Chapter 8

I can use ki now, but I don't know whether it's something to be happy about or to be sad about.

Will I be able to use magic as before?

I ruminate on the knowledge about ki that I gained in Shium's class.

First, ki can be used by anyone who trains their body. The level varies from person to person, but if you put the appropriate load on your body, anyone can use it. Yes, anyone.

Moreover, it has the property of canceling out when combined with magic. Those who can use ki are also said to be more resistant to magic, as it can nullify magic, including one's own.

I also experienced the enhancement of my body and objects. The improvement in my running speed and vision was due to this.

I can now use ki. This was the cause of the current problem.

The cause is clear. Then, all I need to do is think of a solution.

If ki is preventing magic from being released, then I just need to suppress the ki. Of course, being able to use both would be ideal, but the priority of ki in my case is low.

I try to manipulate ki with the same feeling as manipulating magic, but it doesn't work well. It seems to be completely different from magic.

However, I can sense that there is a different substance in my body, and after about half a day of practice, I got the hang of it. Sensory-wise, while magic flows through something like nerves, ki seeps out from the cells.

I need to suppress it, to keep it from leaking out and to contain it within my body.

According to Shium, only those who have trained can consciously manipulate ki, but apparently everyone emits a weak amount of ki. When exploring, one can move without being detected by not letting ki out of the body. It is also used to recover from fatigue more quickly, and Kitch was made to practice it. Incidentally, it seems that wounds heal faster when ki is activated.

In this state, can I use magic? I try it right away.

I aim at a leaf on a tree above me and send a blade of wind. With a light "pfft" sound, the leaf falls.

Surprisingly, it was solved easily. I feel relieved, and my body relaxes as I slump against the roots of a tree.

When I rushed into the forest, my head was full of anxiety, worry, and confusion, but it has been resolved.

This leads to a new curiosity.

Can I use magic and ki simultaneously?

I know that these two forces cancel each other out. But is there no way around it?

I activate ki and grab a branch about the thickness of my wrist with both hands. With a little force, it breaks easily. I want to use this power if possible. If not, I can use them separately. It's not a loss to think about it.

First, I try to release both at the same time. I couldn't do it before, but now that I can manipulate ki, there are things I want to try.

I activate a tiny bit of ki. Since everyone emits a tiny bit of ki, I should be able to release magic from this point.

As expected, I can spread magic. However, it feels a bit awkward for some reason.

From there, I gradually activate more ki. But this is very difficult. The range of the spread magic is rapidly narrowing.

And that's not all. I grab a branch of the same thickness and try to break it, but it doesn't break at all. It's the same as when I haven't activated ki.

Then, I try the opposite: I activate a little magic and then activate ki. As a result, my physical abilities improved, but the range of magic narrowed and eventually couldn't be spread at all. This is the same as when I rushed into the forest.

It seems that when both are released simultaneously, they first mix and cancel each other out, and only the properties of the remaining force are expressed.

It seems that using them simultaneously is impossible.

Then, the next step.

This time, I divide the parts to be enhanced by ki. This is something we did in Shium's class.

Specifically, it involves concentrating ki on the necessary joints or parts to enhance them. Concentrating ki in the eyes to see far, or in the throat and lungs to produce a loud voice. It's a way to conserve ki during long explorations.

I spread magic and concentrate ki on my shoulders and beyond. As expected, the ki cancels out to some extent, but I can spread the magic from parts other than my arms.

I can use magic. I confirm this by producing a water droplet. How about ki? I grab a branch. It breaks.

"Yesss!"

I can't help but shout. It's a success. This is only for my arms, but I can use it in different places as needed.

After the experiment, I remember something I should have thought about.

Or rather, I had been trying not to think about it. I realize now that the experiment was also a form of escapism.

The reason I fled here, the cause of the situation. I was noticed by Frau.

The problem is the spread of the information that "a suspicious child was in the village."

Frau will probably tell her parents. Innocently, "Today, I met a boy I didn't know."

If it ended there, it wouldn't be a problem. It could be dismissed as "just a child's story."

However, the presence of an outsider in a peaceful, closed village is a big issue. Frau's parents will pass on the information they get from her to Shium or the village chief. Even if I don't talk to Shium directly, it's enough to talk to the neighbors at the well. The rumor will quickly reach someone responsible in the village.

And that responsible person will have to identify the "boy." If they don't, this small autonomous community will soon fall into chaos.

