Chapter 61 - Chapter 60: The Rumored Request of Twenty Gold Coins
Month of Water, Week 2, Day of Wind.
This morning's class was a boring lesson in Kingdom History.
Though I called it boring, there were actually parts where I was enjoying it quite a bit.
Since becoming second-years, classes including magic training have basically been held in the classroom.
Considering that in our first year we used the training room almost every day, it goes without saying that second-years not using the training room much is obvious.
In the second year, you can train to move your own mana without magic tools and to manifest and maintain [Physical Enhancement].
First-years who find it difficult to move mana without magic tools naturally prioritizing the training room was to be expected.
In Kingdom History, we are briefly learning about events during the current "Fifty-Year War".
What particularly caught Mika's interest was "Knight Deployment of Mages".
This is an experimental trial that started after the Academy began training mages.
It seems children recognized for their magical talent were not trained as mages, but as knights instead.
I thought, "What is the point of doing such a thing?", but it seems this experiment actually produced quite a bit of effect.
[Physical Enhancement] raises abilities by a percentage from one's raw physical capabilities.
Even now, among children who advanced to the Knight Academy, those whose mana has grown are taught it, but there is an incredible difference in strength between knights who can use [Physical Enhancement] and those who cannot.
However, the growth of mana for children not chosen for the Magic Academy is still limited; while you can expect explosive power as a trump card, sustaining the effect is difficult.
So, it seems someone in the military's upper echelons thought, "If we raise children with abundant mana as knights from the start and let them use [Physical Enhancement], they'll be super strong, right?"
Since they are raised as knights, their raw physical abilities are high, and adding [Physical Enhancement] which leverages their abundant mana creates...
The birth of Super Knights.
These Super Knights seem to have trampled all over the battlefield for real.
There are even examples of squads of about ten Super Knights charging head-on and annihilating enemy knight units exceeding a hundred.
It seems they were deployed in actual combat around thirty years after the start of the Fifty-Year War, and for the following ten years, the Kingdom of Ektrem's advantage continued.
But, the deployment of these Super Knights ended after just ten years.
Why?
Because they concluded that mages are more effective when deployed as mages.
(...They trampled the battlefield endlessly and maintained the advantageous war situation for ten years, so why did they reach such a conclusion?)
I wondered about that, but the military's upper echelons reached that conclusion.
I think "something" happened, but the lesson never touched on Super Knights beyond that.
Pity.
Then, the lesson began with a rough explanation of the "Battle of Daburandoru Plains", the final decisive battle of the Fifty-Year War.
In this battle that occurred in Kingdom Year 1475, both nations released over two million soldiers each, leading to a confrontation head-on.
Well, with such a number of troops, tricks don't mean much, so aside from some harassment, there was likely nothing they could do.
And, to get to the conclusion, this battle ended in a draw.
Given the current relationship between the two nations, this is a result you could roughly predict.
But, the casualties far exceeded expectations.
In fact, both sides suffered nearly one million dead.
Both sides lost nearly half of the troops they deployed.
This is too abnormal.
This is impossible to imagine with common sense.
Before things got to that point, normally one side would withdraw, or one side's army would collapse.
Even if it's a draw, having both sides with a casualty rate near 50% is strange no matter how you look at it.
But, the lesson didn't touch on this particularly either.
They explained it lightly and moved on.
(Probably... something terrible must have happened. Just like the cancellation of the Super Knight plan. And the abnormal casualty rate in the decisive battle.)
Something is being hidden.
Probably, there is "something" that cannot yet be taught to Mika and the others.
However, I can guess they intend to teach it eventually.
Otherwise, they would have covered it up completely and ended it.
There would be no need to bring it up in class at all.
Mika is interested in that "something", but at the same time thinks, "I don't want to know."
Once you know, it means Mika and the others have been immersed in the military to such an extent that it's judged "no problem to tell them".
By the way, an armistice agreement was signed the year after this battle, and two years later, a formal peace treaty was concluded.
Probably, both sides suffered too much damage in the decisive battle to even think about war anymore.
If that's the case, they shouldn't have started the war in the first place.
Afternoon exercise time arrived.
"Well then, Mika-kun. See you later."
Rimliche, who was walking in line towards the ground, waved lightly and headed towards where Cecilia and Murt were.
The first menu for today's exercise was different content for those who could use [Physical Enhancement] and those who couldn't.
Mika and the others were doing a round trip of the athletic course using [Physical Enhancement].
This probably has the meaning of practicing continuous use of [Physical Enhancement], but for Mika personally, it doesn't mean much.
For Mika, for whom using "Absorb" is essential to manifest [God's Miracle], maintaining [Physical Enhancement] for hours is not particularly difficult.
