Infinite Mage

“Even so, if you can't become a mage, it's all for nothing, right, Shirone?”

“Uh? Oh, of course.”

“Relying on someone else’s money means you're entrusting your life to others. It’s fine if you succeed, but if you fail, you’re left with nothing. You shouldn’t do that, Shirone. Think about your parents. Even if you study magic, you should have a way to make a living. Do you plan to rely on your parents forever? And it’s not like you’re physically strong enough for labor.”

Whether he became a mage or not, Shirone had knowledge to fall back on for employment. There would be many who’d call upon him, as long as he put aside his pride, being a commoner. But Shirone had never considered the possibility of failure. 

How could he have overlooked it? Was it an oversight? Arrogance? What life would he lead if he failed to become a mage?

He felt uneasy. Everyone could fail, and Shirone was no exception. The practical questions from the village children sent a chill through his heart.

As the mood dampened, Altor suggested a game, partly to reclaim his authority as the leader.

“Let's lighten up. Hey, Shirone, how about an arm wrestling match?”

“With me?”

“Yeah. You used to be surprisingly tough. Let’s see if you still have it in you.”

The children excitedly banged on the table, egging them on.

“Yeah! A warrior versus a mage! The battle of the century!”

As the atmosphere heated up, Shirone set aside his gloom and smiled. Arm wrestling with someone who could lift an adult? It was absurd, but he couldn’t resist the challenge.

“How about we bet on the drink?”

Altor, with his thick forearm, challenged Shirone, who, despite being disadvantaged, couldn’t back down from the wager.

“Fine, let’s do this. But no holding back.”

“Of course.”

As they clasped hands, Shirone felt like he was gripping a rock. He could easily win with Photonic Magic, but it was just a fun thought.

Martin volunteered to referee.

“Ready… Go!”

Shirone exerted all his strength, but Altor’s power was overwhelming. Shirone's arm was pushed over, and he tumbled under the table, nursing his elbow. It wasn’t just strength; it was monstrous.

“Ow, that really hurt.”

“Wow! Altor wins! Shirone is a mage and he got floored in one go?”

Magic and arm wrestling had nothing to do with each other, but to the children, the title ‘mage’ carried significant weight.

“Of course! Altor once hunted a bear!”

Regaining his authority, Altor laughed heartily.

“Haha, Shirone, you've really weakened. This turned out to be an unfair bet. I'll pay for the drinks.”

Lumina approached Shirone, her eyes filled with concern.

“Are you okay, Shirone? Altor can be so rough.”

She understood why Altor acted harshly, being part of the village. But Shirone, accustomed to the life of a lumberjack, wasn't upset.

“I’m fine. But Altor has really gotten strong.”

As Shirone stood, his purse of gold coins fell, spilling shiny coins. The children's eyes widened.

“Whoa, real gold coins!”

“Five of them?”

They gathered around in awe. It was rare even for adults in the village to use gold coins.

“You have a lot of money. Why carry five gold coins?”

Shirone sheepishly collected the coins.

“In case I found a book I really wanted. Books are expensive.”

The children knew Shirone loved books. When he visited with Vincent, he always carried one.

“So, can you spend this freely? You must buy whatever you want, right?”

Shirone hesitated. He'd never frivolously spent money, especially since it was given by others. But seeing the children's shock at the amount, he chose his words carefully.

“I rarely need to spend. School keeps me so busy I often skip meals.”

“Even so, you can afford the drinks. You lost the bet.”

“Oh, right.”

Shirone clearly heard Altor’s offer to pay, but refusing now would offend him. Altor wasn’t ignorant and let the flow go naturally.

“Okay, I’ll pay. It was a bet, after all.”

The children cheered.

“Great! We’ll use the gold coins, right? Shirone, can you give me the money now? I’ve never handled gold before.”

“I’ll do the paying. I’ve always wanted to!”

“No, I will!”

Suddenly, Shirone had become the leader. Lumina watched Altor, whose face showed his hurt pride.

Yet he didn’t explode, sharing Lumina's understanding. She knew Shirone hadn’t changed a bit. He was still the kind boy who always put others first.

“Stop it, all of you! You’re acting like kids over one gold coin! Let’s change the subject.”

Lumina's reprimand made everyone return to their seats. Shirone was grateful for her intervention.

Quick-witted Martin changed the topic.

“Did you hear? It showed up in the back mountains again yesterday.”

“Yeah, I heard. If this continues, there won’t be any wild animals left. How long will it keep preying?”

“It must be a pregnant cow bear. They eat twice as much.”

Cow bears, especially the females carrying cubs, were notoriously voracious, a headache for hunters.

