Chapter 10 – Encounter with my magic master

This chapter is the edited version of another translation

Please notice that this chapter has NOT been re-translated but only edited in order to improve the readability

This chapter was merely moved to this blog as the original blog has been inactive for quite a while.

By no rights do I claims ownership of the translation.

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"Finally, a human on the same wavelength. What is your name?" (Alfred)

It was the day after my father told me the stories about the talking corpse. I entered the forest as usual and was approached by a man of about 30 with pale skin.

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"My name is Alfred Reinford. When I was alive I served as a magician retainer of the late Margrave Breithilde." (Alfred)

This man was apparently the talking corpse I had heard about the night before. He had approached while I was absorbed in my gathering. I didn't sense him with my detection magic, so when he suddenly started talking to me I was quite startled.

"I seem to have surprised you. I've finally found a human on the same wavelength as me, so I got impatient. Sorry." (Alfred)

He has a good figure, speaks well and behaves like a gentleman. This handsome man apologetically bowed to me. Considering his kindly personality and good looks, if I were a woman I might have fallen in love with him. If it weren't for his pale skin, he'd be perfect. But that is one of the main characteristics of a talking corpse after all.

"You are quite skilled in detection magic considering your age, a magician that can use detection magic on your level is valuable. Ah, don't mistake the fact that you could not detect me as evidence that all undead monsters are undetectable. I just happen to be an expert in evading detection magic." (Alfred)

"Your magic is quite terrifying." (Wendelin)

"You're right. It is a spell that maybe only 10 people on this continent can use. Of course I am going to have you learn it too." (Alfred)

"Huh?" (Wendelin)

I unconsciously let out a confused exclamation in response to the talking corpse's sudden proposal.

"Do you know how to make a talking corpse pass peacefully?" (Alfred)

"Yes, according to what I heard you must fulfill its wish." (Wendelin)

"My wish is to meet a disciple and pass on the knowledge and magic that I accumulated in my 30 years of life. Even though you are self taught you excel in magic and have achieved near first class abilities. However, there are secrets of magic that you can learn from me that you will not come to understand on your own. Even if it's only for a week, studying under me would increase your proficiency exponentially." (Alfred)

Thus, I became the disciple of Alfred Reinford, the magician retainer of the late Margrave Breithilde.

Each morning, after some simple martial arts training, I make my way to the forest and quickly complete the day's chores by hunting game and gathering the materials necessary to convince my family that nothing is amiss. Afterwards, I travel into the depths of the forest where my master awaits me with a smile.

Thus, my days that were once used for hunting and gathering are now dedicated to intense magic training.

"That was amazing." (Wendelin)

"You will find that you don't need to worry about provisions when you can use magic." (Alfred)

As expected, Master is able to skilfully take down guinea fowls with his magic. He also managed to learn my Crossbow spell after seeing it only a few times.

"Well then, let's begin." (Alfred)

"What should we do first?" (Wendelin)

"All right, I'll teach you the training method for capacity matching." (Alfred)

What Alfred proposed was a method of training that rapidly increases a magician's mana capacity.

However, because I am self taught I had never heard of this method. But even if I had somehow stumbled upon it I could never have used it alone.

The method involves joining hands with another magician to form a sort of magic circuit. Then both parties gradually begin to circulate mana through their body and that of their partner. Eventually, the mana capacity of the magician with a smaller capacity will expand to match that of the magician with the greater capacity.

"But there is one issue. Since the maximum mana capacity of a person is determined at birth, if the amount of mana flowing through the person exceeds his maximum mana capacity, his capacity will only increase until it reaches that predetermined limit." (Alfred)

Put simply, when two people undertake the training together, one with a mana capacity of 10 and the other with a mana capacity of 100, the capacity of the person that started at 10 will gradually increase until it reaches 100. However, if the magician with a capacity of 10 has a predetermined limit of 30, then his capacity will only increase until it reaches 30. Of course, if his predetermined limit is 10, then it won't increase at all.

