Astrania-1337

Today I got smacked for thinking about magic for half a second.

Thwack!

"Don't let your mind wander."

"Ow... Yes, sir."

After training ended I was walking toward the guild when my feet stopped.

Three people stood in front of the guild, not two. Mari, Kaya, and Roy.

Roy wasn't fully recovered yet, but that no longer mattered. His stance was back. So was the look in his eyes.

A smile rose on my face before I could stop it.

"Hyung, you're finally back."

Roy gave a short snort of laughter.

"Yeah."

Kaya smiled softly too. Mari said nothing and headed into the guild first.

Then I suddenly wondered what time it was, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Dimensional Archive surfaced at once.

I let out a quiet laugh inside.

Guess I don't need a watch.

Day eighteen already. I'd thought I would last a few days at most and leave. Now I was standing here choosing the next request.

The moment I stopped in front of the request board, the change jumped out at me.

Goblin extermination, Ironfang disposal, outer patrol.

They hadn't vanished completely, but they had been pushed off to the side. What caught the eye instead were different names.

Nightfang pack sightings. Orc scout confirmation. Ogre traces discovered. Northeast outer perimeter reinforcement.

Looking at the board, the corner of my mouth curled up on its own.

"All that crazy hunting finally paid off."

Kaya spoke.

"It means it's time for different requests."

"Orcs and ogres are still a bit much, aren't they?"

Roy answered shortly.

"Ogres are early. Orcs too."

Only then did Mari pull one slip free.

"Nightfang pack. Southeast outer forest. How about it?"

Nightfangs. In Bresen they called them Blackfangs. Named for their pitch-black fur, their habit of growing more active near sunset, and the fangs that flashed in the dark.

Far craftier than goblins, but still a step below orcs.

The kind that tore flesh the second you let your guard down.

Perfect for a first real test.

The problem was registration.

Luce took the request form and looked between the four of us. Her gaze stopped on me for the briefest moment.

"One moment."

I knew immediately.

I was still Temporary Registration. Kaya, Mari, and Roy were Silver Rank. Goblins and Ironfangs had been fine, but once the threat level rose a tier, the rules changed.

Luce checked the ledger, skimmed the party record, then looked down at the request form again. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face.

That was when Maella walked up from behind.

"Luce. Is there a problem?"

Luce held out the request form.

"Siyun is still Temporary Registration."

Maella looked at the four of us before she looked at the form. Roy, Kaya, Mari, then me. She flipped through a few pages of the ledger and spoke.

"Approve it."

Luce lifted her head.

"Will that be all right?"

"The party takes responsibility. Their record is solid and the composition is stable. This is within acceptable limits."

Short and firm.

I bowed.

"Thank you, Maella."

Maella said,

"Come back safely."

Those words stuck with me for some reason.

Luce held out the request form. As she passed it over, her eyes brushed my shoulder for an instant before dropping.

"Please be careful."

"I will."

When I smiled, the corner of Luce's mouth lifted a little too.

"You really have to be careful today."

"Come on, you say that every time."

"I mean it today."

The words were short, but I knew how much sat inside them.

"All right. We'll be back."

The moment we entered the forest, the formation locked in.

Roy up front. Mari in the middle. Kaya toward the rear. Me at the very back.

It had felt a little awkward at first, but once we started moving it settled naturally.

Roy held the front. Mari ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠regulated the flow from the center with magic. Kaya watched the whole field, calling directions and healing. Filling gaps suited me better than holding a fixed vanguard spot.

With all four of us moving, it was clearly different.

Kaya spoke in a low voice as we walked.

"Blackfangs usually move in packs of four or five, up to ten at most. They do move during the day, but they come out most often right before the sun goes down."

She paused, then added,

"They're highly alert and have good stamina. Some of them jump out late even when you think it's over, so stay sharp."

If a goblin stabbed you the moment you thought it was finished, a Blackfang went for the throat.

Kaya whispered low.

"They're coming."

Not long after, we met the first pack.

Across the brush, three Blackfangs showed themselves first.

They were big enough that their shoulders came up to my chest. Their fur was nearly pitch black, and the long protruding fangs gleamed faintly even in the forest shadows.

Right behind them, two more burst out from between the trees.

...Five.

Roy lowered his sword tip slightly.

"I'll take the front. Watch the flanks."

There was no time to answer before one of them drove in low.

Roy's blade met it head-on.

Metal rang and the creature's body twisted.

The next instant—

Shhk—

Blue-silver light bled along the edge. The Nightfang's thick hide and muscle split in a single stroke.

