by Hyougetsu
I thought it was just simple reasoning, but my deduction apparently shocked Gomoviroa. She jolted upright and exclaimed, “How did you—!? You have sharp wits, boy...”
“Huh? Uhh, thanks?”
“Wind and water are more similar than they appear. Thus, spells to manipulate water are also effective at manipulating the wind... However, few understand that instinctively like you do.”
“I-I see...”
I was at a loss for how to respond. To be honest, I hadn’t expected her to be this impressed. Gomoviroa’s interest was piqued now though, and she asked me another question.
“Let’s try this next. The spell to make an enemy’s weapons and armor rust requires you to first learn the spell to set things alight. Why is that?”
We learned about that back in middle school. If I recalled correctly, it had something to do with oxidation. Though I had no idea how to explain that in a way that didn’t seem suspicious. After a little consideration I said, “If you burn a needle or a nail, it becomes dull and brittle. When something rusts it also becomes dull and brittle, so I guess fire and rust must be related somehow?”
“Indeed. Well reasoned, boy.”
Gomoviroa looked impressed, but honestly, this was getting a little awkward. It’s not like I’d made that observation on my own or anything, I’d just happened to already know. Gomoviroa nodded to herself a few times, then sighed.
“It would be a waste for someone of your talents to languish here. However, werewolves are hunters by nature. I imagine a hunter such as yourself has no interest in the mysteries of magic...”
Now hold on just a second! I would like nothing more than to be taught magic, actually. My physical strength was average for a werewolf, but I felt like if I learned magic I’d be able to grow much stronger than I was now. And if I grew stronger, I’d be more respected too. At this rate, I was doomed to forever be the laughingstock of the Garney brothers.
Besides, if I learned how to use magic, I’d be able to hide our village better from humans, and we’d have an easier time hunting for game and farming vegetables. I straightened my posture and joined my hands together in a pleading gesture.
“I want to become a mage like you!”
Surprised, Gomoviroa cut short her musings and looked up at me.
“You wish to become a magician? Why would a werewolf turn to magic?”
“I’m...not really that strong. But I want to be!”
Upon hearing that, Gomoviroa’s expression grew stern and she asked, “For what purpose?”
“I want to protect everyone in the village. Also... I kinda want the other kids to respect me more.”
In truth, the latter was more of a driving force than the former, but I was too embarrassed to say that. Gomoviroa was a little taken aback, but then she chuckled and said, “You’re one honest kid... Very well, I suppose we can at least find out whether or not you have the aptitude to use magic.”
“Really!? Thank you so much!”
“But know that if you lack the talent, you will have no choice but to... Are you even listening to me?”
And so, I became the Great Sage Gomoviroa’s disciple. From that day onward, Gomoviroa would visit our village regularly. Every visit, she would give me a lesson, then assign me with homework to complete by the next time she came.
“First, let us have you master the basic foundations of magic to see what class of spells you’re proficient in.”
“I’ll do my best, Teacher!”
She put a finger on her chin and looked pensively at me.
“Teacher, huh... I know all my other disciples call me that, but could you not find a more grandiose name to call me?”
The heck’s that supposed to mean? I guess there is one thing I’ve always wanted to call someone.
“Okay, Master Gomoviroa!”
“Mmm, I like the sound of that. You have good naming sense, boy,” she said and patted my head.
Gomoviroa’s training was much harsher than I’d expected. While I possessed naturally large mana reserves, Gomoviroa struggled to find styles of magic I had any affinity for. First, she tried to see if I could use necromancy like her.
“The fundamentals of necromancy stem from speaking with the spirits of the departed, and leading them to salvation. It is only those who understand and care for the dead who are granted permission to use their mortal shells. It is a magic that must never be misused.”
“Yes, Master!”
As most mages were mortal, they tended to pick up on the concepts of necromancy with relative ease. Unfortunately, I had no aptitude for it whatsoever. I managed to learn enough to control undead creatures other people had summoned for me, but I couldn’t raise them myself.
“It’s rare to find someone so unsuited to necromancy... In a way, it’s a talent unto itself.”
Even Master was impressed by how little talent I had for necromancy. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was reincarnated.
Next, Gomoviroa tested my potential in phantasmal magic. As the spells in this category all required little mana to use, it was easy to see whether or not one had an affinity for it. Unfortunately, it appeared I wasn’t suited for phantasms either.
“I see you have little artistic talent.”
“I like looking at pictures, but I’m not very good at drawing them.”
“‘Not very good’ is an understatement, my boy. Try absolutely terrible. Is...that meant to be an apple?”
Master pointed to the tiny illusion floating in front of me.
“It’s supposed to be a wolf, Master.”
“A wolf, you say...”
I know I’m not very good, but at least don’t mistake it for an apple!
After that, we tried destruction magic.