Even if my capacity doesn't increase by leaps and bounds, I can't miss an opportunity to receive this type of training.

"I have about 10 times more mana capacity than you, so this should help you greatly, as you haven't yet reached your limit." (Alfred)

"Is it safe for my capacity to grow so quickly?" (Wendelin)

"Hahaha, you won't explode or anything. When someone with a low maximum capacity receives a large amount of mana all at once, the person will become ill for two to three days. We call it mana sickness, but it doesn't pose any danger to the person's life." (Alfred)

As he explained the potential side effects of the training, Master took both of my hands.

Master's hands are a little cold. Well, he is dead after all.

After I close my eyes, we both channel our mana through our hands. First I visualize a vast stream of mana flowing gradually from Master's hands into me. Then I visualize the mana flowing into my magic sac from Master's magic pathways, like an aqueduct flowing into a reservoir.

"Oh, you've exceeded my expectations." (Alfred)

After about 10 minutes of maintaining this state, the flow of mana abruptly disappears.

"Good, the capacity matching is done." (Alfred)

Master's eyes were shining.

"It's just as I suspected, your current mana capacity has reached my own, but you still have room to grow. You will become a great magician whose name will pass into legend." (Alfred)

"Really?" (Wendelin)

"I guarantee it. You have the potential to surpass me. If you continue training diligently without getting full of yourself you will certainly do so." (Alfred)

Time passed and before I knew it I had been training attentively under Master for a full week. We didn't practice much high ranking combat magic (because it would destroy my family's forest), but that hasn't been a problem since I can go to uninhabited areas and continue training at some later date.

"What is that, Master?" (Wendelin)

"Something I made, it's a magic sword hilt." (Alfred)

"So, you can create magic tools?" (Wendelin)

"Just simple ones." (Alfred)

I had read in a book that only those with special talent among magicians can produce magic tools, but Master says that's not totally accurate.

"There are two types of magic tools." (Alfred)

While saying so, Master shows me one of the books he carries.The book was titled "How to Make Magic Tools and Their Blueprints".

"This will explain how to make them. Once you grasp the basics, you can make them without much trouble, even if they are a bit rudimentary." (Alfred)

These tools are just like tools that non-magicians use for everyday tasks. The only difference is the tiny mana crystals attached to them.

"The mana crystal is so tiny." (Wendelin)

"Yeah, the mana crystal only acts as the trigger." (Alfred)

"Eh? What does that mean?" (Wendelin)

In other words, the tiny mana crystal is never charged with mana. Instead, the magician channels his own mana through the crystal to activate the tool.

"This is a magic tool that can be used only by magicians. In fact, a magician can activate it without using his own mana so most magicians own two or more. Most magicians can make them." (Alfred)

In fact, it would be unusual for a magician to be unable to make one.

In most magic tools, the mana crystal acts as a magic battery by storing mana. Because the tool carries enough mana to function on its own, people who can't use magic are able to use these magic tools. Magic tools that non-magicians can use are known as "general-purpose magic tools".

"That doesn't mean that it's easy for magicians to work with high-capacity mana crystals… they will explode if handled improperly. That's why general-purpose magic tools are expensive." (Alfred)

Further, mana crystals must be refilled when they run out of mana. Naturally, only magicians can refill them, which explains why general-purpose magic tools are not widely available.

"It is actually easy to make a magic tool that only magicians can use." (Alfred)

"I see, so it's like that. By the way, about that sword hilt…" (Wendelin)

"This thing is pretty useful against monsters. It's a magic tool that channels mana carrying one of the magic attributes into the form of a blade." (Alfred)

After saying that, Master produced a thin blade of flame that was about a meter and a half when measured from the hilt.

"The temperature of blue flames is high. Even a sword made out of steel would melt completely if it was used to block my attack." (Alfred)

The blade can also be composed of ice, wind, or earth magic.

