The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 83 – Magic Lessons

The next day.

I went out to my guard post and Millet and Collette soon joined me.

They wanted their first lesson, I guessed.

Moofy ran up to Millet and was about to run into her.

「Moo moo!」

「Moofy, leave me alone for a second!」

「Sthtay away, cow!」

「Moo?」

Moofy dropped her head after being scolded by Millet and Collette.

「Moofy, come here.」

「Moo Moo!」

Moofy seemed to happily jump after I called her. I rubbed her head.

After seeing that, Femm also came close, wanting to be petted.

Femm licked my open hand.

「What is it, Femm?」

「Wuff.」

So I just rubbed Femm as well.

While this was going on, Millet and Collette stood in front of me.

「Old man, teach us.」

「Please, Mister Al.」

「Okay, do your best.」

「Sure.」「I will.」「ryaaa」

They both looked like enthusiastic students.

For some reason Shiggy stood next to Collette and Millet in line, ruffling its wings.

Lately, Shiggy normally would leave me and walk around on its own. I guess this ancient dragon grows quickly.

Even so, if it lost sight of me it would start crying.

Still is was quickly progressing. It made me think back to just a few days ago when it never left me.

Vi-Vi, on the other hand, was scrawling magic rings in the earth.

She did look over to see what we were doing from time to time.

「Vi-Vi, you want to join us?」

「I’m already a great magician! No reason for me to take a beginners course!」

「No, I mean as a teacher.」

「O…oh. Well, maybe. If I feel like it, I will.」

Vi-Vi said proudly, as she snorted with pride once.

I turned to begin instructing.

「First you have to feel the magic that resides inside of you.」

「Okay teacher!」「I’ll try my best.」「ryaaa」

「Have you ever felt magic inside you before?」

「No, old man.」「No.」「ryaa ryaa」

I guess Shiggy was joining our instruction, after all.

All humans had magic inside of them, generally.

However, just as you can’t feel the blood moving inside you, most people don’t feel the magic either.

The first step in learning to control magic is learning to feel it.

「Okay then, so first…」

I took each of Millet’s hands in my own.

She blushed.

「M…mister Al…」

「I’m going to let some of my magic flow into you.」

「Ah…okay.」「ryaaa」

Millet took on a serious look.

Shiggy now started to climb up my leg. I guess it was already bored by the lesson.

I left Shiggy alone and made just a slight amount of my magic flow into Millet.

From my right hand into Millet’s left, to her right, and back into my left hand, the magic circulated.

「Could you feel something?」

「Ah, yes!」

She still looked quite nervous.

It was normal for it to take time for even people with talent to feel that circulation of magic.

If your master did this with you every day, it might take a week to feel it if you had some serious talent.

If you didn’t, you could go a year without feeling it.

In my case, I felt the magic flowing inside me without my master having to show me.

「Well, you might not feel it again for a while, but if we do this daily…」

「Well, I felt it flow from your right hand into my left, to my right, and back into your left hand…like something warm was there…」

「…」「rya ryaaaa」

I was lost for words.

Millet was an elf.

There were many elves that were good at magic, but none like this.

While this was going on, Shiggy had climbed my back and was now on my shoulders, squawking proudly.

I calmed myself, and began speaking again,

「Y…yeah. That’s magic!」

「Good!」

「Don’t forget how that feels.」

「Sure. I’ll do my best.」

Now Collette was jumping around us.

「Meee toooo, meee tooo!」

「Oh, do you want to try, Collette?」

「Yaaaayyy!」

I did the same as with Millet, and held Collette’s hands.

Maybe Collette might have the same ability as Millet.

「If you feel something moving, let me know.」

「Okay.」

I waited a bit before I used magic.

Collette and I stared at each other.

「Old man, this isth like a sthtaring contesth.」

「Pay attention.」

「Okay.」「Moo.」

Collette was puffing out her cheeks.

Moofy was behind me, pushing her snout into my rear. She must be bored.

I was trying to be very serious, and Moofy was making me lose my concentration.

「Moofy, cut it out!」

「Moo?」

「Heh heh heh」「ryaaa」

Collette laughed a bit after our staring contest was interrupted.

Shiggy now bounced over to Collette’s shoulder.

Just then, I let a little magic flow into Collette.

「Ah, I feel sthomething! Old man, what isth that?!」

「…」

I was lost for words again.

She had felt it even in the midst of all this distraction.

These sisters were at least very good at sensing magic.

「Collette, that’s what magic feels like.」

「Magic…」

「Yes. By using the flow you can make things change…and that’s magic.」

「Okay.」

I tested them over and over after that.

Both Millet and Collette were exceptional at sensing magic.

「I think it will take a little more time to teach you how to sense magic, though.」

「Old man, am I good? Do I have talent?」

「Seems so for now.」

「Yaaaay!」

「But, I’m not sure yet.」

There are some that can sense magic but are useless in other ways.

There are various abilities, channeling magic, feeling amounts of magic, and changing magic as well.

「I know that I made magic flow within you, but you need to do the same within yourself first.」

「What does that mean?」「Hm?」

「ryaaa」「Moooo」「Wuff」

Millet and Collette both looked confused.

Shiggy, Moofy, and Femm looked at me the same way the girls did.

So I clasped my hands together.

「In this way, you can make magic circulate. If you can do this, you’ve passed the first step.」

「I’ll do my best.」「Okay!」「ryaaa」

If you’re able to do that, you can control the magic that resides within you.

Collette and Millet both clasped their hands together like I did.

Shiggy imitated me as well. It had wings, arms, and feet, so it was able to copy my motions well.

Moofy and Femm couldn’t and walked around my legs.

「Ah, I can feel it!」「Me tooo!」「ryaa」

「…you all are lying!」

Vi-Vi stood up from her magic circle.

「I really can though.」

「If you’re lying, I’m going to find out!」

Vi-Vi looked at them, perhaps sensing the magic. I did as well.

They were actually doing it.

「…you really are making the magic move.」

「Right?」「Vi-Vi, you always doubt everyone.」

And with that, the two sisters laughed.

Seems they really are talented. Maybe one in ten thousand.

「ryaaa」

Shiggy stood there looking a bit disappointed, with hands clasped.

It wanted to see if it was doing it right as well.

「You did it too, Shiggy?」

「ryaaa!」

Shiggy looked at me proudly.

Maybe it does understand my words now. It would be a surprise.

Even with the quick maturity and high ability of an ancient dragon, I couldn’t sense anything.

「I see, good job Shiggy.」

「ryaaa」

Might as well compliment it, and Shiggy responded proudly.

I figured that was enough of a lesson for today. You shouldn’t just spring from one thing to another so quickly.

After they left, Vi-Vi said,

「They both are very good.」

「Seems so.」

「But, not as good as me.」

「You think?」

「I mean it!!」

「I don’t doubt you.」

「Well, GOOD, then.」

Seems like this teaching thing will be fun.

Shiggy was now running around with the small wolves.

「ryaaa」「wuff」「Ruff woff」

It’s good they get along. It will be fun to see Shiggy grow, too.