Volume 5 - CH 9

Chapter 5: Yuuji Changing Jobs from “Magician of the Forest” to “Farmer”.

The next day, after Yuuji had conveyed his knowledge about preserved foods, the peddler Kevin hadn’t left yet, so today he would have talks with Yuuji, too.

「 How should I put it, I am really grateful for this, since there are still so many things that I want to know.」(Yuuji)

「Don’t worry about it. Since I believe that if Yuuji-san knows about many things, then Yuuji-san might think of something, too.」(Kevin)

Yuuji sat in the folding chair that Kevin brought. Regarding the conversation, this time Alice and Kotarou also participated.

Their eyes were gleaming, so it seemed that they were enjoying Kevin’s talks.

Behind Kevin the peddler, the adventurers were also working hard at clearing the land today. Since they had been lent an axe by Yuuji, they would begin to cut down trees today.

「Then, today…… Let’s talk about magic, shall we? Alice-chan can use Magic, right? Yuuji-san, seems to be a forest magician, too……」(Kevin)

“Woof!” Kotarou made a single bark. As if to say,

“That is correct. I have taken a fancy to this subject and would graciously appreciate knowing more about this field of study.” (Kotarou)

「Well, there are many theories among the researchers, but since I don’t know about it that deeply, then I will just talk about it in a general manner.」(Kevin)

With this as the prologue, Kevin began his narration.

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Magic could only used by a limited number of people. Those who can use it, can use it, but for those who can’t use it, no matter how hard they try, can’t use it. It is something that is dependent on the talent[1]. When Kevin began his talk with these words, Yuuji immediately received a shock.

「Eh, wait a minute Kevin-san. Not only Alice can use it, but even though I am a Visitor, I can also use magic, you know?」(Yuuji)

Yuuji who couldn’t wait, interrupted Kevin.

「That’s right. I don’t know about how it works for Visitors, but…… I could imagine how Alice-chan could use it. Yuuji-san, don’t you remember the problem about how Alice-chan didn’t know her grandparents and she didn’t have any relatives inside or outside the village?」(Kevin)

「Now that you mention it……Alice had said that her parents eloped.」(Yuuji)

「Un! Since Papa and Mama eloped, they say that the only family is our family!」(Alice)

Yes. A village that isn’t too big would have a complex blood relationship. It is usual for it to be composed of only people with the same relatives and distant relatives to each other. A frontier village was also not an exception for this. No, rather there are many cases where the groups doing the pioneering were tied together by blood bonds or regional bonds[2].

「They were originally nobles, or they were from an affluent family…… There were many rumors about them in the village.」(Kevin)

The gentle story-telling of Kevin, drew Yuuji and the others into his stories.

Although he didn’t know about the Visitors, the people who can use magic in this country were naturally, the nobles. And then, the families that had noble blood flowing in them. There were many people among them that can use magic, although their power was weak. In the past, only the royalty and nobility could use magic, but the blood spread out as time passed, so it wasn’t something unusual for a commoner in the street could use a magic, if we ignore the strength of their talent. That’s why being a magic user wasn’t that unusual, however for that magic user to be someone as young as Alice-chan, then…… perhaps only nobles or an ojou-sama from a prestigious family.

After hearing Kevin’s explanation, Alice had a blank look. It was strange, but after hearing this, Yuuji felt that Alice’s braided red-hair and freckled face were really ojou-sama-ish. As if it was an optical hallucination.

“Woof, woof” Kotarou barked and repeatedly struck Yuuji’s feet with her forelegs.

「Well, I don’t know whether or not this true, though. Now, about the magic itself.」(Kevin)

Mana of different elements resided in every object, even in the empty space of air various mana existed. It is thought that a magic user could order this mana to move, while people who can’t use magic are not able to do so, no matter how hard they try. Anyway, there was also a school of researchers that though of the mana as Spirits. Even among magic users, there are affinity differences. It is generally used to classify magic and mana into attributes: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Dark. After examining the legends and the documents, I am questioning whether or not the Visitors could use magic outside these attributes……

Kevin, who was explaining while pondering about it, suddenly threw a question to Yuuji.

