Okami Wa Nemuranai

Silence ruled the room for a while once Shira was done talking about her past.

Eventually Lecan opens his mouth.

"One thing bugs me."

"Which one?"

"If you were put under the immortal ceremony years after you became the king's mistress, your current form now looks too young."

"Ah, that huh. Actually I don't really get it myself. My body just got younger little by little."

"Since when"

"I think it started after I cast <Purification> on myself."

"So the effect of <Purification> didn't disappear after you got turned into an immortal."

"<Purification> lifts up your body to its optimal condition. While the immortal ceremony rejects deteriorations of body. Even though their elements are completely opposite, they work similarly. Thus, clashing both in a certain way results in one denying the other. However, clashing them in another way results in them amplifying one another. In the first place, <Purification> has a slight rejuvenation effect. Perhaps that effect has been permanently affixed."

"Wouldn't you keep getting younger forever then."

"Oh the rejuvenation did continue. Slowly. You might think that you just age slower if you only get a year younger in ten year time, but when you got 10 year younger in 100 years, anyone would notice."

"Hence your current age after 300 years huh."

"That's not it. The rejuvenation stopped after a certain point. I think it's at about 18 year old. I suspect it's because that's the age where your body is at its most prime, you see."

Lecan closed his mouth after hearing everything he wanted to hear. Shira also stopped talking further. The two kept their silence for a while.

"So."

Suddenly, Shira spoke.

"What do you, plan to do about me."

"Nothing."

"Nothing eh."

"Yea."

Lecan feared Shira because she was not a human and possessed enormous mana. But after knowing her better, he felt that she was mainly leading a life of medicine making. There are better ways to get rich if that was her goal. Since the medicine she makes saves lives, what Shira is doing is beneficial to humans.

On top of that, he got to know her personal history. Lecan was relieved with what he learned.

Of course, that doesn't mean that he has lost his fear of Shira. Surely, there are times when Shira gets mad. There may even come times where she would consider destroying this country.

However, that's no different from a natural disaster. When a volcano erupts, many people lose their lives, however people also live with the blessing from that volcano until then.

If he sees a sign of Shira erupting soon, he will simply leave this country. In that sense, observing her from up close is the best course of action.

"Then, Lecan. We're taking a break tomorrow. Don't forget to practice on <Appraisal>. We'll begin preparing for other medicines the day after tomorrow. Let me see, this one should take 10 days. And then, it's a long break. You can go venture in a dungeon as you like."

"Got it. Ah right. I recalled one thing I wanted to ask you."

"Hee, what is it?"

"What does Special type magic <Absorption> absorb?"

"Mana. You absorb mana from magic gems to recharge your own mana with it."

"Can you absorb mana from still living magic beasts?"

"Of course you can't. And when the spell level is still beginner, you gotta touch the magic gem directly to do it. At mid level, you can absorb mana even from a certain distance, and even from magic gems inside dead magic beasts. At advanced level, you will absorb more mana than the original quantity, enabling powerful magic to be used. Taking in too much mana will make it disperse instead though."

Then Lecan is already at advanced rank.

"Lots of folks who dive deep into dungeons learn this magic. This magic's pair, the ability <Grant> enables one to recharge mana into magic gems. However, weak magic gems would break down if you fill them with powerful mana, while strong magic gems would repulse weak mana. Adventurers who aren't diving in dungeons buy some medium sized magic gems and put mana in them when they can afford to."

Shira drank the now cold tea and then spoke as if she was whispering.

"I sensed you when you first entered this town. Some really crazy one just dropped by, hope he'd go away quick I thought. But instead, three days later, that crazy one was drawing close to my house. I already had a bad feeling when Chaney consulted me. And then that crazy one finally knocked this house's door. I braced myself to have what might be the last battle in my life, you know."

As it sounded like a complete mirror of Lecan's worries, it felt oddly funny to him.

Lecan had a very peaceful sleep that night. He felt like the mist had cleared up when he woke up the next morning.

On his day off, Lecan used <Appraisal> on everything he saw that day.

However, Lecan cannot cast the spell unless he shouts it out loud.

The casting would fail if he just muttered it in his mouth or chanted the spell name in a low voice.

As such, things that he could use <Appraisal> on were limited.

That said, he could still appraise things on immobile carriages like their wheels, windows, metal fittings, etc, and there were lots of things on the road side like buckets, and cleaning utensils that he encountered as he strolled the town.

