Noah And Lydia’s Magical Training (1)

To get straight to the point, Alvin and I spent that night together.

Although I’d only just asked him to give me some time, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that putting it off would only give me more time to worry.

As Alvin had pointed out, if I wanted to have a child, the sooner I started, the better.

So I told him, “I thought it might be better this way.”

Alvin asked me whether I was serious.

“Yes.”

When I answered, he stared intently at me, as though trying to ascertain my true intentions.

I met Alvin’s gaze without looking away.

Eventually, he took my hand with all the reverence he might have shown a noble lady.

“Then allow me the honor of being your partner.”

…Before dawn, Alvin departed. As for me, I took full advantage of his suggestion that I get a little more rest, curling up beneath the blankets and sleeping until my usual waking time without even seeing him off.

As a matter of fact, dark-attribute magic possessed medical applications second only to light-attribute magic.

That didn’t mean it could actually heal people, however. Dark-attribute mages excelled at magic involving perception and the mind, allowing them to heighten or dull the five senses.

Their abilities included numbing otherwise unbearable pain, slowing the flow of blood to reduce bleeding, and inducing deep sleep to lessen the damage suffered by the body.

Alvin had cast a spell on me to dull my sense of pain, explaining that the first time could be painful.

Thanks to that, my first experience of sexual intercourse had ended without causing me much discomfort.

Alvin had taken the lead throughout, but even so, I felt thoroughly exhausted afterward.

Alvin had left me a nutritional potion, telling me to drink it, so I gratefully downed it. It was something I’d relied on quite often during my days as a knight.

Still tasted as awful as ever!

Nevertheless, the nutritional potion worked remarkably well after so long without one. I felt as though I could somehow make it through the day.

After all, I had an important task ahead of me today: delivering the madeleines and chocolates to the town hall.

After preparing breakfast, I loaded Noah and Mirei, who were going to school, into the carriage and headed into town.

Once I’d successfully completed the delivery, I went to the market to purchase meat, vegetables, daily necessities, and all sorts of other supplies. Time flew by, and before I knew it, the children’s school day was almost over.

I hurried to the school to pick them up, met up with the two of them, and set off for home.

Mirei must have been tired, because she fell asleep on my lap almost as soon as she climbed into the carriage.

I guided Olivia along at a leisurely pace so as not to wake her when…

“…Lydia-san.”

Noah, who was sitting beside me, addressed me in an unusually serious tone.

“What’s the matter, Noah?”

“Well, today at school, they told us we should start thinking about our futures. They said it’s almost time for us to become apprentices and train under a master.”

Noah had turned nine.

“Ah, so it’s already that time.”

Apparently, the time had come for Noah to choose his future.

Most commoners inherited their parents’ occupations.

A blacksmith’s son became a blacksmith, while a farmer’s child became a farmer.

However, Noah had lost his father at a young age, so he had no family trade to inherit.

His mother Cassie’s work as a seamstress was considered a woman’s occupation.

Since Noah had no trade to inherit from his parents, he was free to choose whatever future he wanted.

I wondered what kind of profession he hoped to pursue.

“I want to become someone like you, Lydia-san,” Noah said.

“Someone like me? Do you mean you want to become an innkeeper?”

“Yes, but that’s not quite it.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to become someone who can do all sorts of things, just like you, Lydia-san. I want to grow up to be someone who can work in the fields, work in the mountains, run an inn, cook, use magic, and make medicine.”

I was surprised. I’d had absolutely no idea that Noah had been thinking about such things.

Noah’s shoulders drooped dejectedly.

“But I guess that’s impossible. I’m a commoner, so I can’t use magic.”

“That’s not true. Commoners can use magic, too.”

Noah looked up at me, his eyes widening into perfect circles.

“What? But they said only nobles with noble blood can use magic.”

I frowned.

“That’s complete nonsense, Noah. Anyone can become a mage if they work hard enough.”

Noah blinked in astonishment.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. There are plenty of excellent mages who were born commoners. Oh, look, we’ve arrived home. Let’s talk about this properly later.”

As soon as we returned, I began preparing dinner.

However, thanks to Noah working so hard to help me, we finished all the preparations well before dinnertime.

That left us with a little spare time.

