Chapter 7

That night, Kanata slipped out of the room without waking the other children in the dormitory and made his way to the back of the inn.

In the backyard, laundry and bed sheets of the mercenary group were hanging, making it difficult to see what was happening from the outside. This was even more so at night.

Incidentally... the laundry of the mercenary group was a punishment Kanata had been given in place of Roa.

"Selection"

When Kanata stepped into the backyard, the words he had spoken before the spell that burned his sleeping bag a few days ago came to mind.

The same spell that had burned his sleeping bag appeared in his mind.

If he recited it, he would be able to cast the spell as he had a few days ago.

However, Kanata's purpose today was not that.

"Why didn't I realize it...!"

The name of the spell that came to mind made him realize that what had happened a few days ago was not a dream, and he couldn't help but smile.

At the same time... the sensation from that time returned to Kanata.

"I already know the answer...!"

Griare had taught him a very popular training method for sensing mana.

It was not inefficient, and using the blood flowing through the body as an image for mana was logical.

Normally, one would grasp the sensation of mana itself, then learn to strengthen the body with mana, and eventually learn magic in that order... but Kanata was different.

Kanata had used magic before even sensing mana or strengthening his body with it.

This was a method of acquisition that blew efficiency and common sense out of the water.

It was a contradiction, like the finish line being the starting point in a marathon.

It was a problem that existed in a different position from the question of whether one had talent or not... but there was a way to do it.

"Honestly, I don't understand the meaning of this spell at all... but the fact that I can cast magic means I definitely have mana, right?!"

The energy of magic is mana. Therefore, casting a spell means using mana.

Normally, one would aim to cast a spell by handling mana, but Kanata was the opposite... he was trying to sense mana from the state of being able to cast a spell.

"..."

The name of the spell that came to mind fueled Kanata's curiosity.

The omnipotence of suddenly being able to cast spells when he had nothing before.

The temptation to change himself in one leap without understanding anything, Kanata resisted by closing his mouth.

Suppressing the source of his interest that he had gained from the remnants of the magic residue, Kanata chose to get the basics.

... Eventually, the reward for Kanata, who had resisted the temptation, came.

Kanata could clearly feel the presence of something welling up from the depths of his chest.

"This... is... mana...! Ha, it feels weird!"

Laughing, he spoke his honest thoughts about the tickling sensation that suddenly appeared in his body.

However, he did not reject it.

To keep the sensation of mana that he had finally obtained, Kanata clenched his fist tightly.

The cold night wind and the sound of the laundry flapping were not heard by Kanata.

He kept his consciousness focused on the swirling sensation inside his body until he was certain it was mana.

"Ah! Ha...! Ah...! Buh!"

It seemed he had been holding his breath, and Kanata, feeling suffocated, swayed and sat down on the ground.

His body was sweating despite the cool night, and as he took a deep breath, the name of the spell that had been floating in his mind disappeared.

However, his fist remained tightly clenched, determined not to let go.

"I won't let it go...!"

The sensation of mana was definitely still present in his body.

Although he could not control it freely yet, Kanata was sure that he had mana within him.

He could not judge whether it was a lot or a little, but it was definitely progress.

The hint of the correct answer he had obtained by chance from Uval... the method of sensing mana by working backward from the correct answer of magic was unconventional, but this was the foundation for Kanata.

"Alright!"

Kanata made a fist pump, feeling satisfied that his idea had been correct.

However, his joy was short-lived... he noticed a strand of orange hair swaying among the laundry at the edge of his vision.

"......"

"Ah! G, Griare... Vice-Captain..."

Kanata, who had been so focused on sensing mana that he hadn't noticed, saw Griare standing against the wall of the inn, staring at him with a serious expression.

When Kanata finally noticed, Griare gave a smile that was far from gentle.

Reflexively, Kanata stood up straight and stretched his back.

"Hehe, Kanata... you're working hard, aren't you?"

"Y, yes..."

As Griare approached silently, the pressure was intense.

Kanata, bracing himself for a scolding, had his ear pulled hard by Griare.

"I sensed mana from the backyard, and you...!"

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"How can you do something that could cause problems when we're leaving the day after tomorrow!"

"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't help it when I had the idea...!"

After all, Griare had taught him to sense mana to prevent him from accidentally casting a spell and burning his sleeping bag.

So, while it was a good idea for Kanata to try to sense mana before casting a spell, from Griare's perspective, it was putting the cart before the horse... almost like an experiment with no basis.

"Your magic is unknown. If the laundry here catches fire, who will... how will you explain it!"

"O, okay, I got it..."

"Really..."

"Ow!"

Next, Kanata's cheek was pulled to its limit.

His cheek was a bit red, but it wasn't enough to cause a wound.

It was like a mother scolding a child, and although he couldn't say it, Kanata was a little happy.

"There are those who can sense mana, including me... what will you do if others hear about it and tell Uval... do you want to be kicked out?"

"S, sorry..."

"Really... if anyone asks about last night, I'll say I was practicing mana control... be grateful."

"Griare Vice-Captain...!"

Kanata was a little moved by Griare, who would cover for him despite being exasperated.

The pain from his ear and cheek seemed to fly away.

"Get back inside. As punishment, you'll skip breakfast tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Skip breakfast!"

"Y, yes! That's right!"

Kanata ran back to the room to avoid further yelling from Griare.

Griare, while covering for him, was not pleased.

Griare didn't chase after Kanata and remained in the backyard.

"Working backward from magic to sense mana... kids have such creative ideas..."

While he couldn't say it to Kanata due to his position and the situation... Griare secretly praised the method Kanata had taken.

Tracing the process from an example or the correct answer was more reasonable than searching randomly. It was a crazy order in terms of mana and magic, but...

"Maybe he has good potential...?"

Lacking confidence in his own thoughts, Griare tilted his head.

After all, he had never seen anyone handle magic before sensing mana... and Griare himself couldn't judge.