Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Don't Mistreat Your Subordinates. You'll Regret It Later. (3)
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"Sonya... you don't use healing magic?"
"Ah, well..."
To my question, Sonya gave a slightly sheepish smile as she replied.
"...Healing magic is expensive..."
"Pardon?"
According to her, her magic teacher back home was a mage who only knew buff spells.
That's why Sonya, having learned from him, could only use buffs as well.
"On top of that, I don't have much talent for buff magic..."
Sonya looked utterly dejected.
I see.
So she only learned buffs, but lacks aptitude for them.
And healing magic is too pricey to learn from someone else or buy a spellbook for.
An E-rank adventurer's pay is predictable, after all.
But there's something she's getting wrong.
"If you know buffs, you should be able to use healing magic too, right?"
"Huh...?"
Buff magic and healing magic operate on nearly the same principle.
Buffs infuse mana with enhancement or boosting effects and transfer it to the target to grant those properties.
Healing infuses mana with wound-mending, blood restoration, stamina recovery, detoxification, and the like, then transfers it to the target.
Curses, status ailments, and other support spells all work the same way—imbuing mana with specific effects and applying it to the target.
Just tweak the properties of your mana, and you're good.
Buffs and healing are especially similar, so with a little focus on the incantation and mana conversion, anyone could pick it up quickly.
If you truly grasp mana property shifts and form manifestation, that is.
It's like mastering multiple attacks from one base spell.
Of course, support spells are trickier since you're embedding effects directly into the altered mana before applying it.
That's why support mages are so rare.
"So just pay a bit more attention to mana conversion. I'm no expert, but... it's something like image training, from what I hear."
For example, when casting Strength, vividly imagine the target growing stronger.
Picture their wounds closing, poisons neutralizing, stamina returning.
Something like that should do it.
Eh... I'm no pro, but if I give her the gist, she'll figure it out.
She's got C-grade aptitude, after all.
"......"
But Reina and Sonya's gazes feel a bit off.
What's up? Did I say something wrong?
...Come to think of it, we just met today, right...?
To them, I must look like some know-it-all stranger butting in with advice.
...Uh, hmm.
Did I get too excited...?
Seeing them waste good potential right in front of me, I couldn't help myself...!
"That's... amazing. They said you're from the Hero Academy, but wow, you're so knowledgeable."
"Yeah. The principles behind healing and buffs... I've never heard that before."
...What?
I figured I'd get an earful like "Mind your own business, buddy."
Instead, it's all awe and praise.
I just shared some theory and info from books, that's all.
Not even stuff I sought out.
Jenny had aptitude for both buffs and healing, so I picked it up while researching for her.
...Thinking about it, Jenny had aptitude for buffs, healing, and holy magic. How broken is that girl?
A self-buffing, self-healing S-rank magic swordsman stacking mana buffs and holy buffs?
What is that? A continent-destroying demon lord?
Anyway.
Point is, it's just preexisting knowledge. Nothing impressive.
Though I recall the book on support magic principles was in the royal library's secret section...
Anyone who could access it would know. Not that big a deal.
"Haha, nah, it's not that deep. Just a 'what if you tried this' suggestion."
Yeah, anyone with a passion for teaching could give advice like that.
No need to be that impressed.
"And so humble..."
"Wow... you're too cool."
...Even knowing I'm an ex-Hero Academy teacher.
They sure buy into advice from a total stranger quick.
Guess they're just pure-hearted folks.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Reina, wouldn't it be better to carry a melee weapon for close approaches, like earlier? Switch between it and your bow."
"Goblins are one thing, but orcs or silver wolves are tougher. Smacking them with your bow or shooting their throats won't cut it."
Hearing Kane's advice, Reina and Sonya were initially just intrigued.
'...As expected from an Academy teacher. Sharp eye.'
'Definitely not amateur-level knowledge.'
They'd been discussing ways to handle melee lately anyway.
Their half-baked idea was to whack with the bow and follow with arrows.
Other archers used daggers or sidearms, sure—but that cost money, and they lacked time to learn new skills properly.
