Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: In Search of the Crows (9)
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"Magic... do you know how to use it?"
After finishing breakfast and munching on some snacks, I turned to Roshanak and asked.
"...Magic?"
"Yeah. Magic."
As a mermaid hybrid, she should possess a vastly greater amount of mana in her body compared to a human. Being so young, that quantity could grow even larger or smaller depending on how she develops it.
"...I've never tried."
"Hey. Use polite speech with your master."
"What's it to you?"
"I've been with him longer than..."
Just as their bickering was about to escalate, I grabbed both of them to stop it and continued.
"Enough."
"But Master!"
"But he...!"
"Enough."
"..."
"..."
My stern tone silenced them in an instant. Ayla, who had been lounging and watching us, let out a long yawn and sprawled out again.
"Back to the original topic. You've never used magic?"
"Yeah."
El glared fiercely the moment the informal speech slipped out.
"...Yes."
"I see..."
Had her parents not taught her magic?
She might have been separated from them right after birth.
Better not to pry into painful pasts.
"Eh, no big deal. You can learn it from now on."
"...Magic? Me?"
"Yeah. Magic."
"How could I possibly..."
I couldn't teach her magic myself. Because I'm a druid.
You learn language from the language teacher, math from the math teacher, English from the English teacher—magic should come from a magic teacher, right?
"Come with me. We've got somewhere to go."
I took Roshanak with me to the Katarina Merchant Company.
"...This is the child?"
"Yes."
"You're really going to use her for... 'that'?"
"She's more than enough."
"Sigh..."
I'd already explained my full plan to Katarina.
Making Roshanak a party member, and teaching her magic.
"She's lived as a pirate, so her basic combat skills are already top-notch. And as a mermaid hybrid... she undoubtedly has far more mana than a human. If you just teach her magic properly, she'll become an excellent asset."
"..."
"If you don't trust her, then find me that mage who wants to dive into the deep sea dungeon."
"Siiiigh..."
Katarina let out a deep sigh before nodding toward somewhere.
"Iris, come in."
At her words, a woman with long, beautiful platinum blonde hair appeared.
"Hello."
"This is my old friend, Iris."
...She's beautiful.
'Someone this stunning would surely have been mentioned in the game...'
I stared at her for a moment before hurriedly adding a greeting.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Theodor."
Iris bowed her head politely. I returned the bow and met her eyes.
"...Please take care of me."
"I-I, likewise... please take care of me..."
Iris averted her gaze and bowed again.
"Iris is a mage with exceptional water manipulation skills."
If done right, she'll be a huge help to Roshanak.
"It's not like magic school, so rules and precision aren't important. Just draw out the talent Roshanak has. That's all I ask."
"...Yes, I'll do my best."
Iris blushed and nodded vigorously.
"Roshanak."
Roshanak looked tense. I gently patted her shoulder and led her in front of Iris.
"This woman will be your teacher from now on, teaching you new things."
"...C-Couldn't you... no, couldn't Master teach me?"
"I told you, I don't know much about magic. I'm a druid."
"B-But..."
"Don't worry. I'm your guardian."
At that, Roshanak's expression visibly relaxed as she looked at me.
"Learning magic means you can get stronger."
"..."
"Getting stronger means the things that bully you will disappear."
"..."
"So, do your best."
Roshanak nodded.
"I'll come pick you up after class."
"Yeah. No, yes..."
I stroked Roshanak's head before watching her leave with Iris. Then I turned to Katarina.
"No sign yet of that crazy mercenary who wants to go into the deep sea dungeon?"
"...Of course not. We're at the point where even you'd buy a combat slave."
"Roshanak isn't a combat slave."
"Not a slave?"
"No. I promised to grant her freedom once this job is done. So it's just a contract."
"...You're a really peculiar person."
"In what way?"
"You buy a slave just to free them..."
"I told you, not a slave."
"..."
Katarina shrugged as if she couldn't comprehend.
"Anyway, we need one more person to tackle the dungeon."
"No matter how high the pay, no one's stepping up. We just have to wait."
"Look on the bright side. Roshanak needs time to grow anyway."
"Aren't you too laid-back?"
"Hahaha. That how it seems?"
"I'm starting to worry."
"There's no one you can trust but me anyway."
