Inferior Magic Swordsman: Using the Skill Board to Become the Strongest

Chapter 18 First Request

Taken by Esther, Toru came to the outside of Finlis.

Toru was absorbed in the magic he used for the first time.

He resisted the urge to say something chuunibyou, such as "Kukkukku" or "I must calm the evil sealed in my hand". (T/N – a.k.a. middle-school second-year syndrome: typically used to describe early teens who have delusions of grandeur.)

This time he barely resisted, but Toru does not know when another episode will occur.

Chuunibyou urges are dangerous.

While using magic, Toru realized that changing his image would change the magic.

For example, < Fireball >. If you use it without any image, a ball of fire of about 10 cm (4”) in diameter will fly towards the target.

When he was creating an image before activating it, he could change the size of the flame and increase or decrease the power of the spell.

Toru isn't planning on imagining < Flare >. He wanted to use < Fireball >, so he tried to make it as small as possible and increase the firepower to the maximum,

"And what? What are you doing?! It looks way too suspicious. I'm leaving now!" (Esther)

Esther was upset.

Toru thought that she was exaggerating, but he became so scared of her unusual reaction that he stopped from casting it.

Not just power. The color of magic has been changed.

?Fireball? can be changed into various colors if you imagine the flame’s power.

When imagining a BTB solution, < < Water Ball > > was changed to yellow, green, and blue. (T/N – BTB (Bromothymol blue) solution is used for pH indication for alkali substances. Colors range from yellow, green, and blue. Just google for more info)

The image of < Rock Needle > changes colors from varying shades of white to black depending on what substance he imagines. However, even if he tried hard, he couldn't make it golden or silver.

He thought it would be interesting if the < Rock Needle > turned golden or silver, but ordinary plains do not contain large amounts of gold and silver. So the color doesn't change.

Besides, it was not possible to change if the substances thought off are low in concentration.

The only thing that didn't change color was wind magic.

Since air is colorless. There may be colored air in this world, but Toru doesn’t know. If he didn't know, he couldn't have it show in his magic.

"I think that if I collect and release colored smoke, I can add color to < Air Cutter > as well. I think it will take time and effort if I do not prepare the smoke first." (Toru)

However, just because it was done does not mean that the power of magic changes or that it became easier to use.

It's just a hobby for Toru.

Toru was becoming accustomed to magic while performing various experiments.

When he noticed, the day has already begun to end.

"Oh, I'm hungry..." (Toru)

When he was no longer able to concentrate as his stomach called his attention.

Toru used magic to level the bumpy ground to not be a bother to others.

"Toru. I'll be back soon." (Esther)

Esther, who had been training herself very hard, was putting her sword in a sheath and wiped her face with a towel.

So far she hasn't interfered with Toru's magic practice. She hadn’t talked to him since she stopped Toru's "flare"-like "fireball".

"Sorry, I'm sorry to have wasted your day." (Toru)

"No. It was good because I was able to concentrate on my training." (Esther)

The two quickly passed through Finlis' gate and returned to the inn.

After finishing their dinner that wasn’t quite tasty, they ate enough for the skipped lunch. Toru returned to his room and immediately collapse into his bed.

By the way, dinner was a steak that was hard and chewy as leather with an overwhelmingly salty taste.

○

Before bedtime. Toru suddenly reminded himself of a classic fantasy training.

Like muscle training, "if you continue to use magic, your magical power will increase."

Therefore, Toru decided to use magic before going to bed to increase his magical power.

The magic used is of course not the kind of < fireball > or < waterball >. If he used such a thing, the inn will be burned down in no time. Good thing < lighting > can be used even at home.

However, if one normally uses < lighting >, the room will be so bright and he will not be able to sleep.

So Toru decided to put the < lighting > under the bed.

"How many can I cast?" (Toru)

He tried to insert cast of them. However, he did not feel that his magic power has decreased.

It was useless to cast one by one, and it became troublesome after a while and he cast one with all the mana he can pour.

Immediately, the bed began to shine like a UFO.

The amount of light seems to emerge from that single light alone.

If someone were to look straight at this, he will become blind.

However, Toru ran out of magical power after activating < Lighting > and faints after doing so. Luckily he avoided the horrors of blindness.

Toru woke up the next day,

"what's this……" (Toru)

He was at a loss of words for a while because of the radiance that overflowed from the bed.

When his head started to clear, he finally remembered, "Speaking of which, I had cast a lot of "lighting" last night."

Some disappeared during the night, but there was still a fair amount of < lighting > left in the futon.

Waking up with a shiny futon was a very surreal experience.

It feels like a reborn Tutankhamun. (T/N – Tutankhamun, “Boy Pharaoh”, is a well-known Egyptian pharaoh. For more info, google him.)

It became a sarcophagus, not a bed...

