Chapter 15 (1/2)

Fiffteenth Episode 〜 Distorted Mana Hand

The morning sun lights up the Maheim Mountain range, creating a morning scene

It’s the same here as it is at the Goldiba home.

Reflected light comes from the white mosque like building.

The light s.h.i.+nes on the black cat which sleeps on the roof, making her pupils dilate.

The morning sun illuminates the top of the large stone pavements where remnants of fog remain.

The morning sun s.h.i.+nes of the figure of two men whom are slowly dancing to train in the spear.

The black cat Rollodinu watched the movement of the two below without moving on the roof, when the spear fight develops into and intense exchange of blows, she takes on a low crouched posture, watching the movements as if aiming at prey.

Increasingly impatient, her twin red eyes dilate in excitement. Following the movements of the two people rocking the lower half of the body while having an intense fight, she appears as if watching an exchange of tennis, she begins to slightly turn her head back and forth, matching the rhythm.

To the eyes of the black cat Rollodinu the two people might look like mice, putting emphasis on her hind legs to jump and catch them. But, then noticing she was on the roof, she changed her target to the thin straw on the edge of the eaves and pounced. Clapping the straw between her paws to bite it while lying on her back, she rolls tumbling down the roof and begins to play.

Rollodinu releases an excited breath for the joy of catching her prey. She becomes engrossed by playing alone with the straw. Rollodinu appears to have lost interest in the other two people training.

Under the black cat, there is a girl who peeps at the training. The name of the girl is Refaa. Refaa watches the training from the shadow of the pillar under the roof, not minding as Rollodinu plays and becomes noisy. With a serious expression that didn’t resemble a girl, she continues staring, absorbed by the two people handling the spears. However, Refaa suddenly makes an expression of desire. Stopping the observation of the training, she turns on her small heel and returned to the hut.

Shortly, Refaa emerges from the entrance of the house.

A short stick is grasped in her hand. With an expression that doesn’t resemble a little girl, moving her small neck very fast, she checks around the area restlessly. Refaa nods, and runs to the shadow at the back of the hut.

When the girl arrives at the back of the hut grasping the stick with two small hands, she turns the spear around in the way Achilles did taking a posture aiming at the eyes. She begins moving the stick to the front, back, left, and right, imitating the movement of the two training. The movements are childlike, it is the movement of the lesser art of stick fighting, but now and then, a sharp stick fighting technique was made that didn’t suit a girl.

Refaa trains the spear desperately.

When time pa.s.ses, seemingly satisfied with her own stick fighting technique, she wipes the sweat from her brow smiling a sweet dimpled smile like a little girl.

And then, again returning to the hut to hide, she came unexpectedly to the face of the hut. Refaa is attentive, restlessly looking around not wanting an adult to realize she is hiding the stick. Again, seeing there’s no one, Refaa skipped to move behind the pillar. Once again, she begins to watch the spear training being carried out in the open s.p.a.ce. (TL: This is cute and scary.)

Fuu, it&rsqu

o;s over it’s over.

The fight felt quite good, though my skill still has some way to go.

Especially the end of the counter-clockwise turning, it’s still not fast enough.

While I reflect on the contents of the training, I call to Rollo who is dozing on the roof under the morning sun.

I take the black cat and we return to my room together.

When I enter the room the black cat jumps the top of the furniture where the shelves form a line.

She seems to want to secure high view-point.

I’ll take a morning bath.

It’s easier than using the bath shed, there’s no need to prepare firewood, I pour hot water into the pail in the room I’m staying in.

Life magic really is convenient.

When a little hot water begins to acc.u.mulate in the pail, I quickly strip myself.

I pour hot water from life magic over my head while standing barefoot in the tub. The hot water collecting in the tub feels good, I stop the life magic.

I sit down in the pail and soak in the hot water.

I wish I could have used this magic immediately after I came to this world……

While thinking such complaints, I wash my face with hot water.

Because it’s warm, standing there, I stretch a hand out to the shelf. I pick up “gyuza gra.s.s” in the form of a round dumpling, I cup my hands and put the gyuza gra.s.s there to pray to the Buddha statue. (TN: No clue what this mean, maybe looking like this.) I repeatedly rub the gra.s.s up and down in between my palms.

This soap work similar to soap.

At first it only looked like mugwort-flavored rice-flour dumpling, so I didn’t use it, but the other day Achilles-s.h.i.+sho told me “dirt is removed easily,” and after that I have used it frequently.

