"It's a kind of power born of the mind—one that abides by the objective rules of this world, yet also responds to the desires within your heart… Some say magic comes from both the spirit and the body. But this world is full of strong-bodied people with little magic, and weak ones with vast reserves of it.
Of course, there are also those with powerful bodies and minds who are naturally strong. But I've seen others—withered in both body and spirit—who still possess astonishing magical strength. In a way, life force and magic can be converted into one another...
So you can think of magic as something that comes primarily from your mind, and secondarily from your body. If you grasp the right method, then magic is life—and life can be magic. It all depends on how you use it.
But what is the true source of magic? What exactly is it? That... is something only you can discover."
Sharan's voice was soft, filled with a warmth that stirred a longing within the heart—a longing to dedicate oneself wholly to the pursuit of magic.
But Ryuji had already caught her true meaning.
"So what you're saying is… every mage has to come to their own understanding of it?"
"Exactly," Sharan replied with a smile. "Magic—mana—is just a general term. It's like that so-called 'qi' people talk about. In some sense, isn't that also a kind of magic?"
She looked at him with a gentle, amused expression.
"So however you choose to understand it, that's your own business. I'm just the guide appointed to lead anyone with interest into the halls of magic. How you see it, how you practice it—that's all up to you. I'll only offer what knowledge I can, and share whatever spell books are allowed for public access."
Sharan shrugged lightly.
Learning magic didn't require money—Queen Skardi had already allocated funding for that. But spell books and magical experiments were another story. Those came with significant costs, and even a queen's treasury couldn't cover everything. So the burden of comprehension fell squarely on the students.
"This," she said, handing him a book, "is a basic spell book. If you want to start learning, the Mage's Guild has instructors available. But first, you'll need to master how to channel your mana and form a proper magic array. And…"
She gave Ryuji a rather strange look.
"You need to know how to read."
"Tch." he clicked his tongue in irritation.
He was beginning to understand just how important foreign languages were. But damn it, it's not like his school ever offered a course in Aradese.
"But you still have time, don't you?" Sharan continued. "Since you've already awakened your mana, you can recharge that brooch every day. If you're careful, it'll last you up to three months. But no matter how cautious you are, the brooch will break down after that. Mana eats away at it. So you'd better learn the language before then. Because once the three months are up—if you come back to me—I won't be free anymore. Rules are rules."
She smiled at him in that bureaucratic way people do when they're just following procedure.And Ryuji didn't have the face to argue.
"Yeah, I get it," he muttered. "But… do you happen to know anyone who's short on money? I might need help learning the local script."
He sighed.
Because of his pride—his stupid male pride—he didn't want to rely on Kiri for this.So he'd have to look elsewhere.
"Well…"
Sharan didn't reject him—she actually found this polite human rather likable. After thinking for a moment, she nodded at Ryuji.
"There's a girl named Rosh who's pretty short on money. I'll ask her for you. With her strength, I don't need to worry about her safety."
Rosh? The Cosmic Demon?
A question mark practically popped out of Ryuji's forehead.
But before he could ask anything else, a petite figure with fiery red hair suddenly burst through the door and barreled straight into Sharan's arms.
"Yo! Sharan—uh, Big Sis! I brought back the fire elemental crystal!"
The red-haired girl excitedly pulled out a glowing red crystal from beneath her skirt and proudly held it up toward Sharan.
Unfortunately, due to her height, even on tiptoes she could only lift it to Sharan's collarbone. Her face, smudged with soot and ash, twisted into a pouty expression full of frustration. Her soft little lips puffed up adorably.
That's when Ryuji finally got a good look at her.
Blood-red twin tails bounced behind her head. She wore a black-and-red shirt paired with a tattered frilled dress. Her bare feet were tucked into little calf-high leather boots. What really stood out, though, was the yellow, pancake-like ornament on her clothes—and the scythe-headed staff in her hand, whose blade housed a bizarre, human-like face.
Yep. The second he saw her, he knew.
He'd just met one of the main characters from the Dungeon Fighter Online lore.
That outfit. That vibe. It screamed "starter protagonist."
Sharan affectionately ruffled the girl's blood-red hair, taking the crystal from her hand with a smile.
"Hmm, looks like you actually brought the right one this time. But seriously—charging into my arms all dirty like this? Washing these robes is a pain, you know. I'm deducting part of your allowance this week."
Her tone was teasing, half-scolding, but the red-haired girl immediately looked horrified.
"Wha—?! Auntie Sharan, you're so mean!"
And just like that, Ryuji watched Sharan's kind expression turn... dangerous.
Without a word, she took the crystal and smacked the red-haired girl right on the head with it. The girl yelped and collapsed dramatically at Sharan's feet.
"Call me big sis. Oh, right—almost forgot."
Only then did Sharan remember Ryuji was still standing there. Casually grabbing the redhead by the collar like a ragdoll, she lifted her up for display.
"Mr. Ryuji, this is the girl who'll be teaching you the language. Don't let her appearance fool you—she's a native of the demon world, but she speaks Common better than most locals!"
"Uuugh... Auntie Sha—Big Sis is so mean..."Rosh groaned, still clutching her head.
Ryuji glanced at her, then at the now-gentle-looking Sharan. He wanted to question why a literal demon girl was teaching him Aradese, but considering Sharan had personally recommended her—and she was a protagonist on top of that...
"Well, since you've personally recommended her, I can only be grateful. May I ask—what's the pay like?"
Sharan gave him a soft smile.
"Not much. Just cover her room and board—and five gold coins."
"Exactly! Food is the most important thing!"
Dangling midair, Rosh suddenly lit up, throwing her tiny arms into the air.
Ryuji looked at her petite frame and figured… it shouldn't be too hard.
"Don't worry," he promised. "The meals might not be fancy, but you'll definitely be full."
Then he saw Rosh's eyes—
They sparkled.