Chapter 142 The Senior Mage
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
While the elf adventurer Tania and her group were out on patrol, the court mage Satsuki was also in the middle of her defense mission using magic.¹
Due to the provocations from the Coalmine Kingdom’s magical weaponry, her mage unit had been forced into a twenty-four-hour state of alert.²
However, it was common for intervals of several to dozens of hours to pass once a bombardment occurred. Following the most recent shelling, the mages were finally able to relax their shoulders a little.
”Phew…”
Having successfully finished her shift for the day, Satsuki couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Preparing for an enemy bombardment that could come at any moment, day after day, wore down one’s nerves—even if all they had to do was sit there.
If a real bombardment came while they were caught off guard, not just her, but everyone inside the fortress would be exposed to danger.
If that happened, headquarters would naturally be destroyed, the Coalmine Kingdom would be allowed to invade, and the Canaria Kingdom would be forced into a grueling battle. It was no exaggeration to say the fate of the nation rested on their shoulders.
”Man, today was just another threat in the end, wasn’t it?”
”Marsetta-san.”
”Yeah, good work, good work~”
As Satsuki stepped out of the court mages’ station, her senior, a female mage named Marsetta, struck up a conversation. She was a court mage like Satsuki, part of the personnel dispatched from the royal capital ahead of time. Satsuki frowned at her appearance.
”How many days in a row have you been up now? You look pale…” Satsuki said.
”Well, I just can’t figure out a way to neutralize that thing yet. At this rate, we’re going to have our hands full just deploying defensive magic,” Marsetta replied.
Marsetta spoke while scratching her messy, unkempt hair tied back. Wrinkles were etched into her eyelids behind her glasses, and deep dark circles were stained under her eyes. Her mage robes were rumpled and worn.
”If you can’t solve it, Marsetta-san, nobody can. You need to eat and sleep properly to regain your strength…”
”Hmm, I know that, but still…”
Marsetta’s specialty was magical weaponry. She was exactly the person most needed right now. The reason Satsuki had been pulled out here was to free Marsetta from the defensive magic shifts so she could focus on a countermeasure.
Satsuki could imagine that Marsetta felt even more pressure than she did as a defense specialist, but it would do no good if she collapsed. Satsuki decided to make her eat and sleep.
”Look, I’ll go get you something to eat, so please go take a shower. You smell a bit.”
”Ugh, really?” Marsetta asked.
”Yes, you smell veeeery bad. Now that you understand, hurry up and shower!”
”Okay…” Marsetta muttered.
In reality, if one smelled closely, it was only a case of “well, maybe she smells?”; however, Satsuki lied to make her rest. Perhaps being told she was “smelly” by a junior wounded her pride as a woman, as Marsetta obediently headed for the bath in her private room.
As a key figure in this battle, she was provided with a private room, a soft bed, and even a shower—treatment befitting a general. However, since she did nothing but hunch over her desk and worry, Satsuki was frustrated that these amenities were almost never used.
”Here, it’s just soup and bread, but I think your stomach is weak, so please eat slowly.”
”Uuu, thank you, Mama…”
”Who’s a mama? Honestly,” Satsuki replied.
After Marsetta finished her shower, Satsuki made her eat the soup and bread she had pressured the kitchen to prepare. For Marsetta, it was her first meal in exactly two full days. Naturally, she had spent that entire time at her desk, racking her brain.
”Eh, yum, what’s with this soup?”
”It’s just egg soup with some cheese added. I’m glad if you like it. Oh, it’s also delicious if you dip the bread in it.”
”Wha—it’s true, it’s… too delicious… Is it the spices? The ingredients? No, simply the way it’s made…?”
Being served such a delicacy in the middle of a war zone—something she couldn’t even eat back in the royal capital—made Marsetta tilt her head in confusion.
”Could you always cook, Satsuki? I thought your cooking was a disaster when I made you make staff meals at the lab before…”
”P-Please don’t bring up such old memories. Back then, I had just graduated from the academy and started living on my own.”
”Ah, well, academy students do nothing but study. I get it, but even so… Ah, aah, I see. I’ve figured it out. It’s a man, isn’t it?”
”N-No, you’re wrong! I’ve just started cooking a bit lately…!” Satsuki stammered.
It was a bullseye. While it wasn’t a lie that she learned to cook while living alone, that tendency had grown significantly since she started working at the magic shop ‘Harvest.’³
While eating the unnecessarily delicious staff meals at that shop—or rather, the meals Kento made—Satsuki started to think this might be bad for her as a woman and began learning to cook from him.
Of course, it wasn’t just that; it was a skill acquired through the desire to serve him food and the ulterior motive that cooking together felt a bit like being a married couple.
”Yeah, yeah, I get it. Dammit, while I’m all alone sucking on a ‘Ddo-Buddy’, you’re enjoying a fresh ‘Ddo-Buddy’, huh…”⁴
”Watch your mouth!!!”
”Eh, are you really chomping down on it?” Marsetta asked.
”How can you say that while we’re eating!?!?”
Though flustered, Satsuki felt a small sense of relief that Marsetta was back to her usual self. Being blunt and teasing wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it was more like her.
”Sigh, honestly… So? Didn’t you have something to talk to me about?”
”Oh, yeah, you noticed. That’s right, I was looking for you, Satsuki.”
”I’d actually prefer you sleep first, but I’ll listen for now,” Satsuki said.
