“Phew, I bought them, I bought them! Shopping after a long time was fun. . . . However, now that I’ve come this far, I want to complete the Allied Nations’ magic stones. It’s a shame there are a few gaps.”
“Should I check out more smaller shops…? For rare magic stones.”
Titty and I, having just left Valt’s large store, were walking through the town while looking at the list of magic stones we had obtained.
“Shall we search a little more? Just a few shops would be fine.”
“Should we? Then, first—”
There was still time left for magic enhancement.
I channeled power into my 《Dimension》 and searched for shops that might have hidden treasures. Along the way, I found a magic shop I recognized. It was the same shop I had visited with Maria before.
It was a hidden gem, like a used bookstore, located in a corner of the town. It wasn’t too big or too small.
“Titty, I’ve found a good place. It’s a good shop we’ve been to before. Let’s go.”
“Roger that!”
We walked towards the shop and entered without hesitation.
Then, I heard the familiar voice of the elf-eared woman.
“Welcome!”
The same greeting as before, and the same used bookstore-like interior. Feeling a slight sense of nostalgia, I slowly walked towards the counter.
“Hmm, do I know you from somewhere…?”
It seemed the staff member also felt a sense of nostalgia.
Seeing my face, she struggled to recall her memories, grunted, and then exclaimed after a few seconds.
“Ah, you’re that rich person from before? Wow, it’s been about a year, hasn’t it?”
“You remember well. Indeed, I visited once before.”
She didn’t call me by my full name, “Aikawa Kanami Christ Eurasia Valt Fuziaze Von Walker,” but rather “rich person.” Maria, who was with me last time, only called me “Master,” so it seemed she had no idea about my true background.
“I try to remember customers’ faces as much as possible. It’s the basic of customer service.”
“Indeed, that is a basic principle.”
With a good impression of the staff member, who shared the same philosophy as me, I approached the counter.
“Oh? The young lady isn’t here today?”
“…I’m sorry, but she’s not here today.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I remembered that this staff member liked Maria more than me. She expressed her disappointment at Maria’s absence without hiding it.
When I return to the mainland and reunite with Maria, I’ll make sure to stop by here one day. It’s a little prank, but I want to show her Maria, who has become incomparably stronger than before.
“So, how much are you buying today?”
The staff member efficiently retrieved a thick catalog from under the counter, just like last time.
“I’m looking for a specific magic stone. Let me see it.”
I took it, looked for what I couldn’t obtain today, and immediately placed an order.
The staff member who received the order looked surprised.
“—Hmm, you’re looking for a rare magic stone. Well, we happen to have one in stock. I’ll go get it right away.”
“Really? If possible, please give me two of each.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll bring whatever we have. Please wait a moment.”
I was a little taken aback that what I couldn’t find so easily was now available, and I asked the staff member. Even Titty, who is usually very talkative, didn’t have time to interject because it was so smooth.
While the staff member went to fetch the magic stones from the back of the shop, we were left with nothing to do.
And just as I was stopping Titty from rummaging through the bookshelves, new visitors entered the shop.
“—Haa. Emily, how many times have you broken the target now? I’m the one apologizing, so please go easy on me.”
“Sorry, Al…”
They were a boy and a girl, explorers.
I had seen their faces very recently. The boy who entered was also surprised to see us.
“Huh? Senpai?”
There was only one person who called me senpai.
It was Al and Emily, the explorers I had met a few days ago on my way from the underground to the surface.
“Hmmm, Al and Emily, what a coincidence!”
Titty, who had been arbitrarily rummaging through the bookshelves, greeted them cheerfully.
The other two then hastily bowed politely.
“It’s good to see you again. We were just enhancing our magic with the money you gave us before… but Emily broke the target doll in the garden…”
At the same time, the staff from the back of the shop also came out. As usual, she was efficient and quick with her work.
“These two are regulars! Unlike you, big brother, they come here many times. That’s why I let them use the magic practice grounds in the garden anytime. The target dolls are destined to break, so don’t worry too much, both of you!”
It seems to be about the practice grounds that I was allowed to use when I came with Maria before.
“Oh, so that was for regulars?”
