SIAW Vol. 2 Chapter 14

Chapter 14  –  Miss Dorothea

After I received the detailed list of the items I had delivered to the guild and the related reward, the guildmaster spoke again.

“Have you had lunch already, Tenma?”

“Yes, we have.”

“Can you go to the Magicians’ Guild, then?”

“Yes, no problem. How about you, Misha?”

Misha thought for a moment, then replied.

“I don’t have anything to do there. I want to go hunting with Sil!”

Hmm, I guess I should have expected it.

Even if she comes, she’d be just listening to us talk, so she’d rather train instead, I guess.

She was getting more and more focused, it seems.

I couldn’t tell the guildmaster about ALA, so to them Misha would be just going hunting on her own. Normally, he would think it dangerous for a novice adventurer like her to act on her own, but he knows that the Silver Wolf Sil is with her, so he said nothing.

At least, that was my view on things.

“There is still some time before the appointment at the Magicians’ Guild, right? I’ll go see Misha and Sil off. Could you please wait a little?”

The guildmaster seemed puzzled.

He probably thought I was being overprotective…but they couldn’t access ALA without me, so I had no other choice.

“Well, yes, we do have some time, so it’s not really a problem, but…”

“I’ll be back quickly!”

I didn’t want anyone following us, so we left the room in a rush.

We then went out of the city, found a deserted place and I let Misha and Sil inside ALA.

Once alone, I went back to the Adventurers’ Guild.

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When I entered, I saw the guildmaster talking to Luka behind the reception counter.

He turned around when he heard the door open and raised a hand at me.

“That was quick. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I just wanted to know the approximate direction they were going.”

The guildmaster nodded, mumbling “I see.”

～

After that, the guildmaster and I headed to the Magicians’ Guild.

As I had confirmed the day before, it was located inside the same building as the Merchants’ Guild.

The guildmaster entered the Merchants’ Guild and climbed the stairs to the third floor, without saying a word to anyone, so I just followed him up. In the third floor hall, a placard that read “Magicians’ Guild” was hanging from the ceiling, and there was a reception desk in the back.

The guildmaster approached the young lady at the counter and was immediately shown to the meeting room in the back.

We waited inside for a little while, until a woman in her thirties came in, followed by two other women and one man.

They sat opposite us, then the woman heading the group took the word.

“Young one, I am Dorothea — the guildmaster of this Magicians’ Guild and the Alchemists’ Guild.”

Dorothea had an alluring, graceful air to her. Her figure too reminded me of a high class model.

The way she talked, though, was pretty old for her age…almost grandma level.

Just then, I remembered Zanvert — the Adventurers’ Guildmaster mentioning that she was his older sister.

The white hair on his head and considerable number of wrinkles suggested that he was in his late forties or early fifties.

Dorothea looked much younger than that, though. If he said that she was his daughter, I would probably believe it.

“Young one, are you truly Tenma? The author of these papers?”

Dorothea flapped a stack of paper.

“I can’t see what’s written on the paper you are holding, so I cannot tell…but yes, I did write certain documents and delivered them to guildmaster Zanvert.”

Dorothea nodded, apparently convinced, and continued.

“As we have multiple guildmasters here, go ahead and address us by name, young one. I trust my dear little brother agrees.”

“I have no objections.”

So they really are brother and sister!

Could it be that people age differently in this world?

Dorothea did not seem to notice my surprise and started talking again.

“I was informed that you wish to stand out as little as possible, young one. In addition, we want to make sure that this information is examined accurately before made public, lest it invites confusion. I have thus summoned this man, Marcel, from the Merchants’ Guild: his “Contract Magic” will ensure that the contents of our meeting do not leave this room. What do you say?”

Ooh, Contract Magic…I want to learn it too…!!

Well, that will have to wait, I suppose.

For the moment, I nodded.

“Yes, no problem. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Hmm. My little brother here told me you had little common sense, but you seem polite enough to me. Marcel! The contract!”

The well-built man called Marcel put three sheets of paper on the table, in front of me.

“Lady Dorothea and Sir Zanvert have already signed; Sir Tenma, please examine the contents, and if there are no issues, sign as well. I will leave as soon as the contract is complete.”

Hmm, they’re doing this more properly than I had expected.

I checked the contents, which defined in detail the confidentiality of the information we were going to deal with.

The mere intention of breaching the rules of confidentiality would cause a fierce headache: if it was actually breached, the pain would get worse, eventually leading to death.

It was pretty scary to think about, but the headache would serve as a warning, in case of accidents or mistakes.

I really want to use this with Misha too…I need to learn Contract Magic too, after all.

“I see no issues.”

I then signed the three sheets of paper.

