Chapter 103 - Chapter 102: Magic Bag
The second month of wind, the second week, the day of water.
It has been half a year since I started practicing my second [God's Miracle].
However, no one in the Leventein Group has succeeded with their second [God's Miracle] yet.
"Ugh, I hate it..."
Cecilia slumps face-down onto the table, completely drained.
Lunch is already finished; now it is chat time.
Everyone practiced [God's Miracle] this morning too.
And they will practice again this afternoon.
With no progress whatsoever for half a year, Cecilia isn't the only one feeling this way.
I look at Cecilia with a half-given-up expression.
(If I could at least feel like I was making some progress, it would be a bit better. But regarding [God's Miracle: This One], it's just a matter of whether it manifests or not.)
It's zero or one.
Until reaching one, it remains zero forever.
If that state continues for half a year, it's no wonder things are like this.
"What should I do! Ugh!"
Still face-down on the table, Cecilia throws a tantrum.
Currently, only Mika has mastered [Explosive Flame] in our class.
However, regarding [Heal], children have started appearing here and there who have mastered it since last month.
Perhaps that's why she is even more anxious.
"There's no choice but to practice steadily, right? If so, it can't be helped."
When I say that, Cecilia glares at me sharply.
I feel as if the eyes of everyone else looking at me are cold too.
"......Mika, I don't want to hear that from you."
"Ouch..."
"You, of all people, who are the exact opposite of 'steady', saying such words."
Well, being told "let's go steadily" by someone who mastered both on the very first day is just sarcasm.
Even so, in my case, even if I don't intend to manifest it, it happens on its own.
Rather, I don't understand why everyone is struggling so much.
......But I absolutely cannot say that, even if my mouth were torn open.
"If we can't master it like this, we'll be in different classes next year..."
Cleiria mutters with a gloomy face.
The rumor Messerite had heard earlier: if you can't master your second [God's Miracle], you lose your seat.
That was just a rumor.
In reality, next year's class assignment will simply separate those who can do it from those who can't.
Just as current classes were determined by grades at the regional academy, next year's classes will be determined by this year's grades.
That's all there was to it.
It seems they won't just discard valuable mages that easily.
Well, it is only natural.
Among those in Class 2 who couldn't master [Physical Enhancement] in the region, some have already mastered [Physical Enhancement] and even succeeded with [Heal].
Those whose grades improved move up to Class 1, while those who are stuck fall to Class 2.
It seems the Magic Academy employs a system like this rotation battle.
When Messerite brought the rumor, I thought, "I should support everyone in the Leventein Group with all my might."
But in reality, it's quite difficult to lend a hand.
And once I realized that not mastering it wouldn't remove you from the academy's rolls, I decided to just watch quietly for now.
"Mika-kun, how did you manifest it in the first place?"
"How, you ask..."
Rimliche asks me with puppy-dog eyes, but I have no answer.
"Rather, how are you all doing? Praying? Offering sacrifices?"
I look around at everyone and ask.
"How are we doing? We try all sorts of things. Because we don't know what to do."
"......Anything that comes to mind..."
Cecilia pouts, and Charl adds on.
At the academy, they teach the incantations necessary for manifestation, but nothing beyond that.
Or rather, they can't teach it.
If you say that personal sensation governs all mana manipulation and cannot be taught to others, then that is true.
Still, it's strange that everyone has mastered [Physical Enhancement] with just the hint "Pray to the God, offer your mana."
It seems that while trying various ways to offer mana through manipulation, sometimes a flash of "This is it!" occurs.
Yeah, I still don't get it.
"Ah... can you tell me a bit more specifically? I know it's personal sensation."
When I say that, everyone looks at each other.
"So, imagine [God's Miracle], pray hard while doing it. Boom with mana, squeeze with mana, all sorts of things! Why don't you understand?"
No, I don't understand.
Don't push it.
(By the way, don't explain it with onomatopoeia, with onomatopoeia.)
All I can do is give a bitter smile at Cecilia's full-force explanation.
Well, since it's about sensation, an explanation like this is unavoidable.
"Recently, trying to lift it like this, guggu, feels kind of good? My image is getting a bit solidified."
"I am trying while gradually changing my mana volume."
Messerite and Cleiria seem to be doing something like that.
Strangely, manifesting it the first time is terribly difficult, but once manifested, it seems easy thereafter.
Speaking of which, when Rimliche first manifested [Physical Enhancement], it was all-in, but after that, she controlled it properly herself.
