Chapter 361 - Chapter 4: The First Barrier
I successfully learned one barrier spell.
Barriers can only be learned once you become a Bishop. I finally understand the reason why.
Oracles are brought by Oraclists, but the reception desk is different to begin with. You pay a fee that could be called an admission price and are guided to the window. The window is specifically for barriers, and you must present a Bishop's ring and a letter of recommendation from someone of Bishop rank or higher. This time, I received a recommendation from Harris-sama. Once you pass the window, you are shown to a waiting room. Then, finally, you get to meet the Oraclist.
Most likely, this is a system to ensure that barriers are monopolized by Bishops... in other words, to make it a monopoly of the Church. Normally, barriers are very expensive; the Headmistress's simple barrier costs, if I recall correctly, fifty gold coins each. And the Church takes half of that.
As for the Exorcism Formation, both the Headmistress and Harrison-san accepted the job for five gold coins each, which Beatrix and I provided. Unlike scrolls, magic circles, or simple barriers, it's not a commercial product when the person themselves uses it. That's why they accepted. I'm still too afraid to ask what the fee would be if I requested it from the Church.
Having actually learned it, I've realized that, to put it broadly, a barrier is something fundamentally different from magic. That's probably why barriers weren't mentioned during the mountain investigation.
Scrolls and magic circles are imbued with magic. However, there is nothing to imbue into a barrier. You obtain the power of the Goddess and activate it.
Of course, like the Headmistress, one can interrupt the activation with a keyword to prevent it from fully deploying. By doing so, a simple barrier can be created. I'm told that method isn't taught unless one is at the ultra-advanced level.
By the way, the barrier I learned this time is called Displeasure. It's an introductory spell that everyone learns first, so to speak; it creates a place that monsters and ghosts find unpleasant. The range and power of the barrier change depending on one's magic control. Since I am a user of seven advanced spells, it seems I can protect an area roughly the size of a single house.
"This can be used for monster extermination right away."
Harris-sama says something pleasing.
However, I heard from the Oraclist that while monsters will certainly avoid it, they can easily break through if they set their minds to it. It's like a puddle on the road; normally people avoid it, but if there's no other way through, they'll walk through even if their feet get wet. It's about that level.
"That's not necessarily true. A barrier, like magic, becomes more powerful if you narrow the area you're protecting. It can protect surprisingly well."
Saying so, he narrowed his wide-spread hands and touched his thumbs and pinkies together to make a small circle.
But what would one protect with such a tiny barrier?
"You create a place where monsters won't pass. In other words, you can control the monsters' movements. It makes it easier to gather them in a specific location."
I see. There's that way of looking at it too.
"How is it from the Church's perspective?"
"There is no problem as long as the person activates the barrier themselves."
"Can I receive the extermination reward?"
"Either way, you can't exterminate them with a barrier alone. You'll have to use some other method to kill them, but if Jeanne or her companions do that, you're free to accept it."
Hmm. This might be useful for fox hunting. We've been short-staffed lately. We could set out bait in the forest, but we'd have to find where they are first. If we can exterminate monsters efficiently using barriers, it will save time.
"Then let's try it out immediately. The banquet isn't until after sunset, so there's time to practice."
Replying "Yes" to Eleanor-sama's words was the end of my luck.
I had assumed I would be making a barrier somewhere while being taught by Harris-sama, but I was placed on an ultra-high-speed bowl and taken to a forest I didn't recognize.
Since it's daytime in April, it's not cold. It's a forest with many acorn trees, and here and there are tree stumps, likely cut by people. Warm sunlight filters down there, creating sunny spots. There's undergrowth, and quite a few white, yellow, and light pink flowers are blooming, with bees and hoverflies flying about.
"Um, where exactly is this..."
"This is the Fox Forest under direct royal control. Foxes are kept free-range here for their fur, so it makes for good practice."
"There was such a place?"
"It's also where royal children practice hunting once they turn ten. There shouldn't be any other magical beasts, so even children are safe."
I think it's plenty dangerous, but surely adults are with them. Otherwise, they wouldn't even know how to hunt.
"This way," Henry-sama said, so I followed him to a two-story cabin made of logs.
Inside was a fireplace, a table, and chairs. There were shelves on the walls with wooden plates and bowls. Several leather pouches were hanging. Two bows and two quivers were also placed there.
The second floor is reached by climbing a ladder; it's likely a bedroom. Several bear furs were laid out.
We opened the windows to air out the room.
There was also a basement. Probably for preserved food. Several barrels were stacked there.
After being shown around, I was told to sit, so I sat in a chair.
Will, who seemed to have been here several times, skillfully poured wine from a barrel into bowls and distributed them to everyone.
"Now then, as we begin practical training against foxes, I will explain the procedure."
Practice had turned into "practical training" before I knew it.
No matter how I thought about it, I'd been trapped.
When I looked at Harris-sama, he was drinking wine with an indifferent face. It must have been pre-arranged.
Walking along a beast trail in the forest, we came upon a small stream. Following the flow, a small pond came into view. There was a hut on the shore. Beyond that was a high stone wall—some kind of facility.
