Chapter 38

While Will and the others were learning magic from Morgan, Nina was facing a fragment of wind.

"Well... let's begin."

"Please take care of me!"

The fragment of wind nodded once at the cheerful greeting from Nina. I thought that a child of this age might resist being made to do something different from the others, but it seemed there was no need to worry. Nina was rather enthusiastic. It seemed that she was happier being able to do something different from others.

"I want something flashy!"

She said this with evident delight. Geborg, who was also a child, had a serious expression. Aika and Mina, standing on either side, seemed a bit tense, their expressions stiff.

(The幻獣 teaching magic themselves...)

(No, no, no... what is this?)

The幻獣 are said to be beings born from magical elements. The source of that magic was going to teach them directly. Both of them felt a mix of interest and fear.

"Hey."

The older John tapped the heads of the two who were tense.

"Even if it's a great honor, what good does it do for you to be so stiff? Besides, the幻獣 wouldn't teach the princess something reckless."

"Y-Yes..."

The two, who seemed to have their shoulders drooping, were left aside as John turned back to the fragment of wind.

"Well, Mr.幻獣."

"Fragment is fine."

The fragment of wind responded briefly to John's prompting. John, with a smile that seemed to be hiding something, made the fragment of wind sigh slightly.

"Alright... then, Nina, is it?"

"Yes! Master!"

Nina responded energetically, and the fragment of wind continued.

"You're good at infusing magic with power, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I tend to overdo it..."

Nina's shoulders drooped slightly. The fragment of wind laughed at this.

"Hehe, don't be discouraged. That's not what I meant."

"......?"

Nina tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm talking about the intensity of your magic."

"Oh..."

Aika let out a realization. Mina and John looked at Aika.

"The attendants should watch as well. The adult's attack magic that this girl defended with a simple defensive spell..."

"Yes, Nina-sama indeed defended the 【Fireball】 with the 【Shield】."

This was what happened in the hut yesterday. Mina and John, who didn't know about this, looked at Nina in surprise.

"That's amazing!"

"But... the 【Shield】 is so plain..."

Nina pouted, and the fragment of wind laughed again.

"You're still a child... not realizing the great potential that lies ahead."

"Is that amazing?"

Nina, intrigued, asked timidly.

"More than amazing. If you can master everything I'm about to teach you, no one will be able to stand against you."

The wind wolf spoke of how incredible it was.

"Most likely, Nina has the potential for dark attributes as well. It's perfect for the magic I'm about to teach. How about it, Nina? Are you prepared to learn and master the magic I'm about to teach?"

"I am! Please teach me something amazing!"

(Princess Nina... you're too easy to manipulate.)

John inwardly smiled at the easily swayed Nina. However, as a supervisor, he had to set some boundaries.

"Mr. Fragment, if it's too powerful, you'll get scolded by the master."

"I understand."

The fragment of wind responded and turned back to Nina.

"How many basic spells have you learned, Nina?"

"Two: 【Magic Arrow】 and 【Shield】."

"I see. Wait... have you already decided on a weapon, Nina?"

"Not yet. But I like moving around, so maybe a swordsman?"

Nina placed her hand on her chin in thought. She liked magic, but she didn't want to be a mage like Selena. She wanted to be able to fight in close combat as well. Swordsmen can use magic too. For Nina, the fun aspect was important.

"Well, we can figure that out as we go."

The fragment of wind agreed.

"Alright, I'll teach Nina the 【Magic Bullet】 first."

"Eh?"

Nina voiced her dissatisfaction. The 【Magic Bullet】 is a basic bullet-type spell and isn't very flashy.

"Is it easy? Then I'll teach you the 【Magic Sword】 as well. I'll have you master both to the point where you can cast them without incantation."

The 【Magic Sword】 is a basic enchantment spell that extends or transforms a medium into a sword, often used by swordsmen to enhance their blade's cutting ability.

"Without incantation...?"

Basic spells don't have attributes, so they are relatively easy to learn. However, without incantation, the difficulty increases significantly, even more so than simple attribute spells. Aika and the others exchanged glances, not understanding the fragment of wind's intention. The fragment of wind continued, unperturbed.

"I want to show you a completed version lightly..."

The fragment of wind looked at the attendants. All three were capable of performing such a level of magic easily.

"Then, attendants, show her an example."

"Y-Yes..."

Mina stepped forward, having been called by the fragment of wind.

"Um, Mr. Fragment, should I show the 【Magic Bullet】 and the 【Magic Sword】 without incantation? The bullet part needs a different location..."

The bullet is a ranged spell. Without a barrier, it could be dangerous. However, the wind wolf said something unexpected.

"No, you don't have to fire the 【Magic Bullet】. Just activate it and keep it in standby. Then, use that bullet as a medium to activate the 【Magic Sword】."

"Y-Yes!?"

Mina had never heard of such a technique. She turned to Aika and John in panic, but they also shook their heads in confusion.

"Can't do it. Well, it's understandable... I, a wolf, might find it hard to imagine, but bear with me, Nina."

The fragment of wind began to explain to the wide-eyed Nina.

"The basic spells currently known to humans are pure magic without attributes. They change shape by giving them properties. The simple way to give them properties is through incantation. Therefore, without incantation, you must change the magic's properties through imagination alone... do you understand this much?"

Nina nodded with some effort.

"Then, what happens if you extract magic as a bullet without incantation and add the properties of a sword? Let's try it."

The fragment of wind created a sphere of magic in front of itself. It then gave the floating sphere the properties of a sword, and the sphere transformed into a sword and remained in place.

Nina, Aika, Mina, and John all gaped at the floating sword. The fragment of wind, pleased with their reaction, smiled.

"This is the first stage."

"Y-You don't say..."

Aika's cheeks twitched as she imagined the next part. Her guess was spot on.

"The characteristic of the 【Magic Bullet】 is rapid fire. It's possible to activate multiple bullets at once."

The fragment of wind demonstrated by turning multiple deployed bullets into swords.

"These swords, being cast without incantation, can be controlled freely. With practice, you can make them move independently."

Swords flew around the fragment of wind, forming a sort of sword barrier. By this time, Nina's face was full of sparkling curiosity.

"Well, what do you think, Nina? By the way, this is the second stage, and there's still more to come."

"I'll do it! I want to try that magic!"

Nina said this with determination.