Knights & Magic Volume 1 Chapter 2

Names: Whatever

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Lacilia pilot academy has a dormitory, restaurants and all sorts of shops. All sorts of Silhouette Knight repair shops are gathered there, including the lodging of related personnel, forming a large college city. Because Lacilia pilot academy is the top academic facility in the nation, the size of the city is not far off from the capital itself. The city adopted its name from the academy, and is known as 'Lacilia academy city', Ernesti resides in such a place.

The sun sets beyond the walls that surround the city and the night encompass the academy city. Apart from a select few, most of the shops have closed for the day, only a handful of people still wander the streets. The whole city falls into silence. A petite figure runs along the path formed from the rooftops of the building. The figure is dressed in black that is hard to see in the dark, moving like the wind along the roof.

And of course, this is the 8 years old Ernesti Echevalier. With the passage of time, his training has evolved from simple jogging into a round trip along the roof of the buildings in the city. According to Eru, the wide field of vision and the undulating height of the building is perfect for training.

He learned from his failure in using physical boast spell in the past, and further improves it, changing it into a low mana cost magic, emphasizing just the legs for running. He has gotten used to it, even strenuous movement won't affect the script, his enhanced legs enable him to sprint at a very fast pace.

As he ran, Eru closes in on the edge of the chain of connected buildings; the edge is akin to a cliff with the road at looming below. He took a deep breath, increasing his mana output. With the fierce reaction, he accelerates like an arrow fired from a bow, closing the gap to the edge in an instant. The moment he took his last step and leap into the air; he activated another spell -- compressing the air in front of him, creating a dense air bullet. This was originally basic wind magic, air bullet. Eru explodes the air bullet behind him, using the release burst of energy to push him forward.

The instantaneous acceleration threw Eru's body into the air, forming a beautiful arch in the sky. He activated his body strengthening magic in mid-air, and cast another spell just before he lands. Another air bullet spell -- but the area of compress air was much larger. He didn't fire off the air bullet just like before, using it as a cushion, landing nicely at the other roof. Eru rolls to reduce the impact, running off with the same speed as before.

The year is C.E. 1273.

It has been 3 years since Eru started his magic special training. He went through it daily without rest, accumulating a large amount of mana within his petite body. Normally, a child won't train so intensively in magic at such a young age, so it is not surprising for Eru to have grown so strong. And the regime also trains his physical attributes which increased dramatically, but it is a pity he can't use full body strengthening spells for an extended amount of time. That's why he invented low mana cost spells targeted at specific body parts, only using his full strength when it is necessary. He has also found a way to use other spells while moving at high speed. These training allow Eru's outstanding processing ability to improve, increasing his mana pool while decreasing the mana expended.

There is a reason why Eru focus his magic on movement. He didn't spend all of his time on training, making time to play with other kids his age, probably as insurance so his parents won't worry. But he can't deny that playing like a kid again is fun. Eru slowly realize that his body is smaller than others, but he is not too bothered about it. But if his growth remains stagnant, Eru's lack of weight might become his weak point.

Naturally, Eru plans to continue training his magic, not willing to fail because of his lack of abilities. Even so, his light body requires mean he has to put more consideration with regards to attack power. This is the reason he chose to strengthen his mobility. The speed will disrupt enemies and increase attack power as well.

(That's right, just like Ushi wakamaru overcoming strength with skills, the way Japanese likes it. Eh, although I didn't have much choice in this.) <TL:牛若丸>

Eru thought about these menial things as he ran in the dim street in the evening. A normal training route, the daily jogging regime, but something unexpected happened.

"Eh? Someone is coming." A girly voice came from above. A stern voice followed: “Who are you?"

"...Is someone there?" the questions from both parties overlap each other. Eru has never ran into anyone during his rooftop training before, this was the first time he did.

They remained silent for quite a while. They met someone at a place that is normally devoid of people, so it is understandable to be cautious. One of them is dressed in black with his hood up, a suspicious outfit.

Eru observes the other party. The weak starlight made visibility low, but he can vaguely make out they are a boy and girl couple about his age. Eru is shorter than average, while the two of them are relatively tall and thin. At a glance they don't look younger than Eru, but not much older either.

