The familiar ceiling of the carriage.
The same military carriage ceiling I had seen all week long.
The faint sound of rain was echoing on the ceiling of the military carriage, which was covered with a cloak on dry wood.
Moisture was rising, and I could hear creaking noises coming from the wood here and there.
"Are you awake?"
Alter Heindel smiled kindly as he looked at me, who had woken up with a groan that didn’t suit my age.
The elf, Lir, sitting across from him, also spoke to me in a soft voice, but since my head was still fuzzy, I couldn’t clearly hear what she was saying.
Well, it seemed like a greeting or something... but it didn’t seem that important, so I didn’t feel the need to ask her to repeat it.
"If you can perform such an awakening, the completeness of your Bolt should also be quite remarkable. But is there any particular reason you used the awakening on the young dragon? The Bolt would have been sufficient to deal with the dragon..."
"...Even though it's young, a dragon is still a dragon. I thought it would be much more efficient to go all out from the start."
I answered while massaging my throbbing temple with my thumb.
It was a pretty good excuse for someone who had just woken up.
"The dragon is certainly a dangerous creature, but with your abilities, you could have subdued it without resorting to such a risky spell like awakening. The Bolt would have been enough..."
Alter looked at me as if questioning why I used a flamethrower to swat a mosquito instead of using a mosquito net.
"...I wanted to show you my best magic. It seemed like you were trying to test me."
I tried to convince Alter, who was giving me a strange look, by making the best of my groggy thoughts.
And this excuse, I thought, was actually quite reasonable.
"...Indeed, your talent has been confirmed. All the rumors were not exaggerated."
Alter then smiled as if he finally understood my actions, gently stroking his white beard.
"I apologize for trying to test your talent. The rumors were so outlandish that I needed at least some proof."
Alter lowered his head slightly, his white hair almost touching the floor, as he apologized. I quickly lowered my head and said, "It’s fine. I would have doubted it too, if I were in your place."
"Thank you for saying that. It makes me feel much more at ease."
"It’s an honor for me. The famous Magic Tower Master Alter Heindel came all the way here to teach someone like me!"
"You’ll have the honor of teaching a genius who comes once in a thousand years. What does a Magic Tower matter in comparison? It seems you don’t realize yet how remarkable you are, Bin."
"Well, thank you. Yes, well. Haha..."
...Genius, huh? What a joke.
I barely held back a deep sigh from the bottom of my heart and concealed my expression with an awkward smile.
11th day of the expedition. Around 2 PM.
I focused on memorizing various magical theories Alter was teaching me, trying to improve my skills as much as possible.
The creaking and rattling of the carriage were distracting, but I couldn’t afford to waste this precious time on anything else.
"Creating a more precise and faster magical calculation isn’t just about calling out the magic names. It's called chanting. By uttering words that help the calculation, it makes it easier for your brain to materialize the magic."
Even when my head was pounding and my limbs were screaming, Alter’s words somehow still clearly reached my ears.
It was a strange sensation. The sound of rain and the creaking of the carriage could have easily distracted me, but I managed to hear every word of his lesson, not missing a single one.
"Even if you're casting the same magic, the chant can differ from person to person. Since human brains are all different, even if you go through the same calculation process, some parts are emphasized while others are omitted... For example..."
Alter, having gotten somewhat used to my cursed stamina, continued his lecture for exactly two hours. He ended the lesson by saying, "It’s time."
Lir, who had been taking notes during the lecture, was now rereading her notes to review them. I, exhausted, leaned back and quietly closed my eyes.
The blanket covering the rattling carriage shook noisily as it was hit by the heavy rain.
Even though it was distracting, my brain began to organize the contents of today’s lesson without me telling it to.
In summary, the key points from Alter's lecture were as follows:
It was a curious sensation.
I guess it felt like how people who have a talent for learning feel when studying things like language or math.
Jealous little brats.
"Start looking for a campsite! The rain’s coming down, and it’ll get dark soon!"
The Captain gave an early order to the soldiers to find a campsite.
Soon after, the detachment sent to find a campsite quickly returned and guided us to a suitable flatland.
