by Ryota Hori
There could be no comparing the two houses. Like Count Salzberg said, this was a gap that would take not decades, but centuries to truly overcome.
“Yes, you’re... you’re right.” The more she thought about this logically, the more reasonable her husband’s words felt.
“Yes, Yulia, you’re worrying about it too much. I swear, woman... Heheh... Well, no matter. If you’re that worried, we can send that maid from last time as one of our conditions for the contract and have her leak information for us. We did prepare her for this, and I doubt Mikoshiba will complain. Will that curb your fears, darling?”
Lady Yulia nodded. She did acknowledge the truth behind his words. And that was why she decided to stop worrying about it. The human intellect couldn’t fathom just how high the price that decision would go on to cost them was.
“Yes, that’s fine. Let’s do that... Then, I’ll add a few clauses and sign it. Once we legally own the vein, we should be safe.”
“Mmhmm. I’ll leave handling that to you. Heh, didn’t imagine I’d hear you say something like that, though... That man’s future is something to look forward to.”
He spoke with the arrogance of a man in power looking down on the weak. But those words would go on to seal House Salzberg’s fate. And several days later, the two of them officially sealed the contract. Count Salzberg gained possession of the vein without paying a single coin, and Ryoma gave it up for free.
And yet, no one could accurately say which one of them truly profited from this transaction. Not until the day the two of them locked blades, at least...
Chapter 2: In Search of New Power
“C’mon, you can do better than that! Your swings are weak! Put more force into it! Swing like you know you’re gonna cut through the enemy even if they’re in full armor!”
Twenty children swung their swords in practice, sweat rolling off their bodies as the sun’s rays poured down on them. They’d had their breakfast and were now two hours into their training. Another group of children was training a short distance away. Each group of children was instructed by a member of the Crimson Lion group.
“Our lad may be easy on you, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off! After all, he’s not the one who’s gonna die when it’s time for war! That’ll be you! Imagine someone you hate is right in front of you! There, you imagining it?! In that case, cut them down, kill them! Put everything you have into it!”
Shouts and battle cries echoed through the plain. This was indeed the sight of soldiers being trained. Battle cries were important in real combat, as it both roused oneself and rattled the enemy. And even during training, it served to rouse the children’s emotions. As soon as they began showing fatigue, the volume of the instructors’ shouting rose up at once.
The mercenaries training the children knew all of this from first hand experience. As soon as the children’s battle cries grew weaker, they shouted at them.
“Mike! How’s it going?” Ryoma called out to one of the mercenaries.
“Ah, it’s you, lad. Doing the rounds?” Upon hearing Ryoma’s voice, Mike let the scowl on his face relax. “All right, all of you, take a break! Don’t try to cool off with your sweat, wipe off and line up once you’re done!”
At those words, the children cheered happily.
“Go on, on the double!”
The children realized this amicable man only scowled and shouted at them because this training would have implications on their lives. One couldn’t function as a teacher if their students made light of them.
And while the mercenaries didn’t see physical punishment as an optimal solution, it was at times necessary. If it would truly lead to their survival, they didn’t mind being feared and hated by these children. They would beat and put them in their place if the situation called for it.
Well, it would be a huge scandal if this was Japan... Ryoma cracked a bitter smile as that thought crossed his mind.
“Oh, looks like each squad’s training is going smoothly... We should be starting comprehensive combat training tomorrow, right? I’ve been wondering about it.”
It was roughly a month since Ryoma divided the children into squads of five, and organized them into platoons of four squads each. Of course, each platoon was led by an experienced member of the Crimson Lions.
In other words, he had the mercenaries teach groups of twenty, with those that weren’t allotted to any platoon patrolling and helping with training exercises. Ryoma did all this to make sure the children acquired real experience on the battlefield as fast as possible. He concluded that discarding training their individual skills in favor of building up their teamwork would increase their chances of survival.
He saw Helena as a living example of this. By casting aside the dignity and pride knights boasted, she elevated herself to the rank of Rhoadseria’s Ivory Goddess of War. In other words, she focused on safe battle in numbers rather than the individual strength of each soldier.
Ryoma decided, then, that casting aside individual training to begin with would allow them to learn faster. Of course, they would have to focus on their individual skills in the future, but if they were to rear them up to become an immediate army, he decided it would be better to focus on one aspect.
They were split into groups of five, and they all ate and slept in the same place. Living like that for a month formed a sense of fellowship between the children. And that feeling of camaraderie filled them with a desire to keep one another safe. The results were exactly what Ryoma hoped they would be.
The only question that remained was how much of the basic combat training really sank in within this one short month.
“Well... You should probably ask old Boltz and Sis too, but if you ask me, they’re doing well. They’re putting their voices into it, and they seem to get along as a group, too... All that’s left is to see them do all of that without turning to look at us.”
The children still held some suspicion and fear toward Ryoma and the mercenaries, but at the very least they weren’t apathetic anymore. They gladly ate their food and had their clothes washed. They slept within tents Ryoma’s group had erected, and while it wasn’t as soft as a real bed, it was much better than how they were treated when they were slaves.
