By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 11

Chapter 10, Episode 11: Downsides of the Warlock Industry

“Here we go!” I announced.

We were traveling on slimeback (if I could call it that) from the foothills to the testing grounds. A huge bush slime carrying all five adventurers led the way. Just like it did in the Sea of Trees, it plowed through dense trees and foliage, carving a path up the mountain wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Right behind the bush slime, an emperor scavenger slime carrying the four nobles plus me leveled the path while it cleared the branches the adventurers were cutting down along the way. We were climbing at a relatively slow pace, but considering how we were on their backs and the slimes were moving up the side of a mountain while carving a brand-new path, they were still much faster than doing this process by hand.

Other than Sebas and I, who’d had prior experience, it was clearly unsettling to ride on slimeback, especially for the four beastkin.

“This feels weird...”

“I never thought I’d be sliding up a mountain...”

“It’s completely different from riding a horse...”

“We’ll get used to it soon enough. It’s a smooth ride.”

“It’s too smooth. That’s why it feels off.”

When I asked them if they were okay, they explained how beastkin had heightened senses that made them particularly sensitive to new experiences. Back in Japan, coworkers and associates who had pets often said that they took a long time to acclimate to a new environment, so that made sense. Just as Jeff said, they should soon get used to it. Since the others added that they would dismount and run on their own if it became too much, we carried on up the mountain. I decided to take their word for it, and held back the urge to do something to make them more comfortable. I didn’t want them to think they were pressuring me into changing my methods.

“I’ve never ridden on a slime before, but this makes me want one of my own,” Rosenberg said, sounding genuinely interested. When I looked over my shoulder, I could see him stroking the slime beneath our feet.

We’d said hi to each other when we met up on the bottom of the mountain, and there hadn’t been time for conversation beyond that. Since we last met, my status had changed from client to student. This was a good opportunity for us to get to know each other more. “I’m glad you think so. A slime of this size can carry significant cargo, and they’re the best for sliding over uneven paths,” I said.

“Splendid. In addition to breaking curses, warlocks also look after cursed lands,” Rosenberg said. “Even with regular cleansing to keep the cursed energy of those places at bay, it isn’t uncommon for people to flee the entire area, leaving roads leading up to the cursed land unkempt.” Because leaving a cursed land untreated would only worsen the cursed energy, he had no choice but to cleanse it, no matter how tough the commute became. “Hexing often requires specialized equipment that needs to be hauled to the cursed land as well. Enlisting the help of a Space magic user can mitigate that problem, but there’s always a widespread demand for them. Most of the time, I go in by carriage and on foot. Checking up on and cleansing a cursed land only requires a few visits a year, but I once juggled the caseload of three warlocks because of two coinciding retirements... I don’t like remembering the year I spent until replacement warlocks joined. That experience helps me see how useful these slimes are.”

“I didn’t think being a warlock would be so physically demanding,” I said. Even when Rosenberg spoke briefly about the warlock industry during our last meeting, I felt that they were kind of being abused. While I was interested in hexes and wanted to learn about breaking curses and cursed energy and all that, I couldn’t say I’d aspire to become a professional warlock.

Rosenberg chuckled, apparently reading the question on my face. “It isn’t a cushy job, that’s for sure. Warlocks are constantly understaffed. If you can stay away from cursed land gigs, or perhaps limit yourself to cursed lands located near cities, it won’t be as physically draining...but that’s not realistic for most of us. On the other hand, we’re never given assignments that don’t align with our abilities. For example, sending a warlock with a talent for curse-breaking but none for cleansing cursed energy to a cursed land would only do harm and no good. Signing up for the life of managing cursed lands certainly isn’t the only path. Some warlocks do nothing but break curses.”

Of course, that path wasn’t all easy either. Curse-breaking warlocks could get cooped up in their workshop, or set up extensive communication with their clients like a doctor does with their patients. At the end of the day, aspiring warlocks had to figure out their ability and propensity to pick their career path.

“If I were to work as a warlock in the future, I’d mostly want to manage cursed lands like the testing ground we’re headed to. I have the physical endurance and the slimes to help me. Commuting won’t be a problem with my Space magic. On the other hand, if you ask me if I can provide sensitive care to those suffering from curses...” I said.

“That is a difficult task even for seasoned warlocks. You need only to focus on what you excel at. As I said, we are always short on warlocks. Because you’d be willing to take on cursed lands that are more labor-intensive, there will be people who can help you. On top of that, I’ve heard that you’ve already devised your own magic that cleanses cursed energy. With talent like that, you’ll be welcomed with open arms anywhere you go,” Rosenberg said.

“That means a lot, coming from you,” I said. “Thank you for your tutelage in advance. I am looking forward to improving my skills.”