He can't make any headway with this silence, so Eru introduced himself.

"Evening, I am Ernesti, in the middle of a stroll. And you are?"

The two who were wary of this youth in black was stunned by the introduction. Eru can't make out the delicate changes in facial expression, but from the reflection of the moonlight, he knew the young boy squint his eyes.

"I am Akiddo, this is my younger sister..."

"Edeltoruto... Eh, we were watching the stars... that's right."

Eru looked at the ceiling window behind them; the couple probably came up from there. The sudden encounter surprised them, but it was simple a coincidence. Eru decides to continue jogging.

"I see, sorry to disturb you. I will take my leave..."

"Wa... wait, don't go yet. A stroll you say? On the roof top wearing this?"

"Don't you think that is strange?"

"Hm, that's true."

Eru can tell they are taken aback from their tone. Even Eru would also be suspicious if he is in their shoes.

"I said it was a stroll, but it is closer to being special training. That's why I chose a place that is hard to run on."

"Eh... Do you really need to run on the roof? That's weird."

A simple matter to Eru was unthinkably strange to them. They look at each other with sceptical faces and asked while tilting their head.

"...Hmmm, forget it. That means we are interrupting your training."

"Please don't mind me. Well, I should be..."

"Hey hey, wait! You said this is special training, so you run around this place every day?"

Edeltoruto stopped Eru who was ready to go. Eru stumbled a bit and replied "Yes" and took off again. The two of them follow Eru with their eyes as Eru disappears into the shadows... His extraordinary speed surprised them, as they watch Eru accelerates and leapt off the edge of the roof. The large arc of his jump stunned them again.

"... Amazing, really amazing! What is that? That looks fun!"

"Wah, he is really running! Incredible, he flew off from the edge of the roof!?"

Akkido and Edeltoruto were excited after Eru left. They were chilling out on the roof because of some unhappy events and have an amazing encounter. Their life changed drastically because of this encounter.

Eru, Akiddo and Edeltoruto met again the very next day at the same place. Unlike the encounter before, the two of them seems to be waiting for Eru. Eru gave up any thoughts of avoiding them and greets:

"Evening. Watching the stars again?"

"Yo. Nope, we are here to see you."

"Yup..."

The couple smiles happily, visible even under the faint starlight. Eru wasn't sure of their intentions, but decided to go along with them. He can just run away if thing goes wrong, and pick another running route in the future.

"Erm, do you have to cover your head?"

Akiddo pointed out. Eru thinks it is rude too, so he remove his hood and sat on the roof like they did. "What is this about?" Eru press them. He noticed the two of them stiffen their body with an awkward look on their face.

"Eh, your names are Akkido and Edeltoruto right? What is it? Why the weird faces?"

"Eh? Oh, nothing. You... you are a girl!?"

"You move so fast, I thought you were a boy..."

Eru who takes after his mother have grown more adorable with his increase in age, and is now totally a 'pretty girl'. The silvery purple hair that reaches just over his chin was cut to the same length, swaying in the wind. The dim moon light fails to hide his face. In fact, the faint light and his smooth skin give his face a magical air. The pretty face doesn't match the amazing movement they say the day before, confusing the couple. Eru look at the 2 children with slanted eyes and says:

"No, I look like my mother, but I am really a boy."

"... No, there is a limit to how much you take after your mother. Are you really a boy?

"It's true; I have nothing to gain from a lie like this."

"Oh...How... how cute, Ernesti..."

Ederutoruto drew closer with her hands for some reason and Eru step back when he senses the danger. Akkido grabs Ederutoruto's collar and pulls her back immediately.

"Eh... Ah, my name is hard to articulate, just call me Eru."

"Ah, you can call me Cid."

"I will address you as Eru then! I am Edel!"

After the round of introductions, Eru was wary of the Edel who looked ready to pounce on him as he says:

"And so? What do you want to talk about?"

"Right, after you left yesterday, didn't you jump really high from the roof? What is with that?"

"Ah, that..."

"Also, please teach us the technique!"

Where did their wariness from yesterday went? Cid was chatting with him like old friends. Eru didn't understand why Cid is so excited.

"I can show you, but it will take a long time okay?"

