Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 98: In a Sense, the Kingdom
Summoned to the training grounds.
When he visited the Eastern Knight Order some time ago, he was invited to a mock battle, which made him suspect it would be something similar.
Under the blue sky, Commander Mark of the Royal Guard, standing at the center of the training grounds, began to speak.
“Let’s get started right away. This is usually the kind of story you hear from your parents when you come of age, but if you’ve been granted diplomatic privileges by His Majesty, you can’t pretend not to know.”
It seems that the Commander of the Royal Guard himself is going to teach something. Although Lucius couldn’t understand why it was in the training grounds.
“Lucius, you previously prevented a surprise attack by the Empire. So the Empire knows about it, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
There’s no way he could forget. He still hasn’t forgiven the War Emperor Benedict, who killed Yuu, his benefactor who he lived with under the same roof.
The seriousness on the face of Commander Mark of the Royal Guard increased.
“Have you heard of the Three Great Nations?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“The Three Great Nations are the most influential countries in the world—The Schuval Empire with its magic tools,The Sangara Republic, home of priestesses and magic swords and the Pandora Federation, puppeteers of fusion, each possessing powerful spells.”
“Is the Kingdom not a major power?”
“Our Avalontis Kingdom is one of the nine intermediary countries below them.”
—The world seems larger than I thought.
Lucius doesn’t know much about the world. He knows the names of neighboring countries like the Empire and the Republic, but information about population, military size, especially regarding spells, is controlled, leaving him with no way to know.
Although merchants and the like come and go, information beyond rumors doesn’t circulate.
He had always found this strange. Nobles are those who fight for the people and the country when necessary. So, wouldn’t it be better to know about it from a young age?
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard continues quietly.
“There are two continents in the world, the North Continent and the South Continent. The North Continent is located northwest of the South Continent, covering about a quarter of its area. The Pandora Federation dominates the North Continent. And here, the South Continent, the Schuval Empire and the Sangara Republic divide the power.”
Lucius didn’t know at all about the North Continent’s existence. This is important information, so he listens carefully without letting a single word slip.
“And our country is located in the northwest of the South Continent. Do you understand what that means?”
The Kingdom is in the northwest of the South Continent.
To the east of the Kingdom is the Empire, to the south is the Republic.
And across the northern sea lies the Federation’s stronghold.
“—The Kingdom is sandwiched between the Three Great Nations, is that what you mean?”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard nods.
“That’s right. Our country is, in a sense, a buffer zone between the Three Great Nations. It would be more accurate to say that our existence is permitted rather than saying we are existing. We would be crushed immediately if a war broke out between the major powers.”
It’s clear that information is being controlled.
Our country can exist only as a token, and it’s not right to say that it could disappear at any time, depending on the mood of neighboring countries.
At least if it were known to the people, it wouldn’t just be a matter of public order; there would be riots and refugees.
“—I see.”
“I’ve delivered the message. You should hear the details from your parents. I think you know, but I’m not of noble birth. I’m not good at fancy talk. But this time it’s a direct order from the King, so I decided to deliver it myself.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
Lucius bows.
He turns around, eager to hear the details from his parents as soon as possible.
“Hey, the conversation isn’t over yet.”
“Is there something else?”
“Rather, the real thing starts now.”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard smiles slyly.
And his magic swells.
“Are you perhaps suggesting a match?”
“Well, it’s more like a greeting. It’s the Knight Order’s way. Is it your first time?”
“No, there was something similar in the East as well. Although there were some circumstances.”
“Haha. If you’ve had experience, there’s no problem. There are various things in the East, so I’ll forgive you. Just wash away the roots of evil with blood.”
—What kind of water is that?
While thinking that it might be a mistake, he sighed.
“I’m not angry.”
“Then there’s no problem. No manifestation of formulas, but you can use magic. Are you in or out?”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard clearly expects Lucius to join in.
“…I’ll accept it. What about weapons?”
“Of course, you can use them. There’s no point in prohibiting them when you have Eastern spells.”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard happily removes his plate armor.
Although plate armor is formal wear for ceremonies, it is not used in actual combat.
