WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 18

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“Yes, that’s right,” Ethan replied. Upon hearing this, Rivielton nodded and spoke to Linav.

“So it seems, Miss Linav.”

“Huh? Y-yes?” Linav stammered.

“I can vouch for Ethan’s abilities, so don’t worry,” Rivielton said.

With that, he grabbed a sword from the weapons rack in the corner of the workshop and left. Linav didn’t even have time to question him.

Ethan remarked, “Well, there you go.”

“Wait a second… did you trick me?”

“I didn’t lie.”

He was right. He simply left out the fact that Rivielton was inclined to help Ethan join the Combat Magic Society.

Linav had no idea about that. She crossed her arms and sighed.

“So, what now?”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve won the bet. Surely, you don’t think I’m going to defy Professor Rivielton just to save my pride and a single cake. Should we go buy the cake right now?”

Ethan turned to Boen and said, “Oh, that’s unexpected.”

“What is?” Boen asked.

“I thought Linav would hold more of a grudge.”

“What do you take the president for? She may always grumble, but she’s one of the most upright people I know.”

Linav, still present, broke in.

“I’m standing right here, you know. Mind answering me, Ethan?”

Ethan laughed. “No need to rush. Just pick it up whenever you have an errand in town.”

“…I feel like I owe you something now.”

“That’s exactly what I’m counting on,” Ethan said.

Boen looked at Ethan.

“Do people ever tell you you’ve got a nasty personality?”

And so, Ethan safely became a member of the Combat Magic Society.

∞

When the break began, Arca Wiz Charasen decided to return to her hometown in Charasen. She had planned to take Ethan back as well, assuming he would be expelled after failing Basic Magic Practice. However, with Ethan having passed, that plan was canceled.

Just before Arca got into the carriage sent from Charasen, Ethan came to see her off. She said, “Don’t skip meals just because I’m not here, all right?”

“Yes, Sister.”

“And don’t wander around at night. I’ve heard rumors of ghosts in the forest.”

“Okay.”

“Also, stay away from dangerous places.”

“Where’s there anything dangerous around here at the academy?”

“Oh, there is. Like the Great Library.”

“…Sure.”

This was hardly the first time Ethan had heard Arca nag him, but he answered dutifully.

“And there are the back alleys, too,” she went on.

Ethan had prowled the back alleys to gather sacrifices needed for dark magic in the past. Feeling uneasy, he averted his eyes. Arca pursed her lips and said,

“You thought I wouldn’t know? Your big sister knows everything.”

Ethan realized Arca didn’t actually know the truth. Everyone at the school was aware of rumors that he had dealings with thugs in the back alleys of Yurmus, but he saw no point in refuting it.

“I won’t go there, so don’t worry.”

“Good.”

As the driver shot them a glance, Arca spoke up.

“I’m going now.”

“Have a safe trip,” Ethan said.

Arca stepped onto the carriage’s footboard. Ethan was already standing by to steady her hand—he remembered from his previous regressions that she stumbled slightly while boarding the carriage.

She wouldn’t have actually fallen, but for a moment her full weight pressed on his hand before she regained her footing. Arca’s eyes widened briefly before she collected herself, regaining her usual composure.

“Ethan.”

“Yes?”

“…I’m sorry to ask again, but are you sure you won’t come home with me?”

Ethan answered, “Even if I did, Father would probably kick me out again saying, ‘Body magic? Who would call that magic?’”

“That would never happen—”

“I’m planning to train hard with Professor Rivielton during break. That way, I can keep attending school with you, Sister.”

“…I do like the sound of that.”

With that, Arca shut the carriage door.

“See you soon, Ethan.”

∞

Ethan found himself in Limbo after he fell asleep. There, he confirmed his rewards: two D-rank Lottery Coupons (one for befriending Boen and completing that quest, and another for creating the Heart Rupture skill) and one C-rank Lottery Coupon (for surviving 90 days).

When Demi asked if he wanted to use all three coupons, Ethan responded, “Use the C-rank one now, but not the two D-ranks.”

Demi said, “So you’ll save the D-ranks for when you really need them?”

“Exactly.”

“But who knows when that situation might arise?”

“Then I’ll just use them if the same situation comes up later.”

“As you wish. Would you like to use the C-rank Coupon now?”

“Yes.”

Ethan pulled out the C-rank coupon from his pocket and handed it to her. Demi took it and produced a black box about the size of a person’s head, supposedly containing the lottery draws. It had a smooth, stone-like texture, and the entry slot was draped in a soft, black cloth that concealed the interior. Ethan slid his hand through the cloth’s opening.

He felt a series of thin, rectangular plates that bent slightly under his fingertips. They were cards, according to Demi. He couldn’t distinguish them by touch alone, but by the feel of it, the inside of the box was much bigger than the outside. He tried pushing his arm in up to the elbow, but still couldn’t touch the bottom.

‘Even just for the C-rank lottery, there must be tens of thousands of these. Will I ever draw them all?’

