episode_0072

After successfully hunting the Steelheart Dragon in Aldera Mountain,

I descended the mountain after removing the Dragonite ore stuck to its heart.

Removing the heart was not as difficult as I thought.

The scales were quite tough, but once the dragon was dead, they were easily cut through with a magic-infused sword.

The scales seemed harder than steel when the dragon was alive.

After descending the mountain, I couldn’t find a carriage to take me back to Hilda Village, as it was too rural.

I asked the villagers and found out the closest village where I could find a carriage, so I had to walk there.

They said it would take about half a day to walk through one forest.

“Senior! I’m glad I followed you after all!”

As we walked to the next village where we could find a carriage, Sylphy said to me with sparkling eyes.

“Uh… really?”

“Yes! The way you use magic to raise your body temperature in the cold, quickly identify and avoid enemy movements, and find weaknesses… there’s so much to learn from you!”

I wonder if she sees me as someone special, with stars in her eyes.

Is she going to say things like, “Even breathing is different when it’s Senior doing it!” later on?

No, no, that’s going too far.

Even though we were promoted to Silver rank on the same day, the reason Sylphy calls me Senior is because she acknowledges me as a stronger adventurer.

“Sylphy, you mentioned before that you wanted to learn how to use magic from me.”

“Oh, yes!”

“Since we have some time until we reach the next village, shall I teach you briefly?”

Sylphy’s face lit up at my suggestion.

Since I promised to teach her how to use magic, I’ll take the time to do so when we have the chance.

I also have something I want to check.

We found a suitable spot in the forest and settled down.

First, I wanted to know where Sylphy was having difficulty in using magic.

“Sylphy, what exactly is difficult for you?”

“Well… for example.”

Sylphy drew her dagger from her waist and swung it at the large tree next to her.

Even with just one swing of the dagger, it was a clean and graceful movement.

She looks much better than me just by swinging the dagger.

Well, I never properly learned swordsmanship and relied only on the power and experience of magic.

The tree Sylphy attacked had a clear mark where the dagger had passed.

“This is just bending the tree without using magic.”

“Yeah.”

“And…”

Sylphy closed her eyes for a moment as if concentrating, then swiftly swung the dagger towards the tree again.

This time, there was a much deeper mark left on the tree compared to before.

If it had been a regular sword, the tree would have been cut and remained.

“This is focusing the maximum amount of magic on the dagger to bend it.”

“It’s well done, but is it because the dagger has a limited range of cutting as it’s a dagger?”

“The problem is that I can’t maintain this properly.”

“I can’t maintain it?”

“In real combat, enemies don’t just stand still like trees. I have to dodge attacks and think about various things. But when the situation gets tense, the magic concentrated on the weapon disappears without me realizing it. I don’t know how to deal with this…”

Sylphy said to me with a troubled expression.

It’s still a problem I can’t quite understand.

Once I infuse magic into a weapon, it has always been maintained without me having to worry about it during battle.

Currently, due to the surge of mana, I am unable to use it, but it was the same when using other more complex techniques.

Since I have been using it without any difficulty, it was hard to give advice that would solve the difficulty of concentration.

“Hmm….”

『Losing concentration during battle, causing mana to scatter, was something all adventurers experienced. Experienced adventurers would experience this phenomenon less, but anyone could experience it if they were greatly shaken mentally. While other adventurers were struggling to maintain the concentration of mana, Yunoa couldn’t understand it at all. Is it a lack of empathy, or is it a problem with her character?』

Do you really have to add such weird comments at the end?

Right now, I am trying my best to empathize with Yunoa’s perspective and solve the problem.

Anyway, that’s how it is…

As expected, it seems like I have a better concentration on mana compared to others.

Looking back now, it was the same when I first threw the sword.

Even though I clumsily followed the technique I had practiced for a long time, I was able to use it properly on the first try.

But I should probably discard the idea of being a genius for now.

Even if it were true, the moment I start thinking of myself as a genius in my mind, I shudder to think how the narration would react.

Even now, the narration criticizes me whenever it gets a chance, so if I lose humility, I’ll probably have to hear even more unpleasant things.

That aside, the problem is that I have nothing to teach Yunoa.

According to the narration, the ability to maintain concentration on mana comes from personal experience and mental strength.

That’s not something you can learn just by being taught.

“Maintaining concentration on mana during battle is not something that can be taught. It can only be overcome through repeated training and experience. Since it involves a significant mental aspect, it’s important to be mentally prepared in any situation so as not to panic.”

In the end, I could only give Yunoa a theoretical explanation.

But Yunoa had nothing to say, so she listened seriously to my answer and nodded her head several times.

“I see… I knew it, but that part is indeed important. It’s difficult…”

I feel somehow sorry that I couldn’t be of help.

But then, the narration spoke again.

『Yunoa’s problem was that she was greatly shaken mentally when facing an opponent up close. She was agile and had exceptional abilities to dodge attacks compared to other Silver-ranked adventurers. However, once she started receiving attacks up close, she couldn’t focus on the mana she had infused. When the enemy got close, she couldn’t maintain concentration. This was a natural trait of Yunoa’s character and couldn’t be improved through training.』

Indeed, Yunoa’s dodging ability was so impressive that it would surprise anyone who saw it.