Rather, for Mika who wants to train his raw physical abilities, the menu for the group that cannot use [Physical Enhancement] seems to offer more.
(Should I propose this to Naporo? But... I don't want to be taken as someone who has the leisure to do so like those who can use [Physical Enhancement]. The whole class will inevitably see me that way.)
It's quite a dilemma.
In the end, Mika's lower limit for [Physical Enhancement] hasn't changed from 2 to 3 times.
If I try to suppress it below that and reduce the mana, the mana inevitably cuts off and [Physical Enhancement] dissolves.
Mika, enhanced by 2 to 3 times, is doing the athletic course with Messerite and the others who are only enhanced by 10% to 20%.
This results in a very nasty outcome.
Moreover, while everyone else seems to run out of mana halfway through, Mika is fine from start to finish even if he uses it full blast.
The nastiness increases further.
(Ugh... I don't want to stand out in such a weird way.)
It's not standing out badly, it's just showing normal excellence, but it's so outstanding that everyone's gaze hurts. ...Or so I feel.
(Alright, I'll decide to do it without [Physical Enhancement] today after all.)
The only thing to do is go back and forth on the athletic course.
Whether I have [Physical Enhancement] or not, what I do is the same.
I consulted with Naporo, saying I wanted to train my body in its raw state, and Naporo readily gave permission.
"Mika-kun has already mastered [Physical Enhancement] quite a bit. Wanting to train in a state without enhancement is also reasonable. Indeed, for Mika-kun, that might be more effective."
So, today it was the athletic course without [Physical Enhancement].
Before being taught [Physical Enhancement], this was the norm.
"Huh? Mika isn't using [Physical Enhancement] today?"
"I just want to exercise normally. Training my body in its raw state will make the effect of [Physical Enhancement] higher, right?"
I chat with Messerite while doing warm-ups.
Besides me, the group capable of manifesting [Physical Enhancement] includes Polnard and Charl.
I move my joints one by one to expand the range of motion.
If I don't loosen up properly, I'll hurt my muscles and joints.
...Since an experienced person says so, it can't be wrong, yeah.
"No matter what you say, Mika is serious, isn't he? Making the exercise menu harder for himself voluntarily... He's a weirdo though."
"Hey, I heard that."
Where am I a weirdo?
Mika carries a handicap that effort alone in height cannot fix, so he believes he needs to train more than others to compensate for it.
It will also be advantageous for activities as an adventurer, so if I'm going to do it, I just want to be more efficient.
"Alright, are you ready? Think carefully about the pacing of [Physical Enhancement] as you go."
Naporo gathers Mika and the others at the starting point.
Each person is told to use up their mana within one hour of the athletic course.
They must control it so that they don't run out of mana or leave any unused while considering the ratio of [Physical Enhancement].
Making the enhancement stronger makes it easier to cross the athletic obstacles.
However, if you enhance too much, you will run out of mana halfway.
You must think for yourself whether the mana seems insufficient or excessive while keeping the enhancement ratio as constant as possible and adjust accordingly.
How much enhancement can I do now, and for how long can I maintain it?
You must teach your head and body these things.
"Alright, let's go. Yes, start!"
With Naporo's shout, Messerite dashes out.
Messerite was the last to become able to manifest [Physical Enhancement], but he has a decent amount of mana.
His raw physical ability is also higher than Polnard or Charl.
If he doesn't mess up the pacing, it's natural that Messerite will go the fastest and make the most round trips.
Mika does not run at the pace of the athletic competition he did with Murt before.
Back then, the goal was "as fast as possible", but this time it's a long haul of one hour.
Just like a marathon, the goal is to think carefully about the pacing and run for the full hour.
As Mika carefully clears the athletic obstacles, Polnard's pace suddenly increases.
Probably, he has increased [Physical Enhancement].
(...? Is it okay to fly like that?)
Polnard has mastered [Physical Enhancement] and is increasing his mana amount, but [Physical Enhancement] consumes a lot of mana.
If you raise the enhancement ratio, your mana will run out in a flash.
Charl is keeping up with a pace slightly slower than Mika.
Normally, Polnard should have been at the same pace as Charl.
(Did his mana amount increase, allowing him to speed up?)
I thought, but after going a little ahead, Polnard's pace visibly dropped.
Mika and Charl passed the obstacles at their own pace and finally caught up to Polnard.
Then, as Mika overtook Polnard, Polnard's pace increased again.
(Whoa, whoa, you shouldn't push yourself too hard.)
For some reason, I noticed that Polnard's expression when trying to overtake Mika looked strangely desperate.
(Could it be...)
