Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai - Chapter 573

Chant Cancellation Training

　After collapsing spectacularly, Shelka rose to her feet and slapped the dirt off her uniform with her hand.

　Then, for some reason, he turned a sharp gaze towards me.

"Alfleet!"

"No, it was Lord Gideon who buried that magic!"

　The other 23 impactless spheres were ones I had made, but the one Shelka had stepped on was definitely not mine. Therefore, I am not guilty, and I will not hesitate to pin the blame on Gideon, who I have taken a commitment from.

"I just modified what Lana made."

　However, Gideon quietly let it flow to Ra-chan.

　Well, excluding the inconvenient fact that he was the one who set it up, he's reporting things in a way that doesn't put him at fault. What a bad brother.

"Ra-chan?!"

　Shelka couldn't believe that the one who made this was her beloved little sister, so she pleaded with him.

"Yup, I made it!"

　Shelka collapsed at the words spoken along with Ra-chan's innocent smile.

"...Wh, why did you do this?"

"Because Al was filling it in and it looked fun."

"I guess it's not your fault after all!"

　Huh? So that's what it all comes down to?

　I was just playing around with some impactless balls buried in the ground.

"That's strange. Wasn't Gideon supposed to be in charge?"

"I just said I would do something about it, but I never said I would take responsibility."

　It certainly seems like he said some encouraging words at the time, but I don't think he ever said anything like that.

　So this is the power of the next head of the Dukedom... how stingy.

"...Then I'll tell you."

"Hey! I'm the next head of the Duke family!"

　Please don't exercise your privilege in a place like this.

"Unfortunately, our friend from the Duke's family has arrived in time."

　There really aren't many good people in the Duke's family.

　In order to avoid being unreasonably scolded, I explained the details of what had happened to Shelka.

"...Is that true?"

"Yeah, Al stopped me, but I wanted to see what Gideon-san's like."

　Although Shelka was skeptical of my words, she readily admitted that Ra-chan agreed.

　The fact that they won't accept it without Ra-chan's testimony shows that they have very little trust in me.

"Brother Gideon! It hurts!"

"Forgive me. I just wanted to see how the magic I set up worked."

"But normally you would test it on your sister? Why not just test it on a random monster?"

　This is a perfectly reasonable argument, so even Gideon cannot argue with it.

　For the time being, thanks to honestly telling her I was able to avoid getting scolded by Shelka.

　●

　After giving Gideon a lecture, Shelka seemed to have relieved her anger and returned to the mansion with Ra-chan.

　Shelka had just come back from school and was covered in dirt after stepping on a landmine and falling. Ra-chan had buried her magic in the dirt, so her dress was also dirty with dirt and she had used up all her magical power, so it would be a good time to take a break.

"Shouldn't we just call it a day here too?"

"What an idiot. I still have a lot of mana left and I haven't even learned how to cancel chant yet."

"...Could it be that we can only receive the magic tools after Gideon-sama has acquired them?"

"I wouldn't go that far, but I need to get some kind of clue."

　This is bad. I need Gideon to find a way to learn how to cancel chant as soon as possible.

　I'm sorry I have to accompany this person on his magic training every day.

"Gideon-sama, it's time to start practicing seriously."

"Wait. From what you say, does that mean you were slacking off up until now?"

"It's not that I was slacking, I was just going easy on him. However, Gideon-sama's enthusiasm to learn chant cancellation exceeded my expectations, so I think I'll move on to a more rigorous method of learning it."

"I, I see."

　If he'd been testing their enthusiasm like this, Gideon couldn't just carelessly deny it. In fact, he didn't look entirely opposed.

　By changing the subject, I managed to escape Gideon's questioning.

　This is a tactic that would never work on Mother Elna, but the next head of the Duke family is still a bit lenient.

"So what is the more difficult method of learning?"

"To gain practical experience."

　I created a large number of impactless spheres around me.

"I will now launch these impactless spheres at Lord Gideon. Lord Gideon, please block them with the spell you canceled."

"teeth?"

　This is a technique I learned while training with Eleonora-nee-san.

　To face such an unconventional swordsman, one must cast magic without chanting, or even cancel chanting in order to keep up.

　If you don't do it, you'll suffer.

　The plan is to engrave this into one's body so that the ability to cancel chanting becomes a conditioned reflex.

"Well, let's go."

"Hey, wait a minute!"

　Before Gideon could say anything, I fired a non-impact sphere at him. He hurriedly dodged it by jumping out of the way.

　The fact that the option to dodge instead of intercepting with magic at first gives you a sense of distance.

"Please don't dodge. It won't be good practice."

"But wouldn't it be too dangerous to use magic on someone like that?"