I don't know how, but a search will be conducted. If I'm found, the treatment will not be good.

The only child in this village who knows no one. A person with no one to protect them. A nuisance to the village. A source of frustration. A vent for dissatisfaction.

Unpleasant words come to mind. I think this village is full of good people, but for some reason, such thoughts keep coming to mind.

Yes, it's full of good people. Of course, the possibility of being accepted and living a normal, healthy life is higher.

But it might not be that way.

In the first place, if I'm not found, there's no problem. If I can live quietly from now on.

But there's always the possibility of something happening.

No, but, that.

Should I leave the village?

This is the conclusion I came to after going in circles.

If it's difficult to live here, I should leave. I came to this village to get clothes, and I probably have the general knowledge I needed. There's no reason to be attached to this village.

I can get food anywhere. I can live anywhere as long as I can sleep.

I can go anywhere.

Even though I've decided to leave the village, I still hesitate.

I've spent all five years of my life in the forest and this village. If possible, I want to stay in this village a little longer. Even though I know it's just sentimentality, it's hard to let go.

I look at the setting sun. The red light seemed to be more hazy than usual.

I wake up early in the morning. It's a clear day.

I think about the future while enjoying the cool breeze. I've decided to leave, but I haven't decided where to go.

My plan is to wait for the merchant's carriage that comes to the village and follow it. Of course, I'll hide. The next one is supposed to come in about three days. Sometimes the intervals vary, but it should be around that time.

There's almost no packing to do. I only have the clothes I wear and some rags. The last two days will be the same as usual. I just need to look around the village.

The village looks fresh after I've decided to leave. The paths I usually walk, the familiar scenery, but it feels different from usual.

I find a single red flower among the white flowers on a path. A scratch on the pillar next to a door, probably a height comparison mark. The weeds in the field are left differently, probably because the couple who live there are a bit lazy...

I wonder if I haven't been seeing anything, even though I've been looking at it all the time. I notice many things for the first time, and I feel happy every time I find something.

After looking around the square and the fields, I see the scene I expected.

"So, when you looked this way, the kid was there, right? And you talked a little, and you went inside, right..."

"Yeah! That's right."

It's Den's interview with Frau.

"What did he look like... I mean, what did he look like?"

"Um, ...a boy!"

"Yeah, I got that. How tall was he?"

"About the same as me!"

Frau shows her height by waving her hands around her head.

"Okay, what was he wearing?"

"Um, ...brown? Cloth? I think he was wearing it..."

"Right... A boy with black hair, wearing a brown robe, and with fair skin?"

"I don't know where he came from."

Den finishes the interview and starts discussing with the two hunters beside him. Frau, who had been listening with some interest, apparently decided it was too complicated and trotted back into the house.

"It would be good to know what he did after that."

The conversation suddenly stops, and Den leaves the circle. He scratches his head and starts looking around the ground.

"According to Frau, the boy was standing here, and from the gesture when the conversation ended..."

He looks around where I was standing. He finds something, narrows his eyes, and crouches down to take a closer look. Then he looks in the direction beyond that.

"The footprints are running towards the forest."

The hunt by the hunters begins.

"Ah, he's been here."

"Interesting, it's clear."

The hunters, who followed the footprints, seem to have grasped some information as soon as they entered the forest.

"This area is probably his living zone."

"Is it an animal path? Or a boy's path? It's well-defined, so it's certain."

The footprints are somewhat clear. However, while it's a path I often use, I have no idea what an animal path is. How do they determine it?

Den digs up the ground with a wide knife.

"From the things buried here and there, it seems he has a fixed diet. Acorn shells, bird bones, and fish, too."

"Hey, look at this."

"Wow, the branch is broken... What do you think, Iko?"

"About the height of a child, around chest level. From the direction, it doesn't seem like he bumped into it, but rather broke it intentionally."

No way. The branch I broke without thinking yesterday was found. In a forest with so many trees, could two branches be found?

"That's right. And this branch is quite thick..."

"This is indeed..."

"The stride to the forest, the depth of the footprints, and this branch... A child of that size couldn't have done this."

Den sighs and summarizes the opinions of the three.

"Ki or magic... I think it's a 'monster' if we don't consider the appearance..."

"Looks like a boy, though. It's complicated..."

"Let's just call it a fairy?"

Den's joke makes the other two laugh a little.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

Suddenly, Den looks at me. The other two follow his gaze. Not good.