“In order to create a fireball, one must combine the spell to ignite a spark, the spell to maintain something at a constantly high temperature, and the spell to throw mana.”
“That sounds like a lot of effort.”
“Because it is. Even masters of destruction magic need ten seconds to summon a fireball. Nor are these fireballs all that powerful... At your level, the best you’d be able to create is something strong enough to singe a log.”
“Sounds like it would be faster to just transform and beat my enemy to a pulp.”
“It would indeed. Let’s just move on to the next category.”
Next on the list was transportation magic.
“By the way, boy, are you good at arithmetic?”
“Nope.”
“In order to teleport just yourself to a place you can see, you need to solve equations on this level in your head. Does this make any sense to you?”
The moment I saw the formula Gomoviroa was drawing, I abandoned all hope of ever learning transportation magic.
“Just so you know, in order to teleport somewhere further than what you can see, you need to manage twice as many formulas. The greater the distance, the more complicated they get.”
“I give up...”
Transportation magic required solving for the destination coordinates all in your head, which was something so difficult even Master still struggled with it.
“Also, for long-distance travel, you need to also factor in a large elevation difference. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself meeting a grisly fate.”
“What’ll happen to you?”
Gomoviroa closed her eyes and sighed.
“The first time I used a teleportation spell, I went so far up that it looked like night even though it was noon. Worse, the air was too thin to breathe, and it was so cold I almost froze.”
In other words, if you didn’t account for the curvature of the planet when teleporting far away, you’d find yourself in space.
“I’m amazed you made it back alive, Master.”
Gomoviroa trembled and whispered, “The world...”
“Hm?”
“The world was so blue.”
“I see...”
Yeah,
I’d have been terrified too.
Spirit magic came next.
“This is one we’ll have to skip over, I’m afraid... I can’t teach it to you.”
“Why’s that, Master?”
“The hearts of others are an eternal mystery to me...”
Things like telepathy, hypnosis, and brainwashing all sounded really interesting, but as Gomoviroa had no talent for them I’d have to find another teacher if I wanted to learn. After telling me all that, she took off her pointed hat and floated into the air. She looked oddly forlorn.
“Veight.”
“Yes, Master?”
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a spell out there that gave you friends?”
“But I already have friends...”
We tried plenty of other categories after that, but for one reason or another, none of them really clicked with me. One month had passed since I’d become Gomoviroa’s apprentice. She floated unsteadily in the air, lost deep in thought.
“Mmmm, I never thought finding magic that suits you would be so difficult.”
Though she was a little shaky, she’d improved with flotation magic enough to the point where she could make herself float.
“Master, you’ve gotten a lot better at floating now.”
“Well, though I may be your teacher, I am still learning myself. Incidentally, the spell to make oneself float is a subset of strengthening magic.”
Since it was called strengthening magic, I thought it would be more suited to combat, but according to Master’s explanation, it was something closer to the buff magic you saw in RPGs.
“By condensing mana inside your body, you can strengthen different parts of yourself. That’s how strengthening magic works. However you can strengthen yourself simply by transforming into your wolf form, so it’s likely not as useful for you.”
While she might think strengthening magic was unnecessary for werewolves, I was still interested in learning it.
“But if I knew how to use it I could fly in the sky or walk on water like you. That sounds like a lot of fun to me. Plus, it’d probably come in handy.”
“However, it will do nothing to shore up your weak points. If anything, it’ll only improve the areas you’re already proficient in.”
As strengthening magic was focused on yourself, it wasn’t very useful at long ranges, which was where werewolves struggled. When a werewolf transformed, their hands and claws became a lot larger, meaning they had a hard time using bows or javelins.
“Though humans are weak individually, they can utilize cavalry and castle walls to maintain their distance from a werewolf. Furthermore, if they shoot at you from a distance, you’ll have no way to fight back.”
As there were far more humans than there were werewolves, if we ever got stuck in a battle like that, we’d be obliterated. Humans weren’t our only problem either. There were other demons out there who released poison spores or spread poison mist, meaning you couldn’t get close. And against enemies who breathed fire, werewolves had no choice but to run. Regardless, that was why Gomoviroa was pushing me to try other magic instead, but honestly, I thought strengthening magic could be plenty useful too.
“Master, could I block arrows and protect myself from poison and fire with strengthening magic?”
“Of course you could, but... Do you plan on strengthening yourself to withstand those kinds of attacks and then charging headfirst at your enemy?”
“I mean if I could get close, my fangs and nails would do the job just fine.”
Gomoviroa lapsed back into thought.
“Hmmm. It’s true that a werewolf’s transformation is similar to strengthening magic, and it does seem like something you would be suited for, but...”
Now I really wanted to try it.
“While the spells themselves may be simple to construct, do not forget that it is your own body that is the medium here. Failure might result in damage to your flesh.”
