Clear 5 dungeons within level range (excluding Ruben/Henir/Ereda)
Description
The two welcome the unwanted visitor as family.
Quest Completion Dialogue
A lot has happened to use since then... but to summarize, I became friends with Felix and Felix began living with us.
I think those times were the happiest moments of my life.
Felix used magics different from those that we used. Joy wanted to research those magics out of curiosity.
Felix was willing to help and the two spent a lot of time in the workshop doing research. I wanted to take part as well, but since everything had to be done in secrecy, the researches were done late at night.
And for someone young like me and who was learning the basics of magics, the research was far too dangerous. I knew this... But it was a lonesome experience to be excluded from what my closest friends were doing.
No, don't think of such things. This is nothing... This is nothing...
Mathi:... It's not nothing.
Mathi said, decisively. I almost fired up to say something, but I couldn't.
Mathi had a serious face.
Mathi:Joy said that the purpose of her research was to send Felix back where he came from.
Mathi:Joy might just leave you at the hands of Landar and leave this world with Felix.
What answer did I give him? I can't remember, but I think I told him that he was wrong.
Mathi:You never know.
Mathi:Adults always make decisions. We kids never get a say in them.
That day that I quarreled with Mathi, I came back home furious, but his words still lingered on me.
When we first met, we quarreled a lot with some misunderstandings between us. However, when we reconciled with each other, I was able to hear how Mathi came to the Landar Camp.
Mathi:My parents sent me to this camp because they said I have magical talents. I never really wanted to come here in the first place.
Mathi:I promised that I'd become the best magician in the world before I returned home, but I don't know when I can ever return.
Mathi:... Maybe my parents just wanted to get rid of me.
... I could understand Mathi. We're both abandoned kids. Ever since then, we became friends.
But if truth be told... I thought I was different from Mathi. Unlike Mathi, I was chosen.
Mathi was always pressured to study so that he could become a genius magician. He believed that only then he would deserve to return home.
But I was already at home. I was only doing magic studies because it was fun. It would be great to do things with Joy!
I couldn't sleep that night. I crouched under the window of the workshop where Joy and Felix were working, eavesdropping on them.
I knew the two have built great friendships from the research they're doing. They always would spend time talking with each other.
Clear 5 dungeons within level range (excluding Ruben/Henir/Ereda)
Description
With more stories kept away from her, the girl begins to feel alienated.
Quest Completion Dialogue
Felix:... Isn't that from a long time ago? To humans even more so.
Joy:It's hard to get rid of it once perception is set in stone. People will act based on tradition.
Joy:The research Beryl Family did with Debrian... It was a breakthrough at the time, but the world collapsed and was considered a treason.
Joy:The prohibition pledge written as the price of treason is still in effect.
Felix:But aren't the times different?
Joy:Huhu, those in control of the rules are more cowardly than you think. They believe in superstitions.
Joy:Let's say a magician from the Beryl Family became well-known, became the court magician, and caused a problem. How would they see that as? They would say 'Of course this is why we did not allow such things' and continue upholding their beliefs.
Felix:What about other things? They probably don't want to worry about such things.
Joy:Huhu, it's all pointless now. I am the only Beryl alive.
Felix:Is that how you've decided?
Joy:Yeah, I'm not going to pass this burden onto Lithia.
Joy:I'll be the one teaching her, but once she grows more, I think we can have her run errands for Landar.
Joy let out a big sigh.
Joy:For me, I left my house at a very young age only to wander for a long time. What should I do to live... Do I have a future... I'm the only one alive in my family, I should do something... I was lost.
Joy:Although I was a magician, I found it difficult to openly declare that I am a magician.
Joy:Huhu, no one pressured me on these things... I don't know why I'm feeling such a burden.
Joy leaned her head on Felix's arm. I could hear the rustling of clothes as Felix adjusted his stance to make it comfortable for her.
Joy:... I sometimes think... Maybe I should just run to someplace where no one would find me.
Joy:Huhu, if we really make some breakthrough and we open the gates to your home... Will you take me there also?
Felix:You're talking nonsense. What are you going to do in the Demon Realm?
Joy:Judging by your response, the place must be really nice. Keeping that all by yourself? That's unfair.
Shocked by their words, I returned to my room, leaving the two to have a good time with each other. I felt as if I heard something that I shouldn't have heard.
... Everything that Joy told Felix... I have never heard of them before. I believed that she had no secrets from me...
A thought crossed my mind. Joy knows most of my life.
But I have no clue what Joy was like when she was young. I never knew what she had thought, how she had grown up.
I can't live without Joy, but what if Joy can live without me?
The concerns that I had overlooked for so long when Joy first me with Felix swept over me.
Clear 5 dungeons within level range (excluding Ruben/Henir/Ereda)
Description
In order to be with her family, the girl goes to visit her friend in resolution.
Quest Completion Dialogue
After some days, I gathered magic materials unbeknownst to Joy and Felix and headed to my secret hideout in the forest.
Mathi:What are you trying to do? I just want to rest today...
Mathi seemed to be void of any motivations. Rightfully so, Mathi can't use magic right now.
Lithia:It's your fault for believing the Magic Enhancement Potion.
Mathi:... Quit it.
Lithia:You really don't want to be a medic? It's a well-respected job and you earn a lot of money.
