Water Magician

Last night, Ryo stayed in the room next to His Royal Highness Willy in the castle guest house.

“Please wear this outfit. The tailoring is similar to that of His Royal Highness’s clothing. Also, whenever you exit the carriage, I would like you to hide your face with a hooded robe ……”

“Oh, then I can hide it with this robe I always wear.”

At Rodrigo’s suggestion, Ryo showed his usual robe he received from Dullahan.

“That’s good, hide your face with that. While you’re on the move, you will basically be in a carriage. In the camp, you’ll have a tent, so you’ll be spending time with His Highness Willy.”

“Understood.”

Two carriages, two wagons, four escorts from the Kingdom of Ju, six adventurers from the Inbury Duchy, Ryo, His Highness Willy, and Rodrigo.

That was the whole lineup.

(I feel that the guard is a bit little for the prince of a country … well, it’s not like I know much about that.)

Ryo was surprised because he was suddenly called from behind and told what he was thinking.

“N-no……”

“It’s okay. In fact, it is too few for escorting royalty. But my country is neither a wealthy nor a strong country, and I am the eighth son.”

“Eighth …”

His Highness Willy commented with a bitter smile.

And Ryo couldn’t say anything in return.

“It’s indeed better to have a lot of children to secure the bloodline of the royal family but … as expected, when it comes to the eighth prince, after becoming an adult, you either have to join the Knights or the Magic Corps to work. I have territories, but I am mainly only in charge of managing the royal villas … I have to leave the villa management to a few subordinates and earn my keep …”

“It’s a difficult world, isn’t it?”

His Highness Willy smiled bitterly and Ryo lamented the misery of the world.

Even though he was a prince, he had to earn his own money … he had it tough in many ways.

“Ah, but up to the border of the Inbury Duchy, two platoons of twenty Knights of the Duchy are supposed to escort us.”

The possibility of an attack in the Duchy seemed extremely low.

In the carriage that started moving, His Highness Willy and Ryo had a lot of talk about.

Apart from them, there was only Rodrigo in the carriage and he fundamentally didn’t speak when it was not necessary.

Sure enough, His Royal Highness Willy had quite a lot of spare time.

Meanwhile, His Highness Willy started addressing Ryo from ‘Ryo-dono’ to ‘Ryo-san’.

They were going to be together in the same carriage for some time.

It was normal to throw away some reserve.

His Highness Willy was now fifteen years old and would be studying abroad at the Royal High School of the Kingdom of Knightley.

It was a school for royalty and aristocrats, and it seemed that royalty from other countries were studying abroad there in addition to His Highness Willy.

(I’m similar in appearance to His Highness even though he is 15 years old … I guess Asians look younger after all?)

Ryo thought to himself.

In fact, Ryo looked slender, but his muscles were firm to the touch.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to swing his sword, so that was natural.

On the other hand, His Highness Willy was not very good with swords.

“I can use magic a little but … I don’t think I have much aptitude. In the first place, the Kingdom of Ju is a developing country, especially when it comes to magic …”

His Highness Willy said, looking down.

“But if you can use it even a little, practicing every day will increase the magical power you can use and improve your magic control.”

“Is that true!”

His Highness Willy replied to Ryo’s advice with his eyes shining.

“Yes. I couldn’t do much at first, but I practiced every day.”

Ryo remembered his time in the Rondo Forest era with nostalgia and looked to the distance.

Although it has only been about half a year since he left the forest.

“Is it okay for me to believe that even though I don’t have much talent?”

“Your Highness … it doesn’t matter what your talent is. It’s all about your efforts. A long time ago, there was a player called Gunso who said that. He continued putting in effort and became a player who could win multiple titles.”

“It sounds kind of amazing …”

His Highness Willy didn’t know the title he was talking about, but he understood that he managed to grasp something amazing with his efforts.

(But I think you’re within the talented category just because you can use magic …)

Ryo thought that in his heart.

“By the way, what is your Highness’s attribute?”

“It’s water …”

To Ryo’s question, His Highness Willy looked down once again.

It was because he thought that he could not contribute to the country. After all, he had the image that it was difficult to use in battle.

