Chapter 9

July 12, 2015 - Typo corrections

Thanks to Mariel's teary-eyed body press, I snapped back to my senses and rechecked the situation around me.

The spearman, whose limbs had been cut off, was rolling around and screaming.

The tough-bearded man and his companions, who had been waiting behind, could only groan. At least, they were still moving, so I could confirm they were alive.

Where are Zack and the others? I turned to check, but they weren't moving.

They were just looking at me, their faces full of surprise. They looked even more surprised than when they found out I hadn't completed my guild registration.

Amid the cheers and murmurs, several people were pointing at me or looking in my direction.

There are a lot of people here.

There seem to be more people than when I checked just before the start. A quick glance shows over two hundred people.

Most of them look surprised. No, "shocked" might be a better word.

Did I overdo it? That's what I feel.

What is the power of this magic? Even though it's the same level 1, the power is completely different.

I'm scared of the power of the magic I cast. To be honest, I didn't expect the magic to be this powerful.

It was a level of power that completely overturned my expectations.

I realize again, is level 1 magic this strong? If so, mages must be unfairly strong.

What about Einos' fire magic level 3? Various questions arise.

But the fireball the opponent cast didn't have that much power.

Did he hold back? No, that's not it.

I recall the fire magic the opponent cast.

It was a napalm-like fireball that spread upon impact.

The fireball came with a physical impact and spread upon impact, but the spread wasn't that large.

What's the difference?

Is it the difference between a napalm-like spreading flame and a dynamite-like explosion?

The image of dynamite after impact? The amount of magic power?

Is it the combination of modern knowledge about fire and heat, the image of it, and the amount of magic power that even a wild fairy would be attracted to?

The only thing I can think of is that.

I thought I had become stronger.

The most significant factor was the standout level—light magic level 5.

Furthermore, shield skill level 4 and sword skill level 2 back it up.

Even the opponent, who was called a veteran, mostly had level 2 skills. There was only one person with level 4.

The skill that the enemy relied on and the allies were wary of was shield skill level 4.

The moment I successfully stole it, I became confident. I thought I had become stronger.

By weakening the enemy's reliance and strengthening myself, and adding offensive magic, I thought I could win.

But that's not the issue.

It's an unfair level of firepower.

In any case, it would be better to gather information about magic quickly.

Even in the previous battle, if the power had been higher, there might have been injuries among the audience.

No, it was lucky that it hit the target. If it had missed, it could have been a big problem.

"Michinaga, Michinaga! Are you okay?"

Mariel, pulling my hair, looked worried as she peered into my face.

Damn, I must have been lost in thought and neglected to pay attention to my surroundings.

"I'm fine. There's no problem."

I gently patted her head to reassure her, trying to sound gentle.

"Move! Move out of the way!"

Several people in guild staff uniforms were pushing through the crowd, heading towards us. No, they were heading towards the tough-bearded men. They were carrying stretchers.

Right, treatment. At least, they need to be treated.

Driven by some impulse, I ran to the groaning group waiting in the background.

"Are you okay?"

I know it sounds silly, but I couldn't think of anything else to say in the moment.

"The match is over. Any further combat will be subject to punishment."

"No, I can use light magic, so I thought I might help with the treatment."

Did they think I was there to finish them off? They guarded the injured, wary of me.

"That would be a great help. Can you do it?"

After a brief surprise, they showed a relieved expression and nodded in agreement.

"Let's start with the most seriously injured."

Unlike at the start of the duel, I could feel a slight aversion to the possibility of someone dying here.

The most seriously injured were the tough-bearded man and the fire mage.

This is bad, I thought as soon as I saw the tough-bearded man.

The man had lost both legs from the thighs down. His lower body was a mess, with parts of his internal organs blown out and burned.

I don't have specialized medical knowledge.

However, I can intuitively feel how much I can heal with my light magic. I might be able to heal with a large amount of magic power, but I'm not confident.

There's no point in pushing myself here. I'll do what I can within my limits.

"That's enough. Please do your best."

I told the guild staff that I couldn't reattach or regenerate both legs, only stop the bleeding, ease the pain, and close the wounds. They showed a relieved expression and nodded in understanding.

"Wow, you can even heal such injuries."

Mariel, still scared, was hiding behind me while peeking at the treatment.

For a moment, I thought about refusing to treat the one who cast the fire magic, but I realized how childish I was from Mariel's words and decided to treat him.

"Why are you even treating such a guy? You should have finished him off."

"Hey, don't say things like that. The duel is over."

I scolded Mariel, who was expressing her anger with her whole body, while continuing the treatment.

It's interesting how things you do yourself look different when others do them. I silently thanked Mariel for being a good example of what not to do.

After treating everyone, I left with the opponents and Zack, who were looking at me with complex expressions, and headed into the guild.

"Michinaga, your face looks scary."

Mariel, looking worried, peered up at me.

