Chapter 8

This is my second post today. Please be aware.

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★Characters

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●Al, Male, 15 years old

Protagonist, real name Alfred Channing

Third son of a poor village lord in the Sipley Mountains, recently graduated from the intermediate school in the capital of the Rain March

Height: 151 cm, slender build. His long, unkempt blonde hair is tied back in a single ponytail.

Spells learned:

1st Tier: "Light," "Magic Perception," "Flash," "Unlock"

2nd Tier: "Magic Arrow"

3rd Tier: "Slow," "Enhanced Perception," "Illusion"

Spells not yet learned:

3rd Tier: "Conceal" (only read a little bit while waiting for Barbara to return)

●Nareesh Orlando, Male, 15 years old

Second son of the Lord of the border city of Lester, the Viscount of Lester. He and Alfred were in the same class at the intermediate school in the capital of the Rain March. Height: 175 cm, short-cropped blonde hair, and a large, adult-like build. His sword skills were among the best in the school.

●Luella, Female, 15 years old

Eldest daughter of the Revi Trading Company. She and Alfred were in the same class at the intermediate school in the capital of the Rain March. Height: 153 cm, chestnut hair down to her waist. Nareesh's fiancée?

●Cain, Male, 15 years old

Son of the internal affairs officer of the border city of Lester. He and Alfred were in the same class at the intermediate school in the capital of the Rain March. Height: 144 cm, red hair with natural waves, and wears glasses.

●Revi, Male, 44 years old

A powerful merchant in the border city of Lester, famous for building a vast fortune in a single generation. Chairman of the Revi Trading Company. Height: 172 cm, Luella's father.

●Desmond, Male, 29 years old

Veteran adventurer based in the border city of Lester. Height: 197 cm, muscular, short brown hair.

●Barbara, Female, 28 years old

Veteran adventurer based in the border city of Lester, warrior and scout. Height: 182 cm, tall woman with brown skin, short chestnut hair, and sky-blue eyes.

●Ras, Male, 47 years old

Tally, Male, 18 years old

Father and son who run an inn and restaurant in the border city of Lester. They were captured by the Blood-soaked Bandits.

●Ives, Male, 31 years old

Squad leader in the border city of Lester's guard force. Height: 184 cm, well-built, silver hair, deep blue eyes. Acquaintance of Barbara.

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★World Setting

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I'll add things you might be curious about.

●Currency

Various countries issue coins in this world. However, to avoid unnecessary complexity, I plan to use the following denominations: large gold coins, gold coins, large silver coins, silver coins, large copper coins, and copper coins. Each is based on a decimal system. For example, 10 copper coins equal 1 large copper coin, and 10 large copper coins equal 1 silver coin. As a rough guide, 1 copper coin is about 10 yen, and 1 gold coin is about 100,000 yen. However, since the distribution routes are not well established, prices can vary significantly from place to place.

●About the Rain March

Located at the southwestern end of the Sylvester Kingdom. 54 years ago, during a war with a neighboring country, the then Viscount Rain (at the time) was recognized for his meritorious service as the commander of the 4th Royal Knights and was granted the title of March and the land. In the Sylvester Kingdom, a March is different from a regular Earl and has the right to develop the frontier and expand the territory. The area of the land has nearly doubled since it was granted.

●About the Schools

The Rain March is enthusiastic about education and has established and operates primary, intermediate, and advanced schools.

Primary schools are often located within the grounds of local churches and provide 7 years of education from ages 3 to 9, teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, local history, and basic skills for future careers based on the children's interests. In many regions, they also teach combat and survival skills. In Alfred's case, he was taught the basics of magic, which is rare in primary schools. This was due to his enthusiasm, the understanding and knowledge of his teacher, and the fact that his grandfather could use magic and had spell books. The school also provides one meal a day to ensure proper nutrition.

Intermediate schools are located in the capital and the secondary capital. They are boarding schools and provide 5 years of education from ages 10 to 14, with about 100 students per grade in each of the two schools. They accept students recommended from various regions and offer courses in rhetoric, geography, music and etiquette, mathematics, and astronomy. There are also courses for those who wish to become knights or mages, which are elective subjects.

Advanced schools are located in the capital and are boarding schools that provide more specialized education than intermediate schools. Most students are from families with baronial or higher titles. The school age is 5 years from ages 15 to 20, with about 50 students per grade.

●About Mages

Using magic requires both innate talent and considerable training. It is estimated that about 1 in 10 people have the talent (which is generally not hereditary). However, it is not possible to determine whether someone has the talent without training, and it takes about a year of training to feel magic for the first time. Additionally, the cost of purchasing spell books and other materials means that the number of mages is not particularly high. In the Rain March, about 5 students can use magic by the time they graduate from intermediate school. Of these, a few go on to advanced school to become mages under the March. The rest either serve under local lords or become adventurers to seek their fortune. There are also those who study magic as apprentices to mages in the city, but this also requires considerable effort.

●About Spell Systems and Tiers

There are three types of magic: truth magic (often simply called magic), which is learned from spell books; sacred magic, which is used through faith in a deity; and spirit magic, which is used through compatibility and contracts with spirits.

The foundational spell books for truth magic vary by spell, and new spell books are sometimes discovered in ancient ruins. These spell books are classified into 4 tiers based on difficulty and the time required to learn them.

1st Tier spells affect objects the caster is touching. They are simple in effect and do not require selecting a target, so their structure is not complex. Examples include the Light spell and the Magic Perception spell. It takes about 3 months to learn one spell.

2nd Tier spells affect objects or places away from the caster. They are simple in effect but require selecting a target. Examples include the Magic Arrow spell and the Shield spell. It takes about 6 months to learn one spell.

3rd Tier spells have more complex effects. Since they are not simple, there are many 3rd Tier spells, including Slow, Paralysis, Telepathy, Magic Tornado, Physical Enhancement, and Illusion. It takes about a year to learn one spell.

4th Tier spells are even more complex, including elements such as remote operation, spatial and temporal manipulation, and conditional branching. Known 4th Tier spells include Teleportation, Storage, Golem Creation, and Magic Nullification. Due to their strategic importance in war, they are often monopolized by the royal family and some nobles. When discovered in ruins, they are often bought at high prices (or, according to rumors, destroyed if the seller refuses to sell). The time required to learn a 4th Tier spell varies, so there is no set time frame.

Thank you for reading.

Chapter 2 will start on Friday.

From Chapter 2 onwards, I plan to post twice a week on Mondays and Fridays at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for correcting the typos. I always appreciate it.

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