Chapter 14: Earth Magic Arte Awakens

Editor: King of the End

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Finally, there’s only two days left before the duel. My Sword Ability has reached level III. My physical condition is also flawless.

I only have one problem left.

“Kurt-sama, what’s wrong? You look troubled.”

“Well, you know. I don’t have any weapon to use in the duel.”

The only weapons that I can somehow use are the spear, farm tools, and stone knife. At this rate, I would probably go out in the selection ceremony with my stone knife, but that doesn’t look good at all.

“Swords… There’s no one in this village who has one.”

“If we have enough iron to make a sword, we use it for the farm tools. If we have the materials, we could bring them to the blacksmith in the main village. It really pains me that we can’t get help from him because he’s Jörg’s follower.”

People who have expertise are all gathered in the main village, and on top of that, there are a lot of them who butter up to Jörg, who has the biggest chance to be the next feudal lord. Most of them are my enemies.

“Moreover, I’m really attached to this guy that I’ve always been using. I feel my own hesitation towards wielding a new weapon.”

I grip the handle of the spear in my hand. It feels natural, I knew it. I’ve perfectly adapted to this guy that it feels that it’s a part of my body.

For a full ten years, this guy has always been my pal. If I could, I want to continue going through everything with him from now on too.

However, there’s nothing I can do about lacking a Spear Ability. As I thought, I couldn’t treat the spear like a sword in the same way that I see a stone knife as one. At the very least, a cutlery with slashing purpose is important.

“It seems complicated… if only we can change Kurt-sama’s spear into a sword.”

“That’s it.”

I’ve gotten a sudden epiphany. The spear should be remolded into a sword through magic arte. If I do it that way, I can obtain a sword, and I could keep fighting with this guy who has always been fighting together with me.

Also, there’s something else in my mind. If it’s “that katana” which is a katana AND a spear at the same time, shouldn’t I get the correction from my Sword Ability while having an advantage from the spear skills I’ve been cultivating?

“Could it work that way?”

“It should be. That is, if I could awaken my earth elemental magic arte.”

Earth magic arte could even manipulate gems. I predict that changing the shape of a spear is completely plausible.

“In that case, the next thing we should do is to awaken Kurt-sama’s elemental magic arte somehow, right?”

“The book mentioned about the importance of being one with the earth.”

My all-seeing eyes also gave me the same answer. When I could be one with the earth, the earth would respond to me. Thus, there’s no other option than making me feel the earth with my whole body.

“Tina, I’ll see and try if I can awaken my earth magic arte in half a day. I’m going to play with the field’s soil back there, with a method that’ll allow me to feel the earth better than ever.”

If I spend just half a day, I can catch up even if it ends up in failure. If it’s no good, I should just give up.

“Then, I will return here with a lunch box later.”

“I’ll be waiting with pleasure. I’ll show you my effort while looking forward to Tina’s lunch box.”

And thus, I walk outside to obtain an earth magic arte.

☘

“To increase the sense of unity, huh?”

Since I haven’t awakened from all the severe fieldwork that I’ve been doing until now, merely touching with hands shouldn’t suffice. Tina has awakened her power from using firewood, but there’s a huge individual difference.

“Should I try plunging into the ground?”

I’ve spread the nutrition-filled humus ground that I transported from the forest across the field. Then, I plunge myself into it, covering my whole body with soil.

“Hm, this is still not enough, huh?”

I don’t get any notion at all. I still need even more sense of unity. So I soak the ground with water I fetched earlier, turning the soil into mud.

I dive again for the second time. Since the ground has become mud, I feel my body somehow become one with earth more than before. Let’s keep trying this for now. I shut my eyes while feeling the earth with my whole body.

☘

It’s been an hour since then. I can feel the power of earth slightly better than before, but as I thought, this is still not enough. Spending more time than this is useless.

More than not losing the direction, it’s better if I can deepen my connection with the earth. I’m confident that I just need a little more.

“Kurt-sama, I’m coming with your lunch box!”

Tina approaches me. She carries a basket and flask, smiling sweetly, maybe because her cooking today came out satisfactorily. However, she pauses, her smile becomes muddy.

“Ah, thank you. I’m going to try a little bit more, so can you wait with the food for a while?”

“I’m okay with waiting, but, uhm, what is it that you’ve been doing?”

“I’m feeling the earth with my body to sense the unity with the earth. I’ve never felt the earth like this before, you know?”

“O-oh, I see.”

Tina shows an understanding face for me even though she seems surprised.

