Building Stamina with Dad
Yesterday was a Holy Day—a sort of holiday in this world—so I spent it checking the contents of my magic bag. I confirmed that most of it would probably end up unused until I grew up. I also learned some life magic from Dad.
It’s been a week since I met Dad, and I was really happy to finally be able to use Clean.
Having to call Dad after using the toilet was terribly embarrassing for someone like me, who used to be an adult. I had begged and pleaded so many times that he started casting Clean from outside the bathroom door. That was still better than the first day, but asking every time really wore me down emotionally.
The Clean spell is a strange kind of daily-use magic.
It somehow breaks down filth—whatever it’s doing, the waste just disappears. It looks like it wraps it in a bubble of water, and when it pops, there's nothing left.
But for things like washing dishes or cleaning dirt off vegetables, the dishes and vegetables remain, and only the grime or soil disappears.
It’s the same with washing your face—your face doesn’t get scrubbed off or anything.
The bathwater is either drawn from the river or gathered using water magic, and then heated with a magic tool.
After bathing, if you use Clean, the dirty water vanishes, and the tub is left sparkling clean.
If you use holy magic instead, like Purification, the water stays and only the dirt is removed. That’s probably better if you can’t use water magic or you’re somewhere without a river nearby.
Thanks to these convenient spells, this village doesn’t have wastewater. In fact, there aren’t even drains in houses.
Toilets are basically a chair with a hole and a bucket underneath.
Since I’d fall straight through using something Dad-sized, he quickly made me a small potty to use in the stall.
I don’t know how things are in other countries or towns, but apparently, by the time most people go through their baptism, they can use basic life magic.
The types vary, but three spells are considered the starter set: Clean, used for sanitation; Burn, to light fires for cooking; and Light, to brighten up a room.
There are other useful ones too, like Dry to dry wet things, Lock and Unlock for locking and unlocking doors, and Silent, which is used to create soundproof barriers for private conversations.
The last two are considered must-haves for adventurers.
"Well, most of them spells got their match in attribute magic. Take yesterday, for instance—the Vice-Guildmaster threw up a soundproofin' barrier over the whole room. Same idea, ya see?
Silent is mostly for tight spaces, like when you're out huntin' them monsters and can't holler loud. So you use it for signals and such.
Down in them dungeons, you'll find all sorts of things like treasure chests, so havin' Unlock handy is a mighty fine thing."
Ohh! Dungeons!
“Dad, I wanna go to a dungeon!”
As soon as I said it, Dad made a face like “oops,” but come on—if you’re gonna be an adventurer, of course you want to go to a dungeon.
“Ahh, well, ya gotta be at least Copper Rank ‘fore ya can take requests outside the village.
Some towns’ve got herb collection quests just outside the walls, so there’s exceptions, but this village’s got everything we need inside. Ya can handle Copper-level requests just fine right here.
We can’t let ya travel far till ya can take down monsters on yer own.
Once you hit Copper Rank and you’ve got more spells under yer belt, I’ll go with ya.
But till then, best work on buildin’ that stamina.”
As I bounced with excitement, Dad gave me a wry smile and made the suggestion.
I was glad he didn’t shut me down outright.
I mean, if I just left everything to him, it’d be no different than being carried around in a baby sling.
If I’m going, I want to see things with my own eyes, gather stuff myself, fight myself!
“Okay, Dad! I’ll aim for Copper Rank! I’m good at gathering herbs—I used to do it a lot with Mom. I forgot to check what kinds grow around here yesterday. Can I go take a look after school tomorrow? And then try gathering some?”
“Haha, sure. After yer lessons, once ya’ve read the materials and come back for lunch, let’s try collectin’ herbs around here.”
“Yay! I’m looking forward to school!”
◆◇◆◇◆◇
We spent our day off like that, and today’s finally the first day at school!
It wasn’t like I was so excited I couldn’t sleep the night before a field trip or anything. I was plenty tired from magic practice and farming work, and conked out the moment I hit the bed.
