Chapter Text
1
Armored Dragon Calendar, Year 417
The scorching sun hung over our heads. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and it almost felt as if a god might descend to earth at any moment. An autumn breeze lingered in the air, reminding me with every passing second just how wonderful my new life was. Everything was wonderful, really: the birds singing nearby, the insects crawling along the ground. You did not need anything else to be happy, did you? Maybe a computer and a few light novels, but those were only dreams now.
Those thoughts warmed my heart as I tried to climb a hill not far from Roa. Eris and Ghislaine trailed behind me, already tired of waiting. Impatience showed on their faces, impatience that had begun all the way back at the Boreas estate. I had promised to show them my magical abilities, and I had decided to keep my word. That was why we had come here.
“Eris, Ghislaine,” I said, turning to my companions, “would you mind waiting a few minutes? I need to test my staff, and then we can begin.”
“Yes, of course!” Eris replied. Her more-or-less serious expression gained a faint hint of anticipation.
An ordinary person might not have noticed, but right now, young Eris was bursting with excitement. I had spent so much time with her that I could tell even without looking. Her eyes darted from side to side, and her hands did not know where to go. One moment she left them on her hips; the next, she folded them across her chest. She was different from Ghislaine, who simply watched me in silence.
I decided not to drag things out and got straight to business. I did not want a scolding from Eris for making her wait too long. The customer is always right, after all, so it was time to test the “Proud Water Dragon King”... I would have to change that name later.
“I think Water Ball should do for a start,” I muttered to myself.
Water Ball was an easy spell to use, but in skilled hands, it could become a deadly weapon. If you poured enough mana into it and launched it at high speed toward someone, there was a very good chance that person would die or suffer a serious injury. Water wears away stone, as the saying goes. In our case, a small ball would be enough. No need to put on a show before the main event.
Focusing on my fingertips, I slowly inhaled. Then I felt mana move through my body like blood through veins. It gathered in my hands, flowed into the staff, and instantly transformed into a shining sphere of water.
My pupils widened as if I had just witnessed a miracle in broad daylight. With the staff, the mana cost had been reduced severalfold. It was like using balloons: instead of blowing them up yourself, you used a pump that did it in seconds. It felt like switching from power-saving mode to acceleration mode, and it was incredible. I could never have dreamed of receiving a gift like this. I would have to repay Eris when the opportunity came.
“I think we can begin,” I said, turning back to my audience, who were already starting to fall asleep. “Ahem... Now, Rudeus Greyrat will demonstrate his strongest technique! You will learn just how—”
“Just start already! Stop stalling!” Eris interrupted my monologue.
She could have at least let me finish the sentence... Still, I understood her. Nobody likes watching an artist tune his guitar before a performance. In fact, what was the point of stepping onto a stage if your equipment was not ready? I should have tested the staff back at the mansion... Though I had not really had the chance.
No matter. There was no point filling my head with stupid thoughts. I still had work to do: not ruining the main event.
“Very well.”
My fingers gripped the staff tightly so I could feel all its power in my body. The sunlight glinting off the crystal set into it irritated me, yet at the same time forced me to focus. Silence settled around us, as though the world itself had stopped for an instant. Only the wind interrupted it from time to time.
I raised the staff above my head and began whispering an incantation I had already started to forget over the past few years. It was not that I truly needed it; it simply helped me prepare myself for a good result.
After a few seconds, a dark cloud appeared in the sky. Then another. They seemed to form out of nowhere, and before long, the area above us was filled with them. Not a single ray of sunlight could pierce their thickness.
From the side, I heard a quiet “Whoa” from Eris, but I could not afford to be distracted. As the clouds gathered, I began pouring even more mana into the staff. Then the wind blew from every direction. My hair swayed helplessly from side to side, and my clothes, unable to settle, added to the discomfort. The wind struck from all sides. I could barely keep my footing.
In my imagination, I saw rain falling to the earth and flowing down the hill in streams. I saw thunder resounding from every direction, a sound even the bravest would hide from. I saw a white-blue beam of light strike the solid ground with incredible speed.
Lightning.
Boom!
Only a moment passed, but a hole had already appeared in the ground. Pale gray smoke rose from it like from a broken engine. Drops of water still fell everywhere, running down my face. The spell was complete. Everything had gone perfectly, just as one would expect from Roxy’s student.
