Okami Wa Nemuranai

Episode 4.4

They decided to set up camp near the river.

Shira skillfully made some tasty dinner with wild grass, nuts, and animal meat that Lecan procured during Parade's special training. Shira had stocked up on bread that would last a long time.

"Could you take a look at this."

It's the lower grade recovery medicine made by Zaidmahl House's apothecary. Lecan was thinking of having Shira look at it since he felt like it had absolutely no effect at all.

Shira took the medicine with her left hand, produced a light orb on the index fingertip of her right hand, and stared at the medicine under the light.

"Looks to be proper medicine diligently made by an ordinary apothecary. What about this."

"It didn't work when I drank it."

"Why'd you drink it. This is an ointment."

"What? Smearing recovery medicine on yourself?"

"Isn't wound salve something you apply on your wound?"

"That may be true for normal medicine, but not for magic potion."

"Ah, you mean that huh. I get it now. This world does have medicine that you drink to heal wounds as well."

"Hou."

"There's magic that can heal wound in your world, isn't there?"

"There is."

"You dissolve such magic and put it in water, or rather water-like substance, it's called magic water in this world."

"Magic, water."

"It's water of magic. Magic water is generally applied by drinking. While medicine created from medicinal plants and stuff and has magic play a role during its creation to increase its effect is called magic potion in this world. And even though there are oral and topical magic potions, for treating wounds, it's topical."

"Oh, is that right."

"That is right. But that means this magic potion you wanted me to teach you was magic water then."

"Is there any problem?"

"Well, not really a problem. Just that magic water is not something that can last long even though its effect is immediate."

"Really."

"Medicine that's been mixed with herbs is more effective and last longer instead."

"Fumu?"

"Well anyway, I'll just teach you the basic for now, afterward, when you've figured out which you actually want to learn, just tell me."

"Umu. Please teach me from the very basic. That aside, you didn't chant when you lit up a light on your fingertip earlier."

"Ah, you mean <Lamplight (Parm)> huh. Anyone could do that."

"I can't do it though."

"You, you can't use <Lamplight> with all that mana of yours?"

"I can't help it. Magic is something bestowed to you, it's not something you can learn."

In the world Lecan comes from, although there are differences in quantity, anyone possesses mana. However, you need a specific <Ability> in order to wield magic. You have a chance of receiving such ability when you defeat magic beasts, and that chance is higher with dungeonborne magic beasts, and especially Floor Bosses. The ability bestowed to you is completely random, and there are floor bosses that tend to give specific abilities. Dungeon's floor bosses don't only drop magic, but a variety of skills as well. Some priests have also been bestowed abilities by God at the temples, but Lecan is not well versed in that matter.

"Normally, you can't use magic without learning it first though?"

"What?"

After a brief exchange, Lecan learned common knowledge about magic in this world.

Not a lot of humans posses mana in this world. Whether one possesses mana or not is decided when they're born, those who are born without mana will never get to posses mana no matter what.

Even if you do possess mana, you cannot even cast elementary magic if you're not taught about magic.

Only those who have acquired magic can teach others of those magic. Only in extremely rare cases do some are able to obtain magic on their own.

Magic bearers are restricted by their individual talent type, if one does not have the talent on a certain type of magic, they either won't be able to cast that type of magic, or the power demonstrated will be extremely weak even if they manage to, there's no hope of growth. On the other hand, one will display tremendous growth on type of magic they're talented at.

Oftentimes, children whose parents are mana bearers will be a mana bearer as well. And in most cases, the children will have the same talent on magic types as their parents'.

"So I may have a chance to learn new magic."

"I think you do."

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

"Could you teach me."

"Sure thing. Well, let's go at it step by step."

Shira taught Lecan <Lamplight> spell.

Lecan was able to immediately use <Lamplight>.

"<Lamplight (Parm)>"

"Yup, that's good. But to think you learned it just by seeing it once. You must be able to see how magic works really well, aren'tcha."

Lecan has fought a great number of mages in his life. Being able to see through the activation of magic is a matter of life or death. And that seems to have become some sort of training to learn magic. Moreover, Lecan is an expert on <Gust>. That may have played a role as well.

"<Lamplight>."

A small light lit up following the spell.

It was the greatest feeling.

Lecan never imagined he could learn new magic.

He was so happy it felt like he was back to being a kid.

"For the time being, right, for the next ten days I won't teach you any other magic, so just continue practicing on <Lamplight>. Try all kind of sizes and ranges. If you try to use many magic when you're just first starting out, you'd end up half-baked at any magic. First, you've got to master <Lamplight> down."

Lecan was so giddy he got out bed after a short nap and cast <Lamplight> again and again.

And then, the herb gathering began.

Partly because he got up early, and partly because he found spots where the plants grew closely together, he managed to get the amount he was asked at dawn.

"Well now, what a surprise. To think you got 100 of each 22 types of herbs before dawn."

"It was no problem thanks to Parm spell."

"I don't think you can distinguish between these herbs with just Parm spell."

Lecan had made use of his ability, <3D Perception>, but he decided not to talk about it.