Mushoku Impact

Though her progress wasn't nearly as extreme as Paul suggested it might be, Roxy couldn't deny there had been results.&nbsp;
Over a two-week period, Roxy went from being able to cast an average of 22 consecutive Water Balls to a maximum of 27. While this might not seem like a lot at first glance, it indicated that her Mana Capacity had increased by roughly 27% in a relatively short period of time.
Using the Water Ball spell as a baseline, Roxy estimated her aggregate Mana to be around 240 when she started her training. If she experienced comparable results every two weeks, she would have more than doubled by the end of the following month.
Though she expected to hit a bottleneck at some point, Roxy couldn't help feeling excited by her progress. She had fallen in love with Magic from the moment she successfully cast her first Water Ball. Now, using that very same spell, she was strengthening herself with each passing day.
If the increase in her Mana Capacity wasn't enough of a reason to be grateful towards Paul and his Party, Roxy had been learning Magic from Lisa and Fischl. Lisa, in particular, had previously been invited to become a Professor at the Ranoa Magic Academy, so she was a veritable fountain of knowledge with an extensive collection of books.
Whenever she had questions, be they personal or academic, Roxy could always count on Lisa for the answer. The only downside was that she had to endure the mature woman's constant teasing.
Due to her appearance, Roxy had been forced to become accustomed to all manner of teasing. Migurdians didn't have the pointed ears or peculiar complexions typically associated with members of the Demon and Magic Races. Their only racial characteristics were their diminutive appearances and blue hair, traits not infrequent to other races. They could also live for several hundred years, but most humans couldn't really wrap their heads around such a concept as they lived much shorter and transient lives.
Fortunately, as much as Lisa teased her, Roxy quickly learned that it had little to do with her appearance. Rather, Lisa teased just about everyone she interacted with, be they young children, veteran Adventurers, or the members of Paul's group.
Speaking of Paul...
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As it was rather conspicuous seeing women like Ei and Eula constantly following Paul around, Roxy eventually summoned up the courage to ask him, "Just what is the relationship between you, Ei, and Eula? The three of you seem pretty close..."
Since it was as good a time as any, Paul decided to be honest with Roxy, answering, "It isn't just Ei and Eula. Xiangling, Fischl, Ghislaine, Lisa, and even Amalie. I'm 'pretty close' with all of them..."
With Paul naming off just about every member of his group, at least the members she had met, Roxy couldn't help staring at him in disbelief. He had been very nice to her thus far, never once mentioning her height or drawing attention to her 'youthful' appearance. She had kind of hoped he was different from the other human men she had encountered, someone who looked past appearances and saw the best in people.
Realizing that Paul's behavior could be an indication he simply didn't care about her, Roxy's mood diminished considerably as she slumped her head and shoulders, muttering, "I see...you're a lucky man to be surrounded by so many mature and attractive women..."
Though he could tell Roxy was disappointed with him, Paul nodded his head, appending, "You're right. Not a day goes by that I do not feel like the luckiest man in the world. It's one of the things that keep me moving forward, regardless of what this world may throw at me."
Hanging her head even further, Roxy repeated, "I see..." in a voice that was barely a whisper.
Adopting a wry smile, Paul resisted the urge to pat Roxy's conveniently placed head. He got the feeling she would become even more depressed if he did, so he waited a few moments before asking, "What's wrong? You look like you just found out your puppy died."
Exhaling a sigh, Roxy moved to stand up and walk away, but Paul grabbed her sleeve, saying, "Talk to me, Roxy. We're on the same side, remember?"
Shaking her head, Roxy refused to look back at Paul as she said, "I'm just feeling a little under the weather. Don't-"
Interrupting before Roxy could finish, Paul stated, "I've been nothing but honest to you. If you're going to lie, at least look me in the eye as you do."
"..."
Feeling a little guilty, Roxy suppressed the urge to pull her sleeve free from Paul's grasp. Instead, she hung her head for a few seconds before muttering, "I just want to be alone right now. I need time to organize my thoughts..."
Releasing his hold on Roxy's sleeve, Paul said, "If that's the truth, I won't stop you from leaving. However, if you need someone to talk to, I'm right here. I might not have all the answers, but I'm a pretty good listener when I need to be."