“It worked...” I said in relief.
I never imagined it would be this easy. Once again, I was convinced that this staff was incredible. It enhanced water magic better than anything I could have noticed from a spell. The lightning itself came out the same as always, but the rain... It soaked me to the skin in a matter of seconds, as if someone had dumped a bucket of water over me.
“R-Rudeus... That was amazing! I never imagined you were that strong,” I heard from behind me.
Young Eris’s voice pulled me back to reality at once. My promise had been fulfilled, and now I could hear praise from my companions. Her reaction truly surprised me, though, because I did not think there was anything “amazing” about it. Judging by everything, Eris had not yet seen any truly skilled magicians, so she had nothing to compare it to. Well, no matter. I was glad she had enjoyed the show.
Ghislaine’s reaction was a little different. She spent a while longer staring at the hole in the ground with a serious expression. Then she shifted her gaze to me and touched the hilt of the sword at her waist.
“That was Saint-tier Water magic, wasn’t it? Impressive. The fact that you can use silent spellcasting and powerful spells at your age is honestly unsettling.” A barely visible smile appeared on Ghislaine’s face.
“There is nothing special about it, really. Teacher Roxy is far more skilled.”
Even though I was trying to deflect the praise, I was bursting with joy inside. If I did not try to hold myself back, an arrogant smile would have immediately spread across my face. I could not allow that. I had to remember my place in the world, because there would always be someone better who could knock me back down to the bottom.
“Rudeus, will I be able to do that someday?” Eris’s eyes almost shone. She clenched her fists in excitement.
Hmm... If I thought optimistically, then yes. It could happen someday. But to do it, she would have to work much harder on magic. Since we had started training, her progress had been barely noticeable, so I doubted Eris would learn this quickly. After all, I was not much of a teacher. If Roxy were here, she would definitely whip her into shape. Still, there was nothing to be done about it. What mattered was that Eris did not lose her enthusiasm and kept studying properly. I should probably give her hope.
“M-Maybe. If you work hard and listen to me during lessons, then you will definitely be able to do it someday.”
The answer did not sound convincing. I did not fully believe those words myself. However, a smile still appeared on Eris’s face. It seemed she had not caught my uncertainty and had accepted what she wanted to hear as the truth.
“O-o-okay. But you have to teach me that.”
I nodded at her proposal, and Eris happily raised both hands in the air. Her ambitions exceeded her abilities, but even so, it was a good sign. You should aim high if you want to reach the summit.
With that cheerful thought in mind, I decided to head back. Eris and Ghislaine agreed and followed me. For a while longer, we talked about magic, though they did not have much to tell me. We simply wanted to pass the time.
2
The road back to the mansion was not long, but the sun had already begun to sink toward the horizon. The streets slowly darkened, and merchants put away their wares. Only idlers and affectionate couples wandered between the city buildings. It was clear evening would soon arrive.
As soon as we reached the Boreas Greyrat residence, Ghislaine decided to go report to Sauros. Though she did not show it physically, my abilities had clearly made a strong impression on her. I did not really know why she needed to tell Eris’s grandfather about it. Was some kind of reward waiting for me?
“One. Silver. Coin...” My head rested on the table, propped up by one hand. With the other, I spun that very coin, inspecting it from every angle.
After Ghislaine’s report, Philip had not been stingy and had given me at least something for my efforts. It was a small addition to my purse, but I was grateful for it. After all, my agreement with Philip and Sauros had already been established, and no changes were expected. Still, receiving a little extra on top of my wages felt rather pleasant. Who could have known that I, an unemployed man in my previous life, would be happy about this?
Sauros and Philip would pay the entrance fee for Sylphiette and me to attend Ranoa University of Magic. In addition, they gave me a salary for teaching Eris, which I could use however I pleased. Until now, it had simply been pocket money, but with this bonus, things could move forward a little.
“What should I do now?”
I rose from the chair and flopped helplessly onto the bed. I had no plans for tomorrow. Eris and I had decided to take a break from lessons, since some kind of meeting awaited her in the afternoon. According to her, the guest would be someone from my father’s family, so I was supposed to stay in my room. But if anyone had asked me, I was not planning to go out either way. I wanted to finally rest from all the commotion. At least for one day.
