Chapter 10: Mana Grade and Mana Capacity
Ignoring the bewildered expressions of the two, I continued.
“I consider Mana Grade to be the quality of magic, while Mana Capacity is, quite literally, the amount of mana available to cast spells. You two have been practicing mana manipulation for three weeks now, and I believe you’ve experienced mana depletion multiple times. Don’t you think your mana has increased? Don’t you think the number of times you can use magic has grown?”
The two exchanged glances, pondering my words, nodding in agreement. They really are siblings, aren’t they?
“In my view, Mana Grade reflects the quality of one’s mana. Mana Capacity, on the other hand, is the quantity of mana available for spellcasting. During my practice with the Stone Lance, I’ve aimed at targets set at 20, 30, 40, and 50 meters. Up to 40 meters, I can hit targets with the same effective power, including those closer to me. However, at 50 meters, the power is halved, and the accuracy drops significantly. At 60 meters, it’s out of the question. I suspect that both of you can cast spells with the same power up to 70 meters, regardless of the number of spells. The number of spells, meaning how many times you can cast, is determined by your Mana Capacity. Even if someone with a Mana Grade of 100 or 120 can use magic, there are those who can’t cast many spells. I estimate that to cast a maximum spell, a person with a Mana Grade of 120 would need three times the Mana Capacity of someone with a Mana Grade of 40. I recommend you both choose a location where you won’t be seen and measure your power and distance. I don’t think my reasoning is incorrect.”
“I never thought of it that way. I always believed that everything we received was from the Creator God,” one of them remarked.
“Kaito, have you confirmed this?” the other asked.
“I’m still working on it. While others can cast spells at 100 meters, I can only reach 40. This led me to think about how to counter that. I have received Spatial Storage, and as my Mana Capacity increases, the amount I can store is gradually rising. I hope to be able to use Transfer Magic to some extent as well. It may sound presumptuous, but I wonder if the Creator God who granted us magic is testing us. Although I shouldn’t speak of this, I recommend keeping it to ourselves. If the church finds out, it could be seen as disrespecting the divine…”
Hyalda leaned back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling, exhaling in exasperation.
“I can’t keep up with this.”
Hearing her mumble, Fiene also slumped back into the sofa, looking defeated.
“We’ve learned magic from someone extraordinary, haven’t we?”
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As I was about to leave the Hamawar Viscount’s residence, the Viscount requested that I stay at the hotel while in town, as he might have personal requests for me in the future. He handed me a business card-sized identification card, which was a free pass within his territory issued by the Viscount himself. If I needed anything from him, I could show the card to officials or deputies, and they would contact him unconditionally. Additionally, if I traveled to other territories, this card would serve as an identification pass issued by House Hamawar, making it quite convenient.
When I dropped a drop of blood on the card, my face appeared in dots, along with my name below it. Hyalda and Fiene handed me a leather pouch containing 40 gold coins, saying, “We look forward to your guidance, Master,” which made my cheeks twitch.
“I still have many questions and things I’d like to discuss as your apprentice. It gives me peace of mind knowing where to find you.”
“Absolutely. I want to learn about various unconventional matters beyond magic, and I’ll be sure to visit you at the hotel when I’m in town.”
“I’ll be leaving the city to procure food and spices, but I plan to return to the hotel when I come back.”
The Viscount’s carriage took me to the Egdra Hotel. The hotel seemed to cater to wealthy merchants, and the room I was given was a spacious corner suite. The manager was polite, especially considering I was just a child who would be the room’s occupant, arranged personally by the Viscount.
Since I had no luggage, I checked the room and then headed to the market for shopping. I found that having mostly gold coins was inconvenient, so I went to the Commercial Guild to request a currency exchange. The fee was 1%, and I couldn’t tell if that was high or low, but gold coins were not practical for market transactions.
I bought salt, sugar, pepper, and a yellow spicy powder resembling chili, but spices were expensive, and since I couldn’t use many of them effectively, I only bought the basics. Next, I looked for tea and tea sets, but they seemed to only be sold in specialized shops, not at the market. While there were herbal teas made from dried wild herbs, they weren’t to my taste. It seemed I had become accustomed to finer flavors during my time with the Viscount.
I bought staple foods while tasting them, and for the ones I had previously liked, I bought without tasting.
I realized I was standing out when I noticed the fine clothes made for me by the Viscount. I didn’t look like someone who belonged in the market. Familiar vendors greeted me, commenting on how well I had done, which made me realize my appearance was too refined. I hurried back to the hotel and changed back into my previous adventurer’s attire, feeling relieved.
