Chapter 24: Magic Is a Field of Study

“Hmm. Hmhm, I see now.”

“Well? What do you think, Yuri?”

The morning sunlight poured gently across the dining table in Yuri’s home.

Having woken up and prepared ourselves for the day, our party—led by me, Karl—had gathered as usual to hear Yuri’s daily fortune-telling.

“I see… Oh dear… Mm. Yes, the reading’s done.”

“Great. Then tell us—what should we do today?”

With solemn gravitas, the young fortune-teller began to speak.

What we were about to hear was a highly probable future that might unfold today. Our job was to prevent that outcome from happening—but…

“Karl-kun. According to the reading, today you’re going to grope Maika’s chest, lick Lev’s stomach, shove your head between Irine’s thighs, and bury your face in Sakura’s butt. Please, do everything you can to avoid this future.”

“What the hell are you planning to do!?”

“Gah—augh!!”

Maika’s uppercut slammed into Karl’s face, sending his head lurching backward.

---

“……”

We all slowly backed away from Karl, wariness written all over our faces.

Seriously, what kind of cursed star was this guy born under?

“Please, ladies—don’t look at me like that, and don’t back away. I, Karl, am not some sort of deviant.”

“From what I’ve heard, you sound exactly like a deviant~”

“But I haven’t done anything yet, have I? See? Nothing to be scared of. I’m not your enemy—please, try to open your hearts to me.”

“However… judging by Miss Yuri’s reading, it seemed most prudent to keep our distance from you.”

“Karl, left unattended, only causes trouble?”

“I’m innocent, I tell you…”

Even after taking a full punch to the face, Karl was still desperately trying to play the harmless card.

To be fair, he hadn't done anything—yet. But with Karl, things like this felt a little too plausible. A little accidental ecchi encounter or two? Entirely within the realm of possibility.

And it seemed even he understood how he was going to be treated from now on.

“Shall we just tie him up? I have ropes and handcuffs in my pack.”

“…Why on earth do you carry those around?”

“They’re for restraining criminals. We get a higher reward if we bring them in alive.”

With that explanation, Maika pulled out a bag and began rattling a chain from within.

“Hey, Maika, we’re friends, right? We grew up together, always playing as childhood buddies, remember?”

“That’s right, Karl. And as your childhood friend, you understand what I have to do, don’t you?”

“Of course I do! You are seriously planning to tie me up! You’re gonna leave me locked in a room all day while the rest of you go gather intel, aren’t you!?”

“I knew you’d understand.”

Maika grabbed Karl’s arm and began expertly binding him up in coils of rope.

He was whining, but maybe he knew better than to seriously resist Maika. Or maybe he just couldn’t.

“Master can bring you your meals. Just endure it for the day, okay?”

“……Understood. Master, sir… please take care of me…”

“This is abuse… Absolute cruelty…”

“…It’s okay. I’ll look after you too.”

When a fortune-teller predicts you’re going to sexually harass every girl in the party, well… there’s just no winning.

And so, poor Karl was bound up like a caterpillar in a cocoon and hauled off by our master—thrown into the men’s quarters like a sack of misfortune.

“…sniffle”

His muffled sobs leaking from the room were… a little pitiful, I’ll admit.

But given our contract with Yuri, this was unavoidable. And since Master would be looking after him, Karl would just have to put up with it for one day.

---

“I asked my father to prepare some letters of introduction. Take whichever you like.”

“You have our thanks.”

Yuri handed us three sealed letters.

This happened just as we were biting into the sandwiches Master had made, after safely sealing away Karl.

“I caused trouble last night, so this is my way of making up for it. I haven’t contacted them yet, so if you plan on visiting today, I’ll come along to make the introductions.”

Apparently, these letters were for renowned researchers who specialized in topics related to the Hero. Yuri had followed through on our request with diligence.

“This one’s for Professor Brio—a university scholar researching the revival of ancient healing magic. I’ve attended his lectures myself; he explains things very clearly. He’s trying to reconstruct actual healing spells from the past by studying ancient Hero legends and archived texts.”

“Ooh, that sounds promising. I’ve always been interested in healing magic.”

“Doctor Romero is considered one of the top minds in this city when it comes to projectile-based magic. He studies the evolution of spellcasting from ancient to modern times and gives regular lectures on magic used in Hero legends.”

“…That’s quite fascinating.”

“The last is a peer of mine named Anri. Her entire family is a bit eccentric—they’re deeply involved in historical archaeology. While her magical knowledge is lacking, in terms of pure Hero folklore, her household may be the most knowledgeable around.”

