Volume 2 Chapter 29 Transformation Magic
After handing over five gold coins, Alex quickly wrote down the rules of the house and said, "Well, I'll let you know when I return from the negotiation," before disappearing.
"...What was that all about him?"
Clay muttered, still puzzled.
It had been a few hours since parting ways with Alex, it was daytime.
We were too preoccupied with thoughts of Alex, and that day, we lost the mood for quests.
So, for the time being, we were relaxing in this house that we had just cleaned yesterday.
"Let's see... cleaning once a week. Eating in the living room at least seven times a week. Conversing in the living room at least once a week..."
"These rules are pretty easy to follow. But, it might be the borderline where not knowing could lead to breaking them."
Ice and Toxy were discussing while looking at the list of rules Alex had written.
"So, does that mean we can't leave this house for more than a week?"
When I asked, Ice shook her head and said, "No..."
"Well, you know, if you're going to be away from home for more than a week, you should make a promise like 'I'll bring you back a souvenir when I return' and then when you come back, you should talk about what happened, just like you promised, in the living room, because...!"
"It's like taking care of a child left at home."
I chuckled, and suddenly flames rose up in the fireplace.
"Um..."
"Oh, and also, you know? This house won't curse you if you treat it like a child, but it might get angry, so it's better not to say things like that too much..."
"What do you mean by 'this house'? Is it being protected by some kind of personality or something?"
"It says here that the rules are so complexly intertwined that a pseudo-personality has been formed, Wade."
"We really bought an amazing house, didn't we, Clay..."
In that case, with all those rules, this house might have been a property that not even seven big gold coins could buy.
Sticking around until it drops to just one gold coin... Alex sure is greedy, I think to myself.
As I pondered that, the front door of the house opened.
"Hey, I'm back~ Wade. Alright, let's get straight to today's lecture."
"So, everyone, gather around," Alex said, and our party gathered around the table with Alex at the center.
"So, once again. I'm Alex, the merchant who was hired with a huge sum of five gold coins. I'll be staying here from today onwards to teach you aspiring young adventurers various things, so let's get along well."
As Alex chuckled, I laughed, while the others wore bitter expressions.
Huh, is everyone else not welcoming Alex like this? I already quite like this guy.
"Kakaka! You guys are so easy to understand. Don't you hate it when someone you don't know takes charge? But, it was Wade who hired me. And it was Wade whom I saw potential in. Right, Wade?"
"Yeah, that's right."
When I said this, the three people who were looking serious let out a sigh.
"I get it... So Wade-kun chose this person, huh?"
"That's right, Ice-san. He may be someone to be cautious of, but if Wade-kun decided, let's follow along."
"Wade, can we kick this person out right now? He looks suspicious from the get-go."
Seeing the different attitudes of the three, I made a subtle expression.
"...Sorry, Alex. I'm all pumped up, but it seems not everyone is. Well, do your best to go along with it."
"Haha! Can't be helped. Once you've received a large sum of money, that's just part of the job. So, let's see. Before we dive into talk about new magic, how about we discuss what kind of magic you all have?"
Alex smirked mischievously and then asked me to "Wade, show me your right hand."
"Ah, is this okay?"
As I reached out, Alex quickly rolled up his sleeve to show me something.
"Thanks, Wade. So, this time we have the first lesson of Merchant Alex's magic class, 'What is Transformation Magic.' In simple terms, Transformation Magic is like 'imitating the gods.'
Alex taps my magic seal with his finger.
"This tattoo called a magic seal is a common mark shared by all gods. All gods have this same mark on their right hand. It's an imitation of that. That's what a magic seal is."
"So, because we imitated it, can we use our magic?"
In response to Clay's question, Alex nods.
"By imitating the gods, we bring a part of the gods into ourselves. That's the essence of Transformation Magic. The magic you all use daily is an imitation of the miracles and powers of the gods. It's like enchanting your own skin to become like the skin of the gods."
So, it's magic. As Alex said that, we swallowed nervously.
"So, so, are all magicians, sinners who cursed the gods...?"
To Ice's question, Toxy and Alex shook their heads.
"No, Ice-chan. Magic is 'magic,' but also 'law.' Originally, it was something that imitated the gods and was not good, but because it became a law set by the gods, it became a miracle allowed to humanity. That's what magic is."
"You seem to know a lot about the basic concept of magic. Are you a priest's daughter?"
"Yes, my father is a priest."
"I see. Well, as this girl said, magic is 'magic' but also 'law.' Especially Transformation Magic imitates the gods' skin, mimics the gods, and is magic that touches the gods' skin. In other words, it's magic to 'transform' into a god."
It's getting a bit complicated, so I summarize in my head.
First, our magic is actually called 'Transformation Magic.'
And that 'Transformation Magic' is like imitating a god, they say.
In simple terms, we got tattoos to 'transform into gods', so we can use god's miracles = magic.
I look down at the tattoo on my right hand.
Alex says, "You guys, roll up the sleeves on your right arms too," to everyone except me. Everyone hesitantly follows.
Alex checks it and then says to me,
"Hey, Wade. How many magic spells can you use?"
"I can use four."
"Four?! ...Well, you're raising them well. Alright, take a closer look at the magic seal."
I'm told, so I look down at the magic seal. Then, I blink a few times.
"...Is the magic seal stretching?"
I notice the magic seal stretching from the back of my right hand towards my wrist, and I mutter.
Alex laughs.
"Right. That's correct, this magic seal thing grows. From what I know, there are cases where it covers the entire right arm. That guy was truly a monster."
Furthermore, Alex adds to us, who are overwhelmed.
"The tattoos extending from the magic seal should differ based on the magic attribute. Check each other's. The shapes are different, right?"
We compare each other magic seal with everyone else's. Mine is somewhat complex, but Ice's looks like crystals and is beautiful, Clay's looks powerful, and Toxy's looks round.
"The growth of magic means getting closer to god by that much. That's why you can become stronger. In other words, if you understand myths and improve the accuracy of imitating gods, your magic will become more powerful."
"I see, that's right..."
Ice stares at the magic seal, speaking with a very serious expression.
As for me, I think this is the key point here. In simple terms, as the accuracy of mimicking gods improves, magic will grow stronger. It's such an easy-to-understand story.
...However, I wonder why this topic wasn't brought up at the training camp. Maybe it's because it involves difficult discussions about interpreting myths, so they decided not to include it in the curriculum.
"For now, I should go to the library."
It's power-up time. I mutter firmly.
Then, Clay spoke.
"Alex-san, what if getting a full-body tattoo, even if it's a bit of a hassle, is the quickest way to get stronger?"
"Oh, I see. Everyone thinks that, but it's not something we can do."
"I see."
Alex shrugged his shoulders.
"I mean, they would be possessed by a god, saying, 'To the fools who defy our laws, we shall bring down divine punishment!' and turn the surroundings into scorched earth."
""""...""""
It's probably something everyone thought they couldn't do.
"So, that's why it's called a magic seal. By just putting in the common parts, it will gradually become similar to the god it resembles. Even if someone is forcibly made to resemble a god with low affinity through a tattoo, various problems can arise."
"Did you understand that for the most part?" I nodded to Alex as he finished.
"Oh, it was quite interesting. So, next is rune magic..."
"Huh? I don't want to giving you a lectures. We're not in school, so why don't you guys go on a quest already?"
"..."
I also thought about kicking him out for a moment.
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