exam.]
[Eeh~, so you passed…]
[If you think you have nothing more to study, you can always take the final exam for that course. I’ve already taken more than half of the exams, so there ought to be some free time like today.]
[I see. You’re an excellent student then.]
[…You don’t seem impressed.]
[That’s not true. It’s a good thing that my teacher is excellent. Now, let’s get started as soon as possible.]
[Fine then!]
I immediately asked for advice on controlling fire magic.
[Fire magic? It’s true that there are many people who aren’t good at it.]
For now, to see the progress, I tried water polo acrobatics and started a fire.
[Hmm, you’re really nothing like a beginner after all…]
[Oh? Am I that good?]
[Don’t be cocky. You’re good, but you’re still just at beginner level]
[Kuh.]
[But, well, it’s true that you have a good base for someone who is mostly self-taught. If you keep trying, you’ll be able to use it better than the dropouts of high school.]
[I can’t tell if it’s praise or not…]
The idea of using wind magic to support water magic seems to be something you learn when you reach a certain level of skill in high school, and the fact that I came up with it on my own showed that I have a good sense of it.
But more importantly fire magic. Instead of imagining it assimilating with the target substance like water or wind, I think it would be better to imagine it as controlling it by applying force from the outside.
Feelings about this matter are individual, so you shouldn’t ask for too much advice, but at least that’s what Pikata said.
[I see, it’s not assimilation, but pressure… Is that what water and wind do too?]
[That’s pretty much how I feel. I’d rather knock someone down with force.]
Yeah, it seems like a person’s personality is reflected in how they use magic. When I thought that and smiled warmly, she glared at me.
[Did you think of anything erotic?]
[It’s a misunderstanding.]
After that, I tried using magic to apply pressure and received some advice.
[Now that I think about it, you said that if someone uses magic in combination, they can get a new job.]
[That will be in the last lecture. Certainly, ice magic and lightning magic are used similarly.]
[How do one practice that?]
[I think it’s still too early for you…but you have some unexpected ideas, so maybe it’ll work out?]
I decided to try it out, so I was given some practice methods.
In conclusion, it was impossible. Although the logic is understandable, it is difficult to realize it with my current magic technique.
For example, ice magic makes full use of the four basic magics, controls water magic, removes heat with wind magic and fire magic, and manipulates it with earth magic.
It’s easy to understand that ice magic requires me to create water and lower the temperature, and it also makes sense that it can be manipulated with earth magic after turning it into a solid object.
However, when I was told to try it out, I didn’t know what to control with water magic or how to use wind and fire to remove heat.
[Whatever this is, I don’t think I can do it.]
[It’s just a matter of practice. Everyone seems to have different feelings about it, so keep looking for your own answers.]
[…Pikata, what do you think of compound magic?]
I asked her if she knew, and she smiled happily, as if she had been waiting for that particular question.
[I can easily handle ice and lightning. Look, look.]
When Pikata waved her hand, the ball of water quickly solidified into ice and burst open.
When she waved her hand again, electricity ran from her fingertips and shocked me.
[Hey, don’t throw it in my direction.]
[Ahahaha, sorry, sorry. So, what do you think? It’s amazing, right!]
Oh, honestly that’s amazing. It’s hard to tell how old she is because of her small size. Since she attended high school, she shouldn’t be that old.
At that age, she must be an excellent student with a promising future, as she says she can use difficult complex magic.
Or maybe she’s already changed jobs?
[Since Pikata can use magic that expertly, does that mean you’ve obtained a specialized『Magician』job?]
[Non-non, I’m still continuing to be a『Magician』. I’m thinking of becoming a general-purpose 『Wizard』or something. It’s better to be able to do anything.”
[Hoo.]
Specialized jobs such as『Fire Mage』and『Thunder Mage』strengthen the magic that is their characteristic, but the range of magic becomes narrower.
『Magician』can learn a variety of magic, although the power of each one is not that high.
Also, it can lead to special magic jobs such as『Sorcerer』or『Space Mage』.
[Anyway, it gets difficult all at once when the magic becomes more complex… You need to control magic power, but it’s better to have chemical knowledge, and on top of that, you’ll also be tested on your own creative ability. It’s that deep.]
[Indeed, but that’s why it’s so fun.]
That may be so.
The base is four types of basic magic, but from there you can create all kinds of possibilities with your own ideas and efforts. I’ve never disliked those types of games.