“Since you, the wealthy young man, bought magic stones today, you can use it too.”
Saying that, she pointed to the shop’s garden.
Titty spotted the dolls in the garden from the shop window and, with sparkling eyes, was about to jump out.
“Indeed, this is perfect! Then let’s use it! Let’s go, Kanamin!”
“Wait a minute, Titty! Ah, here’s the payment.”
I quickly exchanged the magic stones for money and followed her.
Opening the shop door, we stepped out into the garden.
In the garden, besides us and Al and the others, there were about two other parties that appeared to be explorers. When I first came, it was just Maria and me, but the shop seems to be doing much better business than before in the past year.
I noticed that the two pairs of explorers were surprisingly young.
I thought Al and the others were young, but there was an even younger child there. However, contrary to my expectation that they would have low levels, that wasn’t the case.
This scene clearly showed the trend of younger ages and higher overall levels in the Allied Nations.
I suspect it’s all Aid’s influence.
I scowled, but Titty, who had no frame of reference since she didn’t know the situation a year ago, paid it no mind. She declared, “I’m joining in too, kids!” in the center of the garden and began testing magic on the garden’s doll.
“Go! Kids’ new magic, 《Wind Crocus》!”
Titty’s magic power surged, and a small wind flower bloomed before her.
I was a little worried that Titty, with her immense magic power as a Thief of Principles, might overdo it. However, Titty’s magic control was phenomenal, even with new magic. She tested the magic she had obtained from magic stones one after another, as if she had been using them all along, without causing any trouble to those around her.
Behind her, I also began preparing my new magic.
“Titty seems fine on her own. Shall I try a few things myself?”
Further behind me, Al and Emily were following. They were probably hoping that by watching our magic, it would serve as a reference for their future dungeon exploration. As always, they were earnestly admiring us as their seniors. From a little distance away, they were also practicing their own magic, occasionally glancing at us.
Since I had just given up on hiding my identity, I began performing magic construction without reservation. Today, I had found four magic stones for Dimensional Magic. I decided to try them first.
“—Magic “Lag”.”
I activated the magic while holding the documents I received from another magic shop.
Simultaneously, a mirage-like mist appeared before my eyes. According to the document’s explanation, it was a magic that delayed the activation of certain phenomena. For my “Display”—
【Lag】
MP Consumption: 1
A fundamental of Dimensional Magic. Delays any phenomenon based on the caster’s power.
—it was written like this. The effect sounded familiar. To be blunt, it was similar to the self-taught timed activation I used with “Form”—Magic “Dimension Snow.”
Tilting my head, I swallowed the magic stone I had just bought and tried the next spell.
“Hmm, next. —Magic “Shift”.”
The scenery before my eyes shifted as if a cut-out piece of a painting had been moved. It seemed to be a magic that created lines to shift specific things.
“Hmm? Next. —Magic “Time Shift”.”
This magic seemed to manipulate the caster’s sense of time, and I felt as if the world’s movement had slowed down a bit.
“Th-this, could it be…”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t imagine it; all of them were strikingly similar to the magic I already possessed. I wouldn’t say they were exactly the same, but “Shift” was close to “Dimensional Severing Sword,” and “Time Shift” was close to “Dimension – Decisive Calculation.”
“…I feel like I lost out. The number of Magic Stones for Dimensional Magic is extremely small, so the only one left to swallow was the magic stone “Default”. No, I can already use this, but just in case—”Default”.”
As expected, the same effect as the “Default” I had been using appeared. I moved half a step forward and sighed, lamenting the unfortunate state of Dimensional Magic in the Allied Nations.
“According to the manual, “Default” is the highest-tier Dimensional Magic. So, is this all the Dimensional Magic you can get with magic stones in the Allied Nations…?”
I had heard that dimensional attributes were minor and not even covered in academy classes, but I hadn’t expected the research to be so undeveloped.
“Sigh, I can’t help it. I’ll stop with Dimensional Magic here and try other attributes. I probably won’t be able to use them, but it might turn out differently than before. Let’s do them all at once—”Light”! “Dark”! “Shock”! “Blood”! “Flame”! “Heat”! “Water”! “Ice”! “Wind”! “Earth”! “Wood”! “Cureful”! “Growth”!”
