Chapter 160 The Vision and Medium of Magic
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
On the morning after the day when the three newcomers had joined the settlement, I was at the training ground. However, the purpose this time wasn’t sword training or spatial magic practice.
”Are you ready, Eurus?”
”Y-Yes! I’m all set!”
Indeed, this time it was not me who would be training but Eurus. While he had the potential to use magic, it would be meaningless without actually learning magic. Therefore, I had decided to take time out from brewing to teach Eurus magic and allocate only one or two hours from early morning to noon for training, ensuring that it wouldn’t interfere with nighttime security duties, and I would teach Eurus magic during that time.
”Now, I’d like to start training right away――but before that, there’s something I want to confirm. Eurus, what kind of magician do you want to become?”
”Huh? W-Whatever kind of magician…”
”Though we may all be referred to as magicians, the motivation behind mastering magic varies from person to person. Some seek power to fight, others pursue new magic or magical tools for development, while some may do it for leisure, recreation, or even to prevent insomnia.”
”P-Preventing…”
”In fact, it seems that magicians rarely succumb to dementia even in old age. Leaving aside that tidbit of knowledge, the type of magician you aspire to be will influence what kind of magic you master and even your training methods. Eurus, is there no ideal imagician you want to strive toward?”
”Ideal magician…”
After a moment of pondering my words, Eurus slowly began to speak.
”Back in the day, the three of us shared a dream. We wanted to leave the village someday and explore the wide world.”
”Come to think of it, Seira was saying something similar yesterday.”
”Yes, but to achieve that, we need to have enough power to protect ourselves. However, unlike the two of them, I’m not good at fighting. If possible, I’d like to avoid it. There’s a risk of bandits and monsters attacking if we go on a journey. Moreover, they won’t likely consider my intentions. So, at the very least, I want to have enough power to not be a burden to them… No, I want to be able to protect them.”
”…I see. I understand the magician you aspire to, Eurus. In that case, let’s proceed with practical combat-oriented training.”
”Master Neil’s training?”
”In reality, I too honed my magic skills for combat purposes. So, leave combat-oriented training to me.”
”T-That’s, well… quite unusual. Especially for someone of noble status.”
”Ahaha, well, nobles don’t usually engage in combat-like activities.”
The primary reason I honed my sword and magic skills was due to my excessive wariness when I was initially reborn into a world with magic and monsters. Feeling that it was a dangerous world, I was eager to be able to protect myself when needed, despite not being a soldier. That’s why I focused on developing my skills with practical combat in mind. While these skills have been somewhat useful since I arrived at the settlement, the situations in which they proved useful were mostly a result of me unnecessarily getting involved due to an overly developed sense of justice and responsibility. In truth, I rarely had occasions where I needed to fight. In essence, because I had acquired the ability, I couldn’t choose the option of saying it wasn’t possible for me.
”Well, putting myself aside, let’s hand this over to you. It’s a medium staff. It’s quite risky to cast attack magic without a medium.”
”I-Is that okay?”
”Don’t worry about it; it’s a training staff I used in the past. It’s not a problem. Besides, I have proper mediums for non-training use now.”
As I said this, I placed my hand on the hilt of the sword hanging at my waist, appealing that everything was fine.
”Aww, Eurus got a proper staff…”
A slightly envious voice tinged with jealousy came from behind. Turning around in that direction, I saw Ranbaa looking at us with a look of envy.
”I gave mediums to both of you, right?”
”Even if you call them mediums, aren’t they just wooden plaques…”
”Don’t complain. You haven’t even grasped the basics yet, so even if you’re given proper mediums, you wouldn’t be able to use them properly. If you have time to say such things, concentrate on the basics instead.”
In truth, this time I had not only been training Eurus but also the other two in magic. While they couldn’t answer the magician’s question, it didn’t mean they were unqualified to use magic. That inquiry was primarily meant to gauge their potential. Besides, teaching Eurus alone while excluding the other two felt somewhat unfair and was one of the reasons as well.
However, since the two were still inexperienced to receive training on the same level as Eurus, who had the groundwork, I provided them with a special menu to build their foundation. The content involved imbuing their own magic into a branch lying several meters away, then flowing magic into the inscribed medium with characters. The inscribed medium contained a suction magic, a spell that responded to similar magic by attracting it. The training involved pulling a distant branch closer and then repeatedly throwing it away and pulling it back using this technique. While it might seem quite mundane at first glance, manipulating magic that has left your body is a highly challenging task for those unaccustomed to manipulating magic, and furthermore, controlling magic becomes harder the farther it is from oneself. Therefore, maintaining magic extended several meters away requires a significant amount of concentration and effort.
”Ugh, how long are we supposed to keep doing this simple training…!”
”Well, ideally until you can pick up a branch thirty meters away, I guess.”
As I said this, Ranbaa looked towards Seira, who was seated beside him.
”Hey, Seira, how much progress have you made with what we’re doing now?”
