Rainer also stood up and tried to follow him.
“Ah, that’s the plan. Fortunately, my attribute matches what Lord handles, so the teachings are easy to understand.”
“Then, Rainer. Today’s lesson begins.”
“…Wait, wait. Lord, are you perhaps going to do it here?”
“Eh, that’s the plan?”
Rainer looked at me, seeking my judgment. Deciding it was unavoidable, I permitted the lesson in this room.
“Understood. So, what are we doing today?”
“Yes, this. You will float this spoon until I say you can. If your balance wavers even a little, I’ll tickle you!”
Lord handed Rainer a wooden spoon and wiggled his fingers.
“I’d rather you hit me than tickle me…”
“Wh-why do you want to be hit like that…? Little one finds it so strange… Let’s train more enjoyably, Rainer…”
“Training without pain feels unsettling.”
“I-I see…”
Confirming that something within Rainer had been distorted by repeated unreasonable treatment, they both activated Wind Magic.
Lord, in front of them, showed a demonstration, and Rainer imitated it.
The spoon placed on the palm floated a few centimeters with the wind. Lord’s spoon remained stationary as if fixed in the air, but Rainer’s spoon trembled.
“There. Keep it like this.”
“—Hmph!”
Though it looked unremarkable, Rainer’s expression told me it was a nerve-wracking training. Wind, by its nature, blows freely. To control it completely and bring it to a standstill is like asking for ice that isn’t cold. The difficulty would be on par with handling advanced magic.
Lord remained cool, while Rainer, sweating, kept the spoon suspended in the air.
I had expected them to use flashy Wind Magic, but Lord’s lesson was surprisingly straightforward.
“I’m surprised. For someone with your appearance, you value the basics.”
“Eh, well, if the basics are solid, you can apply them however you want, right?”
“Ah, indeed. Come to think of it, that might be true.”
If one could handle a contradiction in terms like motionless wind, they would likely be able to handle any Wind Magic. That rational way of thinking was easy to agree with.
“Th-that’s ridiculous… You geniuses…”
Rainer let out curses along with a waterfall of sweat. He wanted to complain, but he seemed unable to raise his voice due to concentrating on the wind.
Now that I think about it, we have the “Ancestor of Magic” and the “Legendary Demon King” here.
In terms of magical talent, there would be no one to match them.
Rainer, who had to keep up, was desperate.
In the end, within a few minutes, Rainer’s wind control faltered, and Lord tickled his side repeatedly.
Rainer, catching his breath, pleaded for a change in teaching methods.
“Hah, hah… Hey, don’t you have something for ordinary people, not this kind of basic training derived from a genius’s idea? I want to get stronger quickly.”
“There is something. For example, using ‘Incantation’ to pay a ‘Price’.”
“…I’ll take that.”
“In that case, Kanamin was an expert on ‘Price’—or rather, an expert on ‘Curse Technique’… Have you forgotten everything?”
Lord then spoke to me, who had been observing. Apparently, I was more suitable as a teacher for ‘Incantation’. However, I had no memory of that technique.
“Ah, I can’t use ‘Curse Technique’. I don’t know much about it either.”
“Then, Little One will have to explain… Um, actually, the technique of ‘Incantation’ is, strictly speaking, a ‘Curse Technique’. In other words, it started by calling the boosting of ‘Magic’ with ‘Curse Technique’ ‘Incantation’ because it sounds better.”
This was news to me.
I never knew that the incantations used so casually had such a background.
“‘Curse Technique’ is based on sacrificing something to turn it into power. The magic Rainer calls ‘Level Up’ is also actually a ‘Curse Technique’. It sacrifices ‘Poison’ to turn it into power.”
I had thought there was a category of magic called ‘Curse Technique’, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. ‘Curse Technique’ was a type of technique, and it seemed to be hidden within various parts of ‘Magic’.
“So, we were just changing words, and ‘Curse Technique’ had infiltrated everywhere in our magic…”
“Yes. That’s why I think everyone already has the basics of ‘Curse Technique’ at an unconscious level. All that’s left is to teach the ‘Curse Formula’ instead of the ‘Magic Formula’.”
