Chapter 5: I've Come to Introduce a Good Product! (5)
"Magic Sword?"
It was a word he was hearing for the first time in his life, yet it was somehow a name that felt familiar. Judging by the word "Sword," it seemed related to blades in some way, and with "Magic" attached to the front, he could tell it was the name of a magic.
Following the voice in his head, Sid straightened his posture. Blinking as he waited, the passbook's words continued.
["It is a magic that releases and fixes mana in place. It can be flexibly compatible with the basics you currently possess, and we expect that once you become familiar with this magic, it will influence various other magics."]
"Oho, it sounds like a pretty plausible magic? Just from the explanation, it sounds flexible!"
At the plausible pitch, Sid nodded. For a brief moment, he felt it was similar to "something" he knew, but that wasn't important. A magic that would become his specialty! Like a young knight obtaining his first sword, the boy's heart pounded fiercely.
"Then, is there a book related to Magic Sword among the ones here?"
["Confirmed. The second bookshelf. Third from the top, eleventh from the left."]
"Got it!"
The boy sprang up from his seat. Sid immediately headed to the second bookshelf and found the "Magic Sword" book the passbook had told him about. To think it would introduce a magic that suited him—nothing could be more exciting than that.
"Nine... ten... eleven! Found it!"
Sid slid his index finger between the books and pulled out an old tome. He had prided himself on having read every book in the study, and yet who knew there was a book even he didn't know about.
The boy, having finally taken out the magic that would become his "specialty," opened the book confidently. Soon, a familiar name rose from the page.
"Huh?"
Life was not so easy. That very slight sense of discomfort he had felt when listening to the passbook's explanation—it hadn't been an ordinary discomfort after all.
"It's an Iron Fist book! The one we monks used to train with every day!"
["It refines mana to be sharp and hard based on Iron Fist. Its origin is not far off."]
"Hah, what is this? I was expecting something amazing!"
Sid let out a hollow breath. He had thought he was finally getting away from the tiresome monks and walking the path of a mage, yet the first magic recommended to him was Magic Sword—in other words, a variant of Iron Fist! It was utterly absurd. It was as if telling him he couldn't easily clear away fifteen years of monastic life.
The boy glanced sideways at the book and tucked it under his arm. Soon, as Sid finished tidying the study and walked out with the "Iron Fist book," the passbook opened its mouth as if puzzled.
["Are you not going to learn it? I merely recommended a magic that suits you."]
"No. I already know the basics anyway, so I was going to ask the Abbot about it. That would be easier."
The boy, resigned to his fate, smiled awkwardly. It was his first time and all, but even if he started with the familiar Iron Fist, as the passbook said, once he became accustomed to manipulating mana, he could learn other magic anytime. As he was thinking not to rush from the start and to take it slow, an unexpected thick shadow fell upon him.
"What. I was wondering where you were all day, and you were cooped up in the study?"
'Oh no.'
The boy held back a sigh and raised his head. He hadn't wanted to face him one-on-one like this. The wall he had forgotten while only imagining a happy future—it was Diallo's appearance.
"Hoo, it's hot, so hot. And here someone is, reading books under the cool shade."
Diallo shook off beads of sweat and clumps of dirt. Soil and tangled sweat glistened on his dark skin. He was the eldest brother figure in the monastery, save for Chepeshu and Antonio. Though he regarded the youngest, who chased the pipe dream of magic, as a thorn in his eye, he wasn't a wicked person.
"You've worked hard, Brother."
"Yeah, you've worked hard."
Even to the youngest's polite greeting, his reply was nothing but indifferent. Sid hid his pounding heart and swallowed. An enormous difference in physique that he had to raise his head high just to meet. He had only briefly run into him during meal times and had managed to avoid him well until now. The boy's heart trembled.
"Uh-uh."
As Sid tried to get away with quick steps, Diallo took a large stride. He had only moved a single step, but due to his massive bulk, the boy lost his bearings. It felt as if a towering mountain had been plopped right down in front of him.
"Please move aside. I need to see the Abbot."
"Why? Going to snitch again?"
A stinging malice was felt in the voice that rose in a questioning tone. Even though Sid had worked up the courage to ask, Diallo showed no signs of stepping back. Rather, only a deeply contorted expression was directed at the boy.
'Hah.'
Truthfully, he had constantly faced such gazes; it was just that he had never been directly hit. Of course, it couldn't be said that the thoughtless boy was entirely without fault. There was the time he belittled monks by comparing them to mages, and the time he shattered a perfectly fine jar trying to show off magic. He had piled up a mountain of incidents like a troublemaker, after all.
"I asked you. Were you hiding in the study? You won't even answer now? Huh?"
A breath mixed with growling reverberated. The oppressive pressure of a man approaching two meters in height was enough that even a fully grown adult would feel threatened. Rather, it was impressive that Sid stood his ground despite the more than twofold difference in size. Even under such a heavy threat, Sid calmly continued his answer.
"The Abbot said I could stay in the study until I enroll in the Academy. You saw it too, Brother. Me casting Fire Ball."
His bewildered gaze reached the bell of the main hall. Hurry up and ring, lunchtime bell, so this suffocating time would end. That was all the boy wished for. Of course, there was no guarantee the man would back down even if the bell rang, but Sid stared at him. Soon, the mana displayed above Diallo's head caught his eye.
[2,374]
2,374 Mana Coins. As befitting the eldest of the monks, Diallo's mana was a number Sid couldn't collect in an entire day. Of course, thinking about the hundred-thousand unit that Chepeshu had shown, it wasn't an amazing number, but as he was worrying about how to get out of this situation, a voice rang out.
