Chapter 20

The fatigue in my legs was being rapidly sucked away into the socks!

The heavy exhaustion that had made every single step a struggle was vanishing. It felt as if I had returned to the state I was in before the workout.

“Senior, I’ve really recovered! How does this work?”

This is insane—the effect is absolutely incredible!

Eager to figure out the trick, I pulled off one of the socks. Cerulia seemed curious too and leaned in close. Having someone put their face near my socks made me a bit hesitant… but surely they didn’t smell that bad yet. Probably.

“First, to explain the logic—the entire sock is a Dark Magic, magic circle. If you look closely, the incantation is actually woven into the fabric with the thread.”

Wait, was there a part that looked like text?

“Ah, Master! If you turn it inside out, you can see threads that look like an incantation!”

Sure enough, there were characters written on the inside.

Vanti, Seno, Fuente, Onduwakwi… I could tell it was a highly sophisticated piece of Dark Magic. Definitely not something a new recruit could handle.

“It’s written with code that absorbs magical energy—the source of Dark Magic—and converts it for recovery purposes. By the way, magic can be harvested efficiently from dim, gloomy places like swamps. You could run forever around here.”

“Senior, you say that so casually, but aren’t you doing something incredibly advanced?”

“Yes. A solid-state (3D) magic circle. It’s designed so that the circle is only completed and takes effect once a person puts the socks on.”

Cerulia muttered, “This woman is a genius…” and fell silent, speechless.

The concept of a 3D magic circle exists in White Magic too, but most researchers can barely explain the theory; it’s supposed to be nowhere near the level of practical application…

And on top of that, she’s using threads to represent characters as a substitute for chanting. Her technical skill is otherworldly.

“You have talent too, Junior-kun. It’s a similar thing. The fact that you summoned a Succubus right off the bat is proof of that.”

Senior Farphistanya said it naturally, without a hint of boasting. I knew I had an aptitude for Dark Magic, but I still couldn’t pull off a god-tier feat like this. Though, I suppose Senior didn’t reach this level overnight either.

“It’s okay. I can teach you this much.”

However, I had a sneaking suspicion… and it turned out Senior was so bad at teaching that it was a total disaster. I don’t think I’m just shifting the blame for my own lack of skill, either. Even Cerulia said she couldn’t understand a single word.

“You pass the thread through as if you’re stroking a dog, then loop it around and bring it out from the opposite side as if you’re cracking an egg. Then you knit it like a cow’s drool, or the chirping of a small pigeon. At that point, you strike like a Kraken letting out its death throes.”

“…Senior, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Specifically, if it’s a “Kraken letting out its death throes,” it probably isn’t in any condition to “strike”…

“I see.”

Senior let out a long, deep sigh. “Haaa…”

“To this day, no one has been able to master my technique. Not even Junior-kun…”

Yep, it’s definitely her teaching style…

●

My period of working closely alongside Senior Farphistanya came to a successful end, and I returned to the President’s office. My first month on the job was nearly complete.

Inside the room, the President was throwing a ball for her familiar, Kelkel, to retrieve.

“Oh, Franz-san, good work! How was the swamp duty?”

The President stopped her throwing arm.

“The work itself was quite idle.”

“That’s good to hear. I believe it’s important to get used to things through that kind of work first. Everything has its proper order, after all.”

“Um, President… I get the feeling the main theme of my first assignment was actually something else.”

The President’s dog ears twitched. Do those ears move independently?

“For example, weren’t you aiming to inspire a new recruit by exposing them to such an incredible senior?”

I wasn’t 100% certain, but I had a hunch. I couldn’t imagine President Kelkel making decisions based solely on “this job looks easy, so I’ll put him there.” This woman is much smarter than that—she’s a strategist.

“My, Franz-san, your intuition is incredible. I almost feel like you’re reading my mind.”

President Kelkel said while scratching her head. So, I was right.

“Farphistanya-san undeniably possesses industry-leading abilities as a Dark Magic technician. If that technology were widespread, things like ‘clothing that prevents fatigue’ would be born, sparking a global revolution.”

President Kelkel spoke with delight, as if she were talking about her own achievements.

“That’s right, woof! If she had made similar socks using more versatile White Magic, she would have become incredibly famous, woof. Though, she doesn’t seem to have much interest in becoming famous even within the Dark Magic industry, woof.”

Gelgel, the fluffy dog serving as the President’s familiar, added his two cents.

“Now I understand why Gelgel-san called Senior a ‘craftsman’.”

Someone who takes pride in their craft and lives by it—that is exactly what a craftsman is. To be blunt, if she publicized this technology, she could build a fortune, yet Senior doesn’t think about that at all. In a way, it’s a waste, but perhaps that’s just how geniuses are. Not every genius thinks about “high-level networking” or “making bank.”

Rather, they are geniuses precisely because they stand aloof and transcendent from such things.

“This company is even more extraordinary than I imagined…”

Maybe everyone here isn’t just top-tier, but world-class… Come to think of it, I’ve heard stories about a town called Helunda, famous for blacksmiths, where small back-alley workshops possess world-leading technology as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Necrogrant Dark Magic Co. might be similar in vibe.

Hardly anyone in the Capital knows about them, but they are clearly doing something amazing.

“My goal is as good as achieved if you were inspired by working with Farphistanya-san.”

President Kelkel gave a bright smile.

I trembled slightly. Not from fear. I thought to myself: This is getting interesting.
This company is truly exciting! The pay is good, life is stable, and I’m starting to feel a real sense of fulfillment.

“I trust you now understand why I hired Farphistanya-san, too.”