(......As for why I am always all-in, the only way to explain it is 'that's how the system works.')
I am not trying to offer all my mana to become all-in.
It just happens on its own.
In other words, it is [God's Miracle], or rather the incantation itself, that is structured that way.
"Hmm..."
I cross my legs and arms, resting my chin on my hand, deep in thought.
My usual pose when thinking is already familiar to everyone.
They don't know what I'm thinking, but for now, everyone silently watches me.
"......Normally speaking, well, that's true."
I mutter quietly.
"Offering as much as you can is probably the most efficient."
Leaning back against the chair, I say while looking at everyone.
Everyone looks confused, as if asking "What do you mean?"
"Rather than trying all sorts of small things, I think offering all your mana with full power is the easiest way to manifest."
"We've been doing that all along."
"Well, it's basic."
Cecilia and Messerite say that they've always done that level of thing in response to my advice.
"I determine my limits and try to offer only what I can every time I first try."
But Cleiria says that doesn't result in manifestation.
I shake my head at Cleiria.
"No, not that. Offer everything. Everything. Your mana. All of it."
""""......Huh?""""
At my words, everyone present looks stunned.
If the incantation includes an effect that tries to take all your mana, isn't going against that a factor that makes manifestation harder?
If you want it all without adjusting mana volume, just give it all.
There might be other factors that make manifestation harder, but at least reducing one inhibiting factor is a step forward.
It should become easier to manifest.
(......I thought so, and said it, but...)
The eyes of everyone looking at me are cold.
"You know, since it's not about you, you're just saying that casually..."
"......Mana depletion..."
"Mika, that's a bit..."
If mana is depleted, fainting is inevitable.
Knowing that will happen and saying such things, it's understandable that everyone thinks "What kind of monster is this?"
They all say things like "That's impossible" or "You're only asking for trouble."
At that moment, the hem of Mika's robe is tugged gently.
When Mika turns around, Rimliche is holding his robe.
"Hm, what?"
"......Should I offer everything?"
She asks with a serious face.
"U-um... probably... I guess so."
Mika isn't saying it with conviction either.
He is only guessing that it might be the case structurally.
"Yeah. I understand."
But upon hearing Mika's reply, Rimliche simply nodded.
■■■■■■
I talked with everyone in the Leventein Group about the trick to manifesting [God's Miracle], but of course, it didn't manifest that easily, and the weekend arrived.
On Saturday afternoon, Mika asked to skip Rimliche's special training and submitted an overnight stay application to the dormitory.
Thus, flying towards Sarbengeal.
It was already night.
Surroundings turned pitch black, flying high above relying on the lights of towns and villages on the ground and the faintly visible mountain ranges.
"It shouldn't be strange if I could see it soon."
It has probably been seven or eight hours since I started flying.
I have become quite used to flying itself, so I flew at a considerable speed, but I still haven't reached Sarbengeal.
Since the distance from the Royal Capital to Sarbengeal is indeed long, the error margin might have become large.
"I should have just flown straight over the road..."
The road from the Royal Capital to Sarbengeal is, of course, not a straight line.
Since it goes through existing towns, it winds quite a bit.
There are places where you have to detour around large lakes or steep rocky areas, making it a huge detour.
So, I was heading straight based on a rough direction, but it seems the error was larger than expected.
It hurt that I couldn't see the ground situation after nightfall.
Finding lights from villages, towns, and large cities, I headed towards them to estimate my current location.
Flying aimlessly like that, I finally found the lights of a somewhat suitable town.
"This must be it... or rather, please let it be."
Already quite tired, I mutter it like a complaint.
What came into view was a cluster of huge lights gathered somewhat rectangularly.
What looks pitch black to the north is probably a lake.
"I finally arrived."
Hunger and fatigue make it quite tough.
But if I lose concentration here, I'll fall straight down to the ground.
With [Physical Enhancement] at five times, if I were slammed into the ground, I'd be flattened.
I can't expect a scenario like in manga where a hole in the shape of a person appears in the ground and I crawl out.
And, of course, the city gates are closed at this hour.
I can't land openly in the middle of the town.
But Mika had an idea of where to land.
Flying towards the northwest edge of Sarbengeal town.
What is at the northwest edge of the town?
Yes, there is our alma mater, the Magic Academy of the Leventein Domain.
Moderately wide, moderately unpopular, and dark.
At night, no one will notice us first.
"Ho!"
