Dong—
The dawn bell rang.
The sound slipped into my ears through my sleep. It was coming from somewhere in the Healing Sanctuary, and since dawn was so still, even the smallest sound carried clearly.
I turned over once beneath the blanket.
‘Ugh, I’m freaking exhausted...’
It was just before sunrise. The light seeping in through the gap in the window was faint, and the air in the room was chilly. When I reached a hand out from under the blanket, the cold air touched it at once.
My body felt heavy, but I was used to this much by now.
After waking up around the same time and working my body in the same way for days on end, my body reacted first as soon as the Sanctuary bell rang. It felt kind of like a training camp.
I slowly pushed myself up.
“Haa...”
I let out a short breath, sat on the edge of the bed, and lowered my feet to the floor.
The cold sensation climbed up through the soles of my feet. A little more of my drowsiness fled.
I roughly straightened my clothes and opened the door. The hallway was still quiet. Only the candles deeper inside the Sanctuary flickered low, and from far away, I could faintly hear something like water boiling.
I went to the wash area and washed my face with cold water. The chill of the water running down my cheeks snapped me awake.
Just then, footsteps sounded from deeper in the hall.
It was Father Edric. He was looking this way with his usual blunt face. Maybe because the hallway was dark, his face looked a little scary.
I shook off the water and bowed my head lightly.
“Good morning.”
“You’re awake.”
“You’re up early too, Father.”
Edric’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“Have you ever seen me wake up late?”
“Um... no...?”
He let out a breath that was almost a snort, then glanced over my face.
“Going to the training ground again today?”
“Well... yes?”
“You’re more diligent than you look.”
Thud.
The cup of water on the table was pushed toward me. His tone was brusque, but his actions were the complete opposite.
I grinned and picked up the cup.
“Thank youuu.”
“Just come back without dying.”
“It’s nice hearing such kind words first thing in the morning.”
“Stop spouting nonsense and get lost.”
I emptied the water and stepped outside.
The eastern edge of the sky was glowing faintly. A clear birdsong came from somewhere, and the gravel crunched beneath my feet as I headed toward the training ground behind the guild.
As expected, Garen was already at the training ground.
The first thing that caught my eye was his broad back and shoulders. This man always stood there like that. At that point, calling him diligent didn’t feel like enough.
I walked up to Garen and spoke.
“Mornin’.”
Garen slowly turned his head.
“You’re a little early today.”
“I woke up a bit earlier to try and match your arrival, Brother.”
“...A good idea.”
“Oh, praise!”
“Don’t get excited.”
“Hing...”
I smiled and picked up a wooden sword. The sensation in my hand was familiar now. I was still clumsy and rough, but it no longer felt strange.
Garen also picked up a wooden sword.
“Come.”
“Yes, sir.”
The moment he finished speaking, I went in.
The first exchange was fast.
I raised my wooden sword in time with Garen’s movement to block, then twisted the blade to deflect the blow before the impact could spread.
Crack!
The sound of wood colliding shattered the dawn air.
I immediately took another step in. At the same time I blocked Garen’s sideways swing with the flat of my sword, I lowered my body and slashed upward from below.
Whoosh.
Garen dodged it with ridiculous ease.
‘Fuck. He dodged that?’
The counterattack came immediately. I twisted my shoulder to avoid it and received the attack. My palm rang with numbness, but I didn’t let go of the sword.
The next instant, I failed to dodge the blow flying toward my thigh.
Thwack.
The heavy impact shook my lower body.
“Ugh.”
“Focus.”
“I am... focusing... you know!”
A few more exchanges passed.
Blocking, deflecting, sticking close, counterattacking.
Garen’s sword was still heavy and fast. I was definitely better than when I’d first started, but at every crucial moment, Garen’s movements grew deeper.
That sensation felt strangely familiar.
The moment when Roy had wrapped something around his sword and swung it when I first came here suddenly came to mind.
“Stop.”
Garen spoke curtly.
I planted the tip of my wooden sword on the ground and caught my breath.
“Phew...”
Sweat ran down my forehead and dripped beneath my chin. Garen, on the other hand, stood still with a face that showed not even a single disturbed breath.
“That wasn’t bad.”
“Right? I think I held out a little today.”
“...A little.”
“I’m grateful even for that little.”
I steadied my breath once more and asked.
“Brother.”
Garen stopped his hand as he was about to pick up the water bottle.
“Back in the goblin den. I saw Roy wrap something around his sword and swing it.”
“And?”
“At first, it looked like the magic Mari uses, but thinking about it now, it felt different. What exactly is that power?”
Garen was silent for a moment.
After a short silence, Garen opened his mouth.
“The power Roy uses isn’t magic power.”
“...Then what is it?”
“Aura.”
Aura.
The name fell heavily.
I asked almost immediately.
