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Chapter 68. Legend In The Wilderness

"Heh... heh... Wasn't the pace faster?"

"It's just your imagination."

"No, no! Haa... even Cherina's... escorts... all four are out of breath!"

Not as much as me, but Cherina's escorts are also slightly out of breath. There's no doubt the carriage's pace was fast.

"Such trivial matters are fine."

"Yes, Akira-sama, it must be your imagination."

"Cherina! Is this your doing?"

"What are you talking about?"

She replies with a smirk.

Damn it, there's no one here but enemies.

"Anyway, Hagg, check the charcoal. Yaralai, check the corn and cassava and check the compost situation."

"Understood."

"Got it."

Hagg and Yaralai obediently go to their respective places. It's reassuring here because there are many guards.

"Akira-sama, this way."

I'm led with Cherina's four guards to a place where the experimental site is barely visible. Upon Cherina's instructions, the four guards spread out in the four directions.

"Shall we begin?"

"Begin what?"

"It's obviously the test for the new aerial tools."

"Oh. But is that already decided?"

If I suddenly understand being brought to an open space like this. It would be amazing.

"If you observe the surroundings, Akira-sama, you will quickly understand."

"I'm not a psychic."

"Psychic?"

"Ah... I'm not a magician. So I wouldn't understand that."

"It's a matter of observation and situational awareness."

"I don't have either."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

I guess psychic abilities don't work.

"Well, never mind that, let's get on with the test."

"Yes, let's... First, Akira-sama, please use them as you like."

"Alright... But if I use them carelessly, they might break again."

"When the light sword broke last time, I noticed that just before it broke, the light from the spatial tool became unstable. Probably, when it approaches the limit, such symptoms occur."

Come to think of it, it was like that last time.

"I see. So I should stop when the spatial tool behaves suspiciously."

"There's no guarantee."

"Better than having no guidelines at all. Well then, shall we begin?"

I take out the card-shaped new aerial tool. Like playing poker, I arrange them so I can see which tool is which. I saw deformed illustrations of lighting, cleaning, wind, fire, and light swords got lined up.

"You can't use multiple spatial tools at the same time."

I remember saying something like that before.

"Yes. But since it's Akira-sama, maybe..."

Until now, Cherina has been smiling, but suddenly her expression turns serious as she starts to think.

"..."

"Shall we try a little? Akira-sama, could you try using lighting and cleaning at the same time?"

"I feel like I've been asked for something unreasonable. But well, let's give it a try."

I activate lighting with my left hand, clean with my right hand, and put the rest in my pocket. I try to activate them simultaneously by touching the center of the card, but it fails.

"Looks like it didn't work."

"That's good."

"Is it good?"

"If it had worked, Akira-sama's legend of absurdity would have increased, you know?"

"Don't make up weird legends."

She's such a rude woman.

"Is... something wrong?"

"Huh? No, it's nothing."

I haven't said it out loud, have I?

Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I hold the cleaning spatial tool in my right hand and the rest in my left hand in a fan shape.

"Now, let's continue the test."

"Why are you reading so stiffly?"

"In your mind in your mine."

I activate the cleaning aerial tool and tidy up my clothes to cover them up.

"There's no problem with the activation itself."

I brush off the fine sand from my clothes.

"Yes, but cleaning clothes while wearing them... Isn't that difficult even for a laundry?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Akira-sama..."

"I know. I'll avoid doing this in public from now on."

I might have used it a few times, but let's not mention that.

Cherina lets out a big sigh. Why though?

"Well, it's fine. Shall we move on to the real thing soon?"

"The real thing?"

"Since you've already used the light sword, we only need to test it later. However, the wind and fire spatial tools will be used for the first time, right?"

"Oh, yeah. I've only used cleaning, lighting, and the light sword with the spatial tools."

"Then let's practice using them as well."

"Sounds good."

But what exactly are wind and fire for?

"I heard that wind can create a gentle breeze."

"That's what I've heard too."

"Hmm... a gentle breeze..."

I activate the wind aerial tool, imagining blowing away the fallen branches. I prioritize the image of an air pump found at a gas station. I imagine the one for cars, so a very strong airflow sprouts out. I couldn't quite grasp the vague image of a gentle breeze.