When we knocked on the door, a hunter came out. His left arm seemed to be missing, as the sleeve swayed loosely.
"Well, well, Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, welcome."
"Yo! You look well."
Henry-sama's group and Harris-sama seemed to know him, and they exchanged greetings. I was the only one giving a "nice to meet you" greeting.
The hunter looked to be in his mid-forties. Though called a hunter, he was quite neat and didn't have much of a hunter-like air. According to what I heard, he was a former Royal Guard of the Kingdom who retired after losing his left hand in the war. He was hired as the manager of the Fox Forest as part of the measures for the needy.
"Are the princes not with you today?"
"Ah, today is a bit different from the usual hunt."
"We've come to train Jeanne here."
"The priest Jeanne, famous as the Dragon Killer... no, excuse me, it was Bishop Jeanne now. You're going to train that Bishop Jeanne against foxes?"
They're saying "train" now.
The story keeps changing more and more.
"Are the foxes I asked for ready?"
"Yes. I have secured them as usual."
The foxes he asked for?
When I asked Eleanor-sama, she said they use a diluted version of the sleeping medicine used for octopuses to catch them. Of course, they don't become tamed by humans. However, they do seem to eat the bait.
It seems they capture foxes in the forest, house them in this facility, and always keep a certain number on hand. That way, they can practice royal hunting year-round. Catching the foxes is the job of other hunters; the manager is the caretaker of the facility's foxes. This time, it seems the ones they caught are in cages.
"Umu. Then, shall we begin?"
Henry-sama said, and we were guided behind the hut.
The stone facility was apparently the place where the captured foxes were kept. When the iron door was opened, there were stairs. Going up to the second floor, there was a corridor-like passage surrounded by a fence, from which the ground floor could be seen. There was no ceiling, so the sky was visible.
On the ground floor, there was a single passage in the middle, with cages lined up on both sides like prison cells. Among them, six cages contained foxes, one fox per cage. The ceilings of the cells were connected to the corridor, allowing one to walk over them. To open a cage, one would go onto the cell ceiling and pull up part of the iron bars.
To enter the passage, one would open an iron gate, go down the stairs, and then open a bolted iron door. The reason for all this effort was likely to prevent the foxes from escaping.
The training Eleanor-sama had devised was to see if I could protect fox bait with a barrier I set up in a corner of the passage against foxes released from their cages.
"It's about spirit. With spirit, you must exceed the foxes' hunger."
Is that how it works? Their lives are on the line. No matter how I think about it, wouldn't I fall short?
"Jeanne. I've also checked with His Majesty. If you lose to all six, you get no dinner at tonight's banquet."
"Um, I haven't even eaten lunch today..."
Just one cup of top-grade wine. Then I was brought straight here.
"Just so you know, we won't let you go home until tomorrow morning. You'll just have to watch everyone else eat a feast."
It would be much better to just go home now instead of having a banquet.
Thus, the match between me and the foxes, with my meal on the line, began.
That said, I have six chances. There's no need to panic that much.
The bait was pigeons, squirrels, and rabbits caught by the manager, as well as dried fish and dried meat. Apparently, there was also chicken in the hut's rot-prevention box.
"As requested the other day, I've withheld their food since yesterday. I'm sure they'll bite."
"I'm looking forward to it."
Eleanor-sama glanced at me.
It seems this was completely set up. The foxes must be quite hungry. It's pitiful, but my meal is also on the line. Besides, even if I win, they should get food later anyway. It's unreasonable for only me to watch while hungry. I must win no matter what.
Since it's an introductory spell, the activation itself is simple. I just need to draw a circle while chanting. It looks cool if the chant ends exactly when the drawing is finished, but it's not a problem if it's slightly off.
The point is to ask for the repulsion of monsters while giving thanks to the Goddess.
While writing down the words of the chant on parchment, I created a trial version of the incantation. After practicing drawing circles on the ground with a wooden stick several times, I successfully activated it. I had imagined the Headmistress's simple barrier, but it was quite different. Hers takes the form of a hemisphere of yellow light. In comparison, mine just had the circle of the barrier glowing white. I feel like something is fundamentally different. However, I succeeded in my first barrier activation. I wanted to see how much effect it had, so I went straight into the first challenge.
I placed the bait in the drawn circle. It was a rabbit. One of the cages was pulled up from above by Wilson-san. We were hiding ourselves with Illusion and Magic Reflection. Wilson-san is convenient at times like this. He shows himself, but the foxes don't seem to be wary, perhaps treating him as a comrade.
The fox that came out of the cage looked around to confirm no humans were there—actually, we were hiding—and saw the bait. It ran straight over, bit the rabbit, and returned to its cage to start eating.
"It didn't show any hesitation at all."
"I wish it had at least hesitated a little."
The gazes from Henry-sama and the others were harsh.
"I-it must have been very hungry."
Of course, that was an excuse. I thought it would wander around the barrier before making a decision to go for the rabbit...
"Harris. You guide her. If she fails all five remaining times, Harris gets no dinner either."
"U-understood..."
At Eleanor-sama's words, Harris-sama bowed his head.
