Trading City Oyaimo 2

The book I purchased contained descriptions about magic users.

"Methods to become a magic user, huh?"

"What? You're aiming to be a magic user too? That requires talent—you can't just learn it."

Noel teased me.

The city was safe. With nothing to do but training, I suppose I was just bored.

"Noel has talent with a sword, but seems to lack talent for magic."

"What? Magic, you can do it with practice."

Then maybe I could do it to some extent if I practiced.

Don't go hunting for words! Instead, have you been reading that book nonstop lately—does it seem like you could use magic now?

It felt like "It's probably not going to work anyway." Well, in reality, it's useless.

It's useless.

It's written in this book that the method to become a magician hasn't been figured out yet. There are interviews with people who can use magic, but they all say things like "I suddenly could do it" or "I could always do it from the start"—completely inconsistent."

"Right? You just can't use it without talent. That's how it is."

Noel smirked, as if he'd won some kind of victory.

Time to shift gears and start thinking differently.

What exactly is the difference between a mage and other stone users?

The book describes numerous experiments regarding gemstones, suggesting that magic is likely not inherent within the stones themselves.

Both magic users and tool users require gemstones, yet they manipulate entirely different natural phenomena.

But how exactly do people even draw power from gemstones...

"Hey, you listening?""Taro-kun!"

Once you start thinking deeply, you can't stop. I was being stared at by Noelle.

My clothes floated up, revealing the gap between my chest. I'd unintentionally glanced, but I hoped she hadn't noticed.

Starting that night, I began experimenting with whether I could use magic on light crystals—not by making them glow, but by creating something like a glowing sphere.

The result... of course, it didn't work.

A few days later,

While tidying up after that day's transactions, I heard a strange story from a young man in the caravan.

"Recently, a monkey-like monster has appeared near the town. It was supposedly slain by a group of adventurers who happened to be nearby..."

"A monkey? I thought monsters usually appeared inside dungeons. But now that you mention it, the boar I saw earlier was also in an odd location."

"Well, you see... When I was delivering alcohol to a popular gathering spot for adventurers, that topic was all anyone could talk about.

There were rumors about undiscovered dungeons, and that a powerful monster had appeared in the nearest dungeon—no one could tell what was true and what wasn't."

Either way, it's likely even more monsters are appearing... My mind races with all sorts of thoughts.

"They say a research unit from the empire will be dispatched within a few days. Until then, don't leave the town."

"The ape monster should've been defeated, right?"

"There might be another one. The footprints are strangely numerous."

"I'm scared. If it's an ape, it might be smart enough to sneak into town."

"Hey, come on. It's so scary I can't even go out at night."

"It's not great? You can save money on spending at night, and the kid won't find out either."

"You! Where did you even hear that?"

"Everyone knows, you know."

The young man let out an inaudible scream and ran off.

That day, a messenger arrived at the communal hall of the lodging facility, bearing news from the leader.

"As you all know, soldiers are coming from the empire for the monster investigation. Since there's only this town nearby, the troops will surely be stationed here. Normally, we'd be preparing to move, but this time, I think we should stay a little longer and conduct our transactions here. Anyone have any objections?"

Captain Takahashi Johnny responds.

"Considering our schedule ahead, we're supposed to go to the Empire, then cross the northern mountains to reach the Kingdom. But crossing the mountains in winter would be extremely difficult."

"We've already thought about that. We'll shorten our stay in the Empire and cross the mountains before winter sets in. The new Empress there is young and inexperienced. Her influence has been waning lately, and trade opportunities have diminished as a result."

The deputy captain seemed satisfied.

From there, the discussion shifted to what exactly would be traded. I figured I'd just be carrying cargo, so it didn't concern me much, and I started thinking about the magic I've been practicing lately. By the time I realized it, the negotiation had already ended and everyone had dispersed.

I thought the squad leader had tried to bring me into the conversation a few times, but I kept my responses neutral and safe.

Back in my room, I practiced magic as usual. Yet again, I got absolutely no results.

I tried changing how I focused on the stone, adjusting my grip, and experimenting with various methods, but there was no change—no hint of even the slightest possibility of a glowing sphere.

Perhaps magic truly is something innate, a matter of natural talent. I exhaled deeply.

Having hit a mental wall, I sat at the entrance of the lodging facility to let the evening breeze cool me down.

From somewhere nearby, I heard a familiar voice raised in an argument.

Approaching the source of the voice, I saw the man named Crona, who had previously displayed magic.

He was smoking a cigarette and fidgeting restlessly. Clearly quite agitated.

The other man seemed to be a soldier—unusually large in build. His armor was adorned with elaborate embroidery.

Probably part of the imperial advance unit.

"Mr. Crona, please. We need your skills for the monster-hunting mission."

"I don't want to. Eliminating monsters is your soldiers' job. My magic isn't meant for fighting."

Upon closer inspection, Crona's knees are trembling. He's genuinely afraid of battle. Then again, it's only natural to feel fear when facing such creatures.

The soldier doesn't stop.

Recent research has shown that monsters are drawn to individuals who possess magical energy, such as magical stones or magic users. Conversely, magic users are also attracted to monsters, allowing them to roughly locate their positions. Your abilities are needed—back when you served in the Empire's magical forces.

"That's precisely why I resent it. In the end, I'm just bait to lure out the monsters. I never agreed to be a beast's livestock! Find someone else."

With that, Krona tossed aside her cigar and quickly vanished somewhere. The soldier, having failed the negotiation, slumped his shoulders and walked away.

The investigation into the monster seems likely to run into difficulties. Nevertheless, I've picked up various new pieces of information. If we can uncover the underlying reason why monsters and magic users are drawn to each other, we might be able to create something like a sensor using magical stones. That idea came to me based on my instincts from when I was in the engineering department.

A night breeze blew, making me shiver. The smoke carried on the wind stung my nose, interrupting my thoughts.

Maybe I’ve cooled down too much. I should head home and rest now.