“Hmm, sounds like a fun one.”

Listening to Yuri, all three researchers sounded like people worth hearing out. Personally, I was especially interested in the one studying projectile-based spells.

Up until now, I’d only learned magic from a rather shady private tutor. I’d always wanted the chance to study in a real academic setting.

“Alright, where to first? Should we all visit them together, or split into three teams?”

“Better to split. I’m sure they’d be overwhelmed if we all showed up at once.”

That made sense. It would be more efficient too.

“In that case, I’d like to visit the one studying healing magic. Learning only from my father, I’ve been basically self-taught, and I’m starting to feel the limits of that.”

Sakura, unsurprisingly, had her eyes set on the healing magic scholar—same as me.

“I’ll go to Professor Romero—the projectile magic expert.”

“Well, that fits our specialties, doesn’t it? Lev and I aren’t exactly magical types. Let’s go meet the last one—the one who knows a lot about the legends themselves.”

Seeing how eager Sakura and I were, Maika nodded her approval. Nice—I’d get to meet Professor Romero after all.

What I needed was solid intel on ancient offensive magic. Ideally, not just info on Hero myths, but maybe a spell even more powerful than the Spirit Cannon.

“Improving yourself is never a bad thing. Let’s do our best, Irine.”

“Yes. While I’m at it, I’d like to learn some stronger spells too.”

Sakura and I bumped fists in agreement.

To be honest, the modern era doesn’t have anything that surpasses the Spirit Cannon. But during the great wars of the past, far stronger spells were said to exist.

Those spells, lost to time, are now known as Lost Magic—and many researchers across the land have made it their life’s work to uncover them.

If Romero was a real expert in projectile magic, maybe he was researching something like that too.

I didn’t want to have another pathetic showing like last time. We’d come all the way to a city of magic—time to level up properly.

“Very well, understood. I’ll take you to them—just follow my lead.”

“Thanks, Yuri.”

And so, full of hope for a new kind of learning, I set out to meet this Professor Romero.

---

—It had been a —, but still.

"Oh, oh, how delightful. Miss Irine, for someone as studious as you, I shall provide as much knowledge as you desire. That is the kind of city Yowin is."

"I'm deeply grateful."

It was in a research lab on the top floor of the academy that I met Dr. Romero.

To sum up his lectures in one word—

"Let us begin with the basics. We shall review magical formulas and the Law of Mana Sublimation Discrepancy."

"...Yes. ...Wait, what?"

—I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

…Huh? What are these terms I’ve never even heard of?

"When you multiply the amount of mana used, α, by the activation coefficient, n, you get the theoretical output nα. However, due to the Law of Mana Sublimation Discrepancy, the actual power T will never exceed nα. In other words, in all magical activations, nα > T is a fundamental and unchanging rule."

"…………??"

"This ratio, T/nα, is known as the sublimation coefficient. It measures how efficiently the spell was cast. A mage can raise this coefficient through training. On the other hand, the theoretical value nα will never increase once a mage has passed their mana growth period. A seasoned mage is one who strives to bring the actual result as close as possible to the theoretical output."

"Ahh, I see… (brain completely shut down)."

"And when enhancing a spell’s power with a magical staff, we multiply the theoretical output by a reinforcement coefficient, v. This is crucial—magical staffs do not increase the sublimation coefficient; they apply only to the theoretical value. In fact, due to the difficulty of operation, staffs are said to actually reduce the sublimation coefficient. However, for experienced mages, even with a slight drop in sublimation, the increase from the reinforcement coefficient can outweigh it."

My head was spinning with formulas.

My old tutor had never taught me anything like this. They were more like, ‘Just go GAAAAH and then FWOOSH!! That’s magic! Don’t sweat the theory—your body will learn it!’

The fact that I somehow understood anything that way says a lot about me, but... yeah. Real mages clearly need actual brains.

"Everything so far pertains to single-element spells. Miss Irine, your spirit cannon combines four elements, which changes the equation significantly. You’ll need to construct magical formulas for all four elements and run a unified logarithmic calculation. For precise calculations, the concept of imaginary mana formulas becomes necessary, but I suspect you haven’t covered that yet, so we’ll omit it for now. Let’s use the approximate formula: maxNα ≒ v{(n₁−logT₁)/a + (n₂−logT₂)/b + (n₃−logT₃)/c + (n₄−logT₄)/d}."

…………

So yeah, I wasn’t keeping up with any of this.

What do I even do here?

"…Yes, I understand."

"Oh? You do?"

