Episode 8.9

The next day, Lecan came to Shira's house and practiced <Lamplight> from morning to dusk.

The day after, he began practicing <Lamplight> in Shira's house since morning again, but this time there was a visitor just before noon.

It was the lord's son, Agito Ulban. He's together with one sham knight.

Lecan opened the front door but without letting Agito inside.

"What do you want."

"Is Shira-dono not present."

"No."

"I-Is Nike-dono not here."

"No."

"Do you have any kind of clue?"

"Clue to what."

"A clue to the whereabouts of Shira-dono and Nike-dono of course!"

"Shira is no stranger to going off somewhere by herself, it's not like she's been kidnapped. Nike doesn't live in this house to begin with."

"I-I see."

"S'that all you need."

"This door."

"Hm?"

"I apologize for breaking this door."

"...So you do."

"It was Chaney who arranged for the craftsman but the repair cost was paid with my private fund."

"So it was."

The lord probably ordered it. In other words, this is an apology from the lord to Lecan and shira.

"Anything else you need."

"N-no. That is all."

Agito went home with his head hanging.

When Lecan got back to the workroom, Nike, that is to say Shira in her young girl form was sitting there.

"Heya."

"You're back huh."

"Uh huh."

Nike poured tea in a cup and offered it to Lecan.

"Should I call you Nike when you're in that form."

"That would be for best, yep."

"I got a Golden Potion at Golbul Dungeon."

"Hoo! Did you drink it?"

"I did."

"What kind of skill did you get?"

"No idea."

"Humm. Well, you'll figure it out eventually."

"My sword broke."

"Hee."

Lecan took his sword that has been broken in two out of <Storage>.

"<Self Restoration> won't work once it's broken to this point. Its life as a sword is over."

"Let me see that for a bit."

Nike examined the part where it broke and then carefully the part where a Jewel is embedded.

"Its magic is still working. This jewel hasn't died yet. It's just lacking mana a bit. Uunn. Mind if I keep this sword for a little while?"

"I don't."

"A friend of mine is pretty good at this stuff you see. I'd like to show this to that person, do you mind?"

"Are you talking about magic engineer Yaclubend who lives in the capital?"

"Yep. Where'd you hear the name?"

"From Chaney."

"Hmm. Did something happen?"

Lecan explained the events that took place after he returned to Vouka Town.

"Uun. Well, that's about the gist of it. If I stayed here, some ill-mannered folks aka Midosco's messengers would keep intruding in every single day. So I just went somewhere for a bit. Would be nice if those bunch would disappear quickly, wouldn't it."

She must have found Midosco very much a handful.

"By the way, aren't you curious?"

"About what?"

"That Eda-chan isn't here."

"Ah, now that you mention it, she is."

Lecan did not forget. The thought simply never crossed his mind.

"Think you'd better act a bit kinder to your pupil. For that works in your favor as well."

"I just recalled something."

"What is?"

"Why did you make Eda my pupil. You taught her magic a lot more."

"Good grief. Haven't I explained that to you. Teaching someone will be a unique learning experience for you as well."

"It was a learning experience for me indeed. But if we're doing this for Eda's sake, learning directly from you seems a better idea."

"Listen here. In this world, an average mage can learn at most two three spells from one type, or at most three or four spells from two types of magic, excepting stuff like <Ignite> and <Lamplight>. A pupil can only learn what their teacher use. That's how it works. Now look at you, you can use Perception type, Creation type, Space type and Light Heat type, four types, can't you. Moreover, I believe you can also use the Special type <Absorption> as well no? Eda-chan is very blessed to have the opportunity studying under such an excellent teacher."

"Is that right."

"That is right."

Lecan couldn't hope to win against Nike in an argument, he got easily swept up. Of course, Nike has her own reasoning for inducing Lecan to teach Eda. However, Nike has no intention to explain that.

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

"Well that said, you'd probably be absent a lot of time. I'll take care of teaching her when you're not around. Putting all that aside, let's have you challenge a new magic today."

"By all means."

This day, Lecan learned the basics of <Recovery>. He wasn't able to cast it, but Nike thought he had a knack.

"You didn't manage to cast it, but the magic construction was on the right track. You will probably learn it, I think. There's nothing more handy to have than <Recovery> for an adventurer. Work toward it patiently."

"Speaking of recovery, Shira, both your wound salve and mana recovery medicine showed wonderful healing properties."

"Glad to hear that."

"I felt like your mana recovery medicine was more effective than Large Blue Potions."

"Uun. That depends on usage though. The effects of Red and Blue potions are quantitative, but mana recovery medicine's effect is proportional to the user's life force. Same with wound salve."