Passerby were startled every time Lecan cast <Appraisal> in a loud voice.

He sat down in a square and appraised clothing and stuff people were carrying. He did so by pretending to hold a jewel in his palm and appraised it.

The results of appraisals could be either easy to understand or puzzling.

In addition, it seems like the target of appraisal has to stay still. Thus, he wasn't able to appraise clothes or stuff being carried by moving people.

His appraisals worked fine on people who were sitting down having meals.

He visited a weapon shop, took a sword in his hand and appraised it.

"<Appraisal (Abel)>"

The result of appraisal came up in his mind several layers thick. Concentrating on the first layer, the word <Steel> came up in his mind. On the next layer, the word <Sword> came up. Concentrating onward to the next layer, the word <Falchion> came up. There were more layers after that, but no words came up even after he concentrated.

--I want to know the sword's performance.

He concentrated on the <Sword> layer while wishing that. And then, several lumps of different colors came up in his mind.

--This is, Attack power? This is, Endurance? This is, Sharpness? This one is...

After concentrating more, the meanings of those lumps came to light.

"Oy oy. Whatre ya doin' blatantly appraising the wares in my shop. Have some manners will ya."

A man who seemed to be the storekeeper told Lecan off. Lecan's common sense couldn't understand why would his action be considered rude but he apologized and left the shop nonetheless.

And then he got back at the square, bought some skewers, took a seat and appraised everything that came into his view while eating.

It's not possible to appraise things far away.

He could only read appraisal results from stuff within reach of his hands. But it might be possible to appraise faraway stuff if his ability improves, so he plans to continue on it.

Lecan got back to his inn right after it got dark outside and appraised items he brought from his former world.

He was surprised that he could appraise them more clearly now.

He recalled something and appraised <Guardian Jewel of Zana> once again.

<Name: Guardian Jewel of Zana>

<Type: Jewel>

<Graces: Boost Physical Attack (Large), Supplement User's Mana (Mediume), Null Curse>

Just as he thought, the content was more detailed than before.

Either his <Appraisal> has been improved, or his capability to read results of <Appraisal> does.

Either way, the fact that he could appraise goods on his own is a huge boon, something to be thrilled about.

He tried appraising his trusty sword once again.

<Name: None>

<Type: Sword>

<Attack: A bit high>

<Sharpness: A bit good>

<Endurance: Perfect>

<Grace: Self-Restoration (Large)>

He could clearly read information that was hazy before.

However, even though he could express colors, signifying things like attack, sharpness and endurance, that came up in his mind as these words, the results in his mind were perceived fuzzier.

Appraisers were able to quantify these properties, but expressing these shades of colors as objective numbers is quite difficult for Lecan.

However, Lecan clearly knows by heart just how offensively powerful this sword is.

--I've gotten hold of a wonderful ability. I want to polish it more. And if possible, I'd like to be able to understand properties of weapons my opponents have.

Lecan believes that's possible once he's mastered this ability. In fact, he succeeded appraising weapons carried by people who were sitting having meals. If he could shorten the time to appraise things, he should be able to appraise equipment of people who move slowly.

He suddenly hit upon something, and appraised his trusty sword while holding it in his hand.

Then a weirdly hazy result came up.

When he tried to appraise it again while focusing only on the sword, the appraisal result was clear.

He tried to appraise the sword again while holding it, and sure enough, the result was hazy yet again.

However, those hazy lumps were much denser than when he just appraised the sword.

His proficiency level is not yet high enough to understand what this means.

He's looking forward to the day he could read new things once he's gotten better at <Appraisal>.

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

The next day, Lecan was ordered to cut off a section of the herbs growing in Shira's garden when he got to her house.

Those herbs' branches would clear away other plants' leaves if they grew too big.

Lecan was surprised to hear the names of those plants and their general effects.

The plants he was asked to cut were all poisonous.

"Poisons are often used in making medicine as well, you see. The plants you cut today are all plants that can only be used in poison making though."

The medicine making was already done by noon of that day.

Once his work was over, Lecan started training in <Sleep> that day.

Yet, he couldn't comprehend the sense no matter how much she taught him.

"Uun. By some chance, maybe you don't have the aptitude for mind magic. Well, you've already learned three types, Perception, Space and Light Heat after all. Ah right, you used a curious magic when you climbed up my wall's stakes that time, didn't you."