Recalling the magic stones I had swallowed earlier, I called out the basic magic spells in order of ease of activation. As expected, none of the spells could be activated. My own magic power churned, but nothing came out of my outstretched palm.
However, it wasn’t that I couldn’t construct them at all. Strictly speaking, I understood the method of magic construction thanks to swallowing the magic stones, but it felt like they wouldn’t be completed properly because the attribute of the magic power I was using didn’t match.
And among that group of failed magic, there was one that felt different.
“…Hmm? Once more—Ice Magic “Ice”.”
A small ice cube fell from my outstretched palm. It was a nostalgic sight. I remembered that when I first used “Ice” in the labyrinth at Level 1, it was just like this.
Ice Magic was the only one that wasn’t as hopeless as the others. I felt like I might be able to handle it like before, depending on how I approached it.
I immediately repeated the trial shots of “Ice.” Although “Ice” allowed me to create ice sculptures of all shapes for a time, it could only produce distorted and small pieces of ice since the magic stone of Hidaki was removed.
However, as I produced a wide variety of failed ice sculptures in the garden’s training ground, I gradually began to understand why I couldn’t use magic other than dimensional attributes.
I suspect that Ice Magic “Ice” requires “cold magic power,” but I can only generate a peculiar magic power that could be called “skewed magic power” of the dimensional attribute. Previously, I was able to use both Ice Magic and Dimensional Magic because I had two types of magic stones within my body, which allowed me to generate “cold magic power even when skewed.”
My way of thinking is rough, but it shouldn’t be too far off.
So, what’s the solution I should implement?
First, I focus my consciousness on my ‘blood.’ Instead of relying on my own methods based on imagination, I rely on the magic formulas etched within it. That will be the first step of magic construction. And then—
“—Dimension – Decisive Calculation!”
I use the familiar magic, focusing its target on ‘I’ myself. This allows me to understand myself thoroughly.
“—Distance Mute!”
Next, like a surgeon in the middle of an operation, I insert my arm into my chest and create a ‘connection’ to my magic stone, where ‘Magic’ is emanating from.
“—Shift!”
Following that, I shift all the ‘Magic’ overflowing from my magic stone.
I shift the ‘shifted Magic’ of the dimensional attribute even further, converting it into Magic of a completely different attribute. What I envision is the ‘cold Magic’ I once used.
“…Alright, can I do it with this? —Ice Magic ‘Ice Arrow’!”
I resort to an extremely forceful method of Magic generation—however, the magic construction itself is by the book—and attempt to activate Ice Magic.
As a result, from my outstretched palm, what I once dreamed of is shot out.
With a sound like an arrow loosed from a bow, ice composed of Magic flies across the practice field’s garden.
It’s no longer the unbearable block of ice from before.
The ice, shaped like an arrow, was fired like a magic in an RPG game. The ice arrow pierced the torso of a wooden doll set up in front of me, and after a few beats, it vanished into steam.
“O-Oh… It worked…”
It wasn’t a dream.
The doll, with holes from the arrows, existed in reality.
Finally, I was able to use magic that felt like it belonged in a game. It’s a thrill unlike any other magic.
“It worked, but the Magic consumption is rough.”
The materials indicated that ‘Ice Arrow’ consumed 3 MP.
However, since I activated it using ‘Dimension – Decisive Calculation,’ ‘Distance Mute,’ and ‘Shift,’ I consumed more than ten times the Magic.
“But it’s better than not being able to do it. For now, I should practice the others too.”
Even with the tremendous Magic consumption, I could now use ‘Ice Arrow,’ which I had previously only been able to replicate by making an ice arrow and throwing it with my bare hands. I let a slight smile form on my lips and began testing various spells using my new Magic generation method, one after another.
First, I tried Ice Magic spells like ‘Ice,’ ‘Freeze,’ and ‘Ice Battlingram.’
These were easy to activate.
Spells I’ve used before are easier to cast. Also, spells I’ve seen seem to be easier to cast as well.
Next, I tried Sera’s Divine Magic “Growth,” Rainer’s Wind Magic “Ex Wind,” and Volz Parent and Child’s combined Fire and Earth Magic “Flame Axel.”
