New chapter of May Our Village be Happy is out (2/2 chapters)

Village and Bandits

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For the time being, after heading north and leaving the forest behind, Mika and Dimitri turned eastward and began their wandering. At first, they crossed the plains, but upon finding a road, they followed its course. The war-torn fields soon came to an end, and from then on, they walked along a path that wove through forests and rolling hills. Whenever they encountered a fork in the road, unfamiliar as they were with the land, they chose their direction at random.

Along the way, or sometimes while resting, Mika undertook to examine the details of his Nen magic. From treatises he had read at his family estate, he had already acquired a superficial knowledge of this art, and now he sought to determine whether such accounts were truly accurate.

Put most simply, Nen magic was the same power that in his previous life would have been called psychokinesis or telekinesis. By directing his consciousness, Mika could lift and freely move objects. Yet because the manipulation was bound to his will, he could not employ methods of control that lay beyond the reach of his conscious thought. When attempting to move many objects at once, his awareness lagged behind, and he soon found himself overburdened. Without suffering great strain, he could skillfully manipulate no more than two objects simultaneously.

This limitation, Mika suspected, was likely related to the fact that human beings generally used two hands to handle objects. Thus, he deemed it most useful to think of his Nen magic as “a long and powerful magical hand”. In truth, when he had fought against mercenaries, he had wielded this power as though an unseen arm were swinging stones about. The sensation was natural and easy to control.

The effective range of this “magical hand”, according to the books, varied from person to person. For Mika, it was roughly four meters. However, he discovered that if he thrust an object outward with force, propelling it beyond the limit of his range, momentum would carry it onward, meaning he could effectively hurl objects with magic.

He also discerned the approximate weight limit of what he could manipulate. Within a sorcerer’s body resided a force known as mana, and all magic was wrought by its expenditure. Like stamina, mana was consumed by use and replenished by food and rest. Thus, Nen magic could be described as a power that replaced muscle with mana, lifting and moving weight accordingly. Heavy objects consumed more mana the longer or more violently they were manipulated, leading to great fatigue.

To test this, Mika bound together some captured arms and armor until the bundle weighed roughly the same as his own body. Lifting it with magic, he found it felt only as heavy as half the weight of a longsword held in his own hand. In effect, he could wield objects nearing one hundred kilograms as though they were swords of mere kilograms. The tomes had said magical aptitude varied, but it seemed Mika’s gift ranked among the stronger kind.

As the books claimed, living creatures could not be manipulated. Tests on small animals, insects, and even Dimitri proved fruitless, and he could not lift himself either. Yet curiously, the corpses of slain beasts could be raised without issue, as if they were mere objects. Plants, however, though rooted and alive, could be moved freely. Why animals and plants were distinguished so by magic was unclear, but Mika accepted it as one of the mysteries of a world where such supernatural forces existed, an order decreed by the gods.

Objects worn or held by people were extremely difficult to affect. With Dimitri standing still, Mika had to concentrate for more than ten seconds before he could tug at his clothing with magic. To trip an enemy by pulling at his garb, or to wrench away a weapon mid-battle, was nearly impossible. The tomes suggested this was because a person’s belongings were perceived by the mind as part of their body, blurring the line between man and object. The same applied, though to a lesser degree, with equipment borne by animals, such as a horse’s saddle.

Yet the moment an item was cast aside, it became manipulable. If Dimitri tossed him a loaf of bread, Mika could catch it with his “magical hand”, so long as he saw it coming. If it came from his blind side, he failed. Likewise, objects moving faster than his perception could follow were impossible to control. A stone hurled fiercely at his armored stomach could not be stopped. Arrows or bolts loosed from bow or crossbow would surely be beyond his reach, though perhaps a thrown axe might be within possibility.

Such was the strength and the limit of his Nen magic, as revealed through written lore and his own trials. It was neither invincible nor all-encompassing, yet for a single man, it was power beyond measure. Mika deemed it more than sufficient to challenge his dreams. To think that such fortune had come to him at the crucial moment! His past life and present alike had been beset with hardship, yet now, at last, fortune smiled upon him. Thus, it was that Mika had passed the last several days in a cheerful mood.