Marsel picked up the papers and chanted something: one of the sheets burned in a blue flame, turned into ashes and disappeared. The other two glowed in a pale blue light.

“The contract has been bound. In case you wish to rescind the agreement, all three of you need to sign with blood these two sheets of paper, then a spell of nullification must be chanted.”

After this final explanation, Marcel bowed and left the room.

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After the contract was bound, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I wouldn’t have to worry about attracting unwanted attention because of the papers I wrote now.

“Well then, young one, I would like to talk with you about the contents of these documents.”

I nodded and Dorothea continued.

“Let us proceed in order. First of all, about the “Learning and Practicing Physical Boost” mentioned here. As it is a martial skill, the Adventurers’ Guild will test it with the knights, I suppose. We are going to skip that here.”

I looked at Zanvert and nodded.

“Next, about “Increasing one’s maximum magic power amount”. After obtaining these documents from Zanvert, we three have tested it ourselves. Indeed, we have confirmed that our total magic power capacity has increased!!”

Ooh, they tested it already! Good job!

Dorothea continued, a very serious look on her face.

“The Magicians’ Guild’s…nay, the history of the whole world might change because of this experiment. To think that magic power depletion, previously thought to be a deadly illness, can instead increase one’s own magic power! Simply unfathomable!”

Well, I can imagine that no one would risk their lives to test it.

I only tried because I knew there was no risk of dying on the training island.

“We have not managed to test everything yet, however. The existence of a “Magic Power Depletion Resistance” skill was unknown until now, after all. Naturally so, as the depletion of magic power has always been seen as a taboo. You have noted several concrete examples regarding magic power increase ratio, but there are still too few experiments. I suppose it is connected to this other document, “About Species Talent”, but we need more sample cases.”

I had only tested with my own talents, after all. 

Dorothea’s tone grew more and more excited.

“This “About Species Talent”, “Skill and Magic Level” and “Learning Lifestyle Magic”, at first sight, appear to be either slightly more concrete retellings of the tales of the ancient sage, or completely unbelievable lies, but reading them together makes them much more credible!”

The tales of the ancient sage? What’s that? Before I could ask anything, however, Dorothe paused for a moment — then slammed a document on the table.

“This book, however, was positively shocking! “About Training Methods”! Everything written here completely overturns the rules we thought were absolute. Up until now, leveling up was seen as inevitable in order to raise one’s abilities. This book, however, states that base abilities should be boosted before! No one ever thought of this before!”

I only thought of that method because of a game I played, after all.

I imagine it would be very difficult for someone from this world to come up with such an idea.

Dorothea took a deep breath.

“If this theory is proven true, our way of thinking will turn out to be fundamentally wrong. It will be painful to admit, but we should rejoice in the fact that we could learn of this truth. Even though…a discovery of this caliber, with this potential influence…it will take considerable time to properly test it out…though there might be a way to shorten it. A bit of a trick, if you will.”

Dorothea then looked straight at me.

“Could you show us your status and skills?”

“Absolutely not!”

I understand that looking at my status would show proof of my training methods and theories, but at the same time they would see that my abilities are cheat-level high!

Dorothea seemed pretty surprised that I refused instantly.

“No, you say!? If you do not comply, we cannot accept these papers!”

Accept? Could it be that she got the wrong idea?

“Er, it seems there is a fundamental misunderstanding here. I have not once thought of asking you to accept or approve the contents of those books. I only wrote them because Zanvert asked me to.”

I glanced at the guildmaster, who nodded.

“Even so, we are all bound by the Contract Magic here: nothing we learn here will leak outside. I see no problem in revealing your status and skills in this situation.”

Well, I do! I see plenty of big problems! I know full well how insane my status is for this world! No way I can show it!

There was no way I could say this to two guildmasters, either. I tried to somehow explain my position, while putting my thoughts in order as quickly as I could.

“Well, you see…to fully reveal my status and abilities would also mean exposing all my weaknesses. I have met you today for the first time, Lady Dorothea, and have known Sir Zanvert only recently. It would be a heavy risk for me…and even if we knew each other well, I would never show anyone my whole status and skills!!”

“But—”

“Dorothea! Tenma is speaking nothing but the truth!!”

Zanvert finally intervened to appease his sister.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and continued.

“It’s a true shame, but I guess my documents can’t be accepted, then. Can I go?”

I said it to Zanvert, but Dorothea hastily interrupted.

“P-Please wait! There is one more method of confirmation!”

Hmm? What is she going to come up with now?

“Can you complete the registration?”

Hm? Registration? What did she mean?

Zanvert did say that he wanted me to register the things I wrote about…would that be useful in testing the theories written in my papers?