I was actually surprised when I used it at first.

Bubbles coming out, the dirt comes off quickly……

Foamy bubble bubble.

The bubbles rise up as if to say biore○. (TL: Don’t know the reference)

It looks like gra.s.s juice of the mugwort-flavored rice-flour dumpling……

How does this gra.s.s juice bubble up?

I remember there was a tree like that somewhere in a tropical rainforest on earth. Well, it’s a small thing. The convenient thing is convenient.

I wash my face and body.

Finally, I check my beard. The beard has been growing from my cheeks. Should I shave my facial hair as well as the hair on my head……I bundle the hair ad put a knife against at the base. I quickly cut the hair with the knife.

The amount of power put into my hand grasping the hair on my head isn’t normal, so it’s easy. Probably, I’m now able to tear a thick phone book, or a deck of cards easily with my bare hands. I want a mirror, but because there isn’t one I leave my hair as it is. I threw the hair I cut into the leather bag for the trash as not to let it scatter about.

Rollo looks curiously at the hair I cut, it wasn’t a thing to play with.

Well, next is shaving.

Carefully putting the knife to my lathered face, I shave the beard. I’ve though many time since a while ago, I grope around as there’s no mirror……so, I shave it–ite. There’s no helping it since I’m using a knife in place of a razor blade. I continue suffering shallow cut on my cheeks and necks……

Well, it’s fine.

The blood flows from the wounds as it closes up quickly.

“Shuya onii-cha〜n. Breakfast, I was able to……KYAA!”

Ah, Refaa. Sigh……

Which reminds me, I’m shaving myself while naked.

Refaa made a small embarra.s.sed scream and hid behind a pillar with a red face. That way, I become serious and begin talking.

“Haha, was the stimulation too strong for Refaa?” (TL: d.a.m.n lolicon.)

“Mo! Shuya onii-chan is etchi, because we’re eating please don’t come naked〜?”

“Hahaha, I got it.”

I’m still worried about leaving part of it unshaven, but there’s no helping it even if I worry. Sigh.

Finis.h.i.+ng properly, I go to eat breakfast.

Breakfast was fried mushrooms and some kind of leaves.

When I eat the delicious stir-fry, s.h.i.+s...o...b..ings something up while I hold a mushroom in my mouth.

“……Shuya, did you cut your hair? It’s really messy, but after we finish weeding should I fix it?”

“Strange hair–”

Refaa points at me and laughs.

“Once there’s time it’s all right. Other than that, in addition, aren’t you going out harvesting?”

“That’s right. There still isn’t enough. So should we go together?”

“No, there’s a little training I want to do.”

“Eeh〜, Shuya onii-chan, let’s go together〜”

“Hm〜, again this time?”

Refaa not convinced, turned to the side and made small humph. Achilles-s.h.i.+sho sees this and nods.

“Don’t be selfish Refaa.”

“Really? You mustn’t bother Shuya-san. Then, since it will be bad if something like last time happens, you mustn’t leave grandpa and mine’s side.”

“Okay. The monster that time was scary.”

Refaa nods her head.

Remembering the ghost lipped monster, I become quiet.

“Is Raguren harvesting too?”

“No, there are monsters to hunt and I have to check the snares. Other than that, it’s unusual for Shuya give himself priority.”

“Humu. I guess.  I actually want to help Raguren and s.h.i.+sho too, but I seem to be getting close to getting a hold on guidance moji. So, I want to work on it today.”

Then, Rabbi-san’s face becomes gentle, and looking at my face smiles.

“Fufu, Shuya-san, we’re always receiving your help. Please spend your time freely once in a while. The other day hunting was easy for Raguren after Shuya came, were your thanked?”

“That’s right. You should work for yourself sometime.”

“And then, since I made a little too much bread in the kitchen, please eat at noon.”

“Alright. Thank you.” (TL: *Tears up*They’re all so nice. *Sniff. * )

After we finish talking, everyone goes their own way.

I also return to the hut, and begin training at once.

I close my eyes and sit in meditation.

Usually, I am happy to follow Raguren and Achilles-s.h.i.+sho……I won’t go this time. Anyway, since my guidance moji managed to hold the knife with the “Mana Hand”……all along, as I imagine “mono” I’m able to grasp it.

–I open my eyes wide, and stare at one point, concentrating on it.

I imagine it carefully this time.

–A Mana Hand.

I don’t pay much attention to how many fingers the hand will have.