"Quantitative?"

"That they have a fixed amount y'see. Say there's a child, suppose his health is two points. When that child gets hurt, his health is decreased to one point. If you let this child drink ten Red Potions, how much is this child's health afterward?"

"Eleven, I think."

"Nope, two. His health won't go up more than the maximum. Then suppose your health is 1000. It goes down to 900 when you get hurt. How much do you think your health is after drinking ten Red Potions?"

"910, I guess."

"Let's say that's correct for now. In contrast, the effect of my wound salve is different. If that child who has lost one point of his health only has one life force worth, then my medicine can only heal one point worth of health. His health will be restored to two still though. Now let's say your life force is 1000, which stays 1000 even when you're wounded. That means my wound salve will be 1000 points worth also, and get your health back to 1000. But this is only theoretically speaking, my wound salve can't close deep wound and works slowly, so it can't deal with serious wound that needs immediate efficacy."

"Fumu. Then it's better than Red Potions for wounds that aren't fatal."

"No no. My wound salve can only cure wounds. Red Potions can temporarily heal internal organs illness, and even stick back broken bones. In an instant that is. And since it also recovers all kinds of exhaustions and fatigue, it takes away tiredness too. And when used on small children, even the Small one will be as effective as <God Cure>. Hence their high prices in the market."

"Really. It works better the weaker you are huh. I get it now."

"By the way, did you notice how less effective Red Potions become the more you drink them?"

"Yea. I thought that was weird."

"That's just how it is even with normal medicine though. Anyway, taking Red Potions successively will degrade its effects. Right. If you drink two Large Red Potions, which is 100 point worth each, one after another, the total amount recovered won't be 200 but only about 120. Drinking three almost at the same time gets it to about 130. Roughly speaking that is."

"I got it."

"Say there's an adventurer with a bloody wound on his arm, but it's nothing life-threatening and will recover in time even if left alone. On the other hand, that adventurer is also down with an internal organs illness which, even though painless, will lead to his death if left as is. Now say this adventurer drinks ten recovery potions. The potions have only enough curing power to recover either his arm or his internal organs. Which one gets healed, didja think."

"Internal organs of course."

"Nope, it's the arm. This is a well known story you see. There are many theories as to why, like it's prioritizing the more painful one, the newer wound, or that it won't cure disabilities."

"Fuumu."

"I'll get to a slightly difficult talking point now, Red Potion doesn't only heal wounds and illness, but it restores parts back to their healthy state, or in a way, its effect is consumed in an effort to check whether a part is truly healthy or not."

"I don't get it."

"Well, just listen for now. You can try to understand later. Even if a certain adventurer has a big wound, one that's very old and brings him no pain nor discomfort, Red Potions will postpone healing that wound."

Nike put a silver metering cup on the desk.

"This cup is you. Your health is 1000. And your left eye is located around this 800 point. One Large Red Potion will heal about 100 worth. 120 with two of it, and 130 with three."

"It won't get there."

"Yep. Even if you drink 100 Large Red Potions, it will never reach 800. Hence your left eye can't be cured with Red Potions. Amongst adventurers who have been exploring deepest part of dungeons for long, there are those whose old wounds never go away. This is probably why. Their maximum life force and health have gotten too big that there are now parts that cannot be cured."

"Fumu. I was a bit shocked when I lost this left eye, but I obtained a nice ability in its place. I don't feel inconvenienced now. But I'm thankful for your concerns."

"I'm sorry for being a good-for-nothing apothecary. But don't you give up now. An adventurer of your level will surely get his hands on <God Cure> one of these days."

"Will this left eye see again with that <God Cure> thing?"

"It will, I believe so."

"Then I'll be looking forward to that day."

"You can also get it cured right away by visiting a temple with a skilled <Healer> and pay a stupid amount of cash."

"Hou. It can be cured?"

"There are those who can, but there are also those who would take the payment even though they failed."

"Yeah no thanks."

"Well, you can earn as much money as you want anyway. You can also sell favors in exchange of the treatment. Though they would probably make best use of it to take you into their camp."

Lecan dislikes intrigues of human society, he's also bad at it.

Getting coaxed by some cunning priest and made into a handyman is a future he's really not thrilled with.

"I don't wanna go to the temple."

"Really now."

Afterward, Nike cast <Recovery> on Lecan's left eye.

Then, she smeared Lecan's eye with a wound salve mixed with Pure Mana Water which had been put <Recovery>.

However, Lecan's left eye remained without sight.

"Really sorry. The me now can't use too strong of <Recovery>."

"No. Sorry for taking your time."