Chapter 12
After finishing his shift, Marshall walked past a crowd of hopelessly drunk guild members and returned to his private room in the dormitory.
He stared at the system panel in front of him, deep in thought.
Earlier, he had poured one thousand Inspiration Points into Pict Magic, only for the system to change in a way he had not expected.
Originally, the panel had shown:
[Molding Magic LV0: 333/1,000] — [Pict Magic LV0: 1/1,000]
But after adding the points, it became:
[Molding Magic LV1: 334/10,000]
[Drawing LV1: 1/10,000]
After spending one thousand Inspiration, Pict Magic had disappeared entirely, replaced by Level One Molding Magic and Level One Drawing.
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
’What the hell does that mean?’
This stupid system really needed an instruction manual!
Did experience from a subordinate skill merge into its higher-level parent skill once he added points?
And had he gained something from this or lost something?
More importantly, did that mean his skill list could record ordinary life skills instead of only magic?
In that case, writing should count as a skill too, right?
So why was it not there?
The moment Marshall had that thought, the panel changed again.
[Writing LV1: 107/10,000]
’What?! It appeared?!’
’Does this stupid system patch itself whenever I notice something missing?’
No, wait. Calm down.
The more likely explanation was that he still had not fully understood how the system worked.
Before today, he had never consciously thought of writing as a proper skill, so the panel had not displayed it.
Looking back, this was not the first time something similar had happened.
Every skill name currently shown on the panel had originally come from someone else’s explanation.
When Marshall first regained the memories of his previous life, the system had listed his first ability as:
[Telepathy LV4]
Then, after Gildarts told him that his awakened ability was Telepathy Magic, the name on the panel changed to:
[Telepathy Magic LV4]
Marshall had ignored the detail at the time, but now it seemed to reveal something important about the system.
The way it recognized and categorized skills depended entirely on Marshall’s own understanding.
In other words, it was an extremely simple system.
It only passively quantified and organized information, while any additional functions had to be discovered through his own initiative.
In that case... did cooking count as a skill?
[Cooking LV0: 233/1,000]
"..."
He really could not cook, but somehow the number still felt like the system was mocking him!
Then what about running, exercising, and physical training?
[Body Training LV0: 69/1,000]
’Wow. That actually worked!’
What about music?
[Music Performance LV0: 6/1,000]
[Inspiration: 4,377 → 4,496]
’Wait. Something’s wrong with my Inspiration.’
Marshall suddenly realized that the value had jumped several times. It had recovered almost immediately, but he was certain it had decreased first.
Did creating a new skill category also consume Inspiration?
Compared to the happiness he currently felt, however, that tiny cost barely mattered.
Since he could create ordinary skills through his own understanding, could he do the same thing with magical skills?
Mages had to control their magic power, which meant Magic Power Control should also count as a skill, right?
[Magic Power Control LV1: 555/10,000]
’It really works!’
[Inspiration: 4,496 → 3,245 → 4,063]
"??????!"
The value jumped several times right before his eyes, startling him.
’What the hell?! That cost more than a thousand Inspiration!’
Still, it was worth it.
Completely worth it!
[Inspiration: 5,156]
’I’m practically superhuman! No—I’m the happiest superhuman alive!’
Just as Marshall was basking in his discovery, several thoughts drifted into his mind from the neighboring rooms.
[Hehehe... Once I finish tomorrow’s job, I’m going to visit Miss Jenny. That huge ass of hers... Hehehe...]
[Tom will be back next week. I’d better visit his house a few more times before then. Who knows when I’ll get another chance?]
[Damn it. Every beautiful woman in the guild already has a boyfriend. When will my spring finally come~?]
"..."
Marshall’s expression darkened.
’Damn these horny old bastards! They’re already back at the dormitory! My good mood is completely ruined!’
He threw several angry punches at the air, but the useless outburst did nothing to help.
Eventually, he sat down at his desk and tried to continue writing.
The chaotic voices in his head refused to stop. They tangled together with countless stray thoughts, making it impossible to concentrate.
"AAAAAGH! I can’t take this anymore! I’m moving out!"
Marshall grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled until the pale-pink strands became a complete mess.
He had made up his mind.
Moving out could not wait another day!
Every extra night in this miserable dormitory was torture.
He was the Happy Superman now—he needed to remain cheerful if he wanted to grow stronger.
