Master and Slaves

"Hahaha, the conversation strayed a little. Then let us continue the explanation of magic."

"Yes. Please."

"Indeed...... Hiroyuki-dono, would you like to try using magic?"

I was surprised by Mateus’s words.

"Is magic something that can be used so easily?"

"Once you grasp the knack, it is simple."

"Master, even talented people are said to need five years before they can use magic. Even Tiria took four years. No matter how gifted Hiroyuki-sama is, he will not be able to use it immediately......"

Helene interjected with doubt toward Mateus.

Hahaha, so it takes that long.

Still, Tiria is amazing.

She became able to use magic a full year earlier than a "talented person."

I looked at Tiria.

Noticing my gaze, Tiria puffed out her chest proudly.

Good girl, good girl—I stroked her head again.

"Hiroyuki-dono. Let us try it once. Indeed... this place is unsuitable, so shall we go outside?"

Mateus stood up from the sofa.

When I stood as well, Tiria handed me the lead of her collar.

"Oh. Thanks."

I took Tiria’s lead and followed Mateus out of the room.

Tiria and Helene followed behind.

"We must not have any misfires. Hahaha."

......What exactly is he planning to make me do?

With both expectation and unease about using magic for the first time, I followed behind Mateus.

......

Once outside the tower, we went around to the back.

There was a fairly large open lot.

"This is where I practice and develop magic."

Mateus walked to the center of the lot.

Come to think of it, there are dents and scorch marks all over the place.

......A little scary.

"Hiroyuki-dono. First, let us begin by ’refining’ magic power. Regardless of the six types of magic I spoke of earlier, one must refine magic power. Then shape it into a convenient form. For example......"

Mateus raised his right hand to chest height, palm upward.

"Hiroyuki-dono, can you sense the magic power in my palm?"

Ah, the same thing we did yesterday.

But unlike yesterday, my hand is not near Mateus’s palm.

Rather, the distance between Mateus and me is about two meters.

"Can it be sensed at this distance?"

"If one has aptitude, it can."

I see. In that case......

I closed my eyes and concentrated.

Sharpening my senses so I could feel the surrounding air.

Hmm, I can vaguely sense something.

Roughly......

"About this much?"

I gathered magic power of roughly the same strength on my palm.

About two-thirds of the amount I had gathered on my palm yesterday.

"Oh. Exactly so. You understood well."

I opened my eyes.

"Whoa!"

Apparently the glasses had analyzed the magic power in Mateus’s palm; graphs and text unfolded before my eyes.

And I could see the magic power itself.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it seems I was also pouring magic into the glasses......"

"Oh... and how does it appear?"

I moved my eyes and shifted the obstructing graphs and text to the edges.

"A sphere roughly the same width as Mateus-san’s palm... is it?"

"Hmm, that is correct."

As usual, a sphere about one-tenth the size of Mateus’s rested on my palm.

"Then, what about this?"

The spherical magic power changed shape like a flame and began to waver.

In the text I had pushed to the side was written "Flame Refinement."

"Flame... refinement?"

"Exactly. I refined the magic power so that it possesses the flame attribute. With this, flame-type magic can be used."

I see.

First one "refines" the magic power into an easy-to-use form.

......How am I supposed to do that?

"There are many other attributes. For example... this is water... this is wind... this is earth... this is lightning."

The magic power on Mateus’s palm successively took on the concrete forms of water, wind, earth, and lightning.

And then......

"This is light. There are still more, but first try these."

When Mateus said that, the magic power on his palm returned to a sphere.

However, it was no longer the original magic power; it glowed faintly.

Wouldn’t this alone be useful?

"Just that is useful as light, isn’t it?"

"......How does Hiroyuki-dono see it?"

"Eh? The sphere looks faintly glowing."

"Hmm...... I see. Then please remove the glasses."

"Ah, yes."

When I removed the glasses as Mateus instructed, there was nothing on his palm.

Ah, I see.

Through the glasses, magic power becomes visible.

"Indeed. With the glasses on, it is easier to imagine how to change the magic power. Then, once, please refine magic power as you yourself think best."

"Yes."

I first carefully gathered magic power on my palm, taking care not to gather too much.

The easiest one is still fire, I guess.

I turn the magic power into fire.

The image of fire is heat, right?

I picture something hot.

Then pour that into the magic power.

......

Muu.

No matter how many times I try, the magic power does not change.

"This is hard."

"Of course it is. Normally it takes about three months before one can do this."

Helene answered my mutter.

"Hahaha. Do it slowly and carefully without rushing."

Mateus laughed, yet still watched my refinement of magic power seriously.

Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light.

This is the second round.

Next, water might be good?

I gather magic power on my palm and concentrate while imagining the flow of water.

......Mun!

......Still no change from the spherical magic power.

"Hiroyuki-dono. Hiroyuki-dono’s magic power seems to have good compatibility with every attribute."

"Eh? I haven’t succeeded with any of them yet."

"Hmm. Even with just this much, the nature has changed slightly. Among them, water had especially good compatibility. Why not concentrate on water?"

"......Understood."

Once more I stare at my palm and overlay the image of water onto the magic power there.

"Ngggggg...... haa, no good."

......

No matter how much I try, it is useless.

Mateus gives various advice—imagine a river’s flow, or drawing water from a well—but it does not change in the slightest.

He keeps saying I have talent, though.

"Well, this should be enough for today. Shall we end it here?"

When I noticed, the sky had turned madder red.

Looking back, Helene and Tiria were watching me.

Had they been watching the whole time?

"Thank you for your hard work, Master."

Saying that, Tiria handed me a towel.

"Thanks."

I wiped my sweat with the towel.

I sweat quite a bit, don’t I?

"However, that concentration is impressive. Normally, handling magic power for that long would make one faint."

Helene seemed impressed.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Even Master has never handled that much magic power, has he?"

"Indeed. It is not that I cannot, but it would leave me quite out of breath. That means you are able to practice that much. However, please do not practice anywhere other than here. There is always the possibility of an accident."