REBIRTH OF THE OBAKE DEMON KING
「21. Outdoor Training (Part 1)」
Beams of sunlight streaked through the foyer windows, bathing the dark wooden floor in a coat of golden light. Flecks of dust floated around us, tickling my nose and steadily building up the urge to sneeze. Beyond those big panes of glass I could see the bright blue sky waiting for us...I was excited. Wouldn't you be? I'm hardly ever allowed outside these halls, and I'd spent so much time as an invalid toddler now. You can't imagine how liberating it is to get to freely move around after spending so long lying in bed or stumbling around like a drunk because you can't control your own stubby legs properly.
We were going to take a trip around the estate in order to practice my Appraisal ability on the outside world. The downside of this, of course, was Tanya's fussing over my outfit. My simple slippers were being exchanged for boots, and a white coat was added over my thin dress to keep the wind chill away. I still didn't particularly like being dressed by someone else, but after experiencing so much fuss from others, I'd finally started to get used to it.
Ah, hold on, I was getting distracted again. I was going to use this opportunity to try and gather more information about this world and magic from Tanya. Let's see, where should I start...something natural and easy to pick up on…
"Skill points…" I said, looking up at Tanya as she began lacing up one of my boots.
"Hm?" She didn't look away from her task.
"You said that practising skills would give me skill points. How are those different from experience points? Can I get experience points by practising too?"
"Ah, that," she muttered, then glanced up at me with a reassuring smile. "Yes, absolutely you can. Experience is gained naturally as you get older, of course, but most experience points are gained through hard work and effort."
Well, that didn't explain much. Be specific, blasted woman!
"What does that mean, hard work? Does using skills give me experience points too, or do I have to do something else?"
I had a feeling I knew where this was going, but I just wanted to confirm it.
"Well...uh…" she seemed reluctant.
"You've gotta kill monsters!" Elena declared proudly from behind me, hands on her hips. "When a monster dies…"
"Elena-sama! She's still young!" Tanya protested.
Elena, of course, ignored her. "...damaged pieces of their soul are left behind. Your body absorbs them and they become energy for your own growth, which we call experience points!"
Oho? What a convenient explanation for an obvious game mechanic. Well, I figured it would be something like this, but to be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea of having to risk my life in order to grow my experience...but if I needed to accelerate my growth, I now knew fighting was a valid option.
"Nee-chan?" I turned back and grabbed Elena's sleeve. Something was bothering me ever since she mentioned this whole thing.
"Have you killed a monster before?"
Elena looked smug and scratched at her nose. "Of course! Well...only a few times, and mostly under the supervision of my tutors. They got me hunting Slimes and Harebites as a way to put my skills to the test against a real opponent. There was...another time too, with a couple of goblins… Look, it was scary the first time, but I realised they're nothing special to us if we try our best."
Wow, I was impressed...and a little overwhelmed. I mean, I'm tough too, you know...I kicked ass back in my old life, I'm sure I could kill something too if I really wanted to! It's not like I had doubts about it or anything…
I shook my head to clear out these bad thoughts – it was clearly time for a change in subject.
"You can use magic to fight monsters, right? That's how you can do it even though we're just kids. What kinds of things can you do with magic?"
Tanya tightened and finished the last lace, tucking it neatly into a hidden flap and patting my ankle before moving to put on the other boot. "Magic is very flexible, Victoria-sama, you'll soon learn that there's no limits to the types of things you can do with it."
"Like blasting them away with a big fireball? Or?"
"Well, you'll find out more when you attend Elric's classes, but that's one way of expressing magic. You could also tie up the monster in chains, or give yourself the strength to fight them, or the speed to run away. You can heal the wounds of the injured or wash away their fears. It's not just fighting too, magic can be used to create magical artifacts, see and send messages over great distances, to create something from nothing...really, the only limits are your skill and your imagination."
My eyes widened involuntarily. I have to admit, I didn't have the best imagination as a kid, but when someone tells me I can do whatever I want with magic, my mind starts to run wild. I wonder how common magic is in this society?
"So, uh...Elric's a mage, right? What kind of people are mages? Are they important?"
"Very important. Those who can use magic are amongst the privileged few, and without magic, our society would surely cease to function. They maintain the powerful magics that protect the Empire and its citizens from harmful threats. They build magical artifacts that allow us to enjoy comfortable lives. They are keepers of knowledge and wisdom who can make the impossible come true. That's not to say they're always well liked – many Mages are beyond understanding, and their powers can be used for evil just as readily as good, but…"
Tanya finished lacing up the second boot. "I'll put it this way. The Emperor rules this land because his ancestors were powerful mages who could protect the common people from threats beyond the abilities of normal folk. You, too, have likely been born with the gift to use magic, and have a responsibility to use it for the good of the people and the Empire. Do you understand?"
Huh? What a load of crock. Someone gives me a ticket to unlimited power and the first thing they do is go on about a speech about great power and great responsibility and all that? Screw that, the first thing I want to do is make a big ol' magical bonfire, or go flying in the sky, or turn invisible so I can sneak around and steal all the candy I want! Well, it's not like I wouldn't help a bunch of folks in need if I saw them there in trouble right in front of me...but...come on! Let me have a little fun! I nervously adjusted my skirt, lost in my own thoughts for a moment, thinking about what to say next.