“Then how can I learn aura?”
Garen looked at me for a moment, then said calmly.
“Aura is not a power that comes from muscle. You feel the mana flowing inside your body, grasp it, and make it into your own power.”
“...Mana?”
“Yes. It exists in the air, in nature, and inside your body as well. Mages use it in the form of magic power, and warriors use it in the form of aura.”
I looked down at the hand gripping my wooden sword.
“Then aren’t they basically similar in the end?”
“The root is the same. Only the method of handling it is different.”
Garen lifted the water bottle, then set it back down.
I asked almost immediately.
“Then... shouldn’t I be able to learn it right now too?”
Garen looked at me for a moment.
“The time it takes to awaken to aura varies wildly from person to person. There are some who realize it at a young age. But far more never reach it even by the time they die. If fast, a few months. Usually, several years. There were many who never realized it in the end.”
A few months. Several years.
Suddenly, it felt far too distant.
I smacked my lips and asked.
“Then... is it impossible to use aura and magic together?”
This time, Garen answered immediately.
“It’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Once a power has solidified, it cannot be changed. The form of the power built up inside the body hardens as it is, and one can only use a single kind of power.”
Garen tapped the ground with the tip of his wooden sword.
“Aura, magic. I’ve never seen a human who could properly use both.”
It was a short statement, but it lingered strangely long.
‘So you can’t change jobs? Hmm... honestly, I should at least try maxing out swordsman.’
I was silent for a while. Then, in the end, I asked.
“Then... could you teach me how to use aura?”
Without any particular change in expression, Garen said,
“One month.”
I immediately asked back.
“...Pardon? One month?”
“Come out every day for one month, including the training you’ve done so far. And show me that you’re growing.”
Garen looked straight into my eyes and added,
“If you’re someone who can endure that, then I can teach you how to reach aura.”
My breath stopped for an instant.
“Really?!”
“However, being taught does not mean you’ll be able to use it right away. Don’t misunderstand.”
“Come on... even just teaching me is huge.”
“I’ll give you the chance. If you grow properly by the end of the month.”
Garen picked up the water bottle.
“Don’t be impatient.”
“...Yes, sir.”
“You’re on the faster side when it comes to growth. For now, build your foundation first.”
Those words strangely sounded like comfort.
One month.
Rather than some vague, distant several years, that was much better. A distance that felt like it was just barely within reach. A distance I might be able to reach if I endured.
I wanted it.
✧ ✧ ✧
After training ended, I turned my steps toward the Healing Sanctuary.
The whole way back, my head was full of what I had just heard.
Aura, mana, one month.
As I passed deeper into the hallway, I saw Roy’s face through a gap in an open door. He looked much better than before. His eyes were clearer too, and the way he lay there looked far more comfortable than it had at first.
I thought about just passing by, but my feet stopped for no reason.
That was when Roy’s voice came from inside.
“What are you doing not coming in?”
I went in awkwardly.
“You’re awake.”
“Yeah. A while ago.”
“How’s your body?”
“Well, doesn’t feel like I’m going to die right away.”
I laughed softly.
Roy looked at me for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
“Something’s strange about your face.”
“...Pardon?”
“Did something happen?”
“I just... want to use aura like you, Roy.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes.”
“...Feeling impatient?”
“A little.”
Roy let out something like a hollow laugh.
“You don’t need to make that kind of face.”
“Still... everyone has some kind of power they can use.”
“So?”
“I’m still just a normal person, a rookie who only swings a sword.”
Roy leaned his head back against the bed and said,
“If you keep enduring, you’ll eventually grasp it.”
It was a short statement. But Roy’s words lodged themselves in my head.
“Surviving is also an ability. You joined the party in my place, and you’re surviving together with Mari and Kaya. That’s an ability too. You’re doing well. Everyone realizes that far too late.”
Silence flowed for a moment.
I sat down on the chair beside the bed for no particular reason and asked,
“When did you first feel aura, Roy?”
Roy looked up at the ceiling for a moment.
“...About half a year after I started training. Before that, I just swung a sword. That was around when I first felt the sensation of something flowing inside my body too.”
I listened quietly.
“When I tried to grasp it, it scattered. When I tried to use it by force, it cut off. Creating a core came much later than that.”
Roy stopped speaking there.
“How much later?”
Roy answered briefly.
“Two years.”
My eyes widened a little.
“Until then, all I had was a feeling like I almost had it, but didn’t. I could feel aura inside my body, but accumulating it and binding it into a core was another matter entirely.”
I swallowed without realizing it.
“It was after that that I first manifested aura too. Even after creating a core, for a long time I couldn’t properly load it into my sword. It was only enough to brush past for a very brief moment. Like, did the sword get a little heavier, did my fingertips get hot? That was about it.”
“Then... after that?”
