Chapter 17

Led by Ester, Tō came all the way to the outskirts of Finris.

Tō had originally intended to do a test shot in the inn's courtyard, but Ester strongly advised against it, arguing that it would be dangerous to test magic in the middle of the town.

Her argument was very sound.

If the magic didn't activate, there would be no problem. However, if it went out of control, the inn might have suffered damage.

Tō hadn't considered this point, probably because he was so excited about getting the magic.

"Well, which attribute should I learn first?"

"I think it's best to start with the same attribute as me, the neutral attribute. I can teach you that, and once you get a feel for handling magic, it might make it easier to use other types of magic."

"Ah, that makes sense. Let's start with the neutral attribute, then."

Tō immediately took out a neutral attribute magic book from the <Hetero Repository>.

"Tō, you need to channel mana into the magic book and read the spell that appears on its surface."

"…Yeah, how do I do that?"

Tō chuckled at Ester's explanation.

He knew about mana. In his understanding, mana was the source of magic. However, he wasn't sure how to handle it.

"You need to focus on a force within your body that isn't physical strength."

"Force other than physical strength…"

"Yes. Even without tensing your muscles, you can feel a force building up, like something is welling up inside you. That is the 'force' of magic, which is mana."

The parade of "forces" coming from Ester's mouth almost made Tō's mind collapse.

Regaining his composure, Tō closed his eyes and trusted her words.

He relaxed and focused his mind inward.

After a while, Tō realized there was a completely different power source within his body.

"…I see."

Once he could actually feel it, the meaning of Ester's words, "Even without tensing your muscles, you can feel a force building up," became clear.

Once he understood it, it seemed like it couldn't be anything other than what Ester had explained.

Indeed, he could feel the force in an organ other than his muscles, as Ester had said.

With this awareness, Tō held the <Strength Enhancement> magic book.

Then, words faintly appeared on the surface of the magic book.

"By the power of magic, strengthen my body. <Might Force>—Hey, whoa!?"

As he read the words, the magic book he was holding lost its physical form and flew into Tō's chest as light.

Tō crossed his arms in surprise, but the light passed through his arms and seeped into his chest.

"To succeed on the first try, you're really something, Tō!"

"Is this what happens when you succeed?"

Tō's heart was pounding from the sudden event.

Indeed, the shopkeeper elf had mentioned that the magic book would disappear and couldn't be resold, but he hadn't expected it to disappear into his body as light.

"This should mean that the <Strength Enhancement> magic is now etched into Tō's soul. You should try it out."

"Do I just say the incantation from earlier?"

"Yes. With <Strength Enhancement>, you can eventually use it without incantation once you get used to it."

"Hmm."

Tō already had the <Non-Verbal Incantation> skill.

(Maybe that's why it was in the skill tree, because it can be learned through practice.)

"…"

Tō focused on the inner force again and activated the <Strength Enhancement> magic without incantation.

He felt a surge of power throughout his body, and in the next moment,

"—Huff!"

Tō stepped on the ground and lunged forward.

He felt an acceleration he had never experienced before, and the scenery rushed past the edges of his vision.

Both <Strength Enhancement> and <Non-Verbal Incantation> were successful.

"I said you could do <Non-Verbal Incantation>, but to succeed on the first try…."

Behind Tō, Ester's eyes were wide with shock. She probably thought it was odd for him to succeed at <Non-Verbal Incantation> so quickly.

However, it was just a matter of being able to do something without practice that he could do with practice. It wasn't anything special.

Tō returned to his original position, testing the <Strength Enhancement> magic.

"This magic is pretty good. I still have to focus to maintain it, but I might be able to maintain it unconsciously once I get used to it."

"Normally, it takes about a month to be able to use it while moving…."

Now, it was fine to fight smaller monsters. However, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't face larger monsters in the future.

The size difference directly translated to a power difference. The larger the mass, the greater the attack power.

To overcome such physical phenomena, <Strength Enhancement> was a necessary skill.

Thinking about his future as an adventurer, he needed to master it to the point where he could activate it unconsciously.

After that, Tō used the magic books he had purchased one after another. He was particularly impressed by the four basic attribute magics.

<Fireball> gouged the ground, <Waterball> gouged the gouged ground even further.

<Rock Needle> made the ground jagged, and <Air Cutter> cut the jagged earth.

Life magic, while not flashy, was very useful.

With <Ignition>, he could quickly start a fire, and with <Water Supply>, he could produce drinking water as long as he had mana. With <Drying>, even rainy days could turn into laundry days.

Tō chanted the magic once and then tried to activate it with <Non-Verbal Incantation> from the second time.

The power was slightly weaker than when he chanted, but the activation was much faster.

If he could activate magic during close combat, he could increase his moves and make it easier to control the opponent. He might even be able to dodge attacks with a sudden burst of magic.

"Hey, Tō! Are you trying to destroy the earth!?"

Tō pointed at the ground, which was now a mess of holes and bumps, and Ester's shoulders tensed.