“Right. It would be good to go to the market tomorrow. I have not compared prices in a while. Maybe I will find something nice.”
But I was too lazy. Going alone was not that interesting, and taking Eris with me would not always be possible. She was a noble girl. She could be kidnapped even in broad daylight, and that was highly undesirable. Ghislaine did not always have time to guard us.
My head settled comfortably into the pillow, and my breathing finally calmed. The last rays of sunlight flashed through the window, falling across the floor before eventually disappearing behind the curtains. We would see what happened tomorrow. Maybe the meeting would not last long, and I could persuade Sauros and Ghislaine. We had not gone out like that in ages. Staying inside all the time was bad for Eris. A person becomes a person among other people. Though considering her personality, I would not let Eris past the fence...
“Just kidding.”
I reached toward the table and picked up the figure of Ghislaine that I had worked on for so long. Not long ago, I had managed to persuade her to show me her tail, so the figure would soon be complete. It still surprised me how powerfully built Ghislaine was. I would probably have to adjust the figure to match the original more closely. It would be nice if Eris also gave me some reference material for hers. For example, proper poses would help. And although I had already been about to sleep, my body decided otherwise.
“Oops. Better lock the door.”
3
The next morning, a knock at the door woke me. I slid out of bed and lazily trudged over to let the unknown person inside. My hair was a mess, but I did not care. I opened the door.
“Already awake? Good. Then I am coming in.”
Ghislaine stood at the entrance. She did not even bother asking permission before walking past me. She stopped in the middle of the room and crossed her arms over her enormous chest, which I still could not help admiring.
“What brings on this sudden visit? Did something happen?”
“Nothing yet, but something might. You have probably heard that guests will be coming to the mansion today. We still do not know at what time, but we do know who. An envoy from Philemon, Paul’s brother, is coming to inspect Eris.”
To inspect her, huh? I had heard several times already that certain nobles were interested in Eris. No matter how much of a beast she was, Eris was still a noble girl. That was why she had been kidnapped in the first place. But sending an envoy like this? That was a first for me.
“I see. And what does that have to do with me?”
It was a stupid question, but I still wanted to hear Ghislaine’s thoughts. Philemon was Paul’s brother and the current head of the Notos family. If it turned out that Paul’s son was living with a girl from the Boreas family, nasty rumors might spread. Nobody wanted that.
“At first, we considered locking you in your room and not letting you out until the meeting was over, but the situation has changed. Lord Philip suggested sending you out for a walk.”
The darkest place is right under the lamp, was it? I had been planning to head to the market anyway, so this was very convenient. I would walk around and see what the people were up to. But the fact that Ghislaine was telling me all this so bluntly felt strange. Usually, I was not included in the planning of important matters in this mansion.
“You said you still do not know when they will arrive. Do you at least know the approximate time?”
“In about two hours. I would advise you to go outside now and not return until you are called.”
“I understand.”
With that, Ghislaine finished and left the room. I was left alone with my thoughts, but I did not want to waste time. I put my money pouch into my pocket and hid the staff in the corner so it would not be found even if someone searched the room. Then I put on my shoes and headed toward the main gate.
On the way, the maids greeted me. They usually did not do that, but it seemed that after my birthday, their hearts had opened up. Not that it mattered much to me, but seeing a smiling cat-eared maid did lift my spirits.
The weather outside was not bad. For that, at least, I was grateful. The sun was not shining as brightly as yesterday, and a light morning chill hung in the air. People hurried about their business, absorbed in their own lives, with no time to notice the beauty of the morning. Over by the mansion wall, a guard was trying to wake a sleepy drunk, beside whom traces of vomit were visible. A little farther down the street, a man who had been carrying a freshly bought jug of milk was already on his knees above it, since it had slipped from his hands and shattered.
I took a deep breath and stepped beyond the gate. The road to the market did not take long, but for some reason, my heart felt heavy. The mere thought of the Notos envoy weighed on me. But when I reached the square, that heaviness disappeared at once. The atmosphere was incredible. Merchants loudly called out to customers. Children ran around, rejoicing over toys their parents had bought them. A young lady glanced at me and smiled. My gaze dropped to her chest. Maybe she did not care, but I had been caught red-handed. How embarrassing...
Wandering through the shops took quite a lot of time, but I still failed to choose anything. The goods were either too poor in quality or too expensive. That was not something you saw often here, since Roa was a rather prosperous city. It seemed the stock had been bad.