But most importantly of all, their expressions became brighter, likely owing to the fact they no longer had to fear the whip. Or, at the very least, they knew they wouldn’t be beaten for irrational reasons.
As proof, the children didn’t seem to be eyeing Mike with terror. Even as he shouted at them with a severe expression on his face, the children realized he was treating them as equals. This was something Ryoma firmly instructed the Crimson Lion mercenaries to do before the training started. And thankfully, the Crimson Lion’s members were all of commoner background, so they easily understood Ryoma’s intentions.
Most adventurers and mercenaries were of common birth. They all thought, at one point or another, that had luck not been on their side, they may well have ended up slaves themselves. Had Ryoma told someone of knight or noble pedigree to treat the children with respect, he’d be scoffed at for trying to treat slaves kindly and ignored.
“That’s good, everyone seems to be getting by... I looked around the other squads, and they all seem to be working on their sword swings.”
“Aye, we’re having them train that way. Their form’s getting better, given it’s only been a month...”
The children were gripping swords meant for adults, provided to Ryoma’s group by the Mystel Company. Following the negotiations they had a few days ago, Ryoma gained connections with the Mystel Company with Count Salzberg’s recommendation. Count Salzberg did know about his meeting with Simone, but apparently Ryoma was able to successfully convince him nothing came of it.
Everything’s going according to plan for now. Ryoma nodded with satisfaction at Mike’s report.
It had been only a month. They were given proper meals, sufficient time to sleep and moderate training. Thanks to that, the children’
s adolescent bodies gained muscle mass at a steady pace. Of course, one month’s worth of training wasn’t enough to elicit any kind of dramatic change.
But little by little, ever so gradually, the children were maturing. When the slave merchant handed them over to Ryoma, they were all emaciated from malnutrition. But the slaver didn’t lie when he said he picked healthy slaves.
“But really, giving them round candies as rewards for good behavior really does work... They all practice with a different light in their eyes. Having them train while dangling prizes over their head. That’s the kind of idea only you come up with, lad! The kids are working with an entirely different kind of fervor, you know?”
“That’s good... Well, I guess commoners don’t get to taste sweets too often, either. I figured this would be effective.”
“Yeah... I mean, they’re slaves. Even if you gave them money, they wouldn’t have any idea how to spend it. I think it was a good idea.” Mike concluded his words and cast a kind glance behind him.
There, the children were wiping off their sweat and lining up.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me...” He rose to his feet and grabbed hold of a small sack dangling from his belt.
“Sorry, Mike,” Ryoma suddenly stopped him. “Let me do it today.”
“Huh...” Mike seemed surprised by Ryoma’s order. “Well, all right...”
“Thanks, Mike.” Ryoma said, taking the bag from Mike’s hand.
He then approached the first child standing in the column.
“Your name is... Coile, right?” Ryoma kneeled down, looking at the boy at eye level. “I saw you train. You grip your sword a bit too hard. Try holding it a bit more softly.”
Referring to the boy by name, Ryoma then dropped three gumdrops into the boy’s hand and gently ruffled his hair. The boy, Coile, regarded the fact that Ryoma knew his name with surprise.
“E-Erm... I...” Coile was so shocked he couldn’t properly put his gratitude into words.
“But I know you tried real hard,” Ryoma smiled at him softly. “So today’s special. Go stand in the shade and have your candy.”
The boy lowered his head deeply in gratitude and sprinted off. Healed by the sight of the boy running along happily, Ryoma motioned for the next child to approach him. At the end of each training day, the instructor would give his squad members a gumdrop. If the instructor thought they really put in their best effort that day, they gave them two gumdrops.
So long as they didn’t slack off, they got rewarded — this system made the gumdrops into the single sweetest carrot imaginable. It didn’t require that they tug at each other’s feet to be successful, and made sure they were always motivated.
In this Earth, where sugar was hard to come by, a gumdrop was something most commoners didn’t get to taste often. Ryoma continually bought them from Epirus and handed them out to the children.
And the effects were dramatic, to say the least. In Japan, a gumdrop or two wouldn’t prompt this much joy out of a child, but it was a much stronger stimulant in this harsh world. One could very much call this a revolutionary idea.
And yet, Ryoma’s heart was overcome with a tinge of guilt. It didn’t matter how you tried to prop it up — he was using candy to force children into harsh, rigorous training. And yet, Ryoma knew that bringing his own world’s values into the picture was pointless.
I just gotta remember that this isn’t that world anymore...
And so, still weighed down by a guilty conscience, Ryoma gave each child candy, referring to them by name and giving them a few encouraging words. Once the last child in the column ran off, Mike cracked a wry smile.
“Well, damn... I just can’t match you, lad. This’ll make their morale go even higher.”
No one would call a labor slave by name. After all, a slave’s owner only saw them as tools. But Ryoma referred to them by name, and likely did the same to children from the other squads. He memorized the names of over three hundred people. This was a difficult endeavor to take up.
It was like this when we joined him, too... This man really is something else...
He was a lord the likes of which was hard to come by in this world. And that was why serving under him felt like the right choice. But despite the emotion rising up in Mike, Ryoma interpreted his words differently.
