By the Grace of the Gods: Volume 2

by Roy

  I saw them off in confusion — weren’t we going to train in the same place?

  When I asked Camil, he answered, “It’s for safety, I guess. You’ve heard about how the young miss has a lot of magic energy, right?”

  “Yes, I was informed.”

  “She has trouble controlling magic because of it. It hasn’t happened recently, but in the past the magic she fired would fly in random directions... And each shot had several times more force than that used in actual combat.”

  That certainly sounded dangerous...

  “But like I said, that’s in the past. It barely ever happens anymore. Today is more like a precaution.”

  Camil seemed to be heavily emphasizing that it was okay now. Maybe it was awkward because he was talking about someone he worked for... I felt bad pressing the topic further, so I suggested we get to practicing.

  “Good idea. We should begin too. You can use a little bit of attack magic, right?”

  “Yes. I can only use the basic attack magics, though.”

  “Okay. Can you show me all the attack magics you can use?”

  “I understand.”

  I faced a nearby boulder and launched the basic attack magics of the fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice, and poison elements — Fireball, Waterball, Windcutter, Earth Needle, Stun, Ice Shot, and Poison, respectively.

  “Yup, you’ve got the basics down well. You’ll be able to learn the next magic easy. First... I’ll show you an example of each, then you can try for yourself.”

  “Please do.”

  “Here I go, then. First is the fire magic, Fire Arrow.”

  The moment Camil chanted the spell, fire converged at his hand to take the shape of an arrow. He threw it straight at the boulder. The arrow hit the target boulder directly, bursting into flames with a light sound.

  “First is the elementary attack fire magic, Fire Arrow. It flies faster than Fireball and has more penetration power too. This is the easiest and most popular fire magic to use. Give it a go.”

  “Okay.”

  I recalled Camil’s Fire Arrow and tried to recreate it. I created enough fire for a Fireball in my hand and compressed it, imagining the shape of an arrow...

  “Fire Arrow.”

  The Fire Arrow I launched was formed just like Camil’s magic, flying through the air and bursting upon impact with the boulder.

  “Yup, that’s a success. You’re very quick on the uptake, being able to do it one go.”

  Huh? In times like this, wasn’t the typical reaction in light novels to be suspicious? Should I brush it off?

  “I use a bow and arrow, so it was easy to imagine.”

  “I see, that must have contributed to it.”

  “Contributed?”

  “Yup. It happens sometimes with people who aren’t magicians but have high magic-related skill levels. The magic they use in their daily lives gives them the capacity to use attack magic they haven’t formally learned yet. With those kinds of people, a little bit of practice and clear imagination allows them to use it. Depending on the person, they can learn it within two or three tries.”

  Oh, so there was nothing abnormal about learning magic fast... That was good. Come to think of it, the young miss was able to use Bubbly Water in two tries earlier, too. If I had noticed that, I wouldn’t have needed to worry...

  After that, we continued in a similar manner until I learned the attack magics Water Shot, Wind Hammer, Rock Bullet, Stun Arrow, and Ice Arrow. I also learned the defense magics Fire Wall, Water Wall, Wind Shield, and Ice Shield in no time at all.

  But in return, a little problem occurred.

  “Uhh... I’ve run out of things to teach you... We can move on to intermediate stuff, or work on improving your speed... hmm...”

  It seemed like my magic learning speed wasn’t abnormal, but it was still fast, leaving me with nothing else to learn for today. That was when Sebas appeared.

  “Is something troubling you?”

  “Sebas.”

  “Ryoma’s been so quick on the uptake, he’s learned everything for today already.”

  “I see, so that’s what happened. In that case, I can teach him from here. Since I can teach space magic.”

  Oh, that would be awesome! I could learn space magic from one of the leading magicians in space magic in the kingdom!

  “Then my job here is done. Do your best, Ryoma.”

  “Thank you very much, Camil. I look forward to learning from you, Sebas.”

  I thanked Camil and bowed my head at Sebas with a merry smile.

  “Then let us begin. First, just to confirm, can you use any space magic other than Item Box?”

  “I can use Teleport.”

  “Could you demonstrate it?”

  “Yes, of course. Teleport!”

  ■　■　■

  ~Sebas’ Side~

  Master Ryoma activated his Teleport and appeared next to the nearby boulder. He continued to activate it four more consecutive times. After moving around the area, he returned to me.

  Due to the nature of teleportation magic spontaneously moving the caster to a different location, it wasn’t uncommon to see beginners lose their balance immediately after landing — but I couldn’t see any sign of that. Wonderful. It was a basic level of magic, but I could see how experienced he was through his activation speed and natural movements before and after. He seemed to have learned it well, practicing via repetition.

  “That was splendid, Master Ryoma. If you can do that much already, I believe you’d be able to use the intermediate magic Dimension Home and mid-range teleportation magic Warp.”

  “Really?!”

  “Yes, really. Master Ryoma, do you know the reason why space magic is categorized as the hardest to use of the higher elements?”

  “No, I don’t know.”

  “Then, could you explain how to use space magic?”

