Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 10

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 10   Other world exchange

I’m tilling the field.

With a hoe, I work the soil, wiping the sweat with my sleeve and looking up at the clear sky.

What refreshing sweat.

Exercise is great.

That’s what I started to think at six and a half years old.

Moderate exercise is important, yeah.

Thinking such middle-aged thoughts, I diligently work in the fields.

Today, I’ve come to the village to help with the work.

This is an important task as the lord’s child.

The lord’s work is diverse, but according to my father, the most important thing is to accurately understand the state of the people.

What is the situation? Are there any complaints? If so, what are they?

Through communication, we have built a smooth relationship with the people.

And by respecting each other, recognizing what needs to be done, and leading our lives, everyone has become prosperous.

Of course, it’s not easy, but in reality, my father has achieved it.

It’s amazing. Even in modern times, everyone would want to follow such a leader.

So, Marie and I are helping the villagers under the guise of assisting our father.

It’s about understanding the village’s situation as a child, promoting relationship building, and fostering awareness as a lord.

Well, it’s not forced, and we’re only told to go occasionally.

I say this, but our parents are quite lenient with us.

They convey it without being pushy, more like showing us through their actions.

It’s okay for me since I have an adult mindset, but if I were a child, I might end up being spoiled.

Marie is different. I don’t think there are many children as mature as her. Though she can be a bit selfish at times.

The first field we visited has already been tilled, so we’re currently working on another field.

It’s mainly about preparing the soil since it’s almost time for planting seeds.

The adults are in charge of harvesting and managing the crops. For children, there’s a possibility of wasting the crops, and it seems we’re not ready yet.

So, it goes like this.

The five of us—me, Marie, Maron, Red, and Rose—are diligently working in the fields as usual.

“Phew! We’re almost done around here!”

Maron exclaimed energetically.

The chestnut-haired girl, always cheerful, remained fresh despite her face being covered in mud.

It’s been several months already, and we’ve spent a lot of time together, so I’ve gotten quite used to it.

It’s not a problem to talk to her like normal.

I still get a little nervous sometimes though.

“What are we doing next?”

“We’re thinking of going to the forest to gather mountain vegetables.

You two are done with your work! Thank you!”

“Are you sure? I can help.”

“Nah, I shouldn’t keep you too long.

Shion-kun and Marie-chan are kind, but you’re the lord’s children, so we should be careful about that.”

Maron talks to me like a friend, but it seems she still draws a line.

Being too lax with boundaries can strain relationships.

It’s important to establish clear positions, but I think it’s difficult to understand that from a child’s perspective.

Maron might surprisingly have a firm grasp of this.

Marie probably thinks the same way deep down.

“Alright, let’s tidy up the tools!”

Maron smiled and started tidying up the tools busily.

I did the same, gathering hoes and baskets.

“Hey!”

Red had a refreshing smile on his face.

This boy, how should I put it, is quite passionate.

In Japan, he would be the type to be at the center of the class.

I’m a bit uncomfortable around him. He’s a good guy, though.

“Hey.”

“How’s it going? Getting used to the work?”

“I’ve gotten used to it quite a bit. My body still aches sometimes, though.”

“Haha! Well, farming work seems to be quite tough. Can’t help it.”

Even though he’s a kid, he has work to do.

There’s little time to play, and every day must be tough.

Despite that, he doesn’t show his struggles.

“It must be tough, working all the time.”

“Huh? Nah, not really? It’s normal. Besides, I don’t hate working in the fields.

I actually want to start from scratch on my own, but I’m not there yet. I want to become independent soon.

Then I can make life easier for my family.”

“Um… is life difficult?”

“Nah, not at all. We live just fine.

But, you know, I still wish we could have a little more luxury.

Lord-sama treats us really well, so I have no complaints. This isn’t flattery.”

Red hurriedly continued, trying to explain himself.

Contrary to his appearance, he seems to have a caring personality.

Now that I think about it, the popular ones in class had good personalities too.

They were so shining that it was hard to approach them.

“Well, I don’t have any complaints, I just want to make things better, that’s all.”

“I see…”

If I were to become a lord, I would end up managing the lives of people like them.

The responsibility is heavy. If I make a mistake, their lives could become difficult.

Maybe I should think about various things while I still can.

Well, it doesn’t seem like I’m cut out for it though.

“Well, I’m heading over there. See you later.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

After bidding farewell to Red, Rose came over as if in line.

She put her hand on her waist, standing tall.

By the way, Rose seems to be the oldest among the three.

Maron is seven years old, Red is six years old, the same age as me, and Rose is eight years old.

The same age as Marie.

Placing the back of her hand against her mouth, she elegantly began to speak.

“Shion, how are you feeling?”

“Haha, I’m fine. I’m doing well.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“My, have I asked something strange?”

“No, it’s just that everyone cares about me, and it makes me happy.”

“I’m not really ‘caring’ or anything. It’s just…! If we all work hard together, things progress more smoothly!

So, reluctantly, I reach out and talk to you all.”

“I see, thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude sincerely.

“…It, it’s embarrassing when you stare at me like that.”

Perhaps surprisingly, she seemed shy.

Rose’s behavior was a bit odd, but she was a child with a broad perspective and the ability to be considerate of others.

She just wasn’t very straightforward. When expressing gratitude, she seemed flustered and would avert her gaze.

Rose brushed her long hair aside and tried to compose her expression.

“Anyway, today’s work is almost done. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

“Questions… it doesn’t have to be about work, right?”

“Yes, it doesn’t matter what it’s about.”

“Then, I wanted to ask—near my house, there’s a lake, right? Only Rose saw a ball of light there, right?”