“Which means, we shall continue our travels for a while longer?” (Mika)

“Indeed. Rather than pressing ever eastward, it may be worthwhile to survey the eastern lands in greater breadth.” (Dimitri)

Over the past days they had passed through several villages, ever advancing eastward, speaking as they went.

In this world, where the reach of man’s activity was narrow, land yet lay unclaimed everywhere. One could, in truth, step aside from the road into the forest, fell trees, and establish a settlement without hindrance. Yet not all places were suitable. The terrain must favor cultivation, defense, and trade. Once chosen, the land could not be changed, for it would be bequeathed to one’s descendants after death.

Thus, Mika resolved to first survey the eastern region of Dariander, seeking ground not too rugged, lords not too wicked, and a land where settlers might be gathered.

“For now, let us stay the night in that village.” (Mika)

He pointed toward a cluster of houses visible past a curve in the road, half-hidden by the forest’s shadow.

“Mika-sama. That village… something seems amiss.” (Dimitri)

Narrowing his eyes, Dimitri scrutinized the village. Mika too squinted, and upon drawing closer, perceived what his companion had sensed.

“You are right. That looks like… bandits, perhaps?” (Mika)

“Most likely. Their equipment seems paltry.” (Dimitri)

Slipping off the road, they crept along its edge beneath the cover of trees, nearing the village to watch. It was a small settlement of perhaps a hundred souls. From the north, bandits pressed forward, preparing to storm within at any moment.

“Most likely remnants of soldiers routed in the recent war… yet their numbers are troubling. Perhaps 50. At this rate, the village will be destroyed.” (Mika)

He recalled from his readings that great wars worsened the peace of surrounding lands. Defeated militia, far from home, often turned to banditry for sustenance, or else resigned themselves to it as a new way of life. The men now advancing upon the village must be such wretches.

If the village numbered a hundred, then perhaps 30 adult men could fight, but most would be farmers with no battle experience. To withstand fifty armed marauders was impossible, especially with no time to prepare defenses.

“Mika-sama, what shall we do?” (Dimitri)

“…I pity them. If possible, I would save them. There may also be profit in it. Yet to face such numbers is no simple matter.” (Mika)

Should they drive off the bandits and save the village, its lord, wherever he might reside would surely be grateful. Friendship might be forged, knowledge of the land and its politics gained, and if Mika desired to settle nearby, the people might welcome a mage as neighbor and ally. And most of all, to abandon a hundred innocents to slaughter was unbearable.

Yet the bandits were many. Though his magic was potent, the range was short, and should they be surrounded, not even the stalwart Dimitri could guard Mika from every angle. If archers lurked among them, they could be shot before reaching their foe.

“…Very well. We shall take a middle course.” (Mika)

Thus, after brief thought, he resolved.

“A middle course? What do you mean?” (Dimitri)

“Between fighting and fleeing. These bandits are not wholly disorderly. See? They march in ranks of two, and in the center stands a man with better arms and armor, giving commands. That must be their leader, likely a former officer.” (Mika)

“So then, strike off the head, and the body collapses.” (Dimitri)

“Precisely. If I hurl a log with magic and slay him, the rest, mere peasants, may scatter. Should I fail, or should they not break, we shall not fight further. Amid their confusion, we flee into the forest. There they will not easily find us, and a few pursuers can be destroyed in turn.” (Mika)

Thus, it was decided that they would intervene but once, with a single, decisive blow. If successful, the reward would be great. If not, they would at least have tried, and the risk remained tolerable.

“It is not without danger. Shall we proceed?” (Mika)

“If it is Mika-sama’s will, I shall follow.” (Dimitri)

“Thank you, Dimitri. Then, let us begin without delay.” (Mika)

Mika raised his hand toward a log lying in the forest, felled, no doubt, by villagers for lumber. His hand gleamed with magical light.

 

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