  “It’s built upon the basis of using magic energy to interfere with air and distort it.”

  “Exactly. However... most people are tripped up by the basic step of using magic energy to interfere with space. Space is something that is always present, but it is rare to find people who are aware of it enough to use it in their magic.”

  Most textbook examples for space magic had vague wording such as ‘engulfing all that is of this world’ which left the majority of people with an unclear image within themselves, making their interference incomplete.

  All that was required was a comprehensive grasp of where one was located and where the space to use magic was. But this wasn’t something that could be explained. Understanding through language was still incomplete. One could only gain a sense of space through repetitive practice. Without that sense, there was no using intermediate or above space magic.

  “Many people are shocked by this, but elementary and intermediate space magic are actually the same.”

  “?!”

  Fufu... He was as surprised as I expected.

  “Long before we were born... there was no elementary space magic, and some even say there was no division of elementary and intermediate magic at all. The reason was because the first step to space magic was to have a proper sense of space. Those who did not have that would fail or have incomplete space magic, but as times changed the number of space magicians decreased and fell in overall quality. Thus, what was formerly basic magic became intermediate magic, and incomplete intermediate magic became elementary magic.”

  “Does that mean I can use the intermediate Dimension Home and Warp in the same way I use Item Box and Teleport?”

  “Yes. Dimension Home will need supplementary explanation, but that is correct for Warp. Extend your teleportation range even further than Teleport, as long as you have a firm grasp of your destination, you can go as far as your magic energy will allow you. Let’s see... how about you try the top of that boulder over there, first?”

  I pointed to the furthest boulder within visible range. The top of it was flat, so it had the perfect place
to stand. It wasn’t tall enough to cause great harm from falling, either.

  “I’ll give it a go.”

  Master Ryoma immediately took up the challenge. An earnest attitude like that made teaching more worthwhile.

  How many magic students have I had now...? Being born with a talent for space magic, in my youth I was zealous about making use of my talent while working for the Jamil house, devoting myself to training and studying as a butler.

  When I journeyed with the previous head of the family, that magic proved to be useful. After the journey was over, I assisted the previous head every day... It was from that time on that I was hailed as one of the kingdom’s leading space magicians. Being on the move while transporting all of the previous master’s belongings in my Dimension Home played a large role in that. I was in the public a lot too.

  As a result, many people asked me to take them on as a pupil. I ignored all the written requests addressed to me, but some of them used their connection with the previous head as a shield for me to tutor their sons.

  As I couldn’t ignore such requests, I taught them... but there wasn’t much that could be said for them. I stopped counting the number of students I taught past 100, but ultimately less than 10 people were able to reach an intermediate level. There were some noble sons that wouldn’t listen when I told them that space magic couldn’t be imparted with words and complained instead of practicing.

  People like Master Ryoma who listen to what others say earnestly and try to tackle magic practice eagerly — those are the people worth teaching. All the more so if they have the talent. Has there ever been a case where I have voluntarily sought to teach magic? Perhaps so, but I cannot recall.

  Even as I’m thinking these things, Master Ryoma has his eyes closed in concentration. Quietly and deeply, as though he cannot hear any of his surroundings. It’s wonderful that he has such an impressive concentration for his age, but I wonder what kind of training could result in this...

  Looking back on it now, Master Ryoma has been a mystery from the moment we met. I first heard that he was an odd boy with no parents, living alone in the forest. When I actually met him, he was wearing rather clean clothes for a forest lifestyle and while his speech was awkward, he welcomed us politely. In the house we were invited into, he served high-quality tea and honey. The home was simple, but it was well-built and comfortable to live in — it even had a bathtub. The boy who lived in a house with facilities on par with nobility.

  And the oddest of all was his knowledge and abilities. Steadily working away researching slimes that no one else cared about, increasing his quality of life with cleaner slimes and scavenger slimes, even making unheard of inventions such as waterproof cloth.

  On the way to Gimul, he said he could remove the poison from the rock salt in the Forest of Gana with alchemy, then when Master Reinhart expressed interest he responded with how ‘the small quantity would lose to competition from other production areas’ — trading knowledge that wasn’t available to anyone of his age short of being nobility or receiving merchant education.

  His vacant expression when he arrived in the town and his technique in protecting the young miss from crooks was still burned into my mind. And since arriving in town, he’s already achieved the tremendous feat of preventing an epidemic before it could spread. None of which would be possible with a normal child. The boy who accomplished it all... Master Ryoma normally seemed mature for his age, but recently he had opened his heart to us more, sometimes showing reactions befitting of his age...

  “Sebas.”

  Oops, I was too immersed in my thoughts...

  “Yes, what is it?”

  “I think I can do it. I’ll give it a go.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “...Here goes, Warp.”

  The next moment, Master Ryoma disappeared and appeared on top of the boulder I designated. Once I confirmed that, I teleported as well.

  “Congratulations. Your intermediate space magic Warp was a success.”

  “I did it! Thank you very much, Sebas!”

  Fufu... This reaction was most fitting for his age.