It was the passbook's voice, its intention unreadable.
["Diallo's current mana capacity is 2,374 Mana Coins. If the customer collects mana for more than a day and inflicts
'What?'
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"It's lunchtime! Everyone gather!"
Murphy, who was in charge of meals, broke the silence. The monks who had finished their duties in the quiet mountain gathered, and Diallo snorted.
"Hmph, anyway, be careful. Don't muddy the waters of the monastery. Stay quietly cooped up until you enter the Academy. If possible, don't get in my sight. Ahem."
He moved his mountain-like body and withdrew. Perhaps he had wanted to torment his pesky youngest brother.
'I had no intention of getting in your sight either, you know?'
Sid scrunched his nose and stared at the dinosaur-like man. Only after the massive frame moved away did the boy let out his breath. Sid, having roughly sorted out the situation, glanced at his chest. The words "Mana Burn" and "kill" that the passbook had just spoken lingered.
"Hah, please don't say such things from now on. What would I gain by killing Brother?"
Sid headed toward the main hall where the bell had rung. No matter how thoughtless the boy was or how uncomfortable his relationship with Diallo was, he wasn't extreme enough to want his life. Of course, when he was very young, he had indulged in a few embarrassing fantasies, but those were nothing more than imagination—things that should never happen in reality.
"But what kind of magic is 'Mana Burn'? Is it powerful magic?"
Even with normally fatal curses or powerful magic, harming someone wasn't an easy task. Even if you held a well-sharpened sword, didn't the wielder make a huge difference? Yet collecting mana for just one day could kill... no, subdue Diallo? He wasn't asking because he wanted to try it, but such magic was bound to pique one's curiosity.
["
"A cash bash?"
["It means tough."]
"Aha."
The boy who roughly understood nodded his head. Though it wasn't fire-elemental magic, it had a fierce and violent aspect, as if burning something away with flames. Moreover, evaporating mana meant restricting the abilities of a mage. To restrict an individual's abilities while affecting their life force—what could be a more fraudulent magic than that? Furthermore, since he possessed a passbook that could store mana infinitely, if he had enough mana, "Mana Burn" could become a one-hit-kill weapon.
"Anyway, there doesn't seem to be a Mana Burn book in the monastery. I'll look for it when I go to the Academy. And......"
Sid, who was continuing his words, closed his mouth. Though there was no one around, he needed to organize the thoughts that had come to his mind.
"Please don't talk about killing anyone from now on."
["Diallo threatened you with clear malice. Are you perhaps forgiving him?"]
The passbook responded as if it was difficult to understand. If it had been angry or spoke in a resentful tone, he would have thought it was worried about him. He felt disappointed at how it spoke as nonchalantly as when informing him about magic and information. Having grown attached and come to rely on it, he was disappointed by the passbook's inhuman way of thinking.
"It wasn't something worth killing someone over in the first place. Honestly, it's not like I'm entirely without fault either......"
As he smiled awkwardly, past events flashed through his mind. Now he had matured and caused fewer accidents, but he had never apologized for his past mistakes. So there was no way their relationship would improve. Accumulated mistakes and the bravado of youth—to untangle such a twisted relationship required courage, effort, and time.
"Anyway, understood?"
["Confirmed."]
Though she was still an older sister figure lacking in human emotions, the day would surely come when her sincerity reached him. Sid smiled brightly and picked up the book he had tucked under his arm. Perhaps because he had sweated while facing Diallo, the book was slightly damp.
* * *
"Hoo!"
In the study where sunlight streamed through a small window.
Sid, sitting cross-legged, was busily concentrating on something. Soon, blue mana surged along the boy's hand, then rose up, forming a sharp tip. In the process of shaping and solidifying it, the boy's forehead was damp with sweat.
"Hoo-ah!"
The moment he released his focus, the blade of magic collapsed. After catching his breath for a moment, Sid smiled and scratched his head.
"It's getting a bit better now, right? I think just a little more practice will do."
["It should be released naturally even without conscious effort. Your current Magic Sword is in a very unstable state. Still, since you have the basics of Iron Fist, it is judged that acquisition and usage will be quick."]
"That's praise, right?"
Although it wasn't as flashy as Fire Ball or Bolt magic, as the passbook had recommended, Magic Sword didn't come with great fatigue. It was truly the perfect magic for Sid, who had little mana. The process of briefly creating it when needed and dispelling it when unnecessary was repeated. Even without touching his stored mana, the "blade of magic" easily settled above his hand using Sid's pure mana alone. Thanks to that, the 3,942 coins collected over two days remained intact inside the passbook.
[Details] Balance Inquiry
[Amount Withdrawn]
[Amount Deposited]
[Balance] *3,942 (Chepeshu Monastery)
"Hoo."
Shaking his tingling hand from the repeated training, Sid exhaled. It was the day Chepeshu and Antonio had gone down to buy supplies. They probably wouldn't return until late at night. Such a day was precisely when it was best to stay cooped up in the study and avoid the eyes of the other monks. With one hand, he formed a Magic Sword while turning pages with the other.
Then, a loud voice was heard from outside the study.
"Please leave this place! This is a quiet place with only monks!"
It was the monk Murphy's voice. As such incidents were rare, Sid poked his head through the wooden window frame. Men armed with rough beards and ferocious weapons. The other monks, including Murphy, were confronting them. He naturally frowned at the sight of them clicking their tongues and looking around the monastery.
The boy pressed against the window frame narrowed his eyes.
"What the. Are they bandits?"
- To be continued in Episode 6 -