Well then, what should I do now? Soaking my body in the mud with my arms and legs stretched open is still not enough. I’m probably still too lenient in this. Rising up to my legs, I break free from the mud.

“Tina, I have a request.”

“What is it, Kurt-sama?”

“Seems like it’s not enough to soak in the mud. I’ll need you to bury me alive.”

I strengthened my physical ability with mana, then rapidly dig out a hole in the ground and put myself inside. The hole’s depth is enough to let my head stay out from the neck up.

“Tina, bury me with soil.”

“Y-yes, Kurt-sama!”

Tina helps covering me with soil. I become unable to move a finger. My sense of unity with the earth has grown again.

“Kurt-sama, isn’t it too harsh?”

“I’m fine. It even feels good.” Being enclosed by Mother Earth makes me feel exquisitely relieved. Seems like I’m almost there.

“Tina, give it the finishing touch. Please bury up to my head too.”

“If I do that, you will die!”

“If I awaken my earth magic arte, I can drive it away by myself.”

“What if the power is not awakened?”

“Count to 100, if there’s no movement, dig me out. I can still hold my breath to that extent.”

“…I understand. Then, I will start.”

Tina covers my head with soil from above. My sight gradually becomes darker and it gets more difficult to breathe. When she finishes, my head is completely buried.

It’s quiet. Moreover, it’s warm, somehow. Sound and light are gone, and I come to hear the earth’s pulse.

That’s it. This is definitely the power of the earth. Before me, a brand new scene is spreading. The world changes. This is a world as seen by the Earth Spirits. I’ve grasped something from it.

“Kurt-sama, it’s the limit. I’ll dig you up if nothing happens in ten seconds!”

I can hear Tina’s panicking and almost crying voice. I regret making her worry over me. Thank you. It’s okay now. I’m all right.

It’s awakened. This is earth magic arte.

[I’ll be in your care.]

That’s right, when I talk to the earth, the earth that wraps around me moves. I feel the soil that weights down on my head disappear, and I open my eyes.

Tina’s head is right before me. She’s crouching down, looking in my direction.

“Kurt-sama, has your earth magic arte awakened?”

“Yes, I finally obtained the earth magic arte.”

The earth that enveloped me removes itself and piles under my feet, propelling me out of the ground.

“Now, my clothes are covered with mud. I should wash up and change my clothes, would you please look away?”

“Y-yes, Kurt-sama.”

Tina becomes flustered and moves her eyes away before covering her face with both hands. Since it’s Tina, I’m embarrassed if I’m seen naked.

After I make sure that Tina has averted her eyes, I take my clothes off and wash the mud off with water. I run the water through the cloth before wearing a new set.

“Thanks for waiting, I’ve finished changing.”

When I look at Tina, she did turn her face away, but she looks in my direction with a sidelong glance through the gaps of her fingers.

“Tina.”

I step to her front and flick her forehead.

“O.. ouch. What are you doing, Kurt-sama?”

“I told you not to look, but you ignored my instruction.”

“Uh, that’s.. I’m sorry.” Tina apologizes while pressing on her forehead.

Oh well, it’s not like it leaves a bad feeling. Tina has also grown to that age. Maybe she’s curious about a male’s naked body.

“Tina, you don’t want it to happen to you, right? To be peeked while naked.”

“I don’t mind if it’s Kurt-sama… Uhm, no, I didn’t say anything. That, um, I just gave in to temptation.”

“Then, as revenge, I’ll do the same and peek on you when you’re bathing. Then you’ll understand how I feel.”

As I told her the joke, her face blushed heavily.

“It’s a joke. There’s no way I’d do something like that.”

“Ah, Kurt-sama. You’re making fun of me!”

I force a laugh.

“The earth magic arte that I obtained is thanks to Tina’s help, so I’ll forgive you this time. I want to be reborn anew in the spear.”

I take the spear leaning on the wall and grip it tightly. I’ve grown firmly accustomed to this sensation in my hand. As I expected, I want to fight along with this guy.

“Yes, Kurt-sama!” Tina replies spiritedly.

However, I can hear a cute stomach growl sound. As though she’s extremely embarrassed, her kitsune ears are flapping down, her face blushing in a very different kind of way than the face she made earlier.

“My stomach is empty, let’s eat the lunch box you’ve brought before. I’ll show you my reborn self after that.”

“Uuu… Kurt-samaaa…” Even though she’s embarrassed, she still firmly nods. She must have felt really hungry.

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Translator’s Notes: 

Again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!