  “Then let’s practice Dimension Home next. Like with Item Box, you open a hole in space and imagine widening it to the size of a large room. I’ll leave out that explanation as you can do Item Box already, but when you’re creating the space, imagine making an environment identical to what’s around you. Unlike Item Box, Dimension Home has air inside. That’s why it is possible to keep monsters and sustain life inside. Being unable to recreate this part is what makes Item Box an elementary magic.”

  “I understand.”

  After saying that, Master Ryoma began to concentrate. It was a more complex magic than Warp, so Master Ryoma made an effort to grasp a sense of it. He chanted Dimension Home several times, but all that appeared was a black hole. These were all failures. I informed Master Ryoma, and he focused again. And failed again.

  Over and over, until he started sweating quite a bit. Despite that, Master Ryoma’s focus did not wane.

  With the occasional break in between, four hours passed until Master Ryoma muttered, “...Dimension Home.”

  The hole that appeared before Master Ryoma’s eyes was... white.

  “Congratulations. You’ve succeeded at Dimension Home as well.”

  “All right! Thank you very much! Now I can put my slimes inside and move them around!”

  “I’m glad to have been of help. If you find the space you’ve made just now too small, you can make another new space to extend it, though it will use more magic energy. The hole you make will show as black if it’s a failure and white if it’s a success, so be careful.”

  “Got it.”

  “Now, it’s about time to return to the young miss. It will be getting dark soon.”

  “Huh...? Ah! A lot of time has passed...”

  It seemed like he hadn’t noticed. He may have continued forever if he hadn’t succeeded. Any normal person would have depleted their magic energy and thrown in the towel by now... It was clear that he had magic energy that rivaled the young miss in this regard.

  “You were concentrating hard, after all. Let’s go, then. Warp.”

  There were several intriguing things about him, but I’d continue to watch over him quietly.

  Chapter 2 Episode 3: Invitation Received

  ~Ryoma’s Side~

  I was focusing so hard I forgot about the time... Sebas brought me back to the present and warped us to where Eliaria and the others were. I only noticed once we arrived, but our Warp practice had moved us pretty far.

  “Welcome back, Ryoma.”

  “Hey. You took quite a while; how far did you go?”

  “Did you learn any new magic?”

  Once they noticed our arrival, Eliaria’s party came running over.

  “Yes, thanks to Camil and Sebas.”

  “That’s good. Care to show us, if you still have energy left?”

  Reinbach said. I first went through all the magic I learned from Camil. Next was Dimension Home... It took around ten seconds to open up the entrance. I still needed practice.

  “Dimension Home.”

  It was a success. When the entrance opened, everyone other than Sebas froze. Come to think of it... at my age, using Item Box was impressive enough. I was so excited, I forgot... Oh well. Sebas already knew, so there was no real way of hiding it. In fact, the four of them were already closing in on Sebas.

  But they soon came to me to praise me too. I could understand it being an impressive feat, but having my head patted over it was a little embarrassing...

  It was nearly sunset after that, so we returned to the inn. However, because steady practice was the best way of learning space magic, I decided to return using Warp. Sebas would accompany me just in case anything happened.

  Thus, we were on our way back when Sebas suddenly remembered something.

  “Master Ryoma, we are planning on taking Lady Eliaria to the abandoned mine in the mountains for monst
er combat practice tomorrow. Would you like to join us?”

  “That sounds nice. You wouldn’t mind if I went too?”

  “Of course not, Lady Eliaria would be delighted. Do you possess any weapons other than a bow and arrow? The mines are narrow on the inside, so I do not recommend the use of bows. You will need armor too.”

  “How about a dagger? I can use magic and martial arts too, but I don’t have armor.”

  “That would suffice as a weapon. The monsters are weak, and the escorts will be there too. The main purpose is to teach my lady how to think about the opponent before moving, and gain that experience.”

  “Then I shall go with a dagger. As for armor...”

  Weapons could be made using earth magic to an extent, but badly made armor would hinder movement.

  ...Come to think of it, I received a letter of introduction from the guildmaster for this. I should use this chance to buy something proper.

  “I think I’ll go and buy some once we return to town. I just so happen to have a letter of introduction from the guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild.”

  “I see, that’s perfect then.”

  ■　■　■

  After we reached town, Sebas went back to the inn while I went to search for the armory. When I found the recommended armory and went inside, I was welcomed by a thick-built man with a creepy, wide smile.

  “Welcome! Are you after something today?”

  “Y-Yes... I’m searching for a weapon I can use in a narrow place, like an abandoned mine. Something like a dagger? And armor as well.”

  “The daggers are on this shelf; feel free to browse around!”

  “...Pardon me for asking, but are you forcing your voice to sound like that?”

  “......You can tell?”

  “...Very easily so.”

  His smile had collapsed within seconds, leaving a peculiar expression on his face... When I informed the man of this, he immediately looked surly.

  “Argh, enough of that! Sorry, kid. Friend of mine told me I was too gruff, so I tried being friendly. Just wasn’t in my nature.”

  “I see. By the way, this is the Digger Armory, right?”