After some chit-chat that wasn't quite chit-chat with Katarina, I left. I couldn't just train Roshanak—I needed to train El too, and check my own skills and status.
'First things first, I should give 'that' back to El.'
El had grown tremendously through our journey so far.
It was time.
'Time sure has flown.'
Lost in an uncharacteristic sentiment, I returned to the inn. I took El, who was brushing Ayla's fur, to a nearby clearing.
A pleasant sea breeze blew. El prepared for training as if it were routine.
'The little kid wandering the cursed land has grown this much already.'
I watched her quietly before calling out.
"El, hold on a sec."
Then I pulled 'that' out from my subspace ring.
El's face showed clear surprise. Shock, joy, sadness, happiness, longing... a flurry of emotions crossed her features.
She covered her mouth, unable to speak.
"It seems it's time to return it."
"..."
"Here."
I handed El the bastard sword of Duke Reinhardt, called the [Lion's Heart].
El stared at the sword for a long while with a flushed face on the verge of tears, then gripped it firmly.
Now the girl had grown enough to wield her father's sword.
'Already like this...'
Time flies.
No, it was more that El's growth speed was astonishing.
Especially after receiving guidance from Jamil—it had been rapid.
"...Thank you, Master."
In the end, a single tear rolled down El's cheek.
I didn't need words to know what she was thinking. I silently patted her shoulder gently.
"I'll... get even stronger."
I smiled in response instead of words.
If El wanted to grow stronger, if she had the will, I'd help her however I could.
I'd had a skill prepared for El long ago.
[Weapon Binding].
This was a skill players learned upon acquiring high-end weapons.
With it, you could fight as if you were truly 'one' with your weapon.
"El."
"Yes, Master."
"Close your eyes."
"Yes."
"And focus all your mind on the sword."
As El closed her eyes, I could feel her power gathering in the hand gripping the sword.
I drew a large circle around El, then inscribed a ritual invoking the blessing of Belek, the god of war, along its edge.
I placed three top-grade magic stones at key positions.
I could see the mana pouring from the magic stones flowing along the ritual I'd inscribed.
Normally, for [Weapon Binding], the player chooses the god whose blessing to receive, but since El wasn't a player, I chose for her.
Belek, the god of war.
Even Arjan, the sun god, said he couldn't beat Belek with a sword.
If Belek's blessing watched over El, she could surely grow strong enough.
"Urgh..."
El let out a small groan, overwhelmed by the influx of mana. It must hurt. Becoming one with the sword isn't easy.
"Hang in there, El."
"...Yes!"
It would take at least half a day for the top-grade magic stones' mana to deplete.
That is, if El could endure it properly.
If she couldn't, the stones and ritual would all be for naught.
"..."
I watched El suffer.
Until the sun set and the moon rose in its place.
-Thud.
And El endured.
The magic stones oxidized and vanished, the ritual faded completely. Only the sword and El remained, now firmly bound. Having held out to the end, El collapsed. Even in collapse, she never let go of the sword.
"...Good work, El."
I stroked the head of the unconscious El, gathered the sword, and carried her back to the inn.
'From tomorrow, I need to get her a proper swordsmanship instructor.'
El was beyond my level to teach now.
Just like assigning a mage to Roshanak, I should assign a swordsman to El.
'We have time until we fill the last party slot anyway...'
Before starting the deep sea dungeon conquest, there was plenty of time to grow El and Roshanak.
And me too.
* * *
"..."
In a deserted alley, a man stood alone in the darkness, pulling out a crumpled paper from his bosom and reading it intently.
The paper announced recruitment for a mercenary to conquer the deep sea dungeon, with substantial pay.
Announcements for deep sea dungeon mercenaries flooded from every merchant company, always overflowing everywhere.
But the one this man held was different.
It sought only one mercenary.
The issuer was either insane or a con artist—or both.
-Crumple.
The man crumpled the paper again and tucked it away.
'This one feels different.'
He gazed at the Katarina Merchant Company's mansion glowing in the distance.
'Or maybe this one's the same too...'
Stroking his bushy beard lost in thought, he stared at the flickering light, then pulled his cloak tight and vanished back into the shadows.
-Caw. Caw.
Crows cried in the distance.