Upon hearing the explanation, Rainer showed a defiant smile.
“You mean it’s easy. Even better. It’s for me.”
Rainer seemed to like the idea of ‘Price’, but I felt the opposite.
The ‘Incantations’ I had used were “Paternal Love’s Flash,” inherited from Rowen, and a mimicry of Arti’s Flame Serpent incantation.
The Flame Serpent incantation, just by uttering it, felt like something deeply precious was being lost from my heart. Feeling a sense of danger, I hadn’t used it since my battle with Arti.
Honestly, I had no good impression of ‘Incantation’.
“Hey, Lord. Aren’t there some ‘Incantations’ that demand an irreversible ‘Price’? I’d prefer it if you didn’t teach Rainer those, if possible.”
“Of course there are. But if you don’t know that, you’ll regret it when you’re about to die. No matter what ‘Price’ you pay, it’s better than dying.”
“That may be so, but…”
I still thought there might be ‘Incantations’ where death would be a preferable outcome.
“…Well, whether you chant it or not, I think it’s good to know it as a trump card. Little One.”
Understanding my concern, Lord maintained an attitude of teaching it only as a last resort.
However, I had a premonition that Rainer would casually use that trump card. And not for himself, but easily for someone else. Because of that, I couldn’t look favorably upon it.
Still, it was certain that knowing it could prevent death in some situations, so I couldn’t outright deny it.
Rainer eagerly asked to be taught.
“The more cards you have, the better. Please teach me quickly, Lord.”
“Then, I’ll teach you the incantation for Wind Magic. Basically, you have to use incantations that match the attribute. And be careful, as the type of ‘Price’ paid varies depending on the attribute.”
“You keep saying ‘Price,’ ‘Price,’ but what exactly is lost?”
“For common ‘Prices,’ you simply lose the time spent chanting. From there, the danger increases, and you might lose your magic power needed for tomorrow’s recovery, or your stamina along with it. And for the severe ones—”
Mid-explanation, Lord’s magic surged. It was the vast and malevolent magic I felt when we first met, fitting for a guardian.
“—’I do not choose the path I walk.’ ‘I am the wind.’ ‘I continue to walk the entire world.’ ‘I remember wishing for that.’ —Wind Magic, *Wind*!”
The wind magic activated along with the incantation.
Then, the basic but ordinary *Wind* transformed into something completely different. The surrounding air condensed, and a ball of wind was generated between Lord’s hands.
Suddenly, the air in the room felt thin.
And the density of that wind ball made me break out in a cold sweat. The concentrated mass of wind, like a compressed sky, felt like a time bomb right beside me.
Even though Lord meant no harm, the mere presence of that immense power made me uneasy.
Seeing me and Rainer take a step back, Lord skillfully dispersed the wind and laughed.
“—It becomes like this! Ah, hahaha! Many wind incantations lighten the heart! Simply put, it makes you as excited as opening a barrel of wine!!”
The wind magic incantation pushed Lord’s already high spirits past their peak.
Seeing that, Rainer let out a sigh of relief.
“What. The most severe ‘Price’ is only that much?”
“And that high will never return!”
“Never?”
“Yes, never. You’ll be like Little One forever~?”
“…I-I’ll remember it as a trump card.”
Rainer’s face contorted at the heavy ‘Price,’ and he took a step back from Lord, who had used it so casually.
Unconcerned, Lord continued his explanation with a drunken smile.
“Other representative dangerous ‘Incantations’ include the fire incantation burning the heart, and the water incantation freezing it.”
That must have been Arti’s incantation.
That sense of emptiness must have been the burning of something precious in my heart.
“Now then, Rainer, let’s try practicing with a light incantation. ‘The path guided from the sky.’ ‘The path to the heavens’—these are also incantations that raise your spirits, but they return to normal quickly, so don’t worry.”
Following Lord’s incantation, Rainer muttered.
Since I was here, I decided to practice the incantation as well. Learning a light incantation wouldn’t hurt.
