Suteko Ni Narimashita Chapter 8
Turning Over A New Leaf
　
I didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad now that I can use Fighting Spirit.
Will I ever be able to use magic again?
I recalled what I learned from Shium’s lessons.
First of all, if you train your body, you will be able to use Fighting Spirit. The degree to which it can be used varies from person to person, but anyone can learn to use it if they put the right amount of stress on their body. Yes, anyone.
And when combined with Magic, they have the tendency to cancel each other out. It can be said that those who can use Fighting Spirit are more resistant to Magic than those who cannot. And it seems that this cancellation also applies to my own Magic.
I also realized that I could strengthen my body and certain body parts. It was the reason why my running speed and eyesight had actually improved.
I was able to use Fighting Spirit. That was the cause of my problem.
And since I knew what caused my Magic to disappear, all I had to do was think of a solution.
If my magic won’t come out because my Fighting Spirit was active, then I just had to suppress it. Of course, it would be ideal to be able to use both, but Fighting Spirit is my least priority.
I tried to manipulate the Fighting Spirit in the same way that I manipulate Magic, but it didn't go well. It seemed to be completely different from Magic.
However, I could sense that there was a substance in my body that was different from Magic, so I got the hang of it after about half a day of practice. In terms of sensation, Magic seems to pass through the nerves, while Fighting Spirit seems to come from the cells.
Suppress it. I have to suppress it so it doesn’t come out.
According to Shium, only a trained person can consciously control the Fighting Spirit, although ordinary people also emit a weaker variant. During hunts, these trained people would hide their presence and suppress their Fighting Spirit while on the move. And because doing this can also cure fatigue, Kisch was made to master it. Incidentally, it’s also known that wounds heal faster when Fighting Spirit is active.
I wonder if I can use magic in this state. I tried it right away.
I aimed a Wind Blade at the leaves above me and let it fly. With a light sound, the leaf fell.
Surprisingly, it was an easy solution. I was so relieved that I slumped down against the roots of the tree, my body losing strength. When I had rushed into the forest, my mind had been filled with impatience, anxiety, and confusion, but I had successfully solved the problem.
Then, I suddenly became curious.
Would I be able to use Magic and Fighting Spirit at the same time?
I know that these two forces cancel each other out, but I wonder if I can do something about it?
Activating my Fighting Spirit, I grabbed a branch as thick as my wrist with both hands. With a little effort, it snapped easily. I want to use this power with Magic if possible, but I can also just use it separately if I can’t. It wouldn’t hurt to try, though.
First, I tried to use both at the same time. I couldn't do it earlier, but now that I can manipulate Fighting Spirit, there are things I want to try. I let out a bit of Fighting Spirit that was just as much as the next person, and figured that I could unleash my Magic from there.
Just like I was aiming for, I was able to unleash my Magic, but it was a little difficult to do for some reason.
From there, I gradually let my Fighting Spirit out, but it was extremely hard. The range of Magic that I had spread out was rapidly shrinking, but that wasn’t all. When I took another branch that was as thick as the one earlier and tried to break it with all my might, not even a crack appeared. It was the same as when I still hadn’t activated my Fighting Spirit.
And so, I tried to activate my Fighting Spirit while a bit of my Magic was still active. When I did so, my physical abilities increased, but the range of my Magic kept getting narrower and narrower until it deactivated, and I was once again in the state when I ran back to the forest.
If you try to use them at the same time, it seems they first get mixed up and cancel each other out and leave the more dominant power activated.
It’s impossible to use them at the same time after all.
It was time for the next experiment.
This time, I focused my Fighting Spirit in certain parts of my body, just like what they did in Shium’s lessons.
The idea was to concentrate my Fighting Spirit on a specific joint or body part to strengthen them. For example, you can focus the Fighting Spirit in your eyes to see farther, or in your throat and lungs to speak louder. It seems to be a wise way to conserve energy during long searches.
I activated my Magic after focusing my Fighting Spirit on my arms. And just as I thought, even though these two energies cancelled each other out, I was still able to feel my Magic everywhere except my arms.
I could use magic. I confirmed it by making a drop of water appear. But what about my Fighting Spirit? I grabbed a tree branch. It broke.
“Alright!”
