A wooden puppet with no eyes, nose, or mouth entered carrying a large wooden crate. It was a Wood Golem — one of the ones Citry often used for work.
Alchemists often employed golems and other magical creatures to compensate for their own low physical capabilities.
From inside the sturdy-looking wooden crate came the clinking sound of hard bottles scraping against each other.
The lounge was enveloped in an eerie atmosphere. It radiated an unmistakably dangerous vibe, but with Citry camped out at the entrance, no one could escape.
This was only supposed to be a simple charging job — so what was with this atmosphere? Even I was starting to feel like running away.
Tinno, the first victim, crept toward me with a clinging, uncomfortable expression, pressing close to my side.
"Mastaa... I've been wondering for a while... is Citry, um... is she... attracted to women?"
Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes, and her shoulders were trembling. Well, being touched a little was one thing, but being handled the way Citry had done would make anyone feel afraid.
What kind of karma had I accumulated in my past life to end up verifying my childhood friend's preferences?
"No, I don't think that's the case... probably."
"..."
"It's fine, it's fine... probably."
"..."
Looking at the way Citry smiled when she was touching Tinno, it was admittedly hard for me to say for certain — but the interest she directed at Tinno was probably more academic than romantic. That was its own kind of unsettling, though.
Even after hearing my answer, Tinno's expression didn't change. She just bit her lip and clung to my arm. I didn't mind her relying on me, but when the cause of her distress was my own childhood friend, I was filled with guilt.
While I was stroking her head to calm her down, Citry had already been busy rallying the lounge members and gathering them in one spot.
Somehow, despite barely showing her face in the lounge, she had memorized every clan member's face and name. Her mind must have worked on a completely different level.
Citry clapped her hands once before the bewildered but gathered crowd, beaming with a smile so radiant it could charm anyone regardless of gender.
Behind her, eight Stone Golems had materialized at some point, standing in neat formation.
Stone Golems — golems renowned for their superior combat power compared to their wooden counterparts. That said, when compared to the Hunters of the Beginning Footprint, they weren't much to worry about.
"All of you who happened to be in the lounge today — you're very lucky. Klye has agreed to put you all through a very efficient training regimen."
"Wait, wait, wait — I never said anything that arrogant!"
What was she suddenly going on about?
Her abrupt statement made me blurt out an objection without thinking.
Training? What was she talking about... I had only come to ask for help charging Treasure Weapons.
I was the one who should be bowing and asking for favors. The Clan Master had no power to force anyone into anything.
"Setting aside what Klye said for the moment—"
Taking advantage of the silence, Citry raised her index finger and leaned in conspiratorially, continuing in a hushed tone.
As if mesmerized by her quietly luminous eyes, one of the listeners swallowed hard.
"What makes this so wonderful is that, unlike the usual trials, there's — amazingly — absolutely no risk of death!"
"Wh... at!?"
At those words, everyone who had been subdued until now began to stir. Even Tinno, who had been clinging to me, opened her eyes wide in surprise and looked toward Citry.
I seemed to be the only one who couldn't keep up. Everyone else was remarkably enthusiastic.
"Hey, could we maybe stop calling everything a trial?"
"It works even during vacation, requires no preparation, takes almost no time, and the results are clearly visible! Complete this training and every one of you will become a Mage on par with Lucia! Truthfully, this is a secret training method that was only ever used within our own Party, but this time, as a special exception... I'm making it available to all of you."
At those words, everyone wore expressions of skepticism.
Lucia Roje was one of the most recognized Mages in the Imperial Capital. It was Lucia's presence that had enabled the Spiritfolk Party — Star's Holy Thunder, who looked down on all humans without exception — to join the Beginning Footprint.
The notion that everyone could become a Mage equal to her could only sound like a joke. It sounded like a joke to me, too.
Besides, I had absolutely no memory of any such training method. It was far too groundbreaking.
If such a training method existed, it would have spread far and wide by now.
Citry nodded, seemingly satisfied with everyone's expressions.
"Unfortunately, since this training is designed specifically for Mages, not everyone can participate — but after completing it, your power as Mages and as Hunters will improve dramatically. Of course, I won't force anyone. Is there anyone here who doesn't want to take part?"
"!"
The party members stirred at her blunt question.
She was asking who didn't want to participate, rather than who did.
A young Mage who had been listening from the front row raised his hand tentatively. He wasn't wearing robes since they were on vacation, but a small staff could be seen hanging at his waist.
"Is... is there really no danger to one's life?"
"I guarantee it."
"Is there really training that convenient? What's the catch?"