Of course, in moments like this, the best response is—

"I now understand that I don’t understand any of it."

"…Oh?"

"My master never taught me such complex formulas. They simply told me that as long as it activates, it’s fine."

"I see. So you were taught magic by someone who goes by feel… Then I imagine most of what I just said went completely over your head?"

"I'm ashamed to admit it. I came here to learn, and I’ve done nothing but embarrass myself."

If I don’t understand something, I’ll just say so. Ask, and it’s a moment of shame. Don’t ask, and it’s a lifetime of ignorance.

Pretending to know something you don’t never leads anywhere good.

"Well, it’s true that if you memorize the chant, you can cast magic. Many are satisfied with that."

"…"

"But if you want to go even one step further—then you must understand how magic activates, and how it is controlled. If you grasp that, I guarantee your magic will become even more powerful."

"Is that… really true?"

"Of course it is."

When I admitted I didn’t understand, the professor looked at me kindly and answered without hesitation.

"In that case, let’s start from something simpler and easier to grasp today. Sublimation coefficient measurement… in other words, let’s check how skilled you are at using magic."

"…Yes. What should I do?"

"Let’s see, just attach this device to your arm—"

Ah. This guy’s really kind.

He has no obligation to help me, and yet he’s treating me with such care.

"Now, please chant a basic fire spell. This pendulum will do the rest and measure your ability."

"All right. What exactly does it measure?"

"It compares the mana you expend to the strength of the flame produced. If you can create strong fire with little mana, it means your spell has a high sublimation coefficient."

I see. So it’s basically a test of how well I can control my mana.

I’m actually pretty confident in that.

"Understood, Doctor. Sparkling fire spirit, dwell within my finger and reflect a flame…"

"…Hmm?"

With the band still wrapped around my arm, I followed the instructions and lit a small flame at my fingertip.

Then, the pendulum placed on the desk suddenly swung upward at a right angle and stopped dead. Whoa, weird.

"Try extinguishing the flame now."

"Okay."

Once the spell ended, the pendulum lost its force and started swinging gently side to side.

This thing’s kinda fun.

"Ummmm?"

"Is something wrong, Dr. Romero?"

"You just chanted the wrong incantation, didn’t you?"

"Huh?"

…No way. That’s the chant I’ve always used for basic fire magic. It’s always worked.

I’m pretty sure the textbook had that exact chant too. I looked at it just the other day. No doubt about it.

…Oh, right. That textbook was handwritten by my master. Did they write it down wrong?

"The correct chant is: ‘Wavering fire spirit, dwell within my finger and light a flame.’ But…"

"Understood. I’ll chant it that way from now on."

"No, it’s just… what’s strange is that despite the chant being incorrect, there was absolutely no loss of mana in your spell, Irine. Your sublimation coefficient was a perfect 100%."

The professor said this while eyeing my fingertips with clear suspicion.

"You made a mistake in the chant, and yet there was zero mana loss. You converted 100% of the mana used directly into spell power."

"Oh my. That means… that’s a good thing, isn’t it?"

Heh. Take that. Even my master once said, ‘Your mana control is so good it’s creepy.’

I am considered a prodigy in my clan, after all. Never had to try hard—things just kind of worked out.

"Yes. But that also means… your magic is already complete. You’ve already reached what all mages spend their lives pursuing—‘the ultimate magical efficiency.’ …How is that even possible?"

…Huh? My magic is… complete?

"Then, what should I do to become stronger?"

"If your sublimation coefficient is this high even with an incorrect chant, then you’ll produce max power no matter how you cast. In other words, no matter how hard you try from here on, your magic isn’t likely to improve much further…"

"…Eeeehhh?"

Honestly, that revelation hit hard.

So basically, I’ve already hit max level and can’t get any stronger?

Isn’t my level cap a little too low…?

"So then, does that mean I can't get any stronger?"

"That's not true at all. While your personal growth has likely reached its peak, you can still boost your magical output by using a staff with a better enhancement coefficient."

"A staff, huh? To be honest, and it’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I don’t actually own a magic staff of my own... They're quite expensive, and hard to afford."

"Oh? Then you should definitely get one while you're in this town. Yowin is famous for its magic staves—far cheaper and better quality than elsewhere. I can recommend a few good shops."

"That would be more than helpful. However..."

I see. My level’s capped, so the only way to keep up is with better gear.

People used to call me a magic prodigy when I was little, and I got a bit full of myself... but really, I was just an early bloomer. Honestly, giving up on magic and switching to strength training turned out to be the right call, if power was the goal.