“That story, is it? Yes, I saw it. However, it seems Red and Maron couldn’t see it.”

I had heard the story from Marie in advance.

The child who saw the ball of light at the lake was apparently Rose and her friends.

“What did it look like?”

“It was faint. Like seeing a distant campfire.”

Indeed, it seemed that the way I, Marie, and Rose saw things was different.

I saw it clearly, like regular light.

Marie said it flickered. In other words, it was like seeing regular light occasionally.

Rose saw a faint light. But it was undeniable that she saw it.

Different ways of seeing, huh?

If I think about it, the one who sees it clearly might have a talent for perceiving magic.

In the world of fiction, often those with higher visibility tend to be more talented.

However, it would be dangerous to assert something so easily.

Because there’s absolutely no information about magic.

I’m determined to become a trailblazer. That means there’s no one else who knows.

Once I decide, that’s it.

Even if I’m wrong, there won’t be anyone to correct me.

That’s why I need to decide carefully. Only after I have substantial evidence should I confirm my conclusions.

“What’s the matter with that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, really.”

“Is that so? However, that phenomenon was quite mysterious. It might be hard to believe for those who didn’t see it.

Maron and Red were skeptical and didn’t believe it.”

“If they couldn’t perceive it, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Yes, I understand. I just think that there are mysterious things in the world.

Even if people don’t believe it, that’s fine. Both you and Marie could see it.

And it feels a little special, which makes it enjoyable.”

Oh, Rose seems to be quite ambitious.

Or is it that she simply wants to believe she’s unique and has value?

Well, everyone has thoughts like that in one way or another.

She might just express it more clearly.

I’m not looking down on her, so her way of thinking is not a problem.

But I shouldn’t judge her from a superior standpoint.

Even though I have an adult mindset, I’m the youngest in terms of age.

If I act too assertive, it might hurt the pride of the older ones.

I need to be careful. Kids are sensitive to such things.

Marie is straightforward and has a refreshing personality, so she doesn’t have that issue.

It’s not easy for a child to say things like, ‘I have good athletic skills but not a good brain.’

Anyone can say anything, but truly believing it from the bottom of your heart is difficult.

Everyone wants to believe they are competent, have various possibilities, and are superior to others.

Not just kids, even adults.

Accepting that at a young age is not simple.

I sometimes feel like I’m thinking about it with a skewed perspective.

Maybe I should stop thinking about it around this point.

“Do you also want to become independent and skilled in this village, Rose?”

“It seems that way for Red. As for Maron, I’m not sure since she doesn’t talk about it much.

As for myself… I’m still unsure. But I do want to challenge various things.”

In terms of mindset, she might be similar to Marie.

I don’t dislike people like this.

“You seem quite composed, Rose.”

“If I were composed, I’d have more thought-out ideas. I still have a long way to go.”

“Is that so? I actually like that kind of thinking. Wanting to challenge various things means you want to know and learn about many things, right? I think that’s pretty composed.”

Rose looked at me, seemingly surprised.

Oops. I accidentally sounded condescending.

I involuntarily broke into a nervous sweat, but Rose smiled happily.

“I see, there’s that kind of perspective too… hehe, thank you, Shion.”

She seemed mature for her age. She had a calm demeanor for an eight-year-old.

There was a certain elegance about her, and I found myself captivated.

As I was lost in thought, Rose seemed to recall something and spoke up.

“Oh my, we got quite engrossed in our conversation. It seems the others have finished tidying up. Shall we go, Shion?”

“Y-yeah.”

For some reason, Rose gently patted my head and smiled warmly, then took my hand.

She’s kind of like an older sister. Not wrong to think so given she’s older.

We headed toward where everyone was.

Just then, Marie hurriedly ran over and grabbed my arm.

“H-Holding hands with Shion is not allowed!”

“Oh, it’s not like Shion belongs to Marie. Holding hands isn’t a big deal, is it?”

“I-It is!”

“Is it?”

Rose and Marie looked at me simultaneously.

One gaze was a threatening “you better understand,” and the other was a questioning “what’s the situation?”

Wait, how did we end up in this situation all of a sudden?

Red and Maron seemed confused, not really understanding what was happening.

Hmm, I guess this is one of those scenarios where the route is determined by the choice here.

I need to choose carefully. It’s a branching point.

Well, that’s not really the case.

And is it really such a big deal to hold hands?

We’re just kids.

Maybe Marie’s possessiveness is a bit too much.

I love my sister too, but Marie’s attachment to me might be excessive.

Perhaps it’s good to give her a little experience of not being overly attached as a younger brother.

So, in light of that…

“W-Well, I guess it’s better to listen to my sister.”

I arrived at this kind of answer.

Well, my sister is looking at me like she’s about to cry.

Even though she was glaring at me, she gradually looks sadder, so there’s nothing I can do.

Upon hearing my answer, Marie blossomed into a big smile, but Rose pouted with dissatisfaction.

“T-That’s right! Shion is right!”

I don’t know what’s right, but seeing my sister so happy, well, it’s okay.

Rose is still glaring at me.

It’s kind of scary. What is this situation?

“…Well, whatever.”

Rose muttered that and sighed, then began to move with her tools.

“L-Let’s go!”

“Y-Yeah!”

Maron and Red followed Rose in a rush.

Though children, they seemed to sense something.

I’m sorry, both of you.

I don’t really understand either.

“Come on, Shion, let’s go home!”

Well, since my dear sister looks incredibly happy, it’s fine.

Marie held my hand.

Watching my sister start walking with a delighted expression, I smiled wryly.