### Chapter 18. A Magic Teacher Arrived (2)
“Th… thank you.”
The magic teacher named Rahel handed me an apple.
Though I could ask if she was upset that I kicked her in the shin during our first meeting, truthfully, it was my fault for calling her a brat first.
Anyone would become angry if their personal insecurities were belittled.
Since I was the one who made the first mistake, it would be fitting for me to handle the aftermath properly.
“Then, let me introduce myself formally. My name is Rab Netoire. I am the eldest son of the House of Netorie and as of today, will become your disciple, Master Rahel. I look forward to your guidance.”
“Uh… umm, I’m Rahel Privius. Originally, I was a commoner, but when I became the senior disciple of the Tower Lord, I received his surname. According to the contract, I’ll spend the next year teaching you magic, Young Master. Please treat me well.”
Rahel’s eyes were quivering awkwardly, glancing at me like she was puzzled by my demeanor, which was different from what she’d probably heard about me.
Surely, stories of my unruly behavior and lack of discipline reached her already. But the Rab standing before her now must have felt like a very docile lamb with his friendly expression.
“But… Young Master…”
“Yes, what is it?”
“That… we didn’t meet before, did we? I don’t remember seeing you, but your gaze toward me feels too kind…”
“Ah… Well, isn’t it natural to have a positive impression of someone who will teach you magic? You seem very confident in abilities to match your dignified appearance, so it’s easy to trust you.”
“R-really? Hahaha!”
Truthfully, I do hold a deep fondness for her, even though we just met today.
“Isn’t it strange to suddenly have feelings for someone the first day you meet?”
Rahel has no clue who I am, but I know her very well.
Or rather, I know the Rahel from the game.
‘Of all places, I never expected to meet the secret shop’s NPC here.’
Rahel.
During the game, Rahel, an NPC with a set probability of appearing, quietly revealed herself after defeating a powerful enemy or clearing a special event.
[Hello! You’re that kid, right? You’re qualified to buy my stuff!]
She would then offer players astonishing items like expensive magical tools, eggs of top-tier summons, and parchments containing strong spells.
Certainly, her prices were unimaginably high, making it very difficult for first-time players who hadn’t seen a walkthrough to afford anything. However, even acquiring one item from her made the game significantly easier, even for beginners.
Her sold items were also said to have been collected or made by her personally, leading to many speculations about her true identity among players.
Perhaps she was a great mage from ancient times or a dragon playing with humanity in human form.
Before coming to this world, I too encountered Rahel as an NPC while playing the game.
I hadn’t read a walkthrough guide, so I couldn’t afford anything she offered. However, in either a special interaction or due to a bug, she gifted me a high-performance magical tool.
Thanks to that, I was able to defeat stronger enemies in later stages relatively easily.
So, when Rahel appeared in front of me again, I was utterly surprised.
Although I didn’t fully recognize her at first, once I looked closely at her familiar face, I immediately understood that she was the Secret Shop NPC.
Thus, my affinity for Rahel is already halfway built.
Unaware, Rahel must be wondering why the rumored troublemaker is treating her so kindly. But since she is about to be my magic teacher, I feel even more determined to give my all.
“However, Rahel-dono, if you were skilled enough to enter the Tower Lord’s inner circle, why did you accept becoming a tutor in the Count’s house?”
“The old fuddy-duddies in the magic tower were relentless in hounding me because I’m a commoner, so I just walked out. As to private tutoring… I guess I’m doing it because I need money after moving around so much…”
“Ah, I see.”
That explains why such a talented individual in the game would leave the tower to sell items in a shop.
“Since we’ve introduced ourselves, shall we start with a brief explanation of magic today?”
“Ooh.”
This is my first magic lesson, spanning both my previous and current lives.
Back then, I longingly wrote down ‘wizard’ as my future aspiration after watching ‘Hary Potter,’ but my dream had to be abandoned due to my status as a Muggle.