"There are many monsters out there that are weak against a certain attribute. A fire blade can be used for monsters that are weak against fire. An ice blade can be used against monsters that are weak against water. An earth blade, while it may not look like much it has a profound effect on monsters that are weak against it." (Alfred)

After the explanation, I received a lecture about how to make small mana crystals that can be installed in magic tools that are only intended for magicians to use.

The raw materials for mana crystals are the magic stones or monster cores, which, as the name implies, can be harvested from the bodies of dead monsters.

This forest doesn't have any monsters, so Master took one out of his bag.

"It surprisingly didn't take that much time." (Wendelin)

"This is just basic training. You'll end up just like me if you're careless." (Alfred)

In our time together I've become convinced that Master is an excellent magician. But even for Master, who possessed so much ability, recklessness could quickly spell death in this world.

During my magic training, Master told me a lot about himself. He was an orphan. But because he had talent in magic he was able to earn money as an adventurer. The former Margrave Breithilde learned of his ability and sought him out in order to hire him. His first major job was to support the troops marching into the Demon Forest.

"You really had no luck with your boss." (Wendelin)

"Even though you're small you're not afraid to cut to the point, but I guess that's about the long and short of it." (Alfred)

I wonder if Master is frustrated by the fact that he died so soon after rising to fame.

When that thought passed through my head, Master continued as if he could read my heart.

"I would be lying if I said I'm not mortified, but it's not so bad now that I found a disciple to leave my magic and legacy to before I pass on." (Alfred)

"Do you mean me?" (Wendelin)

Powerful magicians are sensitive to the presence of other magicians and can identify other powerful magicians by their mana.

Although mana in a magician's body can't be easily detected, when mana is consumed, a magician should expect to be found out. It's something like a sixth sense. Magicians can just perceive it somehow.

"But I…" (Wendelin)

"In your case, you haven't sensed anything because there are no magicians around here. But you have become aware of my presence. Gradually, you will also develop a sensitivity to the presence of other powerful magicians." (Alfred)

In the Demon Forest, Master had kept protecting Margrave Breithilde from the hordes of monsters. He might have even killed several thousands of monsters in pursuit of that goal.

But when his mana ran out he quickly fell.

After his death, since Master had deep regrets, he was reborn as a talking corpse. He then waited until a magician appeared with enough innate talent to be his disciple.

"I had never before felt such profound happiness as I did when I noticed your presence, but sadly our time together is nearing its end." (Alfred)

It has already been three weeks since I started training with Master, which is two weeks longer than we had originally discussed.

In order to stay by Master's side even for a second longer, I have started carrying my lunch with me when I leave the house each morning. Maybe my family thinks that I enjoy hunting and gathering.

"Finally, I'll teach you a "special" magic attribute, holy magic." (Alfred)

Other than the primary magic attributes, fire, water, wind, and earth, my book mentioned that there are "special" magic attributes as well. Holy magic was one such attribute. According to the book, the properties of holy magic are most akin to those of water magic. Priests use it when cleansing undead monsters. Surprisingly, priests can use holy magic even if they do not otherwise have an aptitude for magic if they undergo rigorous training.

By praying to God, you can create holy water that, when used on an undead monster, has an effect similar to that of sulfuric acid on a human. Priests can also immobilize an undead by praying while holding a cross up to their chest.

But it didn't have much effect if the priest in question didn't train diligently. Because the requisite training is known to be extremely harsh, very few priests ever successfully complete it.

It is an open secret in this world that there are hardly any priests that are able to produce even weak holy water among those in the church that have achieved fame and notoriety, such as the many cardinals who are preoccupied by their own greed and impious ambitions.

The number of priests that can use magic is even smaller.

Priests that can use magic normally use light rays that carry the holy attribute in order to treat people who get cursed and pure recovery magic in order to treat injuries. They can also temporarily attach the holy attribute to weapons that belong to the church in order to defeat undead monsters.

It's much like the holy magic found in RPGs in my previous life.

"I believe that you can definitely use it. So, for your final test, I want you to cleanse me. Only then can I pass on peacefully." (Alfred)

Master wore an unusually serious expression as he spoke those words.