The Forest Magician

Looks like the spider doesnt manage to have a bite of you, surly disciple. Did you deal with it properly?

I did it just as instructed.

I showed master the spiders head and sticky string that were stuffed into the bags. Master frowned a bit seeing that.

You crushed one of its eyes. Couldnt you defeat it more cleanly?

Ill do better next time.

Master grinned when I answered like that obediently. She then patted my head roughly.

Well, its a good job no matter what if a rank 2 can hunt a rank 3 monster. Were going to process the torso first, so wash your dirty feet first before bringing it to the processing spot at the backyard, surly disciple.

Roger, master.

Master went to the back of the house with the two bags. I returned to the entrance and washed my dirty feet before lifting up the spiders torso. The season had changed and four months had passed since I tumbled into masters place. Now Im eight years old and have grown a bit taller.

Who is this person who I called master? Why am I living deep inside the forest like this? I need to go back to four months ago after that fight in order to explain it.

I jumped into the strong current of the rivers rising water in order to shake off Graves pursuit. I used Hard just moment before I entered the water, changing the dirty maid uniform to be an improvised life buoy. But I still couldnt rest easy. I curled my body and dived deeply without resisting the strong currents flow. I continued suppressing my presence desperately until I gained some distance.

My chance to survive was low. I managed to to turn my uniform into life buoy, but I lost direction of which was up or down inside this darkness of the night. The strong current toyed with my small body and mercilessly robbed me of my stamina.

And then most likely there were monsters inside the water. There were few high ranked monster that would approach the bank and attacked people, but the inside of the water must be teeming with low ranked monster. I didnt know whether monster could do activity inside this violent current, but I would be helpless if I got attacked in my current state.

I sharpened my mind and focused in using Stealth. I used my Search and Night Vision in full force to at least learn my direction. The Night Vision that used the reflection of magic particle was hard to use inside this violent current. The Night Vision that was looking using color was also incomprehensible because I was inside water where everything was blue colored. That was why I used both Search and Night Vision to at least gaze inside the dark water the whole time. Then while I was in the verge of choking and put between the interstice of life and death, my vision suddenly opened and I managed to grasp my direction.

My face broke out the water surface for just a moment and I sucked in air. If I became able to differentiate magic particles color even inside water, then I should be able to see the living thing swimming in the water. I expanded my Searchs range and accuracy while keeping that in mind, felt a presence that felt like a snake approaching me from the fish swarm swimming at the bottom of the river, and immediately cut it down with Battle Technique, Thrust.

I could fight even inside water. I could also take a breath if I understood my direction. In that case the only problem left was my stamina to keep enduring until the rivers flow slowed down.

Fortunately the effect of the mana recovery potion was still remaining inside my body. I squeezed out light mana from the magic stone in my heart and suppressed my staminas exhaustion and the decrease of my body temperature as much as possible.

I wouldnt give up. I still couldnt die. There was a chance that Grave might harm Elena in the future. So I had to obtain the strength to surpass and defeat him without fail.

Even while I rejuvenated my body with light magic particles, I used mana control to cover my bodys surface with water magic particles and attempted to camouflage myself as much as possible. How much time had passed since I was carried by the water flow. When my mind turned hazy and my concentration was almost cut off, the rivers flow finally turned gentler together with the sunrise. I cut another snake that attacked me and carried its corpse with me as I managed to get back on land after several hours staying in water.

My body was freezing. My stamina and mana were also mostly exhausted. I would easily lose if monster or animal attacked me in this state. I dragged my powerless body and hid myself inside a thicket. I used Stealth while single-mindedly waiting for my stamina and mana to recover.

During that time, if I didnt circulate the little mana in my possession to strengthen my internal organs, I would surely die from cold. A few hours later, I used Heal on myself using my slightly recovered mana, made fire, grilled the water snakes corpse, devoured the meat, and then focused myself completely on recovering my body.

.

A whole day passed before I finally could move my battered body properly.

My mana had recovered earlier than my stamina and I healed all the wounds on my body with Cure. I thought it was Sera who told me to never leave any wound remaining on my body.

I wondered if my life was targeted by the order of that organization or if it was just Graves arbitrary decision. Either way, it didnt matter as long as Grave was in that organization. I chose the path of separation from them.

Id become strong and kill Grave. If anyone got in the way of that, I resolved myself to turn my blade toward them, even if it was Sera or Viro.

But, what should I do from now on. As long as that organization that was connected to the nobility existed, it felt like it would be dangerous to enter a large city. At best I could only stop by at a village or small cityeven so I should avoid other place than the countryside. The same with the adventurer guild, I couldnt use them until the heat on me died down, so it was necessary for me to grope for a new way of living.

Right now I was near the border, so perhaps going north from here and crossed the border was a feasible choice. However, I still had a single prospect left.

First I checked my condition before taking action. Perhaps because of my battle against Grave and my struggle against death inside the water, my Throwing, Stealth, Night Vision, and Search skills had leveled up to level 2.

Throwing must had leveled up because of the fight versus the water spirit and because recently I had kept using only Throwing. Putting aside Stealth and Search, human should only be able to obtain Night Vision until level 1. It became level 2 light be the result of me combining the original method of night vision with my unique color sight.

I almost got killed, but I should just consider it as good thing that it became a nourishment for me to grow.

First, in order to hide myself and prepare, I used my leveled up Stealth and Search while running through the forest along the river. I headed toward the simple base that I previously created in the forest.