Cutting [Blast] at about ten meters from the ground, I land smack in the middle of the ground with a schar!
"Infiltration successful."
Hiding quickly in the shadows with the feeling of the protagonist of a certain game called "Snake".
Escaping the grounds directly, I run through Sarbengeal town.
The northwest district is refined, so there are almost no people coming and going at this hour.
Well, once I've infiltrated, it's not a problem if I'm seen.
"Anyway, first, food!"
Then, finding an inn.
Regarding inns, I'd like to stay at Yaroibarov's inn, but it seems rejected at first glance.
Mika isn't just "at first glance," but since I don't know what other conditions exist, I'll look for another inn tonight.
"But, I can't really think of any delicious places in Sarbengeal's restaurants."
While I was in Sarbengeal, I hardly ate out.
So, heading to the Adventurer's Guild.
The guild is still open when I arrive.
It seems they are about to close, but a few adventurers remain.
"Excuse me, do you know any delicious shops around here?"
Mika spoke to the adventurer closest to the entrance.
If you want to know delicious shops, ask the adventurers in that town.
This is also Ninetiana-sensei's teaching.
The adventurer spoken to by Mika looks surprised for a moment, but soon tells him.
And, of course, the top recommendation is a meat restaurant, which is now a given.
Filling my stomach at the shop I was taught, I stay at a mid-rank inn near the main street.
It is already late at night when a child arrives alone and says they want to stay, so the innkeeper is naturally surprised.
However, holding a Guild Card and paying normally, I was able to stay without problems.
Well, I was surprised even more.
After all, it says D-rank on the card.
The next morning, Mika entered the Appraisal Shop Owner's shop with tea snacks bought nearby as souvenirs.
"Good morning!"
I raise my hand sharply and greet energetically.
The old woman at the shop opens her eyes wide in surprise.
"Oh my, it's been a while. Have you been well?"
"I'm fine. It's good that you look well too, Grandma."
When I say that, the old woman breaks into a smile.
Then, when I hand over the tea snacks, the old woman serves tea and treats me.
The tea snack is, of course, the tea snacks I brought.
"You said you were in the Royal Capital now, so why are you in a place like this?"
"Ahh... I came for a certain reason. And I thought I'd come see your face too."
"I see, I see."
The old woman is smiling.
I've never been treated so nicely by this old woman before.
Things change when things change.
"I haven't finished my business yet, so I can't stay long."
"Oh, is that so?"
The old woman takes a sip of tea and sighs with relief.
And then,
"Ah, recently there's been a bit of a rumor... I overheard it..."
She starts saying such things.
"Apparently, there's talk in the Royal Capital about unsealing curses or something."
"!!?"
"It's a ridiculous rumor, right? There's no way such a thing exists."
While nibbling on the tea snack, the old woman mutters, "It's a boring rumor."
(......Rumors have already spread to Sarbengeal.)
Merchants' networks are wide and fast.
It's still at the level of suspicious rumors, but it will spread as more reliable information from now on.
And of course, my name will be included in that information.
The old woman pretends not to know and is warning me.
Be careful.
"......That's just a rumor, right?"
"Yes, just a rumor."
It is not yet a credible story.
It won't turn into something specific immediately.
(......But, the first commission request came out after hearing that rumor, right?)
It's not a stage where I need to be specifically wary or take countermeasures, but it is something to keep in mind.
Mika then lightly chatted with the old woman about recent events and left the Appraisal Shop Owner's shop.
The next place I went to was Yaroibarov's inn.
But, unfortunately, Yaroibarov was not there.
So, I decided to handle the main business.
What I came to was the Magic Tool Shop.
I give a bitter smile looking at the dirty signboard placed at the feet as always.
Mika enters the shop.
"Oh my, welcome. It's been a while."
"Hello. Long time no see."
Right at the counter upon entering, the usual old man was there.
Until now, Mika would look around the shop, talk to the old man, and leave.
I was a customer who only came to chat.
I have never bought anything worth even one copper coin, yet the old man never showed a bad face to Mika and always accompanied me in conversation.
That's why I decided this—
Stopping in front of the counter, I point straight ahead.
"I'll take that."
I decided I would absolutely buy the "Magic Bag" at this shop.
It is an expensive magic tool costing a million rats.
Mika wants to buy it from a truly trustworthy shop.
"Huh?"
After that, it took a little trouble to make the stunned old man understand I wasn't joking, but I successfully purchased it.
The old man was shocked as if his legs had given out.