Even when she deliberately became a decoy to attract the enemy’s attention in the Arachne’s den, it was the same.

Her dodging movements were almost like art – fast, flexible, and beautiful.

But no matter how excellent her dodging ability was, if she couldn’t focus on mana, she would lose all her attacking power, making it all useless.

To think that she panics when the enemy gets close…

Huh? If that’s her character, then why is she using a dagger, which can only be used in close combat?

“Yunoa, why did you choose a dagger as your weapon?”

“Excuse me? Well… I move faster than others, and my body is more flexible, so I thought a dagger would suit me better than a long and heavy weapon…”

According to the narration, her personality confirmed through the narration was definitely not suitable for close combat.

As they say, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – innate traits are not easily changed.

While some people can overcome their fears in certain situations through experience, others cannot.

According to the narration, Yunoa belonged to the latter category.

“Teach me how to control magic,” she asked, but in reality, all I could advise was to create conditions that make it easier to control magic. Everyone has different tendencies and personalities. In my opinion, when you don’t allow the enemy to approach, you are good at maintaining concentration. Failpi, you tend to get quite flustered when the opponent approaches, right? You get caught up in the compulsion to avoid attacks, which prevents you from properly focusing on magic.”

“Senior…? How do you know that much?”

Oops, did I reveal too much information from the narration?

“I’ve been watching you for quite a while now, so I can make that kind of guess.”

She said nonchalantly, as if it was obvious.

Failpi looked impressed.

“Senior… you’ve been watching me so closely!”

“Ahem… Anyway, your weapon is a weapon that inevitably has to engage in combat with the opponent. However, if you enter the combat zone, you become unsettled and unable to focus on magic. If you have quick movements and exceptional evasion abilities, do you really need to allow the opponent to approach? On the contrary, wouldn’t it be better to block the opponent’s approach using your strengths and create an environment where you can focus on magic from a distance?”

Of course, not allowing the opponent to approach and only attacking from a distance is not an easy task.

But Failpi was very quick and agile.

It seemed like Failpi was trying to utilize her advantage in close combat with her light weapon, a dagger, but that was the wrong answer.

“I think it would be more suitable for you to change your weapon or acquire means to unilaterally attack while keeping a distance from the opponent. From what I saw earlier, you don’t seem to have a problem with the ability to control magic itself.”

“I… Is that so…?”

Failpi seemed lost in thought at my words.

It couldn’t be helped.

This was the extent of advice I could offer.

Whether she would accept this advice or not was up to her, but I did my best.

It seemed like I didn’t have the talent to teach anyone.

Still, I didn’t say anything wrong based on the narration, so it should be fine.

“Well, shall we try again?”

“Oh, yes! Senior!”

For some reason, I felt a slight pang of guilt, but anyway, I kept my promise with Failpi and hurriedly took my steps again.

* * *

We returned to Kuber safely without any major incidents on the carriage.

Failpi decided to consider changing her weapon based on my advice and we parted ways for now.

I went straight to the guild master Algot with the Dragonyte ore and asked him to send it to a personal blacksmith in the capital for forging.

I paid for all the expenses needed for the production.

It was an exorbitant price that used up most of the money I had saved, but if it could effectively suppress my magic outbursts, it was worth the investment.

So, I waited for the completion of the weapon for a week.

During the time I entrusted the forging to the blacksmith, I chose some light requests to earn money again.

When I heard that the weapon entrusted to the capital’s blacksmith was completed, I visited Algot’s office again.

“This is the new sword made from the Dragonyte ore for Miss Yunoa. In addition to the function of suppressing magic outbursts, various ores were combined to make the blade faithful to its original function.”

Algot handed me the completed Dragonyte sword and said.

In terms of quality, it looked incomparably better than the sword I originally used.

When the light shone on the sharp, straight blade, a faint crimson light shimmered, giving off a mysterious feeling.

In the center of the starting point of the blade, there was a ruby-like gem that appeared to be made of Dragonyte.

“I appreciate you going to such lengths. We’ll have to see how effective it is in suppressing magic… But I really like the sword itself as well.”

I sincerely thanked Algot.

There was really no reason for the guild master to personally help me like this.

“You don’t need to be so thankful. After all, it was Yunoa who paid for everything, right? And… Do you remember? Yunoa owes me a small debt.”

Algot said, staring at me with an unreadable expression.

A debt… What does she want to ask me to do later?

“I have no intention of giving you an unreasonable task. It’s just that there might be something that only Yunoa can do.”

I became even more puzzled by her words.

Is there really something that only I can do from the guild’s perspective?

“Anyway, thank you for helping me in various ways.”

I wanted to ask more questions, but Algot was not someone who easily revealed her true feelings, so I had no choice but to leave the guild as it was.

First, I need to confirm if the newly acquired Dragonyte sword can properly resolve my magic outburst issue.

As I headed towards the coast of Kubele to test the sword’s performance, Algot’s last words kept echoing in my mind.