Roy's Aura wasn't flashy. It simply pressed down heavy and cut through flesh and tendon all the way inside.

The creature's neck snapped as it fell.

...So that's Aura.

My heart kicked one beat faster.

Magic had been a click. Aura was different. It just parted things without a sound.

Mari flicked her fingertips.

Whoosh.

A thin sheet of flame spread sideways.

The two that had been circling for the flanks changed direction.

I drove straight into the opening.

I cut the left one's nape, twisted my body, and stabbed the right one in the side.

Solid resistance caught at my fingertips.

It was a completely different level from goblins and Ironfangs. The hide was far thicker, the muscle tough and dense. If I misread the angle, I could be the one who paid for it.

In that moment I understood.

Getting beaten every single day by Garen actually paid off.

I laid my wrist flatter, gripped the sword tight, and watched their movements all the way through before I stepped in.

The more carefully I tracked their motion, the better my body moved.

A shadow sprang low from behind.

"Behind!"

My body reacted to Kaya's voice before my mind did. I dropped almost to the ground.

Shhk!

Blackfang claws skimmed over my head.

At the same time Roy's sword came down from above.

Shhk!

The creature slammed into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the dirt.

Mari swept the front this time with a rounded bloom of flame. Not a detonating fireball. Wide, thin heat.

The one that had been backing off hesitated.

"Now!"

The instant Kaya shouted, I charged.

Roy and I went in together and it ended fast.

Only after the last one fell did I lower my sword tip. My breathing was rough. My heart hammered, but my head was strangely clear.

Roy flicked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blood from his blade and spoke.

"Siyun. You've changed."

That single line felt good for no reason.

I nodded, then my eyes drifted toward Mari.

That magic just now.

The heat that had cut off their path.

The sense that space itself had shifted.

Aura severed a single point. Magic rewrote the space.

I wanted both. Honestly.

Mari must have felt my gaze, because her brows knit.

"Why are you looking at me like that."

"Nothing."

It was a lie.

Lunch was a simple affair in the forest. The bread was tough, but not bad.

We ate as we walked and two more Blackfangs came out near the ravine. We cleaned them up and pushed deeper into the southeastern woodland.

When the sun had tilted a little, the third fight started.

Three this time.

The longer the forest shadows grew, the bolder the Blackfangs became. They didn't rush us all at once; they circled wide around us.

One in front, one on the flank, one behind.

You could tell they were measuring angles.

"Crafty little bastards."

Kaya answered shortly.

"That's what makes them such a pain."

Roy's Aura caught my eye again in this fight.

He took the one that lunged head-on and shoved through into a cut. Nothing flashy. Deep, pressing light that parted hide and flesh.

The same force as the first time I'd seen it.

The moment I saw it, my body moved first.

Mari cut the flank. Kaya pressed the rear. I drove into the gap and stabbed the last one in the side.

Thuk!

I pulled the blade free and turned in the same motion.

It was over.

All three fell almost together. The forest went quiet.

Kaya swept the surroundings once.

"That's all of them."

Mari lowered her hands. She exhaled once, quietly.

I wiped my sword on the grass. My body had grown heavy, but my head stayed clear.

All four of us were fine. That mattered most.

Blackfang mana stones looked like chunks of blackened fang. Long and sharp, with faint reddish-brown veins set deep inside.

Ten mana stones, two hides, a few fangs and claws, a bundle of mane.

We took everything we could and headed back.

When we returned to the guild, Luce checked my body before she did the settlement.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

That came before any greeting.

I smiled for no good reason.

"I'm fine~"

Only after she looked me over with her eyes did her expression ease. Brief, but solid relief.

"I'm glad."

That one line caught strangely in my chest.

The payout was better than expected.

"Blackfang subjugation base reward: two silver, six copper. Ten Blackfang mana stones: five silver, ten copper. Hides, fangs, claws, and mane additional settlement: nine copper. Total: nine silver, one copper."

I looked down at the coins stacking on my palm and felt my mouth pull into a grin.

"Different from when we were hunting goblins."

"The risk is different too."

"That's true."

Luce added as she organized the request form.

"Come back in one piece next time as well."

Her tone was professional. But that last word stuck.

In one piece.

I closed the leather pouch with a pointless smile.

"Yes. I will."

After the settlement the four of us headed for the public bathhouse.

Kaya and Mari went toward the women's side; Roy and I entered the men's.

The moment the door opened, thick hot steam rolled out. The second I stripped, every part of my body started announcing its presence.