She's talking about <Gust>. He never thought that she saw him doing it.

"Try using that."

"Wind!"

Lecan produced <Gust> in front of Shira.

"Once again."

"Wind!"

"Hmm. No mistake about it. That one's Creation type."

"What? But it's just making wind blow."

"Wind is composed of materials to a degree, you see. What you did just now was not making wind that's already there move, but producing a lump of wind out of nothing. No mistaking it. It's a Creation type magic. Now I'm sure you can learn <Pure Water> as well."

Afterward, Lecan continued to train in <Sleep> but it didn't seem like he would cast it at all.

Someone jumped down the wall when Lecan was about to go home.

"I'm back!"

It's Eda.

She's probably on her way back from work, she's full of energy as well today.

"Oh my, welcome back."

"Bururu, ruru."

"...."

Shira and Jericho greeted her back, but Lecan kept his silence.

"This fruit is for Jericho. And this sachet is for Shira-san ssu. And this jerky here's for Lecan."

"My my, thank you."

"Uho, uho, uho."

"...."

Even Lecan couldn't keep being unresponsive at this, he bowed his head to show his appreciations.

"Well then! Seems like I came at the right time. Mentor Lecan, teach me magic please."

"Right time it's not. I'm about to head back."

"Eeeh? Oh come on, just for a bit please."

In the end, with Shira's arbitration, Lecan was to watch Eda casting <Lamplight>.

Cast time was quick, size and adjustment were good. She could even cast it about five step away.

"You're good."

"Hehehe. You think so?"

"Where'd you train."

"Eh?"

"There's no way you could get this good without practicing. You must have done it somewhere."

"No err... I mean uh..."

"Speak."

"Well, you see, I went out the town for a quest, right. So I thought, it should be fine outside. But it's alright. I practiced secretly without anyone's witnessing."

The people who were with her were probably aware of it, Lecan thought.

"Oh it's fine it's fine. All magicians can use <Lamplight>, it's handy after all. I was planning to give the permission to use it in public once you've mastered it anyway. But, Eda-chan. There are some magic that will make your life like hell if people know you can use those magic. From here on, you absolutely must no use any magic I haven't given you permission to outside this house, okay."

"A...Al...I understand."

"Lecan. Teach Eda-chan how to cast <Ignition>."

Lecan showed her a sample, and explained the knack to cast it.

"A-alright, I gotcha. I'm gonna do it. <Ignition (Yutel)>!"

Dry leaves were on fire on her first try.

"I-I did it. I did it!"

Lecan ended up having to keep Eda's company while she was training.

There were times where the leaves did and did not burn even after she chanted the spell.

The poison making was proceeding well.

Eda's <Ignition> was getting better.

However, Lecan wasn't able to cast <Sleep> even once.

"Uun. Yep, it's hopeless. You've got no aptitude for it. It's a good idea to learn even one mind magic spell since it builds resistance against mind magic though, too bad."

Unfortunately, it seems like Lecan cannot learn mind magic. However, Lecan has a ring that resists abnormal status. Moreover, it's an item from his former world so the people in this world can't appraise it. He can wear it on him without reserve.

Since Lecan had to look after Eda's training in evening, he had to train himself during noon break. As such, Eda has no idea that Lecan has hit a road block in his magic training.

The day after he was proclaimed to have no aptitude for mind magic, Lecan was taught <Flame Arrow (Veyart)>.

His targets were some kind of fur hung on the wall stakes.

"Fire magic's got quite a firepower, see. But it should be fine with Flame Arrows no matter how many you shoot. Just don't take the fur off the wall, you hear me."

Lecan seems to have a good compatibility with this magic, he succeeded creating a flaming arrow as big and fast as he wanted in the first try.

"Alright, good going there. Don't raise its attack power now. This magic is merely a checkpoint. Let's get to the next one."

Evening of this day, Eda started training in <Draw>. Since Lecan had progressed to <Move> and <Float> already, teaching <Draw> was a simple matter for him.

They were done with the poison-making by the ninth day. Some of the products needed a long time to complete though, hence they were stored in basement's shelves.

"Now then, come here again tomorrow. By the way, how many Green Potions do you have."

"Think about 14."

"Alright, that's enough. Hold back from drinking liquor tonight."

Eda wasn't able to learn <Draw> this day either.