I looked at the list of prices I had been casually making and checked it once more. There was one little item that had caught my interest, though its price frightened me. I was talking about the same aphrodisiac potion that Eris had once caused to shatter. Unfortunately, only one seller had it, and I had not managed to bargain down the price. Besides, I was still too young to have any use for something like that.
“So much for a trip to the market.”
Since my last price inspection, prices had barely changed, so there had been no point in any of this. I wandered from stall to stall until I accidentally came upon a crowd from which worried voices were rising. People were staring at a single point: the crystal hanging above our heads. They looked around anxiously. It was the same crystal Sauros had told me about. Well, while he was busy with a maid.
“Hey, nothing to see here!”
A guard began dispersing the commotion. He stood beneath the crystal and ordered everyone to move along so they would not get in other people’s way. The crowd waved their hands, but showed no resistance. They cast a few glances toward the crystal and slowly backed away, until soon enough, everything returned to normal.
“Do you think we should report this to Lord Sauros?” I heard from the side.
It was another guard, who had approached his colleague and started talking with him. At first, I did not care what was going on here, but now I began to take an interest.
“Of course. This is the first time I have seen anything like it. No telling what to expect. But I would wait until the meeting is over. He will be in a foul mood.”
“That is true...”
Despite my hopes, their conversation did not last long. What had caused the crowd’s fear and what exactly they needed to report remained unknown to me, so I left everything as it was and continued comparing prices until Eris and Ghislaine came to find me.
4
The meeting had ended, so Eris immediately went looking for me. I did not know why she wanted to go outside. Maybe because she did not want to remain in the mansion. Or maybe because she needed a break. Either way, we ran into each other suddenly and began walking together.
“Rudeus, stop writing down that nonsense! Look at this instead.”
Eris picked up a figure from a stall and raised it right up to my face. Too close! With a single glance, I could tell how poor a piece of work it was. The figures I made looked far better and were polished to perfection. I spent a lot of time on that craft, and I could say with confidence that I had reached a good level. Though, of course, there was always room for improvement.
“It looks like the ones you make. Doesn’t it?”
“Well, almost.”
The merchant behind the stall took the figure from Eris and set it back in place. It was obvious he did not like the way she had handled it. But a customer was a customer, so a dialogue window appeared in response to the interaction.
“I see these statuettes have caught your interest. Dwarven work. The selection may not be large, but the quality is quite good. You will not find better in this city. In Shirone, though... I hear some fanatic over there collects them. I also heard that not long ago, one very high-quality statuette left Roa. I would not be surprised if he bought it. But that is only a rumor.”
Shirone? I had never heard of that. As for the statuette he mentioned, I had my suspicions. About two years ago, I had sold a figure of Roxy at the market and earned a few coins. The merchants had not valued it as generously as I had hoped, but at least I had gotten something. I remembered Roxy mentioning it in a letter...
“Rudeus,” Eris began, “why don’t you sell your figures? They are just lying around anyway. At least they would be useful for something.”
“Sorry, but I have to refuse. They are too important to me. Besides, I spend a lot of time on them, and I do not want my creations to end up in unskilled hands.”
I had no idea how many people in this world appreciated this art. What if a figure ended up in the paws of some bastard who one day smashed it against a wall? Or used it to play baseball? That could not be allowed. Absolutely not.
Eris lost interest in our conversation, as the smile on her face suddenly disappeared. She began shifting her gaze from one shop to another, searching for something worthy of her attention.
“By the way, how did the meeting go?” I asked.
“Nothing interesting.”
Her answer was quick and emotionless. Considering her personality, I could not really expect anything else. This girl was not interested in politics or noble superstitions. Eris was not interested in much of anything, really. She shrugged and stepped away for a moment, and I turned my gaze to Ghislaine, who was standing nearby.
“The envoy said there have been changes in Eris’s behavior. In a good direction. He will return to the capital and report everything to Philemon so he can decide what happens next. To be honest, this is bad news for us, and especially for you. If Philemon proposes a marriage arrangement to Lord Philip, he will most likely agree.”
Bad... I wondered why I was only hearing about this today. I understood that there was no point dragging me into political games, but Philip and I had our own agreement: five years of teaching Eris. If she were taken away, who would I be left to teach? Then our agreement would become meaningless...