With a whooshing sound, sand rises in a straight line from the card, and the dried branch flies straight away.

It seems it was a light branch.

"..."

Cherina's movement has stopped. She seems to be staring with wide eyes, but I decide not to worry about it.

"Next..."

I pick up a stone about the size of a ping-pong ball. I place it on top of a rock. I imagine compressed air. Air compressed to the limit can launch a plastic bottle rocket into the sky or propel a car. Its potential is infinite.

I noticed when I blew away the branches, this wind could control its direction quite well. So if I control the vectors of compression and release, I should be able to produce a concentrated strong wind.

With a strange conviction, first, I imagine compression. Compressing the space to the size of a ping-pong ball. Then to the size of a human, then to a room of about 6 tatami mats, then to a living room of about 12 tatami mats. Oops, the light leaking from the aerial tool starts to flicker.

Around here seems to be the limit, so I stabilize it by reducing the image to about 8 tatami mats.

The image of air compressed to the size of a ping-pong ball moves next to the stone, and then I imagine releasing the air only in the direction of the stone. And all at once!

With a bang, the stone flies away. It lands about 100 meters away in an arc.

"Not bad."

Cherina hasn't moved since earlier. Yeah. I'd appreciate it if she could stay quiet. Oh, saying 'uncle' to yourself made me feel down. Well, it might be the age when people start to be called 'uncle'...

I try to regain my focus and come up with a new image. I feel like I haven't been using the word 'breeze' subtly since earlier, so this time, I'll try to make it a bit more like a gentle breeze.

Yes...

I survey the dusty wilderness.

Yeah, that should work.

I decided to fulfill the dream of my childhood mischief. This is already an easy image. Let's do it all at once.

"Ninjutsu! Wind Release Technique!!"

I'm getting into it.

The wind swirls around me with a whoosh, raising a sandstorm that shrouds my figure.

By the way, "ton" means to escape. Basically, it's a technique for escaping or hiding. That's 1uite fitting for me, really.

"Oh, it worked out well. Come to think of it, they said it works better if you say it out loud."

When I release the power of the aerial tool, the wind subsides, and the sand gradually clears.

It's a bit late to realize, but what I did was quite chuunibyou. Please forgive me for my youthful indiscretion. Even though I'm not young anymore.

Let's move on to the next to divert attention. Yeah.

Next is the fire aerial tool.

Since this is also my first time using it, it's hard to grasp the image.

According to the story I heard from Halogen before, it can be used instead of flint and can shoot fireballs called fire bullets.

Ignition is easy. The illustration on the Aerial Card is also a picture of a bonfire.

I casually create flames on the ground with the image of a bonfire. Yeah, yeah. Just as expected. It can be maintained as it is. I kept it for about 20 seconds. But I got bored, so I put it out. No problem with activation.

I'm not fighting anyone, but I still want to try using fireballs. This should be like the fireballs of magicians that appear in fantasy movies.

I imagine high-temperature plasma. After all, flames themselves are plasma. Since too large a flame would burden the Sky Device, I made it about the size of a person's head. Prioritizing heat. Sensibly, it's like a plasma sphere trapped in a vacuum.

Huh? It feels like I'm moving away from the fireballs of wizards. Oh well.

What was born was a bluish-white shining sphere about the size of a fist. Oh, right, if I increase the heat, it turns blue.

I tried to enlarge the plasma sphere, but the behavior of the Aerial Card became unstable, so I immediately returned it to its original size.

I tried to fly the sphere with enclosed plasma onto a distant rock-like platform.

I thought it flashed for a moment, but it seemed the sphere burst.

Upon closer inspection, a small part of the surface had melted into a bright red. It seems to have turned into lava. How much heat was that?

"Hey Cherina, it seems I can create a stronger firepower than I thought, huh?"

Rather than a substitute for flint, it's more like a plasma igniter. Well, it's unrelated. But when I was on Earth, I had an arc discharge lighter. It was handy because it didn't need gas or oil and could be charged via USB, but it got stolen by my boss out of curiosity... Since then, I've been using a 100 yen lighter. I recalled something unpleasant.

Looking at Cherina, who didn't respond, her eyes widened like a gag manga character, and her jaw seemed to drop to the ground. Her cute face got ruined. It's better not to show this to anyone other than me, or there will be no one to marry her.