“‘The path guided from the sky.’ ‘The path to the heavens’—”
“‘The path guided from the sky.’ ‘The path to the heavens’—”
I imagined manipulating the flow of air using my magic power.
And, as the incantation said, I tried to create a path for the air to flow. However, only magic power of the dimensional attribute leaked from my palms. I couldn’t control the wind.
In contrast, Rainer next to me was skillfully manipulating a gentle breeze spiraling upwards.
“Rainer seems to have grasped it already.”
“I feel a bit floaty. Is this the ‘Price’? It does feel like the magic’s effectiveness has slightly increased.”
“Compared to him, Kanamin…”
I also desperately tried to stir the air, but the surrounding air didn’t budge.
This was the moment I truly understood the difficulty of magic acquisition in this world.
“Kanamin, you have no talent for Wind Magic. Or maybe it’s because you’re too specialized in Dimensional Magic.”
“M-mmph…”
I was confident in my magical abilities, so this was a bit frustrating. I suppressed the urge to stubbornly try Wind Magic and gave up. This was not a situation where I could afford to waste magic power on a hobby.
“I’ll give up and focus on mastering Dimensional Magic…”
“It seems more efficient for Kanamin to do that. Before, you faked the effects of other attribute magic using Dimensional Magic, so I don’t think you need to force yourself to learn other attribute magic.”
“So, it is possible to imitate Wind Magic and the like with Dimensional Magic. If possible, I’d like you to teach me that.”
“But Little One doesn’t know that method! Kanamin is super secretive!”
It seemed that advanced Dimensional Magic was something that even Lord, who was skilled in magic, couldn’t teach.
In other words, only “Primordial Kanami” could teach me Dimensional Magic. Reluctantly, I looked for another approach.
“Is that so… Then, are there any books written about Dimensional Magic? This castle is so big, it must have a library, right?”
“Hmm, maybe there’s something in the castle library. Indeed, reading a grimoire from a thousand years ago might be the best approach for Kanamin right now! Ah, then the entrance fee to the library is ten copper coins!”
“…I won’t feed you here anymore?”
“H-here is the library key.”
After snatching the key, I asked for the library’s location and headed for the door.
Let’s leave the Demon King’s class to Rainer. I needed to attend the Ancestor’s lesson.
“—But, please try not to enter other rooms as much as possible~”
Nodding to Lord’s request, I left the two of them and walked down the corridor.
In the silent, long corridor, only my footsteps echoed.
By the time I was doing magic practice, a considerable amount of time had passed. Today would likely end with research in the library.
Passing by the deserted dining hall and grand hall, I reached the library. A thick door with a formidable padlock was embedded in the wall.
Using the key Lord gave me, I pushed open the library door. The rusty iron groaned, and dust fell from the door. It was clear it hadn’t been used for a very long time.
A quick glance inside the library brought a wry smile to my face at the chaotic state. The many bookshelves lined up weren’t the problem. The issue was that, like after an earthquake, many books had fallen to the floor. It wasn’t just unorganized; it was beyond the level of serving its purpose as a library.
It was a spacious library, befitting a large castle. It extended so deep that the walls were invisible in the darkness, and a full tour would likely take until sunset. There were enough books to open a bookstore in town and still have plenty left over.
However, I was good at finding things. I lightly spread out *Dimensions* and searched for anything related to magic. While I was at it, I tidied up the books a bit. I didn’t arrange them alphabetically, but I aimed to restore a minimum semblance of order for a library.
Along the way, I found many interesting books.
Starting with illustrated books of this world’s plants and animals, there were maps of the world from a thousand years ago and books on military strategy. There were all sorts of books here.
What particularly caught my eye were the history books and heroic tales.
The history books and heroic tales of this country. —That was synonymous with information about Viais’s hero, “The Ruling King.”
I thought of the girl who would be laughing in my room and, forgetting my original purpose, idly turned the pages.
The history books were incomplete. Even a quick glance at the timeline revealed numerous gaps, a world of difference compared to the history textbooks of my world.
At the beginning of that timeline, it was written:
—A “King” appeared in Viais and unified the northern countries.
