Chapter 200 - Fifth Story: Boosting Abilities
Eleanor-sama's second training session became even stricter than the first.
Well, it was only natural, I suppose.
"The quota this time is five D-rank monsters. Please do your best to defeat them."
She made it sound so easy. How are we even supposed to find five of them?
"You know the forward position of the Eastern Plains Jaegers, don't you? I want you to head straight east from there. Catherine, who is accompanying you, will go out on reconnaissance, so when she finds something, she'll let you know, and you should head there."
Isn't that the most dangerous way to do it? There might be a pack of twenty or more, not just five.
"In exchange, your weapons will be made of silver. There are twelve arrows, so please try not to lose them."
At this point, we split into the vanguard and rearguard for classroom learning.
The vanguard received a lecture on how to engage the enemy from Captain Lewis, while the rearguard had a magic lecture from Eleanor-sama and the Headmistress.
The location changed as well, with the rearguard moving to the breakroom.
There was a large table with chairs lined up. The chairs were gathered on one side of the table, with only one placed on the opposite side.
It was exactly like a teacher and students in a classroom. The single chair against the wall was likely the Headmistress's seat.
"Except for Jeanne, please apply for the magic you wish to learn in advance. This time, let's try to aim specifically for it, following Mary's example."
For some reason, I was excluded.
"Since Jeanne uses Holy Magic, it's more about the strength of faith than visualization. Putting aside new magic for a moment, why don't you come up with ideas for the applied use of the magic everyone else uses?"
The Headmistress said this to me. Apparently, it was a practice program she and Eleanor-sama had come up with together.
"Everyone. Have you decided on the magic you want to learn? Please announce it right here and declare it to everyone."
Mary decided to challenge the intermediate water magic, [Shower]. When asked for the reason, it seemed she wanted to sprinkle water to cool down on hot summer days.
She overlapped with Lyudmila. Because it was water-sprinkling magic. Eleanor-sama said it was fine if they overlapped, so the two of them ended up aiming for it together.
"Mary, please tell us specifically how you are visualizing and aiming for it. Everyone, listen closely. This should be a good example."
Called by Eleanor-sama, Mary stood next to her.
Unexpectedly standing on the side of the instructors, Mary looked triumphant.
"Well, I think the point is to always have a strong image of the magic you want to learn. Imagine yourself in the form of using it. Then, as a result, hold a firm image of having succeeded."
By an image of having succeeded, did she mean the activation of the magic?
"For example, the image of [Shower]. It's a very hot summer day. There isn't a single cloud in the sky, and it's an early afternoon where the cicadas are buzzing almost annoyingly. Everyone hates the sun and has retreated to their rooms, so there's no one on the street. There's no wind either. Even the dogs are sticking their tongues out in the small patches of shade, panting. If you use [Shower] magic on a sunny day, a rainbow will form, right? While looking at that rainbow, I imagine myself going up to the roof of the brothel and sprinkling water. I'm sprinkling water while praying strongly that I will definitely make it cool. First, I soak the roof thoroughly with water. My feet get soaking wet, but I don't care. Once the roof is done, I go to the edge of the wall and sprinkle water so it drips from top to bottom. I'm especially thorough on the south and west sides. The older sisters under the eaves are also cheering me on. Because everyone is beaten by the heat, sweating and exhausted. I have to do my best for everyone's sake. I work hard while wiping the sweat from my brow. Once I've finished sprinkling the water, I'm sure a lukewarm, damp air will drift around. Oh, how annoying. But if I endure it for a bit, the walls and roof will cool down, so I'm sure it will be cool inside the building. So, while enduring and sweating in the damp air, if I wait a little and go inside, see, isn't it cool? The older sisters will cheer up and praise me. I'll let the dogs into the room too, so they'll lick my hands and face. The customers who took refuge there even gave me a generous tip. And then, having wiped my sweat, I'll lie down and take a nap on the canopy bed by the window in the cooled room."
This is... amazing...
She could probably write fairy tales. No, she might even be able to become an actress.
"That's wonderful. Did you hear that? A specific and vivid image. It was as if she was actually remembering a scene where she used the magic. Please remember this pseudo-success experience well and visualize it firmly."
Eleanor-sama, who was applauding, hugged Mary. Mary, who was told she was moved, thanked her with a bright red face.
"That girl is incredible. I wonder if she's always imagining things like that?"
"Well, she has inherited the power of the Priestess."
"She started sweating halfway through, and then it receded at the end. I can't do that."
It's currently March. It's not the season to sweat when you've hardly moved. It's also strange for the sweat you've broken to just recede on its own.
This won't do. The difficulty level is too high. The three of us huddled our heads together to consult.