Looking back, Roxy found Paul staring at her with a comforting smile on his face. At the same time, she inadvertently revealed the fact she was on the verge of tears.
Having accumulated a considerable amount of experience dealing with all kinds of women, Paul's expression softened as he softly pointed out, "You don't look like you want to be alone..."
"..."
With Paul extending his hand to her, Roxy just stared at it for several seconds before asking, "Is this one of the tricks you use to make women fall for you?"
Instead of refuting Roxy's words, Paul chuckled lightly before answering, "Something like that. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears."
"..."
Not expecting Paul's 'shamelessness,' Roxy briefly found herself at a loss for words. Her mind was racing, but she couldn't think of anything to say in response to such...brazen behavior.
Raising her hand, Roxy made as though she was about to place it into Paul's but stopped halfway, asking, "What happens if I let you grasp my hand?"
Instead of answering Roxy's question, Paul left her feeling at an even greater loss as he raised his hand and closed it around hers. Then, as her brain attempted to process his shamelessness, he answered, "That's up to you. Just make sure you don't have any regrets..."
With a crimson hue creeping up her neck and spreading through her face, Roxy retracted her hand from Paul's as if it were a hot stove. Then, even though it drew a lot of attention, she squatted down and covered her face as a variety of emotions assailed her.
Seeing how small Roxy was when she balled herself up, Paul briefly felt that he was tip-toeing a line he shouldn't. He had a sudden urge to slap some sense into himself but promptly disregarded it as he bent down to pick Roxy up, saying, "Don't scream. I'm carrying you back to the bakery, not some random alleyway."
Hearing Paul's words, the scream threatening to escape Roxy's throat got stuck. For a brief moment, she even forgot to breathe as Paul carried her towards Amalie's Bakery like a Princess or a bride.
"You good...?"
Noticing Roxy's face turning purple, genuine concern appeared in Paul's expression as he stared down at her. This was enough to bring Roxy back to her senses, a rather severe pout replacing her befuddled expression as she asked, "Just what do you think you're doing...!?" in a whispering shout.
Without missing a beat, Paul answered, "I already told you. I'm carrying you to the bakery. You'll feel better once you warm up and get something sweet in your belly."
Though she couldn't refute Paul's words, that didn't stop Roxy from trying to wriggle out of his embrace as she exclaimed, "Put me down! I can walk on my own!"
Catching the diminutive Magus by surprise, Paul slowed to a stop, asking, "Are you sure...?" before preparing to set her down. He wanted to make it transparently clear that she still had some semblance of control over the situation. If she didn't want him to carry her, he wasn't going to force the matter.
Realizing that Paul was serious about setting her down, a conflicted look promptly replaced Roxy's fretful expression. There was something about how willing he was to set her down that annoyed her...
"I changed my mind. Carry me..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul returned a smile and said, "If you say so." before continuing toward their destination. As he did, several members of the Beast Race community greeted him while absolutely none questioned why he was carrying Roxy in his arms...
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Recalling the previous day's events, Roxy briefly lost focus in the middle of trying to cast a Water Ball chantlessly. She realized it was happening and attempted to rein the spell in but ultimately failed, the head-sized ball of water exploding and soaking her entire body.
"..."
Having made a habit of accompanying Roxy during her afternoon training, Paul witnessed the uncommon phenomenon first hand, compelling him to ask, "Are you okay? Want to head back and grab a fresh pair of clothes...?"
With her back facing Paul, Roxy did her best to conceal the glowing of her face as she replied, "I'm fine. There's no sense in going back early when I only have a few more casts to go."
Though Roxy couldn't see him, Paul nodded his head and said, "So long as you don't catch a cold, it's fine. Good luck."
Returning a nod of her own, Roxy raised her hands and attempted to cast another Water Ball chantlessly. Things went a lot better this time around, but the size was much smaller than usual, roughly the size of a grapefruit despite expending a comparable amount of Mana.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Roxy regained a bit of her usual confidence as she attempted several more Water Balls in quick succession. Paul had already informed her that chantless magic was weaker than traditional magic, but it had the benefit of being much faster. More importantly, it gave an absolute advantage against enemy Mages and people that had memorized specific incantations.