Mika, who had put off buying the magic tool until now because it was too expensive, started seriously considering purchasing it after the commission request.
The trigger was the lack of ropes to bind Heminikki, who went berserk due to the curse's influence.
Since the location was the client's mansion, there was a spare, but what if this was outside?
There is a need to restrain dangerous people, yet there are no tools for that.
I could prepare it if I thought about it, but I neglected to prepare.
The words Chirensta told me when registering as an adventurer, "Those lacking resolve and preparation lose their lives," also played a part, and Mika decided to purchase the Magic Bag.
This magic tool.
It is expensive, but apparently, it is not often subject to theft.
Why?
Because it cannot be used even if stolen.
The purchaser registers their mana to the magic tool on the spot and confirms it works normally.
Only the person who registered their mana can take items out of the bag, so stealing it yields no profit.
It can be shared in a party, but in that case, it is used without mana registration.
If that happens, anyone can use it, so one must be careful of theft.
The method to distinguish is simple.
Just stick your hand into the bag.
If your hand doesn't go in, mana is registered, so stealing is useless.
If your hand goes in, mana is not registered, so stealing is a big profit.
For that reason, the Magic Bag with registered mana is not often stolen.
However, a Magic Bag with registered mana cannot be used once the registered person dies.
This is the main reason for sharing in a party.
If the leader registers and dies during a quest, it cannot be used again.
It is like losing all contents [Lost].
The risk of theft and the risk of [Lost].
It seems they decide what to do considering those factors.
The old man mutters with a genuinely surprised face.
"Wow~ I've been in this business for a long time, but this might be the first time I've been so surprised."
Well, it's not common for a child like this to just buy such an expensive magic tool.
The old man didn't take the item hanging on the wall, but brought out a clean new one from the back.
The ones hanging on the wall were samples and seemed unusable.
Mika asked the old man in detail about the specifications of the Magic Bag.
Magic Bag.
It has a leather belt, and metal wire runs through the belt.
So, it doesn't come off or fall off easily.
Also, if the bag tears or the belt is damaged, it can be exchanged for a fee.
And a plate made of the same material as the Guild Card is attached to the connection part of the bag and belt, bulging out just like that.
A magic stone is here, and various crafts are applied.
It is no exaggeration to say this plate is the life of this magic tool.
Think of the Magic Bag as a tool that can carry a space of two meters wide, one meter high, and one meter deep.
The mouth of the bag can be opened up to fifty centimeters in diameter.
Anything that fits in that size can go in.
Except living creatures.
This Magic Bag realizes space expansion by utilizing the [Grant] magic.
And, what happens if you put another Magic Bag inside this Magic Bag?
The answer is "I don't know."
It seems the results vary.
It seems that contents [Lost] is a common phenomenon due to interference between expanded spaces.
Also, it might break and contents become unobtainable.
So, I was told absolutely not to do it.
This Magic Bag is fire-resistant and strong against water.
Well, it's not that it absolutely won't burn or absolutely won't flood, but generally, the contents are safe and secure.
Even if the bag tears, it doesn't become unusable immediately, but since it expands the space inside, it's better to repair it early if you consider the worst-case scenario.
And smells and sounds do not leak out.
However, there are no convenient functions like time not passing inside.
Cold things get warm, and hot things get cold.
It's best to think of it simply as a huge trunk case that has become small enough to carry.
You can put items directly into this Magic Bag, but bags for dividing items are sold separately.
However, ten are included from the start.
"This number tag is important. You should decide your own rules for what goes in which number."
The dividing bags have tags numbered from one to ten, and if you put your hand in the bag and think of the number, the contents immediately come to mind.
This tag seems to be a magic tool too.
Mika fulfilled the purpose of coming to Sarbengeal and did some light shopping on the main street.
Rapelling ropes five, restraint ropes five, bath towels five, face towels ten, etc., bought quickly in a rush.
The rapelling ropes are over two centimeters thick.
It might not be necessary for Mika, but it might be used for other purposes.
Like a knife, I decided to buy it thinking "maybe I'll use it if I have it."
There are many other necessary items, but there is no time to shop leisurely.
Because I have to hurry back to the Royal Capital from now on.
Thinking about what to keep permanently later, Mika hurriedly exited the West Gate and headed for the Northern Forest.
Confirming that no one was watching, I soared into the sky.
On the way back, I tried to move within the range where the road was visible, and I was able to return to the Royal Capital in less than six hours.