“Before we begin specific lessons, I was told that you already know how to cast and break a curse. Is that accurate?” my tutor asked.

“Technically, I do know. Miss Remily Kremis taught me how to cast a curse and how to use the Light spell Despell to break curses. She also taught me the Dark spell Curse Block to protect myself from new curses. When she did, she also mentioned that I was much more talented with Dark magic than with Light,” I explained.

“In that case... We will do an initial assessment, but I don’t think there’s much I can teach you when it comes to spells,” Rosenberg said. Hexes were derived from overwhelming negative emotions reacting with magical energy in the user’s body. Originally, there was no defined form or category to hexes. However, that made knowledge of them much trickier to pass down. Modern hexes were created so knowledge of these undefinable curses and their remedies could be passed down from master to apprentice.

“For example, casting a curse with a different effect requires you to conjure a different mental image, but casting is all done the same way. Even for breaking curses and clearing cursed energy, the basis is a spell called Curse Transfer. We use a variety of tools and rituals to solidify the image within us, which maximizes the effect of the hex. If you’re talented enough to create your own spells, you definitely have potential. Even if the order of learning is all jumbled up, I’d hate to put you in a mold and squash your unique talent. I’d planned to instruct by providing basic knowledge to narrow what you are currently lacking, then practicing your skills through application and conversation. What do you say?”

“That sounds great,” I said. “You said a lot of what I’ve been thinking. I’m sure I’ll ask a lot of basic or outlandish questions.”

“No problem at all. By the way, I specialize in managing cursed lands and breaking curses. In particular, my skill set is centered around discovering the cause of curses—finding sources of cursed energy or the person who cast a curse. On the other hand, I do not have much experience as a tutor, though I have some. I am certainly not as effective a teacher as a professor in a training institution or even as a warlock who focuses their efforts on training the next generation. Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions, no matter how minor. That would help me a lot.”

Back on Earth, orientations I’d received for most jobs could be summed up as “figure it out.” By simply encouraging questions and promising to answer them, Rosenberg was already miles above the so-called trainers I’d encountered on Earth.

“I do have a question. I understand that I’m an outlier when it comes to the order of learning. What is the conventional order of learning for aspiring warlocks? Just for reference,” I said.

“There are two main paths to learning hexes. One is to apprentice to a warlock, and the other is to attend the training institution I mentioned earlier. Apprenticing works like any other profession, where the apprentice learns the craft through aiding the master in real-life scenarios. This used to be mainstream, but training often extended to all aspects of life. Unless they were raised in a warlock family, many apprentices struggled to master the craft,” Rosenberg said.

“Does that mean the training institution is mainstream now?”

“Precisely. Another downside of apprenticing is that the learning process can be closed off from the rest of the world. Not only does this method severely cap the number of potential learners, but it also came to the point where techniques were being lost without anyone to carry on. There were even some master and apprentice warlocks who were made into pariahs in their community because their training made them look suspicious. To combat those issues, Duke Cassiel—a household name in hexes—created and still runs a training institution solely for warlocks.” When I asked for details, Rosenberg went on to say the Cassiels were made up of generations of warlocks who had served the royal family. With their post came fame and special privileges. The Cassiels kept their institutions open and were actively seeking out those with talent for the craft. That wasn’t all. They also provided a wide array of support for warlocks: developing new technology and tools, protecting and supporting dwindling warlock families, helping with job searches, and even matchmaking.

Rosenberg was related to the Cassiels, so I wasn’t ruling out a little familial prejudice in his description of them...but suddenly being a warlock didn’t seem as grueling as it had earlier. At the same time, what the Cassiels were offering seemed too good to be true. “Any chance these programs are actually very difficult to qualify for?”

“To take advantage of those programs you need to take an exam to prove your abilities as a warlock, then register as one, work a certain number of jobs each year, report your home location, and meet a few other criteria—but none of them are particularly difficult if you intend to make living with hexes. I understand you may be suspicious of these programs. They are a testament to how seriously the Cassiels take increasing the warlock population. Curses can be subconsciously used by anyone at all, which is a much larger population than just warlocks. If war or disaster were to strike, curses would break out across the country. Warlocks need to fight against that. If we stop making small improvements to our society, it’s going to come tumbling down. To prevent a disastrous future, we believe it’s urgent and imperative that we protect current warlocks and raise the next generation of them.”

Although Rosenberg was speaking quietly, his words were brimming with passion for improving the short-staffed warlock industry. I still had much to learn about warlocks, and I wondered if Rosenberg’s opinion reflected that of the warlock industry as a whole. In that case, a larger workload wasn’t too bad as long as there was hope that we could work together towards a bright future...but I kept thinking about my office on Earth.

While we quietly slid up the mountain, curiosity and trauma were battling fiercely in my mind.