Maybe Polnard is frustrated that he is running alongside Mika, who is unenhanced, while he is enhanced.
Isn't he desperate because he can't stand losing to unenhanced Mika?
(Since it depends on raw physical ability, worrying about that is pointless, but...)
This is exactly the reason Mika wants to train his raw body, and the reason why even enhanced, Polnard cannot beat Mika.
If you don't train your raw state to some extent, no matter how many times you enhance it, you might lose in a simple strength contest.
To put it extremely.
Even if Mika enhanced himself 10 times, I don't think he could beat Yaroibarov.
And if he enhances himself up to 10 times, Mika's body won't withstand that enhancement.
In other words, no matter what he does, he cannot beat Yaroibarov.
Well, if it's Yaroibarov, he probably won't have to fight for his life.
But, what if the opponent is a magical beast?
What if the opponent is a criminal like in the kidnapping incident?
He probably won't fight such opponents soon, but he must prepare.
In fact, a situation arose where he had to fight a thin man, an opponent of a higher rank.
If, at that time, Mika had approached the thin man faster in the initial charge?
If he had hit the thin man, before he hid, with "Thousand Edge"?
He could have settled it easily.
(The fight back then was tough simply because I was weak. Don't get cocky just because you can hunt small magical beasts. Even that Agu Bear has plenty of people who can take it down in a one-on-one fight?)
Thinking such things, Mika clears obstacle after obstacle.
Standing before Mika's eyes is now a metal rod over 5 meters tall.
Mika grabs the rod firmly and climbs up smoothly.
(I will still become stronger! I can become stronger!)
Kuhashi Ritsu, who was in his late 40s in his original world, felt his body declining as time passed.
Before he knew it, things that were naturally possible became difficult.
Things that came without conscious effort required conscious effort to succeed.
He was starting to feel "aging" from such trivial things.
But Mika is different.
For Mika, "time" is his greatest ally.
Although there are many inconveniences with a child's body, infinite possibilities called "growth" due to the passage of time lie dormant in this body.
As time passes, things that were previously impossible become possible.
Things that failed without careful attention become possible without conscious effort.
Mika was happiest feeling his own growth.
Climbing to the top of the long rod, he takes a breath.
A view from a high place he rarely sees.
Messerite is about to reach the goal and turn back.
Charl is struggling with the obstacle just before Mika.
Polnard seems to have pushed himself to the obstacle two ahead so he wouldn't be overtaken by Mika.
Looking further away, Rimliche and the others are jogging on the ground.
Children forcibly gathered by law, but everyone is working hard.
(...I should work hard too.)
Mika murmurs that and jumps down from the rod with momentum.
Ten minutes later----.
Polnard collapsed due to mana depletion.
Naporo carried him on his back and took Polnard to a place like the school infirmary.
"Good grief. If you run at such an unreasonable pace, of course your mana will run out, you idiot."
Naporo scolds Polnard, but he's probably unconscious and can't hear him.
It seems Polnard was indeed thinking too much about Mika and raised [Physical Enhancement] without considering the pacing.
(...Sorry, Polnard. I didn't mean to do that.)
Mika apologizes to Polnard in his heart.
■■■■■■
After school on the day Polnard collapsed, Mika was at the Guild.
With [Physical Enhancement], going to the main street after school on weekdays hasn't been as much of a burden lately.
Probably, gaining stamina in his raw state is a big part of it.
The "cursed items" given to him by the Appraisal Shop Owner are already over ten, and he has already removed the curses from all of them.
Perhaps he has gotten used to it, but while it took three months initially to solve the puzzles, recently he can solve them in 2 to 3 days.
In the case of weak curses, he solves them on the very day he receives them.
With nothing left to do after school on weekdays, Mika decided to spend that time gathering information or researching magic.
Today, he came to see if there were any requests he could do tomorrow, the Day of Sun.
If not, he would just go collect Red Lizard Stones as usual.
The last request was tough, but it was a delicious job earning one gold coin in a day.
The next few days, the whole class called me stinky, which was a bit of a trauma though.
It seems the Guild itself was troubled by that request, thinking it had become quite troublesome.
They were quite surprised that Mika solved it and returned.
Even Yunressa, who handled the window, pinched her nose and made a subtle expression!
As Mika looked at the bulletin board with posted requests, he found a request for a staggering twenty gold coins among the recently posted ones.
Twenty gold coins. Twenty million Rats.
Probably, if you live a frugal life, it's money enough to live without working for twenty years.
In Rish Village, you could probably live your whole life with it.
That place has no entertainment at all.
Mika became interested and checked the contents of the request for twenty gold coins.
