Chapter 7

On the way back from the Adventurer's Guild.

I headed straight for the magistrate's office with Mr. Amicus.

After Mr. Amicus conveyed something at the reception, we waited for a while and were granted permission to enter the office.

Cruise should be at work at this time.

When Cruise appeared, he initially looked worried, but as he listened to the story, his expression gradually changed to one of surprise.

Honestly, I think it's quite difficult to explain that "Your son went to see a magic show and ended up strengthening the magician's skills in no time. He might have a talent for magic," but Mr. Amicus managed to convey it in a way that didn't sound too far-fetched.

While this matter is somewhat complicated, since it's not urgent, we decided not to make any decisions on the spot and to take it home for further discussion.

This will probably be a family meeting.

Contacting Reda will be Cruise's responsibility.

With the simple arrangements made, Mr. Amicus was finally relieved of his duties.

Ilma should be waiting for us at the school, so we'll head there together.

"Mr. Amicus, thank you very much. You've been a great help today."

With that, I parted ways with Cruise, who saw us off from the office, and headed to the school.

Finally, I can meet up with Ilma and head home.

I kept her waiting for quite a while.

No, no, don't let your guard down; the social studies trip isn't over until we get home.

After some time, the social studies trip extended into an additional session.

As expected, a family meeting was held after dinner.

Elise and the others were somewhat surprised by the summary but listened quietly.

"The main topic for today is how to assist with the adventurer's magic training. I was surprised by Ein's potential, but it's a good thing. We should take our time to think about the future."

Everyone seems to agree.

"Ein, will the training take a lot of time?"

"I'm not sure. It depends on Reda, but it might be effective even in a short time, or it might not work at all. It's my first time, but I don't think it will be a waste even if we try a little."

"I see, then—"

Cruise summarized the discussion.

The result was:

1. Accept the request

2. Training will be one hour per session

3. Payment will be requested through the Adventurer's Guild by Cruise

4. Payment will be heavily weighted towards success

5. Zeb will accompany as a guardian

Zeb seems to be quite strong and will act as a bodyguard.

With the discussion concluded, I added one more point.

"Also, if I can use magic, I think Kyle can too. What I can do, Kyle can do."

Kyle's acknowledgment of my statement caused the family meeting to become contentious again.

In the end, we decided that both Kyle and I need to be checked.

The school has a holiday every five days.

The adults don't take holidays and continue working, so it's a local rule for the school.

The first holiday after the social studies trip.

I headed to the Adventurer's Guild with Zeb for the magic training with Reda.

I'm the only child.

Louise wanted to come but was scolded by Ilma and stayed at the mansion.

I wish Kyle wouldn't look so resentful.

But being the only child is rare for me.

To be honest, I'm surprisingly anxious.

However, as we grow, everyone will walk their own path.

Maybe this is a practice run.

While thinking about this, we arrived at the Adventurer's Guild.

When we entered the building, Reda was already waiting.

He noticed us and came over, bowing politely.

"Thank you for coming today."

"Thank you. This is Zeb, the guardian. He's like an uncle to me."

"I'm here in place of Cruise. Please consider me the boy's bodyguard."

"Understood. Shall we get started then?"

We left the guild again soon after.

Today's destination is a field just outside the city, not far from the guild.

The training ground is a shared facility, so we decided to use a different location to avoid disturbing the soil too much.

Here, we won't be too noticeable, so it's more relaxed.

We have Cruise's approval.

Actually, this is the first time I'm leaving the city in this life, even if it's just a few dozen meters.

"After that, I tried using earth magic several times, and it seems to be a bit more effective than before. The difference is small because I don't have much power, but I was amazed because I hadn't improved despite trying so many times..."

"I hope I can be of help, but I can't be sure until I try. Don't get your hopes up and just give it a go."

"That's impossible, I've been looking forward to today so much."

He said it teasingly, but his eyes seemed serious.

I'll do my best.

The process is the same as when I taught Kyle.

First, I place my hand on his shoulder and guide him to focus on the circulation.

Compared to Kyle and Louise, the rotation and the amount of Odo are very small, but it should be enough to dig up the soil.

Since he can use magic, he seemed to grasp the circulation quickly.

"When using magic, you need to incorporate the earth's magic power into this circulation. Try to gradually add the earth's magic power using your own magic power."

At first, I assist by placing my hand on his shoulder.

It should be about the same height as before.

When he casts the spell, an earth wall forms immediately. Success.

Now, let him try it alone.

"Please try it now, focusing on the circulation."

I step back a few paces and release my hand from his shoulder.

Reda nods, looking tense, and takes a deep breath before placing his hands on the ground again.

"Earth, answer my plea."

In response to Reda's strained magic circulation, the ground begins to move.

The earth wall rises smoothly but stops growing at a height about two fists lower than the previous one.

Seeing this, Reda sways and crouches, muttering.

"—I did it..."

He stopped moving.

Maybe he has a strong emotional connection to magic.

I'm happy if the goal was achieved.

After a while, Reda stood up, blushing slightly and smiling sheepishly, then said "thank you" with a bow.

It was a boyish smile.

For the agreed one hour, we spent the time adjusting the height and width of the earth wall and digging holes.

I gave advice from time to time, but I don't think I was really necessary.

Finally, we smoothed out the ground we had dug up and headed back to the guild.

"Is this reward really enough? The training was far more effective than expected. I'm prepared to offer additional compensation..."

When we finished the request completion procedures at the guild, Reda asked.

"The reward is under my father's jurisdiction. If you two are satisfied, this amount is fine."

It's unexpected money.

I don't know how much, but it should be about the amount of my father's allowance.