Still... magic staves, huh.

"Right now, I'm traveling away from home, so... my budget is a bit tight."

"...Hmm. So it's a matter of funds, then."

"I'm not struggling with daily expenses, but buying something as pricey as a magic staff is... well..."

"Come to think of it, Miss Irine, you're traveling as part of an adventurer party, aren't you? In that case, I can see how funds might be limited."

Honestly, magic staves are expensive.

Traveling merchants charge enough for a mid-grade staff to buy a house.

Even buying one here in Yowin, the place they’re made, would only bring the price down a little. It’d still cost everything our party has—and that’s if we’re lucky. I am planning to check out a shop or two, but affording a genuine, properly made staff seems out of the question.

"In that case, there’s actually a rather convenient method."

"A convenient method?"

"Yes. It does assume a certain level of competence, but if there's a magic user who can handle a spirit cannon, then it should be doable."

Just when I was starting to give up on getting a staff—

"You see, the truth is—"

"There's a way like that...?"

Dr. Romero, ever so kind, went on to patiently explain a realistic method of acquiring a magic staff.

To think he’d go this far for someone he just met.

"Thank you so much for today. I’ll be sure to repay this favor someday."

"Think nothing of it. I'm a big fan of Dr. Yuma. If it’s someone he introduced, I’m more than happy to help."

"Th-thank you... Um, Dr. Yuma?"

"Yes. He's one of the few researchers I truly respect."

…Wait. That Yuma? As in Yuri’s weird dad?

"I-I see. I feel fortunate to have met such a wonderful person."

"Indeed, indeed. Please give my regards to Dr. Yuma."

Huh... Is he seriously a fan of that weirdo? Not just mistaken identity or anything?

I’ve only met the guy in passing, but from everything I’ve heard, he’s really eccentric. Wasn’t he the one researching party tricks?

Then again, it’s always the weirdos who end up having some strange charisma. Probably best not to think too hard about it.

---

—Evening, at Yuri’s house.

"Now then, I have returned, Karl."

"Mmph-mmmph!"

"...They tied your mouth shut too?"

After returning from Dr. Romero’s place, I went straight to the room where Karl was being held.

"Here, let me get that off for you."

"Pwah—I can breathe again. Welcome back, Irine. Did you get what you needed?"

"Yes. I heard something very worthwhile."

Technically speaking, Yuri asked me to avoid Karl... but there was something I had to ask him before the day ended.

That was—

"I want to explore the forest on the outskirts tomorrow. Would you come with me, Karl?"

"Explore?"

"Yes, an exploration of the forest."

In other words, I was simply asking: Hey, wanna come do fieldwork with me tomorrow?

"The monsters around here are strong, so we’ll need a proper escort. If you're willing, I’d be grateful..."

"That’s kind of sudden. Is there some specific reason?"

"There is. I’d like to gather materials for both my and Sakura's magic staves."

Exactly—the ‘backdoor’ method Dr. Romero told me about for getting a high-grade magic staff at a low cost. It involved gathering the materials ourselves and bringing them to a workshop.

Apparently, staff artisans buy materials directly from adventurers, process them, and turn them into sellable goods. Which means, if we bring them the right stuff, they'll make one for us.

So tomorrow, I’ll head into the forest with Karl and Sakura, gather some ‘staff-quality wood,’ sell it to the workshop, and use the proceeds to get one—maybe even two—custom staves made.

"I really, truly want a staff. After hearing how terrifying these demons supposedly are, I started wondering if I was really okay with staying like this. Please... won’t you help me, even if it’s selfish?"

"Hmm, I see. If that’s the reason, then I’m happy to help. Actually, maybe we should bring the whole party along."

"That would be wonderful. I’ll suggest it to them."

Alright! That’ll boost my spirit cannon’s power, and finally give me that magic-user look.

I may be all muscle on the inside, but at least I can look the part. Gotta maintain that refined mage aesthetic somehow.

"Okay, guess I should get ready for tomorrow. Irine, think it’s time you untied me?"

"Of course. You’ve had a rough day, haven’t you?"

"You’re telling me. Maika, that little devil... she broke at least three key parts of my soul—"

Karl’s on board. Now I just have to convince the others. Man, glad this guy’s easy to reason with.

So, I’ll let it slide that his legs went numb and he collapsed face-first right into my crotch.

---

"Well then, Karl-kun. How was today's fortune-telling?"

"It was spot on, every single thing you said came true, Yuri."

"Yay! Hehe, just as expected of me!—Wha!?"