"Um, I'm kind of sorry."
It's all Eleanor-sama's fault, but I apologized just in case.
After consulting with Harris-sama, whose eyes had changed, and revising the chant, the second fox showed some hesitation before stepping in. That's progress.
"What kind of image are you creating?"
"The image of the Headmistress's simple barrier activating."
"It's fundamentally different."
Apparently, it's different from magic. In magic, you create an image of the post-activation state.
"A barrier prevents the opponent's intrusion. Imagine a situation where the opponent avoids passing through the activated barrier."
It might be better to call Mary-sensei for this.
Imagery is important; by the third time, the fox finally started wandering around the perimeter of the barrier. The end result of it biting the bait and running away didn't change, though.
"Next, let's strengthen our thoughts. Let's think of a scenario when creating the image. Let's see... the thing the fox is biting and taking away is Jeanne's dinner for tonight. Having her dinner stolen, Jeanne collapses from exhaustion. You must work hard to prevent that."
I was supposed to be protecting the village's food, but it's become quite a personal story. I wanted to voice a complaint, but while listening, I ended up imagining grilled bird skewers being stolen. My stomach growling didn't help my persuasiveness either. Since the situation was no less desperate than the fox's hunger, I decided to just use it.
As a result, the fourth fox hesitated quite a bit. It tried to step forward with its front paw many times, only to quietly pull it back.
"Good. Just one more push. You're almost at your dinner."
Harris-sama had also skipped lunch. While imagining having his food taken by a fox along with me, his stomach started growling loudly.
The purpose had completely shifted, but it couldn't be helped. As long as we're alive, we must eat.
"I wonder what's lacking. Jeanne is a user of seven advanced spells, which means she should have magic control on par with a user of one ultra-advanced spell. Since it's this size, it should be more powerful."
Wait, hold on a second. That means...
"Harris-sama. Until now, I've been imagining this size from the start. What if I imagine a wide, large area at first, and then condense it all at once to this point?"
"I see. Like a Wind Barrier?"
"Yes. There is no such magic in holy magic, but I control the intensity and spread of light with Light. I can also change the size of the Fireflies and the walls."
It's just an application. It should be possible.
First, I imagine a barrier covering the entire ground floor of the facility. From there, I make it small, thick, and strong to protect the skewers for Harris-san and me.
Perhaps because Eleanor-sama's requested "spirit" was fully present, a translucent white light rose from the drawn circle to about knee height.
The fox gave up twice and tried to leave. However, on the third time, it lunged into the barrier, bit the bait, and leaped away.
D-Dammit! What on earth is lacking...
While Harris-sama and I were both feeling frustrated, Henry-sama and the others, perhaps having been served by the manager, started eating grilled bird skewers together. What are they doing while we're thinking so hard!
Before I knew it, even Wilson-san, who shouldn't feel hunger, was eating.
A savory aroma wafted over, making my stomach growl incessantly.
"There are two more skewers. Let's use them as bait for the final barrier. If you put them on a plate, both of you can eat them when the fox gives up."
Eleanor-sama was smirking.
Would you go that far?
"Jeanne. We're definitely going to eat. Let's renew our spirit."
"Yes. I know. I won't give up."
The two of us renewed our spirit.
We heightened our imagery while reading the scenario aloud. We even imagined the two of us eating the skewers that the fox had given up on.
The results were excellent; the light of the magic circle extended to about waist height. The power should be sufficient.
Wilson-san opened the fox's cage.
The sixth fox had already seen its five companions get their food. It probably couldn't hold back either. It ran over without even being cautious.
It stopped in front of the barrier. it walked around while looking at the skewers giving off a savory scent.
I clenched both hands tightly and glared at the fox.
You'll get food properly later. Don't take my skewers!
While I was sending intense thoughts, the fox suddenly jumped backward. It headed toward its cage while looking back many times.
And then, it finally entered the cage.
"Yay! I won!"
"That's great. Now we can eat!"
I immediately went to get the skewers. My stomach was already growling non-stop.
The skewers were still savory and warm.
Harris-sama and I each took a bite.
What a grateful taste. I must give thanks for the blessings of the forest.
A small clink sound was heard.
I wondered what it was, and saw two small stones had fallen.
"Jeanne. You did well. After all, Displeasure cannot completely prevent the intrusion of monsters. You prevented it to that extent. Catherine also said that barriers, like magic, are about spirit. Please don't forget that strong feeling you have now."
"Eh?"
It was Eleanor-sama. When Henry-sama, standing beside her, flicked his right thumb, a third stone made a clink sound.
Um, could it be that the reason the sixth fox gave up was...
"I never said to protect it with the barrier alone."
"Well, it's fine, isn't it? Now you can eat dinner."
Eleanor-sama and Harris-sama said with smirks.
It's not a lie. It's not a lie, but...
The only one who surely understands my feelings is the sixth fox that missed out on its food.
I confirmed that it was okay to feed the fox, took two rabbits in my hands, and threw them into the sixth fox's cage. Then, I quietly left the spot so as not to disturb it and ate the rest of my skewer.