Treat Zeb to something for helping.

"Understood. To be honest, it's a relief. I need travel expenses for the next job and want to save some money. I'll give the highest rating in the completion report. Thank you very much today."

"You're welcome. When I grow up, I'll also issue requests. Can you deliver them?"

"I'll make sure to deliver them."

After making this promise, he bowed with his fist to his chest.

Is that some kind of salute?

I've noticed before, but Reda sometimes makes these pretentious gestures.

Maybe he comes from a good family.

After saying goodbye, I headed home with Zeb.

One day, while thinking it was unusually cold in Romus.

After the lecture ended, no one came to pick us up.

There are a few days each month when this happens, so Ein, Kyle, and Louise, the usual three, decided to head to the magistrate's office to wait for someone to pick us up.

"Hey, are you Ein and Kyle?"

Turning around, I saw a girl with unusual hair color standing there.

It was a bright color, but it looked slightly purple depending on the light.

I've never seen such a color before.

She's a bit older than me, and a bit taller.

She's probably one of the youngest in the school.

Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was a bit heavy, as if she had been running to catch up.

"Yes, who are you?"

The girl caught her breath and answered.

"That's good. I'm Flure. Flure, the daughter of Gies of the Black Wave. I have something to talk to you about."

I was surprised by this unexpected introduction.

I don't get introduced to people very often.

Maybe this is how it's done.

"If you have something to talk about, let's sit down."

We debated going to the magistrate's office but decided to enter the 'Sea' classroom, which was the closest.

This classroom has chairs that are comfortable for us and Flure.

If Ilma and the others come to pick us up, they should be able to see us from here.

It seems all the students have already left.

It was perfect for our conversation.

"Then, let me introduce myself again. I'm Ein, and this is Kyle and Louise."

"Same face... No, wait, I can tell. You're Ein and Kyle. Nice to meet you, Louise."

Do we really look that easy to tell apart...?

It would be nice, but it seems like a tricky trick to switch places.

Anyway, she's a small but impressive kid.

I shouldn't talk.

While thinking about this, Flure got to the point.

She was straightforward.

"Hey... Is it true that you can use magic?"

Louise tensed up.

Recently, Louise has been acting like our bodyguard.

She seems to be trying to protect us, who have the secret of magic.

Ilma and Zeb might have said something to her.

"...I'm not sure. We haven't properly confirmed it... Where did you hear that?"

I was a bit taken aback but decided to be honest.

However, this information is supposed to be kept confidential.

We have a contract with Reda not to disclose it.

"My father told my mother that a small boy from the school accepted a magic guild request."

It seems that Gies of the Black Wave was at the Adventurer's Guild that day, doing some work.

While it's supposed to be confidential, it's not completely hidden from people nearby.

Guild requests are strictly forbidden from containing lies due to risk management.

That's probably how Gies found out.

"So, I investigated. I looked into the children who came for the guild request. It turned out that only Ein and Kyle, who are in this school and about my age, went to the Adventurer's Guild that day."

She explained that she had investigated and found us.

It sounds simple, but it's quite impressive for a young girl to do this.

"You're quite noticeable, so it was easy. I found out right away from my father's friend. But you were supposed to be in school, and you weren't in the 'Sea' class. That's where I got stuck. I hadn't seen you in the 'Wind' class, and I didn't expect you to be in the 'Sail' class."

She seems to be in the 'Wind' class.

Her way of speaking doesn't seem age-appropriate.

I think she's a smart kid.

However, it's true that preconceptions can hinder reasoning.

Sherlock Holmes said something similar, I think.

"I understand how you found us. Why were you looking for us?"

Kyle asked the question we all wanted to know.

"I want you to teach me magic. Don't hide it... If you accepted the request, you must be able to use it..."

"It's not a lie. You might know, but there's no church in this town. We can't confirm if we can use magic accurately..."

"Even if it's not accurate, I just want a starting point. I'm going back to my mother's country in the summer. I probably won't be able to train in magic after that. I want to have a little power to help my parents."

It would be easy to dismiss this as a child's whim.

But I can tell there's a reason behind it.

She seems to be sincerely looking for ways to help her family.

I can feel the helplessness of being a child.

Children who are perceptive like her might notice their parents' struggles.

It's painful not to be able to help the people they care about.

"Alright. If you say that, I'll consider it. When we accepted the request last time, we received a reasonable reward. How much can you pay?"

I don't know how much we actually received, but I decided to be a bit mean.

Unexpectedly, she nodded without hesitation and fumbled at her neck, pulling out a pendant with a beautiful stone.

The design has a foreign feel and looks expensive.

I don't know the value of the stone, but the carving alone must be worth something.

"I think it will fetch a decent price in this country. I'll give it to you."

She seemed more determined than I thought.

It doesn't feel right to make a deal with a child's promise.

"Isn't that something important to you?"

"I got it from my grandmother. She said this stone protects me. I think she meant to sell it for money when I'm in trouble. Now is the time."

"Alright. But I'm a child, so I can't officially accept requests. Sorry for being mean."

Flure's expression darkened.

The pendant might have been her trump card.

"So, what we'll do from now on isn't training. It's just revealing a child's secret to a friend. Flure, will you be my friend?"

Her cheeks flushed, and her expression changed from surprise to a smile.

It's the first time I've seen her smile.

"Yes, we're friends! Will you two be my friends too?"

"Friends of my brother are my friends."

"I'm always with the two of you. If we play together, I'll play too."

Louise might not be very open, but she must be happy to have a new friend.

From now on, there will be girls-only secrets too.

"Then, let's introduce our new friend to my mother right away."

Through the window, I could see Elise walking towards us, waving.