But …

“Oh! I’m also a Water-Attribute Magician! Water attribute is great if you train it!”

“Really!?”

Willy replied with a delighted smile.

Rodrigo, who saw it, looked happy.

“Actually, I was a little shocked when I was told that it was a water attribute. I thought it was inferior to the flashy fire attribute, the wind attribute that seemed convenient, or the earth attribute that seemed useful in battle.”

While listening to Ryo’s story, His Royal Highness Willy nodded.

“But that wasn’t the case. Yeah, it isn’t inferior to the other attributes. I had to train a lot, but to be honest, there’s no other attribute that is as useful. I can confidently claim that Water-Attribute Magicians are amazing!”

“Oh!”

Ryo fanned his interest.

“Once the tent is set up in the camp, we can try various things there.”

“Yes!”

That night, His Highness Willy was practicing in the tent in the center of the camp.

Currently, the only Water Magic that His Highness Willy could use was <Water Creation>.

“Water, the source of life, come out <Water Creation>”

Then, water sprang up from Willie’s right hand and fell into a pail on the floor.

(The chanting is different … I feel …)

“His Highness, what is that chant …?”

“It seems to be unique to my country.”

“So that’s why……”

It sounded different from the 『Duchy’s chant』 of the children who were in the Gecko’s caravan.

“If you can teach me the Kingdom’s chant, I will practice as hard as I can!”

His Highness Willy’s face was full of determination.

But …

“Your Highness, something like chanting … you don’t need such a thing.”

“Huh……”

The expression on his face, which was full of determination, froze.

(<Water>)

When Ryo chanted in his heart, water was generated from his right hand and fell into the pail.

“Water came out even though you didn’t chant …”

“Yes. I once asked the being who taught me the origin of magic. He replied ‘The crux of magic lies in the image. Draw a clear image. And gain experience’.”

“Image……”

“Yes, image. How clear can you draw in your heart? If you’re able to do that, even if you keep silent, magic will happen.”

Ryo said so solemnly.

Since it sounded cooler that way.

“I’ll try!”

His Highness Willy extended his right hand forward, closed his eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something in his heart.

But nothing happened.

“Your Highness, open your eyes and look at your hands. It’s an image of water falling from your palm.”

When Ryo said that, His Highness Willy opened his eyes obediently and looked at his right hand.

Then, with his eyes open, he stuck his right hand forward.

After a while … water came out from the tip of his hand.

“It came out!”

“Yeah, well done!”

Compliment if you can. That was the crux of education.

After that, His Highness Willy generated water from his hand over and over again … until he was out of magic and collapsed.

Eight days after leaving the Capital Aberdeen, the group stayed at an inn in Red Null, a border town in the Inbury Duchy.

Ryo was in the same room as His Highness Willy because of his duties as a body double.

Fortunately, His Highness Willy was relentlessly practicing magic tonight as well.

However, it had only been eight days since he started working on the Ryo-style magic practice method (provisional).

There wasn’t much progress.

After water production, Ryo taught him the wall of ice, <Ice Wall>.

Even though he was the eighth son, he was a prince and spends some time in other countries, so it would be better to be able to protect himself.

Moreover, it seemed that his swordsmanship was not that praiseworthy.

Even though he was ‘not very good’, he could more or less still use a sword.

Of course, if he encountered a knight from a castle, he would be defeated in a few swings, but he would likely win against thieves and the like.

Ryo came to that conclusion when he saw the swordsmanship he was shown.

In any case, Ryo was rigorously instructing him as a Water-Attribute Magician disciple.

“Your Highness, it’s time to take call it a day …”

“A little more! I think I’ll be able to grasp something again soon.”

“But you said the same thing last night and you collapsed due to lack of magical power …”

“A little more … Ah.”

Willy collapsed to his knees.

“Your Highness … didn’t I warn you.”

The Water-Attribute Magician disciple was so motivated that the master had to stop him …

There was no need to bother to give strict guidance …

Willy laid down on the bed and Ryo moved to the living room next door.

Cohn was there with an unfolded map with Rodrigo.

“Ryo, His Highness?”

“Yes, he slept because of lack of magic.”

