Chapter 799 - Backyard of Stray Priest 31
Finally, this day has come.
Thinking back, it was long. On the other hand, one could say it passed in the blink of an eye.
During the orphanage days, in the year I turned five, Beatrix became a new orphan. A few things happened and we had a huge fight, but after that, we became very close.
One day in April, Beatrix said it. She wanted to learn magic. I found out the details later, but perhaps because of everything that happened before she came to the orphanage, she had decided to become a high-level mage no matter what. The reason, apparently, was that she wanted to become a famous mage and make a name for herself.
What should we do to learn magic? Honestly, I didn't really know. I had become an acolyte at the beginning of that year, but since I had just become one, I didn't understand much. Moreover, since I hadn't reached my birth month, it was unofficial. It was a limited thing where I could help the teachers only within the orphanage. Even so, I was happy to become an apprentice acolyte because I wanted to be a priest, and I thought I'd do my best. So, I thought I'd cooperate with her.
In the end, the two of us consulted and went to ask the Headmistress.
When we went to ask, I thought we might get scolded. To learn magic, one had to receive an oracle, but you couldn't receive one until the birth month of your tenth year. Could we learn it at age five, and moreover, when I hadn't even reached my birth month? Partly because of the anxiety, the two of us went holding hands.
The Headmistress's answer was to wait until I reached my birth month. The reason was that the magic training we were about to do would be very strict. So, wait until age five. Beatrix had already reached her birth month, but she was told it would be difficult alone. It would be impossible unless the two of us supported each other. So, we waited until June.
When June came and I truly became five years old, I was formally appointed as an acolyte. And the training to learn magic began.
First, we were shown actual magic.
Since I wanted to be a priest, it was holy magic. I watched [Heal] and [Holy] in alternating months. For holy magic, I watched what the Headmistress asked the church priests to show. I thought for sure the magic of Hero Catherine, who defeated the Demon Lord, would be the model, but Jennifer-sensei told me that the Headmistress's magic was too high-level to be a reference. I didn't really understand then, but I do now. You can't just do it after being shown an incredibly thick [Holy] out of nowhere. Same for [Heal]. In an instant, wounds close and even broken bones are mended. It's utterly impossible for a child who doesn't even understand the structure of the body. Unless you have an image of a cut-sized wound slowly and gradually closing, you probably wouldn't be able to activate it properly.
Since Beatrix wanted to be a mage, she apparently watched the magic of Mayor Adolf-san. It seems the Headmistress and the others thought about having her learn two types just like me, but Beatrix said all four elements. So, she apparently watched five magics, including lightning which was treated as fire attribute. In the end, she learned four, excluding wind, in her first oracle. Learning four in the first oracle seemed to be a record-breaking event, and she was hailed as a genius girl. I, who learned both holy recovery magic and holy attack magic at the same time, was completely overshadowed. Well, that's fine.
There were even rumors that word of Beatrix's genius had reached the palace, so the fact that Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama started coming to Nakanohara frequently around the time we became adults might have been to see Beatrix.
Regardless of the later stories, training was really tough for a five-year-old child. Especially at the beginning.
I mean, what's so sad about having to spend two hours sitting in a chair with perfect posture without moving a muscle?
They say you're heightening the image of magic activation in your head, but it's crazy that time passes in a flash while thinking about that! After doing it for years, I became able to do it for two hours without a break, but at the beginning, my body would move immediately, and every time, the Headmistress would hit me with her shakujo.
(T/N: A 'shakujo' is a Buddhist ringed staff, often used by priests.)
Ah, kids these days have it so good! Having textbooks made for them and all. Harris-sama used to be doing the cutting and thrusting on the front lines of the monster subjugation squad, but now he's awakened to making textbooks. Saying things like it's better to learn while having fun. Together with Eleanor-sama and Evans-sama, they're making textbooks overflowing with pictures of animals and flowers. Learning while playing happily and all.
Ah, what were those painful days for me and Beatrix for?!
Well, I have a lot I want to say. Even so, I was able to learn two magics in my first oracle. Thanks to that, I had a prospect of becoming a monster hunter. I'm grateful to the Headmistress.
When I first started monster hunting after becoming an adult, I didn't even know if I could actually defeat monsters. Thinking back now, I really did just start. Who was it that suggested it? Was it Beowulf?
Fortunately, rat extermination turned into a decent income. At least I didn't have to worry about eating, so I gained some mental leeway. Come to think of it, placing Beowulf with us was a clever move by Adolf-san. Beowulf's allowance all became necessary expenses. That made a big difference.
Being able to participate in the scroll-making of the Marcelo Company was also big. After all, I could use two holy magics, which had the highest unit price.
Wait? Beowulf and Beatrix... A town guard and a magic tool shop clerk... Rat extermination and scroll-making... Could it be that those two helped so that our first earnings would get on track?
Oh no. It's possible. Could it be that I was piggybacking on those two?
