Chapter 13: I Have a Bad Personality
On the second day, we practiced shooting at a target set 70 meters away in the morning, and in the afternoon, we moved on to an 80-meter target. I stood back and observed as they shot at the 70-meter mark.
Once they passed the 70-meter distance, it was clear their speed had dropped significantly. Both of their long-range shots had a Mana Grade of 70, making 70 meters their limit, while my own Mana Grade of 40 capped me at 40 meters. Beyond that, the power would be halved, rendering it ineffective.
That meant the Spatial Storage could hold a space with a diameter of 4 meters, or a cubic area of 4 meters in height, width, and depth. If the Magic Pouch was modeled after Spatial Storage, it would likely follow the cubic dimensions. Currently, I could use Transfer Magic to jump 180 meters seven times, which theoretically allowed me to cover a total distance of 1,260 meters. This led me to believe that my maximum jump distance was around 400 meters. If I could jump 400 meters three times, I would be on the verge of running out of Mana, indicating there was still plenty of room for training.
I called the two of them over alternately to observe the differences between their 70-meter and 80-meter shots.
“Did you both notice the difference?”
“Once you go beyond 70 meters, both speed and power clearly drop,” one of them replied.
“I think so too, and the accuracy plummets as well.”
“I felt that too. The Ice Bullet wobbled and veered off target towards the end.”
“Practice shooting at 70 meters here, and do your practice at home at 40 to 50 meters.”
“Don’t expose your hand, Kaito!”
“Of course. Even if they are nobles, they can’t guarantee absolute safety. Besides, there will be times when you have to show your magic to others, and even if you claim to be self-taught, they probably won’t believe you. In those situations, just say you’ve been rigorously training every day, shooting magic at targets while enduring harsh training filled with insults, whips, and stones.”
“You really do think ahead.”
“If I don’t, then you two will end up being the ones asked for guidance. Can you refuse? The constraints of nobility are strict, right?”
“Talking to you, Kaito, makes me feel older than I am. I feel like a child.”
“Eh? I’m only 15, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. But you’re right, Kaito. You’ve reminded me of something unpleasant.”
“Ah, don’t say it, brother. I was just starting to forget.”
“What’s going on with you two?”
“Every March, there’s an event where nobles and their children who have received magic are gathered. It’s a Magic Tournament hosted by the Royal Family, but it’s basically a bragging contest about the Mana Grades they’ve received. Since it’s hosted by the Royal Family, we can’t skip it, and when we go, we get fed up with the arrogance of the high-ranking nobles.”
“Nobles have it tough, huh? I’m glad I’m a commoner. I can’t wait to turn 16 and become an Adventurer.”
“Let’s practice to show them up.”
“Right! Next year, I’ll make those arrogant noble brats regret mocking us.”
It’s a good thing they’re getting serious about practicing magic. On the third day, I decided to teach them how to use a shotgun for close combat. I set up random posts 2 meters high, spaced 10 to 15 meters apart, ensuring they were sturdy enough to withstand some damage.
“This is a magic for close combat. First, watch closely.”
Standing about 15 meters away, I fired the shotgun at the nearest post. In no time, twelve posts were reduced to splinters.
“Whoa! What power! This is different from bullets, right?”
“It’s still a bullet, just a bit different. I’ve made the bullets smaller and shot them in clusters. When they hit, they scatter within a 3-meter radius.”
“To have this kind of power while scattering like that…”
“In close combat, if you aim carefully, you’ll get killed. You need to shoot first without aiming. If you only fire one shot, the chances of missing are high, but if you shoot multiple bullets randomly, at least one will hit.”
“That makes sense. This magic seems great for self-defense, especially in chaotic battles.”
“And if you make the bullets a bit larger, it looks like this.”
When I fired a shotgun with tennis ball-sized bullets, the posts crumbled and flew apart in chaos.
“Larger bullets consume more Mana, so the smaller ones are easier to handle.”
“You already know how to shoot, so I’ll just teach you how to make the bullets and the principles behind them. You should practice at home.”
After that, I had them repeatedly create and shoot bullets.
“Fiene, you can do the same thing with Fireball. Give it a try; they’ll be surprised if they get hit by a fire magic bullet.”
“Surprised? If a Fireball hits and makes a ‘thud’ sound, of course, I’d be shocked. No one expects flames to solidify.”