As we entered the dense forest, an unexpected flatland appeared before us. Judging by the rusted swords and cracked plate armor lying around, this must have been a place where many adventurers and soldiers camped before.
"...It’s a pity that the forest obstructs the view, but if we delay, it will get dark soon. There’s no helping it. Let’s camp here tonight."
Once the Captain made the decision, the soldiers quickly started to set up makeshift shelters with blankets, tarps, and metal rods.
The elite soldiers finished constructing the shelter in less than 30 minutes.
Lir, Alter, and I followed the Captain’s lead and moved inside the newly built shelter.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
The shelter was low enough that I couldn’t stand fully upright, but thanks to nearly perfect waterproofing, the floor remained dry, and no rain came inside.
On a day like this, when the downpour was so intense, being able to sleep on a dry floor was quite a stroke of luck.
I thanked the Captain lightly and entered the shelter first.
"You go ahead, I’ll go fetch dinner."
Alter said to Lir, who was standing outside in the rain, and Lir looked back and forth between me, who was inside the shelter, and Alter.
"You’re going to get dinner?"
"Yes? No, no. Absolutely not."
Lir shook her head vigorously, clearly opposing the idea.
...What are those two even talking about?
"Then just wait inside."
"..."
Lir reluctantly lowered her head and crawled carefully inside the shelter.
Soon after, Alter closed the door to the shelter and walked off somewhere.
‘Probably, because of the rain, the fire won’t be properly lit... So, tonight it’s bread, not stew.’
I thought idly about dinner for tonight.
I just hope the bread that’s issued isn’t too hard. My jaw strength is only about half of that of a normal human.
"..."
An uncomfortable silence started to linger in the shelter.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t really talked to this elf, Lir, properly for the past week.
She’s Alter’s disciple, and she’s been learning magic for longer than I have, so there should be something to learn from her...
"It’s the first time we’ve been left alone like this, isn’t it? It’s kind of awkward, right?"
I smiled and spoke to Lir first.
Since Alter vouched for her as a capable mage... maybe if I get along with her, I could learn something about magic.
"...Woah."
Lir, not knowing where to look, glanced around the shelter and eventually dropped her head, muttering softly.
"Yes?"
Her voice was almost drowned out by the sound of the heavy rain hitting the tarp.
"..."
She lowered her head even further, hiding her face in her chest, and carefully covered her ears with trembling fingers.
Her ears were glowing bright red, like someone who had a fever.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
"Why...?"
"T-thank you!"
Before I could finish my question, Lir shouted in a cracked voice.
"...What?"
I couldn’t help but stare at her with a puzzled expression at how suddenly her voice had raised.
Thank me? For what? So suddenly?
"U-uh, yes?"
I just thought I had misheard, so I had no choice but to ask again.
"It’s about the hat! You taught me that it’s polite to take it off! And you even encouraged me to apologize... I’ve been wanting to thank you for it, but we never had time alone..."
"...Isn’t it fine to thank someone at any time?"
Who would think we were sharing a secret conversation? It was just a simple thank you for a small piece of advice. If that’s the case, I could have said it anytime after Alter’s lesson...
"If Alter hears it, it’s embarrassing!"
Lir shouted loudly with her head buried in her chest.
...So, shouting like that isn’t embarrassing, but thanking someone in front of others is?
Is she shy, or is her pride too strong?
Just pick one. I’m getting confused.
"...Is something wrong?"
"Hmph...!"
Alter, who had gone to fetch supplies, was startled by the sudden loud noise and moved the blanket aside as he walked into the shelter.
Lir, upon seeing him, held her breath and pulled her hat down tightly to cover her face.
...I almost wanted to ask why she was holding her breath, but I stopped. I wouldn’t understand no matter what she said.
"No, it’s nothing..."
Alter glanced at me and Lir, then, as if he had quickly assessed the situation, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ sighed and bent down to enter the shelter.
Alter took out the large loaf of bread he had received from the supply officer and handed it to us.
And then—
"All troops assemble!"
The Captain’s urgent order rang out.