"No worries. If we train with you, we can fly like you did one day right?"

"But you might be stuck at a bottleneck before that happens too..."

Eru warns, and start to explain his training in simple terms... the contents about magic. Cid and Edel are quite smart, picking up the difficult contents are a good speed. Because they understand the contents, they frown at the task ahead.

"Isn't that gruelling!"

"So Eru is so amazing..."

"Didn't I tell you at the very beginning?"

The stunned duo groans, then lift their heads as if they just thought about something.

"By the way, why is your magic so powerful?"

"... This is because of compatibility, and I have been training for some years."

"Some years... How old are you?

"Eight."

"Eh!? That's the same as us!?"

Edel was impressed. Compared to the explanation earlier, this was more stunning. Cid and Edel seems to be twins, both of them are eight years old just like Eru. Cid was in high spirit after hearing this, dismissing all of his worries. He has a face that says 'alright, we have to do this' and was fired up. Eru warns Cid who was rearing to go:

"Physical boast is a high level spell; you can't use it without starting from the basics."

"Then just ask magic."

"...Hmm?"

"You are strong right? You know lots of high level magic!"

"You might be cute, but you are so dependable!"

Eru's face starts to cramp. This development is beyond his expectation, and has nothing to do with cuteness. Their request was troubling; he wants to escape if it is possible. But when he saw Cid and Edel talking vividly about the training regime, his conscious does not allow him to ignore them.

"Ah... This.... Eh, I understand. I will... teach both of you magic..."

"Great, I know you are a bro!"

"Wonderful, no wonder you are so cute!"

"You are overestimating me, and this has nothing to do with being cute!? Wait, like I said, magic cannot be learned immediately. You have to start steadily from the basics, understand?"

"I know, I know, don't worry. We will catch up to you in a flash!"

He felt uneasy with Cid who accepted so readily, but Eru still confirm the training details with them before they part their ways.

The following day, the twins Cid and Edel visited Eru's home. Not at night, but during the day.

Because they only met under the moonlight all the while, Eru finally saw their beautiful black hair and hazel eyes. The brunette twins remind Eru of Japan and he feels a sense of kinship with them. Cid's messy hair was short while Edel's slightly wavy hair reaches her shoulders. They are really are twins, having similar built and strong eyes.

"Welcome to my humble abode, please come in."

Eru gave up any resistance and usher them in. The Echevalier residence was slightly bigger than its neighbours because of its relations with both the dean and instructor of Lacilia pilot school. Cid and Edel look around curiously as they follow Eru.

Eru's mother Christina welcomes them warmly, her son who seldom brought friends home have two guests with him at the same time. She is great at cooking and shows off her prowess, making her guest feel at home with her snack and beverages. Edel was really delighted, she hit it off well with Tina and was about to follow her into the kitchen to make snacks, but was drag off by Cid forcefully.

After the disruption, they went into Eru's room to learn basic magic. Eru's room was very tidy. There is only a table, a bed and several shelves along the wall. The shelves have textbooks related to magic, along with some storybooks for display. For preschool children, this room is too practical. The twins (Especially Edel) was planning to ransack the room, but was stopped by Eru.

After this tiny episode, the magic lesson finally begins. Eru used the magic textbook he likes as the teaching material, starting from the fundamentals. He thought that the duo was too confident in their talk, but as 8 years old, they will grow tired of it and give up immediately. But Cid and Edel were surprisingly passionate about their studies. When they start their architect sigil practical session, they display admirable control, hitting the bull’s eye after some attempts.

Eru remembered their dialogue yesterday, didn't they understood the explanation about magic immediately? This means the twins are excellent. Eru reflected on underestimating them as he gave feedback to the duo that collapsed after depleting their mana.

"What you are feeling is mana depletion. Because your mana pool is too small, so you should start by building up your mana capacity through training."

"Huff huff, this is tiring. So... How do we do this special training?"

"Deplete your mana every day. Your mana pool will grow faster than doing nothing. And it will be best to do some exercise, you can train your body and magic at the same time, it's more efficient this way."

"...Oh, that's why you are jogging on the roof tops?"

"Yes. I told you it's not simple."

