Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 170
>Chapter Title: Timid and Frail
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My meeting with Henji wrapped up exactly as I'd anticipated.
And what was that anticipated outcome?
*The Core Splitting Theory books.*
Henji had handed over a total of four volumes—far fewer than I'd expected.
I'd figured at least twenty or so.
But according to Henji:
- I think there might be some misunderstanding. Core splitting isn't exactly a field that's easy to research.
The reason was this.
Splitting a core was already an act fraught with immense risk... and researching it was basically the same as human experimentation.
*The theory itself isn't that complicated, but the risks are just too high?*
Yeah, that made sense.
A core wasn't some cake you could casually slice into chunks. Fail, and you were dead. Succeed at best, and you'd end up three-quarters gone. Oh, for reference, "three-quarters gone" means mostly dead.
And if you succeeded?
*Honestly, even from a prestigious family's perspective, it's not exactly welcome.*
It turned a perfectly fine mage into a halfwit.
Ta-da. Your family's mage, now replaced with a halfwit. Something like that.
That's why research on core splitting hadn't seen much progress over long years.
There was plenty of data accumulated, though...
- Even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't look at it, right?
- Obviously.
What I needed was the essence.
No room for logical debate.
Anyway, with the four must-read books handpicked by "core splitting authority" Dr. Henji tucked under my arm, I left the magic academy.
...That was a few days ago.
And now, it was a leisurely afternoon.
"Yaaawn."
Lying sprawled in the plushly comfortable carriage, I stretched out luxuriously.
One perk of regressing and shrinking down in size was this: I could lie anywhere, anytime, without my head bumping into anything.
Not sure if that's really a perk, but whatever.
As I stared blankly at the ornate ceiling of the luxurious carriage, faint hoofbeats echoed from beyond the walls.
Tuning into those hoofbeats, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
*Core splitting... it's definitely straightforward, though.*
It had only been a few days since I got the theory books, but I'd already grasped the key points from all four.
That alone showed just how simple the theory was.
So, I could attempt core splitting right now, but there was one problem.
"It's all about which method to pick in the end."
Four theory books.
Four methods covered.
What I was pondering was which of the four to choose. Let's break them down.
First one.
*Straight-up splitting.*
Cutting the core in the heart cleanly in half.
Second.
*Potato planting.*
Like cutting off a sprouted part of a potato and planting it to grow a new shoot, you slice off a piece of the core and cultivate it.
Third...
*Two-house living.*
Strictly speaking, this was a variant of potato planting, but the key difference was planting the sprout not in the heart, but below the navel.
*And the final fourth: Two-house living 2.*
Why the "2"?
The core transplant was the same, but the location differed.
This time, not below the navel, but up in the head.
Anyway, four methods total, but two-house living and its sequel weren't even worth considering.
The hassle alone was enough to dismiss them, plus my circle was already in my heart.
*So that leaves straight-up splitting or potato. One or the other.*
The two methods had completely opposite pros and cons.
Pick one, and you had to abandon the other.
Not an easy decision, and that's when a voice came from outside the carriage.
"Master Aster, may I come in?"
It was Ransi.
Into a moving carriage?
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I soon realized it wasn't. While I'd been lost in thought, the carriage had come to a stop.
"Yes, come in."
As I half-sat up in response, Ransi opened the door and stepped inside.
"How's your body feeling?"
I gave a faint smile.
"My body... it's so-so."
"Just hang in there a bit longer. We'll set out after lunch, and we should reach Amera before dinner. You can rest more comfortably then."
"Haha, yes. Sorry to be such a bother."
At my weak voice, Ransi shook his head.
"Not at all. Focus on your recovery for now."
With a polite bow, Ransi withdrew.
I waited for the door to fully close, then flopped back down.
"...Goddamn it."
The curse slipped out.
Yeah, straight up.
Truth be told, I hadn't given up even after the banquet ended.
Why would I? There was no reason to.
If brushing a collar made me cough up blood, then a falling leaf could do the same.
*Mages' internal injuries have always been unpredictable, after all.*
This was legit wisdom.
For the ultra-sensitive types, even a loud noise during breathing exercises could make them hack up blood.
Anyway, a shift in perspective brought a new opportunity.
So I rolled.
Where?
*Down the stairs.*
On the way back to my room after the banquet, I seized a moment with no one around, tumbled half a flight, and screamed my head off.
Honestly, the execution was flawless.
Ransi, Chenbi, Damian, and the other servants on duty with the young patriarch all came running at the commotion.
