I Made Magic Easier by Changing the Formula - Chapter 6

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Made Magic Easier by Changing the Formula ◈

Chapter 6: I Live My Way

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Early dawn.

At the platform before the north gate of Rowen, wagons leaving the city stood in a long line.

My family did not have much luggage.

A few changes of clothes, bedding, and some tableware.

“Hans, are you really not coming with us?”

My mother could not let go of my hand until she was about to board the wagon.

“Don’t worry. You know me. I can survive anywhere like a weed.”

“Still... don’t skip meals. And don’t sleep somewhere cold.”

“I know. Get on already. The driver is waiting.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. If things get difficult, come back anytime.”

Father patted my shoulder a couple of times.

The warmth of his rough palm.

That was our final farewell.

“Let’s go!”

With the crack of the driver’s whip, the old wagon lurched forward with a rattle.

I saw my mother waving through the rear window as the wagon moved away.

I stood there as if nailed to the ground until it disappeared completely from sight, leaving only a cloud of dust.

I let out a long sigh.

Now I was truly alone.

I had no home to return to, no shelter to protect me.

I clenched my pocket.

Inside were the stock certificates for Black Forest Timber, which would change my life completely.

‘I can’t carry these around.’

If I slept with them tucked against my chest in the alleys of this dangerous city, I could be stabbed without anyone noticing.

The first thing I had to do was seal away this future gold where no one could touch it.

* * *

[Rowen Securities Exchange, Second Basement Level, Magic Vault]

“I would like to apply for custodial storage of stock certificates.”

The clerk at the reception counter widened their eyes when they saw the certificates I offered.

“Certainly. Our exchange uses an integrated magic network linked to the Continental Mages’ Guild. If you deposit them here, you may retrieve them at any exchange anywhere on the continent.”

The clerk led me down a hallway beyond a heavy iron door.

Small private rooms lined both sides of the corridor.

“Please enter Authentication Room Three. Once the door closes, no one will be able to overhear you. Follow the instructions to register your property.”

I nodded and entered Room Three.

Click.

The heavy door shut, cutting off every sound outside.

Perfect soundproofing.

In the center of the dark room, a transparent crystal sphere the size of a soccer ball gave off a blue glow from atop an altar-like pedestal.

[Beginning authentication procedure.]

A magical voice with no identifiable gender echoed from the crystal sphere.

[Please place the item you wish to store into the deposit slot.]

Following its instructions, I placed the certificates in the drawer beneath the sphere.

[1,058 shares of Black Forest Timber confirmed.]

[For identity authentication, please place your hand on the crystal sphere.]

I placed my right hand on it.

Hummm.

The crystal sphere turned red as it scanned my palm.

‘Is it reading the unique mana signature flowing through my body?’

Since everyone’s mana had a different flow and color, it would be an absolute form of identification that could not be forged.

[Mana signature registered. Finally, recite your soul password. During future withdrawals, the seal will be released only when the owner of the same signature speaks the same password.]

A password.

What would be good?

One phrase rose instinctively to mind.

“I Live My Way.”

The crystal sphere briefly vibrated.

Chime.

[Is “I Live My Way” correct?]

“Yes.”

[Registration complete. Your assets are safely stored in the Continental Magic Vault.]

The lights in the room went out, and the door opened.

I left the room empty-handed.

‘Leaving my stocks in a magic vault really does put my mind at ease.’

It would not matter if I got beaten by thugs or pickpocketed.

Even if someone cut off my head, they could not take those stocks.

Only I could retrieve them by touching that crystal sphere myself.

‘Forget the stocks. Right now, I’m broke.’

I hypnotized myself.

Even if I starved to death for now, I would never open that vault.

Once reality settled in, I felt hungry.

All I had left was forty clinking coppers.

‘I need to save money.’

I adjusted my luggage bag and started walking.

My destination was the Gray District on the outskirts of Rowen.

A slum where the cheapest inns gathered.

‘One night costs one copper. I’ll spend no more than that.’

A place like that existed.

In the slums.

The conditions were truly terrible, but...

‘I only need somewhere to sleep.’

I did not care if there were bugs or mold.

As long as I could save money.

After wandering around for quite some time, I entered a narrow alley.

“Hey, kid.”

A rough voice called from behind me.

When I turned around, three men with fierce faces were blocking the way.

They were typical back-alley thugs, wearing torn leather vests and rusty daggers.

“Your bag looks pretty heavy. Want us big brothers to carry it for you?”

The one in the middle approached with a snicker.

“No, thank you.”

I had a bad feeling.

I subtly hugged my bag tighter and took a step back.

Then I heard footsteps behind me too.

