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Run Eric!
After handing over the role of a coach to Elna-kaasan, I return to see how Luna-san is doing.
And, along with the sound of bursting soil, I saw Luna-san covered in soil. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「How is it?」
「……just as you see. I can’t compress it」
When I call out to her, Luna-san unhappily says that while removing the soil from her body.
「Well, compression of magic power requires quite a bit of magic power manipulation skill so it’s not something that can be done quickly」
「……how many days did it take for Al-kun to be able to do it?」
Asked by Luna-san, I recall memories of the past.
「……if I remember correctly, around three hours, I guess?」
Of course, it wasn’t as perfect as my current self, but I should’ve been able to compress and shoot an Earth bullet back then.
「……amazing」
「Uwaaaaa! But you don’t have to compress it in front of you, you know! It will explode in front of you!」
Before I notice it, Luna-san had already started to do the compression right in front of me, so I cast a Shield in a hurry. Then the lump of soil exploded again.
Naturally, I am unharmed since I protected myself with a Shield.
It’s terrifying for her to self-destruct and injure herself without hesitation.
「Luna-san, that magic is not meant to be used to do that kind of harassment you know」
「……sorry, I’m bad at this and I have already hit myself eight times」
Sure enough, Luna-san replied while feeling despondent, guess she feels sorry about it.
「Ah, but wait. What if you intentionally make the Earth bullet explode halfway, you may be able to put it into practical use like a shotgun」
「……eh? What do you mean?」
「Like, if you deliberately fail in your compression, I wonder if you can take your opponent by surprise, something like that」
I create an Earth bullet to explain it to Luna-san. Then I randomly compressed the magic power on purpose and I shoot it just before it explode. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Immediately after that, the Earth bullet went unstable for a while, and after flying ahead for some time, the magic power that was compressed burst halfway. It burst out from the inside of the bullet as if it explodes.
「Well, something like this. But, it was too unstable and there was also the danger of exploding before you can even send it flying, so maybe you can blast it with your own skill after you get used to it, or you may not need to use it at all」
Oh well, it’s at the level where you may be able to catch the opponent off guard if they are a magician.
「……Al-kun, you’ve always thought about a lot of things, aren’t you」
「I’m only thinking if I can make the best use of magic in my daily life and to play, even if a little 」
It’s definitely not to raise my fighting strength like Eleonora-neesan. I also don’t come up with that for the future or to develop the territory like Sylvio-niisan.
It’s to make my own life easier, so I don’t think there is any reason for being praised like that.
「Okay then, we’ve strayed from our subject but I’ll give you some advice for magic compression. What kind of image does Luna-san have when compressing your Earth bullet?」
「……umm, following what Al-kun said, I squeeze it from the outside to the inside like, *gyuu*」
「Un, that’s fine, but I guess that was too vague. Elna-kaasan also said it when you circulate your magic power, but that was my own image so it’s not Luna-san’s own image」
It is difficult to copy the image that was conveyed to you by someone else in one attempt. I can manage somehow or another with the huge amount of knowledge and experience from my past life, but it would be hard when you look from the perspective of someone who normally doesn’t use magic.
「……what should I do to make my own image?」
「Observing or having practical experience on regular basis, I guess. There are unexpected parts in our life where it can be used as an image for magic. For example, with the compression of magic power, you can make a sand dango like this」
I bend down and start making sand dumplings to give an example.
And after adding a little bit of water using Water magic, I squeeze the sand using the palm of my hand and apply pressure to make it round.
「……I see, so it’s the image of compressing magic power using sand dumplings.....」
Once Luna-san raises her voice of admiration, she starts to make sand dumplings to imitate what I’m doing.
「……please give me water」
I dig up a hole with Earth magic and fill it with water using Water magic. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Here you go, use it as you like」
「……thank you」
After thanking me, Luna-san wets her hands a bit and start making sand dumplings.
Pressing and squeezing the sand with our palms, adding more soil to the place where we apply too much strength to compensate for it.
For a while, I and Luna-san make sand dumplings in silence.
When it becomes dry and not moist enough, we add a bit of water from the prepared water hole, and we slowly harden the sand dumpling with our hands while adding water to them.
As we quietly knead the sand dumpling, Luna-san gingerly asks.
「……maybe, it’s better to compress it slowly before getting used to it?」
「Correct. It’ll be a different story if you’re used to it, but if you’re not used to it then it’s better to do it slowly. We also make them slowly while adjusting the shape of the sand dumplings at first」
「……I see. So there is a hint in this kind of action.....」
Luna-san is kneading the sand dumpling while murmuring and pondering about it.