Though if Philip still had not told me anything, then there was probably nothing to worry about. Most likely, they would wait until Eris came of age and only then marry her off.
Of course, it was sad to admit it, but there was nothing I could do. Even if I stepped out under the lamplight right now, I had little political power. With the support of the Boreas family, perhaps this farce could somehow be brought to an end, but I did not want to get involved. Especially when the situation was this serious.
“Don’t worry, Rudeus! You will definitely think of something. Won’t you?”
It was nice to hear Eris believe in my abilities so much. It would not hurt for me to believe in myself too.
“We will see.”
For a while longer, we walked through the market under the watch of Ghislaine, who had been sent with Eris as her guard. Finding nothing interesting, we headed back to the mansion. And with that, our day off came to an end. Starting tomorrow, the routine I had already grown tired of would be waiting for us again.
5
A few days later, a package arrived for me. I did not know who had sent it, since there were no envelopes or signatures aside from the address and my name. Still, curiosity began gnawing at me, so I opened it. What lay inside made my heart stop. White fabric was tightly wrapped around some object, and it had a familiar design. I had seen those stitches and that blue ribbon long ago. The very sight of that work of art took my breath away. My hand reached out to check the texture.
“Impossible... Could it really be them?”
I carefully lifted the item from the package and heard a strange sound. Something fell to the floor of my room and rolled under the bed. Naturally, that interested me, but I could not restrain my curiosity toward what was in my hands.
“Roxy, I knew you would return to me!”
Right now, I was holding a snow-white, freshly washed sacred relic. My gaze was fixed on it as if by magic. It seemed someone had washed it, because Roxy’s scent was gone. Ignorant fools. How could they wash away the divine aura like that?
“And this..?”
Besides the relic, there was also a slip of paper in the package. I picked it up and read its contents: “Happy birthday, Lilia.” It seemed she had been taking care of my sacred relic while I was gone. I had already thought I would never see it again. But why did she have to wash it? It would have been better if she had left it as it was...
There was text on the back of the paper as well. “The pendant is a gift from Sylphiette.” I first looked inside the package to find that gift, but it was not there. It seemed it was the very thing that had rolled under my bed.
I bent down to retrieve it. Carved from wood, it looked rather crude, but in every cut and uneven curve, I saw Sylphie’s care. I did not know what meaning the pendant had, but apparently I had treated it quite roughly. Roxy’s relic had gone to my head, and I had not noticed what had been right in front of me.
“Wonderful.”
The pendant came with a cord, which meant I could hang it around my neck. For the first time, I had an accessory. In my previous life, I had not cared about what I wore, so pendants and rings had never interested me. But maybe everything would change now. Maybe from today onward, I would dress much better and eventually win the hearts of many girls!
With that thought, I lay down on the bed and began to think. Yes, exactly. I would wear suits, get a nice hairstyle, and learn a few techniques from Paul. He surely knew at least something useful!
“But first, I should stop wearing the relic on my head.”
I hoped no one had been watching me.
6
Armored Dragon Calendar, Year 418
Four months had passed since my birthday. Spring had arrived. Birds had begun returning from warmer lands, and the morning frosts were no longer so cold. The last remnants of snow fell from the branches and melted on the ground.
I was sitting in the library of the Boreas house when Philip approached me. He said nothing, but I could tell something was bothering him. I tried not to pay attention, yet he stood over me far too insistently.
“D-Do you need something, Uncle Philip?”
He was gazing out the window near my desk. His hands were clasped together, and his gaze was fixed on the sky. From this distance, it was hard to say exactly what Philip was looking at, but I had guesses I should not voice just yet. There was no need to rush.
“Studying? That is good. I hope Ghislaine’s help has been useful.”
Philip understood rather quickly that I was reading a book in the Demon God Tongue. The same one Roxy had sent me. Perhaps he did not understand what was written on the cover, but it was not difficult to guess. Especially considering this city’s history. Without a doubt, some records in the Demon tongue remained here. As the head of the city, Philip must have glanced over them at least once.
“Yes, she has helped me a lot. It is convenient to have a native speaker nearby. Actually, I have already finished studying the grammar of the Beast God Tongue. All that remains is to correct my accent. I would rather not get strange looks while speaking with beastfolk.”