All of them succeeded, albeit barely.
They succeeded… but the results were incredibly disproportionate.
Compared to the original caster’s magic, the effects were too weak.
While Rustiara’s ‘Ice Battlingram’ created a giant hammer in the air, mine was so small I could hold it in my hand.
Support magic was similar. When everyone else used it, it was enhancement magic that accelerated power multiple times over, but when I used it, my body only felt slightly lighter. It was probably the equivalent of shaving off 0.1 seconds from a 50-meter dash.
Furthermore, compared to everyone else, my magic construction was slower and my Magic consumption was higher.
It felt like I was forcing it just through talent.
Naturally, I still couldn’t use ‘Dimension Winter,’ a combined magic of ‘Freeze’ and ‘Dimension.’ I could construct something similar, but from my perspective as the developer of that magic, it was far from practical.
“—It’s no good at all. But the fact that I found a way to use other attributes is a big deal.”
I can tell that my versatility and adaptability have significantly increased.
Moreover, even though it’s desperate now, there were some things that seemed like they could be brought to a practical level with repeated practice.
For example, if I become a little stronger by one more level… or perhaps, if I had something to assist me, I might be able to master the magic I’ve tested so far.
“For now, I won’t rush and will focus on Dimensional Magic…”
I’ll deal with operating other attributes a little later.
The gains from this time are the expansion of Dimensional Magic and the ability to understand all the magic in the Allied Nations. My understanding of magic itself has deepened, and the value of the Skill ‘Magic Combat’ has also increased.
This should change how I use magic that I couldn’t handle well before.
“—Magic ‘Form – Twisted Iris’!”
I attempt to construct a Dimensional Magic that couldn’t be reproduced in my underground life.
A distortion of dimension in the shape of a flower is born and flies towards the holey doll. A little while ago, this only worked on magical beasts, but now, by thoroughly understanding the ‘Shift’術式, ‘Form – Twisted Iris’ had become one step stronger.
As the flower of distortion strikes, the wooden doll contorts like clay.
I don’t know yet if it would work against deep-dwelling monsters, but it had undoubtedly been sublimated into magic with physical force.
“Alright. I might even be able to increase the variations of ‘Dimension’ too.”
I felt confident that I could now produce different effects than usual.
However, these are magics that cannot be used on a doll. So, I approach Titty, who is using Wind Magic nearby. Like me, she seems to have finished testing various spells.
“Grrr! As expected, it’s no good with anything other than Wind Attribute! Even though I want to use Flame and stuff too! And even if the types of Wind Magic increase, they’re all just extensions of what I could already do with my ‘Wind’ at the start! Hmph!!”
Titti, seething with anger, was creating a small castle and a flower garden in the narrow garden with the wind. The precision of her terrifying wind magic amazed the other explorers watching from afar.
However, it seemed this was something she could do from the start.
Just as I, the “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,” possessed most dimensional magic, it appeared to be impossible to strengthen her wind magic, hers being the “One who steals the logic of the wind,” with magic stones.
“It doesn’t seem to be working, Titti. What I could use here were also things I could already do. But there was a little progress. Something interesting might come out of it, so could you try firing a magic spell at me lightly? If possible, please use the magic from the magic stone you just drank.”
“Hmm, from the ones I just drank? Alright. Um, then—”Wind Scythe.” ”
“—Dimension – Miracle Calculation – Counteraction!” ”
I used a new variation of “Dimension” in response to Titti’s magic.
The moment this new “Dimension” deployed, the wind blade Titti had shot instantly dissipated.
The trick behind this sleight of hand was simple: I just shifted the opponent’s magic construction.
It’s probably impossible for shop-bought magic to affect me anymore. After drinking a large quantity of magic stones earlier, I now know the weakest points of their magic constructions. Another factor is that I’ve fully understood “Shift,” a magic that causes displacement. With this, I’ve finally made it possible to achieve what I originally did with “Dimension Winter” using only dimensional magic power.
Titti marveled at the beautiful “Magic Nullification.”
“Incredible!”
“Since I’ve faced Titti seriously once before, shifting is even easier.”