"That's right, but I still want to do it! I just need to keep this up every day! Isn't that 'simple'?"

Eru was surprised. He turned around to see Edel who has caught her breathe with both hands on her hips, looking fearless. Eyes with determination and confidence, with a hint of a smile on her face. He look up at Edel, thinking nonchalantly (She is tall and will be a beautiful lady in the future, but her attitude is hard to handle.)

"... I see, please work on your architect sigils for now. You can do special training with me after your mana pool grows."

"I don't know when we can catch up to you... But it will definitely be sooner than you think!"

"Of course! Just watch us; we will reach your standard in no time!"

Eru's impression of his first ‘good friends’ is improving gradually.

(They are tougher than I thought, I made some interesting friends.)

And so, Eru's training was joined by the twins Akiddo Otter and Edeltoruto Otter, his life have gotten more lively.


Eru is not just learning magic. When he has spare time from his magical and physical training, he is also learning swordsmanship as promised by his father Martis. This is the standard swordsmanship from the curriculum of Lacilia pilot academy. Cid and Edel also joined in.

Cid was the most talented of the 3 in terms of swordsmanship. His body built is great for his young age, surpassing Eru in no time. His stance is proper and won't lose to anyone in simulation battles.

There practiced the sword along with their magic. For children of their age, the 3 of them were incredibly busy. Eru does the necessary training in order to achieve his goal. He has gotten used to it after such a long time, so he doesn’t find it intolerable. He felt that he did not push himself hard enough in his previous life, which motivates him to strive on. Eru realize the biggest motivation power of human comes from their desire.

But what about Cid and Edel? They harbour the same passion as Eru, living each day to the fullest. Eru's training has already surpassed the normal standards; there is no need to burden common children with this. If they are aiming to be a knight, there is no need to work so hard. But they never complain about it.

What motivates the twin? Eru can't think of any reason for them to do so.

Even with their busy schedule, they didn't put everything in training. They made time to spend with their parents or play other kids around their age. With the largest academy in the nation, the children have plenty of playmates.


The kingdom of Fremara has a unique problem no other nation possesses, which is the existence of Demon beast. The situation here is different from the west of mount Odine, the kingdom of Fremara shares a border with the Brokiosk forest ruled by the Demon beast. The attack of the beast is common, threatening life and property of citizens and the people live in fear. Hence, the cities of Fremara have strong walls erected around it, protecting the towns and citizens.

-- Everyone in Fremara agrees to the construction of the walls, but the playful children finds life within the walls dull and stifling. To expend their energy, they treat the entire city as their playground, playing around noisily. The sound of the children's laughter can be heard on the streets every day.

It is no different this day, a group of kid dash along the pavement. But on closer inspection, a child has fallen far behind.

"What are you doing... slow tortoise..."

When he heard the jeers of the children, the kid who has fallen behind stops and pant, waving his arm while protesting:

"Huff, huff.... It... It can't be helped! We dwarves can't run that fast!"

This protesting child is shorter than the rest; he has a strong and stout body along with short legs, the type that seems to be slow.

"Ah... Bartson is slow..."

"What did you say? Damn...!"

"Slow Bartson is angry! It will hurt if he gets you...! Run away...!"

The child named Bartson is red from anger, running along with heavy steps, but he can't compensate for his short strides. The children disperse with a laugh every time he draws near, leaving the lonesome Bartson behind.

"...Ku, damn..."

He clenches his fist in frustration. He is helpless with this, being slow is a destined flaw of dwarves.

Dwarves... a race with origins from the northern mountains.

They live among treacherous, snowy peaks, residing within caves. As time goes by, they started excavating deeper, and becoming skilled in digging. With the rich minerals in the northern hills, the dwarves became experts with all sorts of mineral resources, advancing their skills in crafting them. They are renowned as the 'crafting race'.

Because of their environment, the dwarves have evolved over time in order to move nimbly in narrow caves. Their short but stout stature is their most prominent physical trait. They are also covered in muscles, having double the arm strength of normal humans. They are rugged in their appearance; the man has thick long hair and beards which grows at the age of ten. By the way, their culture emphasizes on how spectacular their beard is and all men took pride in them.