Surprisingly, if I had gone into science in my original world, I might have been able to live as a true human being, or rather, as a researcher.
[Well, let’s spend the rest of today’s session taking a quick look back at the history of magic. Knowing the footsteps of our great predecessors is also an important element in honing our creative abilities.]
[Geez, it’s a lecture. Well, I guess I should know.]
I calmly listened to the lecture and took notes, but it wasn’t what I expected.
[Hey, aren’t there a lot of places where the origin is unknown or uncertain?]
[Well, the history of magic is long, so it can’t be helped.]
No, it’s not just because it’s long.
Even on Earth, it is said that the science that was proposed in the pre-Christian era is still valued today, but it was not so vague.
Perhaps the existence of an 「Ancient Empire」 is the bottleneck.
The information that this was said during the ancient imperial era remains only half-baked, and we have not been able to go beyond it. On the other hand, it’s more of a story about how amazing the Empire was.
…Now that I think about it, the white-haired kid was saying something about the monsters in this world being strange. The reason why the empire collapsed may have something to do with that… Hmm, it seems like a likely setting, but even if I think about it, I don’t think I can figure it out any time soon.
Stop thinking about the ancient empire and absorb knowledge from Pikata-sensei. That’s what I should do now.
===========
Today, we borrowed the mage’s guild’s training facilities and had fun doing some practical training.
Pikata had a stern look on her face as she folded her hands and looked at me. Sasha was waiting at the entrance with an emergency supply of water.
I spun the ball of water around my body at high speed, creating a ball of fire and shooting it up.
[Yeah, yeah, you’re getting pretty hot now, aren’t you?]
My cheeks softened after receiving Pikata-sensei’s compliment.
[So, I guess I should teach you some offensive magic today.]
[Well, I’d like you to teach me anything that can be used in actual combat, not just attacks.]
[I brought a textbook for practical training. If there’s anything you’re interested in, I’ll show it to you. What do you think?]
I received the textbook from Pikata and flipped through it.
A picture outlines the spell, along with its name and description. Each name has a handwritten check mark, perhaps a sign that Pikata was successful in reproducing it.
[Fire magic is mostly attack magic after all.]
[That’s right. For now, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to use this? Fireball.]
She created a ball of fire and threw it at a target made of earth, increasing the size of the ball by coating it over and over again.
There was a sound and the smell of burning earth.
[Wouldn’t this be enough to make people or small monsters flinch?]
[Certainly. See the difference between this Fire Arrow and this one?]
[That’s right…]
Pikata created another ball of fire and threw it with more force than before.
The ball of fire moved in a straight line towards the target while deforming into a long and thin shape as if being crushed. The moment it hit, there was a small explosion sound and the surface of the target soil was gouged.
[In this way, it doesn’t just throw fire, it adds destructive power. It’s elongated and thrown like an arrow, so it’s called a fire arrow.]
[Ehh…]
Just like I thought, fire magic has no choice but to be used for that purpose.
However, what I’m looking for in magic at the moment is whether it can be used for defense or something.
[Is there any magic that can prevent the enemy’s attacks?]
I flipped through the textbook, but there was no such description. Is this also a heretical idea?
[Oh, that’s on the pages in the back. It’s called the wall type.]
[Wall type, I see.]
I can kind of get an idea from the name.
[Shall we try it? …Wall!]
The sand in the training ground rolled up and swirled around Pikata’s hand, eventually changing its shape and becoming an earthen wall.
[Oh!]
[No matter how difficult this is…the mass to be handled is large.]
[However, if I were to use this instead of a shield…would it even be faster than using a shield?]
Pikata agreed with a wry smile.
[Basically. But, the secret is that it can be used in a variety of ways such as protecting allies who are far away, or depending on the person, using it as a foothold to ride on and evade.]
[I see.]
[Once you become a good earth mage, you can use it instantly, so it’s said that as long as you’re strong enough, it’s like having a shield in your third hand.]
[Certainly, being able to use a shield without using both hands is a big deal.]
Well, since a magician’s parameter focuses heavily on magic and magic resistance, the basic use is probably to support the allied vanguard.
However, in my case, I can use magician-type jobs and vanguard-type jobs at the same time, so I can do rough things like cover my defense with magic while aggressively attacking.
……Eh? I was supposed to start learning magic in order to change my dangerous fighting style. Before I knew it, my ideas were becoming more cerebral.
[Are there any other techniques that could be used for defense or support?]