“Is that so.”

Rodrigo smiled and left to brew Ryo’s tea.

Rodrigo did not get angry at the body double that caused the master he served to collapse due to a lack of magical power.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen His Highness driven so hard … I’m glad.”

This was what Rodrigo said when Ryo apologized for causing Willy’s collapse due to magical power depletion.

In the castle, he had many reasons to be gloomy as the eighth son.

Moreover, because he was too kind, he didn’t want to bother the others around him, so he tried to keep silent about it.

Considering such a past, this study abroad may have been a good thing.

It may be a good turning point.

Rodrigo told Ryo that he was able to think that way.

Cohn, who was looking at the map, looked at Ryo and started talking.

“Ryo, we will cross the border tomorrow noon. That will be the extent to where the Knights of the Inbury Duchy will escort us to.”

“In other words, tomorrow will be the real start for this trip.”

Ryo also nodded.

The condition where he used up all his magical power and collapse before bed would not be allowed from tomorrow.

As long as there was a chance of an attack, they had to retain some strength for emergencies.

Misfortune always happens when you are at your weakest.

“We will still be staying in a city tomorrow night, right?”

“You know, tomorrow night, and the nights after that, we’ll definitely stay in the city at night?”

“Eh, is that so?”

Ryo was surprised.

Ryo arbitrarily imagined that most trips involved camping.

In fact, camping outdoors was overwhelmingly more common in his escort requests so far.

“Once we cross the border, we would continue on the Knightley Kingdom’s 『Second Highway』 to the Royal Capital. That is the most commonly used trade route in the eastern part of the Kingdom, surpassing the 『East Highway』. It’s dotted with cities and large villages. Putting it this way makes me realize how different it is from the Duchy. The Kingdom is one of the three major powers after all.”

Cohn explained and named the cities they were planning to stay at, but Ryo didn’t know any of them.

It was normal that he didn’t know.

Aside from the East Highway that Gecko’s Caravan used to travel, the only city he knew along the Second Highway was Red Post, the border town connected to both the Second Highway and the East Highway.

They would pass by Red Post early tomorrow morning.

“If we stay in the city, we’re probably less likely to be attacked.”

Ryo thanked Rodrigo for brewing the tea and said to himself.

“Well, it’s a lot lower than camping out, but we can still be attacked during the day. Even though it’s a commonly used highway, it’s not always full of people. In fact, it would be more troublesome if they act as travelers and attack us as we pass by.”

Cohn glared at the map and replied.

Yes, it was an advantageous situation for the attackers to attack as they pass each other in the guise of a normal caravan, like when Sharfi planned to attack Gecko’s caravan.

With Sharfi’s case, Ryo noticed from a distance because some of the assailants had something like a transmitter, but that would usually not be the case.

In the first place, as long as they didn’t know who the assailant might be, they must always be on their guard.

Even though it was a job, escorting was hard.

“I once told my father that I wanted to be an adventurer.”

“……Huh.”

The next day, after safely crossing the border and entering the Kingdom of Knightley, His Highness Willy said to Ryo.

“I could live freely … Adventurers hold such an image. That’s why I said that, but my father had a very sad and apologetic expression. Those who were born into the royal family have a responsibility to carry just for being born. I couldn’t throw it away, so I wasn’t allowed to be an adventurer. At the moment I was told that, I honestly didn’t understand. However, I couldn’t throw a tantrum when my father had such an expression on …”

“Responsibility that you have to carry just because you were born there …”

In Ryo’s case, he chose his responsibilities, but he felt that he could understand, albeit just a little.

“Subordinates, their families, or all the people who live in the country and even the families of people in other countries who were related to those people … each of your actions are responsible for the lives of many.”

His Highness Willy was surprised to see Ryo mutter that softly.

“Yes, that’s right! Ryo-san, you’re an adventurer, right? I’m sorry, I was a little surprised. Previously, another adventurer said, ‘If you don’t like it, just throw that status away.’ I had no choice but to laugh bitterly, but … Ryo-san is something different.”

When he was in Japan, Ryo couldn’t abandon his responsibilities either … so he just felt that he could understand him a little.

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