Chương 11: A River with Legs

Sieghart's grandparents never received a proper answer about the size of his mana pool. Fortunately, they didn't demand one. After failing to find the limit of his reserves, Elara and Edric exchanged a long, complicated look. Sieghart prepared several excuses, none of which sounded convincing even inside his head. He could claim that he didn't understand what they meant. That would be believable for a three-year-old.

Unfortunately, the three-year-old in question had just maintained Water Creation for forty minutes without showing any signs of magical exhaustion. Pretending that everything was normal would only insult their intelligence. Edric eventually removed his hand from Sieghart's shoulder.

"You did nothing wrong," he said. Elara crouched beside them and examined Sieghart's face.

"Do you ever feel tired when you use magic?"

"Sometimes." That was technically true. His mind became exhausted even if his mana didn't.

"Does your head hurt?"

"After big spells."

"What kind of big spells?" Sieghart paused.

"Big water." Also technically true. He was becoming very skilled at answering questions without providing useful information. Perhaps he possessed a natural talent for politics. If magic failed, he could always become someone professionally dishonest. Elara didn't look convinced, but she stopped questioning him.

"Then you must rest whenever your head begins to hurt," she said.

"Having more mana does not mean your body can withstand any amount of magic." Sieghart nodded. That warning matched what he had already discovered. Infinite mana removed one limitation, but his body and mind remained those of a young child. Trying to use too much power at once could overwhelm his concentration or leave him unconscious. His grandparents didn't ask how much mana he possessed again.

They probably assumed he had been born with an abnormally large reserve that Master Oswin failed to detect because his channels hadn't formed. That explanation wasn't entirely wrong. They simply didn't know that "abnormally large" meant impossible to measure. Sieghart preferred to keep it that way. In no time, he took over much of the magical work required to maintain the farm. It began with watering a few vegetable rows. Then Elara allowed him to handle one of the smaller fields while she worked nearby.

When Sieghart completed that task without difficulty, Edric asked him to soften the soil for the workers planting new seeds. Within several weeks, Sieghart was performing duties that once required both of his grandparents. Water Creation became his most valuable spell. He walked between the fields every morning, releasing continuous streams from both hands. Instead of flooding the surface, he directed the water toward the roots and adjusted the flow depending on the crop. The lessons from Elara helped considerably.

Some plants required constant moisture, while others could rot if the soil remained wet for too long. Young crops needed gentle watering so that their roots weren't exposed, while mature plants could withstand stronger streams. Sieghart learned the layout of every field. When the soil became too compact, he used Earth Magic to loosen it. Sand Control had begun as an ability capable of moving only a handful of loose grains, but his increased Magic attribute allowed him to manipulate much larger quantities.

He couldn't shift an entire field at once. Instead, he worked in sections, softening one strip of earth before moving to the next. The process demanded concentration, but mana consumption was irrelevant. Wind Magic helped remove fallen leaves and spread seeds evenly over prepared soil. Sieghart could also direct air through harvested plants to dry excess moisture before storage. Fire Magic was used more carefully.

He burned diseased crops, ignited piles of dead branches, and maintained the flames used for heating water. His black fire made some of the workers uncomfortable, so Sieghart produced it only when his grandparents were present. Elara had been surprised by its color. Edric had stared at it for nearly a minute before declaring that fire was fire as long as Sieghart controlled it properly. That reaction made Sieghart like him even more. The work served several purposes. It trained his magic.

It reduced the burden on his grandparents. It also made him useful to the household that had accepted him. Two birds with one stone. Sieghart had always found that expression strange. Killing birds with stones seemed inefficient unless the person using the stone possessed excellent aim. Still, the meaning fit the situation. His grandparents no longer ended every working day exhausted.

Elara had enough mana remaining to use inside the house, while Edric could focus on farm management and repairs that required experience Sieghart lacked. Both still supervised him, but the constant strain slowly disappeared from their faces. That alone made the work worthwhile. His progress also became increasingly obvious. During the first week, watering the main fields consumed most of the morning. Sieghart needed to move slowly, adjust the direction of every stream, and stop whenever his concentration weakened.

By the second week, he completed the same work almost an hour earlier. The improvement continued. He learned how to maintain several streams at once, how to widen them without losing pressure, and how to direct the water without moving his arms constantly. He combined Water Creation with gentle currents of wind, carrying droplets across wider areas like artificial rain. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Sieghart didn't rush carelessly.

Finishing early by missing half the crops wouldn't count as progress. He maintained the same quality while reducing the time and mental effort required. Each passing day gave him a little more free time. Naturally, he used it to train even harder. At the far edge of the farm stood a large gray boulder. It was nearly twice Edric's height and partially buried in the ground.

The farm workers left it alone because removing it would require too much effort, and it stood far enough from the fields that it caused no problems. To Sieghart, it was a perfect target. Wooden boards broke too easily beneath his Fireball. Trees could burn, and damaging them would attract questions. The boulder offered a durable surface in an isolated location. Sieghart stood ten meters away and raised both hands. He calmed his mind. Water gathered at his fingertips before surging forward in a continuous blast.

The stream struck the center of the boulder, splashing across its surface and darkening the surrounding stone. Sieghart maintained the spell. Water struck the same point without interruption. The sound echoed across the empty edge of the farm, resembling heavy rain against a roof. One minute passed. Then five. Then ten. When Sieghart finally dismissed the spell, he approached the boulder and examined the impact point. There wasn't a scratch. The water had washed away some dirt. That was all.