After all, metals that people can wear and move around in are just weights in front of spells.
“Understood.”
The two take a few steps back and prepare.
“Come at me anytime.”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard stands with his arms hanging down.
Ad
Is he underestimating him, or is he luring him into a trap?
—End it quickly.
While creating a treasure sword with magic, Lucius starts to run.
“My magic is cannon magic. It’s a spell that manipulates rocks.”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard still doesn’t move. Instead, he begins to explain his own magic.
Taking advantage of the momentum of closing the distance, Lucius releases a slash.
Of course, he intends to stop it just in time.
But with a squeak, the sword stops.
Mark’s fabric clothes are as hard as steel.
“Is that chain mail or scale armor!?”
“No. It’s ‘steel clothes.'”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard immediately denies it.
To secure some distance, he takes a step back with a backstep.
After jumping three times, something hits his back.
“What’s this!?”
Ad
When he turns around, there’s a wall.
A wall of rock that wasn’t there a moment ago.
“Is it a spell!?”
“This is ‘remote.'”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard in front of him presses his right palm against the ground.
The blade of rock rises up from the floor in front of him, then races along the ground like a shark’s dorsal fin skimming the surface of the sea.
Certainly, it’s a spell that manipulates rocks.
—No problem.
Lucius slips past the blade.
The easily avoided rock blade passes by.
And as the blade of rock racing along the ground collides with the rock wall created by Commander Mark of the Royal Guard, they both expectedly disappear.
But then something unexpected happens.
“It reflected the spell!?”
The rock wall reflected the blade of rock.
“This is ‘Shinso’.”
Lucius’s reaction was delayed by the unexpected turn of events.
Evading was impossible, so he immediately manifested a defensive shield and took the blade of rock running along the ground.
“Urgh.”
Pushed by the blade, his body slid along the ground.
He infused the shield with magic and forcibly redirected the blade of rock sideways.
—This is difficult.
Since earlier, Lucius has been doing something unfamiliar.
Approaching carelessly is not a good idea.
“Armor soldiers.”
About ten armor soldiers crawl out from the shadows.
“Surround him.”
The armor soldiers disperse, launching a simultaneous attack from all directions.
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard shows no signs of panic. He slowly presses his right hand against the ground.
The next moment, countless blades shoot out in all directions.
“What!?”
Each blade is smaller than the earlier rock blade, and the magic imbued in them is weak.
However, each blade swallows up the armor soldiers, catching them off guard.
Lucius quickly envelops his treasure sword in light and cuts through the blade of rock rushing towards him.
“And, ‘Kyokaku’.”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard cracks his shoulder.
“Alright, that’s all.”
He probably just wanted to show something unknown, as he didn’t even mention the conditions for victory or defeat.
Lucius returns his treasure sword to magic.
“…I didn’t know that rock spells could be used in such flexible tactics.”
“No, it’s not just rock spells.”
“What do you mean?”
“We activate spells using formulas, right? That technical system is called ‘Shikjutsu.’ “
“Shikjutsu? Is it different from invoking spells?”
“It’s the same thing. We just consider it as a technical system.”
“A technical system…?”
Ad
“In Shikjutsu, there are three practices: ‘Sanren,’ ‘Shinou,’ and ‘Ichijo.’ What you just saw was Shinou. You know Sanren, right?”
Lucius hadn’t directly heard of it, but training methods with ‘Ren’ were taught by his parents, Yuu, and Brigade Captain Shaolia.
“‘Zouma no Ren,’ ‘Douma no Ren,’ ‘Shukuma no Ren.'”
The ‘Zouma no Ren’ trains to grow the magic core until the age of ten.
The ‘Douma no Ren’ contracts with a formula and integrates its magic power with that of the formula after the contract, while the ‘Shukuma no Ren’ increases the density of the magic power of the magic core after the contract.
That’s all three.
“Exactly. And while most people unconsciously use some form of it, except for martial-minded nobles and knight orders, many don’t formally study it. Still, there might be some who are aware of it, right?”
“I’m familiar with remote activation of spells.”
Mark, the captain of the Royal Guards said, nodding with a smile.