Using thick strands of mana, I weave a thread, spin the mana, refining it desperately. Nevertheless, the image trims off mana fruitlessly……

At that time, and “image” in my mind appeared floating in front of my eyes. I did it!

I see it clearly with the magic observing eye.

There’s a bundle of pale light gathered together, appearing as a big “distorted mana hand.”

A thin magic path extends from the wrist of the “distorted mana hand,” something like a hand sways back and forth.

There are seven fingers and a big warped palm.

Innumerable small mana bands overlap inside of it.

It’s the result of what I imagined carefully……

I’m very aware of its strength, it doesn’t collapse easily this time.

Then,

※Pikon※  ※Guidance Moji Knowledge※  ※Permanent Skill Acquired※

※Pikon※  ※<thought guidance=”” magic=”” hand=””>※  ※Skill Acquired※

Oh, a skill. I did it! The pleasant skill acquisition sound rings in my head, and it is displayed in front of me in red.

Promptly, I activate the guidance moji type skill <magic thought=”” guidance=”” hand=””>.

–<magic thought=”” guidance=”” hand=””> holds the knife.

I’m able to swing it around with my will.

“I did it, yatta! It worked!”

“Mm, Nya.”

Again Rollo was surprised like she was the other day, ignoring such a Rollo, I suddenly rush to Achilles-s.h.i.+sho’s smithing room. s.h.i.+sho isn’t in the room. Remembering I mutter a small “oh.”

I remember, he went for gathering medicinal herbs. I was told.

The underground blacksmith room falls silent, and I scratch my head.

My head is full of the new magic thought guidance hand from the distorted mana hand. –There’s no helping it. I’m also hungry, so I go up the stairs and into the kitchen.

I eat the bread from Rabbi-san.

Something like a tomato and root vegetables hang from a beam in the room, as a lot are hanging, it’s a little obstructive.

While moving the dried vegetables aside with a hand, I look for the kitchen.

Bread, bread, bread–

“Ah.”

Some flat objects were piled on top of a circular solid stone oven.

Is it this? Rabbi-san said it was bread.

I carry one piece of flat bread to my mouth with a hand. I leave the house while eating.

This bread, tastes like it’s made of mushrooms.

Furthermore, lumps of something fruit-like and sweet honey is inside, it’s not raisins, well it’s good. The outside of the bread is hard like French bread, it’s only tough there and the insides are delicious because it’s soft. I go to the open s.p.a.ce with black spear in hand to train, but I’m absorbed in the tough feeling of the thing I’m chewing. I ate the bread quickly.

It’s hard, but because it’s tasty, I regret not bringing another. Will she change her job to delicious baker in the future? While having playful thoughts, I quench my thirst with water from life magic.

After I ate and rehydrated, I took up the black spear and begin training.

I activate the <magic thought=”” guidance=”” hand=””> skill.

Using the “distorted mana hand” from the “Magic Thought Guidance Hand” skill I grasp the knife in the air.

I attack with the black spear there. Affected by the knife attack I’m unused to, my spear handling is awkward too.

There’s no helping it at first.

I utter a short sigh at the high degree of difficulty.

I continue to train for hours while struggling in such a condition–

“Oh, Shuya. You’re training hard.”

“Ara, have you been training this whole time? Do your best.”

“Shuya onii-chan〜, look, look, this many leaves, I found them〜”

The three people returning from collecting talked.

Refaa’s head is visible behind a big pile of leaves she is holding in her small hands.

Rabbi-san has a large pile of leaves she has put in a big basket.

The magic bag hanging at s.h.i.+sho’s waste is swelling like a balloon, and a large amount of leaves are floating through the air with Guidance Moji.

“A lot of leaves, for Rabbi-san and s.h.i.+sho, such a large quant.i.ty……”

“Isn’t this natural? Kawa leaves are used every day, in addition to being an edible plant used in meals, it’s a medical herb that can be used with the cattle and medicine for the family. And Shuya, what share do you have?”

I don’t use the kawa other than when I go flower picking at the toilet.

“……Oh, that’s right……haha.”

“That’s right〜, lots and lots of leaves. Always, p.o.o.p, you always need it for p.o.o.p.”

While Refaa says such a thing, the big leaves are lifted to her head, shaking it round the leaves begin to fall, she runs around while her chestnut hair flows.

“Already, Refaa, what is with the p.o.o.p? Don’t say such rude things! Mou.”