After a slightly late lunch at the hotel, I was told there was no need to pay. The manager informed me that all expenses at the hotel were covered by the Viscount in a monthly lump sum. He cheerfully mentioned that my current room would be reserved whether I was there or not. Nobility really is generous.
With 330 gold coins in hand, I decided to buy some magical tools and a mattress for my bed. I first went to a store favored by adventurers to look at mattresses, but they were thin and disappointing; a grass mat would have been better.
“Hey, I heard you took down 20 Black Wolves all by yourself. You’ve got some impressive skills!”
“What? How do you know that?”
“The adventurers who went to pick up Lady Fiene were gossiping about it.”
Embarrassed, I dashed out of the store. Who was spreading my business around like that? I decided to ask the Commercial Guild for recommendations for shops other than the magical tools store and the adventurer’s supply store.
When I requested a recommendation for a magical tools shop, the clerk looked me up and down, snickered, and said, “That’s impossible for you,” dismissively turning away.
With no other option, I thought about asking Yahan from the Adventurers’ Guild, but I found it ridiculous and returned to the hotel to sleep.
The next morning, after a late breakfast, I intended to head to the Adventurers’ Guild, but I had a thought and asked the manager, which turned out to be a good decision. I went to the shop marked with the Hoen Trading Company sign, but as I tried to enter, a burly employee blocked my way.
“What do you want? This isn’t a place for someone like you. It seems you’ve come to the wrong shop, so you should leave.”
I could hear a reprimanding voice from inside, “Don’t let that filthy brat in!”
I could only sigh. I realized my adventurer’s attire was inappropriate, but it was too late now. I gave up and left the store, heading toward the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Yahan, please tell me a shop that sells better adventurer goods than the ones I found.”
“Oh, what’s up, Kaito? I thought you had earned enough and washed your hands of adventuring.”
“I’m still gathering medicinal herbs. I want to find good magical tools and mattresses used by adventurers.”
“Well, if you’re looking for magical tools, the Commercial Guild can point you to a good shop.”
“That won’t work. They laughed at me and said, ‘That’s impossible for you.’ The shop I was directed to at the hotel had a bouncer at the entrance telling me I was in the wrong place. By the way, do they have potions at the Guild?”
“The Guild only has Basic Potions, which are only effective for minor wounds. If you go to the Pharmacist Guild, they have a variety, but even the Intermediate ones are quite pricey.”
Thanking him, I returned to the hotel, changed into the clothes provided by the Viscount, and headed to the Pharmacist Guild. I informed them that I wanted potions.
I was offered a seat across the counter and asked what kind of potions I needed.
“I know about Basic Potions. What other types do you have?”
“Basically, we have Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Potions, along with those tailored for specific ailments. We also have potions for hangovers, which you might not need.”
“Can injuries be treated with the Advanced, Intermediate, and Basic Potions?”
“It depends on the severity of the injury. Please consider potions as first aid. For serious injuries, if one potion isn’t enough, you might need to take two, but ultimately, you should visit a healing mage.”
“Then I’ll take five Basic Potions, five Intermediate Potions, and two Advanced Potions, please.”
“The Basic Potions are 2 silver coins each, the Intermediate Potions are 8 silver coins each, and the Advanced Potions are 2 gold coins each. Is that acceptable?”
I nodded and took out the leather pouch given to me by the Viscount, placing 9 gold coins on the counter. I made sure the clerk could see the Viscount’s crest on the pouch.
The clerk discreetly glanced at the pouch and returned from the back with a total of 12 various potions.
“Do you have a case to store these?”
“Yes, we do. The case is complimentary. It’s our service.”
I thanked the shopkeeper and asked if adventurers often came to buy supplies. He informed me that veteran high-ranking adventurers frequently visited. After he directed me to the store where they purchased their gear, I made my way there.
Upon spotting the sign for Nakasara’s Shop, I stepped inside. A few adventurers, likely of Silver or Gold rank, were browsing through Longswords. As I scanned the shop, I noticed a variety of items and headed over to the mat display to search for what I needed.
Standing at around 160 cm, I found the length of the items suitable. I looked for a wider blade, but the thickness was lacking. When I conveyed my preferences to the shopkeeper, he informed me that it would be a special order, taking about ten days to arrive, and the price would be quite substantial.
I pulled out a leather pouch from my storage and showed the shopkeeper a handful of gold coins. He nodded and began writing up an order slip, requesting two gold coins in payment. After handing over the coins, I received the slip and, as I looked up to see if there was anything else I wanted, my gaze fell upon something familiar at the back of the counter.