Chapter 19
The familiar ceiling of the carriage.
It was the military carriage ceiling I had been staring at for the past week.
The sound of light raindrops echoed against the dry wood covered with cloth that formed the ceiling of the military carriage.
The moisture was rising, and creaking sounds came from various parts of the wood.
“Have you awakened?”
Alter Heinzel smiled kindly as he saw me waking up, his voice cracking in a way that didn’t match his age.
On the opposite side sat Lir, the elf, who whispered something in my direction. I was still groggy, so I couldn’t fully comprehend what she said, though it seemed to be some form of greeting.
Not particularly important, I decided, and I didn’t bother asking her to repeat it.
“If your level of mastery allows you to use a bloom technique, it must surely mean you’ve reached a good mastery of the Bolt. Why then did you use bloom on such a young dragon? Capturing it with a Bolt alone would have been sufficient…”
“…Even if it’s young, it’s still a dragon. I believed pouring full power from the beginning would be far more efficient.”
I massaged my temples with my thumb as I responded. It was quite a decent excuse for someone who had just woken up.
“A dragon is certainly dangerous, but with your capabilities, Bin, you could have subdued it without resorting to such a risky spell as Bloom.”
Alter’s expression made it clear that he thought using a flamethrower instead of a fly swatter for a mosquito was excessive.
“I wanted to show you the spell I’m most confident with. You seemed like you wished to test me, so…”
I attempted to make sense of my still-clouded thoughts, trying to convince Alter who was looking at me strangely.
“I must admit, your talent has been verified. All the rumors about you were not exaggerated.”
It seemed my justification satisfied Alter as he stroked his snow-white beard and smiled approvingly.
“I apologize if I seemed to test your capabilities. It was necessary proof given all the unrealistic rumors I’ve heard.”
Alter bowed his head lightly, his white hair gleaming, and extended an apology. I lowered my head quickly as well, saying, “There’s no need to apologize. I probably would have been skeptical too.”
“Your apology makes me feel a bit more at ease. Thank you.”
“It’s my privilege. I am honored that Alter Heinzel, renowned master of the magic tower, has come here to mentor someone like me!”
“Teaching one who seems to appear only once every few thousand years? What is a mere magic tower in comparison? You have no idea how remarkable you truly are.”
“Ah, I see. Thank you very much. Hehe…”
…I suppressed a heavy sigh rising from deep within, and awkwardly maintained a smile to mask it.
*
Day 11 of the expedition. Around 2 p.m.
I was fully concentrating, taking in the various theories of magic that Alter was teaching me and focusing on improving my skills as much as possible.
Although the creaking and swaying sounds of the carriage irritated my nerves, I couldn’t allow such precious time to go to waste without utilizing it for study.
“Enhancing the efficiency and precision of magic is not just about uttering the name of the spell — it’s called incantation. Speaking certain words out loud helps the brain solidify magic more effectively.”
Even as my head ached and my limbs screamed in protest, Alter’s voice remained clear in my ears.
It was a strange sensation. Despite the rain and the carriage’s creaks, every word he spoke was engraving itself deeply in my mind, not missing a single syllable.
“Some spells may be the same but can differ vastly from mage to mage. Human brains function differently, so even the same magic will have emphasized or simplified processes accordingly… For example…”
After exactly two hours of intense lecture, Alter concluded, saying, “That’s all for now.”
Lir was reviewing the notes she had made earlier, while I, exhausted from the lecture, reclined with my eyes gently shut.
The cloth covering the carriage was being violently rocked by a downpour.
Even though my mind was scattered, it was automatically organizing the contents of Alter’s lecture.
To summarize the two-hour lecture in simple terms:
1. Spells are not chanted just for flair but to enhance the power of the magic.
2. The words used in spells might vary vastly mage to mage, even for the same magic.
3. Each mage must personally create their own spells.
The core teachings Alter repeatedly emphasized were etched into my mind as if tattooed.
It was an interesting sensation.
Is this how those academically gifted geniuses feel when learning Chinese or mathematics?
Lucky bastards.
“Begin scouting for a campsite! With this rain, night will fall quickly today!”