“I understand, Master.”
And so, I started learning strengthening magic. This was how Gomoviroa started my first lesson: “The simplest and most important thing when it comes to strengthening magic is knowing how to make yourself heavier.”
“Why heavier?”
“I believe a practical demonstration would be the easiest way to show you. Here, lift me up.”
While Gomoviroa may have been far older than me, she still looked like a pretty little girl.
“Come now, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. A child like you shouldn’t be worrying about such things yet.”
“But I mean... Umm, could I just give you a piggyback instead?”
Gomoviroa’s expression grew stern, and she shook her head.
“Absolutely not. If something happens, I may end up breaking your back by accident. If you’re holding me in your hands, no matter how heavy I get, you can just drop me. Now stop complaining and hold me up.”
Even if it was for safety reasons, I still felt awkward holding up Gomoviroia. Also, she seemed strangely insistent.
“If you insist... Up we go.”
Master was small enough that even in my human form I was strong enough to lift her. Unlike werewolves, who were all built rather sturdily, Gomoviroa was thinner than a twig. Also, she smelled really nice. And for some reason, she seemed rather happy when I lifted her up.
“Yes, splendid. I’ll begin now, so once you feel I’m too heavy, feel free to drop me.”
“O-Okay.”
A second later, Master’s weight increased rapidly.
“Whoa!?”
She weighed as much as an adult now. A child like me didn’t have the strength to keep holding her up. However, dropping a girl because she was heavy was one of the rudest things a guy could do. Before I’d been reincarnated as a werewolf, I’d been a man. Not just any man, but a true gentleman. And now was the time to prove I still was.
“Nnnnnnnnngh!”
“This really isn’t the time to be trying to show your strength off, boy.”
As she said that, Master waved her staff. A second later, her weight returned to normal. Throughout the whole thing, her appearance hadn’t changed at all. However, her weight had definitely increased to that of an adult’s.
“That is how the spell to increase one’s weight works. On its own, it’s rather useless. But it incorporates the fundamentals of strengthening magic, so it’s important for beginners to practice. Much like a martial arts form.”
She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and scrawled something onto it with her pen before handing it to me.
“This outlines the basic procedures of how to use the spell, and how you’re going to use it to train. Make sure you don’t slack off on your practice.”
“Yes, Master!”
After that, Gomoviroa vanished for quite some time. It appeared she was still in the middle of her investigation and still had other regions she needed to inspect. There was no telling when she would have time to come back. So for the time being, I continued practicing the routine she’d told me.
“First, relax your muscles and take a deep breath.”
In order to sharpen one’s focus, it was necessary to first relax the body.
“Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, and swing your arms back and forth.”
I got into the proper position and started swinging my arms like I used to do before going swimming in school. Though it was the same routine every time, I made sure to double-check that I was doing everything just as Master had written down. All of these preliminary exercises were so that I didn’t accidentally put in too much strength.
“Then finally...smile, and tense your muscles a little!”
Smiling naturally caused me to calm down some more. However, it was important not to relax too much, which was why the routine ended with tensing yourself again. Alright, preparations complete. It was finally time to start chanting the spell. It wasn’t the kind of fancy-sounding incantations I’d made up back when I was in middle school.
It was a real, proper incantation. Honestly, that made it even more awesome. Without further ado, I sang, “Iete! Kaahn! Viirii!”
For a chant, it was pretty short. Even the shortest chants I’d come up with had taken up a full three lines on my notebook. That being said, this spell was apparently so short because the incantation had been refined down to its most efficient form. Longer chants were both harder to remember, and harder to say in the heat of combat. And so, mages were constantly researching ways to abbreviate them to only the necessary sounds. Also, it seemed that once you got used to chanting a spell, you could shorten it even further. For example, the weight increasing spell sounded something more like “Itkanvir” when said by people who were practiced with it. Eventually, you’d get so used to a spell that you could chant it in your native language, and then eventually just cast it without a chant at all.
“So did you get heavier?”
Surprised by the sudden voice behind me, I leapt into the air.
“Whoa!?”
Turning around, I saw it was Monza who’d interrupted me. Her family had been hunters for generations, and they were the ones who procured most of the village’s meat, which explained why she was so good at sneaking up on people. She’d grown up surrounded by experts at stealth and tracking. Not only that, she never let her own guard down.
“Looks like you didn’t, or you wouldn’t have been able to jump so high...”
I hung my head sadly in response to Monza’s words. In truth, I’d yet to see my practice bear any significant results. If I’d had a scale, I’d be able to tell if my magic was having any effect at all, but as it was, all I knew for sure was that I wasn’t getting heavy enough that I could feel it. More importantly, though, there was something I needed to make sure of.
“Hey, Monza.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you hear me chanting?”
Monza grinned wickedly.