"Um... Information that the 'Great Secret Book of the Saint' was discovered in the Seven Duchies Federation. Confirm this and bring it back. ...Saint's, Great Secret Book...?"
It sounds familiar...?
What was it?
"Oh."
It was the gossip Ninetiana told me before.
Surely, it was a suspicious story about alchemy and becoming king.
She said there were high-paying requests at the Guild, so it really exists.
"Mika-kun, are you interested in that request?"
As Mika gazed at the suspicious request, a voice came from behind.
Turning around, a stern man with a mustache who had interviewed Mika was standing there.
"There are many similar requests for that. You should choose carefully which requester to give it to. ...If you can get it, that is."
Saying that, the man shrugged his shoulders.
"There are that many?"
"Yes. After all, it's a request that has never been accomplished once. It just piles up. Since no one is very enthusiastic, they accept requests on the condition that they remove them from the board after a certain period. The request itself remains valid unless withdrawn."
"Hmm...."
It seems there are eccentric people who post such meaningless requests.
And they offer twenty gold coins for it.
"It's a huge amount, but is it really paid?"
"That is certain. They have already deposited the reward in advance."
"Eh? They have the full amount deposited!? Even twenty gold coins!?"
Mika asks in surprise, but the man just smiles brightly.
It seems he doesn't intend to talk about such vivid money matters here.
Mika looks up at the request with half admiration and half disbelief, saying "Haa...".
"This time it's rumored to be found in the Seven Duchies, but well, this is usual. You shouldn't take it seriously. A story comes up, and after a while it disappears. That's the repetition."
It's like an Unconfirmed Creature (UMA).
Bigfoot, Mothman, Chupacabra.
Even Tsuchinoko sometimes made newspaper articles.
(Everyone likes these kinds of stories. Well, I don't hate them either.)
It's interesting to read.
But I can't bring myself to search for it.
"Mika-kun, have you ever been to the Seven Duchies?"
"No. I heard the name for the first time."
Seven Duchies Federation?
I've never heard of it.
"The Seven Duchies Federation is a place in the north of the continent that was once a great nation. Due to a family dispute, it split and split again. Eventually, it split into seven nations."
At first, it was caused by a succession problem, splitting the country into Prince A's faction and Prince B's faction.
While these two princes fought, Prince C's faction tried to gain the advantage of the struggle and acted secretly.
They deceived the King, forced him to abdicate, and took the throne.
Of course, both Princes A and B were furious at this.
They killed King C (formerly Prince C), who had officially ascended and been crowned through proper procedures.
After that, struggles for leadership began within each faction, leading to a situation of constant splitting.
Those expelled by the splits established other princes, leading to extreme confusion.
Since the former King, who was deceived by Prince C, was still alive, each prince established a faction as a duchy and declared independence.
Due to these circumstances, the relations between each duchy were very bad.
Even in this state of bad relations, they somehow maintained a precarious balance.
After all, if you try to attack somewhere, you will be attacked in the gap.
You cannot move carelessly.
Moreover, if you try to form a coalition, the cause of the country's split was the struggle for leadership from the family dispute.
Can I trust this guy?
Won't he betray me?
Because they are a mass of mutual distrust, they cannot join hands.
But, circumstances arose where they had to join hands anyway.
The Kingdom of Ektrem and the Gronoir Empire.
The Kingdom of Ektrem expanded its territory and became adjacent to several duchies, and then the Gronoir Empire also expanded its territory and became adjacent to multiple duchies.
Sandwiched between superpowers on both sides, the split duchies would be easily swallowed up as they were.
But, returning to the original single royal family was impossible.
So, the framework of "Federation" was created.
They agreed to support each other with soldiers, weapons, and food if they were invaded by the Kingdom or Empire.
No matter how bad their relations were, if they betrayed this, they might be invaded next.
Even if it was forced, they were able to gather to some extent.
Thus, a federal state was born, an example of the idea that to unify internally, you should create an external enemy.
"......They are idiots."
Murmuring that with disbelief, the man laughed loudly, "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha."
It's a bit rare for this person to laugh like this.
Even the adventurers on the floor and the guild staff at the counter looked at us with surprised faces.
"Ahem... Excuse me. It is exactly as you say. For now, they are a friendly nation of the Kingdom. Please don't bring up the old days too much."
Well, I was the one who explained it.
But well, I got to hear a quite interesting story.
"Thank you for telling me. For now, since there doesn't seem to be any request suitable for me, I think I'll go collect as usual on the Day of Sun tomorrow."
When Mika said that, the man nodded.
"Red Lizard Stones have been somewhat lacking for a while. It would help if Mika-kun collects them. But, please be careful."
Mika nodded and left the Guild.