In a world where competent Swordsmen could easily shatter the sound barrier, being able to cast a handful of spells without chanting could be the difference between life and death.
Feeling the last of her Mana leave her body, Roxy suddenly became distinctly aware of the frigid temperatures. At nearly the exact same time, a thick overcoat plopped onto her shoulders as Paul asked, "Need me to carry you...?"
"..."
Though she felt compelled to refuse, Roxy's heart and body refused to listen to her commands. As a result, she soon found herself scooped up by Paul, a smile developing across the latter's face as he said, "Let's get you warmed up."
Since it was already too late to refuse, at least in Roxy's mind, she just nodded her head and intoned an affirmative, "Nn." She truthfully didn't know what she wanted from Paul, but she enjoyed his concern and the time they spent together. If he didn't have an evidently massive harem, she might have already confessed to him...
Noticing Roxy's unblinking stare out of the corner of his eyes, the smile on Paul's face became slightly strained. Despite his considerable experience, he wasn't very good at dealing with the before and after of a relationship. He was more than a little apprehensive about laying a hand on her, but a growing part of him wished Roxy would just make up her mind.
Fortunately for Paul, not that he was aware of it at the time, Roxy would be forced to make her decision pretty quickly as, around the time he was carrying her to Amalie's Bakery, a peculiar trio was trying to gain passage through Sharia's Western Gate...
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While Roxy was busy getting changed into some dry clothes, Paul elected to helicopter around Xiangling in the kitchen. He knew better than to mess with her when she was cooking, but that didn't stop him from watching.
Unable to simply ignore Paul's presence, Xiangling flicked the end of a radish towards him, asking, "Don't you have anything better to do? What are Ei and Eula up to...?"
Catching the tail of radish out of the air, Paul tossed it into his mouth before answering, "Ei is upstairs in the nursery, and Eula is helping out by giving etiquette lessons at the school. As for everyone else, Lisa is at the Guild, Fischl is visiting Baba, Rosaria is off on a mission, Amalie is working the front counter, and Lynette only really shows up at night."
Giving Paul a sidelong glance, a playful pout developed across Xiangling's as she retorted, "Oh? I guess that means I was your last option..."
Instead of expressing concern at Xiangling's words, Paul offered a wink as he said, "Don't tempt me, woman."
Rolling her eyes, Xiangling shifted her focus back to the dishes she was preparing. She knew Paul did his best 'not' to prioritize any of the women he associated with. He just kind of went with the flow and did his best to make whoever was around him at the time happy.
Interpreting Xiangling's words and actions as a sign she might be feeling lonely, Paul waited for a few moments before asking, "Think you can take some time off tomorrow? We can go somewhere to hang out, just the two of us."
"Hmmm..."
Though she was tempted to agree immediately, Xiangling knew they both had other items on their plate. She was supposed to be giving cooking lessons around noon, and Paul had been spending the last few weeks assisting Roxy with her training. Making plans on the spur of the moment would inconvenience a lot of people.
Since it was pretty rare for Xiangling not to accept his invitation outright, Paul reasonably presumed she was busy the following day, appending, "If tomorrow's no good, just let me know when is. I can make time."
Adopting a faint smile, Xiangling answered, "I'll talk to Amalie and see if I can take the day after tomorrow off. That should give you time to consider where you want to take me. As much as I enjoy walking around, I'd prefer to go on more structured dates..."
Scratching the back of his head, Paul returned a wry smile as he said, "I'll see what I can do." just as Roxy poked her head into the kitchen. Paul had told her to rest and cover her Mana, but she evidently had something else in mind.
Noticing the petite blunette almost immediately, Paul called out, "Roxy? What's up...?"
"Ah..."
Stepping out from behind the door's threshold, Roxy revealed that she had substituted her usual Adventurer's garb for a comparably frilly blue and white dress. It made her look even more youthful than usual, but Paul knew better than say as such. He could tell when someone was fishing for compliments.
"Nice dress. Did you buy it recently...?"
