Episode 7 - A Morning Without Memory
He felt a bright light on his eyelids.
Kian felt his consciousness awakening.
There was an urge to urinate in his lower abdomen.
And there was a chill in his body.
「Hmm......」
Somewhere - a bird was singing outside.
He groaned a little and opened his eyes.
(This place is...)
...... The ceiling of the familiar cheap inn was spread out in front of him.
Kian sat up halfway, rubbing his brow.
(What is it? It's like I've been having a long dream. ...... My thoughts are stupefied.)
The deerskin shoulder strap that had been draped over his chest slipped off easily.
(Yesterday, I bought a pair of strange glasses, and with them, ......)
Then what happened?
Kian looked around the room with slow movements.
An empty room.
The smell of mold stung his nose.
Countless dust particles were flying in the morning sunlight.
「I can't remember anything.」
No, that's a lie.
There's a little - something that vaguely comes to mind, but it's too fragmented.
A tavern?
A girl?
It's as if he's trying to recall the contents of a dream, and it's difficult to grasp the full picture of his memory.
It was just yesterday.
(I must have finally gone crazy from exhaustion and hunger. I thought I bought a pair of glasses from a suspicious stall.)
『You're finally awake. How are you feeling?』
「――――!? I'm not dreaming!?」
He looked back at his bedside and saw a pair of silver glasses in his sight.
The glasses.
Surely he bought a pair of glasses at a street stall yesterday, folded up carefully.
In addition, there was a black shirt, bottoms, and brand-new leather shoes neatly arranged next to it.
「What the hell is this ......?」
Taking up the shiny shoes, Kian raises an eyebrow.
Something's wrong.
Something is fatally out of synch.
『You, don't remember anything?』
「――!? What the hell happened, tell me!」
He was so anxious that he raised his voice at the glasses.
His heart was pounding against his ribs as if he was a stranger.
After a few moments of silence, the glasses slowly spoke up.
『――Calm down. You're probably a little confused by the effects of the glasses. This is a common phenomenon among wearers. You have nothing to worry about, as you will soon be able to share your memories after a few times.』
「You didn't answer my question! What was I doing yesterday!?」
He held the glasses up in front of his face as if he was holding them as an offering and shouted.
After a beat, she said,
『――Nothing.』
「What?」
『I told you, you didn't do anything. You ate, you took a dump, and you went to bed.』
「.......」
『Do you want me to describe it to you in detail?』
「Enough.」
He threw off the glasses and put his hand on his forehead.
He feels like he did a lot of terrible, unforgivable things yesterday.
No, the fact that he did something outrageous is still good.
The fact that he has no memory of it is fatally bad.
The glasses spoke softly to Kian, who was desperately trying to trace the thread of his memory.
『Don't panic, the memories will be shared soon. I understand your impatience, but time will take care of everything. If you want, you can try me(glasses) again. Perhaps next time you'll get used to the sensation and the memory will stick.」
「No, thank you! What kind of logic does have to do with getting used to it and remembering it?....... That's fucked up.」
Kian let out a sigh.
He looked at the folded black shirt.
(These clothes and shoes don't belong to me. Did I buy them during a memory lapse? ...... No, the contents of my wallet haven't changed for that reason. One copper coin and six iron coins. It's the same amount I remember. But then, how did I get these clothes?)
「No way. Am I stealing from somewhere?」
『Anyway, Kian, have you noticed any changes since you bought me?』
「Change? Unfortunately, I don't think my poverty has changed at all since I bought you. In fact, my memory is all screwed up and I'm in a mess.」
『And what about your magic?』
「Magic? ............ What?」
『Have you noticed?』
The voice of the glasses with a hint of laughter.
Kian stared in amazement at his own palm, hearing it in the distance.
(What is this?)
The amount of magic power is clearly increasing.
Normally, it would be enough to fill up a cup, but...
If he had to use an analogy, He say he had the equivalent of five buckets in his body.
(How did I get this amount of magic power from ......? It would take my Tachyonian cells three months to generate it.)
『Kufufu, The dinner you had last night must have been really good.』
「What do I eat to accumulate so much magic power ......」
『Don't you have to use the magic you've got?』
「Huh ......?」
For a moment, He couldn't make sense of it.