"Well, you said it's better to aim at the ground, right?"

"Normally, that would be the case... but if it ends up like this, the guards might have something to say about it."

"Uh, that would be bad. How about aiming far away? But, it might be dangerous if there are people around."

"Magic, like arrows, loses power over distance. As long as there's no one in sight, it should be fine."

"Got it. I'll give it a try."

Believing Ester's words, Tō aimed far away and released a <Fireball>.

—Boom!

The <Fireball> shot forward, making a sound as if it had broken the sound barrier.

"…"

"…"

It kept moving forward.

"…………"

"…………"

It kept moving forward.

"………………"

"………………"

The <Fireball> became a dot and disappeared from Tō's sight.

Immediately after, a pillar of fire rose into the sky from beyond the horizon.

"…Tō, I'm sorry. It seems I was mistaken. Forget what I said earlier."

"…Yeah, sure."

Magic should never be aimed far away. Tō deeply engraved this in his heart.

Next, Tō tried <Lighting> and <Blind>.

When he cast <Lighting>, a small light appeared. It was a stationary magic.

Once placed in a desired location, it would continue to shine as long as the mana it contained didn't run out and the caster didn't extinguish it.

"Many people with a talent for light magic learn this <Lighting> first. With this, you can save on candle costs and stay up all night!"

"That sounds like a reason a kid who loves to play would give."

"What are you talking about? Staying up late is for studying, isn't it? ...Wait, is it different in Tō's world?"

"Ah, yeah. Staying up late is generally seen as a bad thing in my world."

In Japan, there were games and computers that could be played even at night.

However, in Ealguard, there were no games or computers.

At night, the only things to do were studying or doing odd jobs.

It was a very healthy world.

"In my world, if you stay up late, your parents will tell you to go to bed early."

"That's the same in this world."

Ester chuckled.

It seemed that parents in any world had the same job of putting their children to bed.

Tō then learned <Blind>.

<Blind> wasn't flashy, but it was a magic that could block the opponent's vision. If used during combat, it could drastically change the situation.

"Depending on how you use it, it can be very effective."

While Tō was thoroughly satisfied with the magic he had purchased, Ester was in shock.

First, she was surprised that he had succeeded in <Non-Verbal Incantation> with just one use.

Tō, who had used magic for the first time today, had succeeded in <Non-Verbal Incantation>, which gave Ester a shock as if she had met a "giant-breasted elf" and the world had collapsed.

"…It's impossible."

Even more surprising was the power of the magic. The magic Tō casually cast had enough power to deform the terrain.

Moreover, the magic reached far beyond what the eye could see without losing its power.

Not a high-level magic from a famous mage,

but a beginner's low-level magic!

Ester wasn't a mage, but she had seen magic before.

The low-level magic cast by a normal adventurer didn't have the same power as Tō's.

"Depending on how you use it, it can be very effective."

What more could be "effective"?

To Ester, it was already "effective"!

Tō wasn't using low-level magic but high-level magic, and she could easily believe it.

Moreover, Tō had mastered all the magic he had purchased.

A beginner would run out of magic power after using a few spells. This was true even for the spells used during mastery.

When magic power was running low, one would feel dizzy and fatigued. If they continued to use magic, they would experience palpitations and shortness of breath, and eventually faint.

Tō had already cast dozens of spells, but there was no sign of him running out of magic power.

"Is Tō really a wanderer?"

It was starting to seem very doubtful.

It would be more believable if he had been born and raised in Ealguard.

Ester had no intention of discriminating against wanderers. However, she knew that wanderers, who were called inferior beings, had a level that never increased from 1.

Tō was far from the typical image of a wanderer.

"Indeed, we should definitely form a party."

Ester owed Tō a debt she could never repay.

In the situation with the goblin horde, Ester had resigned herself to death, believing she would never return alive.

Tō had saved her from that reality.

She would spend the rest of her life in his debt.

However, she also thought this:

"Could we go anywhere with Tō in a party?"

Indeed, Tō had cut down the goblin horde with a single black sword. His skills as a swordsman were more than sufficient. Moreover, his magic was outstanding.

He was a superlative asset as an adventurer. She wanted to form a party with him at all costs.

However, her own skills were a problem.

"…I really need to catch up…."

A party is equal. If someone only supports and is never supported, the party will eventually break down.

A party functions because each member complements and supports the others.

To form a party with him, Ester's abilities were somewhat lacking.

"I can't just stand here."

While Tō was diligently mastering magic, Ester drew her long sword.

(To continue as an adventurer and to be chosen by Tō, I need to become much, much stronger!)

To stand by his side.

Ester discarded her distractions and trained with a clear mind.

*There are no giant-breasted elves in this world.

In Ealguard, this is a common saying used to mean "something that is absolutely impossible."

Example: A single daughter jumps into a well with her sister and burns to death.

*From "Proverbs That Have Disappeared from the Dictionary"