But the isolated dwarves didn't spend their entire history hiding in the north. There are many dwarves who use their strong body and skills to wander the land and set up smith shops.

The child mentioned just now... Bartson Tymonin was one of those dwarves. His parents have a smith business in Lacilia academy, the reason why he is playing with the kids around the region. The games of children revolves around chasing each other or hide and seek, especially so for a city surrounded by walls. Bartson didn't know how tough it was to live in such an enclosed environment with his snail like pace. His appearance was also the laughing stock of the kids in the neighbourhood.

The children making fun of Bartson is long gone. Bartson gave up, heading home in disgust.

"Weird. Are you alone? Where are the others?"

Bartson who is fuming heard someone talking to him and saw the trio when he turns his head. The one in the middle is especially short, like a valley between mountains. It is the trio Ernesti, Akiddo and Edeltoruto.

"It's Eru. You guys are probably looking down on me for being slow too."

The three of them was baffled by Bartson, but quickly realize what was up. The dwarves might be slow, but they are strong and powerful. This means Bartson is incredibly good in a fight. He won't lose against multiple enemies if it comes to a dogfight. Bartson had an argument with someone and achieved overwhelming victory, which is the reason for the current situation.

As Eru watch Bartson walk away, he felt like pulling some pranks and laugh mischievously:

"Ah, he was bullied again... Alright, let's go after those guys everyone."

The twins listened to Eru's suggestion and answered indifferently:

"I'm fine with that, but how? We are fine, but Bartson can't keep up."

"Right, that's why we will bring him along. Hey, just treat it as normal training with Bartson as training weights."

"Oh! I get it!"

"Let's go let's go!"

Cid and Edel got what Eru was saying and stood on either side of Bartson. They didn't care how Bartson felt, and grab his arms.

"Eh? Hey... Hey! What are you..."

"Well, let's start our jogging exercise for the day!"

Cid and Edel started moving on Eru's command, ignoring the confused Bartson. They treated Bartson like a cargo and carried him. This technique can only be used after learning 'specific physical boast', allowing them to use strength above their physical limit. Bartson was stunned by their amazing speed, unable to resist.

"They must be at the central square! Let's attack!"

"Ora!"

"Yeah!"

"Like I said, what's happening...!?"

Lacilia academy is roughly divided between the school campus and the urban zone. In the heart of the urban zone is an open space, known as the central square to everyone. It is filled with plenty of stalls during the day, and is the gathering point for all the children.

"Hey, will that guy catch up?"

"There is no way, he is too slow..."

"That's right; it will hurt like hell if you get hit by him!"

"Relax; just run away if he shows up. He is slow, you can get away easily."

It's the kids who made fun of Bartson earlier. The group used some boxes as stools, biting into fruits they brought from some stall. They are gleeful from their successful revenge. Suddenly, they heard a loud scream from far away.

"Ahhhhh... Woah...!"

"Out of the way!"

"Where are you going! You guys better...!"

They noticed a familiar voice which surprised them. Wasn't that Bartson who was jeered by them? The one person they want to avoid? The group search for the origin and saw Cid and Edel carrying Bartson by the arms and approaching fast. They panic and scream:

"Woah, what... what are you...!?"

"Ah, found them. Now, Bartson... launch!"

Eru points out the target while Cid and Edel threw Bartson with a mischievous smile without slowing down. With a running start and a powerful throw, the short but heavy Bartson flew through the sky. The group of children were slow to react; watching Bartson arching through the air slack jawed. When they realize they are in the landing point, the kids scramble to get away in a panic.

"Eh! Wah, idiot, don't come here!"

"Woahhhh, quick... hide..."

But it was too late to run. They were hit directly by Bartson's rock hard head, the force smashing the boxes into pieces. They fell all over the place under a cloud of dust. It was so chaotic that the master mind Eru and his friends felt guilty as they look at each other.

"...Did we... went too far?"

"Yeah... Right on target."

"Hey... I have an idea. I think we should get out of here."

"You three! Don't run!"

Bartson shrug off the broken boxes and stood up among the debris. As expected, the first to recover is the strongest Bartson, the rest of the children are still down. Bartson was furious, sprinting towards the trio with a speed beyond any dwarves. The moronic three ran immediately.