Adopting a faint smile, Roxy made her way into the kitchen as she said, "It was a gift from my former mentor. She was also the one that gifted me my hat, wand, and cloak."
Taking the bait Roxy had thoughtfully dangled before him, Paul remarked, "Sounds like a pretty cool person. I'll have to thank her if the opportunity ever presents itself."
After briefly glancing toward Xiangling, Roxy turned her attention to Paul and asked, "For what...?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul adopted an easy-going smile as he replied, "I mean, she's the one that introduced you to Magic, right? If she hadn't, we wouldn't be talking right now."
Realizing what Paul was trying to say, a faint shade of red colored Roxy's cheeks as she hesitated to state the reason for her visit. There were some items she wanted to purchase at the city center, and she was hoping Paul would come with her.
Just as Paul was about to make things easier by asking if Roxy wanted to talk in private, Amalie stepped into the kitchen, revealing, "Paul, there is a group of girls here who claim to know you. Should I tell them you're here or send them away...?"
Though he smiled wryly due to the 'grim' expression that had developed across Roxy's face, Paul still asked, "What do they look like?" and "Did you manage to catch their names?"
Nodding her head, Amalie answered, "They are three human females. One of them introduced herself as Jean Gunnhildr."
As happy as he was to hear the answer he was expecting, Paul couldn't help muttering, "That timing..." as he cast a glance towards Roxy. When he did, she immediately looked away from him with a somewhat hurt look on her face.
Resisting the urge to pull Roxy up by her pigtails and ask why she was so quick to become depressed, Paul said, "That must be Barbara, Jean, and Razor. They've been training at the Sword Sanctum these past couple of months. Come on; I'll introduce you."
Without waiting for Roxy to protest, Paul reached down to grab her hand before looking back at Xiangling and asking, "You coming with, or are you okay with talking to them later?"
Waving her hand in a shooing gesture, Xiangling said, "Go on without me. I'll get started on something the celebrate their return."
"Sound's good."
Taking advantage of the fact Roxy had become statuesque, Paul pulled her from the kitchen while guiding Amalie at the waist. She was more than technically one of his women right now, so he felt compelled to introduce her before Barbara could potentially throw a tantrum. He didn't need her even angrier after finding out about his 'mishap' with Reida...
Seeing Paul emerge from the closed-off kitchen, Barbara garnered the attention of the entire dining room by shouting, "Paul~!" in a cheerful and bubbly tone. She hadn't changed much since the last time he saw her, but that was far from a bad thing.
With Roxy having already pulled her hand free, Paul was free to raise it as he said, "Hey there, Pipit. I've missed you. All of you."
Since Jean and Razor were also present, Paul knew better than to neglect them. However, compared to Barbara, they were a lot more easy-going. At the very least, they knew better than to shout in public.
Without minding the gazes from the surrounding Beast People, Barbara practically skipped over to Paul in order to give him a hug, affectionately nuzzling her face against his chest as she said, "It's been way too long."
"You're telling me..."
With Barbara looking up at him in confusion, Paul seized the opportunity to plant a chaste but lasting kiss on her lips. She had to stand on the tips of her toes in order to kiss him properly, but she didn't seem to mind it in the slightest.
Upon separating from the impassioned blonde's lips, Paul kept his hand wrapped around Barbara's waist as he gestured the retreating Roxy over, saying, "Come on, let me introduce you."
Following the direction of Paul's gaze, Barbara immediately noticed a little girl with matching blue hair and eyes. She had noticed her when Paul first emerged from the kitchen but didn't pay much attention to her as she was far more concerned with greeting the former.
Without Paul needing to complete the introductions, Barbara remarked, "You must be Roxy." with a genial smile on her face. Paul had revealed as much information as he could recollect about the significant people in this world. Barbara didn't remember all the details, but she had committed to memory the names and physical characteristics of every woman Paul had expressed an interest in.
Having come to realize many things during her stay in the Sword Sanctum, Barbara surprised even Paul by extending her hand towards Roxy and saying, "Let's try to get along, okay? If there is ever anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask."
