I took off my knight’s uniform, leaving me in an undershirt and trousers, and faced Ashe.
Ashe was similarly clad in an undershirt and a red skirt.
A small breast, pushing against the thin fabric, made my heart skip a beat.
My gaze was also drawn to her white, plump thighs peeking out from above her knees, essentially a miniskirt, and her long, slender legs.
“Actually, it would be easiest to detect each other if we were both completely naked,”
Ashe explained in a business-like tone, as if unaware of my gaze.
“N-naked…!”
I swallowed hard.
I recalled the sight of her pale, semi-nude body in the dim room.
We had done something almost as intimate as that yesterday.
In fact, we had done something even more intense than just embracing…
“But we can’t go that far, can we? In fact, if we connect on a deeper level, we can influence each other’s magic power. For example, the sex ritual of priests is a prime example.”
“Sex ritual…”
Hearing that, I was reminded of my intimate time with Racine.
“Ngh…!”
The new stimulation was intense, especially when I was already close to recalling my stimulating encounter with Ashe.
Blood rushed to my lower body, and my penis throbbed beneath my trousers.
This is bad…
I quickly leaned forward, trying to hide my erection.
“Is something wrong, Abel? Do you have a stomach ache?”
“N-no, please don’t mind me.”
My voice was clearly strained.
“This is training, so don’t think of anything strange,”
Ashe said with a slight glare.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Now, let’s begin. Abel, stay still.”
With that, Ashe embraced me.
“Search Magi.”
Ashe whispered the incantation.
I had been explained this incantation on the way here.
It’s a spell that measures various data about magic power, such as its amount, quality, and location.
It’s a magic primarily mastered by clerics, and with enough skill, they can pinpoint the location of a magician several kilometers away.
This time, the goal was to quantify and measure my magic power.
Magic Power Level—in battle manga terms, it’s like combat power.
An average magician has a Magic Power Level of around 10,000.
Captains and vice-caplains like Ashe and Veronica typically range from 30,000 to 50,000.
But, more than any of that explanation—
The soft, yielding sensation pressing against my chest was far more distracting.
Just the contact was pleasant and exciting.
Knowing it was Ashe’s breasts, the pleasant stimulation through my shirt ignited my desire.
Hot blood surged to my lower body even more than before, and my symbol beat violently inside my trousers.
—No, no, no. This is training.
Even telling myself that, I couldn’t suppress my excitement.
“Ngh…!”
Suddenly, Ashe let out a small sound.
Uh oh, did she notice my erection?!
I was startled for a moment, but something seemed off.
“40,000… 65,000… it’s still rising…?!”
Ashe exclaimed in surprise, still holding me.
It seemed to be about my Magic Power Level—
“83,000… 120,000… N-no way…!”
Suddenly, I noticed the magic circle on the floor emitting an intense light.
The four pillars surrounding us also pulsed with a groaning sound.
“What is this…?!”
Before my astonished eyes, the four pillars shattered one after another.
“Haa, haa, haa…”
At the same time, Ashe recoiled from me as if thrown and collapsed on the spot.
Sweat streamed down her forehead and cheeks.
She gasped for air, her shoulders rising and falling.
“Are you… are you alright, Ashe?”
I crouched beside her, concerned.
“I’ve never encountered such immense magic power…”
Ashe finally caught her breath and murmured with a dazed expression.
“It’s beyond measurement.”
Looking around at the shattered pillars, Ashe informed me,
“Beyond measurement…?”
“Do you see the four pillars on the floor? They broke moments ago… but they were magical auxiliary devices. The Search Magi spell works by channeling the target’s magic power into the caster for analysis, but if the magic power is too immense, it can damage the caster…”
As she spoke, Ashe noticed my expression and gave a small, wry smile.
She probably thought I looked dumbfounded.
I couldn’t help it; I didn’t understand the explanation at all.
“Let’s say the caster is a vessel and the target’s magic power is water. If you pour too much water, it will overflow the vessel…”
Ashe rephrased her explanation with an analogy.
Okay, maybe I got a slight grasp of it this time.
“And if it overflows… what happens?”
“It affects the caster’s mind, and in the worst case, can destroy it.”
Ouch, it’s quite a dangerous spell.
“Don’t worry. Those four pillars were there to absorb the burden instead of the caster. But your magic power was so immense that they couldn’t withstand it… that’s why they broke.”
Ashe sighed.
“Is my magic power really that great?”
“…It makes sense that you could defeat a Steel Dragon single-handedly.”
Ashe nodded with a wry smile.
Huh, so I really *am* a genius.
It felt good, boosting my ego so much.
“Besides, wielding a magic that can instantly defeat an SS-class monster is exceptional. According to Roger’s report, it’s called Photon Blast, right? I’ve never heard of such a spell.”
“Ah, I came up with that name myself. I’m self-taught in magic, so all the spell names are my own.”
Naturally, I had devised and named all the other spells myself as well.
There were knowledgeable people in my village, and I had heard about magic, so I knew a few names of common spells, but my magic knowledge was only about that level.
“Self-taught…?”
“The Photon Blast spell just suddenly came to mind one day… I chanted it, and it activated.”
“You mean you didn’t learn it from a grimoire?! You can do that?!”
Ashe exclaimed, astonished.
“Grimoire?”
“…If you’re self-taught, you don’t even know about grimoires. In that case, I’ll explain the basics.”
—Below is an excerpt of what Ashe taught me.
Magic in this world was all devised by humans of the High Ancient Civilization.
That civilization, referred to as the High Ancient Civilization, flourished due to magic—and then, in a single night, it was destroyed.
Few traces of their cities or civilization remain.
However, ruins of the High Ancient Civilization are scattered throughout various regions, and within them lie the grimoires they wrote.
By reproducing the spells and rituals recorded in these books, humans in this world can wield magic.
However, only a very small number of humans with latent talent can manipulate magic.
In essence, magic in this world is a copy of the High Ancient Civilization’s legacy.
Therefore, humans like me, who can devise magic from scratch, are extremely rare exceptions.
“You’re a mutated super-genius, basically. In addition to immeasurable magic power, you have the talent to devise magic on your own. As far as I know, only Dorothea, a Court Magician of this kingdom, can create and use incantations from nothing, just like you. I doubt there are more than five such magicians on the entire continent.”
Ashe sighed and muttered, as if to herself,
“…It makes sense that Her Majesty the Queen ordered you to tame this child.”
What did she mean by that?
“Ashe, are you there!”
It was at that moment that the training room door opened.
A young girl in a knight’s uniform ran towards us.
She had freckles and braids, looking like a novice.
She seemed to be a year or two younger than me.
“What is it, Mina?”
Ashe asked, and the girl knight, her face pale, replied,
“Someone has escaped from the Royal Castle’s dungeon and is rampaging through the Royal Capital. The Fourth Squad is currently engaging them. They’ve requested your assistance, Captain Ashe.”
“Escaped?”
“It’s the man the Captain captured yesterday.”
The girl knight, Mina, explained.
“He suddenly went berserk today, broke out of his cell with magic—”
Was it the man who was robbing people on the way to the welcome party?
“Yesterday’s man? I didn’t sense any magic from him, so I didn’t think he was a magician…”
Ashe furrowed her perfectly shaped eyebrows.
Something felt… unsettling.
“Then, Abel and I will head to the scene. To be safe, please tell Veronica, our Vice-Captain, to remain here. Also, can you tell me the exact location?”
Ashe said, glancing at me.
“Abel, you can go too, right?”
“…Yes.”
I nodded, feeling tense.
This would be my first real combat as a Slayer.