He stiffened as if stunned by the words of the glasses.
(Use? Use this magic power ......?)
I didn't realize it until the glasses told me.
Yes, magic power.
Magic power.
There's magic power!
This feeling of power, this tremendous energy.
It's a lot of magic I've dreamed of!
I don't know why, but it's there, and I have to use it.
If I leave it alone, it will naturally dissipate and disappear.
「I-I see. That's what you said. Since it's there, I have to use it. ......」
(But what is it used for――?)
He only ever had minuscule amounts of magic power, so he doesn't really feel it at all.
How should I use the magic power in my body?
He doesn't know at all.
His head was in a whirlpool of confusion.
Without waiting for Kian's next words, the glasses continued.
『That magic power is now yours. You can use it, corrupt it, or give it to others as you wish. But a wise person never misses an opportunity to use it effectively. This is especially true if it's the magic power that came to you. This may be the last time.』
「――」
『Did I say that too much? What I'm trying to say is, are you going to just sit back and relax in this shabby room? You're wasting your time.』
「――! I'm going to the guild's training grounds! I'm going to use my magic power to practice Azrair's Dance of Swordsmanship!」
Kian stood up as if he had been hit by a bullet and picked up the tattered armor that had been placed beside him.
『Nnuh? Are you okay for you to use that all magic power for a mere training session? For example......., How about doing a commission to kill a ghoul? If you're in a party, the rewards are not good, but if you do it solo, you can make some money. You can also accumulate guild contribution points.』
「So.......Solo ghoul slaying!? That's ridiculous. The danger level of ghouls in a pack is equivalent to 9th class for a party of three or more, but it jumps to 7th class if you go solo. It's too dangerous for me, a 9th-class adventurer, to go alone.」
『Hoho. You will not be defeated by those who do nothing but scavenge dead flesh and clean garbage. With my blessings, you are the champion of all things. Even a soaring griffin is no match for you.』
「How many adventurers do you think have died because of their incomprehensible extravagance? Last month, a party of 8th-class adventurers who went out to kill goblins was wiped out.」
『They're so weak』
「I've never dealt with such a large amount of magic power before. I've only done simple things like the Azrair's Dance of Swordsmanship and healing techniques, which can be done with a glass of water. ...... Next time - if I ever get another chance to get the same amount of magic power, I'll practice now to make sure I can take on the harder requests then.」
『Hmmm... ....... Well, It's your choice. Do as you want.』
「Besides.」
Kian finished putting on his armor and grabbed his wooden sword and club from the wall.
He could feel his heart fluttering.
Finally, he felt a sense of reality.
Magic power!
I can use magic!
I could feel the edges of my mouth naturally relax.
I can feel my body becoming energized.
It's not just a metaphor, but the spring of the world has come, hasn't it?
Kian smiled as if he were a boy again.
「Ever since I was a little, I've been fascinated by the training of Azrair's Dance of Swordsmanship using magical power. As I watched Sarah and the others practicing basic techniques with their chi, I thought to myself, I wish I could do something like that.」
『――I see. I can now see your distant past. It must have been a painful experience for you to be stagnant and left behind while your friends were growing up. If that's the case, then you can practice with your sword to your heart's content. If you break a limb or two, I'll do something about it. In any case, swing your sword, swing your sword, swing your sword like crazy!』
「I don't think I'm going as far to tear my limbs, though」
Kian chuckled at that.
But for now, he wanted to practice Dancing swordsmanship.
He has been using a fake sword technique that doesn't use magic power.
Because now, his physical strength and spacing would be dramatically different.
I want to keep practicing until I'm too tired to move!
「Okay, let's go!」
Kian slung his backpack over his shoulder.
『Don't leave me here. Take me on your adventure.』
「Oh, yes, of course. Sorry.」
He picked up the glasses and placed them on top of the white monk's cloth he wore around his head.
He inserted the part for the ears between the cloths, so it would be fine while he was on the move.
「Then, Once again, please take care of me」
『Hurry up and go. This musty room is suffocating me..』
(Suffocating? You're an inanimate object, aren't you ......)
The phrase came to mind, but he didn't say it and ran out the rotting door.
A clear blue sky stretched out beyond the small common space.
It felt like a blessing for Kian's future, which made him feel even better.
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Tftc
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