Cheat Magician Life That Started From Being Judged Useless - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Manon is in a good mood




I finished lunch with Manon at the pasta shop..............Now what should I do now?

At a time like this, a handsome guy who is a lazy brave man would probably do a good job of escorting you around.

We don't have any movies or video game arcades.

"Hey Kent, what should we do after this?

'Huh?　After this...?

Wow that's not cool, I just made a funny noise.

Anyway, we've just eaten, or is it tea? Tea? I mean, is there a coffee shop or something?

Hey, Kent, why don't we go to the wall for a bit?

'What? What are you going to do on the ramparts?

I think I'm going to go up and take a look at the Demon Forest...

Yeah, no problem. Can you get on the ramparts?

'Not when there's an alarm like the last one, but usually it's okay to go up there.

Oh, yeah, I see.

I had no idea what to do, so I followed Manon's invitation to go to the city walls.

You can't enter the area around the gate as it is guarded by garrison people, but you can go up to the top of the ramparts from a short distance away.

The top of the wall is a passage, and when it comes to a battle, the garrison and adventurers will line up here to intercept the monsters.

It's about three stories above the ground and feels like it overlooks the demon forest, but apart from the city streets, the dense trees block the view and you can't see very far.

Whoa, there are goblins chirping around, have they come to scavenge the dead meat of the rock ogre?

''You've already taken care of the rock ogre's corpse, haven't you?

Did Manon want to see a rock ogre?

'Yeah, living in Volzard, if you don't go into the forest, you don't have much of a chance of seeing demons, much less a vicious one like a rock ogre.

'Well there's a big difference between inside and outside these walls.

Volzard is called the farthest city, but it seems that thanks to its walls, there's almost no need to worry about being attacked by demons in the city.

However, I heard that during the occasional outbreaks, demons can even get into the city and cause damage.

'Has Kent ever seen a rock ogre?

'Yeah, uh uh ... I'd say I saw it, but from a distance.

That's true. If we're anywhere near a rock ogre, we'll get eaten up pretty quick.

No, no, Manon, the rock ogre can't even get close to us and is instantly killed by a vicious skeleton.

'Hey, Manon, why did you decide to become an adventurer?'

Me? I'm ... my dad's influence.

Your father is an adventurer?

'Yes, he was a very skilled adventurer...'

Oh, is that past tense? A shadow appeared on Manon's face, as if he had stepped on a bit of a land mine.

According to Manon's story, Manon's father was an adventurer who specialized in collecting minerals.

It was said that various mineral materials could be extracted from the dungeon, and many adventurers would dive there for the minerals.

In addition to gold, silver, copper, and iron ores, they can also collect gemstones.

Manon's father was a skilled adventurer who used earth magic well and obtained materials efficiently.

''Well then, I was attacked by a demon in a dungeon...''

No, he died of decomposition three years ago.

Rot...?

'Yeah, I wonder if they call it something different in Kent? It's a deadly disease where your stomach hurts and then it moves right down to your lower abdomen in stages and your organs rot.

What, that means...

I was about to say that's an appendix.......and then I stopped.

'Kent? What's wrong?

Well, isn't there a cure for this sickness?

''Well I'm told that the city of Buckenheim, where academics thrive, has good healers, but Volzard's healers can't heal him, and the only way to do so is to take a decoction.

Can you fix it by going to that Bakkenheim?

Ummm ... maybe ... but I hear it costs a lot of money to treat, so you'd have to be a nobleman.

Yeah, what the...

It's not a fatal disease in Japan, but in this world, there is no surgery for it, and it must be a horrible disease that can kill you if you get it.

My mother and I are able to live because my father earns a lot of money, so I wanted to become an adventurer like him someday.

'Doesn't your mother object to Manon hiding in the dungeon?'

'Well I don't look too good, but I've been given the OK on the condition that I complete the combat training properly and join a solid party.

I see, that means you shouldn't dive alone.

'I'm a water-attribute sorcerer, so I think I'd be useful in a party.

Really?

'Yeah, because safe drinking water isn't easy to come by in the dungeon, and once you learn your healing magic, you'll be able to wash and heal your wounds.

Well, it's a lot of weight to take water with you, isn't it?

'Yeah, people who dive into dungeons also use dried and preserved food to reduce their weight.

Oh, yeah, I see.

I see, it seems to be quite difficult to dive into a normal dungeon.

In my case, I can use shadow movement and shadow storage, so frankly, I can do it empty-handed and on a day trip.

I mean, as I recall, you can get water if you use the camp paper.......I shouldn't say that.