Mathi:You talk like the town adults. If it's really that great, you can be one yourself.
Mathi clearly didn't like being told that he's talented in becoming a medic.
It's true that adults find high value in medics since it is a very steady and safe job, but medics aren't cool. Also, Mathi is under great pressure from continuously comparing himself with a genius magician who is about the same age as him.
Mathi:Being a medic, you'd have to study way more than others and can only practice under watch. I won't be able to return home at that rate.
Mathi:If I want to be recognized, I can't be just decent at things.
As I continued to make Mathi feel better about himself, I diverted his attention to the things I've brought.
Lithia:Look, these are grimoires and tools. And... This is the main part...
(Slam!)
Mathi:Wait, that's Joy's research notes! You copied them? When did you do that?
Lithia:It was a lot of work. Well, that's not the important part. When Joy and Felix leave this world, I'm going to go with them.
Lithia:This is the only way I can prove myself to be a worthy magician to them, not a useless kid.
Lithia:Let's research together.
Mathi seemed to be under a great deal of thought, but didn't take long for him to make a decision.
... ... ... ...
... Despite our high spirits, our findings weren't that great.
It was obvious. Even expert magicians would struggle with such complex magic. Two rookie magicians couldn't make any breakthroughs.
Mathi:Can't you just hamper Joy's research, acting like it's a mistake? You just need to prevent her from going to the Demon Realm, right?
Lithia:Of all the things you could have said. Sigh, I've already thought that through.
Lithia:Even if... I don't want to see Joy leave me, I don't want to ruin Joy's dream.
Mathi:... All right. Let's try again.
We were motivated enough to go back on the research. For... 10 minutes.
Mathi:You didn't draw that part right! Draw it better!
Lithia:No! You're the one who didn't put the mana properly! Are you sure you got your mana back?
Mathi:I did it right! If you don't like it, you can do it alone!
That day, we quarreled all day and stomped home.
We blamed each other, but neither of us meant it. We both knew that we lacked the skill to go further.
Lithia:(What should I do... if Mathi wanted to quit, I can't continue the research on my own. Should I give up?)
Lithia:(Do I have to lose Joy like this...?)
I was so heartbroken that day that when I saw Joy, I burst into tears.
Lithia:Drawing magic circles is so hard... I think I have no talent in magic.
Joy:Lithia, you definitely have talent. If you felt that you couldn't improve, it means you have grown.
Lithia:But...
Joy:... Huhu.
Joy smiled gently and whispered in my ear.
Joy:Magic circles have evolved over a long course of the history of magic. You know that, right?
Joy pulled out a heavy book at the bottom of the bookshelf and opened it. She said it analyzed the ancient magic as she went over each page.
The symbols that are no longer used and the formulas that are simplified in modern days. Joy had included a great deal of footnotes next to them.
Joy:There's a trend in magic depending on the area. Sometimes, magicians would draw complex circles on purpose so others can't steal their work. Sometimes, there is a shamanistic element added to the circles.
Joy:This symbol is to circulate mana twice and activate the circle. It's a way to... conserve mana.
Lithia:When you use less mana?
Joy:It's your first time seeing this, right? However it looks like, if it acts like a magic circle, it is a magic circle.
Joy:The circle is just for shape. You don't need to be bound by it.
Clear 5 dungeons within level range (excluding Ruben/Henir/Ereda)
Description
To complete the research with her friend, the girl prepares overnight.
Quest Completion Dialogue
The next day, I began to memorize the book overnight.
Lithia:If Mathi wants to quit the ardor, I'll show him that there's an alternative.
But it wasn't just me who was ready to persuade.
Mathi:I went over what went wrong yesterday. We're just rookie magicians.
Mathi:We can't surpass Joy's mana or her techniques. So, to yield any results from her research, we need to resort to other means.
Mathi:Let's build an environment where we can make up for your lack of magical abilities. First of all, we should restrict the experiment to twice a day.
Lithia:Hmm... I agree. The thought that I can try over and over really made me think lightly of this.
Lithia:But only twice? Why does it have to be twice?
Mathi took our something from his bag, as if to answer my question.
Mathi:This is a metronome. It helps you match the beat for your performance.
Mathi:The problem with our experiment was that we input different amount of mana and at different rates.
Mathi:Since we lack both the expertise and mana, we need to gather our strength and pour in mana as if we're one, like we're playing a single piece of magic.
Lithia:We only try twice, and we practice outside of it? Okay.
It was my turn. I explained all I could learn from the book.
Mathi:This is... The works of ancient magic system! I've never seen such detailed descriptions.
Lithia:Yes. I thought we'd do better if we fixed the circle. Look at these symbols.
Lithia:You should've learned it, but mana is part of nature. It will dissipate over time. But I'm going to use these cycle symbols to keep the mana in place.
Lithia:I tried it out yesterday, and it worked. We'll have to tune it better as we experiment, but things should be better than yesterday.
I extended my arm to Mathi.
Lithia:I'm sorry. Let's reconcile and try at it again.
Mathi:... Huh? Did we fight? I don't recall such a thing.
We each wore a playful smile and shook our hands.
We worked on Joy's research with high spirits again.
We trained to control our mana and use whatever means necessary to assist our experiments.
Many weeks have passed.
Finally, our research was about to yield some fruits.
Family 5