Staying here would only drag him deeper into misery.
’I! Am! Moving! Out!’
Having reached his decision, Marshall picked up a thick book, lay back on his bed, and slammed it directly into his forehead.
He knocked himself out beautifully!
...
"What? You don’t want to live in the boys’ dormitory anymore? Why?"
The next morning, Makarov stared at the "resignation request" Marshall had placed in front of him, looking both surprised and curious.
"I’m planning to move near the forest east of town. I want somewhere I can practice magic safely."
That was the excuse Marshall had prepared.
Makarov knew he had learned Crash Magic but had forbidden him from using it inside Magnolia.
Using that as his reason should make it easier to gain permission.
"Hmm... The eastern forest?"
"You don’t have to worry about my safety, Master. I already know several kinds of magic. And if something goes wrong, I can always call for help with Telepathy."
"No, no. That isn’t what worries me." Makarov shook his head. "I’m more concerned that you’ll start recklessly using magic in the forest and get yourself into trouble."
"?"
Makarov folded his hands inside his sleeves.
"An old friend of mine lives in the eastern forest. How should I put this... She isn’t especially fond of humans."
"Uh... I’m not planning to bother anyone. I probably won’t even go very far into the forest."
"All right. As long as you know what you’re doing." Makarov studied him for a moment. "But how are you planning to build a house?"
"Can’t I just pay someone to build it?"
"That might be difficult. You haven’t purchased any land, so building a house on the edge of town would count as illegal construction. No builder is going to accept that job."
Marshall scratched his head.
"So people would be more willing to build illegally inside the forest than near town?"
"Yes."
"And if I build an illegal house, will the authorities tear it down?"
"Normally, yes. But you’re a Mage, so probably not."
’Fair enough.’
Marshall sighed and held out a hand toward Makarov.
"Master, do we have any beginner books on Earth Magic and Wood Magic? The simplest ones will do."
"We do, but what are you planning?"
"I’m going to teach myself how to build a house of course!" His face remained completely blank.
"?????"
...
In the end, Makarov found the books Marshall needed in the guild library.
He then watched in utter confusion as the boy read two pages, clapped the books shut, and walked straight out of the guildhall.
What Makarov did not know was that Marshall only needed to read enough to make the new skills appear on his panel.
Then he immediately poured two thousand Inspiration Points into them.
[Earth Magic LV1: 1/10,000]
[Wood Magic LV1: 1/10,000]
[Inspiration Points: 3,210]
Marshall suspected that learning those spells normally would not have taken very long, but he had already run out of patience.
With a small bag slung over his shoulder, he jogged toward the outskirts of Magnolia.
Eventually, he found a spot beside the river where the nearest house stood several hundred meters away.
"Hmm, this is a pretty nice place. It’s a little far from the guild, but... that’s exactly what I wanted!"
By combining elemental magic with Molding Magic, Marshall managed to produce Earth-Make and Wood-Make after only a few attempts.
Neither spell felt natural yet, and controlling them took considerable effort, but he did not need to build anything luxurious.
As long as the house was usable, that was enough.
He could simply treat the whole thing like playing Minecraft.
Marshall began by using Earth-Make to shape a foundation, then raised the rough shell of a simple house.
Level One Wood-Make required plant seeds, but it could also be used by making direct contact with an existing tree.
Marshall found a nearby hardwood tree, pressed a hand against its trunk, and poured magic power into it.
The branches began growing according to his will, allowing him to produce whatever timber he needed.
Roof beams, doors, windows, wall supports, a chimney, wooden tiles, furniture...
There was no doubt about it—magic was the greatest productive force in this world.
Work that would normally have required an entire team of builders was completed by one six-year-old experimenting on his own.
...
Marshall spent the whole day working like a tiny construction crew on the edge of town.
By the time evening approached, he had finally completed his first house.
It was simple and rather crude, but perhaps thanks to his Level One Drawing skill, the little cottage was surprisingly pleasant to look at.
His body ached, and he had consumed a tremendous amount of magic power.
Yet with no crowds nearby and hardly any stray thoughts reaching him, his mind felt calmer than it ever had before.
He had built an entire house with his own hands and magic!
The satisfaction washed through him like warm water.
’This feels incredible!’
’Magic really is the best!’
[Inspiration Points: 4,410!]