“Mmmph… Does that mean Kanamin’s magic won’t work on you anymore…?”
“While this is deployed, yes. However, I think this makes you weak in close combat. If “Dimension – Decisive Calculation” is specialized in swordplay, then “Dimension – Miracle Calculation – Counteraction” is specialized in magic combat. It seems to have its own pros and cons.”
“I see. Indeed, if one senses it carefully, it’s a slightly different dimensional magic than usual. So, if you sense the difference and switch your tactics, you can defeat Kanamin.”
“That’s right.”
Of course, I don’t intend to be defeated that easily.
It can probably only disperse basic magic now, but “Dimension – Miracle Calculation – Counteraction” is still a magic that can grow.
If I can eventually shift the opponent’s magic attribute with “Shift,” not just at the moment of activation, theoretically, I could make the opponent’s magic unusable.
And with that, “Dimension” is not yet finished.
The final destination is the integration of all variations: “Dimension – Multiple Expansion,” “Dimension – Decisive Calculation,” “Dimension – Miracle Calculation – Counteraction,” “Dimension – Curvature Calculation,” “Dimension – Decisive Calculation (Prologue),” and “Dimension – Decisive Calculation (Prelude).” Once I reach that point, defeat in combat should be absolutely impossible.
Of course, that’s an ideal magic that won’t be easily achieved. However, it’s good that I can now see the combat style I should aim for, which had been vague for a long time.
Having a goal makes a huge difference when practicing.
Satisfied that I had finally set a proper target, I looked around.
At that moment, I felt a sharp gaze.
“—As expected.”
Emily was staring intently at me.
Then, she murmured a single word after seeing my magic.
Perhaps she realized that I am the rumored “Aikawa Kanami Christ Eurasia Valt Fuziaze Von Walker.” However, I no longer have any intention of hiding my identity, so I approached her, intending to honestly state my name.
But before that, my companion, Al, interjected.
“What’s wrong, Emily? I understand that the other side is amazing, but it’s already beyond our comprehension. Let’s do our best in our own way.”
“Ah, yes, sorry… I’ll practice diligently too…”
Al spoke to the dazed Emily, who immediately began to construct her magic.
“—’Blazing Inferno’ ‘Dreamlike Wavering and the Marrow of Threads’—”
However, it was an “Incantation” that caused her back to throb with the burn scars.
“Th-that incantation—! —Dimension – Miracle Calculation – Counteraction!!” ”
On impulse, I interfered with her magic construction.
Emily looked at my face with a puzzled expression. Then, with a slight hint of fear, she asked the reason.
“Is this ‘Magic Nullification’…?. Um, Older brother… Why did you stop me…?”
“Why…? Isn’t it obvious? Rather, why do you know that ‘Incantation’?”
“Eh? Eh? Um, I’m a failed product because the ‘Incantation’ isn’t written into my blood… I absolutely need pronunciation. So, I’m reciting it aloud…”
“No, that’s not what I mean, I want to know why you know *that* ‘Incantation’.”
“It’s not that I know it; the ‘Incantation’ for ‘Price’ has become generally known worldwide over the past year. I think most people who handle magic know it by now…”
It seemed I was the one lacking common sense.
Idiot. What has he spread?
I had a premonition after the incident at the Great Cathedral, but seeing even a girl I knew using it made me angry.
Do you want to intensify the world’s wars to that extent?
“…I understand. However, I think you should stop using that ‘Incantation’ for mere practice. It’s quite dangerous.”
“Is it dangerous? It’s just something that shaves off memories and recollections?”
“Just… just?”
I was confused by Emily’s cheerful response. Seeing this, Al-kun intervened and explained instead.
“Senpai. For explorers like us, current strength is more important than memories. It’s more vital to gain power and then money. That’s why we use it without reservation even in practice. We don’t want to fail when it counts, you see.”
“No, I understand that money is important. But with your talent and level, I think you could live without relying on the current ‘Incantation’…”
“It’s true that both of us have more talent than ordinary explorers. However, the cost of treating the ‘Price’ of our talent is greater than the benefits we receive from it.”
“The ‘Price’ of talent…?”