When I arrived at the simple base in the forest, I discarded my maid uniform that was in tatters and washed off the remaining mud on my body. After that I changed into the tunic and trouser that I was using during my travel to here, and for the last I wrapped a shawl around my neck to hide my face.

I had lost all of my weapons except the black knife, the other thin knife that I received from Sera and the steel knife from Feld were in the simple base. I stored them on my waist band and my boots.

I didnt have throwing knife, but if it was now that my Throwing skill had become level 2, I should be able to manage somehow. With that thinking, I threw the steel knife as a test. It stabbed into the tree trunk without problem.

The money that I was hiding, the salt and portable food, the dried medicinal grasses were put into the bag where I stuffed my clothes and I shouldered the bag.

My destination was two days of walking through this forest from here. At the end I used Hard and boiled water in a clay jar. I put salt into it and drank up the hot water to replenish the water and salt in my body. Then I started running soundlessly inside the forest that was starting to turn dark.

Stealth, Night Vision, Search, then daily life magic. With them I wouldnt find too much difficulty even inside a forest. I also encountered goblin and wolf midway, but there was no high ranked monster that could discover me when I was hiding.

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Two days laterat that location that I headed toward based on that womans memory inside the knowledge, I discovered a single house that was made from wood and stone and mud.

The garden had become slightly bigger compared to that womans memory. The weeds were somewhat increasing but there was no mistake that this was the right place. I tried knocking the door lightly, but there was no reply from inside. I dismantled the trap on the door using the information remaining in the knowledge and stepped inside

*Tan-!* There was such sound as a strange shaped knife pierced the door.

Whos there? Entering someone elses house without permission like this, you really dont know any manner arent you brat.

From the table located at the back of the house, a woman wearing a robe that looked like the picture book description of a magician toyed with a strange shaped knife while sending Pressure at me.

Strong. I cant accurately analyze her because her figure is hidden by the hood, but even just from the feeling of paralyzing pressure, she should be stronger than level 3.

I come to return this.

With a minimum movement so as to not provoke her, I showed the hand written her book in my hand by waving it around. Seeing the book, the Pressure that was placed on me vanished. In exchange that womans magic teacher emitted a faint anger while scoffing.

Hah, are you that stupid disciples acquaintance? How is that stupid disciple who stole money and potion from my place doing? Has she died already?

I killed her.

I answered her calmly with a dispassionate tone. The anger vanished for an instant from the woman and silence filled the room.

I see. It must be a very idiotic way to die. Ill give that book to you. It should fetch you some money if you sell it. Go home already.

It seemed that she held a bit of feeling as a teacher toward a disciple even for that kind of woman. Originally I only planned to return this book but, right now I have a more important business with this woman.

I want to learn sorcery from you.

I told you to go home right? Nothing good even will happen if you get involved with this kind of old hag living this far from human settlement and can only raise a stupid disciple.

Her voice still sounded like the voice of a young woman. And yet she called herself an old hag. That woman knew really well the reason for that.

Is that because you are a demon?

Silence fell once more in that instant. The next moment, a killing intent that froze my body is thrown at me.

Who told you that? Did that stupid disciple blab at you? I dont remember raising her to be that stupid thoughwhat do you think I should do to someone like you who know about that?

If I didnt have any experience of feeling the killing intent of high ranked person from Feld, Viro, and Grave, I would surely faint or lose my fighting spirit.

But, Im not scared although Im trembling. Im feeling threatened but there is no fear.

I want to learn sorcery from you.

You, who are you?

When I stared straight at that womans teacher and said the same words again with the same dispassionate tone like before, the killing intent slackened and her atmosphere changed into a faint astonishment.

It will be a long story. Various things happened after your disciple attacked me.

When I hinted that I wasnt the aggressor but the victim, that womans teacher let out a deep sigh and stood up from her chair. She seemed to accept my words.

Come over here and tell me everything. Ill at least brew you some tea.

That womans teacher said that while taking off her hood. She looked like she is still in her thirty. Now I can see her lustrous skin that is black like obsidian, her silver hair, and long ears that stretched out from her hair.

Dark elf. It is said that their skin color came from selling their soul to the evil god of darkness. The dark elves who are living at the west coast of this continent are called as the evil race in this continent.

Call me Serjura. Whats your name?

You can call me Aria.

The large scale war was already over, but even now the evil race is still in a continuous state of dispute with the southwest countries that are centered around human race. Why is this woman who is a dark elf living in Claydale that is located at the southeast edge of the continent? Even that womans knowledge contained no information about that. But, such thing doesnt matter for me. I only wanted even more knowledge and the strength to overturn fate, nothing else.

.

I talked about how that woman attacked me in order to take over my body. Then how her knowledge accidentally flowed into me from the magic stone that had been grafted with that womans mind.

To be honest, the thing about this otome game whatever isnt something that I myself really understand so I cant explain about it, but when I revealed how I feel, that I want to avoid following the odd fate of becoming a noble, Serjura seemed like that she also has some ideas from the past about that womans action. She nodded deeply and fell into thought before she leaned back on her chair while pointing her thumb at the passage behind her.

For now, you can use the room back there. It was that stupid disciples room and right now its half turned into a storage but, you understand if its you right?

Hm?

I tilted my head a bit to show that I dont understand. Serjura grinned in respond.

Im saying that Ill train you. Ill make you strong just as you want so prepare yourself, surly disciple.