But it seemed Philip had no interest in my monologue. I felt as if I were talking to a wall that had ears but did not listen. His eyes were not even turned in my direction. That hurt, you know?
“Have you already heard the news about the crystal over the city?”
“I am not sure.”
So my guesses had been correct after all. I had already heard a little from Eris about it. Apparently, a crack had appeared in the crystal, and it was worrying the citizens. But what did that have to do with me?
“I try not to involve myself in matters like that. After all, Lord Sauros and you will handle the problem, and I would not be much use anyway. I have never encountered anything like it.”
At last, Philip’s gaze settled on me. He stepped away from the window and approached. His footsteps were heavy, and his hands hung lifelessly near his waist. Was the situation really that bad? Please do not tell me we would soon have to evacuate. I did not want to leave the mansion. It was too comfortable here.
“A pity. We told the people everything would be fine. We posted guards and closed off passage to the hanging tower. We even began investigating the crystal, but we still have not learned anything.” Philip’s manner of speech was the same as always, but his words revealed how desperate he was. “The people who believed in the crystal’s divine nature think someone angered it and that the heavens themselves will soon fall upon us. Ridiculous, is it not? However, that nonsense may cost us dearly. If panic reaches the merchants, we will lose valuable resources. That is why I thought I might be able to learn something from you. After all, crystals are a kind of magic too.”
The hanging tower... It seemed Sauros would no longer have a place to be alone with maids. But the situation really was worrying. And if Philip had come to me for help, things were much worse than I thought.
“I would rather call them tools for magic. They work as catalysts for spells, but by themselves, they perform few functions. As long as nothing is pouring mana into them, everything should be fine.”
At last, my knowledge had paid off. After my birthday, I had decided to learn more about my staff and began studying the topic of wands, crystals, and the wood used for them. I had even found the right book in the Boreas library.
“Hmm...” My words seemed to interest Philip. He sat down across from me and folded his hands under his chin. His eyes bored into me, as if he were trying to read me. “Then what about the crack? Even if you do not know the answer, I would be glad to hear you.”
Damn it. Who had pulled me by the tongue? I was not a scholar, damn it. I still lacked the knowledge to draw conclusions, and I did not want to shoot blindly. This was far too dangerous a subject to throw words around carelessly.
“You know, I would not draw hasty conclusions. Maybe it is just a crystal in the sky and nothing more.”
Hit it, and legendary loot would drop out, just like in an RPG. But crystals in this world did not work like that. My catalyst theory was correct, but something had to be added: yes, they were usually used for amplification, but they could also function as a kind of battery. Spell enhancement occurred because crystals had their own reserves of mana. They powered the artifact and compensated for costs, and then—boom—the spell was ready. You poured in your own mana, and the mana from the crystal added to it. In other words, for the effect of a spell cast with a staff to resemble the ordinary version, you had to reduce the amount of mana you poured in.
“Perhaps... However, I still want to hear your opinion.”
During our conversation, a maid approached us. She carried a tray with two empty cups and brewed tea, and her face bore a strange, almost forced smile. It seemed Philip had prepared for this conversation in advance.
“Thank you.”
The maid left the tea, bowed, and departed. Philip thanked her and began pouring into his cup.
“How exactly does this catalysis work, Rudeus? Is it possible the crack appeared because of a mistake in a spell?”
“Well... It is possible... But I am not ready to vouch for my words. Let us say this cup is the crystal.” I pulled it toward myself and took the tea from Philip’s hands. “Usually, a crystal already contains a portion of mana.” I poured a little tea inside. “That is why spells become stronger when you add your own. However! If you pour in too much mana, it will have nowhere to go.”
I added a little more tea until the cup was completely full. The liquid barely held inside, with a small dome bulging above the rim. One more drop, and it would spill across the table.
“Overload. That is what I would call it. When a tool cannot withstand the power, it begins to break, and cracks like these appear as a result.”
But it was still only a guess. Let us not forget that there were all kinds of people in this world. What if someone disliked the crystal and decided to commit an act of vandalism by destroying it? That would explain the sudden appearance of the crack.
“I see...” Philip looked away and began turning the ring on his finger. “Thank you. You have helped me a great deal. You would make an excellent court magician. Now, please excuse me.”
A slight smile flashed across his face as Philip left the library. He left me alone with two full cups of tea and an unread book.
