Chapter 1

New work, please look forward to it.

Wow, it's been a while, and I'm nervous.

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(I created this using a map-making site called Inkarnate)

― Truth Magic, also simply called Magic, is a miraculous power generated by following a set of procedures similar to a ritual written in a spellbook, accumulating the power of thoughts extracted through a special method known as magical power.

One day in April, a young man was walking along a coastal road on the eastern side of the Sipley Mountains. His name was Al. Born as the third son of a poor village lord in the southwestern part of the Sipley Mountains, he had just graduated from a middle school in the capital and was heading to the frontier city of Lester, the southernmost point of the Rain Frontier County.

He was probably about 150 cm tall, slender, and his face still retained a hint of youth. His dull blonde hair, matted with dust, was tied loosely at the back, and he wore a thin brown tunic over which he had a dark brown leather cuirass. A large knife and a slightly bulging pouch hung from his waist, and a fully packed backpack was slung over his shoulders.

The Sipley Mountains, where he was now, are located in the southwestern region of the Rain Frontier County, stretching about 25 kilometers from the Nash Mountains, which remain snow-covered even in summer, to the sea in the east. The southern part of this area is still a wild region inhabited by many barbarians and monsters, and the people living here are constantly exposed to their threats. However, on the other hand, it is said that this undeveloped region holds various possibilities. Especially in the vicinity of the frontier city of Lester, where he was heading, numerous ancient ruins have been discovered, and the number of people seeking various ancient treasures and magical artifacts has increased. Al was one of those who dreamed of such things.

He had passed through Milton, a large port town, around noon. It had already been about two hours. The sky was dark and overcast, and it was still chilly despite being spring, but sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead.

According to what he had heard, if he walked for about an hour, he would reach a large river, and from there, he could take a ferry, which would bring him close to the frontier city of Lester. However, he had also heard that the area ahead, filled with large rocks, was a difficult passage with poor visibility and many monsters and bandits that attack travelers. Feeling a bit annoyed, he stopped and looked around. Then, he suddenly noticed a faint sound of battle coming from a distance. He listened for a while, but the sound showed no sign of stopping. Having worked as an adventurer during his school days, he had also participated in the extermination of barbarians and bandits. He decided to check out the situation, as he couldn't completely ignore it.

As he approached, the sound of battle grew louder, and voices began to mix in. It seemed that a considerable number of people were fighting. However, the area was filled with rocks, obstructing his view, so he needed to get closer to see clearly. He crouched behind a rock, removed his left leather glove, and placed his palm on the ground.

'Enhanced Perception' - Enhanced Touch

Enhanced Perception was generally considered a spell of little practical use by mages, as it only slightly improved vision and sensitivity to smells. However, this young man, Al, used it differently. He limited the sense he wanted to enhance, thereby increasing its effectiveness. Some animals can sense vibrations through their feet to detect the presence of distant enemies, and Al could do the same by using Enhanced Perception to detect vibrations transmitted through the ground.

Combining the information he obtained with the sounds of battle and voices, it seemed that the attackers were bandits. There were about twenty of them. The group being attacked, though unclear due to the presence of carriages, seemed to have about eight people fighting back. The ratio was more than two to one, but if those eight were professional guards, the bandits' chances of winning were low.

Just as he was about to conclude that everything was fine, he felt a sense of unease. Would bandits really attack such a group? They usually target the weak. In other words, they only attack the weak. It was unlikely that bandits with only about twenty members would attack a group with eight guards. While it was possible that the bandits were extremely confident in their skills or were in a desperate situation, he felt uneasy and decided to check the surroundings more thoroughly.

― Indeed, they were there.

Another group of about twenty people was moving quietly, trying to avoid being heard. Although they were a considerable number, they were on the opposite side of the battle, closer to Al, and far enough from the fighting that he hadn't noticed them.

This was dangerous, he judged. After hiding his backpack behind a rock, he approached the group. Climbing a slightly higher rock, he observed them. They were wearing dirty clothes and mismatched armor, clearly looking like bandits. He enhanced his hearing with the Enhanced Perception spell and listened to their conversation. It turned out that the bandits attacking the caravan were the Skeleton Bandits, and the group he was observing was the Bloodthirsty Bandits. It seemed that these two bandit groups had a relationship where they occasionally helped each other, and they were planning to attack the caravan together this time.

He understood the situation, but he was just a recent graduate of a middle school and couldn't possibly take on such a large group. After some hesitation, he decided that it would be better to warn the caravan and offer some assistance before the bandits launched a surprise attack. Of course, he wouldn't simply shout loudly, as that would put him in danger, and he would be ready to run if things got too dangerous. With that in mind, he cast a spell.

'Illusion' - Auditory Illusion

"There are bandits over here too!"

Al created an illusion of a shout from a different location. He had refined the illusion to focus only on sound, allowing him to adjust the volume. The volume was loud enough to reach the caravan.

"Did they find us?!" "Where's the lookout?" "It's because you made a loud noise!" "It wasn't me, it was you!"

The Bloodthirsty Bandits began to shout at each other, blaming each other for the discovery. Following the leader's instructions, they split up, some heading towards the sound and others towards the caravan. Al avoided the group heading towards the sound and followed those heading towards the caravan. The distance to the battle with the Skeleton Bandits wasn't far, and the sounds of the fight could be heard after a few minutes. Just as he was about to reach a rock that blocked his view, the Bloodthirsty Bandits stopped.

"We won't let you pass from here!"

Al was surprised by the shout. He recognized the voice. The slightly high-pitched voice belonged to Narech, a classmate from his middle school, who had graduated just a month ago.

Al quickly climbed a nearby rock and peered over. There stood a young man with short blonde hair and a large, adult-like build, flanked by two guards in leather armor. The young man was undoubtedly Narech.

He was the second son of the viscount who governed Lester, and his academic performance was always among the top in the class, with plans to attend a higher school. He must have returned home after graduating. It wasn't surprising that their schedules overlapped, as Al had also started his journey after graduation.

Narech, along with his two guards, seemed to be using the narrow path formed by the rocks to face the twenty bandits. The battle between the three and the Bloodthirsty Bandits began immediately. The two guards were quite skilled, supporting the young Narech and using the surrounding rocks to their advantage. The battle seemed evenly matched. However, the leader of the bandits, who had been directing his subordinates, suddenly cast a spell.

'Magic Arrow'

Three glowing arrows, about 30 cm long, shot from the leader's outstretched left hand towards Narech and his two guards. The two guards, protected by metal chest armor, seemed to have only received minor impacts, but the glowing arrow pierced Narech's chest, who was only wearing a regular tunic. The arrow flashed briefly and then disappeared, leaving a wound that bled profusely. Narech groaned and fell to his knees. One of the guards quickly stepped in front of him to protect him, but the bandits began to surround the three.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to release the first chapter in seven parts, one part per day, and then weekly on Mondays and Fridays at 10:00 AM. I look forward to your continued support.

Note: Elephants can sense vibrations through their feet to detect changes in their environment. When I first heard this, I was surprised, but I remembered that in old comics, humans would put their ears to the ground to listen for footsteps, so I thought something similar might be possible.

March 31, 2023 - Correction: "Alfred is where he is" → "Al is where he is"

April 14, 2023 - Added line breaks and formatted the text.