Chapter 82: Enchanting Magic 2
I stared at my sister, utterly lost for words.
“What—what did you do!?” I demanded, though even as I spoke, I could tell she was just as confused as I was.
“I don’t know! I just swung my sword like this, and then—boom! That thing came out!”
And she wasn’t wrong. All she’d done was swing her sword in the direction of the garden. A normal, everyday swing. Yet somehow, the entire vegetable patch now looked as though a violent hurricane had clawed straight through it. Leaves were shredded, soil was blasted everywhere, and the wooden posts along the fence rattled as though they had barely survived the shock.
If we didn’t have the fence, the neighbor’s house probably would’ve been next.
“…I mean, the only explanation would be…”
My gaze slid toward the sword in Sena’s hands.
She followed my eyes and blinked innocently.
“Is it… this thing’s fault?”
“It has to be.”
Without saying a word, both of us turned toward Miranda.
She stiffened as our stares pierced her.
“W–well, yeah. I, uh… gave it a little extra effect. Something called ‘Flying Edge.’”
“Flying Edge?”
“Yeah. Just like the name says—when you swing the sword, it launches the slash as a shockwave straight forward.”
“Isn’t that… kind of inconvenient?” I asked. It felt like the sort of power that could just as easily kill your allies as your enemies.
“Ain’t gotta worry about that,” Miranda grunted. “Once she gets used to it, she’ll be able to control the output to some extent.”
“Oh! You’re right!”
Sena, ever quick to test things, gave the blade another casual swing. This time, instead of a raging tempest, only a faint breeze brushed past us.
“…By the way,” Miranda added, frowning. “You said you only just became an adventurer, right?”
“Yup, that’s riiiight,” Sena chirped.
“Ever handled a sword before?”
“Nope, never touched one~”
“I… I see. And, uh, your Gift?”
“Ken-chin’s super love?”
“It’s Blessing of the Sword God.” I corrected, exasperated.
She couldn’t even say her own Gift properly. My sister was hopeless.
“…Hah?”
◇ ◇ ◇
(What the hell…? What was that shockwave just now…?)
Miranda could only stare in stunned disbelief.
She knew exactly what she had granted the mithril sword: Flying Edge, a magical enhancement that allowed sword slashes to launch as cutting shockwaves. With this, a swordsman could strike from beyond normal reach, hit multiple enemies at once, or stun foes with a sudden surprise attack.
But its power was proportional to the wielder’s raw ability.
In the hands of a novice, the “shockwave” was nothing more than a wobbling breeze.
Yet the shockwave Sena produced—from a casual swing—was already beyond rookie level. No, it was the kind of force a seasoned veteran might unleash. The kind only someone who had trained for years could hope to achieve.
And that tiny demonstration had already reduced the garden to rubble.
If she had swung with her full strength…
Miranda felt a chill crawl up her spine.
“…By the way,” she repeated numbly, “you said you just became an adventurer?”
“Yup, that’s riiiight.”
“Ever used a sword before?”
“Nope! First time!”
“And your Gift?”
“Ken-chin’s super love?”
“It’s Blessing of the Sword God,” the brother corrected.
“…Hah?”
Miranda wondered if she had misheard—but no, she knew she hadn’t.
(Blessing of the Sword God…? That ultra-rare Gift? THAT one?)
Of all the places in the world… why would a girl with such a monstrous talent appear here, in some ordinary town, strolling around without a care?
(D–damn it… I might’ve overdone it. If I’d known she had that Gift, I would’ve held back a little…)
In truth, Miranda had used her full power when performing the enchantments. As a result, the mithril blade she forged was now essentially a national treasure—perhaps even beyond that. She hadn’t only added Flying Edge but several other powerful enchantments, crafting an artifact fit for legends.
(I’ve given a terrifying sword to a terrifying girl… At this rate, she might be able to solo a top-tier A-class monster…)
Regret washed over her, but it was far too late to undo anything.
(…Whatever. I’ll just pretend I didn’t know.)
And with that, Miranda mentally washed her hands of the matter.
◇ ◇ ◇
The receptionist Canaria nodded patiently. Sena, on the other hand, wore the blank, wide-eyed look of someone who had never heard the word “exam” before in her life.
“Your current rank is D,” Canaria explained gently. “But based on your achievements and your demonstrated strength, you’re now eligible for a promotion to C rank. To do that, though, you need to take an exam and pass it.”
“Heeeh~~”
Thanks to her contribution to the recent dungeon expedition, Sena had already risen from E rank to D. Considering she had only been an adventurer for barely two months, her progress was extraordinary.
“By the way,” Canaria added with a wry smile, “if you pass and become C rank now, you’ll be breaking every speed record in our guild’s history.”
C-rank adventurers formed the backbone of the guild—professionals who had survived countless tasks and accumulated years of experience. Even the most gifted individuals usually needed three or four years to reach that level.
Thief Shifa, who reached B rank in three years, was considered a prodigy. Anii, who achieved C rank in just one year, was also regarded as exceptional.
And now here was Sena.
“Hoeeeh~”
(…Is this girl really okay?) Canaria wondered uneasily.
Still, she prompted her gently, “Do you have any questions?”
Sena tilted her head.
“Didn’t D rank not have any tests?”
“D rank is attainable just by completing enough requests. But C rank requires real skill—and basic knowledge as well.”
“Knowledge?”
“Yes, knowledge. Which means before the exam, you’ll need to attend a few lectures. All right?”
Sena didn’t know what a “lecture” was… but she sensed instinctively that she was going to hate it. A pitiful groan slipped from her lips.
And unfortunately for her, her instincts were absolutely correct.