Finally, I'll test the Light Sword. Let's get this done quickly. I spew the Light Sword Vulcan Phalanx towards a nearby boulder and crush it to pieces. If shot at a human, they'd be minced instantly. Yeah. Let's not aim it at people.

As a precaution, I also experimented with fireworks particles and finished.

"It's done. There's no problem. Thanks to Halogen."

Although it ended up being a card-shaped aerial tool made at my whim, it was remarkably easy to use.

"It's well done. Making it so that you have to touch the center of the card to activate it was the right choice. Magic with a card, it's a bit chuunibyou, isn't it?"

Actually, since I can't use real magic if it can be practiced, it's just the use of a tool.

So even though I was a little excited, it shouldn't be much different from being excited about a new PC. Probably.

Speaking of which, there's a notebook PC, isn't there? It's completely unused. Since the SHOP level has gone up considerably, maybe I should think about how to secure power... no, if that plan goes well, that'll get solved. Patience is key. Though, the necessary "thing" for that plan still seems to lack divine approval...

By the way, isn't it about time Cherina's petrification gets lifted?

"Hey, Cherina. We're done~"

When I tapped Cherina's shoulder and spoke to her, she began to tremble slightly.

"Hi..."

Oh, she spoke.

"Hi... Hi..."

Is she in labor? Hihihoo.

"This is absurd!"

Whoa!

"Oh!"

"Oh! Akira-sama! You! I knew it, I knew it, but why are you so unreasonable!? Are you intending to overturn the principles of this world's magic? Are you a revolutionary?"

Cherina exploded and started talking. And she's scolding me. Unreasonable.

"Hey..."

"Your face doesn't seem to understand what you've done, does it?! Listen? In what world can you use a wind aerial tool to unleash an attack equivalent to a cannon, enveloped in a sandstorm, and create fireballs that melt rocks with a fire aerial tool?! It's absurd! Yes! Akira-sama is nothing but a lump of absurdity! It's not an exaggeration to say an absurdity itself is walking around! Do you understand!?"

I totally don't understand.

If I try to argue, it's like throwing gasoline into a fire. I plastered a fake smile on my face.

"Uh, how should I put it? Yes, regarding that matter, let me take it back promptly and after sufficient deliberation..."

"Akira-sama...?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

I immediately bowed deeply. I'm good at apologizing!

"Do you understand what's wrong?!"

"Sir! No! Sir!"

"Sir?"

"Mam! I don't understand at all! Mam!"

"There are some parts that I don't understand either, but did you understand that I don't understand?"

"Yes. Honestly, what was wrong?"

"Everything, everything"

"Even if you say that..."

I only experimented because I got told to, so this punishment is unfair.

"Sigh... Well, if it's a wind aerial tool, it's used to ventilate rooms or as a substitute for a blacksmith's bellows. And if it's a fire aerial tool, it's at most used as a substitute for a lighter, and only those who are very familiar with it can produce fireballs. Fireball aerial tools are supposed to be separate."

"Come to think of it, Halogen said something like that too."

"I'm not sure of the details, but it seems to be related to the purity and strength of the magic stone. But why does Akira-sama's use result in such wicked effects...?"

"Hmm... maybe it's because of the difference in knowledge."

"Knowledge?"

"Yeah. I don't know how much the physical laws of the world I was in before, and this world coincide. But in the country I was in, the physical laws were pretty well understood down to the details."

"That's interesting."

The mysteries of water clusters and why warm water freezes faster than cold water haven't been solved. Oh? Wasn't the ice one solved?

Anyway, it's not like I can say that even if I tell her that. 

"Well, in that sense, I can't say that science has advanced, but in my country, there's compulsory education where you're taught basic common sense, science, physics, math, etc. Well, I only know the bottom tier among them since my grades were bad, but even so, wouldn't the knowledge of this country be surpassed?"

"I see."

"And, for example, there's fire, right? I know that's a type of plasma."

"Plasma?"

"I don't know the details, but the molecules ionize and move around, right?"

"I...o...nize..."

"Uh...objects are made up of atoms and molecules..."

"A...toms..."

"..."

"..."