“Seriously, Kaito, you’re a bundle of absurdity.”
“I was thinking of teaching you that absurdity, but I’ll hold off.”
“Please, Master! Teach me!”
“Hmm, once you can shoot the shotgun, I’ll show you one shot.”
I aimed at the 50-meter target on the right to hit the 40-meter target on the left with a curve. Both of them stared in disbelief, shaking their heads in silence.
By the fifth day, I had become accurate enough to hit the 70-meter target with a 90% success rate, so we decided to return to the city. It felt unfair to keep the knights guarding us cooped up while we practiced magic.
Upon arriving in the city, we parked the carriage next to the Adventurers’ Guild. Following behind me were Hyalda and Fiene, accompanied by a knight carrying a Magic Pouch. As we entered the guild, I became the center of attention from the astonished adventurers who spotted the two behind me.
I approached Yahan, who was sitting at the buy counter, to request the purchase of two Fang Boars. Yahan seemed to freeze for a moment. It had been a while since he had seen me, and now I was accompanied by noble ladies and knights.
Once he regained his composure, Yahan awkwardly led me to the disassembly area. As he saw the Fang Boars pulled from the Magic Pouch, he muttered, “Well, here we go again.” One of the boars had a hole in its belly, which was normal, but the other had a hole in its side and was charred. I turned my head away, pretending not to notice.
“Hyalda, Fiene, are you selling everything including the Magic Stones?”
“Ah, this is yours. Since we’re technically noble siblings, we can’t take advantage of adventurers. Consider it a thank you for your help, and please accept it.”
Not wanting to cause a scene and mindful of noble etiquette, I thanked them and agreed to sell everything. Meanwhile, the two of them curiously looked around the guild. It was bound to become gossip if a poor commoner was seen wandering around with nobles.
I was nervous about what would happen the next time I came to sell medicinal herbs.
I intended to see them off in front of the guild, but instead, we ended up parked in front of a magic tool shop selling Magic Pouches. Nobles really do love to park their carriages right next to the shops; I knew this place all too well.
When a noble’s carriage pulls up in front of a shop, the staff usually comes out to greet them. That’s the norm in this world, but I recognized the face of the shopkeeper.
As I stepped down after Hyalda and Fiene, the shopkeeper froze in shock. Is freezing a trend in this world? He wouldn’t mistake me for anyone else since I was wearing the same adventurer’s outfit as before, but I do have a bad personality.
The two of them brushed off the shopkeeper’s greeting and entered the store.
“Is it alright if we go inside? I was brought here, so I believe it’s fine.”
“Kaito, what are you doing? Hurry up!”
“Hmm, I’m just getting permission from the shopkeeper. A shabby kid like me shouldn’t enter a high-end store; it might tarnish the shop’s reputation…”
“Oh! Please, come in!”
“Eh? Is it really okay to enter?”
“Y-yes, please come in. We insist!”
Having received permission, I stepped inside to find the two of them seated on a sofa, being greeted by a man who seemed to be the manager. Wait, I recognize this guy too; he had glared at me before and yelled at me.
The moment he noticed me, the friendly demeanor he had vanished, replaced by a glare.
“Hey! Why did you let this filthy little brat in?!”
Oh no, he must have thought I was a different kid who entered after Hyalda and Fiene and remembered our previous encounter. But this is awkward… I have no idea.
The shop staff, unable to explain the situation in front of Hyalda and Fiene, was flustered. He was a real fool, laying down landmines and stepping on them himself.
I had to teach him about my bad personality.
“Hyalda, Fiene, it seems I don’t have the right to be in this shop, so I’ll take my leave. I’ll ask about the pouch another time.”
Time to make a quick exit; I felt like whistling as I walked away.
Leaving Hyalda and Fiene dumbfounded and speechless, I headed towards the hotel.
“Manager, you are being exceedingly rude to my friend. Or is it that my presence here with him displeases you?”
“He is also our mentor. I will not tolerate any disrespect towards him. Brother, let’s not linger here.”
Before the manager could stammer out a protest, the two of them climbed into the carriage and departed.
“What the… Why? How could this happen? That filthy little brat is a friend? A mentor, you say?”
“Manager, that child you just referred to… was here with Lady Hyalda and Lady Fiene.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”
The manager’s scream echoed throughout the establishment, but it was already too late. The very person he had dismissed so lightly was, of all things, connected to the lord’s siblings.