[For defense, or support, hmm… how about something-something mud?]
[Something-something mud?]
[I wonder what the official name was…Get Stuck Mud? I thought it was something like that.]
I heard some ancient imperial language that I couldn’t quite understand with the linguistic knowledge that was instilled in me. I feel like I can understand it in bits and pieces. Is it related to mud?
[It’s a magic that manipulates moisture through the ground and makes your feet heavy. Don’t you think it could be used as a support?]
[Ah, I see. So, this makes the enemies “get stuck in the mud”. That’s pretty plain.]
She showed it to me, and the effect was pretty much what I expected. My feet are shaky and it’s difficult to move, that’s all.
However, what she did to cast it is surprisingly sophisticated. Manipulating moisture through soil means controlling moisture using water magic through earth magic…and if you don’t carefully consider the degree and location of use, there is a risk that it will only be a hindrance to your allies. It’s actually quite advanced.
It’s interesting as a training exercise, and I think I’ll practice this magic as well.
[For now, I think we’ll practice Fireball, Wall, and now…maybe this will get stuck in mud something.”
[It’s really hard to remember, the Get Stuck Mud I mean. Spreading your hands too much won’t be efficient, so I guess that’s a good thing.]
[I see.]
[You can have that textbook. I’ve already mastered everything there perfectly!]
[Oh, really? Thank you. In exchange, let me pay you 1 silver for it.]
[Really? If you say so, I’ll take it. Maybe I’ll give you an autograph in return?]
[Oh, please, please.]
I tried my best to make a light joke, but she said she hadn’t thought about her signature yet, so I decided to wait another time.
Not yet, which means I’ll make it someday. I wonder what this fellow will become in the future.
I used the extra time to do some muscle training for the first time in a while, and the night came to an end.
Money is running low soon, and it looks like my magical training is coming to an end. There were still things I wanted to learn, though. We need to hurry and gather information about the south.
I’m also gradually learning the common sense of this world from Sasha.
Before I go to bed, I thought I’d ask her a few questions today.
[Sasha, can I have a moment?]
[Yes.]
Recently, Sasha’s hair has grown a little longer and was tied back. It’s also a bit of a treat to watch her let her hair down when she sleeps.
[Please sit down. We still have some time before we need to go to sleep, and I wanted to ask you a few questions.]
[Yes.]
I sat on the bedside, and Sasha sat with good posture in the chair across from me.
Where should I start?
[For now, can I ask Sasha again about this country to the extent you know?]
[Do you mean this country? Um, the Kingdom of Cures?]
[That’s it.]
[I see… It is a Kingdom that was founded by the Cures family, a local aristocrat, after the Ancient Empire fell a long time ago. I don’t know much about it beyond that, but… it is one of the most powerful nations on this continent. I heard they’re proud of it.]
[Who?]
[Who? I wonder, it’s what parents and other adults used to say. Like it’s common sense. But I’ve never been to another country, so I don’t know for sure.]
[Got it.]
It seems that the Kingdom of Cures, the Kingdom of Emert in the north, and the United Kingdom of Zelsion in the south are called the three great Kingdoms. When I asked Sasha about the diplomatic relations between these countries, she said that Cures seems to have bad relations with Zelsion. I had gathered similar information on this at the bar before Sasha’s account, so there was no doubt that it matched.
Apparently, the United Kingdom of Zelsion is a relatively young country, and there seems to be some stalemate due to various interferences made by the Cures’ Royal family during its establishment.
That evaluation was made at a bar in Slurge, where information pro-Cures Kingdom was supposed to be flowing, so something like that must have actually happened.
[So, there are nobles under the Royal family who control the land, right?]
[Well…I think it’s close to that. In reality, it seems like nobles have a lot of authority, so it’s difficult to tell.]
[Do you know about the population?]
[Population? Of the entire Kingdom?]
[Well, I guess so.]
[All I can understand is that there are a lot of people living in the Kingdom. Nobles might be concerned about this, but ordinary people are not very familiar with this topic.]
[Hmm, I see.]
Since the presence of monsters is obstructing land use, I feel like the population is small, but all the towns I’ve passed through so far have had a decent amount of people gathered, and it didn’t feel too tight yet. For the time being, it doesn’t seem like it’s a threat to humanity’s survival.
[Well, that’s it about the country here. The next thing I want to check is slavery. I’ve been studying a lot of things, but Sasha would have been angry if I had just confronted her directly, right?]
[Yes, well, I would.]