"It's easy to visualize magic if it's something you've seen before. You just have to remember the situation at that time."
Beatrix seemed to already have a strategy.
"I want to learn intermediate wind magic, so I'll go with [Favorable Wind]. You know, Eleanor-sama used it during the octopus extermination. I'll remember that."
Lyudmila had, of course, seen it before.
"I saw it when I went to help out at the farm. It had been hot for days and looked like there would be a drought, so they were sprinkling water."
It seemed they would be fine. However, I was not fine.
"What should I do about applied use?"
"I don't know. Anything that already exists is probably no good anyway. So, why don't you think about what happens when the wind blows or when you sprinkle water?"
The pinnacle of applied use I had seen so far was bending a [Wind Barrier] into a bowl shape to fly through the sky, but even if you tell me wind and water... I wonder how Dune or Mel would think about it?
Wait? Hold on a second...
"Hey, Beatrix. [Favorable Wind] can create a fairly strong wind, right? If you put that into a magic circle, how long would it last?"
"You can't change the strength, but even a small one would last for two hours."
"In that case..."
When I consulted them, both Beatrix and Lyudmila felt it was feasible and had a good impression.
Now, it was time for the presentation. It was repeated over and over until Eleanor-sama and Mary gave their approval.
Lyudmila imagined herself sprinkling water in the fields.
"When are you sprinkling it? What's the season? The weather? Morning? Noon? Where is the sun?"
Director Mary was even stricter than Paul-san.
Once she finally cleared the "when?", next was the "where?". "Our field" was not allowed. The exact location and positioning in the field, the direction and order of sprinkling, and the scenery even had to include the helping bandits.
Next, the reason for sprinkling. Furthermore, the method of sprinkling, and the state before and after sprinkling. The reaction of the bandits while she was sprinkling water was added, and as a result of sprinkling the water, clover grew thick before her eyes, and the lambs that ate it grew into fine adults before she finally passed.
By the time a near-tears Lyudmila returned to her seat, Director Mary was holding a stick given to her by Eleanor-sama in her right hand and tapping it against her left palm.
Her expression remained the same soft smile as usual, which made it even scarier.
Beatrix, who had turned serious, said "Wait a moment" and began drawing a scenario on parchment.
As she read out what she had finished, Eleanor-sama's critiques came out.
"An image is something you expand within your imagination. It's not something you just read. You must build it firmly in your head. You don't have to imagine the same thing every time. Hold a strong, accurate image for each moment."
Perhaps as punishment for trying to cheat, Eleanor-sama presented several locations and made her imagine how to use magic according to those places.
There are no octopuses in the mountains.
Beatrix, whose premise had been shattered, struggled through things like diverting arrows fired by Orcs or incoming fireballs before finally finishing.
"This is exhausting. It's like being back in my orphanage days..."
Beatrix, soaked with sweat, slumped onto the table as soon as she returned.
"Jeanne. Have you thought of anything?"
The instructor team pressed in on me.
It was quite scary. Beatrix and Lyudmila looked down and said nothing.
Timidly, I spoke what I had thought of.
"Um, what if we attached the magic circle for [Favorable Wind] to the bottom of a flat-bottomed boat? If we leave a hole next to it so we can cover the magic circle, I think we could also control the vertical movement..."
If we attached several, it should float. Of course, adjustment would be difficult, but once it's floating, it's the same as a sled. We could just raise a sail and move forward with [Favorable Wind].
The original idea came from the special carriage. The carriage used wind magic to float the body and lighten the burden on the horses. I'm sure a boat would float too.
"That's interesting. If we can control the height to some extent by the number we attach and the weights placed on the boat, it might fly well. Catherine, what do you think?"
"Hmm. Using magic circles is expensive, so it's impossible for civilians. But it would be a strength reinforcement for the Paratroop Jaegers. If several boats can be linked to perform a surprise attack from the sky, I think it would be well worth the cost."
"Rather than attaching multiple small magic circles, it might be better to think of a way to attach a large magic circle and divert the wind."
"That's true. If we manipulate sails like a boat, we might manage somehow?"
"Why not just make it movable? Separately from the magic circle for floating, attach it to a moving board like this. Then you'd be able to descend and retreat as well."
She was explaining by turning her palm, which was facing the ground, vertically or upwards.
While the magic discussion between the two went on endlessly, Director Mary also returned to her seat.
"Do you always think about things like that?"
Beatrix immediately poked at her.
"I pray to the Goddess, right? I think about it a lot then."
Setting aside the church priests who pray in shifts every two hours, even ordinary people offer prayers in the morning, evening, and before bed even if nothing is happening.
"If you really manage to aim and learn it, I'll respect you."