Chapter 6

Louise started learning how to swing a sword from Zeb a little before she began attending school.

Louise, being the older one, is the only one doing this.

Twice a day, in the morning and evening, she performs suburi (sword-swinging practice) with a short wooden sword, which Zeb supervises.

During the sword training, I prohibited the use of the Odo circulation.

For a five-year-old, this should be quite a tough exercise, but Louise swings the sword seriously without complaint.

I feel a bit guilty for taking away father-daughter time, so I'm relieved that she hasn't started hating her dad because of the tough training.

We don't talk much, but I hope they can spend some good time together.

I can't just make the girl work hard.

Over the course of two years, I developed a self-taught finger magic training method and started teaching it to Kyle.

Thanks to my training, Kyle can circulate magic power between the ground and his body without getting hurt.

The pace and amount are still minimal, but this is a training to feel the magic of the earth, so it's sufficient.

I place my hands on Kyle's shoulders and adjust the flow of magic power.

By gradually converting the magic power into the ground, a slight indentation forms, as if a few coins were stacked on it.

"Did it! Was it a success?"

"Yes, I think this is what magic is."

It's a loose expression, but I don't know anything beyond what's written in the book.

I'd like to see real magic at least once.

"Try to remember this feeling and do it on your own next time. You don't need to make a big indentation. It's dangerous, and Zeb might notice. Can you do it?"

"Sure, I'll give it a try."

The magic we tried this time affects the earth.

It's called earth magic.

There are also magic types that convert into fire or water, but unlike those, earth is already present, so it's less likely to fail and is easier to understand.

It's said to be suitable for beginners.

However, it seems quite practical because you can manipulate the earth relatively freely.

It tests your imagination.

While I was thinking about this, Kyle succeeded in digging a hole on his own.

The excess magic power is making the earth squish and squish, but be careful not to let Zeb see it...

I don't have anyone to compare him to, but I think he has good potential.

Kyle listens to instructions sincerely and is patient.

He asks questions without hesitation when he doesn't understand something.

If he continues like this, he has the talent to excel in any field.

What's more important is to be careful not to be deceived by bad adults.

I also taught Louise how to circulate magic power with the ground, but she's not doing well.

It seems she can't properly feel the circulation outside her body.

There might be individual differences in aptitude, as written in the book.

She doesn't seem to be discouraged by this yet.

She might not fully understand it.

I don't intend to force her, so if she has something else she wants to focus on, that's fine too. Like swords.

Looking at it, I think Louise's suburi is quite good for her age.

If she grows taller, she might become a decent swordsman.

Since she can also do the Odo circulation, I hope to teach her a sword technique that makes good use of it.

As I was thinking this, Louise, who had finished her evening suburi, came over with a smile, waving her hand.

Louise smiles well after this training.

It's quite rare, so it's our little secret.

I stood up with a handkerchief I had prepared to wipe the sweat.

"Do you want to learn about magic?"

This is Cruise's office.

Lectures end at noon, and usually, Elise or Irma comes to pick us up, but if we're a bit late, we wait here.

I think we could wait in the classroom, but I suspect Cruise just wants to see the children's faces and asked for this favor.

"Magic is something that some people can use and others can't. I just thought it would be nice to see it once. Maybe I can use it too..."

I could have asked during dinner, but I felt it would be better to ask when there are fewer people around.

This room is good for that.

"Ah, so you're curious about magic. It's cool, isn't it? I used to play pretend magic when I was a kid."

Yeah, it's cool! Boys practice moves like Kamehameha or Rasengan.

"But... only those with talent can tell if you have the ability to use magic. There are no mages in this town right now. If there were a church, it would be different... If you really want to confirm, you'd have to go to Halpa. Unfortunately, I can't show you right away."

Halpa is a town on the way to the capital Ardane from Romus.

Due to the closure of the road in recent years, it's quite inconvenient to get there.

The rarity of mages is a problem...

I don't know the exact ratio, but it's said that even small towns might not have a mage.

Romus is a lively town, and it wouldn't be strange to have a church.