Sasha shifted her gaze somewhat uncomfortably.
[Don’t worry about it. However, if I die right now, I’m worried about what will happen to Sasha.]
[Well… I’ll be lost on the street.]
[No, be a little more specific.]
When I said that with a wry smile, I let out a small chuckle, perhaps only half joking.
[There are many things. First of all, if I assume that my Master has passed away due to a sudden illness, I will become an ownerless slave. If there is an heir of the previous Master, I will be handed over, but in the case of my Master, it will be far away…]
[I don’t think there is at the moment.]
[In that case, I will be a slave without any backing, so I will either have to hide out in a slum or other place, or rely on a shop to take me in. If I lucky, the country or feudal lord will protect me]
[If the country protects them, wouldn’t they end up on the streets?]
[No, that’s not true. First, the slave will be investigated, and if it is determined that there is no problem with how they became ownerless, they will either be bought by the government as is, or they will be sold to a government merchant at a low price. To put it simply, they will be treated poorly.]
[Oh.]
[And there is no guarantee that you will be protected. In that case, I was taught that it would be better to visit the nearest slave trading house and sell yourself. However, slave trading is a patent, and as soon as the country notices you, you can sell yourself. It seems like they won’t be able to do business anymore. And if you make a mistake when dealing with Masterless slaves, you’ll be in big trouble, so it seems like there are a lot of cases where they’ll be refused.]
[I see…as long as you’re not being treated badly, it would be much better for you to let your Master live.]
[Basically yes.]
[Basically yes, huh? So, I heard that a slave contract can have the effect of harming the slave or making them uncomfortable if they don’t obey orders. What does that actually mean?]
[Let’s try it out a little.]
At Sasha’s suggestion, I try giving a simple command. Simple things like raising your right hand or not looking out the window. And Sasha intentionally disobey it.
[…..how is it?]
[It makes me feel sick in the back of my head.]
[Is that all?]
[Yes, well. It will be difficult if this continues for a long time, but I think it is manageable if it’s temporary.]
[I was told not to be overconfident at the trading post, and that’s true.]
[I think so. I don’t really want to try this, but apparently it causes severe pain when someone acts with murderous intent towards their Master.]
[Would you like to give it a try, if only by tapping it lightly?]
[…No, let’s stop.]
[Alright.]
Sasha will be in pain, so if she doesn’t want to do it, let’s not go that far.
[These effects come from status servitude contracts. Depending on the contract, you can be restricted in various ways, but I didn’t have anything special, so I don’t think there’s any particular restriction on what I can do.]
[Hmm, I see.]
Next time I buy a slave, I might ask the slave dealer about various things and add some options. It’s not like Sasha is rebellious or troublesome, so I don’t really feel that it’s necessary.
[I learned about slaves at the trading post, so I’ll teach you again.]
[Ah. Yes, there was something else I was wondering about.]
[What is it?]
[It’s about levels. I think I’ve heard that it’s easier to level up if you have a combat job, but… is there a level cap?]
[If we’re talking about the level of combat job, I don’t know much about it.]
[For now, please tell me something general, not just about combat jobs.]
[Let’s see…]
There was a pause for a while as Sasha dug back into her memories.
[I’m not sure, but I think my parents were around level 30. There are derivative jobs and advanced jobs, so it’s difficult to generalize.]
[Normally you don’t tell people about your level, right?]
[Yes, there’s not much to say. Some people don’t even tell their families.]
[I see.]
Well, it’s the ultimate form of privacy where one aspect of one’s abilities is objectively revealed.
[Normally, unless you change to an advanced job, the cap should be around level 30, right?]
[Hmm… I wonder…? What I can say clearly is that there have been people who have exceeded level 100 and there has been a lot of fuss, so does that mean that the level can go higher than 100?]
[Wow! There was someone who was over level 100?]
[Yes. However, it was talked about all over the country, so it’s probably rare. Normally, if you’re level 50 or 60, you’re considered excellent, and if you’re level 80, you’re considered first class. It depends on the job. I heard that there are some advanced jobs that are amazing even at level 20…]
I guess it can’t be simplified to say that some level is normal.
For the time being, I learned that although it is level 100 or higher, it is considered to be a legendary class, that levels 50 to 60 are considered high, and levels 80 are considered extremely high. Though that’s what Sasha said.
There still seems to be a long way to go.
While we were talking, I started to feel sleepy, and after lying down for a while, I fell asleep.
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