As expected of Hunters — even though they had been half-forcibly gathered here, he seemed eager. His ambition was impressive.
At his skeptical question, Citry pressed a finger to her lips and tilted her head with a charming smile.
"Um... well, it does cause Mana Depletion, so it might be tough for those who aren't used to it. Members of the Footprint should have some experience with it, so I think you'd be fine... but if there are any Mages among you who really can't handle that, it might be better not to participate."
"There's no Mage here like that. Any magic user worth their salt has experienced Mana Depletion at least once."
The female Mage from the next party snorted and spoke in a dismissive tone. Several voices of agreement rose from the crowd.
"The depleted mana will be restored quickly, so please don't worry. I'll cover the cost of the Mana Recovery Potions needed for that. Oh, by the way — this isn't meant to be condescending or anything, but... are there any of you who can't drink Mana Recovery Potions because they taste bad?"
At her timidly posed question, the Mages exchanged uneasy glances. They looked displeased.
Being able to drink Mana Recovery Potions was proof of being a first-rate Mage. Every Hunter gathered here had confidence in their own abilities. Having that questioned would make anyone want to complain.
"Don't treat us like children. We're not on your level, but we're active Mages too. We've drunk Mana Recovery Potions before. We're not going to hesitate now."
"I'm sorry. In that case... I don't think there should be any problems."
She bowed her head slightly in apology, then studied the expressions of the gathered crowd once more. Her face turned serious as she spoke.
"So this is the final confirmation. This is... a secret training method. If you decline now, you will likely never have another chance. However, it is also true that this isn't something you'd want to do during your vacation. I won't force anyone, but once you start, you'll see it through to the end. Anyone here who doesn't want to take part?"
Now that I thought about it, Citry was quite the trickster.
Compared to Liliz, she was quiet and easy to misjudge as harmless, but she was anything but. She always set up disclaimers before acting. She never lied, but she had a habit of using roundabout language, and among those of us who had grown up together, her words were one of the things you had to watch most carefully.
I didn't like to remember it, but due to a misunderstanding over those verbal evasions, Liliz and Citry had once gotten into a near-lethal sisterly fight.
For example, Citry had said there was no risk of dying, but she never said it wouldn't feel like dying. And more often than not, the important information was precisely in what she hadn't said.
"I... I'm not feeling well, so I'll sit this one out."
"!? Are you sure? It's such a rare opportunity..."
One Mage with good crisis management raised his hand and left with his party members.
Citry smiled brightly and saw them off without a word of protest.
She waited in silence for a while, but no other members seemed to choose to leave.
Citry checked the faces of the remaining Mages and their parties, as if appraising them, and spoke once more.
"Is there really no one else who doesn't want to participate? No backing out after you've seen what's coming?"
They exchanged glances, but no one stood up.
Perhaps the promise of becoming "on par with Lucia" had been too enticing. Tinno was also listening to Citry's words with trepidation from behind me.
But was there really such an efficient training method?
For Hunters, who at times carried each other's lives, trust was an invaluable element.
That was why a demotion in certified level — both a measure of a Hunter's ability and proof of one's trustworthiness — was considered the greatest penalty in the Explorer's Guild.
Even if the other person was a fellow clan member, if she lied in a situation like this, Citry's reputation — and perhaps even the reputation of the Mourning Specter — would plummet.
Confirming that no one else intended to leave, Citry nodded firmly.
"Then let's get started right away. That said, the content itself isn't that difficult, and it won't take much time — so first, could I get one volunteer?"
At her words, the same male Mage who had confidently declared earlier that he could drink Mana Recovery Potions stepped forward.
Citry produced a silver pocket watch from inside her robe, glanced at it, then made her signature gesture of raising her index finger and spoke in a bright voice.
"First, we'll charge mana into the Treasure Weapons. Conveniently, Klye has brought a large number of depleted ones."
...I had completely forgotten. I had come to ask for help charging Treasure Weapons.
Through Citry, I handed over the depleted Barrier Ring.
With everyone's eyes on him, the male Mage began charging it with mana, his expression skeptical.
Time passed in silence. The man's expression shifted from skeptical to strained.
"Wait a second... what the hell is this thing? The charging isn't ending at all!"
"Just keep charging."
"..."
The man's sunburned complexion visibly drained of color. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
Judging from his confident words, he must have been a high-level Mage, but even for someone like him, the Barrier Ring was clearly a heavy burden.
According to Lucia, the exhaustion of mana was similar to the feeling of being dead drunk and losing the strength to stand.
