The snowfields to Entshi

For the next few days, they will walk toward their next destination.

It's called Entshi, apparently.

During the days it took to recover, Alex and the others had prepared their gear for traveling across the snowfields.

"Is this really it? I've never ridden one before."

"Are you worried?"

"No, not at all. I can do this."

Before them stood a dog sled. Probably kept in a port town. A very large dog was running around energetically.

Is it a dog...? Its body was large—perhaps even bigger than a person when standing upright.

Riding it, I was surprised by how fast it was. But the windscreen was rudimentary, and snow kept flying in from the sway, making it quite tough on my still-recovering body.

The night grows bitterly cold. Quickly set up the tent and huddle inside. Seal every gap in the tent tightly and use the fire crystal. It warms the air without needing to ignite a flame—extremely convenient. After the intense battle, all that remains is moving to our destination—peaceful and calm. I can finally get back to studying crystals, something I haven't done in a while...

The only thing troubling me lately...

"Mr. Taro! Please train me again today!"

Ah, yes—William.

The first time I defeated a shark monster, I was able to use magic. And perhaps because of that, I've become even more eager to learn magic.

"Look, William, I'm just a commoner, and you're a noble. Don't go lowering your head to me so easily. And didn't I already tell you the most important thing is visualization? The rest you can do on your own."

I answered, sticking only my head out from the tent.

"Then, as a noble, I command you. Become my master of magic. There aren't many magic users, after all. Some even hold status equal to nobles."

"That's only for those who've achieved great feats. I'm nowhere near that."

"Is that a no...?"

I couldn't help but moisten my eyes, using my youthful appearance to my advantage—anything I could use, I would.

Politician type, huh? Of course, being a noble's child, it's expected.

As I was lost in thought, something sharp and cold pressed against my neck.

"Master, you're relying on me so much. It's only natural to answer, isn't it? No, I'd say it's a duty. A necessity, really. Isn't that right!"

The one pressing a blade against my neck right now is Anne, the head maid. Though she appears to be around my age or that of Alek, she's utterly fanatical about Master William and regards everyone else as nothing more than trash.

Lately, since I've been getting close to her, she's completely turned against me.

"Got it, got it. Just one hour. Anything longer and my body will get too cold, and I still have to move tomorrow, so even if it doesn't go well, that's it for now."

"Yes!" "What's with that way of speaking!"

Dodging the demon maid, I make my way to the snowy plain beyond the cluster of tents.

"Good. As I said yesterday, we'll start by recreating what we did before. Focus and recall your sensations clearly."

William closes his eyes and thrusts a magic stone forward. The stone glows red, and strange patterns float into view. Soon, it wraps around William's arm, covering one entire arm.

In front of the magically aligned stones, a massive fireball forms—about the height of a human being.

William's quite skilled. It took me several months just to reliably cast magic, and it took some time before I could adjust the output level.

To master something in just a few days—this must be what genius is like.

The man I once met named Crona also needed gunpowder as fuel to create his initial flame, but being able to do it without such things suggests that mastering magic could set one apart from ordinary spellcasters.

"Good. Now open your eyes! Then slowly shrink that fireball—maintain its power, compressing it evenly!"

Keeping your eyes open while forming a clear image is difficult. There's no alternative but to keep practicing over and over.

To be honest, I have no clear idea how one actually masters magic.

But I knew from reading various books on magic and from my own experiences that having a clear mental image of magic is essential.

Right now, William is trying the same thing.

Watching William, it seems his ability to control magic is improving day by day.

Perhaps it can be said that having a clear image is essential when it comes to magic.

Then why is such an image so important? Magical tools that merely incorporate magical stones can still be used without a clear image.

I had Alex try using a magical stone with a clear image in mind, but it didn't result in actual magic.

I had others try the same, but none were able to activate magic.

Neither I nor William can use magic with any gemstone other than our specialty ones.

It's clear that, beyond a clear image, something else must be required. It's quite difficult.

Boom!

Lost in thought, I hear William make a sudden noise.

I'd been having him practice controlling the size of a fireball while keeping its power low. It seems that once the size is reduced to a certain point, maintaining the spell becomes difficult.

The small flame cluster vanished, leaving only a strong gust of air.

"Hah... still not good enough."

Saying that, he raised the crystal again in the same manner and began concentrating once more.

What could possibly drive him so hard? At his age, most children would rather play, yet it wasn't simply because he was noble. He was a peculiar child.

Boom! It seemed he had failed again.

"William, what image do you have in mind when creating a fireball?"

"Creating a fireball? I imagine a small spark igniting from a gemstone, then gathering and growing larger and larger."

William draws on the ground as he explains. The drawing resembles the principle of how flames burn.

Perhaps William intuitively grasps fire. If so, with just a bit more knowledge, he might be able to wield magic more skillfully.

Whether to verify my hypothesis or to enable William to use magic, I forced my completely chilled body to move.