“Even if you tell me that, I can’t just believe it,” Cokes said, as we headed to our usual hunting grounds, after I told him what I’d heard the night before.
“I know you can’t. But around the time of my coming-of-age ceremony, the Baron-sama will make a personal request to you Bums of Hunza.”
“Doesn’t that sound a little too good to be true?”
“Yeah, we know your scouting and Stealth Skill are good, but would he really do that in the Honings Marquis’ territory?”
“We know you’re a troublemaker in the Baron-sama’s house, but…”
We stopped on the way to the hunting grounds, and everyone listened to my story with suspicion.
Of course, if I were in their position, I’d react the same way.
“I’m not asking you to believe me. I figured you’d say that. But don’t forget, if the Baron-sama makes a personal request, remember what I said. I need to prepare to escape from here, and I want you all to help me. Of course, not for free.”
“Escape?”
“Yeah, I have a plan, but I can’t go anywhere with this appearance and being penniless. I’ll provide you with a Rank 2 Magic Pouch. In return, I need a set of Adventurer’s Outfit, a Short Bow, more than a month’s worth of food, and 30 Silver Coins.”
“I know you’re not one to lie, but a Rank 2 Magic Pouch?”
“I have one. A Rank 2, 2×60 one.”
“A Rank 2 is worth 7-8 Gold Coins. And a 2×60 is even more expensive.”
“Here, try it and see if it’s a lie.”
Looking at the leather bag I held out, Cokes looked dumbfounded, and Kilza burst out laughing.
Hattie and Bolt looked at me with indescribable expressions, which was a natural reaction.
It looked like a carpenter’s nail bag, so I put the borrowed Short Bow into the nail bag while watching Kilza laugh.
Kilza’s laughter stopped abruptly.
Even though it was a Short Bow, it was nearly 1m long, so there was no doubt that the nail bag was a Magic Pouch.
Next, I borrowed Kilza’s bow and put it in the Magic Pouch to prove it was a Rank 2 item.
“No way, it’s a real Magic Pouch.”
“Why is it a carpenter’s nail bag?”
“Magic Pouches are supposed to be leather bags, but this is too much.”
“I have another one, but this one is Rank 1, 1×30.”
My late mother’s leather bag, just a wallet turned into a Magic Pouch.
I said it was 1×30, but I could delete it anytime and make it a 2×60, but I didn’t say that.
If they underestimated me as a child and took it away, I’d just think I was unlucky and give up.
Well, I’d hand it over without resistance, but I’d delete it and turn it back into a regular leather bag.
“You… that’s the Baron-sama’s… no, it can’t be.”
“The Baron-sama wouldn’t have such an ugly Magic Pouch. Both of them are my mother’s belongings. She said she got them from her parents.”
It looked like a well-worn leather bag, so I thought the story would work.
“What do we do, Cokes?”
“The story is far-fetched, but the Magic Pouch is real.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah, you know I’m not likely to live long after my coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Well, anyone in town who knows even a little about the situation…”
Cokes shrugged.
“If Fernan is trying to survive, you should help him.”
Cokes looked at Kilza and Bolt.
“That story from earlier, it doesn’t sound like a complete lie.”
“Let’s help him. We won’t feel bad when Fernan dies.”
“Besides, if the Baron-sama makes a personal request…”
Hattie shrugged, and Bolt and Kilza nodded.
Since the deal was made, I handed over the nail bag Magic Pouch and decided to reveal a little of my secret.
“Remember when I asked Hattie about magic before?”
“Yes, about knowing what magic you’ve been granted. Have you figured anything out since then?”
I nodded and showed them the Ice Magic I had read and pasted from Eleanor.
I created a fist-sized chunk of ice at the end of my outstretched arm and shot it out.
“You can use Ice Magic!”
“Really!”
“Wasn’t it God’s Mischief?”
Next, I created an Ice Lance and shot it out silently.
It was the result of continued practice since I read and pasted Ice Magic from Eleanor.
Then I made a fist-sized stone and shot it out again, and everyone stared at me with wide eyes.
It was the first time I used Earth Magic, but I thought I could do it because the basics were the same as Ice Magic.
Following the Ice Bullet, I created a Stone Lance and shot it out as well.
Finally, I created a fist-sized fireball and extinguished it.
“This is the magic that was called God’s Mischief.”
The four of them looked like their souls had left their bodies, mouths agape, saying nothing.
I clapped my hands in front of them to bring them back to reality.
“You can use Ice Magic, Earth Magic, and even Fire Magic?”
“If the Baron-sama finds out about this, you’ll be kept as a pet or sold off.”