"Come on, arms out," Tanya ordered. I complied and found my arms being pulled into a nice new padded white jacket. Black thread was used to outline the shape, but also to embroider delicate flower patterns across the fabric. On the left was a small badge with the crest of House Valenmere – a prancing white unicorn on a field of blue, surrounded by yellow flowers. Beneath that was the family motto: "Our Path Guides the Fate of All". Words that were meant to serve as a reminder of our responsibility, a reminder that our actions would change the lives of all those who relied upon us.
There was one thing still bothering me, though…
"The Gods are supposed to be the ones who take care of this world, right? Isn't magic supposed to be their job? What are they like? Are they nice? Do they care that we're mages?"
Tanya frowned and put her hands on my shoulders. "You shouldn't worry so much about something like that, you know. The story goes that the Gods trusted mortals with magic millennia ago and gave us the task of preserving the world from harm. There are sixteen gods in total, each responsible for overseeing a different part of the world. The Church is the keeper of the sacred texts handed down to us by the gods and interpreting their meanings, and members of the Church are able to use a special type of magic called prayers, which generate miracles."
"Miracles? How are they different from normal magic?"
"Because miracles come from the gods, they don't use your own magic, but instead rely upon your own will and faith to channel the gods through you. It's a very different way of casting magic, and it requires a special connection with the Gods that most people don't have."
Tanya produced a small white parasol and handed it to me, and I rested it on my shoulder. Holding it aloft, I walked over to a standing mirror in the cloakroom and admired myself. Hm, yep, there's no denying facts here, I'm absolutely adorable! Puffing up a little bit with pride, I couldn't help but allow a smug grin spread across my face. There's no question about it, looking like this, I'm certain I could charm my way into the hearts of just about anybody if I wanted to.
"You look great!" Elena exclaimed, wrapping me up in another unexpected hug. Damn this girl, she always goes on the attack right when I least expect it!
"Well, that's enough talking for now," Tanya said. "Shall we go for a walk?"
Wow...that's all I can say is wow. I always knew the family estate was pretty big, but this is really something else. From the raised wooden deck outside the back door, the well-maintained landscape seemed to stretch as far as I could see in any given direction. You could probably spend weeks exploring a place this big and not reach the end of all there is to see in it. To think Elena Nee-chan's been allowed to go around exploring this place as much as she likes – that hardly seems fair, does it? Why haven't I been allowed to poke around sooner?
I confidently walked out and stepped off the deck and onto the carefully manicured lawn, taking in a deep breath. The smell of wildflowers and the fresh spring wind was so good it almost made me forget why I'd come here to begin with. Studying? Practising magic skills? There was no small part of me that wanted to say 'screw that!' Here I was on an incredible day thinking of working? This is the kind of weather for hanging out and running around exploring, not work!
I looked down at the blades of grass and half-heartedly appraised them.
「Grass - Size: Miniscule」
Woooow, how impressive. Who would've thought it was grass?
…
…
…
I sighed and glanced back at the others, who were watching me expectantly. They weren't going to guide me or tell me what to do, huh? Well, in that case, I guess it was up to me to decide what we were going to do next… I looked around at everything visible, taking in the area before making my decision...
Decision 21-1: What were we going to do out here on this bright and sunny day?
[] - [Training] - There are a bunch of open gardens and greenhouses near the house. With so many different plants there, I'm sure that will help me improve my Appraisal quickly!
[] - [Training] - I can see a large patch of woodlands just a few minutes away, that looks like a perfect place to take a walk and practice Appraising new things at the same time.
[] - [Training] - There's a paved trail that leads down towards the river and I think what looks like the estate wall in the distance, I'd like to get away from the manor house and enjoy something I've never seen before! I'm sure there will be stuff to Appraise out there too.
[] - [Training] - I can occasionally see estate staff moving around and working in the fields – I wonder if people without magic are easier to appraise? One way to find out!
[] - [Training] - There's a big hedge maze just beyond this fountain. How cool is that?! Who cares about practice, let's run off and explore this thing instead!
[] - [Training] - It'll be hard to enjoy this new freedom while Elena and Tanya are following me around everywhere. My agility's gone up a ton, let's try starting a foot race and see if they can keep up or not!
[] - [Training] - I feel so light right now, I just want to move around! Instead of practising Appraisal, I should get Elena to do some physical training with me. With all these new physical perks, I bet I can keep up with her in sparring now!
[] - [Training] - Write-In
Unspent XP: 49
[QM's Note: In order to simplify game turns and keep the pace steady, any time you want to purchase or upgrade a skill, please put a vote with the appropriate skill in and muster some support for it from your fellow players. If we get a majority of people voting to acquire a skill, then we'll buy it. If there's mass interest in buying skills but no clear consensus, or if a decent number of people ask for one, I may call a moratorium and focus a vote entirely on what you'd like to pick up next.]
「QM's Note: Voting is now open again! There's only one decision this time, but Victoria has a lot of options in front of her, so I'm opening this up to a Write-In for any more specific ideas about how to go about her training (or shirking of training, depnding). Voting will be open until 17:00 UTC on Monday, at which point I'll close the vote and start working on the next update!」