"Hoo..."

I rolled my shoulders and let out a breath, and Roy gave a low laugh.

"You used your body today."

"It's your first day back, hyung. I think that made me push harder."

I was about to rinse off and get in the tub when Roy's gaze dropped for a moment and stopped. Then he spoke as if it were nothing.

"No wonder you've got confidence to spare."

I froze.

"...What?"

Roy snorted a quiet laugh.

"Impressive in more ways than one."

The second I understood what he meant, my face heated a little.

"Hey, why are you suddenly going there."

Roy shrugged.

"Just saying."

I let out a dry laugh and dumped water over myself.

"Haha... So now you know... the true extent of my power!"

"Yeah. Impressive in more ways than one."

"Uwahaha!"

We both snorted and sank into the tub. Hot water rose to our shoulders and my body loosened all at once.

Silence stretched for a while before I spoke first.

"Hyung. That thing earlier."

"What."

"Aura."

Roy only turned his eyes.

"You saw."

"It was fucking cool!"

The corner of Roy's mouth lifted a fraction.

"Want to learn it?"

"Obviously."

I sank until my chin touched the water and came back up, muttering.

"Magic and Aura on top of it... I'm going to lose my mind."

"Greedy."

"Isn't that a good thing."

"Too much and it breaks you."

Those words stayed with me longer than they should have.

Dinner happened naturally at Sunset Hearth.

The second the door opened, Nia's face lit up.

"Roy, you look fine."

"I'm not fine."

"You're way better than before."

The way she spoke was different from how she talked to the rest of us. Familiar, no distance, the grain that only comes out with someone you've known a long time.

I smiled to myself.

The knight of pure love cheers you both on!

Beers came out on the house, one each.

Maybe because we'd just left the bath, even a single swallow loosened something in my gut.

Roy set his glass down and looked at me.

"Last fight. Your movement was good."

"Oh."

"Completely different from the start."

"Can I take that as a compliment~?"

"Yeah."

I smiled for no real reason.

Nia crossed her arms and cut in.

"A civilian getting praise? You must be something."

"Of course I am."

Mari set her glass down and added a line.

"Not at the beginning."

"Harsh."

Everyone laughed.

For some strange reason, I felt good.

It was around the time we returned to the healing sanctuary and were splitting off toward our rooms.

Kaya waved first.

"Good work, everyone. Sleep well."

"Night."

Mari only nodded roughly and turned away.

I watched her back for a second, then called out.

"Mari."

Her feet stopped. She looked back.

"What."

I took a short breath and said it.

"Teach me magic."

Her face said she thought it was a joke. But when I kept looking at her, her eyes changed.

"...What are you talking about?"

"I'm serious."

Mari sighed first.

"You're learning Aura, right."

"I am."

"Then we're good."

"We're not good."

Mari's brows drew together.

"Give one of them up. Tell Garen you're not learning Aura and I'll teach you."

I shook my head immediately.

"That's not happening."

"Ha... Then what do you want me to do."

"I can't give up magic either."

Mari looked at me like I was ridiculous, then snorted a short laugh.

"You really are insane."

"Just theory... even the absolute basics... is that okay?"

Silence for a beat.

Mari clicked her tongue. And finally said,

"...Fine. But only one basic thing."

My mouth curved up on its own.

"Really? Thanks, Mari!"

"Don't make a big deal out of it."

Even so, she didn't turn away.

"Magic starts by deciding the result."

I shut my mouth at once.

"Flame, light, wall—whatever. The clearer you picture the result, the clearer the manifestation. If it's vague, it comes out vague."

"...Then what's structure?"

Mari looked at me.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Just a guess."

Mari paused a moment, then spoke.

"Structure is the method that creates the result. Even the same flame becomes different magic if the structure is different. Burning, blocking, drawing something out. They can look similar on the outside and still be completely different."

My head got complicated. Strangely, it didn't feel completely foreign.

Mari saw my expression and snorted.

"You get it?"

"About half."

"Then that's enough for today."

I nodded.

As she started to turn, I threw one more line at her.

"Is tomorrow okay too?"

Mari stopped. She didn't look back.

"...Do whatever you want."

Mari disappeared and the hallway went quiet.

I closed the door to my room and looked up at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come.

Aura. Magic.

Sensing, controlling, drawing out what you want... I still didn't really understand it, but they didn't feel completely separate.

I stretched a hand toward the ceiling and let it fall.

"...Let's just try it."

Tomorrow was going to get even busier.

But I was fine with that.