Perfect audience.
- Guwaaaack!
Acting on point.
Scenario solid too.
*I'm a timid, frail Troubleshooter.*
Sudden environmental changes burden the psyche.
A first-time noble banquet is scary as hell, and getting that scared could make you miss a step.
But why was I in this carriage now?
I'd overlooked one thing.
*The fairy dance is a mana oversaturation phenomenon.*
And mana is good for mages.
Sure, normal mana levels might've made resting at Blandoga better, but the fairy dance was far from normal.
What I traded my blood for that day was one thing.
Turned tourism into recuperation.
Oh, one more.
*Private carriage suite.*
That sealed my fate.
...Goddamn it.
The Blandoga procession set off for Amera after a simple meal.
I returned to my recuperation carriage and melted back into the bed, but contrary to my worries, the journey was utterly peaceful.
*Honestly, worrying was silly in the first place.*
Think about it.
This was the young patriarch of Blandoga's procession.
No real rivals, the one and only heir.
Naturally, the escorts were top-tier only, on a scale that could swallow a mid-sized territory without breaking a sweat.
*Two Nine-Stars tagging along says it all.*
In this setup, wyverns?
Even dragon phantoms couldn't touch us. Yeah, no doubt.
Not that they would...
Anyway, brushing off that last thread of unease, I reflected on the positives of this trip.
First, the fairy dance was a possibility in itself.
*Heard the mana density's even thicker than Hamern Great Forest?*
For me trying to form a circle, that info was impossible to ignore.
I'd only managed my first circle by drawing in ambient mana thanks to Hamern's freakishly high density.
Sure, could I pull it off now? Probably not, but who knows.
High density might unlock some method.
So, since we're here anyway.
*Let's hunker down and focus on the circle.*
I patted my full belly and steeled my resolve.
Had to, or I'd regret it.
How much time passed like that?
"Buddy! Come out!"
I'd dozed off and shook off sleep at Damian's voice.
No sooner had I opened my eyes than the carriage door burst open.
"Can I come in?"
"You're already in."
"That's not the point right now."
"...?"
I tilted my head at Damian's unusually excited vibe.
What? Another mishap?
A chill of foreboding tightened my face, but his next words dispelled it.
"We're here."
"Here?"
"Yeah, Amera! Come out and see. There's a huge lake!"
Right.
We'd finally arrived in the Amera region.
* * *
The Amera region was the origin of various specialty goods, dotted with dozens of large and small lakes.
But the common misconception was this: Amera actually had more forest than lakes.
Aster stepped out of the carriage and smiled faintly at the deep lungful of forest scent that hit him.
*Hmm, the bad vibes just got stronger.*
I'd barely looped into positive mode, but seeing scenery like Hamern Great Forest killed my mood dead.
It didn't last long, though, thanks to the surroundings.
Unlike Hamern Great Forest, a monster paradise devoid of people, Amera reeked of human habitation.
Look right now.
Ahead was dense forest, but glance back, and civilization's glow hit you full force.
What did that mean?
Not quite a village—more like a city, scale-wise.
As Aster inwardly sighed in relief at the sight, Damian reappeared from somewhere, carrying something.
"...?"
"Fishing."
Damian held a fishing rod.
"Wanna go?"
"Nah, not really."
Aster shot down the invite flat.
Fishing wasn't his hobby, and sunset was nearing. No doubt Ransi would stop him anyway.
With Damian off fishing solo,
Aster stood there, taking in the scenery.
"Still, seeing it like this kinda feels like a vacation..."
Not bad.
A small city formed around the lake, ringed by thick woods.
On the vast lake, boats large and small drifted about, a scene that somehow soothed the soul.
*Yeah, might as well relax fully since we're here.*
His mind still wavered between unease and calm, but time to pick a lane.
No more wobbling.
Aster inhaled deeply once more, the fresh air purging the last scraps of tension.
Yeah, gotta have days like this sometimes.
Post-regression, I'd been non-stop, no real breaks.
So this once, why not.
Things can go smoothly without incident.
Elite guards for the Blandoga young patriarch, plus two Nine-Stars. Who'd pick a fight with that?
No one.
Absolutely no one.
Someone capable of breaching this? Hell, if they could, we'd hand over our necks meekly.
So.
"Let's chill. Full-on."
Pure peace of mind.
For a moment.
*...But doesn't a bigger entourage mean bigger trouble if it hits?*
A sudden ominous thought sent chills racing down his spine.