However, the me of this world really can use magic!
“What is the most important aspect of magic?”
“Hmm… Magic power?”
“Wroooong! While magic power is significant, there’s something even more crucial. And that is… imagination!”
“Imagination…?”
“Yes, exactly. For instance, when people hear the word ‘fire,’ they naturally imagine a campfire or a match.”
“That makes sense.”
“That’s right. So, what you do is use the mana within your body to create what you imagine fire to look like, akin to drawing a picture of fire on an empty canvas.”
Huh… I roughly understand what she means.
In this world, magic involves using mana to reproduce the phenomena one desires.
Since imagination plays a pivotal role, the more perfectly one can envision the desired phenomenon within their mind, the more complete the magic becomes.
But I am a person from the 21st-century Earth, where scientific civilization has flourished. Growing up amidst video media displaying stunning special effects and near-realistic CG, I believe my imagination surpasses anyone’s in this world.
“Ah, I almost forgot. I should’ve taught you how to sense mana first! Come over here?”
“Hmm?”
When she called me, I softly approached her—then,
“Take off your clothes.”
“… What?”
Is this harassment?
“No, no, it’s not like that! To feel mana, we need to circulate it within your body, and it’s more efficient if we do it with direct physical contact!”
“Ah.”
This is why we need to hear someone out before jumping to conclusions.
I erroneously thought of my respectable teacher as a harasser.
Nodding my head, I promptly removed my shirt on the spot.
As I stripped off my shirt, my muscular physique left my teacher speechless, her mouth hanging open in amazement.
Surely, she isn’t thinking something strange about me, a younger boy?
“Teacher?”
“Ergh, phew! Now turn around! I’ll inject my mana into your back. Feel the flow spreading through your heart and into your body.”
After wiping her mouth, the teacher turned me around and placed her small hands on my broad back.
She’s short and small, her tiny hands on my back feeling as if touched by a little cat’s paws.
“Let’s begin! Hah!”
Thump!
At that moment, it felt as though something entered my body, and the refreshing sensation began to spread throughout my limbs.
“Uh… uh-oh? What is this…!”
The energy seeping into my hands, legs, feet, and even my head felt like someone replaced the blood in my veins with cold water.
“Urrrggg… Tch!”
Still, there’s this feeling of emptiness. Like filling a jar with a small hole, the mana filling me takes longer to spread throughout my body than expected.
“Huh… too… big. Even after this much mana, it’s still not… enough?”
Oh. I can feel the energy more clearly now. I’ve got a feeling that if I concentrate a little more, I might be able to control this energy consciously.
“Haa… This is… all I can do!”
Teacher, you there? Your lines have been strange since earlier. Are you doing okay?
Finally, when the mana completely filled my body, the teacher withdrew her hands from my back.
“Oooh! I can definitely feel it, teacher! But it did take a while—Are you alright?”
Turning around, I saw the teacher who was drenched in sweat, her eyes half-closed, struggling to regain her composure.
Just as she wobbled as if her legs had given out, I hastily hurried over and caught her before she fell.
“Teacher? Are you alright? Why did your condition suddenly…”
At that moment,
“Young Master? I heard you were here… may I come in?”
“Yes? Umm, Young Lady?”
“Okay, I’m coming in!”
Thinking my response was affirmative, Cecilia entered with a bright smile.
“I heard the Young Master is learning magic, so… I thought you might need something sweet while you study, so I made some cookies…”
As she spoke, she noticed the scene before her.
“Haa… haa… I can… no more…”
“Th… That, Young Lady? It’s not what it looks like…”
Me, shirtless, and Rahel, a girl who looks like a child, sweating and emitting odd moans.
“…Young Master?”
Cecilia’s icy gaze fixated on me.
Oh no. She must have already studied magic, judging by the sudden chill in the room.
The icy atmosphere in this room must signify her proficiency in ice magic.
