Magic Aptitude
The temperature rises day by day, and now just moving around during the day makes me sweat. The weather is starting to hint at the arrival of summer.
In winter, you can just bundle up, and if things get really bad, there’s always heating. But when it comes to beating the summer heat, there’s really no alternative to air conditioning. That’s the modern way of thinking.
I imagine the same applies in this world, but fortunately, Legol, where I live, doesn’t get unbearably hot. The only people at risk of heatstroke are those working near blazing furnaces.
That said, there aren’t many ways to cool off, so it’s still tough. And we don’t even have baths to soak in.
It might be about time to cash in my right to use Artemis’ bath, but… ugh, I don’t wanna waste it.
I knew this was coming, but soaking just once for the whole hot season isn’t gonna cut it, is it?
Ideally, I’d save it for a “If I don’t get in right now, I’m gonna lose it” kind of moment, but… hmm… the problem is, there are way too many days like that…
“A bath in the clan house, huh? That’s really something. It might just be the most useful thing Nastasha has ever created.”
“Hearing you say that is… complicated. But fine. If Sally wants to buy the device, I’d be happy to sell it. The Young Wands would probably put it to better use than Artemis. For old times’ sake, I’ll even give you a discount.”
“That’s a huge help. We just moved, so we’ve got a lot of expenses. Once our vice-captain finishes wrapping things up in the capital and comes back, we’ll have a bit more breathing room.”
“Building a bathhouse takes time. The sooner you start, the better.”
“True enough.”
When I stopped by the guild, I found Nastasha, the mage of Artemis, and Sally, the leader of The Young Wands, chatting amiably. Or maybe “negotiating” would be more accurate.
But the content of their conversation was the more interesting part.
“You two look like you’re having fun. Talking about baths? Mind if I join?”
“…Mongrel. It’s not exactly a fun topic.”
“Hey there, Mongrel. Actually, we were just discussing purchasing a water-heating device Nastasha developed.”
“Purchasing…? You’re taking it out of Artemis’ clan house? Nah, no way.”
“Of course not. I have the blueprints, so I’ll just have one made and sell it.”
Oh, good. If Artemis lost their bath right before summer, I’d be screwed.
“Legol’s public bathhouse has gotten pretty filthy over the years. At this point, a steam bath would be way better.”
“Yeah… More people are using it now, so the water’s basically mud. Doesn’t even feel like you’ve washed yourself.”
“So when I heard about the bath in Nastasha’s clan house, I figured—why not? Since we’re setting up our base, might as well get the facilities in order.”
So Sally’s officially decided to establish The Young Wands’s headquarters here in Legol, huh?
More work buddies for me. Nice!
“Man, a bath sounds great… Hey, you two. Any chance you’d sell me a one-time bath pass for a few hundred jellies? Could be good business.”
“I’d say ‘ask Sheena,’ but no. We don’t want outsiders in our clan house if we can help it. And most of all, I don’t want filthy people barging in.”
“Same here. Our party has a lot of valuables, so we’re not keen on strangers wandering in. Plus, if we’re building a bathhouse for cleanliness, we definitely don’t want it getting dirty. I agree with Nastasha on that.”
Ugh… Would it kill them to run a little bathhouse business for the rest of us…?
“If you’re that desperate, you could just join one of our parties. Mongrel, I heard you went solo against a monster recently and got hurt.”
“Mongrel did? Huh, you’ve gotten rusty since I last saw you.”
“Shut up, it was just a scratch! I’m staying solo. …Anyway, you two seem awfully chummy. You know each other?”
When I asked, Nastasha and Sally exchanged glances. It didn’t seem like they were hiding anything, though.
“…We attended the same magic academy, though I was just an apprentice back then. Sally was more of a senior.”
“I was working in the research tower back then—no fieldwork due to parenting duties. Nastasha was one of the talented mages being trained there. Though if that were all, we wouldn’t have crossed paths much.”
“Both of us were disliked by the same mentor. We often got stuck with similar chores, so we ended up working together frequently.”
“Huh, so you go way back.”
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Wait, disliked by their mentor? What the hell did they do?
Wait, was it because they wouldn’t put up with harassment? That’d be pretty common in this world. Personality aside, they’re both lookers.
“That said, we weren’t exactly close back then. It wasn’t until we both joined the guild and reunited that we started talking more.”