"Well done," he muttered.

"I have successfully cleaned a rock." Perhaps the system would reward him with a class. Legendary Boulder Washer. It would fit nicely beside the Human Water Pump. Sieghart placed one hand against the wet stone. The blast possessed enough force to knock over an empty barrel, but the water spread outward immediately upon impact. It couldn't concentrate enough energy to damage solid rock. He needed pressure. On Earth, pressurized water could cut metal and even diamonds.

The cutting systems used extremely narrow streams traveling at tremendous speed, sometimes mixed with abrasive particles. Sieghart understood the principle. Reproducing it with magic was another matter. His current Water Creation spell focused on volume. It produced plenty of water, but the stream remained too wide and slow. He needed to compress the flow through a smaller opening. Sieghart returned to his position and raised one finger. This time, he didn't allow the water to emerge freely.

He imagined the mana forming a narrow channel around the stream, squeezing it before release. The spell resisted. Pressure built against his fingertip, but most of it escaped sideways. Water sprayed across his hand and soaked his sleeve. Sieghart tried again. The stream became thinner. Its range increased slightly, but it still accomplished nothing against the boulder. Perhaps pressure alone wouldn't be enough. Sieghart remembered how rotating the mana had stabilized Fireball.

A spinning effect might also strengthen the water blast. If he could make the stream spiral rapidly while maintaining compression, it might grind against the target instead of splashing harmlessly. He formed another stream. Water twisted around itself. The rotation collapsed almost immediately, drenching him from head to toe. Sieghart stood silently in his soaked clothes. The boulder remained undefeated. It was beginning to remind him of a bookshelf. That made things personal.

He spent the entire afternoon experimenting. He changed the width of the stream, adjusted its speed, and attempted to use wind to increase its velocity. He mixed tiny grains of sand into the water to create an abrasive blast, but controlling two elements while maintaining pressure and rotation exceeded his current concentration. By sunset, the boulder was extremely clean. Shining, even. It remained completely undamaged. Sieghart dismissed Water Creation and approached the stone.

"One day." The boulder didn't respond. Sieghart interpreted that as disrespect. He pulled back one fist and activated Protection. White mana spread beneath his skin, forming a reinforcing layer around his hand, wrist, and arm. Then he punched the boulder. Pain exploded through his knuckles. Sieghart staggered backward, clutching his hand.

"That was stupid." Protection had reduced the damage, but it hadn't made him stronger. His hand began to throb, and the skin around his knuckles reddened almost immediately. His Health decreased by one point. The boulder remained unhurt. Sieghart felt that the exchange had been unfair. He focused on Protection. Support Magic Branch — Level 1 └── Protection — Level 1 No improvement. Apparently, punching a rock while protected didn't qualify as meaningful progress.

The spell could only level when he improved his understanding or developed a better application. Receiving damage wasn't enough. That was probably fortunate. A system that rewarded him for being injured would encourage extremely poor decisions. Still, Protection needed training. Its coverage was thin, its defensive increase remained minor, and maintaining it across his entire body demanded constant focus. Sieghart needed to find a way to make the layer denser without consuming all his concentration.

He considered using multiple layers. If one thin coating reduced damage slightly, several overlapping layers might work better. The idea resembled wearing several pieces of armor, though every layer would need to move with his body. That would be difficult. Difficulty was simply another word for future progress. Sieghart left the boulder and returned to the farmhouse. His clothes had partially dried beneath the afternoon sun, but his bruised hand remained difficult to hide.

When he reached the house, he found Elara and Edric standing near the entrance. They weren't dressed for fieldwork. Edric leaned against the fence with his arms crossed, while Elara held a basket she hadn't taken anywhere. Judging by their positions, they had been waiting for him. Sieghart slowed. They could tell when he finished his assigned work. Perhaps they had begun wondering where he wandered during the hours he saved. If either of them examined his hand, they would know he had been doing something foolish.

Elara noticed him first. Her eyes moved from his damp clothes to the red skin across his knuckles. Sieghart hid his hand behind his back. That probably made him look even more suspicious. Neither grandparent asked what he had been doing. Edric glanced at Elara before speaking.

"Sieg, would you like to visit the town with us tomorrow?" Sieghart blinked.

"The town?"

"Yes," Elara said.

"We need to purchase supplies, and it has been a long time since you went anywhere beyond the farm." Sieghart didn't know what to say. He had seen the distant roofs from the fields and watched wagons travel along the main road, but he had never visited the settlement while living with his grandparents. It was probably the same town near the estate where he spent the first year of his life. That possibility made the invitation far less innocent. Why now?

Had his grandparents finally decided to have his mana examined? Were they planning to purchase magical equipment for him? Or had someone from House Emberhart contacted them? Perhaps his parents wanted to see him. Sieghart studied his grandparents' expressions. They looked calm, but both were waiting carefully for his answer. Something had changed. He simply didn't know what.

"When are we leaving?" Sieghart asked.

"After breakfast," Edric replied. Sieghart nodded.

"I'll go." Elara smiled and entered the house to prepare for the journey. Sieghart remained outside, staring at the road leading toward town. He had spent two peaceful years on the farm, hidden from everyone who might care about the failed Emberhart heir. Tomorrow, he would step outside that safety for the first time. And he doubted his grandparents had suggested the trip merely because they needed supplies.