Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 43

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 43   Match

I move to the edge of the garden, choosing to observe the two of them in their duel.

It’s a familiar sight.

In the beginning, I didn’t practice swordsmanship, just running and doing strength training.

It paid off, and now I have plenty of stamina and quick reflexes.

I never thought I’d end up fighting like this.

Humans, doing various things in the past, can really come in handy later on.

Regardless, thanks to that, I am who I am now.

The same goes for my sister; she has been tirelessly training.

This is the result of her efforts.

I watch with bated breath.

Both of them hold wooden swords, poised gracefully.

And then, in an instant, they close the few meters between them.

Their physical abilities, not allowing even a blink.

The wooden swords create a thunderous noise that seems unimaginable.

By the way, my sister’s wooden sword is already on its twentieth generation.

It can’t withstand her strength.

The clash of swords continues relentlessly.

I’ve been watching their matches every time.

So, I can somewhat follow along, but for an average person, it would be hard to grasp exactly what they are doing.

I’m ten, and my sister is twelve.

Never forget.

We’re still children, and our bodies are still developing.

Yet.

“Hmm?”

My sister’s sword speed surpasses that of my father.

He takes all of it.

This is the first strange thing.

If there is an overwhelming difference in strength, one would either parry, dodge, evade, or redirect the attacks.

Afterwards, the opponent loses balance, creating an opening to strike and defeat them.

This is the basic flow of swordsmanship.

Of course, there are times when one stubbornly takes all attacks and launches attacks forcefully.

The essence of swordsmanship is to avoid the opponent’s attacks and land one’s own.

Exploit weaknesses, don’t leave openings.

In other words, with the skill level of my father, it is generally better to evade unless intentionally taking hits.

However, my father doesn’t do that.

No, he can’t.

My sister’s sword flashes clearly like that of a swordsman.

Aside from my sister, I only know my father and Glast as swordsmen.

To be precise, I don’t know their true abilities.

I can’t join others in monster subjugation because I’m a magician.

The strength of my father and Glast is overwhelming, so it’s difficult to estimate my sister’s abilities.

Still, it’s not normal for Marie, a child, to be able to do this.

Contrary to my thoughts, my sister’s fierce attacks continue.

“Yaaah!”

A storm of swordplay unfolds unpredictably.

My father takes all of it.

He seems to have room to spare.

However, it’s subtle to say there’s an overwhelming difference in skill.

There doesn’t seem to be a significant gap between an adult and a child, or between a novice and a seasoned warrior.

—It’s still strange.

Indeed, it’s strange.

No matter how you look at it, this is strange.

My father continually receives all of Marie’s attacks, swinging his sword in between.

He is clearly holding back, but it doesn’t feel like he’s merely dealing with it.

Then, Marie suddenly leaps from her position, swinging her wooden sword down towards my father.

In manga and such, jumping is often portrayed, but it’s a high-risk, high-reward move.

If it’s avoided, it puts the user at a significant disadvantage.

Moreover, because the movement is large, it’s often easily dodged.

Especially if the opponent is a skilled swordsman like my father.

There’s no way my sister doesn’t understand this.

In an instant, my father avoids my sister’s attack by contorting his body.

A narrowly successful dodge.

This is a skill my father often demonstrates—just-in-time evasion.

My sister lands—or so it seems, but she rotates horizontally in mid-air and delivers a second strike.

Her agility is reminiscent of a cat.

Normally, delivering two attacks in mid-air is possible.

However, in my sister’s case, there are two incredible points.

One is that she wields a sword.

In karate, there is a technique where you deliver multiple kicks in mid-air, much like a triple kick.

However, that usually involves a consistent rotational direction for spinning kicks or is limited to two strikes.

If you hear about someone wielding a weapon and delivering two strikes in mid-air, most people would associate it with either consecutive slashing attacks or thrusts with the same rotation.

However, she rotated horizontally after a vertical slash and unleashed a horizontal attack.

Changing the trajectory midway is beyond human capability.

And the first strike was not a feint; it was a genuine, fully committed attack.

As evidence, my father’s face was filled with astonishment.

After unleashing the first attack with full force, she adjusted her trajectory in mid-air and delivered a second strike from a different direction.

This abnormality is apparent at a glance.

Still surprised, my father narrowly dodged my sister’s second strike.

As my sister landed, my father, in return, struck her shoulder with a counterattack.

“Ah!”

With a pained expression, my sister bent her knees and dropped the wooden sword to the ground.

At that moment, it was my sister’s defeat.

The long battle came to a sudden conclusion.

However, my father, the victor, wore a stern expression.

With a grim look, he looked down at my sister.

“I lost again… I’ve never won even once. Shion wins quite a lot…”

With a frustrated expression, Marie muttered to herself without directing her words to anyone in particular.

“Conditions are different with Shion. You’re a swordsman, so it’s a match under the same conditions. It will take some time for you to defeat me.”

“Sigh… I know I still have a long way to go to match Father. But I wish I could win at least once.”

“Don’t rush. It’s okay; you’ll get there. It’ll happen sooner than you think.”

“I hope so.”

My sister kept a thoughtful expression, her gaze lowered. Rather than feeling down, she seemed to be reflecting on the recent battle and identifying areas for improvement. She’s so serious, my sister. But without that seriousness, she wouldn’t become strong. Although, I think she might be getting too strong.

