Chapter 61

Director Chelso snorted in dissatisfaction and opened his mouth.

"Is that so? I have never heard that Miss Greta has any talent for magic."

Marquis Boniperti directed a sharp gaze at Director Chelso.

"Are you saying I'm lying?"

Director Chelso forced a smile.

"Of course not, I would never think such a thing."

"If that's the case, then let's forget about the talk with Viscount Crispino."

Director Chelso reluctantly agreed.

As Director Chelso was about to leave the scene, he turned around and smiled thinly.

"I envy you. A young lady with such talent would surely enter the Royal Veyser Academy's Advanced Magic Education Hall, wouldn't she?"

Upon hearing these words, the Marquis's face stiffened. It was customary for many nobles with magical talent to enter the Advanced Magic Education Hall and hone their skills.

Here, if he were to say that he had no such intention, it would be like admitting that he had lied about Greta's talent.

"It's a bit early, but I am considering it."

As Director Chelso left the party venue, the Marquis called over Bernardo.

"I appreciate your cooperation in this act."

"Did Director Chelso bring an unwanted match?"

"Yes. He is a relative of Duke Octavius, so I wanted a proper reason to refuse."

Considering the power dynamics among nobles, the Marquis must have lied on the spot. Bernardo, understanding this, smiled and then introduced Ricardo.

Ricardo greeted and offered his congratulations to the Marquis's eldest son.

"Ah, this young magician is a favorite of the Crown Prince, is he?"

"No, I have only met the Crown Prince a few times."

"There's no need to be modest. When I showed him the magic gun, he praised you."

The Crown Prince was likely spreading the word that Ricardo had his backing. While Ricardo was grateful, he also didn't want to become too famous.

The Marquis introduced his family to Ricardo and Bernardo.

"By the way, about the talk of Greta becoming a disciple, do you really know a good person?"

The Marquis asked Bernardo.

"For a public master, I was thinking of asking Mr. Isarco from the Magicians' Guild, but Director Chelso seemed to have taken some strange statements at the end."

The Marquis looked troubled.

"About the Advanced Magic Education Hall. But the entrance exam is only for those fifteen and older. It's still a long way off. By then, they might have forgotten."

"No, I've heard that Director Chelso is a persistent person."

The Marquis frowned.

"That's a problem. What about Greta? Is she willing to study magic to enter the Advanced Magic Education Hall?"

Greta, relieved to avoid the future of being a consort to Viscount Crispino, replied.

"Yes, I will do my best to become a magician for my father."

Bernardo looked at Greta's face.

"Lord Marquis, does Miss Greta have the talent to become a magician?"

"I don't know. But this girl is smart and likes to study. If she trains under an excellent magician, she might be able to enter the Advanced Magic Education Hall."

The Advanced Magic Education Hall is an educational institution that trains top-notch magicians. Many of its graduates become court magicians or personal magicians for influential nobles.

It also conducts independent magical research and teaches advanced magic, so many magicians want to study there.

"Um, Mr. Ricardo, are you a magician?"

Ricardo nodded at the cute girl who asked, with long chestnut hair and green eyes, who seemed likely to become quite beautiful in the future.

"I am a member of the Magicians' Guild."

"Is there a way to test if someone has the talent for magic?"

"Well... those who want to become magicians first train in magic control. If you try that, you might be able to tell."

It is said that it takes about a month to learn basic magic control. The time it takes to learn can be a good indicator of whether or not one has talent.

However, even if it takes a long time to learn, it doesn't mean one lacks talent. Some magicians, despite being poor at magic control, have a natural ability to possess a large amount of magic power. Such magicians can achieve great things through effort.

"Can you teach me how to learn magic control?"

Ricardo couldn't refuse when asked by a child. Maybe it's because he used to be a teacher.

They moved to a corner of the party venue, and Ricardo taught Greta the method of magic control training.

Finally, he took out a 'Self-Study Magic Textbook' from his storage beryl and handed it to her.

"You should be able to manage up to basic magic by reading and practicing with this book."

"Thank you. How much does this book cost? I'll ask my father to pay for it."

