Chapter 35 (1/2)
Chapter 35: Magic Soldier Training Facility
After wrapping up my research in the library, I headed off to inspect the magic school.
Aside from my two large goals, I had also planned on supporting each country’s anti-anki measures.
Though it did sound a bit shady, I needed to fully understand this new experiment that is the magic soldier. The possibility that they truly prove to be a viable counter against anki was not completely nil, after all.
The magic school was on a small island in Liuus Lake reserved for the Magician Guild, so I had to take a small boat to get there.
Proceeding down a ca.n.a.l while sitting on the bench of a small boat turned out to be a pretty pleasant experience.
It would have been even better of an experience if only there wasn’t an old guy even older than me sitting next to me the whole trip.
Yahman is a sociable person, but his mouth just wouldn’t stop chattering from beginning to end. It also didn’t help that the content of his words was almost all bragging.
Apparently, he is the leading authority in the field of potion production, and therefore even gets called in as a consultant every now and then by the Healer Guild. His bragging was noisy, but I had an interest in this world’s potions and magic items, so I lent him an ear.
It turned out that those who are capable of producing magic items and potions are only a select few magicians who possess the natural apt.i.tude. For those magicians, the magic characters for [Creation] and [Life] appears in their magic boards. It is apparently not possible to choose which characters appear in one’s magic board.
I wanted to ask about the production of magic items in greater detail, but Yahman quickly—”The potions that I make are good enough to sell, you know? But then I’d feel bad for the Healer Guild. So that’s why I go to the trouble of selling wholesale to them first.”—changed the topic to him bragging about his financial means.
“I see, that sounds impressive.”
And other such interjections were all I said though, so well, I suppose I didn’t have much right to complain.
All that aside, I further learned that the functions of most magic items in Sedia are not as crazy and far-out as the ones that show up in D&B. This is especially true for magic items with infinite uses—these are apparently pretty much nonexistent in this world.
“...... Which means I’ll also have to take vested interests into consideration……”
“Sorry, did you say something?”
“Ah, no, it was nothing.”
♥♦♣♠
The magic school itself turned out to be a splendid building that looks like a city hall. The training facilities for the magic soldiers, however, were another story altogether.
Upon reaching the island, Yahman did not lead me to the center of the island, but to an out of the way corner.
“So you’re the ‘wizard’ or whatever?”
When we arrived at the Magic Soldier Training Facility, we were greeted by the person in charge, a man by the name of Griad who took no pains to hide his disdain for me. Incidentally, the buildings of the training facility were clearly constructed in a hurry, but well, they looked alright for a hurried job.
“Y-, you! Did you not receive the directive from the Branch Leader to show respect to Margils-dono!?”
“I am showing respect. But just in my own way, of course.”
He was apparently the type to not believe in anything that he hasn’t seen with his own eyes. But well, if I entertained every single person who doubted me, then I wouldn’t have time for anything else.
“Apologies for taking up your time in spite of your busy schedule. Can we go straight to observing an ongoing training session of the magic soldiers?”
“Of course, of course! Griad-kun, I trust you’ve made the necessary arrangements?”
“...... This way. It’s nothing interesting to look at though. Just saying.”
♥♦♣♠
We are currently on our way to the training grounds, with Griad taking advantage of this time to explain the training received by the magic soldiers.
The concept of the magic soldier was first thought of after the war against anki 10 years ago, when the Magician Guild was searching for a way to build up its own fighting power.
The training to produce a magician, which normally takes about 10 years, can be shaved down to 3 years by removing all content that can be removed. After that is 2 years of normal military training.
It was Branch Leader Heldol who came up with the original idea. Griad is charged with staying on-sight to guide the project as needed.
What I hear next absolutely floors me.
8 years ago, there were almost 50 applicants when they were recruiting for Gen 1, almost all of whom hailed from n.o.ble or upper-cla.s.s families. In the end, however, those who managed to acquire everything needed as a magic soldier numbered only 2. All the others either quit because they couldn’t bear the training anymore, were forced to quit because of injuries caused by the training, or literally just dropped dead. As a result, there were only 10 applicants for Gen 2, of which only 1 made it to the end.
“...... messed up beyond even what I had imagined……”
“What is?”
“No, nothing. So, what about the current batch, Gen 3?”
“The batch currently undergoing training is Gen 3. As we have to gather numbers, starting from this Gen, we have begun accepting applicants from common families and farming families who live outside the city. With the new policy of paying out remuneration to applicants, we managed to secure 80 people for Gen 3. Furthermore, we have drawn from the data gleaned from the two earlier batches and introduced large improvements to the curriculum.”
In other words, they couldn’t gather any more applicants after the training was revealed to be highly dangerous, so they have turned to recruiting the poor. Don’t tell me they’re dabbling in human trafficking……?
As I moan inside, Griad informs me that we have arrived.
…… It’s just a giant, empty piece of land.
“These are the meditation rooms.”
“Say what??”
I inadvertently blurted out my first thought. What Griad is indicating towards is a few lines of pits about 2m deep dug into a corner of the the open field. Each one has a ladder installed for going up and down and a lid.
There is one magician who is supposedly on watch, but he’s just standing in place looking extremely bored.
“In order to use magic without the aid of the magic board, the user must have a powerful mental image of the spell. In order to train for that, this kind of place where the trainee can be isolated from all five senses is the most effective.”
The trainees are instructed to take a certain herb that induces a relaxed state, then hole themselves up in one of these pits to focus solely on searing the image of the magic spell into their minds.
“We have also established that rather than just meditating in the darkness, using an aid like this helps make the images stronger.”
What Griad is proudly showing off to me is a copper plate engraved with the likeness of a magician whose staff is shooting out a lance of fire. If I understand him correctly, tracing one’s fingers over this scene repeatedly will cause the user to have a much clearer image of «Fire Lance».
“U——n? I…… see?”
The theory behind my own wizardry is just a bunch of settings thought up by TRPG otakus who happened to be students with too much free time on their hands. Because of that, I don’t have the right to argue against the logic that was just explained to me, no matter how much I disagree with it. However……
“Excuse me, may I ask one question?”
“What is it?”
“Is the strength of magic spells truly dependent on the caster’s mental image? Because if it is, then would it not be even more effective to let the trainees watch a real magician shooting the spell, instead of relying on a mere engraving?”
Un, this point alone I cannot let slide.
Upon hearing my question, a ‘what is this guy saying?’ looks comes over Yahman’s and Griad’s face.
“...... That’s…… If such a method is to be employed, then we’d have to take on infants and show them magic every day.”
“A-, also, all magicians are taught from day 1 in magic school to never show their magic so easily to others. If we truly brought up that suggestion, we’d be branded as heretics.”
“Fuumu……?”
The reasons that they lined up both sound quite unconvincing to me, but what Yahman mutters next is on a completely different dimension from what I had expected.
“In the first place, if it was that easy to learn magic, then where would our standing be……”
KA—N, KA—N~
The high-pitched ringing of a bell rouses me from my sh.e.l.l-shocked stupor.
That must be a signal, as immediately the lids covering the pits are opened from the inside and young boys and girls looking thoroughly exhausted start crawling out one by one.
“Well done. 3 hours of rest.”
So says the instructor haughtily towards the children, all of whom are sprawled over the ground.