“…I’m not fond of reminiscing. Let’s change the subject.”
“Wow, straight to the point, huh? Not that I mind. I won’t pry if you don’t wanna talk. …Hey, excuse me! Three ales over here!”
It’s a bit pricey, but I ordered drinks for all of us. At this rate, it’s not like we’re heading out on a job anytime soon. Might as well chat.
“Oh? Trying to woo me, Mongrel?”
“I don’t have a thing for women who drink flat ale.”
“Harsh.”
“Hmph. The ale here is terrible.”
“Nastasha, we get it—you’ve got refined tastes. But maybe don’t say it out loud. If it’s that bad, just leave it. I’ll drink it.”
Though whether I’ll drink flat ale is still up for debate…
“Anyway, I actually wanted to ask you two—since you’re magic experts—about this.”
“…Ah. A beginner’s magic manual. How nostalgic.”
“Hmm. Mongrel, who are you giving this to?”
“Nah, it’s for me. I kinda wanna try using magic, even just a little.”
“Ah… Come to think of it, Miselina mentioned that. So you were serious about studying magic.”
I took a deep swig of the ale that arrived—refreshing. At this time of year, even lukewarm water feels cool.
“I read through this thing, but… I just can’t wrap my head around what the author’s saying.”
“…Nastasha, I’d like to be blunt here.”
“Go ahead. If our opinions are what you’re after.”
“Whoa, whoa, that preface sounds scary.”
I’ve never experienced it myself, but it’s got the same ominous energy as “No offense, but…”
“Fundamentally, magic’s foundational education is something that should be hammered into a person’s head before they even develop common sense—before the prejudices and norms of this world take root. Sure, occasionally, there are people in the wild who naturally develop that ‘way of perceiving the world,’ and talent like that does exist… but in Mongrel’s case, it’s probably too late.”
“…Prejudices. Norms. Ugh.”
Hearing those words makes me wanna stick my tongue out.
Too many things come to mind. …But if that’s the case, then I was doomed from the moment I got reincarnated, huh?
“Indeed. As Sally said, I find it hard to believe Mongrel would awaken any magical aptitude now. Those who halfway understand and interpret this world are the least suited for this craft.”
“Damn it… I understand this world better than anyone!”
“That attitude is exactly the problem.”
“Ah, how nice. A perfect example of what happens when you’re left to grow up wild. At least I can take pride in properly educating Momo.”
What a bunch of savages.
Hey, Sally, stop shaking that ale like that. At least stir it with a muddler or something. That’s way too noticeable.
“Well, putting all that aside—even if the odds are slim, they’re not zero. There are rare cases where people miraculously gain aptitude as adults. …Though I’ve never heard of anyone awakening past thirty…”
“Wow, what a half-assed consolation.”
“Mythology has figures like that. Take ‘Artemis,’ the namesake of Nastasha’s party. Originally an archer, but suddenly gained magic in her twenties. Though mythical figures tend to have too many of those stories.”
“Don’t use mythology to cheer me up…”
Artemis. In my past life, there was a goddess by that name. But this world’s Artemis is pretty different from the myths.
Still, it’s probably not a coincidence. There are a lot of familiar names floating around—Apollo and the like.
…Then again, this is a world where elves and goblins run amok. I try not to think too hard about how much of it is borrowed from stories I know.
At the very least, I don’t believe the gods from my past life’s myths actually exist here. And even if they did, they’d probably be nothing like what I remember.
“Hmph. Honestly, you’d be better off practicing archery first. You’re learning from Raina and Ulrika, right? I’d say that’s where your real potential lies.”
“Huh. Mongrel with a bow… Hard to imagine. I always pictured you throwing rocks or something.”
“Hey, Nastasha, was Sally always like this back in the academy?”
“Yes. More or less unchanged. The mentor disliked him for similar reasons. Though I’ve grown used to it.”
“What a piece of work.”
“Perhaps not the best thing to say in front of him.”
These guys are something else.
…So, magic’s a lost cause for me, huh?
Guess I’ll never get to fight in some fantastical, spell-slinging way… I see…
…Well, if that’s the case, then there’s no point in practicing magic anymore, is there?!
Fine then! If two Gold-class mages say so, who am I to argue?!
Alright, I’m done with this!
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