「Yuuji-san, as a Visitor yourself, when I mentioned other attributes, did something come to mind?」(Kevin)

「Eh? Umm, I wonder……」(Yuuji)

Although when he was practicing magic when his chuunibyou disease was active, Yuuji had imagined Ice, Lightning, Space-Time, and the others, he was weak at ad-libbing.

“Woof, woof, woof…” Kotarou raised a bark at Yuuji, as if she was going to say.

“Even though you could chanted that various embarrassing spells?” (Kotarou)

「Well, disregarding the circumstances surrounding the Visitors, even right now there is research conducted to answer the question about whether or not other attributes exist. It would surely never be finished, though.」

“Then, let’s talk about the attributes”, Kevin continued his explanation as if confirming something.

Magic is something that a magic user, with good affinity to certain attributes, invokes by putting the orders inside his head into words. At that time, the magic user would feel something underneath their navel.

A researcher called that the “mana organ”. Well, that researcher was arrested for dissecting many people to prove the existence of the mana organ, and then executed.

「For the people who had the talent, it was said that the more they use it, the stronger the magic becomes. Then, if they defeat monsters, then their Echelon[3] will increase, and the magic will become even more powerful.」(Kevin)

「The echelon will increase? What do you mean?」(Yuuji)

Yuuji made a reaction after he heard a word he had never heard before, and asked Kevin about it.

「Hmm, Yuuji-san hasn’t experienced it before? It’s a phenomenon where the night after defeating monsters, the body will be inflicted by a sharp pain, and then on the next day, both the body and the magic power become stronger.」

Yuuji then muttered in a whispering voice, “so it’s a level-up that everyone had”.

Kevin seems to not have heard it.

Alice nodded deeply while facing Kevin.

“Woof!” Kotarou also barked as if to say.

“I happens to know this, since I have experience it myself.” (Kotarou)

「More or less, it happens after killing a living creature. However, it is easier to occur after killing strong creatures or monsters. There is also a lot of research conducted on this, but there are no definite theories for it. Either by absorbing the souls, or not the soul but by absorbing the power of their existences; the researchers competed against each other with their theories.」

That’s right, talking about absorbing the soul, there is a scary story about someone who pursued too much power and ended up as a monster…… Just when Kevin began his story, he once more met Alice’s eyes and his mouth stopped.

It seemed that, perhaps originally this guy’s forte was telling a mysterious or a scary story.

「Well, absorbing the souls is a theory that has been doubted even until now. But the scary story about a man that turned into a monster is popular. Even so, there is no precedence of such a case amongst the adventurers, Knights, or Magicians that defeated monsters. However, it was said that as the Echelon increased, then not only the strength increased, but also the lifespan. That’s why, there are many among the royalty and the nobility who raise their Echelon to maintain their youthfulness.」(Kevin)

Kotarou made a visible reaction towards Kevin’s explanation.

She jumped delightedly, swung her tail, rubbed her body against Alice and Yuuji, and ran around restlessly.

Yes, Kotarou was 16 years old. Legally speaking, she was already an old dog.[4]

“Woof, woof, woof, woof!” ‘Jolly well! It looks like I can still accompanying Yuuji and Alice a bit longer.’ She was in such high spirits that her inner voice was audible.

As expected, even Yuuji could notice Kotarou’s thoughts.

「That’s right! We can still be together, Kotarou! I was worried since you were already 16 years old.」(Yuuji)

Yuuji said this as he extended his hand to pat Kotarou’s head.

*chomp*, Kotarou bit that hand.

‘Auch, auch’ Yuuji swung his hand to free it, but *grrrr* Kotarou didn’t release her play-bite.

It’s obvious.

‘Age’ is a taboo word for women like her. She is a dog, though.

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