"Where is it, Den?"

I'm fine, I'm using the invisibility spell. The soundproofing spell should be active too. Just to be safe, I slowly move out of their line of sight. Did they spot me? Or was it just a coincidence?

"Something was watching us from the shade of that tree. It seems to be gone now..."

Den sharply scans the surroundings. The other two also start to be on guard.

"It's not an animal, I think. If you can understand, I won't harm you, so please come out."

The hunters put their hands on their bows, ready for combat.

What should I do? Should I fight back? No, I want to avoid a fight. I haven't been found yet, so I should just run away.

"If you don't come out, we'll consider you a target from now on."

"I hope you come out now."

After the declaration, Den mutters, "We don't want an unknown entity in the forest, either."

His voice makes me feel a bit guilty.

"Please come out. This is your last chance."

I take a step back. I don't have time to hesitate. I need to get away as soon as possible.

"!"

Several arrows fly at me in no time. They are all aimed at my head and torso. I barely manage to block them with telekinesis.

"Seems like you're backing off. No intention of coming out, I see."

Den closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"...Then, from now on, it's hunting time."

All the arrows were shot by Den. His skill in shooting multiple arrows at the vital points of an invisible enemy is terrifying.

I need to run, I think, but the next wave of arrows is already coming. I try to hide behind a tree, but by the time I do, Den has already nocked another arrow.

Fortunately, the other two don't seem to have pinpointed my exact location, but the way they aim their bows at me is unsettling.

"Think you're safe behind a tree?"

A chill runs down my spine. I have a bad feeling, so I jump to a branch of a different tree. At that moment, a "crack" sound echoes. Looking down, I see that the tree I was hiding behind is gouged out, with a large hole in it. The tree falls with a loud noise.

Looking at Den, it seems he figured out my position from the shaking branch and is aiming his bow at me. Light is emanating from Den's bow and body. It's ki.

This is bad, really bad. Even a barrier created by telekinesis won't help now. I need to get away from here as soon as possible.

Just as I think this and try to fly into the sky, I feel a sharp impact in my right foot.

An arrow is growing out of my foot.

No, an arrow is embedded in my foot.

I paid too much attention to Den. The arrow shot by the hunter Iko, imbued with ki, accurately caught my right foot.

"Got him."

"Seems so. But this might be a bit of a problem..."

It hurts. I can't be hit again. It hurts. I run for my life. It hurts. Deeper into the forest, it hurts, hurts, hurts, faster, faster!

I roll into the depths of the forest and writhe in pain. It's not like a muscle ache or a scrape. It's a clear, tearing pain that makes me roll around.

Magic, can I do something with magic? Knowledge about Na channel blockage, bradykinin inactivation, and similar things come to mind. If I can use them, I will. I channel magic to perform pain relief. I need to do something about the pain; I can't bear it.

It seems I've gotten used to it, or maybe I've gotten better at developing magic on the spot, but the pain is subsiding. Now, I need to do something about this arrow.

As the pain subsides, I can think a little more clearly. First, I need to pull out the arrow.

I've heard that if you don't pull out an arrow immediately, the muscle will tense up and it won't come out. Indeed, it doesn't come out easily when I pull it. Considering the shape of the arrowhead, it seems it would widen the wound if I pull it out as is.

Looking at my blood-covered hands, I feel a bit amused. I'm fiddling with the arrow, but without the pain relief magic, it would be much worse.

I can't afford to escape reality. I need to pull out the arrow. Blood is still flowing, even as I think about it. What should I do? How can I pull it out?

Two options come to mind. Cut around the arrow and remove it. Or, push it through and pull it out from the other side.

I don't really want to cut my own body and widen the wound. So, the latter option.

Fortunately, there don't seem to be any fletching on the back of the arrow, so it should come out easily if I push it in.

I fold a small piece of cloth and bite it between my back teeth. I've heard it helps to endure the pain. I don't think it's necessary with the pain relief magic, but it's a matter of feeling.

What, I'm pretty calm, aren't I? A wry smile escapes.

I grab the arrow and, with a determined mind, push it in. There's no pain. There's no pain, but I can feel the arrow pushing through the muscle in my hand.

This sensation, it's like this. It reminds me of gutting a bird.

I try to think of other things while pulling out the arrow.

It's out.

But the blood gushing from the wound where the arrow was removed is unexpected. It's spurting out.

For now, I ball up a rag and press it against the back of my knee,