Chapter 215 - Birth Of An Advanced Magic User
Finally, an advanced mage emerged from the Class of 175. Mary learned Glacio. According to the oracle in Nakanohara, it's the birth of the first advanced mage since Emily-sensei. Moreover, since it's still April, she became an advanced mage at the age of seventeen. This is apparently earlier than Angelica-san, who learned it at eighteen, and ties the Nakanohara youngest record with the Headmistress, who also learned it at seventeen.
"As I thought, you're a genius at learning magic. I've been completely outstripped."
Beatrix, who simultaneously learned the wind-attribute mid-level spell Favorable Wind and the water-attribute mid-level spell Clump Water, let out a sigh of "Good grief." Beside her, Lyudmila, who learned her long-awaited water-sprinkling magic, was dancing wildly. For some reason, the Headmistress was also dancing.
"Isn't it fine? I'm still at the basic level."
It was Calm. It was magic to soothe the mind. I wonder if the Goddess took pity on me for being frightened by the Lindwurm's scream.
"Mary, what do you want to learn next?"
Eleanor-sama was slightly tense.
"I'll master water. If I do, the spells I've learned so far will power up, right? First, Mist. With this, I can help the older sisters endure hot summer days. After that, well, I've never seen Maelstrom, so Cocytus. Even if it takes some time, I'll show you I can learn it."
Mary seems to aim to be an ultra-high-level mage without hesitation.
"I thought so. I thought so. I thought as much. It was worth wasting the Lindwurm's wings. Thinking that, I dared to chant Cocytus there."
Mary, who had her head patted with "Good girl, good girl," was also very satisfied.
"So that's why you used ice magic there, ignoring the theory? I thought it was strange. I was sure you'd use Tempest."
Beatrix seemed to have seen through it. Come to think of it, Priest Williams said wind magic is effective against flying enemies.
I see. It seems there are many misunderstandings lately.
"It is fine. If that's how you learn, please aim higher and higher. Since Beatrix is the type to learn in order, please challenge various things."
Come to think of it, that's true. She's leveling up while learning basic and mid-level spells across the board.
"Jeanne is still at the basic level as usual, but there is no need to worry. Perhaps, once you learn one more type of magic, the next will be mid-level."
"Is that so?"
That's something to look forward to. I want to learn it soon.
"What's the remaining one?"
The mage, who is curious about everything, asked.
"It is likely Anti-Sepsis."
"What's that?"
"It is not well understood. It is said to be magic that prevents rot; for a certain period, it can, for example, prevent food from spoiling. It is said to have the effect of removing things like mold that has grown on bread and preventing such bad things from increasing."
"If the mold is removed, can you eat it?"
"No. It seems the spoilage does not revert. Therefore, if you eat it, you will likely get food poisoning."
"For a certain period... how long?"
"Like other spells, would it be about two hours?"
Isn't that meaningless? What is that magic for?
"The most effective use within the known range is the storage of raw goods. Spoilage is fast in the summer, so the effect is high."
If it only lasts two hours, wouldn't it be rotten by the next morning regardless of storage?
"Why that magic?"
"Because it is one of the five spells that have been lost since the first King. Jeanne has already learned four such spells. Once you learn one more, Anti-Sepsis, it will be a complete conquest. Perhaps by just learning holy magic and those spells, you will not learn any other magic."
"Is that so?"
I was the one surprised.
"Before you became a priest, you did not learn other magic, like wind magic as Priest Williams did, right? In such cases, one only learns holy magic. At the very least, no exceptions remain in the records. Katherine, who is dancing over there, can also only use holy magic despite being such a mage."
Is that how it is... However, I have a question about that.
"Was the first King a priest?"
"No, legend has it he was a hunter. However, it seems he served as a wait-priest for a period before he came of age, so there may be some connection."
Perhaps he chose the wrong profession.
"By the way, was the first King an advanced or higher mage?"
"It is thought so. Because it is said he used Subordination and Teleport."
That's amazing. As a hunter, he would be the strongest.
"Then, do you also know the actual effects of the strange magic Jeanne learns?"
"That is the thing; regarding those spells, almost no records of their use have been passed down. There aren't many legends either, as he was a person whose stories were only left by his family and very close friends. However, it is certain that he was a progressive person who abolished the class system, established the state church system, and built the foundation of the current regime."
Does that mean the actual effects of the mid-level or higher versions of those five strange spells are known to no one? Could it be they end at the basic level?
"That will depend on your future efforts. Once the Demon Lord subjugation is over, you will have no choice but to gain experience while doing monster extermination and agriculture at that field or the village in Regnentes. Why not study agricultural almanacs, how to read calendars, and weather forecasting?"