I unconsciously shouted because of excitement. It was a success! I was only able to concentrate the power in my arms, but it means I can use it in different parts of my body.
But now that my experiments are over, it was time to go back to the issue at hand.
Rather, I purposely kept myself from thinking about it. The experiment was just an excuse to avoid it.
The main reason I escaped to this place was because of what happened this morning: Frau saw me.
The problem is that word might have already gotten out that there was “a suspicious child” in the village.
Frau would have told his parents by now. He would have probably told his parents how he “met a new kid today,” while smiling innocently. It wouldn’t be a problem if it were only an imaginary friend, or something meant to be a joke, but that wasn’t the case, so it wouldn’t just end like that.
The presence of a strange kid in a peaceful, closed village is a big problem. Frau’s parents would probably pass on the information to Shium and the Village Chief. They don’t need to tell Shium directly, but it’s bound to be passed on through idle gossip and immediately spread throughout the village like wildfire, and will eventually reach the ears of the people in charge of the village.
And that person responsible will find out who “that boy” is, and the small community will immediately fall into chaos.
I don’t know how they’ll do it, but they’ll probably do another search. And once they find me, things are bound to not end well.
An unknown boy in a village where everyone knows each other. A child with no one protecting him. A threat to the village. A distraction. An outlet for their frustration.
Those were the only things that came to mind. I knew the village was full of good people, but for some reason, I could only think of unpleasant things.
Yes, the villagers were kind-hearted people, and there was a chance that they would take me in and I would be able to enjoy a normal and healthy life.
However, there was also a chance that the opposite might happen.
In the first place, if they couldn’t find me, then there won’t be any problems. I could just continue living peacefully.
But there is always a chance that they may still find me.
No, but…
Should I just leave the village?
I came to a conclusion after thinking about it over and over.
If it’s going to be difficult for me to live here, then it’s better to leave. After all, one of the main reasons I went to this village was to get some clothes. I was also able to gather information about this world, so in a sense, I had no reason to stay in this village anymore.
I am also able to get food anywhere, so I’ll be fine as long as I have a place to sleep in.
But where should I go?
Even if I’ve decided to leave the village, I was still hesitant.
I was born five years ago and spent all of my time in the forest and this village. If I could, I would like to stay here a little longer. Even if I thought it was just sentimentality, it was hard to separate the two.
I stared at the setting sun. The red, blazing light seemed to be more faint than usual.
I woke up early the next day, and the sky was clear.
As I took in the cool breeze, I thought about the future. I decided to leave, but I hadn't decided where to go yet.
My plan was to wait for the merchants visiting the village in caravans and slip in. Of course, I would have to hide when I do so, and if my guess is right, the next one would come in three days. Sometimes the intervals of their visits vary, so I can just wait.
　
I had very little to pack, since my possessions were just a few clothes and rags. The last two days were uneventful, and I spent them just looking around the village.
After deciding to leave, the village seemed different. Refreshing, even. I may have walked along the streets numerous times, but it felt different than usual.
I found a single red flower blooming among the white flowers on the path. There were also several marks on a pillar next to the door of a house which were perhaps measurements taken from a child as they grew, while the weeds in this field weren’t completely removed since the couple that owned it was sloppy with their work…
Even though I’ve always seen these things, I still wondered if I missed anything. There were also many things that I noticed for the first time, and each time I found them, I was happy for some reason.
After looking around the village square and the fields, I saw something that I had expected after my encounter with Frau.
“So when you looked over here, there was a child, right? Then you talked to him and you went back inside your house…”
“Yes, that’s right!”
Denner was interviewing Frau.
“What did it look li— I mean, what did he look like?”
“Umm, let’s see… Like a little boy!”
“Uh, yes, I know that much. But how tall was he?”
“He’s tall like me!”
Frau describes my height by raising both his hands around his head.
“I.. I see. So what was he wearing?”
“Umm, umm, he was wearing something… brownish? A cloth? Like a cloth you just wear over your head…”
“Hmmm… so it’s a little boy with black hair and white skin, wearing a brown cloth?”
“We still don’t know what he was doing before that or from where he came from, though.”
After questioning Frau, Denner started talking to two other hunters. Frau, who was a bit curious, listened, but went back to his house when he realized that the conversation was too complicated for him.
“I wish we knew what the kid did after that.”