We ended up having a blind date.

"Sorry, I'm lost. I don't know how to explain anymore."

"Yeah, I have no idea even if I listen."

After all, it's not something that can be taught to someone from the bottom-tier school in the prefecture.

"To put it extremely simply, all objects are aggregates of tiny particles that are too small to see. And based on that, there are different states like liquid, gas, and solid. And there's a special state called plasma, like flames. That's why I tried to visualize that state as much as possible. So I thought maybe there's a connection between knowledge and activation conditions."

I avoided talking about the cloud of probabilities because it would further confuse Cherina. Besides, I don't really understand it myself.

I've often seen illustrations of electrons orbiting around atomic nuclei, but apparently, electrons don't have established positions and velocities... That's what the physics teacher said.

I don't understand how teachers can confidently teach wrong things, but if they start lining up wave functions and say, "This is the cloud of electrons!" then I'd be in trouble. So, what I said should be enough. Yeah. I don't even understand what I'm saying anymore.

Cherina falls silent for a while, lost in thought.

"I don't understand the details at all... but... Lord Akira seems to know the mysteries of a world that even scholars haven't reached yet. And that knowledge is reflected in the results. Is that okay?"

"I have no confirmation."

"I... have a feeling, but I'm starting to understand Akira-sama's secret. Initially, I thought it was just because you're an Apostle, so it's divine power, but now I'm starting to feel like it's not just that."

"I don't have any special powers."

"There are at least two that are known."

"Oh, the SHOP and the container?"

"Yes."

"Oh, there's another one."

I suddenly remember and mention it.

"Huh? Is that so?"

"Translation, or rather, conversation. I don't know the language of this country."

"But you're talking?"

"I'm speaking Japanese... my mother tongue, but strangely, you seem to recognize that, and conversely, your language sounds like my mother tongue. You don't understand Japanese, right?"

"That's right. I don't understand Japanese, but the Midal continent uses the Midal language as the common language. Of course, there are many dialects and regional languages. But, it's the common language. Even the closed-off Elves are said to speak Midal language now."

"So, does Yaralai usually speak the Midal language?"

"Yes."

"Then when does she use her mother tongue, Elvish or something?"

"That's right."

"Hmm, maybe I'll have her speak Elvish next time. Then I'll find out if my ability is translation or not."

"I think that's a good idea."

I unexpectedly learned about the common knowledge of this world. Since this continent is the Great Midal Continent, the common language is the Midal language. That makes sense.

"Hey, does that mean there was a kingdom called Midal in the past?"

"That's right. The Great Midal Kingdom used to rule this continent."

"Now, there are small countries all over the place, right?"

"Yes, the fall of the Great Midal was thousands of years ago."

"I see. Maybe the Lost Technology is from that era?"

"That seems likely."

"Well, it's a given."

"A given?"

"Don't worry about it."

It's common sense for the light novel generation, but it won't make sense no matter how I explain it in a world where culture has become disposable.

"Sigh..."

"Well, forget it. Let's head back. The test is done."

"Right, by the way, Akira-sama."

"I know. I'll try to restrain myself as much as possible."

"Please make sure you do."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Really..."

Cherina and I returned to the experimentation hut and sent the guards who had dispersed back.

"Oh, Akira, you're late."

"Hagg, how was it on your end?"

"Hmph. For humans, they were pretty efficient. I taught them the basics, so it's up to them now."

"That's good. Oh, Yaralai is back too. How was it over there?"

"It went smoothly."

That's all? Well, whatever.

Then, the craftsman Dauro comes over.

"Miss, may I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course."

"Then to your hut over there."

I tried to follow Cherina, but for some reason, Hagg stopped me.

"Veliero, does Akira need to be there?"

Cherina, upon Hagg's words, looks at Dauro.

"It's just about confirming information, so that man isn't necessary."

Dauro's gaze says. 

"You're not needed from the beginning."

"In that case, Akira, you'll train."

"Huh? Seriously? Wait! But I'm a special advisor..."

"Understood. Leave it to Hagg-sama."

Cherina said with a smile. She's gone too far, this brat!

"Then Akira, you come with me."

"Darn it! My life is a crappy game!"

For the first time in a while, my scream got absorbed into the blue sky.