How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 82

91. Let’s Learn Magic (5)

“Well, it seems they’ve accommodated your requests as much as possible.”

Laid out on the table were pieces of armor that seemed to weigh about the same as what I usually wear.

The parts that needed to cover vital spots had thin metal plates added, and the leather itself looked quite thick and sturdy, expertly tanned.

‘The quality is obviously superior.’

Compared to this, the equipment I’ve been wearing until now was just rags.

That much was clear at a glance.

“They seem to have melted down the metal you gave them and mixed it in. The leather was also coated several times with a chemical using that material during the tanning process. The strength is guaranteed.”

“……I should check it out myself.”

It’s better to see for myself than just listen.

Lox didn’t stop me.

Rather, he watched confidently, as if telling me to test it as much as I wanted.

I picked up the metal part and pressed it hard with my hand as a test.

My current strength is on par with that of a B-rank mercenary who has trained consistently.

I can easily lift and throw objects weighing at least 20 kilograms [44 pounds].

Even when I put all my strength into pressing it, not even a fingerprint appeared.

Okay, let’s get a little more aggressive.

I deliberately punched the armor.

The table creaked for a moment as I struck it.

But there wasn’t even a slight dent.

“Amazing…… I can’t believe a piece of iron thinner than my palm could be this strong.”

If someone who majored in metallurgy in modern Earth saw this, they’d foam at the mouth.

It’s clearly a metal that defies the laws of physics.

Who would have thought it would become so strong just by mixing in some fossilized creature powder?

This is truly a mysterious place.

“And about this equipment. Um…… well, put that on for a moment.”

He pointed to a pair of gloves placed separately.

Is he trying to measure the size?

I put them on without much thought.

“Now, channel mana into them. You’re a spirit mage, right? You can do that much, can’t you?”

“It’s not difficult.”

I have the knack for activating magic swords, and my ability to control the flow of mana has become quite familiar through recent training.

As I poured power into them.

“……Oh?”

I immediately realized what he wanted to show me.

I could feel an unusual amount of power flowing into the hand wearing the glove.

“Could it be?”

“It seems Meon put some skill into it. It’s not just strong equipment.”

“Would it be alright to try it on here?”

“Of course. We need to adjust the size anyway. Go ahead and put it on.”

I changed into the armor he brought, and after adjusting the size once.

I channeled mana again and checked my stats directly.

Stamina, the stat that signifies physical ability, had temporarily but drastically increased.

‘An additional 200 increase only when activated?’

The stamina stat, which represents strength, endurance, and resilience, had risen to an unbelievable level.

It boosts stats, albeit temporarily?

This is completely a self-buff [a temporary enhancement of one’s abilities].

Indeed, it’s the Giant’s Armor for a reason.

When worn, it grants powerful strength, even if it’s limited.

“It’s like an artifact? Did Lox make things like this in his workshop?”

“To be specific, Meon said it’s the effect imbued in that material, the bone you gave him.”

Finding it was half accidental, he says.

“Even so, the fact that he made it into equipment and brought it to life is already remarkable.”

This is an unexpected benefit for me, who only wanted strong defense.

It’s worth more than just 7,500 gold coins; it wouldn’t be strange to receive 9,000 or even 10,000 for this.

“You seem satisfied.”

“At least I don’t see any flaws.”

The maintenance isn’t too difficult either.

Custom equipment that seems to understand my personality.

At first, I wondered, ‘How good could it be for that price?’ but after wearing it, I understand.

‘I can’t be satisfied with ordinary equipment anymore.’

Luxury is scary.

This was the moment I truly realized why the strong only wear custom-made items.

“And one more thing.”

“Hmm? There’s more?”

“Well, some of the material was left over. It seems they used it to make a small tool as well.”

Lox handed me an object packaged in a wooden box.

I opened the wooden box.

Inside, a dagger was neatly placed.

“A dagger. Hmm? The handle is made of bone? Ah, it’s made from that bone.”

“The blade is made of the same metal as your equipment. It doesn’t have the same abilities as your armor, but the blade won’t dull easily.”

It’s a service made with leftover materials.

“That’s really cool.”

These small extras are sometimes delightful.

I accepted it with a grin.

There’s truly nothing lacking.

My business is going well, and I’ve acquired useful new equipment.

It was truly the best outcome I could have hoped for.

* * *

I’m earning money and getting new equipment, spending my days feeling more fulfilled.

Now, all that’s left is magic.

Fortunately, that’s also showing some progress.

I’ve already memorized several spells and demonstrated to Cruise that I can use them sufficiently.

As for 1st circle spells, I can cast them well enough with just a few practices.

I’m also gaining confidence.

Is that why?

When I came to visit today, Cruise showed a different look in her eyes than usual.

Something’s not right.

“Eilon, I think you’re now somewhat familiar with calculation and mana control.”

Cruise glanced at my condition and suddenly said this.

“Prepare to go out. We’re going a little far.”

“……What? Aren’t we having class?”

So far, what she’s taught me has been mostly theory.

Her role is to guide the insufficient flow when I practice magic.

Or to quickly smack the back of my head when I make a mistake to prevent accidents.

Thanks to that, the bump on the back of my head never has a chance to subside.