Suddenly, the conversation was halted, and Denner walked away from the group. He scratched his head and began to look around at the ground.
“According to Frau’s story, the kid was standing around here, and after they talked…”
Denner examined the area where I stood before, and crouched down as if he found something. Then, he looked straight ahead.
“There are footprints that look like he ran to the forest.”
It seems the hunt has begun.
“Ah, so he passed through here.”
“I see, it’s easy to see, now that you mentioned it.”
The hunters who had been following the footprints seemed to have picked up some information as soon as they entered the forest.
“Isn’t this around the residential area?”
“There’s an animal trail, and these are the child’s. The footprints are clear, that’s for sure.”
I could vaguely make out the footprints. However, I had no idea about the animal trail, even though it was a path I often took. I wondered how they were able to identify them.
And then, Denner dug the soil beneath his feet with a dagger.
“Judging from what’s buried around here, it seems they’re on a fixed diet. See, there are nut shells, bird bones, and even fish bones here.”
“Hey, look at this.”
“Whoa, that branch looks like it’s been broken recently… Mr. Iko, what do you think?”
“For the kid’s height, I’d say he’s around this tall, up to my chest. As for that branch… it doesn’t look like it was broken after someone bumped into it; it looks like it was intentionally broken.
They’re kidding, right? They found the branch I broke yesterday. How can they spot those branches in this dense forest right away?
“I see. But this branch is pretty thick, isn’t it?”
“Then, perhaps…”
“Well, if you look at the distance from the village to the forest, the depth of the footprints, plus the broken branches, it doesn’t seem like a small child could be capable of this.”
Denner sighed as he summed up their opinions.
“So it’s possible this child can use… Magic or Fighting Spirit. If you don’t take the appearance into account, I could assume that it’s a “monster”, but…”
“It’s a child… or looks like one at least. Hmm, this is difficult.”
“Should we just call it a day and say it’s a fairy?”
The other two hunters laughed a little at Denner’s joke.
“Kidding aside, don’t you think something’s been watching us?”
Denner suddenly looked in my direction, and the other two followed suit. This is bad.
“Where is it, Denner?”
I’ll be fine, my invisibility magic is still working. The sound-proofing magic should be working too. Just in case, I slowly moved away from the spot they were looking at. Did he find me? Or was it just a coincidence?
“There was something peeking at us from behind that tree, but ut looks like it isn’t there anymore…”
Denner looked around carefully. His other companions also began to be wary of their surroundings.
“It doesn’t seem to be a monster and can probably understand our language. We won’t harm you, so can you please come out?”
The hunters placed their arrows into position. Are they getting ready for combat?
What should I do, should I return fire? No, I’d like to avoid fighting back as much as possible. They haven’t found me anyway, so I guess I’ll just run.
“If you don’t come out, then we’ll consider you as a hunting target from now on.”
“I wonder if it’ll come out now?”
After the declaration, Denner muttered in a somewhat apologetic voice, “We just don’t want a suspicious person in the forest, you know.”
“Won’t you come out? This is the final warning.”
I took a step back. This was not the time for me to be indecisive. I had to get away from here as fast as possible.
A number of arrows came flying at me in no time, and all of them were aimed at my head or my torso. I barely managed to block them with my telekinesis.
“It’s probably trying to run away. It seems like it has no intention of facing us.”
Denner closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Since that’s the case, I guess it’s time to hunt.”
The arrows that came at me were all shot by Denner. His ability to accurately shoot arrows in the vital points of an unseen enemy was terrifying. I was scared.
This is bad. If I don’t run, then the next volley will hit me for sure. Denner was already preparing his shot just as I ducked behind a tree.
Fortunately, the other two didn't seem to be able to catch my exact location, so they held their bows and didn't move. However, the thought of them coming for my life seemed ominous to me.
“Do you think you’re safe hiding behind that tree?”
A chill ran through me. I had a bad feeling, so I jumped to a different tree with overhanging branches. I heard a buzzing sound at that moment, and when I looked down, I saw that the tree I was hiding in had been gouged and a huge hole had been made. The tree toppled over with a loud crash.
When I looked at Denner, he seemed to know my position from the swaying branches and was pointing his bow at me. A thin light was rising from his bow and body, and I immediately recognized it as Fighting Spirit.