Half-assed training would be useless in real fights anyway.
"Yeah, a dagger or easy melee weapon sounds good."
Couldn't exactly snap at their employer—ex-Hero Academy teacher no less—with "We already thought of that. Butt out."
So she nodded agreeably.
But his next words hit her hard.
"From how you swung the bow earlier, I'd say a staff or spear over a dagger."
'A staff or spear...?'
The word "spear" tugged at her strangely.
But she couldn't just accept it.
Staves and spears had fatal flaws compared to daggers or small sidearms.
Too long and heavy to swap in a pinch while holding a bow and arrows.
Fine as main weapons, but lousy for quick switches.
"You've got time until monsters hit the backline anyway. And spears or staves are easier to learn than daggers."
But Reina, already hooked, didn't overthink it.
'Yeah, spears or staves are way easier for newbies than dagger work. If things get so frantic I can't switch from bow to spear in the back, the party's already toast anyway.'
"Got it... I'll try a staff first."
Lighter, easier, and cheaper than a spear.
Kane, with his encyclopedic weapon knowledge.
But what truly shocked them came next.
"If you know buffs, you should be able to use healing magic too, right?"
"Huh...?"
He knew magic too.
Not shallow guesswork.
Deep insights even Sonya—who'd scraped together coin to learn buffs and healing—didn't know.
"So just pay a bit more attention to mana conversion. I'm no expert, but... it's something like image training, from what I hear."
He explained how buffs and healing shared principles.
A little effort, and she could adapt it.
'Now that I think about it... yeah, the properties and principles match.'
Obvious in hindsight.
So why didn't anyone teach this?
Modern mages' fault.
Magic was once a scholarly pursuit of truth.
Now? Just pricey skills to buy. No delving into principles when you could earn fine without.
And even those who knew?
Sharing meant fewer paying students.
Anyway, his vast knowledge, casual generosity in sharing, and humility without flaunting it.
'Amazing... This is a real 'teacher'? Night-and-day from those D-rank blowhards who strut like kings.'
'So cool... And up close, he's pretty handsome too.'
They started feeling real fondness.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hah, hah... Damn it! Gimme a potion quick!"
"...Here."
Just as his advice wrapped up.
Kogel—utterly forgotten in the memory—finally staggered back from battle.
Of course, bitching at Reina and Sonya on arrival was par for the course.
Was it my imagination, or was Reina's expression chillier than before as she handed it over?
Snatching the potion anyway, Kogel yanked off his shirt and dumped it on his back.
Sizzle─
"Grrgh... Damn..."
The red liquid hit the gushing wound, hissing as smoke rose.
The injury slowly knit, gone clean after five minutes.
Potions pack a punch.
Taking that long on a shallow cut marks it low-grade, but still 1,000 brats easy.
Casual spending like that.
D-rank party perks, I guess.
...But that idiot Kogel.
Stripping armor in an unsecured spot? Reckless.
Standard protocol: Grit through the pain, secure a safe zone first.
What if another monster ambushed?
With the leader—party core—exposed like that?
Game over.
Lucky it didn't happen.
...Still, took too long on five goblins.
A D-rank crew should wrap in three minutes tops.
Seemed like five or six.
...We'll run late at this rate.
Bad for escorts—same pay, longer job.
"Damn... If you could heal, this wouldn't have dragged!"
Kogel knew it too, glaring and snapping at Sonya.
Sheesh.
Who charged into goblins, neutering the ranged DPS?
And got wounded, slowing everyone?
Yeah, this can't stand.
Hurts me too.
No bonus pay, but delays eat my living expenses!
Time and money sink for me.
Good thing I tipped the girls off.
Boosted party power speeds things up.
But not enough.
That fake-D-rank troll Kogel will keep dragging us.
Why's a swamp troll here anyway?
Infuriating.
Sigh... Was gonna stay hands-off.
But now?
Even if I'm a nosy parker, gotta curb Kogel's antics.
He's a tyrant leader no one checks.
But he'll heed the paying client.