While my sister practiced swinging the wooden sword on her own, Father sat down next to me in silence. Within the quietness, Father and I watched over my sister. It’s not that I’m slacking off; it’s just that my magical power has significantly depleted. There are things I can do without magical power, but for now, let’s take a little break.

By looking at Father’s profile, I could tell something was on his mind. However, Father didn’t say anything. He has been giving training to my sister and me since long ago. Therefore, he should understand our growth the best. And he probably has the same question as me.

“How is Sister doing?”

“She’s impressive. At the age of twelve, she has elevated her skills to a considerable level, even among ordinary swordsmen.”

“Among adults, right?”

“Among adult swordsmen worldwide.”

A mixture of “as expected” and “unbelievable” feelings swirl within me.

My sister and I are Silver-ranked adventurers. Apparently, there are very few children in the Silver rank. Even among adults, there aren’t that many, and it’s a rank that skilled adventurers and swordsmen can achieve.

We have reached that level ourselves. However, my sister and I are different. I use magic, which is like having a secret weapon, making it possible for even a child like me to fight. While everyone else is fighting with swords or spears, I’m the only one with something like a handgun or hand grenades.

The conditions are fundamentally different, and I am overwhelmingly advantaged. So, it’s not strange for me to be in the Silver rank.

But my sister is a swordsman, using only a sword as her weapon. Yet, she has achievements that surpass even adults. One reason might be that my sister is a prodigy. She puts in effort, too, but there are limits, even for those with talent who work hard and have the right environment.

At least, challenging an adult, especially a considerably skilled one, in terms of physical strength and competing evenly is impossible. There are limits to sword skills and physical abilities. My sister clearly surpasses all of them.

“Marie’s physical strength is on par with adults. Moreover, her physical abilities are extraordinary. Of course, she doesn’t match up to me, but as a twelve-year-old child, everything about her is out of balance.”

“It means she has surpassed the level where effort alone can make a difference, right?”

“Yeah. This is based on my experience, but there’s no mistake. There is no swordsman like Marie. Even those called prodigies wouldn’t match up to Marie. While techniques and agility can be improved with talent and effort, physical strength is a different story.”

“If that’s the case…”

I pretended to contemplate, then voiced the answer I had already formulated.

“――Is it because of magic or magical power?”

“I wonder. There might be a possibility. However, Shion is only slightly superior to an average child. Considering other factors and the possible applications of magical power, it seems like a far-fetched idea.”

Magical power itself doesn’t have a direct effect. There was a time when I punched a wall with magical power, but at that moment, my physical abilities didn’t improve, and it should have hurt just like a normal punch. This serves as evidence that magical power doesn’t possess the ability to enhance strength.

However, there are many unclear aspects when it comes to magical power and magic. It can’t be simply categorized as either completely safe or problematic. But unquestionably, my sister’s condition is unusual.

“For now, there doesn’t seem to be any problem. I don’t think you need to worry.”

Dad directed a calm smile at me. Those words were undoubtedly not his true feelings. Internally, he might be anxious, suspecting the involvement of magical power or magic. However, attributing it to that would mean placing responsibility on me. So, he probably left it vague.

Yet, from Dad’s perspective, my sister’s condition is a concern, and it feels like he’s probing me, the one most knowledgeable about magic.

…The atmosphere is heavy. Let’s change the topic.

“By the way, lately, the three of them haven’t come. Maybe they won’t come anymore?”

“Yeah. Maron and Red seem to have more housework. The workload increases after turning ten. I suppose they prioritize sword training less for now. Well, I’ve taught them the basics of swordsmanship. If they train again, they should be able to fight to some extent.”

“And Rose? Rose hasn’t come either, right?”

“She seems to be occupied in a different way. But she said she would come again.”

“I see…”

Since the goblin attack, there’s been some distance between us and the three. Once a subtle sense of distance emerges, repairing it can be challenging. It’s not uncommon for things to become estranged over minor triggers.

Especially Maron and Rose, who saw me defeat the goblin. They must feel even more awkward since Dad warned them not to talk about it. When our eyes meet, the atmosphere becomes awkward.

It’s not that we’re fighting or hating each other, but I’m busy with magical research, and lately, I haven’t been going to the village to help with work. Sister is obsessed with swordsmanship, so it’s the same for her.

When we were kids, Dad seemed to think it was necessary for us to go to the village to help. However, he doesn’t seem to consider it inevitable.

Also, he knows that we’re putting effort into different aspects lately, so he doesn’t say anything. Perhaps slaying monsters is more beneficial to both the village and the town than helping in the fields. There are few people who can fight in this village.

“Sorry about that. My warning to the villagers not to disclose things has made them all feel cautious around us. It would be nice if we could talk as we used to.”

“No, it’s fine. As long as I have Sister, Dad, and Mom, and magic.”

Dad gives a wry smile and pats my head.

“Family and hobbies are important, but friends are important too.”

“Like Glast-san?”

“Yeah. He’s frivolous and overconfident, but he’s not a bad person. We’ve known each other for a long time, and that’s why he can be helpful and be helped in return. Having friends can be supportive emotionally, not just for practical reasons.”

“…Friends, huh.”

I have memories of shallow and broad interactions, but those were just the necessary minimum for living. I don’t intend to recall the past or regret it. I don’t think it’s necessary for me, and it’s not something to gain or lose. If such relationships naturally develop, that would be fine. Right now, it’s okay. …I’m not too eager to expand my circle of friends because I’m shy. While thinking about that, I gaze at Sister’s profile. Just witnessing that scene makes all other thoughts disappear.