"Karin, this child is truly not a squire to any knight."
"If he's not a squire, where did he learn body‑reinforcement techniques?"
"I learned them to survive."
I stirred up a wind. I had no intention of attacking. I just planned to have it graze past Karin’s side.
"Hmph."
Before it even reached him, he twitched his eyebrow and snatched at the empty air.
Pop.
The wind was caught. Literally, it was caught and it burst.
"...?"
What did I just see? As I narrowed my eyes, Karin looked at the star twinkling in my eyes with a hint of surprise.
"A mage, I see. What in the world is this? I've lived a long life, but I've never seen anything so peculiar."
Aletus gave me a look. I nodded and introduced myself to the puzzled knight.
"My name is Jern. I have fallen into the heart‑realm and am struggling to survive."
"... Oho. Are you one of those Red Lotus fellows?"
"Not all fallen ones are members of the Red Lotus."
"Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter either way. Why have you called for this old man?"
"Because I was told by one of the Red Lotus that if I wanted to live, I should find a knight and beg. I didn't know the reason until just now, though."
I raised my hand, clenched it, and then opened it. There was no problem at all. At least, I didn't feel like I was melting.
"Could you tell me what exactly is wrong with me?"
"Hmm..."
Karin studied me curiously, as if looking at a horse with a single horn, before finally sitting down in a chair.
"I heard you are the master's benefactor. That means you are a benefactor to me as well, as I am his protector. I can tell you that much."
"Ah, thank you."
"However– I don't want to give you false hope, so I will state this plainly before I begin. I do not know much about the fallen ones."
"All I've done is read a classified official document. More importantly, I have no idea how to overcome your condition."
"To be honest, I can only think that there is no way to survive in such a state."
"I see. I've heard that every day."
I met his gaze without the slightest waver. It's impossible, you're going to die, there's no solution. How many times had I heard it?
The ones saying it were even the most skilled mages in the Empire. Hearing it from a knight now just made my ears hurt; it didn't shock me. Perhaps he saw that weariness as resolve, because Karin's demeanor became a little more serious.
Aletus, who had sat down beside him, asked with curiosity.
"So, what on earth is going on?"
"Child, it seems you have learned body‑reinforcement techniques. Where did you learn them?"
Karin ignored Aletus's question and spoke to me. I tried my best not to look at the slightly disheartened Aletus and answered.
"I secretly watched and learned a knight’s body‑reinforcement techniques."
"You're a brazen one. Then do you also know the difference between body‑reinforcement techniques and a magic‑reinforced body?"
"Not in detail. Only that a magic‑reinforced body is the next stage after body‑reinforcement, and that you don't get hurt easily even if hit by magic."
"You only know the basics. Body‑reinforcement is the tempering of the body, and a magic‑reinforced body is the tempering of mana."
"It is the process of sublimating the body into a form of magic itself."
"A form of magic... you say?"
"Yes. A knight is living, breathing magic. They are called the natural enemy of mages because they can devour and interfere with lesser forms of magic."
Up to this point, aside from the specifics, I already knew all of this.
"To acquire a magic‑reinforced body, one must first learn body‑reinforcement techniques, and after that, a process of transforming the body is necessary."
"What is that?"
"Making mana flow inside the body."
"?"
"The human body is truly mysterious. Just by training repeatedly in a place rich with mana, it adapts to survive."
"This degree of adaptation becomes the proficiency of the magic‑reinforced body."
Hmm.
'To survive,' he says. I was starting to see the outline of where this story was headed.
"A high-level magic‑reinforced body is a knight's pride. That's why some knights leave their squires in a mana field without taking them out, even if they show signs of a rash from being unable to adapt."
"Such squires suffer from an illness called mana poisoning. It's a symptom where the muscles melt away from being unable to accept the overflowing mana."
"Excessive greed ends up killing the squire."
"And you're saying that's my situation."
"No." Karin shook his head.
"You have gone too far. I said excessive greed kills the squire, but that just means they can no longer become a knight; usually, they can live perfectly normal lives."
"But you are at a level where you've been shoved into a mana field, the door locked, and left to rot."
"Before long, you will melt away and die, and that is not a metaphor."
"That sounds truly dreadful."
I sighed and sipped my tea.
"... Are you sure you understood what I just said?"
While Karin tilted his head, I took the opportunity to ask a question.
"Yes. But is what you said true? My Master didn't mention any of it."
"Who is your master?"