“Hmm? Well, yeah, they cost quite a bit... We’d be in trouble if it didn’t work. Mike, keep working hard on training them tomorrow, too.”
Mike bowed his head deeply at Ryoma’s words — the highest form of honor he could show toward his king.
“You can count on me, lad!”
Accepting Mike’s enthusiastic response, Ryoma walked away.
All the squads are doing well for now... It all depends on how tomorrow’s training will go... The problem is...
Ryoma was relieved with the results of his check on the children, but there was still some anxiety brewing in his heart.
I’m going to start learning thaumaturgy myself tomorrow... I’ve heard about the risks, but I’ll have to accept it, anyway. I can’t take too much time away from Laura and Sara, after all...
Thaumaturgy was a field that was still unknown to Ryoma, but he wouldn’t be able to move forward without learning how to use it. Gaining this new power was absolutely necessary if he was to survive in the Wortenia peninsula.
♱
The next day, the Malfist sisters approached Ryoma as he was resting after breakfast. Being able to teach Ryoma thaumaturgy seemed to have put them in quite the good mood. They were already smiling and clearly enthusiastic, but there was also a bit of a shadow hanging over their expressions. As if something was also worrying them.
“Master Ryoma... Today we’ll start working on helping you learn thaumaturgy. Are you prepared?”
“Yeah. Thanks, you two. I appreciate your help.” Ryoma bowed his head to the sisters.
When it came to thaumaturgy, at least, Ryoma was their disciple, and saw it as natural to treat the sisters with due respect. Sara, however, regarded his behavior with doubt. They were slaves, and he was their master — the fact he lowered his head before them left her bewildered. But upon seeing Laura shake her head, Sara opted to leave her doubts unsaid.
The three of them had worked together for nearly a year now, and overcame many challenges alongside Ryoma. They knew his personality very well. Ryoma Mikoshiba was never one to be haughty and underestimate others, and adhered to decorum and politeness. It came to him naturally, and he did so completely unconsciously.
That was a problem, given that he was in a position that commanded slaves, but that was also what earned him the Malfist sisters’ sincerity.
“Then let us begin. Master Ryoma, do you remember the different types of thaumaturgy we’ve taught you before?”
The Malfist sisters had Ryoma sit in the center of the tent, intending to review his knowledge on the subject.
“Yeah. Verbal thaumaturgy — the one that requires chanting. Martial thaumaturgy, which doesn’t require any chanting, and endowed thaumaturgy, which allows you to seal spells within objects to have them exhibit certain powers. Right?”
The sisters had already taught him a bit about thaumaturgy while they were still wandering adventurers. They didn’t teach him how to use it at the time because they were traveling, which didn’t give Ryoma the leisure to learn.
“Correct. And, all types of thaumaturgy consume prana — one’s life energy — in order to exhibit their effects.” Laura said, to which Ryoma nodded wordlessly.
All of these were things he already knew.
“Prana is a type of energy that exists within all living things. As such, since thaumaturgy feeds on this power, anyone should be able to control their own Prana and learn thaumaturgy to make use of it.”
“Figures... That’s why even the kids can learn it, right?”
Anyone could learn thaumaturgy, regardless of gender or age.
“Precisely. Anyone can be taught this, even if different people acquire the s
kill at different speeds. At the earliest, it would take a couple of months to learn the basics, and at the latest it could take six months. I do mean the very basics of thaumaturgy, but that alone can put you head and shoulders above those who haven’t learned it at all.”
“Yeah, I’ve already told you this, but I’m not expecting to learn how to use it perfectly within just a couple of months. Right now I just want to have the basics down. If that alone should give a child enough manpower to match several adults, after all, then that’s all I need for now.”
Ryoma didn’t think thaumaturgy’s utility was limited to just battle. It could make even a single child as useful as several adults in terms of sheer working capability. They could cut down trees, ferry stones from quarries and erect houses. And it could be made useful in many ways during everyday life. Ryoma couldn’t see himself ever afford to not capitalize on that power, even if that way of thinking deviated greatly from this world’s perception of common sense.
The people of this Earth saw thaumaturgy as a unique power granted to them by a god. The name of that god was Menios — the God of Light. He was one of the six gods that were said to have created this world, and considered the central, chief deity. It was said that he granted the power of thaumaturgy onto mankind.
Not an uncommon narrative.
Ryoma was raised in Japan, a country that was overall quite secular. Ryoma had also experienced many different kinds of subcultures, which made him pinpoint all sorts of holes in this myth.
Many polytheistic belief systems in the past worshiped gods which represented individual concepts, seeing them as the building blocks of all creation. Meanwhile, supernatural powers like sorcery and magic were worshiped as special powers granted by gods, or perhaps feared as demonic influence.
In that regard, the faith in the god of light matched many common threads with ancient religions in the history of Ryoma’s world. Or, put another way, this religious narrative employed many well-used and familiar elements.
But the problem wasn’t the authenticity of this myth, but rather that it was well-known and believed in throughout the western continent. Many people practiced the Church of Light’s doctrine throughout this land, trusting in the perhaps classic dogma that only those who believe will be granted salvation.