Anyway, Toru silently disabled the < lighting > and prepare for the day.

As soon as the sun rose, he left the inn.

The day before, he was able to fully satisfy his desire to use magic, so today he wanted to receive a request from the guild.

The guild was quiet. It's not yet the time for adventurers to start working.

There are no adventurers, but the guild was open.

People are in the guild for 24 hours so they can respond when an emergency happens.

There are no people at the reception desk, but there is a bell.

It's the same as the front desk of the hotel, and it seems that someone will appear if he rings the bell.

Toru looked at the bulletin board where the guild's requests were posted.

"The request that can be received even by an F-rank is...here?" (Toru)

Luggage carry: 5 large copper coins a day.

Delivery: 4 large copper coins a day.

Water supply cleaning: 6 large copper coins per day.

If he looked only at this, he will feel that adventurers are just names and that they are just temporary staffing businesses.

But this is also an important job. All are indispensable tasks in the city.

Toru found a request to "collect herbs" from among them.

Since this request is permanent, there is no failure. If he brings medicinal herbs, he will be paid only for what he brings.

"It’s good that there are no failures." (Toru)

It is impossible for Toru, but if he used the memory of Lid as his guide. He can collect herbs.

Maybe it'll be fine, but Toru decided to make this "herb collection" request without thinking deeply.

Since the request is permanent, it does not matter if he does not apply to the reception. Toru left the guild as it was.

He bought grilled meat for lunch at the stalls along the way and threw it into his inventory where no one could see it.

"Oh, hi. Uh...It is Toru, right? You alone today?" (Guard)

"Yes. I'm going to collect herbs." (Toru)

"Already. Hmm, do your best." (Guard)

"Oh, yes." (Toru)

Presenting the guild card to the guard Toru exited through Finlis Gate.

"...What was with that reaction?" (Toru)

Toru remembered the look of the guard as he left the gate. It was a stern expression. However, he said nothing and left Toru to his devices.

"Is it difficult to collect the herbs? Is it dangerous? But it's an F-rank request." (Toru)

He does not understand even if he thinks about it.

“Well, there are no problems, it would probably be okay?” Toru rushed to the forest and headed.

Various plants grow in the forest. For Toru, these plants look just like weeds, no matter how much they look different.

However, when he recalled Lid's memory, he found that it was a plant with various effects.

Shibily grass, spice grass, licorice grass, disinfectant grass...

There was no official name in Lid's memory, but the taste can be understood with a single shot.

"...Maybe Lid has eaten all these grasses?" (Toru)

He lived mainly in hunting. However, it is not always possible to hunt for prey every day. There must have been days when no prey was found.

At that time, Lid was eating grass to satiate his hunger.

Toru was crying when he imagined that Lid was eating grass. Getting hurt and suffering from the spiciness, and happy to find sweet grass.

Toru has lived in Japan without any inconvenience. He never got hungry and had to eat grass. No matter how poor the people became there was the food offered by the government to helped people. That was once his normal.

But how blessed was such a life?

Eargard is not such a world.

If he is not able to work, Toru will be forced to live on grass because to pay for future expenses.

"I must do my best!" (Toru)

Toru renews his determination to live in Eargard.

When he walked through the forest, he found a medicinal plant easily. The collection method was also remembered by Lid. If possible, trim only one stem from the center without damaging the root.

By doing so, the medicinal plants will sprout and grow without dying.

A wild dog would often approach Toru, but it would run away with its tail tucked in with only a slight < intimidation >.

The encounter rate with wild dogs is higher than before.

"Is it normal to target the same individual?" (Toru)

If the beasts become too persistent, cut it, and throw it away.

However, because the beasts look like a dog, Toru didn't want to kill it aggressively.

"I don't want you to get near me if possible..." (Toru)

Toru cast four < fireballs > overhead while thinking. Rotating it over and over.

The activated Fireball has a modest power. It is dangerous if the magic power runs out while in the middle, and if the power is too strong, it will burn the trees.

The reason why he activated < Fireball > is to train his magic.

If he can do this unconsciously, it will be much easier to activate magic.

< Fireball > When four are getting easier he added another one. When 5 became easy, he gradually increased the number to 6.

In rare cases, the control would be disturbed and the trees would get burned, but Toru immediately extinguished the fire with a < waterball >, he had been preparing to use.

When he was searching for medicinal herbs while practicing magic, he noticed that beasts suddenly stopped appearing.

"...Is my intent understood by the wild dogs?" (Toru)

The reason why the wild dogs wouldn't get close to him was not that they knew that he didn't want to kill them.

It's simply because they don't want to approach a suspicious person with countless < fireballs > on their head.

If ones’ survival instinct is functioning properly, they will be afraid to approach such dangerous people.

However, without realizing it, Toru hummed satisfied and collected herbs.