"Dersia Aspandil, the Empire's greatest mage."
"Hmph."
Even after hearing Dersia's name, Karin just snorted and replied.
"A mage is still just a mage. Do you know what happens when a mage goes into a mana field?"
"Do they absorb too much mana and die?"
"No, they have the time of their lives. They go crazy with joy because of all the mana gathered there. They could stay there their whole life and be perfectly fine."
"Excuse me? But I'm a mage too."
"I was wondering about that myself. How exactly do heart‑realm mages gather mana? A normal mage would use mental techniques to gather it."
"There's seawater in the world, and if I drink it, my mana becomes full."
"...?"
"In any case, your master thought the same way as you. A mage would grow faster in a mana field, not suffer. Only humans who are not mages die in a mana field."
"I'll say it again, I am definitely a mage. You saw it, didn't you? Could it be that I can't endure it because I'm only a 1‑Star?"
"Since you don't seem to understand, I will put it plainly. A mana field is water. A mage is a fish. A human cannot breathe in water."
"That is why they create gills called a magic‑reinforced body. Whether you are a minnow or a shark, as long as you are a fish, you will live just fine."
After saying that, Karin's expression became thoughtful.
"... But you are definitely a fish. I too cannot understand why you are showing symptoms of mana poisoning. If there is an exception, hmm."
"What is it?"
"This is just speculation, but it's possible you are not a fish that swims in ordinary water."
"You mean, like living in oil instead of water—" "Let's change the subject."
"What?"
I spoke to the bewildered Karin with a serious expression.
"If I were to try to learn how to make those gills, meaning, I am a fish, but I want to make gills that can breathe in a new environment—" "You can stop with the analogy."
"Yes. Simply put, I want to learn how to get a magic‑reinforced body. What should I do?"
"Now that would be quite interesting. A mage learning to acquire a magic‑reinforced body, I've never even heard of such a thing."
Watching Karin burst into a hearty laugh, I thought. This was probably a penalty that only the fallen ones, whose Great System, their entire world, had changed, experienced. It was normal that Dersia didn't know.
Even I hadn't considered the possibility until I heard it. As I was feeling a bit conflicted about the fact that the Red Lotus had given proper advice, Karin shook his head.
"But it seems you're too late. At least, I am incapable of solving this."
"Hmm, may I hear the reason?"
"I do not know how to save a squire as messed up as you. Looking at you, more than half of your body is already stained with mana. Hold out your hand."
Karin, who took my hand, was suddenly startled.
"... No, what is this? It has encroached even further while we were talking. This area shouldn't be a mana field, so why—" "Well... you could say that for the past year, I've been in a mana field without a single day of rest. Even at this very moment."
"Hah, the fallen ones live truly dreadful lives. Then of course you'd melt away."
"I'm sure not all fallen ones are like this."
Karin clicked his tongue, took out some stationery from his pocket, and started writing something.
"No matter how much I think about it, I cannot find a knight who could save a child like you. So, go and find this person."
"Who is it?"
"You'll know when you get there. And, let me give you a piece of advice."
Karin shrugged, handed me the letter, and rose from his seat.
"When you arrive, never say who your master is."
After Karin left, I checked the name written on the letter.
"Brimdal Apitri?"
It was a very unusual name, even by the Empire's standards. As I mumbled it, Aletus looked startled and glared at the door Karin had just exited.
"No, that man, Karin... Jern, it would probably be best for you to give up on that."
"May I hear why?"
"Sir Brimdal is, well, a very eccentric person. His skills are unquestionable, but he is lost in his own world."
"I see. But if even Sir Karin says he can't solve it, then I have a big problem. I have to survive on my own at least until Lady Dersia returns."
"... That is true. I suppose it can't be helped. It may seem like I'm speaking ill of him behind his back, but I shall explain about Sir Brimdal."
Aletus sat down, sighed, and began to explain about this knight named Brimdal.
"Sir Brimdal's race is dwarf."
"Aha."
So this was why he told me not to mention my master.
"And, as you can tell from the fact that he serves as a knight in the Empire, he's out of his mind. Unlike other dwarves, he chose to hammer humans instead of steel."
"By hammering, you mean~" "Physically and mentally. He is a master smith—no, a master tormentor—who has produced countless renowned knights for the Empire."
I tilted my head. From what I heard, he seemed like the best kind of knight.
"Though he turned eighty percent of the knights into wrecks in the process."