In fact, until recently, a priest was staying here to prepare for the establishment of a church.

However, due to the closure of the Elora Road, that person returned to the capital, and the activities were suspended.

"I see... I wish I could at least see real magic."

Our current goal is to find out if our training is related to real magic.

I think we can learn a lot just by seeing it.

If possible, I'd like to study it systematically.

It's no use wishing for what we don't have.

We're already attending school in this medieval world, so we shouldn't be picky.

I'll be satisfied with the information I can get.

That's how the conversation ended.

The opportunity to see real magic came sooner than expected.

That day, the usual lecture had a continuation.

After the morning lecture, a field trip was organized for interested students from each class during lunchtime.

This kind of thing is probably quite advanced in this world.

We were treated to lunch in Cruise's office and then headed back to school.

From there, Mr. Amicus led us to today's destination, the Adventurer's Guild.

Yes, the Adventurer's Guild!

The language used in this world isn't Japanese, but the facility is roughly a guild for adventurers.

It's a union for people who go on adventures.

The members include explorers, mercenaries, and in Romus, sailors, among others.

They are collectively called adventurers.

Since there is magic and adventurers, this world is heavily fantasy-themed.

It's reassuring to see these conventions.

The reality might be different, but that's what the field trip is for.

The field trip was simple.

Visit the guild, listen to the explanation, and hear from an adventurer. No need to write a report.

I'm bad at coming up with material for writing, so this is a relief.

The Adventurer's Guild was located in the southern part of the town, roughly between the southern road entrance and the port to the west.

There are many bars and other places around, and it's an area I haven't been to much. It's not relevant to a child.

However, it's not particularly dangerous, as families with children come here.

Carriages and porters are busy moving around.

The building is a single story but quite large.

The reception area is spacious enough to accommodate a group of children.

There are bulletin boards along the walls for requests and information, and tables for negotiations, so it's not much different from what I imagined.

Upon hearing the explanation, there is a butchery in the back and a training ground next to the building, making it a more comprehensive facility than I thought.

There are many staff members, and the scale is much larger than the magistrate's office.

Some of the staff are parents of school students, and I saw one of them waving back to a student from the sea class.

The atmosphere is better than I expected, not as harsh.

After the initial explanation, we returned to the reception to listen to an adventurer.

It seems the guild had hired an adventurer for a request.

He was a young man in his early twenties named Reda.

He had been an adventurer for five years and wore a slightly worn outfit.

He had various gadgets attached to a leather belt, which appealed to my sense of manliness.

He was quite good at talking, as he had to take on requests.

"---So, what do you think adventurers do?"

The children responded with things like "fight monsters!" and "explore the frontier."

One even said "be a hero's follower," which made me wonder if that's a thing.

"You're all right. We fight monsters to keep the roads safe, explore the frontier to find resources, and sometimes accompany heroes. In short, anyone registered at the Adventurer's Guild who takes on requests from the bulletin board is an adventurer. Your dad might be one too."

He spoke in a light-hearted tone, keeping the children engaged.

"Okay, now let me tell you about my job. I deliver letters, which is like being a mailman."

A hint of disappointment appeared in the eyes of the younger children.

"Think it's boring? Yeah, it's a simple job. I just carry light letters, or maybe packages, to far places. But it's not an easy job. Whether it's west, east, north, or south, the person who sends the letter wants it delivered as quickly and reliably as possible. I do my best to make that happen. Sometimes I face rough seas, sometimes my carriage is attacked by bandits, and sometimes I have to run through storms. It's a big adventure. It's a job that requires trust from important people."

There is a regular mail service using carriages between cities, but in the frontier or for special requests, adventurers like him are relied upon.

Currently, Romus has one of its main roads closed, so there is a need for such adventurers.

He visited Romus as one of them.

Reda spoke about his job as if it were a hero's adventure.

Everyone's eyes were shining as they listened.

It's impressive to explain practical aspects while telling interesting stories.

The field trip ended on a fun note.

Other teachers led the students back to the school.

We were supposed to disperse there.