"No, I'll give it to you."

It was a copy made for his brother Serge, but he could make another copy since he had the original.

Seeing Greta's grateful and happy face, Ricardo felt happy too.

The Marquis and Bernardo were discussing who to appoint as Greta's master.

In the end, they decided that Isarco would be the public master, and the actual training would be done by someone Isarco would introduce.

Greta returned and reported to the Marquis.

"Mr. Ricardo taught me the method of magic control training. I also received this textbook."

Seeing his daughter report with sparkling eyes, the Marquis smiled.

"Greta is a bit shy... does he have some special charm?"

Bernardo's gaze wandered, looking for Ricardo, who was eating the food on the table.

"He is a young man with rich talent and a promising future. He might even become a top magician."

"Hmm, it's interesting that you have such high expectations."

Unaware that he was the topic of conversation, Ricardo was tasting the party dishes.

"They are indeed delicious, but they are all quite strong in flavor. The taste of the seasonings overpowers the ingredients, and the dishes make me thirsty."

Looking around, he saw guests drinking large amounts of wine and ale while enjoying the food.

This must be the appropriate way to enjoy these dishes. However, they are not suitable for children or women who cannot drink alcohol.

While the food was a disappointment, the cheese pie served as dessert was excellent. He also learned that goat farming was prevalent in the Boniperti territory, and goat milk cheese was made as a preserved food.

It might be a good idea to serve cheese dishes at the restaurant he plans to open next.

With a full stomach, Ricardo spent the time idly watching the party.

Bernardo was explaining and promoting the cold storage amethyst he planned to sell to the guests.

The main guest, Silvano, was greeting various guests with the Marquis and looked exhausted. Ricardo, thinking that being a noble child is tough, felt a bit sleepy.

Bernardo came to Ricardo and said,

"Shall we go home now?"

"Sure."

Ricardo and Bernardo left the party and headed home.

The next day, they went to the Magicians' Guild training ground.

Ricardo named the magic gun he made yesterday the 'Magic Color Gun.'

At the training ground, he confirmed that the four types of Magic Color Guns were functioning normally and then went upstream of the Crem River to test their combat power.

Ricardo, wearing his equipment, walked about six kilometers upstream. The area was covered with broadleaf forest, and the ground was overgrown with weeds and wild vegetables.

He spotted a headbutting rabbit and approached it with the Fire Magic Color Gun. The headbutting rabbit, noticing Ricardo, raised its head and glared at him.

The distance was about six meters, the maximum range of the magic gun.

When Ricardo pulled the trigger, a shockwave hit the headbutting rabbit. The fur where it hit was burned and the rabbit fell over. The Magic Color Gun seemed to have more power than the magic gun.

Examining the rabbit, the area hit by the shockwave was burned internally.

After storing the rabbit in the storage beryl, he found another headbutting rabbit and used the Water Magic Color Gun to examine the hit area.

The bleeding from the hit area seemed less, but otherwise, it was the same as the magic gun.

After a short break, he used the Wind Magic Color Gun to hunt a headbutting rabbit.

As expected, the power was higher. The rabbit's fur was torn by the shockwave, and a lot of blood flowed out.

"The power is definitely higher. What about the range?"

He tested the effective range using a large tree as a target. The range was about three meters longer than the magic gun.

Finally, he tried the Earth Magic Color Gun.

As soon as he pulled the trigger, he felt a strong recoil in his hand, a sensation he hadn't felt with the other Magic Color Guns. It also made a 'vroom' sound when fired.

The shockwave hit the headbutting rabbit's head, causing the skull to collapse.

"This has incredible penetration power. But why is the recoil so strong?"

Testing the effective range of the Earth Magic Color Gun, it extended to twelve meters. Upon investigation, it was found that the shockwave from the Earth Magic Color Gun did not spread much and had high straight-line performance.

The shockwave from the Wind Magic Color Gun spread like a shotgun, making it more accurate but with a shorter effective range.

On the other hand, the Earth shockwave, which did not spread much, had a lower accuracy but a longer effective range.

The only one he couldn't test was the Water Magic Color Gun, but the others were done.