This morning, I woke up a little earlier than usual.
Since there aren’t any accurate clocks in this village, people start working when the sun rises and go home when it sets.
The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but since it’s late spring, the warmth was already there.
Just like Earth, this world has four seasons. Right now, it’s the second season of the year: the Season of Water.
That would be spring in Japan. Summer is the Season of Fire, autumn is the Season of Wind, and winter is the Season of Earth.
Each season lasts about three months, and people age one year at the beginning of the Season of Earth.
It seems like celebrating birthdays is something only nobles do—commoners just give a collective “Happy birthday!” to everyone at the start of the year.
Even Guild Cards have their age field updated at New Year’s, regardless of your birthday or registration date. I’m looking forward to that.
Anyway, since it’s the end of spring, the sun rises early.
I had breakfast with Dad, went to the toilet by myself, and cleaned up with a Clean spell.
I want to get lots of practice in, so I volunteered to wash the dishes too.
Dad put them away afterward, since the dish shelf is at his height and I can’t reach it. Right person for the right job.
“Dad! Hurry up!!”
“No need to rush so much, y’know.”
“But I have to build stamina by walking. My legs aren’t as long as yours, so it takes more time!”
Building stamina is a top priority before I can go monster hunting as a Copper Rank adventurer.
It’s not like I’m completely out of shape—back when I was with Mom, I was out collecting and growing medicinal herbs and doing farm work. I also practiced magic control.
Still, it’s not enough to be an adventurer. Watching the beastkin kids move around, I’m nowhere near keeping up.
The Adventurers’ Guild is a good distance away from Dad’s house.
We live on the eastern edge of the village, right by the east gate, and there’s a river running north of us.
The river crosses just above the village center. The village chief and the others live on the far side of the river.
There are a few houses over there, mostly relatives of the village chief, but the rest is all farmland.
Of course, there are fields elsewhere too, but most of the farmland surrounds the village on the outside of the fence.
Dad’s field is right behind the house, nestled in a small forest full of trees.
He’d downsized it to a backyard garden after living alone, but now that I’m here, he’s been working on it again these past few days.
Anyway, the Adventurers’ Guild is over by the west gate, on the opposite end of the river.
So for me, walking there on these short legs takes quite a while.
While Dad locked the front door, I started walking ahead.
It was the same road we took two days ago, so I should be fine.
“Vio~ That there's a right turn for ya~"
I was confidently marching straight when I heard Dad’s voice from behind at a crossroads.
Huh? Really?
I was about to keep going straight, but apparently I was supposed to turn right.
"That one's a left turn for ya, sweetie~"
Huh? Did we really turn this much?
At the next intersection, Dad called out again.
The houses aren’t that close together, so I should be able to see ahead. But with my lower eye level, all the big houses make the street look different.
I thought we were near the spot where a big tree was supposed to be, but I couldn’t see it, and I started to worry that I was lost.
"Well, what's the matter, sugar? Already tuckered out?"
Last time, I saw this street from Dad’s arms and felt safe.
Now it looked like a completely unfamiliar town, and my legs came to a halt.
Dad leaned down, picked me up, and held me upright in his arms.
"You done walked a mighty fine distance for your first time out, sugar. Looky there, we're 'most to the rest spot."
When I followed his cheerful gaze, I spotted the big tree I’d been looking for.
It hadn’t been visible just moments ago from down below, but now I could see it swaying gently in the breeze.
Now I get why kids get lost like that.
Just having a different eye level made everything feel uncertain. Streets I thought I knew looked totally different.
If Dad hadn’t been behind me, I might’ve run off down some random street. That would’ve just made me more lost.
I clung tightly to Dad’s thick arms, and he patted my head gently with his left hand.
So that’s what it was—I’d been scared.
Now that I was safely back in the one place I could completely rely on, I realized that the uneasiness I’d felt was actually fear.
And to think I was supposedly a full-grown adult before this…
What do you think about this chapter?