The whole interaction had felt rather strange. I knew Philip wanted something, but I had not expected him to visit like that. Despite his excuses, he had tried to extract information from me, and once he got what he needed, he immediately ran away. Sometimes I thought that man was stranger than me.
I took a sip from my cup, trying not to spill it, and grimaced. The taste was not bad, but the bitterness... It felt as if they had not added any sugar at all. They had not even put any on the table.
With bitterness in my mouth from the tea and in my heart from the conversation, I continued reading. Wind blew in through the open window and stirred the pages. I raised my gaze in that direction and noticed a pale flash from the crystal hanging near the tower. A thin crack on its surface glowed faintly, like the first line of a spiderweb. The beginning of a pattern that, with time, would inevitably spread farther.
7
Armored Dragon Calendar, Year 419
Behind the sturdy walls of the mansion, in the courtyard of one of its buildings, stood three people: me, Eris, and Ghislaine. Our usual group. The ground was soft and sticky after recent snow and rain, but we had decided to go outside anyway.
The previous year had passed almost unnoticed. Routine had swallowed us all and left nothing behind. There had been a few interesting stories, but none of them had seemed important at the time. There was no point thinking about them now.
“Eris, focus on your mana. Imagine it flowing from your forearm to your fingertips, then release it.”
I stood beside Eris, who held her arms straight out in front of her. Her face had already reddened, and her fingers trembled from exhaustion. We had been here for about half an hour, and Eris had already grown irritated. Especially because, under the pretense of helping, I kept adjusting her posture. “Stand like this and hold it like that.” Somehow, I had still not been punched for it.
“I can’t do it. I just can’t! Rudeus, why do I even need to train silent spells?”
Over the past few years, her magic had improved, but she was still at the Intermediate tier. We were talking about four years. It was impossible for magic training to take that long. Unless Roxy’s words about my genius had been true... But that was only because of my memories from my previous life.
“During battle, it is difficult to run around with a sword and use magic at the same time. If you learn to do it silently, you will become much stronger. You will not have to recite incantations, and...”
“Boring! I do not care about that. I just want to do cool stuff like that Cunnilingus of yours.”
“W-What?!”
I almost choked on my saliva. If Eris knew what she had nearly said, she would not have said it with such a serious face. But I understood what she meant and pulled myself together. Now was not the time for stupid thoughts.
“C-Cumulonimbus. And it is still too early for you. First, you need to learn how to summon clouds.”
“Ghislaine, tell him something!” Eris lowered her hands and threw a glance toward her teacher. Ghislaine only shrugged, as if it had nothing to do with her.
After all, I was the one teaching Eris right now, so responsibility for her behavior lay with me. Ghislaine never interfered with our lessons unless necessary, so today she stood off to the side. I was, of course, teaching her magic as well, but her progress was even worse than Eris’s.
“Fine, I understand. Clouds, shlouds, whatever. Just teach me! You once said I could do it.”
“And I also said you had to work hard and listen to me. You have had fewer lessons recently, so your progress has slowed.”
At my words, Eris folded her arms like a little child and looked away. Her feet were planted apart, her shoulders raised. Eris’s usual pose.
“What about me? This is all Father and Grandfather’s fault. They keep taking me out of lessons for meetings. If not for that, I would have learned it ages ago.”
Good. She still believed in herself. The only pity was that this belief had not led her anywhere. There are no results without hard work, and Eris did not work quite as hard as I wanted her to. She also had somewhat fewer lessons. Thinking about it, she might have had a chance to become a good magician if she had focused on it. But there was nothing to be done.
“By the way, Rudeus.” Ghislaine spoke after Eris had cooled down. “There is something I wanted to discuss with you. Considering that you have not made any progress with the sword recently, we will cancel your training. You will still help Eris, but I will no longer teach you. The condition was different, of course, but I am not capable of teaching you further. You have reached a decent level of technique for your age, but you lack strength. Your body simply is not suited for swordsmanship. I would advise you to focus more on magic.”
There was no pity or disappointment on her face, only professional seriousness. It seemed my hopelessness had finally worn Ghislaine down, and she could not take it anymore.
“My magic lessons will end from today as well. You understand, right?”
“O-Of course.”
And with that, my sword lessons came to an end. Paul would probably be furious.