[21] Proceed the journey II

-Ash Constantine-

We will set off this afternoon, so I decided to purchase a carriage and two strong horses. This purchase drained nearly all of my funds, but that's alright since I had registered as a merchant. The registration process involved several tests, such as basic math and an interview.

During our journey, besides carrying out my mission to explore the world, I will also trade at every fort or town we pass through. I plan to offer unique items from Earth, such as plates, matches, and various other trinkets that will surely catch the locals' interest.

I also intend to teach Aurelia about the principles of trade from my world. I want her to be skilled enough to help develop this business into something significant. Additionally, another goal of mine is to create a place for the religion I have founded.

As a philanthropist, I aim to build places like social foundations and orphanages. Helping those in need is my second goal, and to achieve all this, I need a substantial amount of money.

Moreover, involving Zephyr in sword training will be a priority. He has a strong determination to protect what is precious to him, and I want to help hone his skills. Meanwhile, Aurelia will learn about trade and business management, which will be very useful for their future and mine.

"I didn't expect we would meet again like this, Miss Roxy," I said, glancing at the short blue-haired woman wearing a wizard's hat, walking beside the carriage's driver.

"Me neither, but please drop the formalities and just call me Roxy," the woman replied with a friendly smile.

"Alright, so the road to the Kingdom of Shirone is to the east?" I asked, directing my gaze ahead.

"Yes... That's right. I was initially heading there with a merchant guard convoy, but seeing that you're also going east, I thought, why not join you? After all, I'm sure you're much stronger than an A-rank adventurer," she said with a smile.

"You're flattering me," I replied modestly, though inwardly I felt proud.

"By the way, I didn't know you had slaves?" she asked suddenly.

"Oh, they're not slaves, Roxy. I freed them from that life, but of course, I can't just let them go. That would be irresponsible, like releasing freshwater fish into the ocean. Therefore, I need to help them until they are self-sufficient," I answered seriously.

"Hee... But looking at you, aren't you still young?" Roxy asked with curiosity.

"If it's about me, don't consider me a normal person. I'm different," I said, staring straight ahead, hinting at experiences far deeper than my appearance suggested.

Roxy continued to look at me thoughtfully. "I see, I was also an adventurer at a young age. This world is full of challenges we must face," she said, reflecting on her past.

She began to share a bit about her life story. Roxy was from a demon race, from a tribe that communicated telepathically—except for her. Born different, Roxy felt alienated in her quiet tribe where people communicated mostly through telepathy.

Only her mother and father could speak with her verbally. However, one day, she met a human who became her mentor. This brave woman explored the demon continent, known for being the harshest and most dangerous among the continents.

The continent was notorious not only for its extreme environmental conditions but also for the dangerous monsters that inhabited it. Her mentor was fortunate enough to survive and reach Roxy's village, changing her life forever.

"Hee, that's amazing. It's very brave because not many people have such determination. Most ten-year-olds wouldn't be able to become adventurers," I said with admiration.

{AN: I assume Roxy in the original story, when she was ten, ran away from her village to adventure, considering her mental state rather than her age.}

"Indeed, sometimes we have to take the greatest risks to achieve simple desires," Roxy replied, smiling as she reminisced about those memories.

We continued our journey with a lighter atmosphere, filled with stories and laughter. Roxy shared more about her adventures, while I shared some of my personal experiences.

"By the way, you're a magician, right, Roxy? Could you show us a bit of your magical knowledge?" I asked when we stopped to rest as the afternoon began to wane.

"Umu, of course. I am a water mage with Rank King!" she said proudly, lightly swinging her magic staff.

"Let the great water protection be in the place you seek. I call forth the refreshing flow of water here and now as a Water Sphere," she recited the chant with confidence.

As she finished, a sphere of water formed in front of her staff and shot towards a tree, knocking it down with tremendous force.

"How was that?" she asked with a satisfied smile.

I applauded and said, "That's impressive! But the chant, could you omit it? The chant is quite distracting and not very effective in urgent situations like fighting monsters."

"What do you mean? Isn't the chant very important as it's part of the spell? There are silent chants, but not everyone can do that. As far as I know, only one person can do it, my student, Rudeus!" she said with a surprised tone.

Eh? I didn't expect her reaction to be like this. "Ahem, sorry if my words were offensive. But you should see this," I said, extending my hand forward.

"Mana Bullet," I uttered calmly.

A shimmering mana bullet appeared at the tip of my finger, then sped off and pierced the tree in front of us, leaving a large hole in its trunk.

Roxy stood stunned for a moment, then her eyes widened in awe. "How did you do that without a chant? That's incredible! I've never seen anything like it."

"That's because my Mana Core is inscribed with a magic circle. In short, with it, I can bypass one process in spellcasting, which is the chant," I explained calmly.

"Mana Core? Magic Circle!? What are those!!" Roxy exclaimed loudly, her eyes full of curiosity.

Roxy's loud exclamation woke the children sleeping in the wagon. Zephyr and Aurelia peeked out from behind the wagon's cloth, their eyes sleepy yet curious.

"M-Mana Core and Magic Circle?" Zephyr asked softly, trying to understand.

"Yes, these are concepts I learned. The Mana Core is the center of magical energy within my body, and the magic circle is the pattern inscribed within it, allowing magic to be used without the need for lengthy chants," I explained, showing my right hand and emitting a bit of mana to reveal the glow of the magic circle on my skin's surface.

Roxy looked even more intrigued and moved closer. "Amazing... I've never heard or seen anything like this. How did you acquire this? And how does it work?" she asked enthusiastically.

I smiled. "This is the result of extensive research and experimentation. The magic circle allows mana flow to directly trigger spells without the need for verbal processes. This makes casting faster and more efficient, especially in situations that require quick responses."

Aurelia, who usually was shy, also seemed interested and asked softly, "Can we learn that too, Mr. Ash?"

I looked at the two children gently. "Certainly, if you want to learn, I will teach you. But it requires practice and a deep understanding of magic. We'll start with the basics."

Roxy smiled warmly and patted the children on the shoulder. "You're lucky to have an excellent teacher like Ash. I also want to learn more about this."

We continued our journey with renewed enthusiasm. That night, as we rested, we discussed various magical concepts and different techniques.