Damn, I must have been lost in thought again.

"Sorry. I was just thinking. Let's go check if my guild card is ready."

I smiled at Mariel and urged her on.

Right, what was I so seriously thinking about? It doesn't suit me. Besides, I won't get a good answer by thinking seriously.

Instead, let's focus on today's gains and challenges.

The magic was much stronger than I thought. I don't know why, but the magic I use is a significant threat even at level 1.

If so, I should focus on enhancing my magic using my skills.

Next.

Unlike martial skills, the loss of magic skills is immediately noticeable. If I'm not careful, I might be suspected.

It would be troublesome if it became known that I can steal others' skills. Therefore, stealing from people is too risky.

It would be better to limit my targets to monsters and enhance myself that way.

Now, with that decided, I need to gather information on monsters and look for jobs.

I looked at the counter, where the receptionist from earlier was. First, I need to complete my registration.

"Excuse me, is my guild card ready?"

"Yes, it's ready. Here it is. Please check the information."

She handed me a metal plate the size of a credit card with a small hole on one side, through which a chain was threaded.

"Can you please explain it to me? This is the first time I've seen a guild card."

I asked for an explanation, not knowing what to check.

"The front has today's date, your name, and your current guild rank. The back lists the skills you declared. It shows that you can use swords, shields, fire, wind, and light magic."

She pointed to the relevant sections and explained them in detail.

The front had text and numbers, and the back had symbols representing each skill.

My explorer rank was "apprentice."

I can't take on jobs independently. I can only help others or join a party.

"I just arrived in this town and don't know anyone. Are there any exploration helper jobs available?"

I glanced at the board with request papers posted on it.

"Ah, Fujiwara-san, you'll be in high demand. The commotion from earlier will spread quickly. Plus, light magic users are welcomed with good conditions."

She showed a brief look of surprise and a hint of exasperation but then returned to her smile and explained.

"Is that so?"

"Ah, yes."

I wasn't sure what she was agreeing to, but she gave a somewhat troubled response.

"Hey, brother, that was amazing. You're an apprentice, right? How about joining our party? We'll give you a fair share."

It was Taro. The people behind him were probably his party members.

Three men and three women were looking at me from behind.

No, when I looked around, other explorers were also watching me.

As the receptionist said, I had drawn attention.

Well, I never intended to hide my abilities and live quietly.

I planned to fully utilize my modern knowledge and abilities to live a wealthy life, so I might as well be open about it.

"Thank you. I plan to rest for a couple of days before starting work. Is that okay? Also, I'll decide whether to take the job based on the content of the job you offer."

I bowed deeply to Taro and the others before speaking.

I thought it might be a bit presumptuous, but blindly following them wouldn't help.

Besides, I want to prioritize jobs that enhance my magic. No, before that, I need to study magic and monsters.

"Hmm, you're different from the usual confident types."

A man in his mid-thirties, standing behind Taro, laughed.

Wait, was I too presumptuous?

"Beck, it's fine, isn't it?"

I turned to the man and said, then turned back to Taro.

"That's fine. I look forward to working with you."

I shook hands with Taro.

"Likewise, I apologize for being presumptuous."

After that, Taro briefly introduced me to his party members. We agreed to introduce ourselves properly in three days.

"By the way, what about the kid who's been waiting?"

After the introductions, Taro looked towards the corner of the guild.

Following Taro's gaze, I saw Rody. I had forgotten about him. It's practice time... I don't feel like it.

"Brother, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

As soon as they saw me, they all ran over and bowed.

◇

I told the repeatedly apologizing Rody and the others that it was enough and that I wasn't bothered, and they left the guild in a hurry.

Then, I rushed to the inn to see Mariel change—no, to see her in her new clothes.

Holding the clothes I bought at Taria's shop, I recalled the conversation.

Taria, that dangerous shop owner, told me many things.

Yes, she told me many things and sparked my imagination—no, made me consider many possibilities, which is why I want to visit her frequently.

However, a warning signal is ringing in my heart, telling me it's dangerous.

When I look at Taria, I hesitate at the depth—no, the darkness—of the fairy enthusiasts.

But it's educational. She talks about a beautiful fairy she has made 180 centimeters tall in her dreams.

She says she does various things to—or with—this fairy in her dreams.

Her cheeks flushed, she whispered in my ear, "It's a secret, okay?" It was strangely seductive, and I still don't understand what the secret was.

However, I remember the situation more vividly than the content she told me.

But it was an eye-opening experience.

Yes, if the problem is size, then make it bigger. I don't need to make it as big as Taria, 150 centimeters. Making it 100 centimeters bigger would be enough.

The question is whether I can tell Mariel this.

Will she be put off if I say this? She will, won't she? People usually are.

Damn, I can already imagine the cold look Mariel would give me, like she's looking at a bug. I can't take it.

I'll just have to be content with watching her change.

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