“Noah, come here. Let’s continue our earlier conversation.”

I pulled out two chairs at the kitchen table and called Noah over.

“Okay, Lydia-san.”

“We’ll have to hear what Cassie-san thinks about your future, too. But if she gives us her permission, I think learning magic would be a good thing for you, Noah.”

Noah’s face immediately lit up.

“Thank you, Lydia-san!”

“Only if Cassie-san gives her permission. And before that, there’s something important I need to explain to you.”

“Okay… I mean, yes, Master!”

Noah straightened his posture.

“Good answer. First, I’ll explain why I think you should learn magic. You have a natural ability to see fairies.”

“A natural ability to see fairies?”

“That’s right. People who can see fairies have the potential to become excellent mages. Fairies are beings with a particularly close connection to magical energy.”

Fairies preferred places where magical energy was abundant.

Nobody really understood why magical energy accumulated in certain places. It could gather anywhere—in deep forests, caves, grasslands, castles, or ordinary houses—provided that some mysterious conditions beyond human understanding were met.

Dungeons contained the greatest concentrations of magical energy. However, dark-attribute magical energy tended to accumulate in dungeons, attracting and giving rise to monsters that favored it. Apparently, that made dungeons unsuitable places for fairies to live.

According to the brownies, the area surrounding our house was a place where magical energy naturally accumulated. With food and milk provided as well, it apparently offered ideal living conditions for fairies. By now, all sorts of creatures had settled here besides the brownies, including little people, creatures resembling dogs and cats, and even strange beings that could only be described as green balls of fluff. Before I knew it, we had quite a collection of residents.

“They’re wonderful housemates who help us out, but at the same time, they can also be extremely dangerous.”

“Fairies can be dangerous?”

“Yes, sometimes. It’s not particularly unusual for small children to be able to see fairies. But once they pass the age of seven, the number who can still see them decreases dramatically. Since you’re nine, Noah, you clearly have that ability. Fairies also enjoy meddling with children who are special like you. Noah, the brownies helped you with your work earlier, didn’t they?”

Noah’s expression stiffened slightly, and he nodded.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Lydia-san.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. The brownies simply saw how busy you were and decided to help you of their own accord. But suppose the brownies said, ‘We helped you earlier, so give us all your snacks today.’ What would you do?”

It was the first time I’d ever asked Noah a question like that.

After all, I’d always instructed Noah and Mirei not to speak to fairies, and Noah had faithfully obeyed that rule.

Noah stared intently at the snacks on the table.

Today’s snacks were nuts and dried fruit. Noah had given up his snack time to help me with my work.

“…I’d tell them I couldn’t give them everything.”

“Exactly. Friends should always be equals. That’s especially important when dealing with beings that aren’t of this world. They’re very kind, but they also have a mischievous side. Sometimes you need the resolve and strength to stand your ground when dealing with them. Magic can give you that strength.”

“Magic…”

After murmuring the word, Noah looked at me and asked,

“Hey, Master, can I really learn to use magic?”

“Of course you can. First, let me explain how magic works.”

“Okay!”

Noah nodded enthusiastically, his face brimming with excitement.

After all, magic wasn’t taught in ordinary schools.

“Magic works by absorbing magical energy, which exists throughout the world, channeling it through magical circuits, and reciting an incantation to produce a spell.”

“Produce?”

“Ah, how should I explain this? Inside the human body, there’s an invisible system called magical circuits. Everyone has them, but most people’s magical circuits are unable to conduct magical energy. That’s why most people can’t use magic.”

“Why not?”

“Well, water won’t flow properly through a blocked channel, will it? You need training to make magical energy flow through your magical circuits.”

When I explained that, Noah’s eyes sparkled.

“What kind of magical training? Do you practice chanting spells?”

“Well, that’s part of it, but it’s mainly meditation.”

“…………”

Noah opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, then fell silent.

“…You were thinking that sounded rather boring, weren’t you?”

“N-no, I wasn’t!”

Noah hurriedly shook his head.

“No, it’s perfectly understandable. Training is generally like that, but magical training in particular is an incredibly tedious process that requires a great deal of patience and perseverance. There are no shortcuts to becoming a mage. But there are some benefits, too.”

“Benefits?”

Noah tilted his head.