Chapter 26

Since that day, my life with Laocles began.

Laocles eventually woke up around noon and came to my house.

He said he had overslept, but I didn’t really mind. After all, I had slept for about ten days straight once before. Half a day wasn’t even close to oversleeping.

Anyway, I needed to make sure Laocles ate properly, so I couldn’t just have fruit for a meal.

So I drew some bread.

Then some ham. Both in large chunks.

Well, drawing each one was a hassle...

So our meal consisted of bread, ham, and fruit. And water. That’s how it started.

...Although I said it started that way, I think it probably won’t change much in the near future. Yeah, it’ll probably be bread, ham, and fruit for a while. Probably.

Since the number of times I can draw Laocles is limited, I practice controlling my magic during the other times.

I draw still life objects while being careful not to make them materialize.

First, I have to be careful not to infuse magic into each stroke.

According to Phai, I might be pouring magic into my drawings the whole time. So, I might be able to cast spells without using magic stones.

Well... I do get into it. Yeah, it can’t be helped. After all, I’m drawing, so it’s natural to get into it.

However, the problem is that my magic gets infused along with my enthusiasm... So I try to be conscious of not pouring the magic flowing inside me into my drawings.

But, it doesn’t go well.

At first, I was drawing a peach. Expressing the feel of the peach’s skin with just a pencil and watercolors is quite difficult. But it’s fun.

...Carefully, carefully, I draw without making it materialize. And I draw seriously, without cutting corners. It’s really difficult. Controlling magic takes a lot of effort. Phai said, “You’ll get used to it and be able to do it without thinking,” but I’m still far from that level.

“Ah, sneeze.”

...And the moment I sneezed, I lost my concentration and it materialized.

Oh, come on.

While peeling and eating the peach, I moved on to the next thing.

Next was leaves.

One dried leaf and one green leaf. Expressing the differences in texture, the dry and warped feel of the dried leaf, and the freshness of the green leaf is really fun.

...But.

“...Ugh.”

While drawing, I started to feel itchy. This is the feeling when I’m suppressing my magic. It’s supposed to get better with practice, but I’m not used to it yet.

Since I can’t do anything about the itchiness, I hold the wax-like thing Phai lent me.

As the wax-like thing glows strongly, the itchiness inside me gradually subsides.

...To prevent the drawings from materializing, it’s apparently good to release the accumulated magic this way.

But.

“Ah.”

Either I released it incorrectly, or I had accumulated magic while drawing. There were two leaves firmly on the paper.

Next. Next. Next is a stone.

Just a pebble, but it’s surprisingly difficult.

Natural stones come in various shapes and aren’t uniform in material. They are made of various minerals, and drawing those feels is very fun.

But, I have to be careful not to enjoy it too much. I have to be careful not to infuse magic into the brush.

I was being careful while drawing, but...

“Hey, Master.”

“Huh?”

I was startled by Laocles suddenly calling me, and the stone materialized.

...Yeah.

Laocles basically doesn’t enter my room. I asked him not to enter, especially when I’m drawing.

But if he does come in, it means...

...Laocles silently points to his left wrist with his right index finger. Yeah, it’s time to change.

“Thank you.”

While I’m changing the sealing stone, Laocles watches silently. When I finish, he puts the meal on a small table near the door and silently leaves.

...He doesn’t talk much. He only calls me “Master” or “Hey.”

So, I don’t really understand him well.

But, if he doesn’t want to talk, that’s fine. Talking to someone isn’t necessarily always necessary.

If he ever talks to me, it would be fun, but I won’t push it.

At this point, he’s working hard enough. I can remember to change the sealing stone thanks to him, and even though he says he can’t do housework, he prepares meals and makes sure I eat twice a day.

Of course, he’s not a good cook, and nothing fancy comes out. That’s what I expected.

The meal he just put down is just a slice of the large chunk of bread I drew, with the ham I drew and the cheese Phai left. But it’s quite tasty, so I like it. Most of all, it’s easy to eat.

I’ll leave the stone that materialized and start eating.

The slightly crispy bread with a strong salty cheese and juicy ham goes well together. The drink is water, I think it’s from a spring he fetched. Yeah, it’s enough. It’s enough.

After eating, I get sleepy. It can’t be helped. The teacher said that eating stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which releases acetylcholine, making you sleepy. He said it while sleeping. I remember.

I can’t help it, so I’ll go to sleep. Getting sleepy after eating can’t be helped, can’t be helped.

...But, I’ll go say goodnight to Laocles before sleeping.

Laocles was outside. He’s usually outside.

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Yeah.”

Laocles just glanced at me and started moving again.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

Laocles seems to still be awake. What he does outside is... chopping wood, fetching water, and doing laundry, but more than that, he spends a long time... working out.

