Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Girl Runs Toward the Starting Point
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Right after the proxy duel ended, on the way back to the inn room, Raymond said,
"A mage never loses."
"Pardon?"
"It means never pick a fight you can lose. The moment you do, you realize your own weakness. And that realization shakes the world you believe in. When your faith crumbles, the laws of magic you've imposed on this world vanish, and the mysteries lose their power."
"I see..."
"A man just died right in front of you, yet you're not startled. Are you used to it?"
I didn't bother answering Raymond's question. If asked whether death felt familiar, I could say yes for now. In the life I led in the remote mountain village of Lumia, death wasn't all that rare.
It was a place with no hospitals, where folk remedies passed down through the village were the only treatments available. Even minor illnesses could mean the difference between life and death.
Of course, it was my first time seeing a murder, but it neither shocked nor frightened me. Was it because I wasn't yet accustomed to the power of magic? Or maybe because Raymond killing the man didn't quite register—instead, it felt more like that lone charging fellow had tripped and died on his own.
"Good attitude. Look down coldly from within your own world. They're lowly things living in a world utterly different from yours."
I couldn't muster a proper response to Raymond's words. Rather than focusing on him, I needed to sort through the flood of inspirations swirling in my head.
The proxy duel and death. The scene Raymond had just shown me made me acutely aware once more of how close death was in this world. To protect my body, I needed power to match.
'Defense... a sturdy mana barrier? No, I don't have enough mana to sustain it yet... Then... concentrate it only where needed... Timing that would be tricky...'
Even after reaching the inn room, those thoughts kept going. Sleep wouldn't come. Anxiety, anticipation, and a swirl of other emotions churned inside me.
I got up and gazed out the window. The bright moon and Lethe's Eye floating beside it. The subtle light from the two celestial bodies illuminated the world.
'Wind...'
Wind—the first form of magic I'd witnessed in this world. It felt the most familiar as a result.
'That's right... what if I let wind flow around me?'
Convert the mana gathering in my mana circle into wind and scatter it in all directions. Create a domain like that. So I could immediately sense anyone entering my domain. And even predict their next move without needing to see it.
'It's a method of dispersing mana infused with the properties of wind. I could turn it straight into attack magic too...'
The moment I thought it, faint wind flowed from my body. The property of wind infused in the mana imposed a law that didn't exist in this world.
'About two meters radius should do. Any more and I'd run out of mana...'
I'd roughed out the basics. Now it was time to test its real performance. This wind would serve as my eyes. Closing mine, I began cautiously moving around the room.
The widely spread wind helped me perceive nearby objects. I couldn't discern exact shapes yet. For now, knowing something was there was my limit.
'Wind that replaces my eyes... Wind's Eye it is.'
Charting my own path in magic. How could it not be thrilling? The euphoria bubbling in my mind was utterly addictive. Spreading my arms wide, I felt the hazy winds swirling around me from all sides.
The instant I sensed the wind scattering between my hands, I clenched my fist hard. At that moment, the wind surged, slamming shut the wide-open window.
Clunk—
'The issue is maintaining it constantly...'
How could I make that possible?
The night deepened.
The next morning, after breakfast, Raymond said he had business and left the inn room for a bit. He even warned me not to go far, which suggested the city wasn't entirely safe.
I headed out for a light stroll. Magic training in some secluded spot was fine, but I wanted to experience this world more directly.
Strolling the nearby market street wasn't going far, so I wasn't defying Raymond's order.
Even though it was early morning, plenty of people moved along the roads—from laborers hauling large loads to children darting about lightly. As I observed the diverse folk and sensed their lives,
a foreign movement slipped into the Wind's Eye I'd spread out for practice. Cautious, stealthy presence. Approaching straight toward me, as if I were the target.
The moment I detected the approach from behind, I whipped around.
Swoosh—
In that instant, my eyes met those of a boy brushing past me. His grubby face was filled with panic.
'Pickpocket?'
Had he not expected me to dodge? The boy, who seemed greatly flustered, quickened his steps. Then he glanced back after a short walk.
Our eyes met again, and he hastily looked down.
I crossed my arms, watching him.
I'd been worried about real-world performance, but thanks to this kid, I knew it was plenty useful.
At that moment, the wind swirling around me expanded its area a bit more. As my faith in the magic strengthened, its power grew.
'So that's how it works...'
Raymond had said it: only fight winnable battles. Losing weakens magic's power. Which meant the reverse held true as well.
'This is fun...'
A natural smile crept onto my lips.
Raymond returned around lunchtime. The moment he arrived, he explained why he'd left the room.
"I've taken a caravan escort job. You'll join too, so let me tell you what to prepare."
"Caravan escort? When do we leave?"
"Right now."
"W-wait, that's too sudden."
Did my opinion not matter? Raymond unilaterally informed me of the schedule and stuffed my bag with clothes and grimoires. Seeing unfamiliar garments added, he'd apparently bought more on his way back from the job.
He seemed reckless at times, but Raymond took good care of his disciple.
We left the inn with our packed bags and traveled along well-groomed dirt roads for a while before stopping in front of a large building. With the grand doors wide open and goods being carried in and out, it looked like a warehouse.
Then, amid the line of wagons and carts in front of the warehouse, a man stepped forward. Unlike the others, he wore fairly ornate clothes—even decorative cuffs on his sleeves, suggesting considerable wealth.
He approached Raymond, visibly tense, and spoke.
"You arrived right on time... But, the mage you brought...?"
"Isn't he right in front of you?"
At Raymond's reply, the man's gaze frantically scanned the empty air. Finding nothing, his lost eyes eventually turned to me.
"...?"
"That's right."
"No... I mean, what..."
Flabbergasted by Raymond's response, the man blinked rapidly, his face draining of color. He seemed to have words he wanted to say but couldn't dare utter them, his mouth twitching.
Raymond nodded at me. Seems the man wouldn't believe it, so I needed to prove I was a mage.
I casually swung my arm. Wind swelled along my extended arm, swirling through the area and rising gently. Drifting leaves, small broken twigs, and bits of dirt made the wind's presence visible.
Whoooosh—
The light breeze gathered into my hand.
I looked up at the man like that. In that instant, his face cycled through emotions—fear, terror, and even a flicker of envy.
"S-sorry! I was rude...!"
"Never mind. Hand over the pay for two people as agreed."
"Y-yes, one moment...!"
The man scurried off in a panic at Raymond's words. I watched him impassively. What kind of existence was a mage to inspire such fear?
I still lacked broad knowledge of this world. Every reaction felt fresh and unfamiliar.
"His reaction's a bit odd. Why's he so scared?"
"Nothing strange about it. Most people react that way the moment they realize you're a real mage."
"Real mage? So there are fake mages too...? No, what exactly is a mage? To regular folks like him, I mean."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew. As it tousled Raymond's gray hair and faded, he spoke.
"Walking calamities."