Although, being able to realize it in the middle of doing this and grasp it immediately is also quite fast for her.
Though it’s a straight path to take, it is precisely because of that that she acquires the skill of manipulating sand and her magic skill is also high. A great difference from Eric.
When I continue to move my hands while thinking of such a thing, the sand dumplings are completed.
Hmm, they have quite a neat spherical shape. It’s carefully smoothened so it’s glossy. It’s so smooth that it makes me want to unconsciously rub my cheek on it.
As I was pleased with the sand dumplings I created, Luna-san - who is beside me - was working on her fourth sand dumpling.
「……it’s fine, I will make sand dumplings for a while to strengthen the image in my mind」
I’m a bit speechless at that, but it should be fine to leave her alone.
「Are you okay with just defensive magic and manipulating sand?」
「……you have given me advice. I will try to find the image by myself」
I went to have my own free time after giving Luna-san some small advice on the tricks of how to do her magic practice.
◆
Now then, since the coaching of Luna-san had been settled, let’s play around with magic as I like.
Actually, I was itching to try the sand movement magic I had just learned a while ago. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
I try to pull the surfboard-like thing I made earlier toward me with Psychic, but I suddenly realize.
I can just use the movement magic itself without the surfboard, can’t I? I mean, it’s the sand that moves.
And so I set aside the thought of taking the surfboard and cast Earth magic at my feet. I spread my magic power around, and start to slowly move the sand under me like an escalator.
I start to move forward as I stand still while pushing the sand around me aside *zuzuzuzu*.
If just by standing alone is supposed to be fine, then even lying down will also be okay.
And even when I try to lie down while thinking like that, there was nothing strange happening. I still move despite lying down. This is also because the sand beneath me keeps moving.
「This is the moment when my small dream of moving while lying down has come true......」
Everyone must have the thought of moving around while lying down without getting up.
Of course, I can also move around the place while lying down by using Psychic as I wrapped myself with a futon, but that’s another thing.
I like the difference between the ground moving for me and by itself.
I move freely on the beach while lying sideways or facing the sky.
Then, a shadow fell over me as I lie down.
When I look up, there was the sullen face of Eric as he cross his arms looking down at me.
「……you, I’ve been watching for a while now, it looks unpleasant, so stop it」
「What? Does Eric not understand the greatness of this magic that let you move around without moving yourself?」
「No, I know about how amazing that magic is since I saw it back in the Lazur Kingdom, but I’m saying that it’s strange to use it like that」
「No no, this is magic that allows you to move around without walking yourself you know? And so, it’s obvious that I use it while lying down, right?」
It’d be a shame to use this kind of convenient magic spell just for battle.
「People normally won’t use it like that! And you only look like a strange insect when I look at you lying down looking at the sky and moving around」
This jerk, saying that someone who is using magic looked like an insect.
No matter how mild-mannered I am, it annoys me to hear that.
「Who’s the insect」
I cast Earth magic at Eric’s feet while saying that to him.
「Nuuoooooooohhh!? The sand is moving backward on its own!?」
Eric dash against the sand that moves backward.
However, Eric’s position doesn’t change because of the sand that continues to move backward no matter how much he runs and keeps on running.
It’s like being on a running machine. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Nuuooooohhh! Movee!」
「Look, you’re gonna fall to the sea with a splash if you don’t run faster」
「Yoouuu! What cunning magic.....Nuuaaaaahh, the sand behind......!」
Since he still has the time to insult me and looks quite calm, I raise the speed of the sand beneath him.
Immediately after, Eric frantically swung his limbs around.
Run, run, and run, but the sand continues to move backward at the same speed he runs.
Since the ground will be shaved off if the sand keeps moving backward in that place, I properly gather the sand in the surroundings to arrange a foothold for him to run. This is a kind consideration for the running Eric.
「Giddy up, I will raise the speed even more you knowー」
「Hey wait a second, Alfried! More than this and it will really......!」
Eric says while he breathes heavily and dash-ing with all of his strength
My impression of that is that of a preface from an entertainer's performance, so I increase the speed of the sand as I like.
「Ffhnnnuuuooooooohh!」
Eric, he shows me his final resistance by dash-ing with all his strength. However, the sand I manipulate is faster than him......
「……aaahh」
Before long, Eric collapsed as though he used up all of his strength, and then the moving sand carefully brought him to the sea.