Shirone, experienced in hunting, expressed interest.

“A cow bear in this area? Aren’t they usually behind the mountain range? That’s a real problem.”

“Exactly. My dad is a hunter, and these days, he keeps coming back empty-handed. With the wildlife nearly wiped out, there’s not much he can do.”

“Why don’t we all band together and hunt it? The cow bear isn’t particularly aggressive. Five people should be enough, right?”

“People are scarce these days due to the logging season. Everyone’s busy with logging, so no one’s available to help. But, judging from its roaming range, it seems unlikely that it would give birth here. If we wait a week, things should return to normal.”

“That must be tough for your father.”

Altor’s eyes sparkled with an idea.

“Hey, Bredd. What if we caught that cow bear?”

“What? Us? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“What are you saying? I’ve hunted the notorious red bears till I got bored of it. A mere cow bear is nothing to me.”

Altor saw this hunt as a chance to regain his tarnished honor. His strength and hunting skills were his edge over Shirone, almost like a divine opportunity.

“Hey, what do you say? Let's help out Bredd.”

“Sure, I’d appreciate it.”

Failing to bring meat meant their families would starve. The children, knowing Bredd’s predicament, couldn’t ignore it. After all, Altor had once hunted the most ferocious of bears, the red bear.

“Great! Let’s hunt the cow bear tomorrow!”

“Yesss! The blood's boiling! Bredd, don’t worry! I’ll shoot an arrow right in the bear’s head!”

“Idiot! You think you can do it? We just need to dig traps and leave the rest to Altor.”

“Departure at dawn tomorrow! Shirone, you’re coming too, right?”

Altor’s eyes gleamed with expectation. He needed Shirone to reassert his leadership. Shirone, sensing this, nodded in agreement.

“Okay. I’ve learned some things from my father, so I can do my part.”

“Excellent! Then, cheers!”

Their beer mugs clinked in the air, foaming over with excitement.

* * *

The next dawn.

Shirone got up at the crack of dawn to prepare for the hunt. 

While the others would bring specialized tools, basic equipment was everyone's responsibility.

He packed his backpack with a rope coiled to avoid tangling, checked his bow and arrows, and gathered cloth and glue for torches, nails, and a hammer. He also packed extra arrowheads and, for emergencies, dried rations and a whistle.

Lifting the backpack, its familiar weight felt reassuring.

Shirone, still a man of action, opened the door to find the other kids already gathered outside, fully equipped.

“Hey, Shirone. You’re late. Get moving. Haha.”

Shirone chuckled sheepishly. Clearly, those actively engaged in the field were on another level.

“Haha, sorry. I’m a bit out of practice.”

“Let’s go. We need to be back before sunset.”

Altor led the way, with Shirone and Lumina in the middle group, and Martin covering the rear.

Reaching the cow bear’s territory by sunrise, Lumina started cooking breakfast - a corn soup with melted sheep cheese and bread. Shirone hungrily dipped his hard bread into the soup, swallowing it down.

“Delicious. Lumina’s cooking never disappoints.”

“Hehe,” Lumina blushed.

Shirone noticed the children had matured. Even Lumina, usually quick to bicker, had changed for the better. He felt relieved seeing his friends doing well.

“Let's move. The bear seems to be higher up,” Altor announced.

Inspecting claw marks on the trees, Martin commented on the severity of the damage.

“Look at this. The tree's almost split. The bear must be incredibly strong.”

Altor examined the claw marks closely.

“Hmm. Not too big. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“But isn’t it dangerous?”

“Bears are known for their strength. They're faster than you think. But cow bears are relatively slow. We have enough people to handle it.”

Shirone examined the claw marks, feeling something off.

‘Strange. Doesn’t seem like sheer strength. More like something fast and sharp slashed it...’

Altor pulled out his bow, readying an arrow.

“Let's start here. We'll set traps further up.”

Following Altor, the kids moved skillfully, a testament to their daily life in the wilds.

Shirone activated his Spirit Zone, extending his senses. Although his range was less than a seasoned hunter, his uneasy feeling warranted caution.

As they neared the summit, a disturbing sensation hit Shirone. He stopped, trying to identify it. Altor turned, annoyed.

“Shirone, what’s wrong? We’re not setting traps here.”

“Altor. Something’s not right.”

“I don’t feel anything.”

Altor dismissed Shirone’s concern. But Shirone, convinced, wandered off, with Altor reluctantly following. Unilateral actions in the mountains could endanger everyone.

“Shirone, if you’re going to act like this, just go back dow... Ugh!”

Altor stopped, horrified by the scene ahead. Shirone was speechless, nausea overwhelming him.

“What is this...?”

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