Chapter 6

That day was unbelievably fun.

Emiri quickly advanced in the ranks of magic she could use, and by the time breakfast was ready, she could handle "5th Tier" magic. She used wind magic to slice through grass and earth magic to create small hills. Emiri and Nina agreed that they shouldn't destroy nature, so they decided to stop using magic recklessly.

Even a simple breakfast of fried eggs and bacon on toast was different when Nina made it. The sauce she poured and the slight toasting of the bread made it surprisingly delicious, and Emiri marveled at the difference a little effort could make.

The path to the Spring of Clay was uneventful, and they approached it with a picnic-like feeling. Along the way, Nina picked a few plants, saying, "There are some interesting herbs." To Emiri, they all looked like the same weeds.

No one else had stayed overnight to see the spring, so they had the "Yellow Peach Blossom" flowers all to themselves. The pale pink peach blossoms, with their outer petals dyed yellow, were a mysterious sight. The spring, which emerged deep in the forest, was surrounded by these flowers, creating a fantastical scene. The petals that fluttered down created a pattern of pink and yellow on the surface of the spring. Two deer that had been drinking from the spring noticed Nina and Emiri and retreated into the forest.

"How is it? This is the Spring of Clay."

"It's amazing... I'm glad we came!"

Nina's eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together like a dreamy girl.

(Actually, I'm the one who's glad we came.)

Emiri muttered to herself.

△

On the way back, they saw the walls of the commercial city of Fullmoon in the evening, as they had spent a long time at the Spring of Clay.

"Is there any place you want to go next?"

"Actually, I want to cross the border."

"True, it's close from Fullmoon."

"That's right! I've only ever known the Kingdom of Crescendo... Hey, Emiri, what's that over there?"

"Hmm?"

In the scene dyed crimson, there was indeed a commotion around the gate to Fullmoon. The dark silhouettes were likely the guards, each holding a spear. They were facing something—

"What's that huge thing?!"

"Is it a bird?!"

Its wings were as large as a house, and when it flapped them, people were knocked over by the wind. It was unbelievably large even from a distance. Emiri was startled by Nina's word "bird."

—Recently, there have been rumors of giant birds stealing horses and causing trouble.

The guards at the gate had mentioned it. That was the giant bird.

"Emiri, take the luggage!"

"—What, Emiri?!"

Emiri put down the luggage and ran, holding a magic wand.

"—It's bad, it's a serious injury!"

"—Guards! What are you doing, you cowards?!"

"—Adventurers are in the way!"

"—Help us!"

Not only the guards but also adventurers were fighting. They were not coordinating well and were acting chaotically.

(Large...!)

The bird's wings were supported by thick muscles, and its feet had large claws that could lift a shed. Its eagle-like face was also enormous, with a sharp beak that could kill a human with one strike. The originally gray feathers were glowing like fire in the sunset.

"Keeeee!!"

With a screech, it flapped its wings, creating a violent wind. The guards with spears were blown away, and the arrows and 3rd Tier magic flying towards it were also blown off course.

"Oh!"

Taking advantage of the moment, the giant bird grabbed a nearby horse with its feet. For the bird, this was a hunt. It was there to catch food for its meal.

"Aaaaah?!"

But the problem was that a boy who had been trying to calm a horse that had been startled by the sudden chaos was also grabbed along with the horse.

"Mom, mom, mommmmm!!"

The boy frantically called out, but the bird floated up.

"Shoot an arrow!"

"No, it's impossible, the wind is too strong!"

"Magic won't work either!"

The adventurers and guards directly below were affected by the wind and couldn't move. On the contrary—Emiri was fortunate to be a bit further away.

"O spirits of the raging wind, answer my call, clothe yourself in the air, and dance."

A golden light, the magic power Emiri possessed, burst from the tip of her wand. Immediately, the wind that rose around her swirled and flew towards the giant bird.

"Keeeeee?!"

No matter how large its wings and muscles were, lifting such a heavy bird was a difficult task. Being hit by a wind from the side at the moment of takeoff naturally threw the bird off balance.

"Whoa?!"

The boy, who had been thrown with the horse, hit the canopy of a carriage and slid to the ground. A guard ran over and rescued the boy.

"Keeeeeeeee!!"

But the giant bird was still alive. Its eyes accurately grasped what had happened and directed a sharp hostility towards Emiri.

"Hey, isn't that the 'Eternal Rookie'?"

"She's being targeted, she's dead."

"Let's regroup while we can!"

It seemed they had no intention of helping Emiri. The guards were also gathering the equipment they had dropped.

"Kee!!"

The bird spread its wings, kicked the ground, and increased its speed while flapping its wings, moving forward—towards Emiri.

"Emiri?!"

Nina called out from a distance, but Emiri wasn't panicked.

(Thank you, Nina, it's because of you.)

She had already finished chanting the next spell.

(I've always imagined a life like this. A life where I, using 5th Tier magic freely, become a hero!!)

From the magic wand she raised, a flame burst forth—5th Tier magic, the "Explosive Fireball." It was the size of a surfboard, spinning at an incredible speed, and as it approached the giant bird's face—

—BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

It exploded with a loud noise, scattering flames. A pillar of fire, comparable to a three-story tower, appeared, rotating like a tornado and emitting intense heat.

—

The giant bird didn't even have time to let out a final scream. The heat was so intense that it withered the surrounding grass, and even Emiri, who cast the spell, had to guard her face with her arm to avoid being burned. But after a few seconds, the flames disappeared as if they had never been, leaving only the scorched grass on fire. The giant bird, now completely charred, fell to the ground. Soon, the smell of burnt meat mixed with the smell of burning.

"If it's me, this is what happens—"

Emiri, who had thrust her wand into the ground and puffed out her chest, collapsed from exhaustion.

The people who witnessed this first mistook Emiri for a "famous mage," then the adventurers started shouting that it was "another mage who looks like the 'Eternal Rookie'!" The guards moved to control the situation. However, it was soon clear that it was genuinely Emiri who had cast the spell. The next day, the rumor that Emiri had finally broken through the "1st Tier barrier" spread through the Adventurer's Guild.