"The problem is what to do with the magic rifle for Crown Prince Gaius."

The Crown Prince already owns a magic cannon with a longer range than the magic gun. Moreover, he is always surrounded by guards, so he doesn't need a powerful weapon.

However, considering the possibility of an attack by assassins like those who killed the prime minister, Ricardo thought it would be better to equip a powerful and accurate Wind Magic Rifle just in case.

He also considered the possibility of a magical attack from a distance, but concluded that a counterattack with a magic cannon would be sufficient.

Ricardo returned to the Magicians' Guild laboratory.

He lined up three large magic vines on the workbench and began processing them. The first one was coated with magic power excited to the Earth attribute color, the second with Wind, and the third with Fire.

Further work could not be done until the parts for the magic rifle were completed at Emilia's workshop, so he decided to return early.

Ricardo spent a couple of days observing the growth of the demon tree Kumiri at the breeding ground and strolling along the beach near the breeding ground.

He had work to write a paper, but he couldn't muster the motivation. In such times, it's best to just idle around.

The Chetor Bay, which spreads southwest of the capital, is home to a rich variety of fish and shellfish. However, the people of the Romanas Kingdom don't seem to eat much seafood.

This is due to the abundant supply of meat from magical beasts hunted in the magical realm and nearby mountains, and the low fishing yields due to underdeveloped fishing techniques.

While idly watching the sea from the beach, the children from the slums started digging for clams. The sand was teeming with clams.

"Rica, it's amazing. There are so many."

Monta, covered in sand, collected many clams, which were about the size of clams and had similar patterns.

After getting tired of clam digging, Monta started playing in the waves, running away from the incoming waves and chasing the receding ones.

While running, he tripped on the sand, slowed down, and was hit by a wave.

"Kyaa!"

Monta, who screamed, was drenched.

With a face that looked like he was about to cry, Monta ran to Ricardo.

"What a troublemaker."

Ricardo wiped Monta with a cloth like a handkerchief.

"You need to wash your body."

"The water is too cold, I don't like it."

"Then, how about a bath?"

"Okay."

The rental house where Ricardo lived originally had no bath, but with the landlord's permission, he built a bathhouse in a corner of the yard.

Monta seemed to like the bath, and he had used it many times during the cold winter.

While Ricardo was taking a break, Emilia completed the parts for the magic rifle.

After receiving a message from Emilia's workshop that the parts for the magic rifle were completed, Ricardo headed to the workshop.

At the workshop, he received the parts and assembled them on the spot. Emilia also helped with the assembly. In about an hour, three types of magic rifles were completed.

"This wave generator also uses the same technology as the attribute color rods, doesn't it?"

Emilia muttered while checking the completed magic rifle.

The magic rifle was an enhanced version of the Magic Color Gun. The wooden target shot with the Fire Magic Rifle was charred and cracked to a thickness of about one centimeter.

The target shot with the Wind Magic Rifle was shredded and shattered. From this power, it seemed that it could take down a Threat Level 3 tusked boar or a Flame Hell Lizard.

Of course, these shots were not successful on the first try. Several test shots were needed to adjust the amount of magic power.

Finally, he tested the Earth Magic Rifle.

He placed the rifle's stock against his shoulder, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger quietly.

The recoil was stronger than expected, hitting his shoulder, and a 'vroom' sound was heard as the shockwave was fired. However, it missed the target.

"What's going on?"

Seeing the stock push back Ricardo's shoulder, Emilia asked.

"The Earth Magic Rifle has a recoil when fired."

"Wow, a phenomenon never seen before. Interesting."

Ricardo aimed again and pulled the trigger, knowing the amount of recoil.

The shockwave from the Earth Magic Rifle hit the target, creating a round hole and scattering the soil from the sandbags behind it.

The range of this magic rifle exceeded twenty meters. Although it didn't match the range of a magic cannon, it was sufficient and powerful.

However, compared to the magic cannon with explosive shells or the Wind Magic Rifle with a spreading shockwave, it seemed to require more shooting skills.

2017/11/26 Typo correction