Snowfield 2: To Entshi

Fire is a complex physical phenomenon.

It occurs when energy is supplied to fuel and air until they ignite.

Other magicians required fuel such as black gunpowder to create fire.

But William does not need such substances. Perhaps he unconsciously generates fuel from the air or even from the magic stones themselves.

I think the magic stones, though made of unknown substances, still follow physical laws.

If we're using magic to manipulate physical phenomena, shouldn't we be controlling the necessary elements?

It's difficult to explain this to William. I can only convey it through analogy.

"William, how exactly do you plan to compress the fireball?"

"I'm just imagining it getting smaller."

"Really? Then why does it keep exploding?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. Maybe the power is just too strong?"

"In that case, it'd be a small fireball. When you shrink something large, what happens to the inside of the big object?"

As I said that, I picked up the snow at my feet and gently pressed it in my hand. I sliced through it with my pocket knife.

Inside, the fluffy snow had become tightly packed. I squeezed it even harder, forming a solid snowball.

Inside, the snow was now even more densely packed than before.

"If you compress it like this, won't it keep getting denser and exert stronger resistance? Instead of just making it smaller, what if you tried squeezing it even harder?"

"Wow! I'll give it a try."

Saying that, he raised the magic stone again and activated the spell.

At first, the large fireball began shrinking, growing smaller and smaller.

Previously, the sphere would have exploded during this process, but this time it shrank smoothly. The fireball, once larger than his body, now diminished to the size of his head.

William's expression grew increasingly grim.

His mind was overwhelmed with countless thoughts, leaving no room for calm.

Yet the fireball remained stable as a small sphere. Clearly, he had underestimated the pressure dynamics.

And then, "I'm still... aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

William screamed, and the fireball shot forward in a straight line. It flew at high speed and struck the ground 100 meters ahead.

A flash like fireworks lit up the air, followed by a deep, resonant boom that vibrated through his stomach. The shockwave arrived a moment later.

Hmm, I’ll have to get better at adjusting the power next time. As it stands, the collateral damage is going to be way too severe.

Just as I was thinking that, there was a thud. William had fallen on his back.

"Master... I can't seem to move my body..."

"It's just temporary exhaustion. You'll be back to normal soon. Let's call it a day and head back."

I carried William on my back as we made our way back to camp.

Since I wasn't sure if he'd make it all the way, I asked the question that had been on my mind.

"Why do you want to become so strong?"

Do you remember when I told you my sister got sick? She used to be full of energy. But after our mother fell ill and passed away, my sister gradually lost her spirit. I think mother’s illness was the same kind. That’s why I want to cheer her up. And to keep her treatment going, I need to become stronger myself.

It was strange that both my mother and sister had the same illness—I had been wondering about it, but William began talking about his own family troubles, diverting my thoughts.

My father, the lord, has two wives. One is a noble from another town, and the other is the daughter of a wealthy merchant from this town. My mother is that merchant's daughter.

My mother was popular among the townspeople and got along well with everyone, they say. I've heard she played with my father often as a child, though he is a noble. When they married, the first wife was chosen from among the nobility.

However, after that, my father and mother eventually came together despite many obstacles. The first wife didn’t seem to like this at all. Even now, there’s little good relationship between us and the family of the first wife. We often have disagreements. Then my mother passed away. After that, our position gradually worsened.

My father became hollowed out, as if he had lost his spirit, and threw himself into work.

He seems to be distracting himself by throwing himself into work. At least he sent me to study in the Empire and made sure my sick sister had proper maids. The maids accompanying me now have been taking care of us since my mother’s time.

The story I heard is beyond anything I could have imagined. I'm just an ordinary Japanese citizen who only knew about nobles through dramas and anime. I have no idea how to handle this situation in reality.

William continued.

"So I must become stronger. The lord will likely pass the inheritance to the eldest son of the first lady. If that happens, we'll have no standing at all. So I must at least be valuable as a warrior."

This was why he wanted to grow stronger.

"My sister's illness still has a chance of being cured! That's why I'll definitely become strong. And Master Taro, please help us with her illness!"

"Yes, yes, I'll do my utmost, noble lady."

While we were having that conversation, we finally arrived at the camp.

It took several hours to calm down the furious maid upon seeing the explosion and William being carried on my back. If William hadn't explained the situation, it might have taken even longer—or I might have ended up tortured.

A few days after leaving the port, we finally reached William's hometown, Entsi.

"By the way, Lord William. How do I get to my sister's place?"

We're at the main gate of the town, preparing to enter. As just a guard, there's nothing I can do but wait.

Incidentally, since there are many people around, I'm being careful to use the proper honorifics. Lord William seems a little uncomfortable, shifting slightly every time he's called like that.

"We're currently devising a strategy for that. For now, enter the city and report your mission completion at the guild."

After entering the city and parting ways with William, Alec and I arrived at the Entsi Guild branch, representing the escort group.

"Good day, Royal Capital Guild Branch. I'm Branch Chief Andrew. I've already received word from Graham. The mission has been completed, I see."

Congratulations as well on the defeat of the shark monster. It was such a serious threat that the guild had planned to mobilize adventurers for a full-scale campaign to eliminate it."

The speaker is a serious-looking man wearing glasses. He was once a prominent adventurer, and even after becoming branch chief, he's reportedly been exceptionally capable.

The soldiers were greatly grateful, as no casualties had occurred thanks to the defeat of the shark monster. After a brief conversation, he left the guild.

Normally, he would have returned home right after, but since he had a promise to keep with William, he decided to wait at the guild's guest quarters until then.

In any case, there's no way to return immediately. To get back to the Empire, one must cross a mountain, but it's at such a high elevation that attempting it in winter is unrealistic. Furthermore, as I learned recently, the ship has been destroyed and will take some time to repair.

I'd like to look into the legend of the hero, and I'm also curious about the magical artifacts I haven't seen yet. For now, I plan to remain active on the kingdom's side.

Thus, a new chapter of activity began in the kingdom.