　Is this what an older brother would say after making his younger sister step on a shockless landmine?

"Don't worry. I've adjusted the power quite a bit so it will only blow you away."

"Guh!"

　To make Gideon understand that he is safe, he hits him directly in the stomach with a non-impact ball.

　Although there was a minimal amount of impact, it wasn't powerful enough to send someone flying or leave a bruise. Gideon, who had been hit directly, looked shocked, which was proof of that.

"So, shall we go?"

"That's what I want!"

　I didn't want to do this kind of dirty training if possible, but it can't be helped since I want to get my hands on the magic tools quickly. Besides, Gideon is determined enough to ask me for help.

　I throw a non-impact ball straight.

"[Fireball]! Oops!?"

　Gideon raised the staff in his right hand and shouted loudly, but the spell that was undone by the incantation did not activate and instead hit him directly in the stomach.

"You can't intercept them unless you fire a proper fireball, you know?"

"Damn it! [Fireball]! Guh?!"

　Next, he tries firing a non-impact sphere, but Gideon again fails to cancel the chant and is hit in the forehead by the magic.

　The speed at which I fire the impactless sphere is adjusted so that if I activate the spell without chanting, it will be just enough to intercept it in time.

　If he could properly cancel the chant, it could be prevented, but Gideon had a hard time successfully cancelling the chant.

　Boom, boom, boom, one after another, the impactless balls were slammed into Gideon's body.

　Watching the magic hit them one-sidedly like this makes you feel more and more sorry for them -- doesn't it?

　Maybe it's because I'm being manipulated by their arrogant attitude? Surprisingly, I didn't feel any guilt. On the contrary, I feel refreshed every time I get hit by a non-shock ball like this.

"Hey! Has your magic speed increased?!"

"I thought if the speed remained the same all the time, there would be no sense of danger."

　Since it seemed like evil intentions were affecting the magic, I hurriedly added a reason.

　As usual, Gideon was getting hit badly by my impactless balls.

　There was no sign of even a chantless spell being activated.

　During my time, I was up against Eleonora-nee-san, who was swinging her wooden sword around in earnest, so I have to say this situation was mild compared to that.

　Is it possible that there is a fundamental lack of sense of crisis?　

　Should we increase the power of the impactless ball to heighten Gideon's sense of danger?　

　No, even if that was the case, he was the head of the duke family and couldn't impose such harsh training on her. There had to be another way.

"Even in a situation like this, do you have a magic formula in mind?"

"Ugh! If you ask me if I saw anything――huh! I'd be lying."

　Unlike me and Ra-chan, Gideon has the magic formulas he learned at the magic academy in his head.

　As long as that was the case, it would be impossible to activate the chant cancellation.

"Please clear your brain!"

「Even if you tell me to empty my mind, it’s impossible! Right!?」

　So let's make that big brain unable to think at all.

　I increased the number of impactless spheres and moved them to chase Gideon as far as possible.

"Hey, hasn't the number increased?!"

"You're just imagining it."

　Gideon raised a voice in protest, but I ignored him and continued to whittle down his stamina.

　While giving myself an opening to activate the chant cancellation, I move my body in a way that weakens my opponent's stamina and launches a non-impact ball at them.

　I changed my strategy and continued to move flashily, and within ten minutes Gideon was breathing heavily. If he was breathing so heavily after only ten minutes of exercise, it must mean he doesn't practice sword fighting on a regular basis. With this level of stamina, he wouldn't be able to run away from Eleonora's attacks for even a minute.

　But it suits our intentions.

　With his shoulders moving up and down violently and barely able to breathe, he wouldn't be able to think of a general purpose magic formula.

"Haa, haa... Al... ut, wait... until then."

　Gideon was nearly out of breath as he muttered something as if pleading.

　However, because he was having trouble breathing, he couldn't form any coherent words.

　I know that it's a statement that will stop the training, but I pretend not to hear.

"Look, here comes the impactless sphere! Please block it with chant cancellation magic!"

　I spoke loud enough for his exhausted ears to hear, then slowly fired the impactless ball.

　The impactless sphere slowly approached Gideon's forehead.

　A tired brain can't think of magic formulas. Don't think about unnecessary things, just be lazy and hope that the magic will manifest.

"Fireball"

　It seemed my plan worked, as Gideon fired a fireball without chanting.

　The fireball that was unleashed by his aborted chant easily knocked my impactless ball away.

"--Whoa! I did it, Master Gideon!"

　I ran over to him, letting out a cry of joy, and Gideon relaxed his expression and collapsed.

　Although he succeeded in activating the incantation cancellation, it seems he had pushed him too far.

　I quickly called the mansion's servants and had them carry Gideon to the infirmary.