Rinkan no Madoushi:Volume1 Chapter2

Status: Incomplete

8% completed (estimated)

   

The Beast of the Night

Celo was always told about things from his grandfather when he was a child.

“Because beasts lurk in the dark of the night.”

His grandfather Zeldonato didn’t say those things to make Celo as a child afraid.

This was very important for someone who picked medical herbs.

“Listen up, Celo. With some of the herbs, their potent effect changes whether you pick them at day or pick them at night. As a doctor, you will go to the mountain at night very often. Therefore you need to remember this. In the dark of the night, even if you don’t see it, beasts lurk around.”

His grandfather was so serious when he told him this that he went beyond being afraid and ended up confused.

“The beast I’m talking about isn’t a beast that attacks humans. No, rather the majority of the beasts are afraid of humans and even if they approach they won’t come close. The beasts that lurk in the dark of the night are beings that don’t understand the difference between allies and enemies – if it’s an enemy they should be knocked down. If it’s an ally they should help each other. If it’s unrelated they should ignore them. However when someone faces the darkness at night, they won’t know which being is which. It is difficult there.”

And then his grandfather Zeldonato would always sigh and stroke Celo’s hair with his firm hand.

“Celo. Don’t fear the dark of the night more than is necessary. Having said that, don’t forget to be cautious. It’s likely that there’s always something on the other side of the darkness. If possible, it’s better not to approach but if it becomes necessary to draw near you should see with your own eyes whether or not it’s an ally or enemy. Do you understand?”

When he was a child, Celo would always nod at his grandfather’s words about this.

It didn’t mean that he completely understood his grandfather’s real intentions. But when he instinctively realised that he was afraid of the darkness and that “there might be something there”, he was only cautious about his imagination.

“Beasts lurk in the dark of the night – “

Even bears, wild boars, Kokurou, Foudi, and even humans were a kind of beast.

Don’t give the enemy a chance.

Don’t point your sword at allies.

Don’t provoke unrelated people.

His grandfather’s words had that meaning and that knowledge was very natural.

Or maybe his grandfather Zeldonato might have known the true nature of the dark.

He was the kind of man that was stubborn, blunt and didn’t really turn to entertainment business, but to Celo he was his kind grandfather.

As an artisan, his skill wasn’t particularly great but he did a thorough job, had a good reputation and was trusted by his employer Ordba.

And now Celo was working as an apprentice doctor in his residence because of Ordba’s kindness.

Celo’s employer was a noble and in this region he was a renowned magician.

Unlike spirits, humans are unable to manifest magical power unless they used the medium called Magic Tools.

Instead humans were endowed with the ability to both “make” and “use” Magic Tools. Everything has its strong and weak points so the ability required to master Magic Tools and the ability required to completely make them are different. But there are also magicians who can only use Magic Tools and inversely artisans who can only make Magic Tools. Generally magicians are artisans at the same time and many artisans are also magicians at the same time.

The element that distinguished the two people who make or use is “Which one do you put emphasis on?”

However, Celo was unlucky in that he completely had no ability in either one.

It wasn’t possible for him to imitate his grandfather who was an artisan and make Magic Tools and he couldn't use them. Whenever Celo tried to use Magic Tools, they would end up breaking for some reason.

Since practice and talent was needed to master Magic Tools, it wasn’t unusual to find people who were poor at using it. Nevertheless, it was indeed unusual that Celo was unable to practice using them.

Amongst friends around his age were people who had qualities that enabled them to enter the school in the bigger town. Even the people, who couldn’t be magicians, found their own way and went out of town to find teachers.

Now Celo was doing the odd jobs of a servant, but he intended to become independent sooner or later. Picking herbs was an important source of income for that day and it could also be said that it was part of his training.

And tonight, Celo would walk into the night forest.

“Beasts lurk in the dark of the night – “

Thinking back on those words his grandfather said, he now put his body into the depths of that darkness.

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