Part 4: Observation and Experiment
I dashed through the guild. Well, “dash” might be an overstatement, but my steps definitely felt light as I headed for the training ground. Regardless of my chaotic thoughts, I couldn’t stop tomorrow from coming. I had to do what I could to prepare, even as the gears turned in my brain.
The clashing of wooden swords and the chanting of spells echoed from the training ground. I saw everything once I stepped out of the hallway. Under the sunny sky, adventurers were throwing themselves into their training. I made a beeline for the group of mages among them.
I’d seen all the spells they were unleashing on their targets when I’d flipped through Read This and You Too Could Become a Mage! Their loud, assertive recitations of the necessary incantations made it easy for me to understand which spells they were using, and I was grateful, not having much else to go on.
From my perspective, they seemed very confident showing off their talents to everyone around them. Maybe they had the same idea I did: that by demonstrating their abilities, they’d prove they were worthy of joining someone’s party.
While I observed them firing off their various magics, I went over the process in my own mind. Chant the incantation, point the tip of your wand at your target, and your spell will fly straight toward its mark. Many of the mages in the training ground were taking short breaks after using several spells back to back. Seeing some of them grimacing and holding their heads in their hands, I figured they’d hit the average number of times they could easily cast spells in a row.
According to Read This and You Too Could Become a Mage!, continuous magic use caused severe headaches. Even if the pain got really bad, it would eventually subside, but if you fully exceeded your magical limits, you would pass out on the spot. These headaches were widely known as “mana sickness.”
Apparently, mana sickness was caused by excessive concentration while using magic, and the strain it put on the brain when mana passed through it. The limit to the number of consecutive spells you could cast was directly proportional to your aptitude, but it could also be increased through training. Just as knights wielded their swords every day, it was also important for mages to train like this.
I stepped up to the front of one of the targets, replacing one of the mages who was taking a break. Replicating what I’d just gone over in my mind, I slowly went through each step of the magical process, this time externally.
“…Arrow of flame, arise, sharpen, soar, pierce, burst where I command you.”
Chanting the incantation, practicing magic in front of people, and the slight hint of something gathering at my fingertip—it all roused my emotions to a fever pitch, and my pulse raced.
The power coalescing around my fingertip finally materialized into the shape of a flaming arrow. It should have been blazing hot, but it didn’t burn my finger at all. It just remained there steadily. I swallowed nervously, then commanded the still-immobile arrow of flame.
“Shoot, Fire Arrow.”
The fiery projectile launched from my fingertip at the same speed as a regular arrow, flying straight toward the target, and pierced it before being engulfed in a small explosion.
I could hear my heart pounding rapidly. My head heated and every hair on my body stood on end as a feeling of exaltation surged through me. Then I noticed the slight unconscious smile on my face and rushed to smooth out my expression. Clearly, my ability to use magic was triggering a level of excitement very unsuitable for a middle-aged man.
Next, I fired the following spells in succession—Wind Cutter, Water Ball, and Stone Bullet. I was having such a blast I couldn’t stop myself from shooting them off. In the forty-plus years of my life, I’d never enjoyed myself this much.
Every spell launched through the air just how I’d visualized it. I wondered if I could use more types of magic by constructing mental images of other things, but I didn’t want to stand out too much on the training ground. I surveyed the area around me surreptitiously to see if I could somehow test my theory anyway. Unfortunately for me, no one else was using any novel magic.
So far, the mana sickness I’d been dreading hadn’t hit me. But if I truly planned on living my life as a mage, I needed to learn my limits. And there was only one way to do that, so I fired off spells one after another.
Ten times. Twenty times. Fifty times. And I still felt no mana sickness.
I became so absorbed in my task that I stopped paying attention to my surroundings. When I suddenly snapped back to reality, I realized that at some point, I had become the center of attention. A wave of embarrassment threatened to drown me at the thought of other people watching me amuse myself like a child. Cloaking myself in a calmness I didn’t feel, I fled as quickly as I could and tried to blend into the crowd of spectators.
Fifty times. I could fire magic at least fifty times without slowing any hypothetical fellow party members down. I idly kept watching as other adventurers trained, but just like the ones I’d observed earlier, they could only activate their spells a few times before they needed to rest. There were even a few adventurers who had to crouch on the ground clutching their heads in pain because they’d gone overboard.
Casting my gaze down, I considered the drawbacks of magic. From my observations of the other adventurers, I learned that a spell fired from hands or wands didn’t always strike its target. It was similar to a ball’s trajectory in baseball. The more power you used, the harder it was to have perfect aim. No matter how fast a pitcher throws the ball, it doesn’t help anyone if they miss their target. But throw too slowly and you can only hit something close and stationary. Veteran athletes make up for this problem by training.
I recalled the first time I had used magic. Flames had suddenly burst forth from a spot in front of me. Something like that didn’t require any control. I wonder if there’s a known technique like that. I didn’t intend to use it lightly again until I understood it properly, but it seemed like it would be useful in an emergency.
After that, I continued my observations of the training ground for a while longer. Then I noticed one adventurer off in a corner eating a sandwich. I hadn’t realized it had gotten so late in the afternoon. As soon as I realized how long it had been since I’d eaten, hunger hit me hard. Just like a child, I’d been so obsessed with a new project that I’d forgotten to eat.
I now knew for sure that I could use magic—and I was starting to grow uneasy from all the stares directed at me by the other adventurers. My best course of action would be to leave the training ground before one of them approached me. So, pretending not to notice all the curious eyes on me, I headed for the exit.
Does the inn serve lunch? And that reminded me, I had no idea how much it cost to lodge there. I knew I had to leave as soon as possible and find somewhere cheaper to stay, but I couldn’t even do that on account of being broke. It only strengthened my desire to earn money quickly and get my life on an even keel. I decided that when I saw Ralf again, I would try talking to him about finding a cheaper inn.
I turned the corner with every intention of walking toward the Guild’s main exit only to find my way blocked by a woman. She wore a mage’s robe and had long, blue hair.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she announced. “We need to have a little chat.”
Miss Hitstan, today’s seminar instructor, stood there imposingly. A high-ranking adventurer had deliberately been lying in wait for me. Uh oh, is she going to rip me a new one for how I acted this morning? Having my status changed summarily to “good-for-nothing” before I even became a real adventurer was no laughing matter. I tried desperately to think of an explanation that made sense, but not a single good idea popped into my head.
“Right then, off we go.”
She didn’t wait for a response, just started walking. I stood there motionless, staring at her retreating back. I really, sincerely hoped she would just walk away without noticing I wasn’t following.
Miss Hitstan took a few more steps, then turned around with a laugh. Does the laugh mean she’s actually not that bothered by what happened earlier? Or was her relaxed demeanor her way of saying I could no longer escape her clutches, so I should just accept my fate?
“What are you doing?” she asked. “Didn’t you hear me say we need to talk? I’ll treat you to lunch, so come with me.”
It felt like I was being led to my execution, but at least I’d get to have lunch on the way there. I decided to watch what I said so that this meal wouldn’t be my last. I wouldn’t say my hunger won out exactly, but I did find myself silently following Miss Hitstan while I continued to wonder how I’d explain myself.