I could see around the whole body of water with just a quick look. It was plain to see that there weren’t any animals here besides myself. Once I’d made sure of that, I carefully checked the murkiness of the water and whether there were any animal remains in the spring. Then, I took the metal vessel which had been left by my family’s guards and dipped it in, using it as a ladle. I gathered stones that were lying around and made a rudimentary stand, under which I laid out suitably dry wood which I’d picked up on my way here. Then I chanted a spell.
“Spirits of fire, answer my prayer and bestow a spark here. <Petit Fire>.”
I felt as if something escaped my body, and sensed a convergence of energy in the center of the wood stacked under the water-laden vessel. It was an accumulation of mana. In answer to my prayer, the mana materialized into a small flame with a fwoosh. This was fire magic.
My ineptitude as a mage was evident from the “2” value for the <Fire Magic> general skill listed on my card. But even at 2, I could still do the most basic of spells, which would be exceedingly useful in this survival situation. Being able to ignite fires, albeit small ones, significantly improved my chances of avoiding wild animals and monsters. Of course, some monsters didn’t fear it, but it was common knowledge that most animals and monsters were instinctively afraid of fire. That was how we humans had secured places to live in a world where monsters were far stronger than us.
Fire was power.
Though, honestly, water magic would’ve been a lot more convenient for me...but I hadn’t learned any. Magic required compatibility, and I only had the aptitude for the elements of fire and wind. That wasn’t too bad in comparison to the general population, but in noble circles, it would be considered unremarkable. Anyone with real talent would be compatible with all four basic elements: fire, water, wind, and earth.
Even then, only the top students of the magic academy actually had that. The average noble child had about the same capabilities as me. I simply hadn’t inherited my father’s command over all four basic elements as my younger brother Zeld had. Even with me in exile, the house would be secure if he inherited it. I’d hoped to inherit the house myself, but there was no way that was happening now, no matter how much I bent over backward for it.
That’s enough thinking about that. Anyway, water comes first.
I figured it would be much better to boil water before drinking it, so I waited a while for the fire to do its work. “It should probably be fine by now,” I supposed, extinguishing the flame.
I covered the handle of the metal vessel with a thick cloth so that I wouldn’t get burned, then carried it over to a nearby table I’d cobbled together in my surplus of spare time. It needs some time to cool. I can’t drink it when it’s boiling hot, after all. Well, it shouldn’t take that long.
As I was thinking this to myself—
“Gugyagyah!”
“Kekehh!”
“Kakah!”
—I heard strangely gleeful cries.
They didn’t sound very close, but I could still hear them clearly, so I had to take caution. If I didn’t go check, that might very well give them an opportunity to sneak up behind me and attack while I was unaware. I reluctantly left behind the cloth bag I’d lugged along and quietly crept toward the voices, with the short sword I’d been given out of pity in hand.
The Purgatory Forest was inhabited by monsters, but not all of them were dangerous. It went without saying that regular monsters lived there too. Similarly to how bugs are practically everywhere in the world except for bitterly cold climates, even places like this had a wide variety of creatures that resided closer to the bottom of the food chain. At least, that’s what I’d read in a book once.
I don’t know how much of that is true, but I’ll just have to trust it.
My knowledge was limited, but as far as what I did know, the identities of the monsters I’d heard screeching must have been... I thought as much.
As I hid among the shrubs and thickets, I came upon the monsters.
They had lumpy green skin, pointy witchlike noses, and stood about as tall as a human child. They were holding what I assumed to be clubs, wearing what looked to be worn-out loincloths. Simply put, these monsters were...
“Goblins. Those things really are everywhere. Hm?”
At their feet was something that concerned me far more. I could tell from their voices that they were reveling, but I couldn’t tell why just by listening. Once I got close, though, I discovered the reason.
There were three goblins in all, but there was something else squirming at their feet. The goblins were entertaining themselves by kicking it around.
They were toying with an animal.
They were wicked enough to take joy in mistreating others.
I became strangely furious, maybe because I could empathize with a small, helpless creature being toyed around with by other people, its life now turned into a nightmare. Foolish though it may have been, I found myself standing upright with short sword in hand.
“Whoooooa!!!” I gave a shout and rushed at them.
∗ ∗ ∗
It was an extremely dismal fight. Scratch that, it barely even qualified as a fight.
Despite everything, I had been instructed by Bach in swordplay, and had the skills to show for it. Specifically, I’d learned enough to achieve <Swordplay 3> listed under general skills. How good was this, you may ask? Well...only slightly better than a rank amateur.
In the first place, the Swordplay skill included multiple advanced techniques. Even if you reached the highest rank of 10 in the normal category, it didn’t guarantee that you could vanquish any monster.
Nonetheless, a mastery of 10 was a significant accomplishment...but as I’d shown no indication of getting anywhere near that level, you can probably guess how proficient I was. That being said, I wasn’t a flimsy excuse for a fighter either. I had reason to believe that I could take on a measly goblin. Bach had even complimented me on being tolerably good in spite of my lack of real combat experience.
But reality was cruel.
My breath became ragged when I swung the short sword. As the goblins in front of me approached threateningly with their clubs, I was struck with greater fear than I’d ever felt before. Fighting mock battles with wooden swords in safe surroundings was meant to have acclimated me to that kind of fright. Yet to actually come face-to-face with something that wanted me dead was a whole new level of terror.