"Hmm."
The failure rate is a bit high.
"Most importantly, unlike other dwarves, he blames the raw materials. He says things like, 'I did a good job, but this fellow was lacking, which is why it turned out this way.'"
"I understand perfectly."
So he's a crazed dwarf knight who sees humans as consumable ore. That was actually better. Since he'd broken so many, he'd also know how to fix them.
"Even if there's a one percent chance, I have to try. It's better than living like this."
"The thing is..."
Aletus's expression darkened, as if there was something more.
"Because he messed up so many times, one day he started saying the most bizarre thing, that he would only use certifiably good raw materials from now on."
"He began to select squires very, very carefully, and that was, what, twenty years ago? He still hasn't chosen a single squire."
"Oh dear."
"You likely have no talent as a knight, so if you go, you'll just get a good cursing and be chased away."
He was right. As I began to ponder, Aletus had his butler bring a paper with a list of knights' names.
"I will call the other knights as well, so listen to what they have to say before you decide."
"Thank you very much. But I think I'll be fine."
"... What did you say?"
I bowed my head to the perplexed Aletus.
"He may seem a bit hot-tempered, but I trust Sir Karin's words. Is he the type of person to speak idly?"
"—Not a chance. Karin may have a foul personality, but he is the finest knight I know. He even taught me."
"Then I believe him. From my perspective as someone who knows little about knights, it is most certain to trust Sir Karin, whom you, Sir Aletus, who knows knights better than anyone, have called the finest."
"Ahem, I am grateful that you believe so... but is there another way?"
I smiled at Aletus, who was clearing his throat.
"Yes. There is one certain way."
An offer he can't refuse.
Thankfully, Aletus, seeing that I wouldn't change my mind, lent me a carriage pulled by the finest horses. Thanks to that, I was able to easily reach the residence of Brimdal, who lived in a much more remote place than I had expected. It was quiet.
The occasional birdsong could be heard, and the surrounding trees were covered in dew. In the midst of it was a cabin on a mountain, far from the capital.
The yard was covered in moss, and all sorts of weeds grew thick around the stairs, as if they had never once been tended to— But the training ground in front of the house, covered in sand, was as neatly arranged as if it had just been made. There was no doubt. This was the place.
"Whoa, whoa."
I calmed the horses. I'd tried learning the coachman's skills on the way here, and it was quite fun. I parked the carriage nearby, got out, crossed the stone bridge and the path, and as soon as I knocked on the cabin door— A heavy, deep voice that vibrated in my bones was heard. —Go away.
For a moment, I felt as if my breath had stopped. It felt as if I had heard a huge beast growling right next to me. I forcefully suppressed the goosebumps rising all over my body and answered.
"Sir Brimdal, I have something to tell you. May we speak for a moment?"
"—I do not take worthless disciples."
"Don't you have to see me to know that?"
"—I know without seeing."
Turn around.
"?"
Wondering what he meant, I turned around, but all I saw was an ordinary path and a stone bridge made for decoration.
"There's nothing here."
"That stone bridge is made of various materials, and the sand and soil on this path were brought from all corners of the world."
"The sounds you made as you walked were simply dreadful."
"A knight with outstanding talent would have made sounds with not the slightest difference, regardless of the material they walked upon."
"What... does that have to do with talent?"
"Instinct."
The ability to vary your strength according to the wind, soil, and stone that touch your body. Those who can do it naturally, those who are born with it... I have vowed to teach only such individuals.
If you understand, then go away. I will not say more.
"Jeez..."
I didn't expect him to not even meet me. Sighing, I snapped my fingers.
"You should at least see this before you judge."
"You who keep angering me..."
Brimdal's threatening voice trailed off. At the sound of footsteps, step, step... with no change in pitch.
"Wha..."
Listening consciously, it was truly amazing. Whether walking on stone, on wood, or on soil. Of course, there was a difference in the sound itself—but not in the pitch.
I looked at the door and asked.
"What do you think?"
"..."
"Eleven years old, or younger, but this is—" As I listened to Brimdal's flustered voice, Linmel, who had approached at some point, asked with a curious expression.
"Jern, why are we here?"
If humans were resources, this one was undoubtedly pure gold.
"I just came to learn some sword skills. But he told us to get lost. Let's go back."
"Okay!"
Even though we had wasted our time, Linmel gave a cheerful reply, and as I turned to leave with her, —Clunk! I got a bite.