"We will make a move first!"

"Shut up, stay where you are!"

By the way, the kids left behind were caught by the adults and lectured for breaking the boxes.


Some distance away from the central square is a shopping mall away from the residential area. There was a building double the size of its surrounding buildings. It shows more emphasis on sturdiness than appearance. This is the smith shop 'Tymonin workshop'.

Bartson chased Eru and the others all over the streets and finally ended up here. Compared to Eru and company, Bartson was on the verge of dying after the chase.

"You... You guys... are too fast..."

"Thanks to our daily training."

"Huff... how did you train to be so good..."

Eru smiles casually. In terms of stamina, Bartson has the edge, but he can't match up to Eru and his magic.

"Ah... forget it, I don't care anymore."

Bartson is exhausted, and feels that all of this is just silly. He gave up and lie on the ground with his limbs spread out, and finally caught his breathe after a long while. He gave a content smile and laugh softly.

"But it was fun smashing into them head on."

"Hey hey, we can do it again if you like it."

"No way."

After a short while, Bartson stood up calmly and point to his house.

"Eh, alright. Want to visit my place? I'm thirsty."

Maybe it's because they are near the workshop, they can feel the heat even from the outside. Bartson's craftsmen parents are probably working there.

"Oh, I have never been to your place."

"Yeah... You will get hit if you disturb them. Don't be too rowdy."

The trio entered Bartson's home and saw his father and a few craftsmen working in silence. Bartson's father have a long beard and a wide body, it is easy to tell that he is a dwarf. His punches are no joke.

Opposite the work tables are the shop front with the finished merchandize on display. Bartson explained each one of them with pride.

"Look, all these are made by my dad."

All sorts of metallic equipment can be seen, from swords, lance, shields and arm or to woks and pots. As expected of a dwarf craftsmen, they are made delicately, every one of them are master pieces made to the perfect size and colour.

"Woah... Your place is selling lots of stuff."

Eru browse the merchandize curiously while Edel followed him. Cid grew excited when he saw the weapons such as swords and lances. Bartson was extremely pleased when they praise his father's work.

"Hey Bart, do you craft things too?"

"Ah... my dad seldom lets me touch metals, but I can do carpentry. I am a dwarf after all; even my dad praises my work!"

After hearing Edel's whimsical query, Bartson pointed to an item in the corner of the shop. There are some simple wooden household items there. It looks plain, but the workmanship is good. Bartson's skill is clear. The trio were impressed. At this point, something at a corner attracted Eru's attention.

"Can you make 'magic staff'?"

"... Magic staff? I can make that if there are materials for it. I made these to earn some pocket change."

In order to use magic, humans have to use external 'crystal catalyst' to convert mana into physical phenomenon, and magic staff is the most common example of that. Simply put, the crystal catalyst is attached to the end of the staff for ease of use.

Most staff is made from trees call 'white fog'. Because the wood from these trees are excellent conductor of mana, it is a popular magic ingredient. The plain staff crafted by Bartson is also made from that.

"When practising magic, I always felt that..."

Eru's shift his gaze to the staff on his waist. It was the magic item he has been using since the very beginning. It was shorter than most staff and fits with his small stature.

"What is it? Something wrong with your staff?"

Eru twirls the short staff wand in his hand and smile at the confused Bartson:

"Don't you think magic staff is unwieldy?"

Besides Bartson, Cid and Edel was puzzled by Eru's comment. They have gotten used to using staff as a tool to use magic and have no complains. They don't get what he meant.

Eru thinks it doesn't feel right because of the memories of his previous life. Because he remembers the world where science is king, he feels that this is awkward. Strictly speaking, magic staff is items that are used to cast spells. Apart from 'strengthening' magic, human spells are usually 'shot', releasing powerful effects. Eru thinks that magic staff is a type of 'projectile weapon'.

Eru recalls a scene from his past in Japan... a room filled with models. Among these collections, he owned an airsoft gun, a realistic looking 'Winchester 1894' rifle which left a deep impression on him. Firearms, especially rifles resemble magic staff. The correlation made him think is there a way to implement the shape of the rifle onto a magic staff.

