Chapter 31: Two Pairs of Sandals
ㅤ”Hmm…”
ㅤ
ㅤ――Why don’t you join the Magician’s Guild too?
ㅤI hesitate at Arne-san’s suggestion.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that a no?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, it’s just… I came here as a Thief, so if I start going in and out of the Magician’s Guild as well…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re worried about standing out.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But, if you pledge your allegiance to the Magician’s Guild, it will be easier to obtain the Grandmaster’s Blessing for Magicians.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ugh… that is tempting.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s not like I’m saying you have to come every day just because you pledged your allegiance. How about you just register for now?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Will that be beneficial for the Magician’s Guild?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”There’s no loss in having someone with aptitude pledge their allegiance. Especially someone with a good heart who brings back the hair of the deceased to mourn them.”
ㅤ
ㅤI think about Arne-san’s words.
ㅤ
ㅤ（It’s not a bad offer. No, it’s a good offer. Definitely.）
ㅤ
ㅤI nod to Arne-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Understood. I won’t be able to take on any jobs for the time being, but I will pledge my allegiance.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes! That’s great!”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san smiles brightly. If I were a man, my heart would have skipped a beat.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Normally, you would need to get an aptitude test certificate from the Adventurer’s Church, but this time we’ll make an exception.
ㅤHowever, we’ll do a simplified aptitude test.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Simplified… you say?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t know the exact magnification, but there’s a way to see what kind of aptitude you have. It’s limited to Magicians though.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s not difficult though.
ㅤ――Here.”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san suddenly holds out both her hands to me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”U-um…?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It might be a little embarrassing, but could you hold my hands?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-yes.”
ㅤ
ㅤI hesitantly take Arne-san’s hands.
ㅤHer hands are smooth and warm.
ㅤ
ㅤ（They’re like a small child’s hands.）
ㅤ
ㅤI thought, but of course, I didn’t say it out loud.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Okay, here we go. Sorry if it hurts.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Huh? What are you…?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Fuuu…”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san closes her eyes and slowly exhales.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ah!）
ㅤ
ㅤI can feel something flowing into me from our clasped hands.
ㅤ
ㅤ（It’s Ether. Arne-san’s refined Ether is flowing into me. It’s a warm and gentle flow… It feels kind of pale peach-colored.）
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san’s Ether comes into contact with the Ether inside my body――
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”――Ouch!”
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤSuddenly, Arne-san jumps up.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ow, ow, ow…!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”A-are you okay?!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hee, fuu… haa, y-yes, I’m fine. It’s not physical pain.”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san says, her arms trembling.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What… what did you do?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I ask,
ㅤ
ㅤ”I poured my Ether into Minato to see your reaction. The Ether that circulates within the body has a kind of personality, and it reacts violently to the Ether of others.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I didn’t feel anything though.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”When you do this, the one with weaker aptitude gets repelled.
ㅤIt feels like a tingling sensation, and it hurts…
ㅤThat’s why, when we do this, we usually do it without warning… I should have prepared myself better. Ouch…”
ㅤ
ㅤCome to think of it, when I was a child, my nail cracked and I went to the hospital, and the doctor suddenly ripped off my nail.
ㅤHe said it was because I would be scared if he explained it, but
ㅤ
ㅤ（It would have been better to be mentally prepared.）
ㅤ
ㅤI still resent that doctor.
ㅤ
ㅤSo, Arne-san tried to do the same thing, and ended up hurting herself instead.
ㅤ
ㅤ”But, you’re kidding, right? I have an aptitude of 3.7! To be repelled so easily…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, um… I-I’m sorry?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why are you apologizing, Minato…?
ㅤWell, anyway, it’s clear that you’re more talented than me. This makes me want you to pledge your allegiance even more. It’s a waste of talent for someone with such aptitude to be a Thief!”
ㅤ
ㅤWell, my aptitude for being a Thief is also high, though.
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, how do I pledge my allegiance?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”There’s a simplified altar in the back. Just put your hands together and pray that you pledge your allegiance.
ㅤIt’s hard to understand because you don’t really feel anything, but you’ll feel the blessing as soon as you enter a dungeon.
ㅤSince you have high aptitude, I think you’ll feel it right away. I’m envious.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um… ahaha.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, it’s no use being jealous. I’ve made my aptitude public, so I get envied quite a bit. There’s always someone better out there.”
ㅤ
ㅤAt a loss for words, I’m led to the altar in the back.
ㅤ
ㅤI put my hands together in front of the statue of the Grandmaster of Magicians, an old man with a long beard and an aquiline nose |（about 30 centimeters tall）, and pledge my allegiance.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is this okay?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Probably. It would be easier to tell if it glowed or something.
ㅤIf you don’t feel it even after entering a dungeon, come back and pray again.
ㅤ――Anyway.
ㅤWelcome to the Magician’s Guild, promising newcomer. I look forward to working with you.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-yes. Likewise.”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd so, I ended up wearing two hats, as a Thief and a Magician.