However, Mr. Amicus called us over.

Reda, who had just finished talking, was also there.

By the time we got there, the other students had left the guild with their teachers.

"I'll take you back. Before that, there's something Cruise asked me to do. Reda can use magic, and he's been asked to show it to you."

Reda continued, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I can only use a little earth magic. I can't tell if others have the talent. Honestly, I didn't want to show it. I don't want to break children's dreams. But the magistrate asked me to show it to you. Don't expect too much."

We had no objections.

Just being able to see it is a stroke of luck.

Kyle and I nodded and replied.

"Thank you very much."

"You're polite. Manners are important. You can't lose by having them. Follow me."

He seemed a bit surprised, perhaps thinking we weren't typical children, but he looked at Mr. Amicus and started walking towards the exit.

We followed him.

He adjusted his pace to match ours, showing his attentiveness.

Our destination was the training ground next door.

We took a spot in a corner where we wouldn't be in the way.

"Let's start right away."

Reda put his hands on the ground and chanted.

"Earth, answer my wish."

After the words, the ground rose up to the height of a single brick.

"It's not very interesting, is it?"

I barely heard those words.

While he was using magic, I observed with all my senses, including my sixth sense.

I came to one conclusion.

It has the same nature as our training.

We can use magic! I felt like jumping for joy and thanked him.

"No, this is exactly what we wanted to see. Thank you very much."

Reda was taken aback by our enthusiastic response.

I had a question, so I asked while he was still surprised.

"Can you show me the magic again? This time, I want to touch your shoulder. I think I might be able to feel the magic if it works."

"…Sure, but…"

He allowed it, though he seemed skeptical.

I placed my hands on Reda's shoulders, who was crouching, and asked a question before he used magic.

"If you could strengthen your earth magic, how big would you want it to be?"

"? The bigger, the better, but… I guess if I could make it as high as my waist, it might be useful for something."

"Then imagine that size and use the magic. Just a test."

"…Okay. Don't expect too much."

He's a good person to take a child's request seriously. I want to raise his expectations.

Reda chanted the spell.

"Earth, answer my wish."

I focused on Reda's Odo and added the magic power flowing through my hands to it, being careful not to cause an explosion, and only adding the necessary amount.

The earth rose up, surpassing my knee height and eventually reaching above my head.

Reda and Mr. Amicus were speechless.

Kyle and Louise weren't as surprised.

I wonder why Louise wasn't surprised.

After a while, Reda, who had been in a daze, spoke.

"…What did you just do… How… Can I do that…?"

"? You used the magic, Reda. When I saw you use it the first time, the magic power… I think it wasn't flowing properly in your body. I tried to correct the flow…"

I answered his question casually.

"!? Can I do it again if I train…?"

"I can't guarantee it, but since you did it once, I think you can."

"Teach me! I'll pay as much as I can. If I don't have enough, just tell me the amount, and I'll try to get it!"

"Seeing the magic was enough for us, so I don't think it's worth a reward…"

"That was a request I took. If you can teach me, it would be a separate matter."

Cruise probably made the request.

If so, I might as well take the payment.

While I was thinking this, Mr. Amicus said,

"Either way, I can't allow it to happen here immediately. It would draw attention. Also, Aine can't make this decision alone. We should discuss it with Cruise, his guardian. I'll talk to Cruise. Should I contact the Adventurer's Guild?"

There's no one paying attention to us right now, but it might draw attention if children are whispering.

It's also reasonable to involve a guardian.

"---Yes, I'll be staying here for a while. Please take care of it."

Reda said this and bowed politely to Mr. Amicus and us, which was unexpected given his adventurer's appearance.

On the way back,

Mr. Amicus, holding my hand, asked me,

"…Can you use magic?"

"I don't know. That's why I wanted to see real magic. I had a feeling I might be able to."

"I see… You're a smart kid, but you're still young. Talk to Cruise and the others about magic."

I think that makes sense.

Minors need to discuss important matters with their guardians.

"Yes, sir."

I answered sincerely and headed home.