Roy smiled very faintly.
“I became a Sword User in my fourth year of training.”
“...”
“I wasn’t particularly fast, and I wasn’t particularly slow. I just held on until the end.”
The room fell quiet for a moment.
It hadn’t come from talent. He had simply held on until the end.
After a moment, I asked,
“Roy, how old are you?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“I’m twenty-five.”
“Yeah.”
I blinked.
“You’re older than me.”
One corner of Roy’s mouth lifted slightly.
“Guess I am.”
I cleared my throat for no reason and said,
“Then... can I call you Brother Roy?”
This time, he didn’t laugh outright, but his gaze softened a little.
“Sure, call me that.”
That short permission felt strangely nice.
I smiled a little for no reason.
“Recover soon, Brother Roy.”
“Yeah. You don’t collapse first either.”
“I’m making the effort.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Silence flowed for a moment.
“Endure. The one who endures wins in the end.”
“...Are you comforting me?”
“Shut up.”
“Heh.”
“Hurry up and get out there to earn some money.”
“Heh, got it. Rest up.”
“Yeah.”
I stepped out of the Healing Sanctuary.
Roy’s voice still remained in my head.
Two years. Four years.
I didn’t know whether that was fast or slow. All that remained were the words that he had simply held on until the end.
✧ ✧ ✧
When I arrived in front of the guild, Mari and Kaya were waiting for me.
Mari was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking up at the sky, and Kaya was standing quietly beside her.
“You’re late.”
“I got beaten up by Brother Garen for a bit, that’s all.”
“That happens every day... But why are you coming from over there?”
Mari pointed her chin toward the Healing Sanctuary.
“Ah, training ended early, so I stopped by for a bit to see Brother Roy.”
“Really?”
“Yep. And I learned something new today too.”
“What?”
I hesitated for a moment, then said,
“That there are lots of cool things in this world.”
Mari looked at me like she was staring at a weirdo.
“What are you talking about?”
Kaya looked over my face once and asked,
“You’re not overdoing it, are you?”
“I’m totally fine~”
“Hard to believe.”
“Why does nobody trust what I say...”
“It shows on your face.”
After handing the commission over to Luce, we headed into the forest.
My head was still a mess.
So I casually asked Mari, who was walking beside me.
“Is everything you use magic, Ms. Mari?”
Mari glanced at me once.
“What else would it be?”
“It’s just... amazing. I thought magic was just throwing fireballs around, but I guess it’s not.”
“How provincial.”
Mari snapped that back and fell silent for a moment. But it seemed she couldn’t just let it pass after all.
“Magic isn’t just power you pour out as hard as you can.”
Her tone had become subtly clearer than before.
“Just now, I wasn’t only throwing fireballs. I blocked the scout-type’s escape route and created an opening for you to go in. I also cut off the flow before the two warrior-types could close in at the same time.”
“Oh...”
“So magic is far more delicate and complicated than it looks on the surface. Just because it looks flashy doesn’t mean it’s all the same kind of magic.”
Mari’s eyes had come to life a little. She was still curt as usual, but once the topic turned to magic, something about her definitely changed.
I spoke honestly.
“Magic... is cool.”
Mari closed her mouth for a moment. Then, with her gaze turned away, she muttered.
“...Of course it is.”
Kaya laughed softly beside us.
“Ms. Mari, I think you’re getting a little excited now that we’re talking about magic.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“Ugh... shut up!”
I swallowed my laughter.
‘How cute.’
After that, a few more battles followed. The flow Mari had explained began to show itself in actual combat. The direction the fireballs flew, the timing of the flames spreading. They weren’t just attacks. She was creating paths.
When the battle ended and I was catching my breath, this time my eyes went to Kaya.
If magic was the force that shook the board, Kaya’s power was the force that held our allies together. It kept us from collapsing even when I went in too deep.
As I shook the blood from the tip of my sword, I asked,
“Is the power you use different from magic, Ms. Kaya?”
“Yeah. It’s different.”
Kaya answered briefly.
“It’s holy power.”
“Holy power...”
“It’s not a power you draw out like mana. It’s closer to accepting it and handling it. Healing and support both come from there.”
“Then not just anyone can use it.”
“Right.”
Kaya looked ahead for a moment before adding,
“And it’s also the power you need first when you have to save people.”
Those words suited Kaya well.
✧ ✧ ✧
Even after running commissions, eating, washing up, and returning, only three words remained in my head.
Aura, mana, holy power.
Even as I took out the coins I’d earned today and counted them, my hands stopped.
I was the only one who still had nothing.
‘I want to use them too.’
One month.
If I endured, built myself up, and survived for the one month Garen had mentioned, then at the very least, I could learn how to reach aura.
That was enough.
I intended to endure and, in the end, grasp that power for myself.