CH 182

Chapter 182 : Dark Magic

「Aaahh~~」(Mark)

After seeing off Celine, Eclain and Nicola, I soaked in the bathtub and gazed at the beautiful twilight sky.

「It feels so good, but… this bath is too big for me alone…」(Mark)

After enjoying the bath by myself for a while, I got out and put back my clothes on.

Because we will be using this bath from now on, I decided to keep the bath as it is.

I stored the hot water in my Item Box, made a big circular lid with earth magic, and covered the bathtub with it.

My Item Box labeled the hot water as “Eclain, Celine, Nicola, and Mark’s used hot water with E-grade potions”.

Seems like I got a new collection of hot water in my Item Box…

I started storing used hot water because I wanted to find out the capacity of my Item Box. It’s been quite a while since I started doing it but my Item Box is still far from full.

I guess I’ll just give up and throw away this collection of hot water…

Besides, keeping a collection of used hot water sounds like something a pervert would do.

Since I mixed the hot water with potions, I think I can use it to water my field.

「Well, I can decide later. I should return before dark」(Mark)

I left the bathhouse and picked some Gupul fruits on my way back to Eclain’s house.

――――――

When I got to Eclain’s house, Celine, Eclain and Nicola were relaxing at the table in the living room.

「I’ve returned.」(Mark)

「Welcome back, Mark-chan~ Did you pick Gupul fruits?」(Eclain)

「Yeah, I picked some.」(Mark)

「Great. Now we can begin. Let’s see if you have the aptitude for dark magic. Come~」(Eclain)

While being rushed by Eclain who looked somewhat excited, I joined them at the table.

Then, I took out a Gupul fruit from my Item Box and held it with both hands.

「Alright. Now try to produce dark-attributed mana and inject it into the fruit.」(Eclain)

Dark attribute… Dark energy… Hmm…

While imagining dark energy, I concentrated on the mana inside my body.

However, after doing that for several minutes, there was no sign of dark-attributed mana coming out of my hands at all.

Eclain, who was watching me, looked a bit disappointed.

「Umm… Mark-chan, you don’t seem to have an aptitude for dark magic… But don’t be discouraged. In the first place, people who can use dark magic are rare. Most of the people in this village can use magic but the ones who can use dark magic are only me and one of the elders.」(Eclain)

「Mom, it’s too early to give up. Let him do it a little longer.」(Celine)

While listening to their conversation, I continued trying to produce dark-attributed mana. Still, I can’t do it no matter how hard I try…

Perhaps Eclain was right. I have no aptitude for dark magic…

When I started to feel hopeless, I heard Nicola’s voice in my head.

『Onii-chan what are you imagining?』(Nicola)

『Dark energy.』(Mark)

『Huh? Like what?』(Nicola)

『Like… Resentment, envy, loneliness… Stuff like that.』(Mark)

『Hahh… Are you stupid? That’s negative energy, not dark energy.』(Nicola)

『But dark is related to negativity, right?』(Mark)

『Of course not. I once told you there were also angels of dark attribute in heaven, did I? Just because their attribute is dark, that doesn’t mean that they’re hateful or lonely people. I knew some of them, and they’re cheerful and kind.』(Nicola)

『I see… So I imagine it the wrong way, huh…?』(Mark)

Nicola glanced at me with a serious expression and continued explaining.

She’s really reliable at times like this.

『Light and dark attributes have nothing to do with human feelings. Try to imagine a shadow or something. You can use light magic, so it should be easy for you even though light and dark are opposite of each other.』(Nicola)

『Alright.』(Mark)

White and black… Brilliance and darkness… Rays and shadows… Light and dark… dark… dark…

After imagining for a few minutes, I began to feel my mana turn into dark somehow.

Blup blup blupー

Then, I heard a bubbling sound from the inside of the Gupul fruit in my hands.

Before I realized it, my hands and the Gupul fruit were enveloped in a purple-dark aura which seemed to be my dark-attributed mana.

It looks like I did it this time.

「See?」(Celine)

Celine looked at Eclain with a smug face. She seemed to be proud of me.

I’m happy that she believed that I would be able to do it.

Alright. I was able to produce dark-attributed mana and inject it into the fruit, but the problem is how this fruit tastes now.

I took out a knife from my Item Box, cut off the top part of the fruit, and handed the fruit to Eclain.

「Eclain-san, would you taste it?」(Mark)

「Of course~」(Eclain)

After sniffing the fermented juice inside the fruit, Eclain-san poured it into a cup and drank it.

「Hmm~ Not bad. Not bad at all. It’s pretty good for the first Gupul wine you’ve ever made. However, it hasn’t reached my standard yet. You need to ferment the flesh and the juice of the fruit thoroughly with your dark-attributed mana. First of all, it seems that you have to practice controlling your dark-attributed mana better.」(Eclain)

I see…

Certainly, I feel like I didn’t spread my dark-attributed mana evenly.

I need to take the size of the fruit and the thickness of my dark-attributed mana into consideration.

「Alright, I’ll try it again.」(Mark)

「Go ahead. Feel free to practice as much as you want. I will drink all of the Gupul wine you make~ *gulp gulp* Pwaaahh~!」(Eclain)

While saying that, Eclain chugged the Gupul wine I just made. Celine, who was sitting next to her, shrugged and shook her head.

It looks like I have to do as best as I can so that she won’t drink too much…

I took out another Gupul fruit from my Item Box and began to ferment it with my dark-attributed mana.

Although it was almost dinner, Eclain ate sausages as snacks for drinking the Gupul wine I made during practice.

She said my Gupul wine got better and better with every try, and when she drank the Gupul wine I made on the seventh try, she cried…

「Uuu~… It tastes better than my wine… I wonder what this pain in my chest is… Is this the feeling of defeat… Hwaaaaa~! I was the best wine brewer in this village but an eight-year-old boy defeated me…! *Hic*」(Eclain)

She was crying and acting like a child perhaps because she was drunk.

I feel bad for hurting her pride but I’m glad that I have the aptitude for dark magic.

「But, Mark-chan, because your wine tastes excellent, I will forgive you~ *Hic*… So, Mark-chan, give me moooore~! *Hic*」(Eclain)

I’m glad she likes my Gupul wine, but… Is it okay if I give her more…?

Normally, you use yeast to decompose sugar in the process of fermentation, but in this case, it seems that my dark-attributed mana worked just like yeast.

Well, I can’t say it for sure since there are a lot of things about dark magic that I don’t know.

However, now that I’m able to produce dark-attributed mana, I think I can make other fermented drinks and foods.

The first thing that comes to mind is natto. Japanese people like me like it a lot, but… I’m not sure people in this world will like it.

I need to think of fermented food that everyone will like…

While thinking that, I fermented another Gupul fruit but when I was about to give it to Eclain, Celine stole it from me.

「Mom, you’ve drunk too much! Stop drinking and eat your dinner already!」(Celine)

「Eeeehhh… Just one more! One more cup, pweaase~!」(Eclain)

「No. This one is mine~」(Celine)

「Hwaaa~!!! My daughter’s bullying me~…!!! *Hic*」(Eclain)

While watching the daughter and mother quarrel with each other, I started eating the meals that Celine prepared while I was practicing.