I was surrounded.

“Come on, let us take a look. What are you carrying around so carefully?”

Thud.

One of them rushed over and shoved my shoulder.

When I tumbled helplessly to the ground, they snatched my bag and dumped its contents onto the muddy road.

Clatter.

Various experimental tools, dozens of restored handkerchiefs, and depleted mana crystals scattered across the mud.

“What are these scraps of cloth?”

The man picked up a handkerchief, spat on the ground, and threw it aside.

“These stones look like depleted mana crystals. Why are you carrying nothing but trash?”

“Boss! There’s a money pouch here!”

“Heh heh, forty coppers? That’ll cover our drinks.”

“No! That’s all the money I have!”

One of them kicked me in the stomach.

“Ghk!”

My breath caught.

My vision turned white.

‘I can’t let them take it.’

I already had more than ten gold worth of assets in my stock account, but if I lost those forty coppers, I would starve today.

Sssst.

Still curled up and pretending to tremble in fear, I secretly gathered mana.

[First-Tier Transformation Formula: Mana Needle]

If I compressed the flow of mana used to join thread tightly enough, it became a thin needle.

I anchored that invisible needle to the ground in reverse.

I could not launch it.

That was still beyond me.

‘Now.’

Thunk!

The man holding my money pouch stepped forward and planted his foot on the needle.

Blood spattered.

“Urgh... What is this?”

As the man lost balance and fell, I quickly snatched the pouch from his hand.

Then I ran.

“You bastard! Stop right there!”

“You’re dead if we catch you!”

The thugs chased after me.

They were fast.

[Mana Needle]

I used all my strength to make and place another one on the ground, but...

This time, luck was not on my side.

Fizzle.

The spell dispersed uselessly.

Using my mana without the help of a mana crystal twice in a row was still too much.

“Heh heh... You little rat!”

Before I knew it, one of the thugs had snatched the pouch from my hand.

Then, at that moment...

“Stop.”

A low, chilling voice rang through the alley.

“W-Who are you?”

The thugs turned their heads.

At the entrance to the alley stood a carriage carved with splendid patterns.

In front of it stood a knight in silver armor.

“You filthy scum, extorting commoners. What are the city guards doing?”

The knight strode forward and seized the wrist of the thug holding my pouch.

Crack.

“Argh!”

The pouch dropped to the ground with the thug’s scream.

Another thug drew a dagger and charged, but the knight did not so much as snort.

Thud!

One punch.

The large thug flew like a scarecrow and slammed into the wall from that simple, clean blow.

It was over in an instant.

“Get lost before you dirty my sword.”

“R-Run!”

The thugs fled in terror.

Even the one who had stepped on my Mana Needle limped away.

Rustle.

The knight picked up my pouch from the ground, brushed off the dirt, and held it out to me.

“Are you all right, boy?”

“Ah... Yes. Thank you.”

I accepted the pouch.

Then I gathered up my scattered tools and depleted mana crystals and stuffed them back into my bag.

Just then, the carriage door opened and someone approached.

“Oh my goodness.”

When I looked up, a woman in a maid’s uniform was looking down at me.

She was the maid from the House of Count Valderk who had visited Carter’s Fabric Shop with the butler a few days ago, carrying a torn velvet dress.

“Oh my goodness, aren’t you Hans from Carter’s Fabric Shop?”

The maid asked in surprise.

“What a coincidence! We were on our way to find you.”

“Me?”

“That velvet dress you repaired a few days ago. My lady is very pleased with it. She could hardly believe such skill, so she wanted to meet the mender herself...”

Then she looked me over and asked,

“But why in the world are you in such a state?”

“The shop had to close.”

I briefly explained what had happened.

The fabric shop had failed, my parents had gone to the countryside, and I had remained in the city.

Then I had run into trouble while looking for a cheap room.

“Then you have nowhere to go right now?”

“I was going to find a cheap inn, at least.”

Just then...

Clack.

The carriage door opened, and a graceful noble girl in a gorgeous dress stepped out.

‘That girl is...?’

My eyes widened.

The owner of this splendid carriage.

Lady Ellen, the cherished daughter of the House of Count Valderk.

“You are the fabric shop owner’s son who repaired my dress?”

“Yes, my lady. My name is Hans.”

“That dress from a few days ago. Thanks to your fine repair, I was able to avoid spoiling my tea party. Thank you.”

“...Not at all. It was an honor.”

“To be honest, I was rather surprised. I did not expect the dress Pompar ruined to return in such perfect condition.”

“My skills are lacking, but I am simply glad that I could please you, my lady.”

A faint smile appeared on Ellen’s lips.

“You are modest too.”