Though she was briefly confused about how Barbara knew her name, it didn't take long for Roxy to realize the former was probably one of Paul's retainers. He had told her quite a bit about his past, just not the specifics.
Accepting Barbara's handshake, Roxy remained a little standoffish as she replied, "It's nice to meet you...?" with a considerable amount of confusion in her tone. She wasn't sure where the misunderstanding lay, but she got the distinct impression that Barbara had misunderstood something.
Making things transparently clear, even though he knew it was a bit of a gamble, Paul calmly pointed out, "Roxy isn't one of my lovers, Barbara. At the very least, she isn't at this very moment."
So Roxy didn't think he was completely shutting down her burgeoning affection, Paul punctuated his statement with a playful wink and a smile. He was past the point of mentally preparing himself, so she just needed to give him the go-ahead before their relationship advanced to the next level and became physical. It was entirely up to her.
While Roxy's mental state was in complete disarray, Barbara covered her mouth with a shocked expression on her face as she said, "Oh my! I hope my words didn't offend you. It's just, you're so cute, and Paul was always talking about wanting to meet you. Seeing you all dressed up and holding hands, I just assumed..."
Though she felt an almost overwhelming urge to dig a hole in the snow and bury herself in it, Roxy couldn't help keying in on Barbara's words, muttering, "You make it sound like he was always talking about meeting me..."
Since she didn't want to reveal more sensitive information, Barbara shifted Roxy's attention to Paul by staring directly at him. When she did, he made a show of appearing embarrassed as he said, "It wasn't that often..."
Realizing what Paul was doing, Barbara covered her mouth to suppress a giggle before demonstrating her emotional growth by looking toward Roxy and assuring, "Well, if you ever need advice, feel free to ask. As someone important to Paul, you can expect our full support."
Hearing Barbara mention she was important to Paul, most of the anxiety that had been welling in Roxy's chest was spontaneously abated. She had the urge to blast him in the face with a Water Ball for failing to mention he was entangled with even more women, but it was oddly relieving to know she had been 'accepted' by those close to him.
Fortunately for Paul, Roxy knew better than to cast Magic indoors. She was also in the process of recuperating her Mana, so she didn't feel like wasting what little she had on something petty and childish. Instead, she looked towards Paul with her characteristically unblinking expression as she said, "Thank you, Barbara...I'll be sure to keep that in mind..."
Though he had the distinct impression he had just been marked for some sort of revenge, Paul managed a light-hearted chuckle before continuing with the introductions. Then, as Amalie returned to serving customers, he directed the group upstairs to retrieve Ei and host an impromptu welcome party. The actual celebration would come later that evening, but a party was an excellent way to break the ice and get everyone in a good mood before broaching more serious subjects...
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"You're telling me the 'secret' to increasing a persona's aggregate mana and becoming a powerful Mage is to simply 'keep casting' until they run out?"
A day after her initial encounter with Paul, Roxy had met up with him early the following day to continue their discussion from the previous night. He had promised to disclose to her the 'secrets' of Magic, so she had stayed up the entire night awaiting their chat.
Before answering Roxy's question, Paul emptied the contents of his coffee cup, a contented sigh escaping his lips before he adopted a relaxed smile and said, "It's a little more convoluted than that. The important thing is to start training at an early age, preferably during your developmental years. If you need proof, look at your own situation. I'm sure you can cast many more spells now than when you first started, right?"
"..."
Though she couldn't refute Paul's words, Roxy refused to believe that the secret to becoming a powerful Mage was simply casting more Magic. If that were the case, people would have figured it out a very, very long time ago. Right...?
Understanding Roxy's confusion, Paul said, "Don't misunderstand. Talent and aptitude are tremendously important. However, even they take a back seat to things like general knowledge, intent, and imagination. So long as you understand the physical process of what it is you're trying to do, you can even forgo things like chanting entirely."
Demonstrating his point, Paul held up his right hand to chantlessly cast a Beginner Rank Healing Spell. He wasn't particularly gifted at Magic, but it had become easier ever since he started taking it easy during his training. He imagined his proficiency with Touki was slowly decreasing, but he was confident he could surpass his previous level with relative ease so long as he made an effort.