“He’ll sell you to the Honings Marquis or the royal family.”
“Fernan, can you use magic without chanting?”
Oh, as expected of a mage, she has a different perspective.
I had pasted three spells as a test, so it was currently 3/5, but since I could delete them, I should be able to replace them with my favorite spells.
“My mother was a half-elf and half-cat person, so she taught me a lot when I became able to use Life Magic.”
I smoothly told Hattie the answer I had prepared.
“Shoot the Stone Bullet one more time.”
I was told with a serious face, so I made a fist-sized stone again and shot it out.
Since I had been practicing making fist-sized ice as an Ice Bullet since I pasted Ice Magic to myself, I could smoothly make a Stone Bullet of the same size.
The speed at which I shot it out was based on the image of a bullet train passing through a station.
The same was true for the Ice Lance, which I had been endlessly creating, imagining a short throwing spear about 6cm in diameter and 120cm long.
Of course, it was a secret that I could only make three types, including the Ice Arrow.
Hattie kept asking me to do it again and again, and I gave up.
I was watching me seriously make and shoot out Stone Bullets, and I could tell she was trying to imitate my technique, so it was hard to refuse.
“You’re much better than me. Fernan, please teach me if you don’t mind.”
I had been taken care of a lot so far, and I needed help escaping from this place, so I decided to teach her on the condition that she wouldn’t tell anyone else what I taught her.
From noon that day, Hattie started walking behind me, practicing making Stone Arrows.
I told her to continue holding the Stone Arrow I made and making the same thickness and length unconsciously.
At that time, Hattie asked, “What about the chant?” and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hattie, I’m not chanting. If I had to say, it’s a shortened chant. I’m just muttering ‘Arrow’ in my mouth.”
“Haaah, just a little bit.”
“But you were watching, weren’t you? I didn’t make a sound back then either.”
I said, creating a Stone Arrow at the end of my outstretched arm and handing it to her.
“Compare it to the sample from earlier, it should be the same thickness and length. If it’s difficult, try chanting ‘Stone Arrow’ at first. Once you get used to it, you can easily do it by just muttering ‘Arrow’.”
I hadn’t made Stone Arrows very often, but since I just changed Ice Arrows to stone, I could make them the same size without any problems.
Stone Arrows would be enough for Horn Rabbits, Hedgehogs, and Goblins.
Stone Bullets and Stone Lances were too powerful and might not be sellable.
There were only two months left until my coming-of-age ceremony, so I only had about a month to practice, which was tough.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
Since coming out, I sometimes didn’t go hunting and bought used clothes and boots in town and stored them in the Magic Pouch.
I would get the food at the very end, and I planned to teach them a little bit about the secret of the Magic Pouch.
I also got a Short Sword, a large knife, and a Short Spear as weapons, and I had them buy me two pouches made from Orc leather scraps.
Cokes was wondering what I was going to use them for, but I brushed him off, saying I would tell him soon.
I had also gathered camping bedding, a hooded robe, a frying pan, etc., so before I started securing food, I decided to teach them a part of the secret of the Magic Pouch.
“What are you starting now?”
“The secret of the Magic Pouch. The Magic Pouch I gave you is probably hard to use, so I’m going to transfer it here.”
I heard a dumbfounded “Heh,” but I pretended not to notice.
I took out the Magic Pouch that was my mother’s wallet and put everything inside on the tarp.
Then, I put my hand on the Magic Pouch and thought in my head, (Delete, Delete, Delete) [Magic Pouch 2×60 x18].
I placed my hand on the Orc leather pouch that I had bought (Attach, Attach), and handed the pouch to Cokes.
I confirmed that it changed to [Magic Pouch 2-60×17]. Once something is attached, it’s read but doesn’t remain in my memory, and if I delete it, it won’t return, so I have to make sure I never run out of various magic stocks.
“The current Magic Pouch is probably hard to use. This is a Magic Pouch with the same performance, so transfer the contents.”
He seems unable to understand what I said, and is just blankly holding the Orc-made Magic Pouch in his hand.
Well, I guess so. I took the Magic Pouch from Cokes’ hand and inserted a Short Spear.
“No way!”
”What did you just do!”
“Hmm, I just transferred the Magic Pouch’s ability. It’s just another one of God’s Mischief.”
“Are you a messenger of God?”
”Really, you’re such a puzzling kid.”
”You said you transferred it, right? Then, what about that pouch?”
“It’s just a leather bag for a wallet.”
Saying that, I tried to put a knife in it, but not even a quarter of it fit.