"Uh, right now I'm at my limit just learning the ancient characters for making magic circles..."
"Then, it can be after that is finished."
As expected of a former soldier, she's strict. It seems I'll be kept buried in studies for life.
"I've thought of a good method."
"What is it?"
"Nakanohara Bento Service. In the summer, food spoils easily, so we carry it while cooling it a bit, but with Jeanne's magic, it won't spoil, right? It's definitely better than something that's been cooled once, right? I wonder if we can form a business alliance with the Class of 175?"
"That is good. We can expect an increase in sales for the livelihood support project for the needy."
They are getting excited on their own, saying things like using cheap scrolls when I'm not around or what the Class of 175's share would be, even though I haven't even learned it.
"Angelica-san, what do you think?"
They even started involving Angelica-san, the cooking instructor.
"Let's see. The portion made with scrolls would be relatively expensive. But if it's activated with a stationary, low-cost magic circle and it doesn't rot if placed there, that would be even better. You could just carry it as is when transporting, right? The unit price would be cheaper, and it would save Jeanne the trouble. Once you learn it, shall we try an experiment?"
"Ah! If we install a magic circle at the bottom of the Jeanne's Beak, we can transport sea fish to further places while they're still fresh and caught!"
"That's right. If so, we might be able to transport them to Nakanohara. I'm looking forward to it since sea fish dishes can only be made in the Royal Capital."
"Then, Jeanne. Please make the next magic Anti-Sepsis."
Why did it turn out like that?
Putting aside the talk of magic I haven't even learned, after returning to the town hall and painting a commemorative plate of challenging the Lindwurm, the training content for next week was already announced.
"Since everyone was more excellent than expected, we were able to move the schedule forward by one week. The Eastern Plains Corps has also apparently been able to roughly exterminate the major monsters on this side of the river. Therefore, I will have you all sortie in the bowl from the Eastern Plains Jaeger position and provide support in the sky behind the advancing Eastern Plains Corps."
The easiest-looking training came last. Perhaps the previous ones were just that dense.
"Jeanne and Beatrix will act separately. I will have you come west with Wilson, Henry, and me. Please bring Flora and Fiona as well. If possible, please bring Chururi too."
"What are we going to do?"
"We will search for the tree with the large pine cones that you witnessed before. If it is truly a tree spirit, there is something I wish to meet and discuss with it."
Was that from when we were chasing the kidnapping culprit? Since that place is a monster domain, we had decided not to go there.
"If humans carelessly intrude, won't the monsters attack?"
Northern Nakanohara is a high-alert area. Robinson-san and the goblin scout unit have barely managed to reach the peaks of the mountain range, but they are only watching from afar and haven't grasped the details.
"It will be fine if we aren't found. We will move in the ultra-fast bowl with Camouflage and Magic Reflection cast and have Flora search for it. Jeanne received the stone of the tree spirit from the first King. We must speak of that."
Come to think of it, that's true. Besides, Flora would want to meet it too. When I looked at Flora sitting next to me, our eyes met. She clung to me just like that.
"Is Paul-san okay?"
"Paul has training with the Eastern Plains Corps remaining. Since Flora is here, I think it will be fine with just you all."
Convinced by Eleanor-sama's words, Beatrix nodded, and the policy was decided.
In the afternoon, when I went to the church to receive the lecture on ancient characters, Harris-sama was there.
"Yo, you're working hard. I heard you defeated a Lindwurm. I was told to keep quiet, so I can't talk about it openly, but first, good job."
"No, it's because the three heroes were there. We just helped out."
"You've been recognized by Eleanor the Tactician. That alone is quite something."
"Well, yeah. I guess I worked a little hard."
"It's magnificent."
Since he praised us so much, I had Beatrix also bow her head and say thank you.
"No need for thanks. More importantly, the textbook is finished. We'll have to review it many times from now on, but first, here's the first draft."
Saying so, he handed me a small book.
"Is it okay for it to be this small?"
"That one is for minors. Please wait a little longer for the adult version."
"You want to give it to the children of that village soon, right?" he said with a laugh.
"Can I show it to the Lord too?"
"If he asks to see it, you may, but please tell him not to let it out of the village because eventually, the countries will exchange it formally."
"I understand. I'll hand it to the Bishop. Thank you so much."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. More importantly, let me hear your impressions."
Since there weren't many pages, the two of us read it.
Interest, concern, longing, correct image, craving, hope, concentration of spirit, and free image. Discipline. Continuity. Confidence.
Spiritualism was written in rows. It was more like the guidelines for the cultivation of a wait-priest than a textbook. The latter half, as the guidelines for the instructing side, stated things like not to force it, not to get emotional and angry even if it doesn't continue, to show them magic, and to teach alternative measures for cases where there is no magic to children who have lost motivation.