Seeing Paul use chantless Healing Magic, surprise colored Roxy's face as she asked, "You can cast Magic chantlessly? Weren't you supposed to be a Swordsman?"
Nodding his head in affirmation, Paul allowed his spell to dissipate as he answered, "Yeah. To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty terrible at controlling my magic power. Despite that, I can still cast a handful of spells without the need to chant. If that isn't convincing enough, you just need to look at people like Lisa and Xiangling. They're able to cast Intermediate and even a few Advanced-Ranked spells without chanting."
"..."
Though her instinct was to refute what Paul was saying, Roxy doubted he would attempt to fool her with such a brazen statement. After all, it wasn't exactly difficult to confirm if he was telling the truth. She just needed to ask Xiangling or Lisa to perform Intermediate or Advanced Magic without chanting.&nbsp;
"Okay, let's presume you're telling the truth. What's the most effective way to go about increasing my Mana? I may look like this, but I'll have you know I'm not a child."
Seeing Roxy adopting a somewhat grumpy, ostensibly threatening look, Paul couldn't help smiling as he said, "I'm well aware of that. Still, based on what I've been able to gather, your race's developmental phase should be between the ages of twenty and forty. We somewhat confirmed this with the twins I told you about previously, Rowena and Rianon. It wasn't easy getting them to a point where they could cast even Beginner-Ranked spells, but they managed to advance to the Intermediate Rank after half a year."
Furrowing her brows, Roxy asked, "Half a year? That seems more than a little exaggerated. Where are they now?"
Shaking his head, Paul countered, "It really isn't. All it takes to advance to the Intermediate Rank is time, effort, and access to resources. Since their sole responsibility was helping oversee the Silkie farm, the twins had a lot of free time to practice Magic. They were also provided delicious food and ample time to rest. It would be weirder if they didn't make progress."
"..."
Lowering her head, a pout formed on Roxy's face as she considered Paul's words. She didn't like how casual he was about it, but his words did make a lot of sense if viewed objectively. There was still a chance he was lying to her, but she had witnessed several Beast Race children making use of simple spells.
While Beast Race Mages were not unheard of, they were rare enough that you could live your entire life without encountering a single one. It could be assumed they would be a little more common in a place like the Magic Triumvirate, but they would have eventually spread their influence to the rest of the world.&nbsp;
"It just can't be that simple..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul replied, "You'll find out soon enough. I told you before, but you're free to eat to your heart's content now that you're a part of our group. You should cast something like Water Ball over a bucket and exhaust as much of your Mana as you're comfortable with expending. If you keep a record of how many spells you cast, you should notice the number increasing on a near-daily basis. Eventually, you'll get so bored of repeating the chant that you're able to forgo it entirely."
"..."
Imagining herself standing over a bucket and casting the same Beginner Ranked spell dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of times a day, Roxy was starting to understand why most Mages didn't pursue such a route. It must be incredibly dull to repeat the same thing over and over again like a muscle-brained Swordsmen...
Noticing the disappointment in Roxy's countenance, Paul asked, "What's wrong?" in a curious tone.
Shaking her head, Roxy replied, "I just thought there would be more to mastering Magic than simple repetition..."
"Ah...that's just a gatekeeping tactic of the magical community. If there were a bunch of powerful Mages roaming about, it would be even harder to acquire already limited magical ingredients and resources. By making people believe that Magic is rare and limited to a privileged few, they're able to maintain a monopoly over it."
"Hmmm..."
Though she felt like Paul's words were a gross oversimplification of the truth, Roxy didn't call him out on it. Instead, she asked, "Is there anything else I should be doing? As vital as mana capacity is, there must be other requirements to becoming a powerful Mage."
Shaking his head, Paul argued, "With sufficient magical power and control, something as simple as a Stone Cannon can pierce through rampart walls and smash Saint-Ranked Barrier Magic. If you think that sounds ludicrous, you simply lack imagination."
In an effort to prove his point, Paul activated his Lesser Regeneration, a pale green aura exuding from his body as he explained, "This is a version of Healing Magic that can last indefinitely so long as the person casting it has a sufficient supply of Mana. In this state, anything short of destroyed organs or severed limbs can be healed automatically."