"For example, the knights fight with a sword and staff in each hand..."

Even the knights whose main weapon is swords knew the importance of magic. Right handers hold the sword with their dominant hand, the staff with the other hand. If a shield is equipped on the left hand, they will normally hold the staff behind the shield.

"I think it is a hassle to hold them separately, that's why I have been thinking about combining them."

"I don't get it... But even if it can be done, how do you want to go about it?"

As he thinks, Eru had a stroke of inspiration. Guns and swords... These two simple terms made him think about bayonets on rifles. It is simply attaching a blade to the tip of a gun, using the gun as a melee weapon. This concept will materialize by Eru in this alternate world.

"Yeah, I just thought of an interesting idea."

Eru smiled gently, making Bartson feel a chill up his back.


Later, Eru returned home, sat in front of a table and drew the design he had in mind. His focus surprised Cid and Edel who tagged along.

"What is that? What a weird staff."

That is the first thing Edel said after looking at the finished diagram. 'Bayonet'... a rifle that fires spells with a blade mounted on it, the first 'magic staff' of its kind. For Edel who has only seen normal magic staff, it is very exotic.

The next day, Eru visited Bartson's home again with the design in hand.

"Like I mentioned yesterday, can you make a staff like this?"

Bartson was at a loss as he stares at the unexpected guest who showed up with a design in hand after just one day. He decided to look at the plan first and started confirming the details. Bartson made a strange face.

"Eru, what... is this?"

"Winchester Rifle."

"What? I never heard of a staff by that name, and the shape is weird... Why is the bottom so wide? And what is with this protruding piece here?

"Well, this is known as the stock..."

Some things can't be explained with just a design drawing. Eru answers Bartson's queries and explain in detail.

"Eh, I will give it a shot."

Bartson didn't really understand, but he took on the job anyway. He promised Eru he will craft this strange magic staff. Eru was relieved, and felt this is a good chance to see Bartson's artisan work.

Several days later, Eru visited Bartson's place for the 3rd time on Bartson's invitation. The unique weapon designed by him was presented in physical form.

The handle resembles the stock of a rifle, thick and slightly bent and there are no triggers. A crystal catalyst is attached to the tip of a part where the sight of a gun should be. There are no chambers and magazines as it is not an actual gun. In place of the barrel is a short sword fixed in place.  This is the bayonet designed in this alternate word... 'Bayonet staff'.

"The carpentry are done by me, my dad helped me with the metallic bits."

"Did he lecture you? If it is too much trouble, making all of it out of wood would be fine too."

When Eru visited a few days ago, he heard that Bartson's father was very busy. Eru did not press him either, and just asked him to do what he can.

"Eh, for some reason he was very interested when I was making it and gave me a hand."

Eru nods in agreement. He thanked Bartson and took 'that' in his hand in a hurry. He tries out the size, weight and balance, the finished product is no different from the design. The dwarves are incredible, their skills are really amazing.

"Alright, I complete it as you asked... it turned out weirdly, what do you plan to do?"

"It will be quicker to show you."

Eru tried wielding the 'staff', and asked Bartson for a place to test out magic. The two of them heads to the yard behind the smith shop. A few target boards meant to test out swords were erected. Eru aimed at one and slash at it, casting intermediate wind magic just before it hits... Sonic blade. He used the crystal catalyst on the staff to convert mana into physical phenomenon, emitting a shockwave from the blade, splitting the target cleanly in half. Eru took aim at the top half that is falling and cast intermediate fire spell... fireball. It connects with the target and explodes, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The incredible performance of the staff made Eru smiled, but Bartson was stunned.

"How should I put this. This is too weird and out of this way."

"Eh. Let’s leave it at that. Bartson, you did great! Seems that using magic in the future will be interesting!"

"Eh, as long as you are happy."

"By the way, can you make another one for me?"

"Don't be so shameless with your request."

Eru got the 2nd bayonet staff he wanted. These two bayonet staff officially named 'Winchester' was kept in a sheath made for it and worn on Eru's waist. Eru kept them with him at all times.

The completion of the bayonet staff which is suitable for close quarters fight and range combat is the key to enhancing his mobility and firepower, influencing his fighting style greatly.


End