Chapter 89 - Shadow Hand (1)

After completing my fourth magic, Tag, my training wasn't over.

After Mea went up to sleep, I remained alone in the training room.

No, not alone.

I always had three companions with me.

[This one seemed quite promising.]

[Getting the hang of it?]

[Covenant-bearer, adding my illusions would make it perfect.]

It had gotten a bit noisier, but it felt like being back at the training center.

Back then, just like now, I'd constantly fire magic bullets while cutting down on sleep.

Of course, the purpose of practice was different.

How to shoot faster and with higher output was always something to consider and improve, but now, there was something new added.

Kiiing—

The sound of mana condensing rang out.

Normally, there wouldn't be such mana sounds.

The magic bullets fired from my hand now were practically instantaneous unless I was using Smite.

Magic bullets fired in 2 seconds complete their concentration without any particular mana sound.

But such sounds meant there was unnecessary friction and collision in the mana concentration process.

There could only be one reason for that.

Piii—

"Failed again."

A black mass of mana dissolved into thin air.

Remote magic bullet projection, this was what I was trying to do.

Something I thought of during Mea's Devil Magic lesson—one could develop Devil Magic itself without necessarily establishing a magic form.

The characteristics contained in Devils' mana.

Properties dissolved as clear traces, though too faint to even call fragments of authority.

Wasn't utilizing those more effectively also Devil Magic?

Seir's mana characteristic was movement and the authority I borrowed related to spatial movement.

Then theoretically, it should be possible to move mana itself outside my body and form magic bullets there.

"Feels like it should work."

It was somewhat like brain fitness, drawing different shapes with each hand.

The problem was that it was more like drawing an octahedron and nonagon simultaneously rather than triangles and squares.

Like dealing with different dimensions.

Splitting mana—deploying Axis with one part to specify coordinates, moving the other part there to concentrate into a magic bullet.

While firing bullets from my hand was now almost reflexive muscle memory, using Axis wasn't.

[You need not fixate so much on that staff, my pact-bearer. The staff merely helps standardize your sensory information; everything is based on your perception.]

[He won't understand when you explain it like that.]

[Huhu, Duke of Origin, truly a Great Devil. Your rhetoric befits the rank of duke. Such dignity that a Marquis cannot match.]

[What's this delusional one saying.]

Ugh.

My brain was already strained from practice, and now the Devils' high-level heated debate was making me dizzy.

"Let's stop here."

Well, it'll work eventually if I keep at it.

§

The next day, I visited the inn where the two were staying, for a change.

Usually, they came to Telema School, but this time I was earlier.

While waiting in the inn's first-floor dining hall with breakfast ordered, a familiar hooded head poked out from the stairway.

"You're here?"

Leaf came running over and sat across from me.

"Good morning."

"Yeah. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes! Feels like I got good rest for the first time in a while."

Perhaps due to the fact that we were getting clothes made, Leaf's voice was more energetic than yesterday morning.

"What are we doing today? Getting more equipment fitted?"

"No, not exactly."

Just before I could continue.

"What is it? Why are you guys talking without me?"

THUMP—THUMP—BANG!

The innkeeper yelled at Rei to walk carefully after she compressed twelve stairs into three steps, but Rei ignored him and sat right between Leaf and me.

"Okay, from the beginning."

"Didn't say much. Just 'Did you sleep well' and 'What are we doing today,' that kind of thing."

"Really? Then we can start now. What are we doing today? Getting equipment?"

"...Did you two discuss this before bed?"

After some pointless conversation, I got to the main point.

"I don't plan on going out, I wanted to talk."

"That's fine too."

"Hmm... boring then."

Can't be helped though.

We needed to have this kind of meeting sometimes.

And it probably wouldn’t be boring after hearing what I had to say.

"This is my personal opinion..."

"Ah, yes?"

"What is it?"

"I think we need one more team member."

The two flinched at my words like they were some kind of bomb.

Like fish flopping after being caught.

"S-suddenly?"

"Why? What's wrong with us!"

Rei, who had a considerable aversion to forming new relationships, reacted more harshly.

I calmly explained my reasons, "Originally, our positions were Rei as vanguard, me as firepower, and Leaf as all-around support. But now that's completely broken down."

Vanguard?

Nominally Rei held that position, but honestly, was she really a tank now?

From the start, Rei was more of a damage-tank position than a pure tank.

With Azurail as a movement skill, it was more accurate to call Rei a close-range dealer now.

From the beginning, since Rei didn't have any defensive techniques, it was hard to expect her to tank even as vanguard.

Well, calling her an evasion tank wouldn't be completely wrong.

I kept thinking that putting Rei as tank felt like forcing mismatched puzzle pieces together.

It wasn’t impossible.

But it was inefficient and problems could arise anytime.

"Neither I nor Leaf absolutely need a vanguard. But I think it's worth considering."

We could manage with aggro ping-pong without a tank.

I had Blink, Rei had Azurail, and Leaf had Aerial.

All three of us had evasion or rather movement skills.

Maybe that was why the other two hadn't brought this up.

They probably thought it wasn't absolutely necessary for us.

Consciously or unconsciously.

"Roman, do you have someone in mind?"

"Eh? Is that it?"

"No, not really."

While Luke would be an attractive member, apparently he mostly played solo.

If he rejected even Viola's scout, he'd probably reject my team invitation too.

"I'm just saying we should consider the necessity."

"...I'm against it."

"Hmm..."

Unlike Rei, who opposed with half displeasure and half stubbornness, Leaf seemed deep in thought.

They both probably knew.

Our situation wasn't exactly good.

Viola noticed our situation and advised us as well.

Adding a team member was the easiest and fastest way to lower our risk level.

"If it's Elowen..."

"Elowen?"

"Wouldn't be bad... Earth spirits have the strongest defense..."

Plus, Elowen was someone Leaf definitely had control over.

Being a classmate was a bonus point.

Though she had Elven affiliations, not belonging to any Explorer group might be a plus... maybe.

"I don't like her. Whenever we try to do something with Leaf, it's all 'That's improper,' and 'Mind your manners.'"

"That's because you're playing around."

"She does it even when I'm not!" Rei pouted while grumbling.

"Ah~ aren't there any Beast-folk? Beast-folk."

"Teresia?"

"Ugh, not a bat..."

This one dislikes everyone.

"Finding a tank among mages is a tough condition to begin with."

As Rei slumped onto the table, she suddenly shot up and slammed it as if remembering something.

The innkeeper's shouts echoed again, but they didn't reach Rei, who'd long since become a regular customer.

"There's that one!"

"That one? Who?"

"You know... what was it? That guy who tried to scam us on the floating island. Can't we just use him? Make him carry stuff too."

"Ah, Bong-sik?"

So you did remember.

I thought you had completely forgotten.

This time Leaf showed signs of reluctance, chewing her lips as if debating whether to say she disliked the idea, but there was no need to go that far.

Though it was quite a good idea, it was a suggestion I couldn't accept on my end.

"Unfortunately, I have other plans for Bong-sik."

"Other plans?"

"Yeah. I think... it might help determine our next destination too."

§

"What? Me?"

That was Bong-sik’s response after being summoned to Telema School and hearing his instructions.

As Bong-sik touched his ears, showing signs of wanting to deny reality, I repeated myself.

"Yes. You."

"But... do you know who this person is?"

Do I ever?

"Shadow Hand Valen Whickerton. Famous information broker."

The one who leaked information about the altar on the floating island to Bong-sik.

Also mentioned as the source of information about undiscovered ruins left by Cordelia.

"I need to meet him."