#48: 05 — A One-Eyed, One-Armed, One-Legged Sorcerer: 2000 Years in a Cabin in the Woods. I Found Myself Being Called a Demigod. All I Want to Do Is Explore Magic~ (WN)

Because of its large population, the Royal Capital Kirk had not developed into a chaotic city.

To the north of Kirk rose the royal castle. To the east lay the residential district, lined with the estates of civil nobles and military nobles, including mages and knights. To the west was the commercial district.

Rather than being a place where complex retail trade occurred, the commercial district functioned primarily as a wholesale area. For that reason, many communal housing buildings stood there, and a great number of merchants lived in the district. Only a very small number of influential figures owned private estates within the commercial district itself.

Goods traded in the commercial district were sold by retailers in central Kirk, which had been crowded with people when Ains and the others entered the city.

That was the reason for the bustle.

The wide area stretching from the south to the center was known as the general district. Because nobles and merchants alike gathered there, one could grasp the state of the Santia Kingdom to a certain extent simply by observing its atmosphere.

This city layout also benefited ordinary citizens. If the general district reflected the nation’s condition, then the royal family and nobility—who wished to display the kingdom’s prosperity—were compelled to enact policies favorable to the general populace, who made up the majority of the district.

The foundation of the Santia Kingdom’s long-standing prosperity lay not with royalty, nobles, or merchants, but with the city of Kirk itself.

In the northeastern part of Kirk, between the royal castle and the residential district, stood the Sorcery Academy.

That said, it was not an institution limited only to the children of the powerful. Promoting equality also contributed to national prosperity. While administrative distinctions existed between nobles and those below them, merchants and common citizens alike still had the right to knock on its gates.

“Your step-in is too shallow. When swinging a sword, please focus not only on your arms, but on the movement of your entire body.”

Laika Brandy, the only daughter of the Brandy Marquess Family, was in the midst of her final adjustments for the entrance examination.

Her father, Kansas Brandy, could handle both swordsmanship and magic better than most. However, by his own admission, his skill remained within the realm of a talented generalist.

Sophia, a knight who specialized in swordsmanship, possessed far deeper expertise in that field. As for magic, she could not even compare to the mage Ains.

With Ains and Sophia staying at the Brandy family’s separate residence, the family had gained a tremendous advantage: outstanding instructors in both swordsmanship and magic for Laika.

“Chanting is merely one method of manifesting magic. A method should never become the objective. If you grow accustomed to the foolish act of memorizing chants, your ability will stop at the level of an ordinary spellcaster, you know?”

The common approach to studying magic involved reading copies of the Original Canon and repeatedly practicing spellcasting. Ains’s advice, however, differed from this entirely.

His teachings did not improve magical ability overnight. Still, accurately understanding the relationship between magic itself and chanting as a method would greatly shape Laika’s future life as a mage.

In the mornings, she trained in swordsmanship with Sophia. After lunch, Ains oversaw her magic. Dinner was taken early, and the nights were spent resting properly.

This was to prevent fatigue from carrying over to the next day and to effectively promote the growth of twelve-year-old Laika before adulthood.

As for other academic subjects, being part of a marquess family meant she had been strictly taught from a young age by Kansas and Riste, so there were no issues there.

Two weeks passed in this manner—days entirely devoted to preparing for the Sorcery Academy entrance examination.

On the evening before the test, at the Brandy family’s dinner table—

“Lord Ains, Lady Sophia. Do you think my daughter will pass?”

Even a marquess was still a parent.

And when it came to his only daughter, his worry was all the greater.

“I’ve heard magic will be used in the exam, but honestly, I don’t know much about that part. I don’t even know what level the Sorcery Academy’s magic is at,”

Ains said while carefully eating so as not to drop bread crumbs onto the tablecloth.

Laika’s earlier teasing must have left quite an impression.

“As for swordsmanship, she is still far from a knight’s level, but I do not believe the swordsmanship exam will cause her to fail,”

Sophia said.

She did not know the exact level of swordsmanship expected at the Sorcery Academy either.

Even so, neither of them held a poor evaluation of Laika.

“Laika, what do you think yourself? Well, how should I put this…”

Kansas asked in an uncertain tone.

“Father, it’ll be fine. I’ll definitely pass.”

“I-I see. I believe in you.”

As the parent-and-child exchange continued on the eve of the exam, Ains cut in.

“Um, about that—can I attend the Sorcery Academy? It sounds like you have to pass the entrance exam.”

“That’s the issue, Lord Ains. I’m sorry. An application is required to take the exam, but the deadline passed before you arrived in Kirk.”

“W-what!? Then I can’t get in?”

That would mean he failed his original goal and had merely enjoyed sightseeing in the royal capital.

“You cannot enroll as a student, but you can enter as Laika’s attendant,”

Kansas explained.

According to him, children of a certain rank or higher were permitted to bring an attendant with them during their academy life.

This was because those of noble birth were more likely to be drawn into trouble. It was one of the distinctions between commoners and nobles at the Sorcery Academy.

“Only one attendant is allowed, but through that slot, you can enter the academy.”

“If I can get in, I don’t really care about the form it takes,”

Ains said, unconcerned with appearances so long as he could attend.

“You’re an attendant, Ains, so you’ll take care of my daily needs, right?”

Laika said with a grin.

“Leave it to me! For the sake of magical knowledge, I’ll gladly lick the dirt off your shoes!”

“…No, I’m not asking for that much.”

Laika recoiled instead at Ains’s answer, which overshot expectations by a wide margin.

From beside them—

“Ains-sama, how should I accompany you?”

Sophia asked.

“Um, Kansas-san… is there such a thing as an attendant’s attendant…?”