''If Kent is able to finish the combat course, well, I mean.......yea, why don't we get a party together?

Why does Manon ask while turning soppy?

I think his ears are red, but...

"A party....I wasn't thinking about that...

I'm interested in dungeons and the like, and I'd like to try expeditions in search of materials or requests to defeat them, but right now my priority is rescuing my classmates, and I don't have the time to think about any specific adventurer-like activities.

''Nah, I guess I can't...''

No, I mean, it's not a bad idea, but we can't rely on two people who just finished a course, can we?

'Oh that's for sure...'

Oh, I've gone into shabby mode just to see it.

''I can't think about it right now, and I don't have a chance of finishing the course yet, but I'll be sure to give Manon a shout out when I'm putting together a party.

Really?

Uh, yeah it's true.

It's a promise, I promise!

Uh, yeah I promise.

I knew Manon would want to dive into the dungeon like his dad.

If he invites me to that party, does that mean he's still interested in me?

Or is Manon also a bocce constitution and is happy to find me with the same bocce constitution?

How am I supposed to know for sure?

'Hey Kent, do you want to go to the arms store?

The armorer...?

Because if you're gonna go into a dungeon, you're gonna need a weapon, right?

Well ... yes.

Let's go have a look.

Yeah, yeah, that's fine.

It's kind of like you're going to go to the dungeon tomorrow, but I think Manon needs to figure out a way to get through the course.

That said, I'd still like to see the weapons and stuff... but it's not very date-like.

If I'm going to follow Donovan-san's teachings, I'm sure the weapons I can use now are limited, but still, it would be good to know the actual prices of the weapons.

We're going to a weapons store, but is it okay if we hold hands or something?

Um, what do you call it, can't I have a lover's grip or something?

'What's wrong? Kent.

'Nope ... nothing ...'

Weird Kent...

Guhaha, I was told I was weird, weird...........

When I regained my composure and entered the weapon shop, I was greeted by a female clerk.

'Welcome, Manon. Oh, you have a companion today........

Hi there, Miss Nasir. This is my friend Kent.

Nice to meet you, Kent.

I'm Nasha. Nice to meet you.

Ms. Nasha is a mature woman with purple hair cut into a short bob.

Unlike a shop run by a dull, middle-aged man, she seems to be able to look at the merchandise with ease.

Inside the store, various weapons are lined up, ranging from small folding knives to buster swords.

'Um........are the weapons in this store made by Nasha-san?

No, no, no, no, I run the store. My unworthy brother makes the weapons.

I understand your brother is a blacksmith.

I mean, I'm not a bad person, but I'm a little eccentric, so I'm not really good at this.

Oh, I see. That's the craftsmanship thing, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

They have weapons made by Nasha's brother in the shop, and they have them made with feedback on what items are well received.

Manon hasn't actually purchased any weapons yet, but he's been coming in with his father and has been a regular customer for a while now.

'Hey Kent, isn't it exciting just to look at them?'

'Yeah, well...'

Normally, a girl would be excited about clothes and accessories, but in Manon's case, the object is a knife or dagger that looks sharp.

If you look at the prices, they're quite expensive, from about 1,000 hectares for a large knife to 4,000 hectares for the most expensive ones.

I can buy it for you because of the money I collected from the carriage on the way to Volzard and the magic stone of the Rock Ogre, but it's weird to suddenly give it to you as a gift or something.

It's a knife that I'm buying for you, but I feel like you'd be donkeyed if I told you that me and Manon's relationship is inseparable........

'Was it Kent? What weapon would you like to use?

I've only practiced with the wooden sword, so I honestly don't know what kind of weapon is best for me.

Nasha asked me, but I could only say that I didn't know.

''I see, so you still feel like you're just beginning your combat training?''

Yes, and I'm sure I'll still be a bit bigger, so I'll choose a weapon when I'm a bit older.

'Yeah, yeah, that's pretty impressive for someone so young.　Normally, a kid your age would want a weapon that doesn't fit their size.

That's probably because there's a substandard sword and shield lurking in the shadows, not just in terms of stature, but in terms of height.

''Donovan-san has his eye on me, so if I had a weapon that doesn't fit my size, what would he say... just thinking about it makes me shudder.

'Haha, you're on Mr. Donovan's radar, then he'll give you some advice in practice, so come on over and listen to it before you buy it.

'Yes, I will but I don't know when...'

'Don't worry, don't worry, Mr. Donovan won't look at you unless you're a prospect, so I'm sure you've got the right talent.

I don't know if that's true... well, I'd like to be stronger than Gilik-san, but...