"You should sit down."
"Ah... y-yeah..."
He sank into the chair Citry had pulled out for him. After several minutes of waiting, the Treasure Weapon's charge was finally complete.
By then, the male Mage's lips had turned blue and his fingertips were trembling. Whether from a headache, he pressed a hand to his forehead and furrowed his brow.
Citry picked up the Barrier Ring from the table, nodded with satisfaction, and handed it to me as she spoke.
"Well then, now that the first one is charged — next up is... another Treasure Weapon to charge."
"!? Wh— what did you say!?"
"Wait! Fubyl is already at his limit. He can't take any more!"
"It's fine. I'll stop him when he hits his limit. He won't die."
Her smile unchanged, Citry ignored the protests from his party members and handed over the next Treasure Weapon. The male Mage called Fubyl accepted it in a half-dead state, muttering small complaints as he resumed charging.
His breathing had grown ragged. These were unmistakable symptoms of Mana Depletion. If he continued charging at this rate, his mana would be completely exhausted before long.
As everyone watched with anxiety, Citry began her explanation in a calm voice.
"Let me give a brief explanation. A Mage's power is proportional to their total mana capacity. Generally, Mages are considered to be more suited to women because women's mana capacity tends to grow more easily. The upper limit of mana typically grows from early childhood to the mid-teens, then stops. The reason Spiritfolk are so outstanding as Mages is that their aging process differs from humans' — their period of mana growth is extraordinarily long."
Fubyl's breathing grew increasingly labored. Whistling sounds escaped through his lips as his upper body collapsed onto the table as if he had lost all strength.
His hand, which had been gripping the ring, fell open naturally, and the Barrier Ring rolled across the table. The charge wasn't complete yet, but it seemed his mana had run dry.
Citry picked it up and continued her lecture.
"So — the growth of total mana capacity completely stops in the mid-teens, but it is known to increase at specific timings even after that growth has stopped. The amount — roughly five to ten percent. It's commonly called 'Super Recovery.' Do you know at what timing it occurs?"
At her question, the female Mage answered hesitantly.
"Mana... Depletion...?"
"Correct! When your mana is completely depleted and then recovers — the upper limit increases significantly!"
In that moment, every heart in the room was united in the same thought.
The Mages who had been intrigued by Citry's sweet promises just moments ago had gone pale. They finally understood what she was saying.
Easy method? Efficient? Not a chance.
The concept of Super Recovery was fairly well-known, but no one voluntarily pursued it. The strain on the Mage was simply too great. You wouldn't die, of course, but death might actually be preferable.
At the very least, this wasn't something you could call efficient or a secret technique.
"Bu-but the mana capacity increases upon recovery, right? Recovery takes time—"
"That's where my specially formulated Mana Recovery Potion comes in."
The assistant Wood Golem retrieved a potion in a transparent bottle from the wooden crate and presented it to Citry with a bow.
The potion was pitch-black, as if someone had dissolved ink in water.
...
Weren't Mana Recovery Potions supposed to be a prettier color?
Citry pinched a dropper and declared with her chest puffed out — even larger than her sister's.
"It's been calibrated for Lucia, so — Fubyl should recover with just a few drops."
"H-hold on—"
By the time Fubyl's party members tried to intervene, it was already too late.
The specially made Mana Recovery Potion, drawn into the dropper, was administered into the mouth of the half-conscious Fubyl.
And then Fubyl's body, which had been lying as still as a beached fish, arched violently upward. The inhuman movement drew screams from the surrounding party members, who scrambled backward.
Citry leaned her face close to the poor, motionless Mage who lay across the table.
She checked his eyes — rolled back in his head — lifted his eyelids, lightly slapped his cheek, tilted his head, then pulled out her pocket watch and checked the time.
"In just three minutes and twenty seconds, his mana capacity increased by a full ten percent. This is the secret Mage training method devised by Klye — the same Klye who raised Lucia. Repeated application will yield dramatic improvements in power. Increased mana capacity enhances sustained combat ability and frees up more mana for learning new spells. The growth of a Party's pillar — its Mage — dramatically raises the Party's overall survival rate. How efficient — wonderful!"
...I had no memory of devising any of this.
"But—but Fubyl is still unconscious—"
To the female Mage trembling at the sheer brutality of this training method, Citry pointed to the eight Stone Golems behind her and spoke with a beaming smile.
"Don't worry — that's what the golems are for. All you need to do is focus on charging mana into the Treasure Weapons. The golems will handle everything else. I know it sounds impossible, but if you try to run... you won't be able to."