Chapter 25

I woke up to the sound of movement.

Looking to the side, I saw Riz peering at me.

"Hehe. Hiro's sleeping face is so cute. You always have a slight frown, but when you're sleeping, you look so innocent."

I felt quite embarrassed.

The sun hadn't even risen yet.

"You're an early riser."

She hugged me, and our lips touched.

"I need to get ready for the morning. See you at breakfast."

She slipped out of my arms and headed for the kitchen.

Looking out the window, I saw a cloudy sky with light rain falling.

It would be difficult to gather under this weather. I wanted to use this opportunity to study magic, so I decided to ask for a recommendation.

Holding the burlap bag filled with the fruits I had gathered, I headed for the kitchen.

"Good morning."

As I greeted, Tisha turned around with a smile.

"Oh, good morning. You're up early today."

"Riz woke me up. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Hmm. Even though it's a bit of a hassle, could you fetch some water for me?"

I borrowed a coat and took the large-mouthed earthenware jar, heading to the communal well.

Around the well, several elderly women were chatting while fetching water for their morning preparations.

"Good morning."

"Hey, good morning. Oh, you... You're Ast's son, right?"

A plump, motherly woman called out to me.

"Yes, I've been staying here since the other day."

"My husband works at the Adventurers' Guild, and he mentioned that a new recruit brought in a lot of Vaz grass. Was that you?"

"Yes, I found a good spot for gathering. I'm glad I could be of help."

"Ahahaha. The Alchemists' Guild was thrilled. Healing divine casters don't come to such a small village often."

"The vigilantes also come back with a lot of injuries every time they cull the beasts. I'm grateful. Thank you."

"Speaking of Ast's place, isn't there a girl named Lizathia there? How's that going?"

A young woman, not yet 20, called out to me. I noticed a ring on her left ring finger. It seems the culture here is similar.

"Yesterday, we became engaged."

"Oh, you're quick, despite not looking it. You've only been here for a few days, right?"

"Yes, but I haven't done anything yet. It's just an engagement."

"Oh, my. Congratulations, congratulations."

We chatted and took turns fetching water.

When it was my turn, I was grateful to find a hand-cranked well with a roof. I wondered if the development of pulleys hadn't happened yet.

I turned the handle, which creaked, and pulled up the bucket.

After filling the jar with two buckets, I lifted it by the handle. It was over 10 liters, so it was quite a strain on my back. I panted as I made my way back home.

"I'm back."

"Oh, thank you. It must have been tough."

"No, I'm always grateful for your help."

When I lifted the jar, I realized I had muscle pain. It must be a delayed onset. I'm still young.

The house was filled with the warm aroma of breakfast.

Breakfast was rye porridge with bacon and spinach stir-fry. The garlic was strong.

"The weather is bad today. We'll skip hunting and focus on tanning and equipment maintenance. We've got a big catch."

Ast muttered.

"So, what about Hiro?"

When Riz spoke, my parents looked surprised.

"I want to study magic. Is there a place where I can learn?"

"The second floor of the general store deals with magical items. The owner is also a magician, I believe."

Tisha answered.

"But, Hiro...?"

I could feel Riz blushing along with me.

"We're engaged, so it's fine, right?"

With Ast's help, the situation was smoothed over.

"Since you're studying, I'll help my father."

Riz got up and headed to the shed.

"I don't know how long it will take. I'll eat lunch outside today. Thank you always."

I got up, borrowed the coat again, and headed to the general store.

The rain was gradually getting stronger. The coat wasn't waterproof, so I was getting cold.

Being a bit overweight, I'm sensitive to the cold. I'm not particularly heat-resistant either.

"Welcome back. You were here yesterday, right? What brings you here today?"

The white-haired shop owner greeted me.

"I want to study magic. I heard there's a magician here."

"Yes, please go up the stairs at the back."

I went through the back of the store and climbed the steep stairs.

At the top, I saw a counter, and a man in his 40s with a stern look was watching me.

"Welcome. What can I do for you?"

"I want to study magic. I heard I could learn here."

"I see. You're a prospective student. My name is Pardis. What's yours?"

"I'm Akihiro."

He squinted and observed me before speaking.

"Have you already manifested 'Casting Control'? Your mana and magic power are circulating. Where did you learn that?"

"I didn't learn it. Due to certain circumstances, I manifested it without realizing."

"Ah, that's troublesome. Stop talking like that. Just be casual. It's rare to manifest it without realizing. I've heard that living in a place with high mana concentration can lead to such a state, but is that the case here?"

"No, not really. Ah, it's the whims of the gods."

"The god of casting, huh? I don't understand the circumstances, but it's interesting. You don't need the basic training for 'Casting Control.'"

"Basic training?"

"Go to a place with high mana concentration and get used to the sensation of mana. Then, practice converting it into magic power. Since you've already manifested it, you just need to keep practicing to get better."

He lifted the counter's hinged board and led me to a back room.

The room was a combination of two rooms, with desks and a blackboard. There was a target at the back.

"There are concepts of magic and sorcery. Do you understand the difference?"

"No, I don't."

"Magic is the law. The specifications, recognition, and activation of each spell are defined by the law. The gods of magic occasionally change the regulations, but it's usually over a span of decades. Sorcery, on the other hand, uses the spells defined by the law to manifest phenomena by aligning them with your imagination."

It's like the relationship between programming specifications and syntax, I guess.

"Do you have any affinity for elemental control?"

"Wind."

"Wind, huh. I'm not very good at it, but I'll show you. Watch closely."

Pardis stood facing the target and extended his right arm.

"Element: Wind. Pressure defined. Shape: 5 cm diameter sphere. Fixed 20 cm above the right hand. Aim forward, speed: 80 km/h. Execute."

The moment Pardis chanted, a golf ball-sized sphere of wind appeared above his right hand and shot towards the target. When it hit, a heavy thud echoed, and the wind dispersed.

"See? Even this can knock you back if it hits you."

"Amazing. I've never seen it before."

"I'll give you a brief explanation of the spell."

He turned to the blackboard.

- Decide which element to use.

- Imagine how you will use that element.

- Imagine the shape in which you will manifest the element.

- Imagine where you will manifest it.

- Imagine the behavior of the manifested element.

- If there are no inconsistencies in your imagination, the spell will activate the moment you give the command.

"Speaking the words helps you solidify your imagination. If you can perfectly imagine it in your mind, you don't need to chant."

"Would you like to try?"

"Yes."

I stood in front of the target and made a finger gun pose.

"Element: Wind. Pressure defined."

I imagined compressing a 30 cm sphere of wind to about 5 mm.

"Shape: 5 mm radius, 7 mm height, flat-topped cone."

I imagined a bullet's tip.

"Fixed 10 cm in front of my right index finger. Aim forward, speed: 250 km/h."

I aimed at the center of the target, making sure my finger didn't waver.

"Execute."

There was no recoil. As I shouted "Execute," a loud bang echoed, and a conical hole appeared in the center of the target, about 5 cm in radius. When I looked at the back, it was thinly penetrated.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's your first time, and with wind? How did you do that? Wind is usually just a light breeze. You penetrated the target."

My head felt heavy and painful, and I felt quite nauseous.

"Ah, you compressed it quite a bit during the pressure definition. When converting magic power into a spell, it takes a lot of energy. You'll get used to it. Still, that was quite impressive for your first try. Is this the will of the god of casting?"

He laughed and led me to a sofa, preparing tea for me.

"Take a break. That's normal for beginners."

I gratefully took a moment to rest.