”Well, roughly about two meters, I’d say.”
”So, thirty meters would be about fifteen… uh…”
”Fifteen times, yeah.”
”Ugh! Seriously! Even now, I can’t even budge it a bit! Ugh… maybe I’m not cut out for using magic.”
”Don’t whine like that. I said ‘ideally,’ didn’t I? For now, just focus on being able to pull it about ten meters.”
”Even then, ten meters is four times what I can do now…”
”Five times, you idiot.”
Seira immediately corrected Ranbaa’s mistake, showing that she was adept at calculations. Perhaps she had learned it from someone. She was originally supposed to work with the Harvest Hoe, so she might have learned at least basic calculations as a prerequisite.
”Now, now, let’s cut the chitchat there and focus on the training!”
”Yes!”
Receiving the energetic response from the two, I turned my attention back to Eurus.
”Now, getting back to our conversation, you mentioned learning some basic magic from the traveling magician. What kind of magic did you learn?”
”Pressure magic. The characters are simple, so I thought I could probably cast it on my own.”
”Pressure magic, huh? The characters might be simple indeed, but teaching you to cast magic on your own right from a point where you’re not used to manipulating magic is quite a careless way of teaching.”
”We were the ones who asked for it, and they were a traveler. They probably didn’t have the luxury of teaching us thoroughly.”
”…Alright, I’ve decided. Try casting pressure magic using that staff. But doing it just as a plain cast is a bit dull.”
I flowed magic into the ground, causing a portion of it to rise and forming a thin pole-like pillar of earth.
”Use magic to crush this. It’s relatively low in strength for now, but as you get accustomed, I’ll make it progressively tougher. Now, give it a shot.”
”Y-Yes!”
Eurus readied the staff, attempting to flow magic into it and activate the spell. However, his expression clouded almost immediately.
”Sensations between your own body and the medium can be quite different. The magic might feel harder to perceive because it has left your body. Well, you’ll get used to it eventually.”
While those known as magicians were often misunderstood as using mediums like staffs as mere conduits, using a medium to cast magic doesn’t make casting spells easier; on the contrary, it requires more delicate control as magic detaches from the body, demanding finer control. Yet, magicians use mediums for several reasons. They assist in boosting the power of the spells cast, and they help alleviate the strain on the magician’s body. I once used my sword as a medium to channel electricity to revive Pius’ heart and lungs when he suffered cardiac arrest. However, I ended up being shocked as well. In this way, mediums serve as intermediaries to absorb the damage caused by the magician’s own spells to avoid harming their own bodies. The medium I gave to Eurus this time was not a magical crystal or any other power-enhancing item. It was solely for the purpose of absorbing the strain.
”While it’s fine for now, try to find a medium that suits you sooner rather than later.”
”A medium that suits me?”
”That’s right. Before explaining in words, how about you try using my sword for a bit?”
I drew my sword, scabbard and all, from my waist and handed it directly to Eurus. Eurus, looking a bit nervous, started to flow magic but immediately noticed the difference from using a staff.
”Amazing…! This sword allows magic to flow smoothly.”
”That sword is made with melanicht, which enhances the conductivity of magic more than an ordinary sword. It can conduct magic more easily than a human body can, and it consumes less magic compared to the staff I gave you. However, having magic flow so well also means it’s harder to control.”
”Yes, I actually felt that when magic flowed through it. It’s like the magic is being drawn in, making it difficult to maintain a consistent flow. Shaping it also seems quite challenging.”
”On the flip side, if you use a medium with suppressed conductivity, while it might consume more magic, it’s easier to handle for those who struggle with manipulating magic. Most people tend to choose mediums that have similar conductivity to their own bodies, but it comes down to personal preference.”
”I see… Anyway, being able to master such a difficult medium is incredible, Master Neil!”
”Oh no, I still have a long way to go. My magic teacher uses a mithril staff. There are probably only five people in the world who can handle something like that.”
While it’s a rough estimate, if I consider mithril as ten and mix in melanicht, my sword has a conductivity of around seven, whereas a human body ranges from six to five. Although I understand that my teacher is remarkable, because she’s the closest magician to me and the only one I know personally, I can’t help but make comparisons.
”Having a medium with higher conductivity than this… Your teacher, Master Neil, is truly impressive.”
”Yeah, when it comes to magic, I don’t think I could ever catch up no matter how long I tried.”
After all, my teacher is a magician who received the name Pordhale from the former emperor. Even now, I consider it a miracle that I was able to ask for instruction from him. She’s also my role model, but aiming for his level is far beyond reach.
”Well, for now, the training Eurus will undergo is the same kind of training that I received from that impressive teacher. I assure you it will yield results.”
”Oh, hehe… I have to admit, that’s a bit scary…”
”While it might be a bit on the strict side, don’t worry, I’ll adjust according to Eurus’ progress. Now, let’s continue the training.”
As I pondered how to train Eurus and the others, I observed their training, considering how to guide them.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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