Yes, he’s working out.

Great. Really great. I doubt there’s a model as serious as this.

...No, it’s not for me, and it’s not to maintain his physique.

He just said... he can’t relax without working out. Yeah, he can’t relax without working out.

Well, I can’t relax without drawing, so I understand. Probably.

I can see Laocles from my room’s window.

Under the moonlight, his muscle movements, the tension of his skin, and his well-proportioned body are clearly visible. ...He’s moving, but it looks like a very well-made sculpture.

Right now, it seems Laocles is doing some practice swings. He’s swinging a long piece of wood.

...By the way, he said he can only fight. Well, he does prepare meals and do laundry, and he reminds me to change the sealing stone.

But, if he can only fight, he must have been fighting before he became a slave.

How did he fight? Probably with a sword? Yeah, it would suit him. Laocles in armor, with a sword and shield, would probably look like a scene from a myth. Hmm, I’d like to draw something like that someday.

...Well, I’ll be able to do that after I can control my magic. Yeah, I’ll try hard.

So, I practiced controlling my magic desperately.

I practiced controlling my magic when drawing Laocles, and I practiced even when drawing other things. I even practiced while eating and taking a bath.

...Ah, by the way, I haven’t made a bath yet. I want to make one soon, but I’ll do it after I can practice.

I practiced for about ten days straight.

Then, strangely, I didn’t feel as itchy when I tried to hold back my magic.

And... I finally managed to draw a “picture of a rice cake that doesn’t become a rice cake.”

“I did it.”

I show the completed picture to Phai.

It’s a picture of a fruit platter, colored with watercolors over a pencil sketch. ...I did my best.

“Wow! You finally did it! Congratulations!”

Phai was happy, probably more with my face than the picture. Yeah, I’m probably very happy right now.

“So, if you wear the seal, you can draw without making it materialize, right?”

“Yeah.”

That’s right. Now I can finally draw “pictures.”

I can draw, but...

“Then, let’s get the next magic stone! How about one with a little weaker sealing power?”

...Ah.

Right. This practice isn’t over yet, is it...

...Yeah.

I still have to keep practicing.

I go to Phai’s house a little dejectedly. To see the doctor again.

By the way, Laocles is coming with me. He’s wearing a slave collar, so he can’t go far from me. So, we go together when we travel.

...And this trip is a little different from usual.

“Hey, can someone take me to Phai’s house?”

I ask the horses in front of me. I need to learn how to move without relying on Phai’s summoned creatures.

...Thinking that, I asked if there was a horse that could carry me... but...

“More than I expected.”

I’m surrounded by horses.

They’re pushing me.

...Yeah, this is more than I expected.

In the end, it was difficult to choose one horse. All the horses are good, so they all want me to ride them. Yeah, that’s why it was difficult.

Still, I decided to ask the Pegasus closest to me and got on its back.

“Hey, Tougo. You don’t use a saddle or anything?”

“Huh?”

“Is this way of riding okay?”

“Yeah.”

I lower my posture and stick my stomach to the horse’s back, clinging to it. I think this is probably the most stable way to ride.

“...Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

“Almost never.”

I think I rode a pony at a farm once, but that’s it.

“Maybe you should practice riding? I’ve never seen anyone ride a Pegasus like this...”

“Yeah...”

...I’d rather practice controlling my magic, and even more, drawing, but I can’t let the horse be ridiculed, so I’ll practice riding. Yeah.

So, we arrived at Phai’s house. It’s been a while. I’ve been practicing magic control in the forest for a while.

“The doctor is coming tomorrow. He’s preparing the next magic stone. So, are you staying overnight? Your dad and brother will be happy.”

Hmm... I don’t want to be a burden, but...

“Then, I’ll stay.”

But, it’s a hassle to go back and forth, so I’ll stay with Laocles. The Pegasus didn’t like the Redgard family’s stable, so it’s in the courtyard. It’s fascinated by the various flowers it hasn’t seen in the forest, wagging its tail and flapping its wings. Well, it seems to be behaving, so it should be fine.

“So, what are you going to do today? Want to go to town after this?”

I think about it, seeing Phai’s excited look.

The town is indeed fun. It might be good to see various things, not just drawing.

Or, maybe buy something necessary in town...

Ah.

“I want to buy food.”

“Huh? Yeah, sure. Let’s go then.”

“Before that, I want to go to a pawn shop.”

“...Huh?”

...I don’t want to rely entirely on the Redgard family for money.

There’s also the matter of being a house painter, but I think it’s better to be able to take care of myself, separate from that.

“Can I sell gems if I draw and submit them?”

I want to earn a little money.