Befuddled by Paul's words, a look of disbelief marred Roxy's expression as she asked, "Where did you learn such a spell? I've visited the capital city of the Holy Country of Millis, and I've never seen or heard of such a convenient spell."
Deactivating the spell, a fairly smug expression developed across Paul's face as he replied, "I didn't learn it, per se; I helped to create it. So long as you understand the process of what you're trying to do, creating spells is surprisingly simple. I just prefer swordsmanship over Magic, so I never really got into it."
"..."
Instead of verbally responding to the ridiculousness of Paul's statement, Roxy took a moment to massage her forehead as she considered what he was saying. Even she could tell that Paul didn't really have an aptitude for Magic, yet, as if it didn't matter in the least, he was able to perform feats even Intermediate Ranked Mages would struggle with.
Taking advantage of Roxy's silence, Paul suggested, "For now, you should focus on confirming whether or not you can increase your Mana using the method my group has pioneered. Once you acknowledge that I'm not just pulling your leg, we can go over deconstructing real-world phenomena to create powerful spells and amplify existing Magics. If you prefer magical research, that's where things should become super interesting."
Hearing Paul speak with such confidence, Roxy couldn't help thinking he knew what he was talking about. Nearly everything she had been taught contradicted what he was saying, but his handsome face and seemingly genuine smile helped to clear most of her doubts.
Noticing Roxy staring at him with an unblinking expression, an awkward chuckle emanated from Paul's throat. He knew she was pushing thirty, but she sure as hell didn't look it.
Realizing she had been staring, a faint blush colored Roxy's cheeks as she averted her eyes and asked, "Is there anything else I should be doing? I would feel guilty if I was just leeching off of you and your group..."
Shaking his head, Paul answered, "Not right now. I was thinking of asking you to help out at the school we're working on, but that can wait until you have confirmed whether or not I'm telling the truth. Also, never consider yourself a leech. If anything, I'm being pretty selfish by asking you to join us and simply trusting what I have to say. Thanks for that, by the way."
Not expecting Paul to suddenly thank her, much less with a borderline smoldering look on his face, Roxy found herself at a momentary loss for words. Her face had become redder than a cherry tomato, but she was too dumbfounded to avert her eyes or attempt to conceal it...
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After an extended breakfast, Paul accepted Roxy's invitation to observe her first bout of mana increasing exercises. Ei came with them, but Roxy did her best not to ask why as she held her hands over a large bucket and chanted, "Let the great protection of water be on the place thou seekest. I call forth a refreshing, burbling stream here and now. Water Ball...!"
Removing the component of the spell that propelled the water forward, Roxy did her best not to blush as the water from her Water Ball sloshed pitifully into the bucket below. If other Mages were to see her 'failing' to execute such a simple spell, they would invariably laugh at her expense.
Fortunately for Roxy, Paul had a general understanding of when he should and shouldn't compliment women, saying, "Not bad. The rate of formation and general stability of your Water Ball is excellent. I'm guessing you have an affinity with Water Magic...?"
Though she was momentarily surprised to receive Paul's praise, a faint smile soon developed across Roxy's face as she answered, "Indeed. I'm able to use Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Healing, Detoxification, and Barrier Magic, but Water is my element of choice."
Recalling something Paul had said the previous day, Roxy's smile quickly turned into a frown as she supplanted, "But you already knew that...didn't you?"
Instead of playing innocent, Paul nodded his head, answering, "Yeah, but only via word of mouth and some insider knowledge. Even then, you never truly know something until you see or experience it for yourself."
"Hmmm...true enough..."
Deciding to trust Paul, Roxy shifted her focus to the half-filled bucket and began chanting a second Water Ball spell. She didn't know what her limit was, but she was hoping to hit at least twenty before collapsing. It was a slow and repetitive process, but she did her best to remain focused so as not to embarrass herself in front of Paul and Ei.
When Roxy initially invited Paul, she was hoping to have him take care of her after she collapsed. The presence of Ei made that less likely, but she did her best not to let it bother her as a feeling of weakness and fatigue quickly spread through both her body and mind.
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Chapter 86: MI86: Progress