I’m unemployed but I’m exploring the dungeon again today – Chapter 79 – Ninety-first day

It’s morning, and I’m having a staring contest with the book about magic circles. And I make a new discovery.

Magic circles are divided into sections like alchemy, smiting, construction, etc.

I turn the page, and see ‘8. Usage of magic circles in relation to magic skills’, with difficult words lined up under it. It’s all theory and technical terms, and I don’t really get it.

There’s not much I do understand.

・When using duo magic circles (two of them), magic energy is spent exponentially.

・There are compatibility issues in regards to magic circles. If they cancel each other, they will not activate.

・It seems the name of magic changes depending on the number of magic circles used. They are counted as musical performances.

Solo (One magic circle)

Duo (Two magic circles)

Trio (Three magic circles)

Quartet (Four magic circles)

…And so on.

It seems quintet was the highest achieved so far.

Master Azabu mostly talked about magic circles related to Sewing, their combinations and supply of magic energy.

I wish he’d told me about magic skills. I don’t get any of this by reading it on my own.

◇ ◇ ◇

And so, I’ve come to the guild to get an explanation.

I ask the receptionist about Master Azabu, and I’m told he’s coming for a lecture the week after the next.

I ask if there’s a magic lecture, and I’m told there will be one this afternoon.

I reflexively say I’ll join it, but I can’t because it’s full. When I ask if I can attend the next one, I hear the one after this, and the one after that are all booked.

Why? The Sewing one was empty.

I ask the receptionist, who tells me production and combat lectures don’t have the same level of attendance.

Most seekers are about taking down monsters and making money, and while people get production skills, most gravitate in that direction.

I pick my nose while listening, and the old woman receptionist is next to me all of a sudden.

Uoh!? The surprise leads me to thrust hard into my nose.

It won’t stop bleeding.

I didn’t notice her approaching at all.

I stuff a tissue into my nose, and ask her not to appear so suddenly. She whispers that I can use the tickets to attend lectures, and walks away.

It’s like a support character appeared, but seriously, when did she get here? I didn’t sense her presence one bit.

I feel like I caught a glimpse of how frightening she is.

◇ ◇ ◇

I do as she says, and spend a ticket to attend as a special entrant.

Apparently these tickets are given to seekers who the guild sees as good prospects, so they can get preferential treatment and attend lectures they want.

As for what standards they use to decide that, apparently it changes sometimes, but they’re given to seekers who got through irregular encounters.

I listen while picking my other nostril, and I can see a vein on the forehead of the receptionist lady.

Is her blood pressure okay? I ask out of consideration, but she says I shouldn’t worry and just leave, with her voice shaking. I take the advice and take my leave.

Her eyes weren’t smiling.

That bloodthirst was intense.

◇ ◇ ◇

I reach the room where the lecture will take place, and see a lot of people.

The age range is wide, but most are young, with some middle-aged.

I hear there have been a lot of new seekers recently, but since it’s physical work, it’s easier to start young.

There are only empty seats in the back, and I sit right in the middle of the back row.

By the way, there’s a high school boy and a girl sitting on one end, and the girl is trying hard to wake him up.

After a while, the lecturer walks in.

She’s holding a lecture on magic, so I figured she’d be dressed like a mage, but she’s wearing a regular suit.

There’s a big air of competence to her, and she stands straight even in front of this big crowd.

She says hello, and gets right into talking about magic.

Hm.

Hm hm.

Hm hm hm.

Hm hm hmmm.

This is pretty easy to understand.

She starts with the supernatural phenomenon that is making magic happen by way of magic energy. What is magic energy, magic that can be used without skills, types of magic skills, how to use skill magic without skills, among other topics.

Eventually she goes into magic circles, and I hear a big yawn next to me.

People’s eyes gather on this high school boy, who acts like it’s nothing.

The lecturer is upset over the lecture being interrupted by him.

She tells him with anger in her voice that if he doesn’t want to hear it, he can just leave.

But the guy waves his hands, asserting that it’s nothing.

This joking attitude must have pissed her off, because the lecturer creates a ball of water and shoots it at him.

I’m worried about her using magic in a place like this, but then I see the magic will only hit him, and has the power of a water balloon. But not many people realize this, and I hear small screams around me.

He raises his hands and activates a magic circle. The water flies straight at him, but once it hits the magic circle, it disappears into nothing.

The lecturer is surprised, and the guy shakes his head.

Then a small rock hits his chin, and he passes out and collapses like his brain was scrambled.

The room is suddenly silent.

Then I deliberately say something. Can we continue the lecture?

He got sleepy again. Maybe he shook his head dismissively too much and got brain damage. If we care, it’s our loss.

Let’s continue.

I ask her to continue, but she’s still worried, wondering if that’s okay.

Sure it is. He even has that high school girl taking care of him. I say to try to force this to move along.

◇ ◇ ◇

People without magic skills can use magic by strengthening their bodies with magic energy, using magic items like magic guns, or using magic circles.

Apparently strengthening one’s body with magic energy is something that can be done with practice, and everyone who’s gone past the thirtieth floor is expected to be able to do it.

Next, magic items. She says they’re available in weapons and magic items stores.

And of course, people without magic skills can’t use magic on the same level as people who do have them.

Some have tried with training alone, but it took them five years to reach the level of a match, and ten to reach the level of a gas stove.

The lecturer finishes by saying that it’s not recommended, but those that want to give it a shot can do it.

She says to give up on using them on a fundamental level.

On top of magic circles used in combat being hard to learn, the magic energy they use would be better spent on improving something else. For people without magic skills, using magic circles in battle is nothing but a burden.

But also, being able to use fire on a domestic level or create water is handy, so we could learn that much.

She checks how many here can use magic skills. Out of fifty or so here, seven raise their hands.

I think it’s not many, but the lecturer disagrees. Apparently it’s usually about five.

But then why are people without magic skills attending a magic lecture? I guess because they want to use magic and this is their last hope.

The warning on Master Azabu’s book about using magic circles of a matching magic skill is correct. I need to settle on an amount of magic energy when using a magic circle, or it’ll just keep taking it.

Of course, the effect varies depending on the amount of magic energy, but too little ends up not having any effect, wasting that magic energy.

And if I’m using two magic circles, that takes even more magic energy. Depending on the combination, the amount of magic energy spent can increase exponentially.

In the end, magic circles are basically special moves.

As I mull that over, someone has a question and stands up.

The question is whether magic circles carved into a person’s body will let that person use magic.

“No. Someone had the same idea and carved it into a palm. They could use magic, but burned their arm off. Apparently magic circles don’t go well with human bodies, and if used with them, it will only cause the body to disappear. Make sure you don’t attempt it.”

…Eh?

◇ ◇ ◇

The twenty-second floor.

That information made my balls crawl, and I peed a little.

The other day, I put a Speed Up magic circle on myself to shoot it like a launching pad, but if that had gone wrong, my cause of that would be ‘made his thing vanish with a magic circle’.

I guess my plan to strengthen myself by putting magic circles on my body is a no go.

I activate a Speed Up magic circle while using half the magic energy.

I create and launch a stone spear, and while it’s fast, it’s not fast enough for me to lose sight of it.

Something feels off. It just feels like it’s not enough.

I do what I did before, and launch one without worrying about magic energy.

And sure enough, it makes a shrill sound and disappears in an instant.

That makes me feel relieved like something stuck in my teeth in the back of my mouth came loose.

No, still…

I can fire ten, and since I have Magic Energy Circulation, I shouldn’t worry.

With that settled, I leave the dungeon satisfied.

And when I do, those two high schoolers are waiting.

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