Perhaps because she had eaten, or because she had teased Satsuki, Marsetta’s complexion looked slightly better. Satsuki gave up and decided to hear her out.
”The point is, we’re lacking magical military power on this side. If the war starts, we’ll be forced to deploy defensive magic because of that weapon, and they’ll be free to fire as much as they want. In the middle of that, if they launch a magical attack separate from the weapon, we won’t be able to keep up.”
”That’s true. I don’t want to think they can launch another magical attack while operating that thing, but…”
”Whether they can or not doesn’t matter. We have to stay on guard either way. If anything, that provocation might be a decoy to impress us with the weapon’s power.”
Satsuki worried as she listened. If they tried to block the shelling, they couldn’t block normal magic attacks, and they couldn’t counterattack. Conversely, if they ignored the shelling, the front line would collapse in a single hit. The image of the Canaria Kingdom army being forced into a gradual retreat flickered in her mind.
”So, it would be best if we could destroy that magical weapon, but they know that too, so the defenses will be perfect. The next best thing we can do is have enough magical defensive power to withstand the enemy mages even if they come out.”
”…If we could do that, we wouldn’t be struggling, right? Didn’t you just say we don’t have enough mages?”
At Marsetta’s words, Satsuki tried to think of a way to block the enemy mages’ attacks, but no good ideas came to mind. The only way would be to prepare magic items that could deploy defensive magic, but there was no way they’d make it in time now.
”Yeah, it’s probably impossible. That’s why I thought of a third way. Not defending, but attacking. To the point where their mages become incredibly busy.”
”…You mean ignoring the magical weapon? Assuming they won’t fire it anyway. Even for a gamble, the odds are too bad. The moment they realize our mages aren’t prepared with defensive magic, it’s over, isn’t it?”
”No, no. The mages will continue to deal with the magical weapon. Instead, we’ll hide those who can perform magical attacks among the regular soldiers.”
”…Wait, are you talking about the ‘Hot-Shot-kun X-Type’?” Satsuki asked.⁵
”Correct!”
Understanding what Marsetta was getting at, Satsuki entered even deeper thought. Indeed, she had heard that during this winter, the ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ had been very helpful in disrupting the enemy.
Flame attacks that should normally only be possible for mages were flying from regular soldiers on patrol. Thinking it was a new strategy from this side, the enemy mages even began joining their scouts in the latter half.
Certainly, if it went well on the battlefield, it might be possible to scatter the enemy mages and force them onto the defensive. Or perhaps the reason the enemy wasn’t attacking now was because they mistakenly thought there were enough mages here to do that. However…
”I understand what you’re saying, but the firepower of ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ is at most at the level of an apprentice magic user’s fireball. It might be good for surprising people in guerrilla warfare, but I don’t think it can disrupt a battlefield.”
”Yeah, so I’m talking about whether we can increase that firepower!”
Marsetta said this nonchalantly in response to Satsuki’s concern. Satsuki didn’t think it would be that easy, but Marsetta, who was high from staying up all night, wouldn’t stop.
”Since the phenomenon of a ‘spark’ already exists, it’s not hard to work with it. Just like it’s easier to heat up water to make hot water than it is to just produce hot water out of nowhere!”
”And how are regular soldiers supposed to work with that spark…?” Satsuki asked.
”We have magic stones prepared to create a counter-magical weapon! We can use those by crushing them to supply the power source!”
”That sounds like it might be bad in its own way, but what kind of magic circuit do you plan to build…? Who on earth could build a circuit for a small magic tool like ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ that anyone can use, and that actually has decent power, in just a few days…?”
”You and I are going to do it!” Marsetta exclaimed.
”I understand, Marsetta-san. Let’s go to sleep.”
”No! I’m not going to sleep yet!!!”
After a bit of a struggle, Satsuki finally succeeded in sinking her throwing-a-tantrum senior into the bed.
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Summary:
Satsuki finishes her magic defense shift and meets her exhausted senior, Marsetta, who is obsessed with finding a countermeasure for enemy weapons. Satsuki forces Marsetta to shower and eat, leading to a lighthearted conversation where Marsetta teases Satsuki about her improved cooking and a potential man in her life. Marsetta reveals her plan to upgrade the ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ magic tools to allow regular soldiers to launch powerful magic attacks. Despite Marsetta’s manic enthusiasm to start work immediately, Satsuki eventually forces the sleep-deprived mage to rest.
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Character Insight:
Satsuki demonstrates a growing maturity and nurturing side, likely influenced by her time at the magic shop. Her concern for Marsetta’s hygiene and health shows she values her comrades’ well-being over strict military hierarchy. Marsetta, while brilliant and dedicated, exhibits the classic ‘mad scientist’ trope, pushing herself to the brink of collapse for the sake of the kingdom. The dynamic between them highlights the immense psychological pressure the mages are under, masked by humor and everyday interactions like teasing about romance and cooking.
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Behind the Scene:
The ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ (火炎放射器) is a recurring magic item in the series, representing the modernization/industrialization of magic for non-mages. Marsetta’s mention of ‘Ddo-Buddy’ refers to a specific type of adult toy sold in the shop, highlighting the ‘Adult Goods’ theme of the web novel and how it has integrated into the daily lives/slang of the characters, even court mages.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
• Marsetta – A senior court mage and specialist in magical weaponry. She has disheveled hair tied back, wears glasses, and has deep dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. She hasn’t eaten in two days and is under heavy pressure to find a countermeasure for the enemy’s weapons.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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