All of these can be done indoors.

As someone who dislikes going far, I’ve been satisfied with just this.

“Hehehehe. Sometimes you have to practice in different ways, right?”

Cruise wore a strangely subtle smile.

I’ve vaguely noticed recently that, just as I’m using her to learn magic, Cruise also seems to be testing something on me.

As a mage, she’ll eventually have disciples.

Is she trying to rehearse that?

She even brought some strange medicine once and made me eat it.

Everything has an effect, so I don’t have any complaints.

It feels like she’s trying to test everything on me at this opportunity, which is unsettling.

“It’s okay. I won’t make you take medicine today. And I won’t make you do anything weird either. ……For now.”

“Well, I understand that I don’t have a choice in the position of a learner.”

Bring medicine, books, or whips, whatever!

I’ll follow everything you say, teacher.

“So, what are you going to make me do?”

“Since you seem to be getting used to it, how about we have a light magic battle today?”

The words spoken with a beautiful smile that would make even flowers bow their heads.

It’s practically a death sentence.

“M-Magic battle?”

Is she planning to kill me in an accident under the guise of a lesson?

Did I do something wrong? Have I been joking around too much lately?

Was it a mistake to trick her by giving her spicy seasoning disguised as fruit jam?

It was just a small prank for hitting me with a staff when I dozed off during class!

“There’s no way! Do you think I would be so petty, unlike you?”

I have a lot of things that prick my conscience.

Originally, the one with a guilty conscience is bound to get caught.

Well, just kidding.

It’s not strange for a master to teach a disciple in a practical magic battle.

If it’s a necessary process, there’s no reason to complain.

“……More than that, Eilon. That jam back then, was that intentional too?”

“Ah.”

My mouth is too loose.

I quickly avoided eye contact and pretended to prepare to go out.

* * *

For serious practice, Cruise grabbed the back of my neck and flew out of the city.

We arrived at a plain a little away from the city.

“There shouldn’t be any problems here, even if we cause a bit of a commotion.”

Only after confirming that there was nothing to disturb us did we begin practicing.

“Of course, Eilon, don’t use spirit magic. Only use the magic you’ve learned. Got it?”

Well, if I use spirit magic, there’s no point in practicing magic battles, so I understand.

“Even so, I won’t be able to compete with Cruise in magic, will I?”

I’m confident I’ll lose in exactly 1 second!

I wouldn’t be able to win even if I used spirit magic and all sorts of abilities, not just a magic battle.

“I’ll only use 1st circle spells. And I’ll only fight you with the same amount of mana as you.”

“Hmm.”

“Hehe. Then it should be worth a try, right?”

I wonder about that.

Looking at Cruise, who was giving a meaningful smile, I’m convinced.

It won’t be easy.

We kept a sufficient distance and began practical practice.

“First, Eilon, you go first.”

“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept.”

I immediately began chanting the 1st circle spell, Firebolt, and completed it without difficulty.

A small ball of fire formed in my hand and flew away.

However, Cruise shook her head at the sight of it.

“……Still slow. And you stopped outright the moment you started chanting. You wouldn’t even hit a goblin like that.”

Cruise pointed out, firing the same magic to counter the fireball I shot.

She cast it without chanting, and two shots flew at once.

“Double shot? Wait, that’s cheating! Cough?!”

I was immediately hit by the fireball and tumbled.

I wore the Giant’s Armor just in case, and I was prepared for some burns for training, but I’m fine.

The moment it hit, she scattered the flames to reduce the power.

“Isn’t that a bit unfair? You said you’d only use the same amount of mana…….”

“The total amount of mana is the same. The chanting speed…… might be a little different, though.”

“The loading speed difference isn’t a little!”

If she’s an SSD [Solid State Drive, a type of fast computer storage], I’m a normal hard disk.

Well, there’s no way it would be practice if she played exactly the same way.

That’s a natural difference.

“Anyway! I’m going to attack you in all sorts of ways, so deal with it!”

Cruise immediately began chanting and firing the same magic indiscriminately.

There’s no such thing as holding back.

“Chant while dodging. If your feet stop even for a moment, you’ll get hit.”

“Uwaaaaaaa! W-Wait a minute! You said you’d hold back! You said you’d hold back!”

While shouting, I had to run around without being able to keep my feet on the ground even for a moment.

It feels like running through bullets.

The relentlessly pouring fireballs accurately fell on my instep every time I stopped.

‘She has no intention of letting me rest.’

Is she trying to force me not to stop?

From the beginning, the goal is to make me use magic in difficult situations.

I had no choice but to chant magic while running.

“……Ah, cough!”

Damn it! The chant got twisted!

But this time, it failed.

The fireballs that had been created scattered.

Until now, I’ve only practiced while standing still or sitting upright, so I can’t control the flow of mana in chaotic situations.

‘Even if I gain talent through influence. I can’t properly utilize it in practice.’

It’s just a matter of practical sense.

With spirit magic, the spirits automatically draw out mana and cause phenomena whether I’m running, doing a handstand, or sleeping.

But with magic, I have to handle the entire process.

If I can’t overcome that difference, I won’t be able to use the skills I’ve learned.