She watched me for a moment before turning to the maid.

“Isn’t this perfect? The position of my personal mender is vacant. I have been troubled because I have no one to care for my dresses before every banquet.”

“That is true, but...”

“I have already seen his skill, and he says he has nowhere to go.”

Ellen looked at me.

“Hans. Become my personal mender.”

“...Pardon?”

“I have hundreds of dresses. I need someone to maintain and repair them, and someone as skilled as you would be perfect. The terms are...”

She held up five fingers.

“Five silver coins per month. Food and lodging in an annex on the estate. Other than repairing my clothes, you may spend your time freely.”

I could not believe my ears.

Five silver coins a month?

That was more than ten times what I had earned as an assistant librarian.

“What do you think? Those do not seem like bad terms.”

My thoughts raced.

I could stay in a noble house?

To someone wandering around in search of a one-copper basement room, it might as well have been a palace.

And under the protection of the House of Valderk, thugs like those could not touch me carelessly.

Most importantly, I would have free time.

That meant I could research magic as much as I wanted.

“Thank you, my lady. I will serve you to the best of my ability.”

“Good. Then get in. Load his luggage.”

The knight took my luggage and placed it in the back of the carriage.

I immediately climbed into the carriage’s jump seat.

* * *

The carriage left the muddy roads of the slums and glided along the main road.

How much time had passed?

The scenery outside the window changed.

Instead of collapsing shacks, mansions made of neat brick stood in rows.

The White District.

The place where Rowen’s top one percent lived.

I never thought I would set foot in a place like this in my life.

“We have arrived, my lady.”

The carriage passed through a massive iron gate.

A crest carved above it showed a golden stalk of wheat crossed with a sword.

The House of Count Valderk.

One of Rowen’s wealthiest and most influential houses, responsible for supplying the city.

With war underway, it was one of the houses that had become both busiest and wealthiest.

“You may get down, Hans.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Ellen led the way, and I got out with my luggage bag over my shoulder.

Servants in splendid uniforms stood in formation.

They bowed to Ellen, then frowned when they saw my shabby appearance as I climbed down after her.

‘Who is that beggar?’

Their looks were full of contempt.

Ellen did not care and gave the maid an instruction.

“Show Hans to the old annex quarters. He will be staying there from now on, so give him the key too.”

“The old annex quarters... Ah, do you mean that storage building in the corner of the garden? The gardener used it long ago, but it has been empty for a very long time.”

“That is why he can use it. Hans said he needs a quiet place to work.”

“Yes, my lady.”

A separate space far from the main house.

It was the perfect condition I had wanted.

“Come with me, Hans.”

The maid led me away.

I followed her across the garden.

Past the splendid main house, in a secluded corner thick with trees, stood a small stone building covered in ivy.

Moss covered its roof, and its windows creaked, but it was a fairly sturdy-looking two-story structure.

“This is where you will stay. You may use the first floor as a workshop and the second floor as a bedroom.”

The maid handed me a large ring of keys.

“Remember this. You must never enter the main house unless you are summoned. You may eat in the servants’ dining hall, and you should stay quiet and avoid attracting attention whenever possible.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Ah... And my name is Nen. You may call me that from now on.”

“All right, Nen.”

Nen left, and I was alone.

Creeeak.

I opened the rusted door and entered.

Dust rose in a pale cloud, but the inside was much larger than I had expected.

A large wooden table, probably used by the old gardener, stood on the first floor, and there was a fireplace against one wall.

“Not bad.”

No, honestly, it was more than not bad.

Compared to a basement room in the slums, it was heaven.

‘First, I need to air it out.’

I opened the windows for ventilation and set down my luggage bag.

I stood before the worktable for a moment and caught my breath.

‘I do not intend to stay here for long.’

The 1,058 shares of Black Forest Timber in the exchange vault were worth a little over ten gold now, but once Black Ironwood began to be distributed in earnest, they could easily rise to fifty gold or even a hundred gold.

‘When I have that money, I will head for the Imperial Capital.’

I had heard that even a commoner could gain the chance to study magic at the Magic Tower if they had enough money.

‘Until then, I need to grow my mana core as much as possible.’

Fortunately, I had found an excellent training ground.

A large basket filled with Ellen’s clothes, which Nen had handed over.

A silk blouse with torn lace, riding clothes with missing buttons, party clothes stained with wine...

‘This is magic training.’

Training where I rewrote, combined, and tested every magic formula that came to mind.

In other words, the more clothes I repaired, the more my magical ability would grow as well.

But before repairing the clothes, there was something I needed to do first.

A noble house had more watchful eyes than one might expect.

Someone might enter without permission and see me casting magic.