What should I do? It's a bit late to ask now. If it was actually a coincidence and I'm mistaken, it would be even more embarrassing. I'll just have to treat them to something appropriate on some pretext. It's awkward to ask Beatrix, so I'll ask Beowulf someday.
Speaking of magic, it's mana control, but meeting Dune and Mel was big. I didn't realize it then, but thanks to them, it was added onto my original mediocre talent. Serena, despite everything, gave me the Dryad's Stone that the First King had handed over. It was also Serena who taught me about the Cycle of Life.
Getting the Black Stone from King Griffith was also big. With that, I became able to cast what is essentially mid-level magic. I might have pushed myself a bit, but I should have been trained a little by that. Eleanor-sama said so too.
The Black Stone I received corresponded to [Light]. I could already use [Light] back then. I used [Light] during the snake extermination that became one of the triggers for meeting King Griffith. King Griffith probably gave me the Black Stone after seeing that battle. Thinking about it, it's a huge coincidence. Why was I able to learn [Light]? I still don't know, but anyway, I learned it. And I met King Griffith. I haven't been able to go regularly lately, but I really should go visit his grave.
And the trigger for getting the Black Stone was Flora. As I thought, getting along with everyone is the right answer. Thanks to that, they're helping me in various ways.
Did I really start earning once I began taking requests from the palace? The first trigger, after all is said and done, was when I received the medal. At that time, I opened the box containing the First King's mementos with [Light]. That was the trigger for going to investigate the mountain. At that time, even though Roberts-sama and James-sama defeated the Fire Dragon Revenant controlled by Wilson-san, for some reason I started being called by the excessive name of Dragon Killer. No matter how you think about it, me and Beatrix shouldn't have been involved. We just happened to be there. Because of that mysterious reputation at that time, I was even made to participate in the Demon Lord subjugation force. But, both in training and in the real thing, I fought against Demon Race executives and such, learned various magics, and my rank went up. I earned a lot of money too. I was even able to participate in the triumphal ceremony as a party involved. Because Mary was there at that time, it's like I was able to go to Finis.
Various things happened in Finis too. I met Aira, and I was able to treat the Water Dragon because Dune was there. Putting ghosts into beads when infusing magic, which has become common now, also started from that time.
Even magic water became usable for epidemic countermeasures thanks to Aira's hard work. The trigger was... athlete's foot medicine? I'm sure Flora taught me that. It turned out that it worked for Just a Disease. That was the trigger. Eowyn-sama actually got completely cured. Instead of Just a Disease being cured, Eowyn-sama caught a strange disease, but it led to his marriage with Aira. Truly, you never know what will happen.
I'm sure Finis is also involved in how I was able to become a high-level mage.
Because I wasn't rising to high-level no matter how much time passed, the former lords of Finis recommended evil spirit extermination. In the end, as a result of Eleanor-sama setting up a match against a tag team of an evil spirit and the Queen of the Border, I was able to become high-level. Even though I say I became one, I was knocked unconscious quite a bit by Price-sama, Eleanor-sama, and others.
They said priests don't fall to darkness, but actually, wasn't it quite dangerous?
As Gnome said, I probably originally only had the talent of a mid-level mage. Even so, since I was able to become high-level at nineteen, maybe I didn't have to push myself that hard? After all, it's better to learn magic while having fun, right?
Was it around the time I became a high-level mage? When expeditions started becoming frequent in earnest. It was good that the Henry Party gave me rides, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to handle it at all. After all, there's the recovery of the Northeastern Forest once a month. Because I was doing that, I became really busy. I also did the investigation of the secret books, and met Wyverns, Fire Dragons, and the Earth Dragon.
During the Wyvern incident, I was even made into an offering. That was dangerous. It was good that the Black Dragon Child took a liking to me, otherwise I would have been eaten. But the Wyverns really did a good job of sniffing me out. I was in a state where I was heavily doused in boar fat and wine, so their sense of smell must be truly excellent.
I also met King Seldic. Various things are said about him, but when I actually met him, he wasn't such a villainous existence. The northern lords were the same, but why do they like fighting so much? I can't understand it. They can get along, so they should.
Speaking of expeditions, meeting Anri-sama and Theresia-sama was a big reason why I started going to the continent many times. It's because magic water was effective for epidemic countermeasures. Was it right after that? When I became an ultra-high-level mage. It was just before I turned twenty-one. Because of the Dragonewt connection, I was able to get the fifth Black Stone from Gnome. Since then, the Great Unity Conference started and the production of magic water became full-scale. It was good I could become ultra-high-level before that happened. Otherwise, the mass production of beads and scrolls might not have made it in time.
And finally, today has come.
Isn't it a good day, clear since morning!
It's June 1st, Year 200 of the Sertorian Kingdom Calendar. I've finally turned twenty-five. I might not be able to learn new magic anymore, but I want to do my best to work on applied magic usage and improving magic control. My current tasks are chantless casting and simultaneous activation of multiple magics.
Well then, shall I do my best today too?