This is bad, really bad. It would be useless even if I created a barrier with telekinesis. I have to get out of here as soon as possible.
As I tried to fly to escape, I felt a sharp object pierce my right foot.
An arrow was growing from my foot.
Wait, no, an arrow was stuck in my foot.
I had been paying too much attention to Denner. The arrow, which was shot by the hunter named Iko, was imbued with Fighting Spirit and accurately hit my right foot.
“Oh, did you get it?”
“Looks like it. But this might be a bad idea…”
It hurts. I can’t let myself get shot anymore. It hurts. I have to run for my life. It hurts. I have to hurry to the depths of the forest! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, faster, faster!
I went deeper into the forest and rolled and screamed in agony from the sheer pain. It wasn’t like a sore muscle or a scrape. It was a clear, ripping pain that sent me sprawled on the ground.
Magic, I should be able to do something with Mgic. Sodium channel blocking, bradykinin inactivation, and other things came into mind for some reason, but I didn’t care what it was as long as I could use it. I used Magic to relieve the pain. I couldn't stand it unless I managed the pain.
I don't know if I'm getting used to it, or if my spur-of-the-moment magical development worked, but the pain subsided. Now I just have to deal with this arrow.
Now that the pain was gone, I was able to think a little. First, I needed to remove the arrow.
I think I've heard before that if you don't pull the arrow out immediately, the muscle will tense up and it’ll become stuck. But then, it doesn’t seem like it could be easily removed even if I pulled either. And considering the shape of the arrowhead, the wound would only get bigger if I did that.
As I looked at my bloodied hand, I started to feel funny for some reason. I'm fiddling with the arrow, but without the pain-killing magic, this would have been a disaster.
But this was no time to escape from reality. I had to pull out the arrow. The wound was still bleeding in a steady stream even as I played around with it while thinking. Should I just pull it out?
I had two options: I could cut the flesh around the arrow and take it out, or I could push it in all the way through and pull it out from the other end.
But I didn’t like the idea of making the wound bigger just to get the arrow out, so I’ll just go for the other option.
Fortunately, the arrow didn’t have any feathers, so it would be easy to pull it out if I pushed it in.
And so, I folded a small piece of cloth, placed it in my mouth, and bit down on it. I heard that this was done to make the pain more bearable, though I suppose it’s not necessary now because of the magic — it was just about the mood.
This should be over in a flash, I thought as I smiled wryly.
I placed my hand on the arrow and pushed with all my might. It didn’t hurt at all. But even though it didn’t, I could still feel the arrow passing through my twitching muscles.
The feeling is similar to when I’m butchering a bird.
I tried to think of other things while pulling the arrow out.
It’s out.
However, I didn’t expect the wound to bleed this much after the arrow was taken out. In the meantime, I rolled up a rag, placed it behind my knee, and bound it with another cloth. I wanted to place my injured limb higher than my heart, but I would have to stand on my hands to do that.
Should I just use Magic again?
What should I do? The wound isn’t bleeding as much as it did earlier, but it still didn’t show any signs of stopping. If I looked in a mirror, my face might’ve even turned pale from the blood loss.
I wish I could connect the muscle fibers and blood vessels, but I wonder if I can? I could already heal minor scratches, but a bleeding wound was new to me.
But I had to give it a try, or my life would be in danger.
And so I washed the wound with water first. There didn’t seem to be any fine debris in the wound, so that was good. Next, I connected my blood vessels and muscle fibers together and restored it to its original state. Whenever I tried to heal my wounds, I used to make an artificial skin to protect it, but this time, I made a kind of glue to hold them together at the cellular level.
I also suppressed my Fighting Spirit so it didn’t get in the way of my Magic.
Now, all that’s left to do is to hope that it heals nicely.
It was already dark by the time I finished tending to my wound. It was tiring.
I should leave the village after all, I thought.
Now that I think of it, maybe I should have trusted Denner and revealed myself to them. Or maybe I should have asked the village for protection when Frau found me.
No, in the first place, maybe I should have planned to be picked up by someone in the village when I was a baby.
I feel like I've made so many wrong choices that I don't know where I went wrong.
But I was being stubborn even though I could have just shown up and introduced myself all this time.
Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any hunters in the next two days until the merchant’s carriage arrived.
It was finally time to leave.