Unlike usual, the platoon leader gave orders early on to search for a camping spot.
Shortly thereafter, the scouts who had been dispatched returned and guided us to an appropriate flat area.
Once we cut through the dense forest, an unexpected plain unfolded before us. It appeared many adventurers and soldiers had camped here previously, as discarded rusted swords and cracked metal armors were found scattered around.
“Although it’s a bit unfortunate that the surrounding trees block our view, we can’t delay further—night will soon fall regardless. There is no other option but to set camp here.”
Once the platoon leader made his decision, soldiers quickly spread waterproof covers and tents, using steel rods to secure them.
Veteran soldiers built the shelters in less than half an hour.
The ceiling of the temporary tent was low, not allowing me to stand upright, but its near-perfect waterproofing kept the floor completely dry.
On days like this, with a heavy downpour thrashing around, having a dry floor underfoot was nothing short of fortunate.
I politely thanked the platoon leader and entered the tent first.
“I’ll fetch some food before long.”
Alter said this as he addressed Lir the elf standing behind him, drenched in the rain. Lir alternated her gaze between her master and me seated inside the tent.
“Will you fetch the evening meal?”
“Eh? No, no. Absolutely not!”
Lir, her hat-covered head swaying violently from side to side, vehemently opposed.
…What exactly were they talking about?
“Then wait inside.”
“…”
Lir sighed deeply and quietly crawled into the tent.
Alter closed the tent flaps and walked off.
“Given the rain, they probably won’t be able to start a fire properly… meaning we’ll likely be eating bread tonight instead of stew.”
I absentmindedly thought about dinner.
Only if the resupply bread is not too hard would it be somewhat edible. My current body’s jaws were only about half as strong as a normal human’s.
“…”
A somewhat awkward silence began to envelop the tent.
Looking back, during the past week, I hardly had any proper conversation with this elf, Lir.
Given that she’s Alter’s top student and has practiced magic for longer than me, surely there was some kind of knowledge I could gain from her.
“Isn’t this the first time we’re left alone together? It’s a little awkward, isn’t it?”
I initiated the conversation with a smile.
Since Alter himself attested to her being a capable mage, we could possibly discuss spell techniques once we become friends.
“Uh… Yes?”
Lir moved her large eyes around the tent, unsure where to rest them, then lowered her head and muttered quietly.
“Hm?”
Her voice was drowned out by the rain pummeling against the waterproof roof.
“…”
She bowed her head deeply, burying her face in her chest, and cautiously covered her ears with trembling fingers.
Her pointed ears were flushed bright red, as if she were running a fever.
“Why are yo—?”
“Thank you!”
Before my question was even finished, Lir shouted back, her voice cracking.
“…”
I couldn’t help but stare at her, surprised by her sudden outburst.
“Thank you? For what? Right now?”
“Uh… yeah?”
I assumed I must have misheard and so re-asked her.
“You taught me that it’s polite to take off my hat and supported me when I had to apologize! I intended to thank you some day, but we never had any time alone…”
“Isn’t saying ‘thank you’ possible any time? Anyone might think you’re sharing some secret story.”
Just a casual gratitude for my casual advice. Something she could have easily said after Alter’s lessons were over.
“Isn’t it embarrassing if Alter hears it?”
Lir shouted loudly without raising her head from her chest.
…So she finds screaming loud not embarrassing but expressing gratitude in front of others embarrassing?
Is she shy? Or is she overly prideful?
Could you just pick one? I’m getting way too confused here…
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeeep!”
Having returned from fetching supplies, Alter pushed the tent fabric aside, evidently startled by the sudden squeal.
In response, Lir yanked her hat lower, completely covering her already crimson face.
…I refrained from asking why she had started holding her breath. It seemed anything she might say wouldn’t make any sense to me anyway.
“No, not really anything special…”
Alter quickly glanced between me and Lir, seemingly comprehending the situation, before sighing and bending to enter the tent.
From inside his robe, Alter took out the large loaves of bread he had received from the quartermaster and distributed them to us.
At that moment—
“Deploy all units immediately!”
The platoon leader’s urgent order to gather all forces suddenly rang out.
