Chapter 58

My rewards had been decided, and I was currently in the middle of some light self-training in the courtyard.

The skill Azi Dahaka, the Evil Sage Dragon was proving to be completely unusable.
I don’t mean “unusable” in a bad way; rather, it would be more accurate to say that it hadn’t fully integrated with me yet. Since this skill was born within me from Dahaka’s soul, there was a possibility I wouldn’t be able to use it until his soul actually resurrected.

That said, I could at least use the basic sub-skills.

They were mostly mage-oriented skills like Thought Acceleration and Chant Revocation, which I felt were just about right for my current level. Honestly, for someone like me who can only use magic enough to supplement daily life, Chant Revocation is a bit of a waste. If I want to master it, I’ll have to study magic properly somewhere.

Maybe reading some magic books would suffice, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now. Man, if I’d known it would turn out like this, I should have asked Taiga to teach me at least a few offensive spells.

However, Thought Acceleration was quite useful. I was using it even now; by utilizing this skill while using Telepathy, I could communicate during combat without it becoming a distraction. It felt a bit different from its intended purpose, but it worked well enough.

Another usable skill was Mana Reduction, I suppose?

It’s a skill that allows the use of spells or mana discharge with less energy. Basically, I’ve learned how to conserve mana. It wasn’t so convenient that I could produce full power with half the mana, but I could now operate at about 70% to 80% of the usual cost.

I immersed myself in my training while testing out these skills.

“Ryu, here’s some water and a towel!”

Ouka came running toward me energetically.

“Oh, thanks, Ouka.”

“Umu!”

Ouka handed me the towel. I wiped off my sweat and took a break.

“How is it? Azi Dahaka’s Gift?”

“I still can’t handle it at all. Up until now, I’ve fought based on instinct and the heat of the moment, but Dahaka’s skills seem to be the type that require precise calculation. We aren’t exactly a perfect match.”

I answered while gulping down the water.

“Your personality is suited for the front lines, Ryu. You probably think it’s faster to just punch someone than to chant spells one by one like a mage, right?”

“Well, yeah. But watching Dahaka made me realize something. A mage’s greatest strength is their sheer number of options.”

In fact, when I saw those five-digit magic circles, I genuinely thought I was done for. Some of those might have been forbidden curses, and the physical enhancement from his Enchant spells was terrifying.

“Isn’t that… just because it was Azi Dahaka? For a normal mage to reach that level, they’d practically have to stop being human.”

“Even so, having more options is always better. It’s not like another person as strong as Dahaka will never appear, right?”

“Even so, reaching two digits is considered impressive. Five digits like Dahaka… even a Demon King would find that difficult.”

…That just means Dahaka was even more of a pain than a Demon King. How on earth did I win? I definitely need to keep it a secret that Dahaka’s soul is inside my body.

“Anyway, I think it’s about time I studied magic. My opinion hasn’t changed—the more moves I have, the better.”

The problem was who to learn from… Should I just wait for Dahaka to resurrect?

“By the way, Ryu… what will you do after you receive your reward?”

…Hm? What was this feeling? I felt like I’d had a similar conversation somewhere before.

“Well… let’s see. For now, I’m thinking of heading to Fall Crown to have the claw processed. That’s about it.”

That was the only thing that immediately came to mind. What would I do after that?

“Um… if possible… well. Would you… take me with you?”

“Eh, you, Ouka? I can’t decide that on my own. I’d have to consult the Dragon Emperor, Tiamat, and all sorts of people.”

I couldn’t exactly take the Princess of a nation away on a whim.

“That… should be mostly fine! Father said it was about time I traveled to see the world, and if it’s Ryu, there shouldn’t be any problem with you acting as my guard! So… at that time, together…”

…Come to think of it, she did ask me before how much I knew about the world. So that conversation was leading up to this. Well, it’s her business who she chooses to follow. I suppose I should give her some “adult” advice.

“Then you should take that up with the Dragon Emperor and Lady Gwyber. Telling me only puts me in a spot.”

“But what if they refuse?”

“If that happens, show some backbone and keep asking. If they still say no, then challenge them to a duel or do whatever it takes to shut them up.”

“Do you realize that both my father and mother are incredibly strong?!”

“That’s why you’ve got to give it your all with sheer will and guts. …Even if you end up following me anyway, it’s much better than just running away without saying anything to your parents.”

If I have one lingering regret, it’s that I left home without saying a word to my parents. I think that’s something you should never do to the people who raised you. That’s why.

“Make sure you tell your parents. If you get permission, you can follow me openly. If you can’t even do that, I’ll send you right back immediately.”

I had to be firm about this much.

“…I understand. I shall tell my father and mother properly and follow you with my head held high!!”

“Good.”

Since she seemed to understand, I gave her head a little pat.

“Then I shall go tell my father and the others at once!!”

“In that case, I’ll get back to my training.”

“Then, Ryu, you should look forward to my report!!”

She gathered up the towel and cup and ran off again.

“Yeah. Good luck convincing them!”

“Umu!”

Now then, time to get back to checking my skills and fine-tuning my body.