“Yes, about the Four Abilities—”
Markus began explaining about the Four Abilities, referencing the details from the earlier simulated battle.
In summary, the Four Abilities consisted of four techniques.
The first is the ‘Enkaku’ ability, which enhances the fluidity of magic power, allowing spells to be activated in distant places.
The second is the ‘Kou’i’ ability, which solidifies magic power and increases the hardness of the material it envelops.
The third is the ‘Shinso’ ability, which changes the polarity of magic power, controlling the affinity or repulsion between spells.
And the fourth is the ‘Kyokaku’ ability, which increases or decreases the density of magic power, changing the range of the spell.”
“That’s what it is. If you can use these abilities in actual combat, you’re considered proficient in the formal arts.”
He had been told by a commander that his spell work was crude.
Now he understands.
His direction in manipulating magic power was not set.
He just let it go.
Come to think of it, there are some clues.
His father Robel’s specialty is tornadoes.
He manipulated the wind emitted by the formula’s Hippogriff and entangled it with his own wind to create a tornado.
He had wondered why the two wind repelled each other, but he was probably using the Shinso ability.
Yuu was the same.
During practice, he had received Lucius’s practice sword on his body many times, but he hadn’t even gotten a bruise. He must have used the Kou’i ability.
“However, despite the façade, I’m not proficient in all abilities. I guess everyone’s like that. But, Lucius, you’re an exception.”
“An exception?”
“You have four magic cores. That means each one is easier to remember. This is arguably the biggest benefit of chanting.”
“Are magic cores related to Shikjutsu?”
“The ease of remembering each ability of Shinou changes depending on the type of magic core you have. For example, if you have a Gunner magic core, the Enkaku ability is easier to remember, but the others are harder. Gunner magic cores are good at increasing the fluidity of magic power, but not good at solidifying it, polarizing it, or expanding it.”
Summarizing the conversation, it seems to be about these relationships:
The Eastern White Eye magic core specializes in the Kou’i ability.
The Western Gunner magic core specializes in the Enkaku ability.
The Southern Oracle magic core specializes in the Kyokaku ability.
The Northern Rider magic core specializes in the Shinso ability.
“Each magic core has its own specialty in manipulating magic power. That’s why each magic core is limited to contracting with specific types of monsters. Because monsters also have their own magic properties.”
Lucius gazes at the Rider magic core in his left hand, contracted with the Evil Dragon.
“If I learn the Shinou abilities, I can still become stronger.”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard nods satisfactorily.
“That’s right. There are training methods and tricks, but the basics are to repeat and memorize them over and over again. I’ll arrange for you to be taught the details when you come to the Knight Order.”
“Thank you. By the way, what is ‘Ichijo’?”
Of the Sanren, Shinou, and Ichijo, Lucius has been taught two. It’s only natural for him to be curious about the remaining one.
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard falls silent for a moment, then speaks with a heavy tone.
“…I don’t know.”
It’s anticlimactic.
“You don’t know?”
“It’s considered the ultimate secret of Shikjutsu, even a forbidden spell. Because it’s too dangerous, not many practitioners exist, and it eventually fell out of use, leaving only the word behind.”
―If it’s dangerous, that’s fine. I won’t use it anyway.
“I appreciate all you’ve taught me today. Thank you very much.”
Lucius bows.
“No, it was worth the effort to come. You turned out to be a more promising young man than I expected.”
Mark rubs his chest.
“Are you still injured?”
“You noticed. There was a private mock battle the other day, and I almost died.”
“You, the Commander of the Royal Guard?”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard should have top-level spells, high skills, and plenty of experience. Would such a person almost die in a mock battle?
“There are always people above you in the world. It was a deep wound, so it seems it will take some time for healing spells to fully cure it.”
Mark talks about it as if it were nothing.
“Hey, Lucius.”
“What is it?”
Commander Mark of the Royal Guard wears the most serious expression he’s seen today.
“I want you to respond to His Majesty’s wishes. Someone has to protect this country, which could be destroyed at any time.”
Lucius recalls the words of Lucial and the King.
Is it because Lucius seems to be fixated only on his own territory?
“I understand.”