Demi would help him, but she had said she couldn’t answer any direct questions about the system, so Ethan was left to speculate. So far, the C-rank powers he’d drawn were the Handgun (truly formidable in combat magic, according to Rivielton) and CPR, which was useful but had limited applications. Clearly, not every higher-rank draw was guaranteed to be universally advantageous.

Ethan grabbed a random card with his fingertips. The writing on it was indecipherable to him, but the system reacted immediately:

[Archive acquired!]

[Archive: Human Anatomy (C)]

At first, Ethan felt uneasy about the name, but as the knowledge literally got inserted into his brain, he realized it held far greater significance than he had initially thought. Before he could voice that to Demi, another message popped up:

[Synergy acquired!]

[Because of 'Archive: Human Anatomy (C),' related powers gain a simultaneous boost!]

[Skill: Marksmanship (D) → Marksmanship (D+)]

[Archive: Personal Hygiene (D) → Personal Hygiene (D+)]

[Skill: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (D) → Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (D+)]

[Skill: CPR (C) → CPR (C+)]

[Skill: Heart Rupture (D) → Heart Rupture (D+)]

And that wasn’t all.

[Your abilities have crossed a threshold. A new skill has been acquired!]

[Skill acquired!]

[Skill: Ruure’s Breathing (C)]

Ethan asked Demi, “What is synergy?”

“Synergy is the additional value created when the abilities you possess share a connection. Not every skill will produce synergy—your comprehension of the subject is key. However, synergy is somewhat more likely with skills than items, and likelier with archives than skills. It can’t be pinned down to any one factor, but you can sometimes predict it.”

Ethan posed another question.

“Crossing a threshold to get a new skill?”

“You, and most people, possess countless abilities and stores of knowledge, but not all of them are labeled as a skill or an archive. The ability to walk, for instance, is universal, and some knowledge is what we call common sense. In contrast, a skill is a special ability that sets you apart from others in a meaningful way and an archive is specialized knowledge that isn’t generally known. If an ability is recognized as a skill, it means you excel at it to a degree that’s considered significant.”

“So I’ve finally mastered Ruure’s Breathing?”

“Correct.”

Ethan thought it might be true. His expanded understanding of human anatomy meant he now knew exactly how and where to channel his magi, how it interacted with his body, and how he could project it externally.

He tested that reasoning.

“But I was told I was at about a three-year advanced beginner level in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and that skill was only D-rank. Meanwhile, I’ve trained in Ruure’s Breathing for just over a year, and even Professor Rivielton said I was on the slow side, yet it’s C-rank. How does that work?”

“Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is widely practiced on Terra. Far fewer people use Ruure’s Breathing in Damarth Yumaha. Also, the skill’s usefulness or its potential value plays a role in its rank. Sometimes, a skill starts off at a lower rank depending on its future growth. Finally, the user’s own inclinations can influence how it’s rated.”

“So, it depends on usefulness and importance.”

“That’s correct.”

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Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

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Ethan wanted to show off his newfound growth, so he headed for the Combat Magic Society’s workshop, guessing that Rivielton would drop by sooner or later. He found that visiting the professors’ personal workshops felt a bit imposing.

However, someone unexpected was there.

“What are you doing here, Maya?” Ethan asked.

Maya Onik was there with Boen. It looked like they had just wrapped up a conversation. Maya looked apologetic, while Boen seemed awkward.

Boen said to Ethan, “Ethan, it seems you need to decide.”

“Decide what?”

“Do you know my friend, Koshe?”

“I know her face.”

She was one of the students who hung around Maya.

“Koshe disappeared in the Great Library Labyrinth.”

“Why did she go there?”

“She’s really eager to research magic. She’s tried to enter the Great Library Labyrinth a few times before and got stopped. But this time she apparently found a way in.”

The labyrinth below the Great Library is off-limits to ordinary students without a professor’s guidance.

Ethan offered the obvious suggestion.

“This isn’t something for us to handle, is it? Can’t we tell a professor?”

“Then her grades will tank, and she might even get expelled if it goes badly,” Boen said.

As Ethan stayed silent, Maya, growing anxious, jumped in, saying, “She can’t have gone too far. She’s usually pretty cautious.”

“You want to go after her?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah.”

“But we don’t know the route to the Great Library.”

“Koshe told me how to get there,” Maya replied.

Ethan moved past Maya and put a hand on Boen’s shoulder. Before Ethan could speak, Boen whispered, “I’m against this. We’ll get in trouble with the professors too.”

“Maya might join the society if we help. If not that, we’ll never get a better chance to get close to her. Maybe we’ll find evidence she’s a dark mage in the Great Library Labyrinth.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“No, it isn’t.”

Boen glared at him.

“It’s a maze that’s been off-limits for generations. How can you be so sure?”

Ethan already knew that Koshe would make it out on her own in two days. This meant that they could definitely rescue her safely.

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