This was the first I’d heard of it. I couldn’t comprehend the meaning of treating a ‘Price’. Perhaps sensing my confusion, Al-kun continued.
“We truly believe that you are good people, Older Brother, so we’re telling you this. …Or rather, to be honest, our aim is to elicit your sympathy. Please listen with that in mind.”
After carefully stating his premise, Al-kun began his concise explanation.
“First, I have a serious illness that I contracted during my time as a slave. And Emily requires medication to maintain her special ‘Magic Stone Human’ body. …We need to visit a large hospital periodically and pay a lot of money. That’s why we have to do all sorts of reckless things.”
Upon hearing his story, I was at a loss for words. I had known Al-kun was a former slave. I had also known Emily was a ‘Magic Stone Human’. However, I might not have truly understood what that meant. The reality of abandoned ‘Magic Stone Humans’. The problems arising from the increase in the total number of slaves. The distortions in culture that had been forced through over the past year—it felt like I was now experiencing a part of it, not just seeing and hearing about it.
“We have to earn a lot of money, even if it means using ‘Incantation’. We explore the labyrinth using the ‘Price’ from ‘Incantation’, and we’re barely making ends meet right now.”
“So, that’s how it is…”
“More importantly, it’s a relief that old memories disappear with ‘Incantation’. We even use it deliberately and regularly. Unlike the ‘Curse’ mentioned in old tales, it’s versatile and controllable, so we find it invaluable. Without a doubt, ‘Incantation’ is a wonderful technique. —’Ignite Shattering Flames’ ‘Phantasmal Swaying and Delicate Marrow’—”
As if to prove it was no big deal, Al-kun, laughing, recited the same ‘Incantation’ as Emily. It seemed their magic attributes were the same. And it wasn’t just their attributes that were similar. Their circumstances were also alike, which likely explained their trust in each other and how these two children had become explorers on their own.
Nowadays, such explorers are increasing in the Allied Nations. In the garden of this magic shop, there’s a party of young explorers with similar circumstances. Facing their unspoken hardships, I could only remain silent. Sensing my quietude, Al-kun bowed and began preparing to leave.
“Well then, Emily, let’s be going. Our business here is finished, and it’s getting dark. Thank you for today, Senpai. Seeing your magic up close was very helpful for various things. …Well then, we’ll meet again somewhere.”
“See you then. Older Brother, Older Sister.”
And so, the two prepared to leave the magic shop. As he said, the sky had indeed begun to grow dim.
“…See you.”
I could only watch them go, able to say nothing more than a farewell. They soon disappeared into Valt’s town, which was beginning to darken. After confirming their departure, Titty, who had been silent all this time, began to speak.
“U-um. That was a story that wasn’t entirely unrelated to us, was it…”
“Yeah.”
The reunion with Al-kun and Emily extinguished the excited extravagance that had filled us. The sky, so bright moments ago, was being encroached upon by the night. Looking at that sky, Titty and I felt a little somber.
“The day is almost over…”
Everyone has their own life, their own circumstances. There must be countless children like those two around the world. However, we don’t have the wherewithal to help them right now. Our own circumstances come before Al-kun and Emily’s. I understand. I really do. We don’t have the luxury.
—We don’t. But. Someday, if we can…—
Suddenly, I found myself briefly thinking about a time when I could help my sister and my companions. After all battles are over, when we have the luxury, what should I do? What should be my goal with this power and this body? Today, I was made to think about that, even if only a little.
However, that train of thought was interrupted by Titty’s words.
“There’s no point in brooding over it. Next time we meet those two, we’ll secretly slip some of our excess Money into their pockets with all our might. It’s better to do fake good deeds than no good deeds at all.”
“…Yeah, that’s fine for now. …Sigh, I’m a little tired. Is it okay to stop with the magic for today?”
“Indeed. Let’s stop with the magic and move on. Dawdling and stopping is the worst thing to do.”
Titty and I corrected our straying thoughts and returned to our original objective. Rather than an overly distant goal, the objective Rainer prepared for us is what matters now. Reconfirming Rainer’s memo in our ‘Inventory’, we confirmed what we needed to do next. The place we should head to next is—