Toward the end, as a discipline for mental concentration, there was one about sitting in a chair every day and maintaining a correct posture with eyes closed for a set amount of time. The maximum was half an hour. It could be short at first, but it would gradually get longer. Beatrix and I also did this. It was until a short candle went out, but it gradually got longer. Once we got used to it, we were doing it for two hours. During that time, we would think of the image of activating one type of magic per session. As it got longer, we stopped thinking about anything. Of course, since we would be asked later, we needed to create an image that we could explain properly. The textbook recommended anecdotal accounts of pseudo-success experiences like Mary's.
It also said to praise those who successfully completed it. Children who couldn't would apparently be made to do things like water-hauling as punishment, but it said to praise them once that was over.
Additionally, it described methods that incorporated elements of play, so to speak, such as lining up wooden tags with pictures imagining magic on a desk and rearranging them in a set order, or collecting a set number of set patterns. The wooden tags were a set with the textbook.
Pictures of fire and lightning were drawn. The one with the Goddess's picture was likely holy magic; the one defeating monsters was Holy.
It's fun just looking at them. It apparently polishes sustained concentration by making them familiar with magic and making it part of daily life while simultaneously making them concentrate on play.
"Discipline will be hard for small children. So, I thought it would be better to make it as enjoyable as possible. They say 'what one likes, one does well.' Perhaps, because it isn't strict, the possibility of learning it might be lower, but it's better than losing motivation."
He says it casually, but he must have thought about various things. Beatrix also thanked him again.
Next, though not as an afterthought, I explained the circumstances of how we learned magic this time.
"Lyudmila's way of learning is interesting. She used Water while imagining a shower."
"Before, there was a time when I learned Ice Cube after using Freeze while imagining an ice cube. I was quite exhausted, though."
"Fumu. I'll immediately incorporate that into the adult textbook I'm making now. It helps."
"Please do!"
I hope he works hard to make a good textbook. If there are ten people across three generations, and if there's one mage per family, life will be quite different.
"This will be, so to speak, an experiment. It has been formally decided in the Royal Capital to recruit volunteers from the children of those working at the Royal Palace and try it. It seems the State Chancellor Evans and the Magic Corps Commander will be at the center. Of course, neither parent can use magic. They'll gather twenty people, so if two or more learn magic, it'll be a success. Since we want to coordinate, please do tell me the implementation results at the village in Regnentes."
"I understand. I'll tell the Lord and the Bishop too."
"Yeah, I'm counting on you."
At night, we held a strategy meeting in my room at the Ghost Mansion. Because we were going to meet the tree spirit.
I also called Dune and Mel.
"It's been decided that we're going to meet the tree spirit."
Both of them said, "Is that so?" as if it were nothing.
"Can I call you if something happens?"
"It's no problem even if you call us from the start. Shall we go together?"
Dune said something encouraging.
"Is it okay?"
"It's fine, it's fine; we're fellow spirits, so you don't have to hold back."
Mel also gave her approval easily, and both were laughing, saying, "Right?"
"Has Flora met it before?"
"No. But I think I'll know if I meet it."
Come to think of it, during the time with the dwarves and the cat, it seemed they knew who the other was immediately.
"I wonder if it'll challenge us to a duel like the Cait Sith."
"It'll be fine. Because it hates conflict. But since the one making pine cones is a clone, you might not be able to meet the main body."
"A clone?"
Apparently, the main body is deep in the forest. It places clones around the forest where it lives to attack and drive away those who ravage the forest. In other words, the one we're going to meet is the combatant type. I've heard there are such specialized roles among ants too. Well, humans are much the same.
"It'll be fine. As long as you don't do things like saying you're going to clear the land and start cutting down trees in the forest Dryad is protecting."
According to fairy tales, Dryads are supposed to transform into beautiful women to seduce men and drag them into trees, but when I told that story in the Royal Capital, I was scolded.
"That's right. If there's someone ravaging the forest, she might do about that much."
"Eh! Is it true!"
Dune and Flora were nodding to each other with serious faces.
"You might be buried under the roots and turned into nutrients. And then, Jeanne's form will emerge on the tree trunk."
Flora said something terrifying.
"Pfft!"
Mel burst out laughing.
I've been teased, haven't I?
"Oh, it's already been found out."
Dune was also smirking.
"Sorry, sorry. But I just imagined the sight of Jeanne emerging on a tree trunk."
"Ahaha. That sounds interesting. Next time I meet a dwarf, shall I have them make a bronze statue?"
Good grief. The dwarves would be in for a real disaster too.