'Well you're quite interesting.　Yes, if you get some advice from Mr. Donovan, I'll introduce you to my brother.　It's better to have a weapon made specifically for you, after all.

'Thank you, please don't hold your breath.

I was talking to Mr. Nasha when Manon gave me a puffy glare.

'And Manon, when you're old enough to get Mr. Donovan to look at you, I'll tell my brother about it.

Oh, I see that Manon wasn't asked to have a special weapon made for him.

That's why I got stared at, because I got the promise before he did.

But if it's better to make them exclusively for you, shouldn't you make them all exclusively for you?

Well, that's true, but once my brother starts obsessing about it, he gets really hung up on it, so the number of things he can make is extremely low.

I see, so that would be unprofitable.

Yeah, we've got to eat to survive.

After that, Narsha taught me how to care for the weapons and the process of making a special weapon, but as we talked, Manon's mood was getting worse and worse.

Is a dedicated weapon something that I would yearn for after all?

Another customer came in and started talking to Nasha, so we decided to take a break.

'Mr. Nasha, we'll be glad to stop by again,'

Sure. You can come visit me anytime you want, Manon.

At Nasha-san's words, Manon just nodded cocooned.

He still seems to be in a bit of a bad mood.

It's good that we left the weapon shop, but it's still a little early and halfway through the day to leave.

In other words, we're in a pinch again, what do we do after this?

Tea, tea?

'Keh, does Kent like older women like Ms. Nasha or Ms. Muell?'

Huh? I mean, it's not like that, but... why?

'Because ... the whole time you two seemed to be having a great time talking...'

'What? That was something I didn't know about, so I was just talking about it in the hopes that I would learn.

Oh, really?

Huh? I feel like Manon's mood has returned to me.

And then I was stopped.

'Kent, Kent!'

'Oh ... hello, Miss Merine.

The person who called out to me was Meline, Kurtz-san's one-sided girlfriend.

Thank you for yesterday, I was bold enough to talk to Kurtz-san about it.

'Well, that's good to hear, so what did you say, Mr. Kurtz?'

'Yeah, I got the push to do what I wanted, and if I needed help with anything, I'd be there for you.

Okay, so... what about the cafeteria?

'Yes, it's still sad to close it down, so I'm thinking of taking a break and letting me go out to train and try to reopen it again, and if that doesn't work, I'll close it down.

I see... where do you practice?

Yeah, that's the problem, do you know of any good places to go?

Meline folded her arms and pondered.

'Hey, Kent, do you know of any good places to eat?'

'A good place... hmmm... maybe Amanda's, where I'm staying...?

Oh, does Kent live in a diner?

Yes, Amanda's food is excellent.

Hey, I don't need a paycheck or anything, so if I ask you, would you let me train you?

''Hmmm.......Amanda's shop looks busy, and she's a caring person, so I think she'll be fine.......''

Please, could you just introduce me to him?

How could I say no if Meline-san, Karz-san's lover, who was a great help to me when I arrived in Volzard, asked me to do so?

''I don't know if it will work, but it's fine if we just talk.

'Really? Thank you!

Woo! I was hugged by Meline-san with a giggle.

Hii, hii, out of the corner of my eye, Manon-chan is turning into a nightmare........

So, is it safe to go now?

'Yes, I think it's time to prepare for the evening at this time, so I'm sure you'll be fine.

I had to go back to the boarding house with Meline-san, but Manon's mood is terrible.

Oh, don't touch me, aura in full force, and Manon is leaving with a zunny.

''Gomen I was so happy I just got.......mad at her.

'Well yes, I've got a lot of complexities...'

Really?

Yes, I think...

I went back to the boarding house with Meline and talked to Amanda, and she said yes to two things.

The restaurant was thriving and she was thinking of asking for someone to help out.

A little unhappy was Meisa, and I'm not sure why...

Now you can take your time with your studies, Meisa.

Oh, I'm going to take over the shop, so I don't want to study...

'No, you can't, because there's a big difference between taking over a store and having a proper education and not having one!

Okay, okay..........

Apparently, Meisa is not very good at studying.

Next time I have time, I'll teach her.

It's okay, I can teach you, even if it's just arithmetic, right?

Meline said that she is going to start her training as soon as possible this evening.

When I was thinking of taking it easy in my room until dinner, Fred called out to me.

''Kent-sama........it seems that the actual battle will take place tomorrow.......''

'What, already? All right, I'll keep digging and I'll hear back from you later...

Copy that.

I thought the actual battle would take place sooner than expected to make an example, but I didn't expect it to be tomorrow out of the blue.

I have to get a lot of things ready tonight.......this is going to be a busy one.