I don't believe in God, but I'll use the "Miracle of God" freely ~I'll increase my magic arbitrarily and become invincible in another world~ - Chapter 8

Breathing slowly and deeply, Mika closed his eyes and focused. Seated on a stone like a statue, he placed both hands with palms facing up on his knees. Relaxing his entire body, his nerves, on the contrary, sharpened.

 

Unaware of the surrounding sounds, only a clear, high-pitched sound resonated softly, and he could feel the magical power that filled his entire body to every corner.

 

He gradually pushed the magical power from his feet to his waist, then from his abdomen to his chest. The heightened magical power resisted, trying to push back, but he pressed it into both arms. Although the increased magical power tried to rebound, he didn’t mind and pushed it in until it flowed from the elbows to the forearms, ultimately concentrating in the wrists.

 

Maintaining this state was crucial. Even a slight loss of concentration would cause the gathered magical power to return to its original state.

 

Splash!

 

“Uhyaaaaaa!?”

 

Suddenly drenched in cold water on his back, Mika unintentionally screamed.

 

“Hahaha! It’s cold, right?! Hahahaha!”

 

“Mika-chan, what are you doing?”

 

“Playing!”

 

Children were bathing in the river, inviting Mika, who had been practicing magical power manipulation for a week since gaining some insight. The season had already turned to summer, and today, enticed by the village children, Mika came to play in the river.

 

(Recently, the temperature has been rising.)

 

Although there was no air conditioning in this world, it wasn’t too hot if one stayed indoors with the windows open. However, due to being cooped up inside the house recently, Mika decided to come out and enjoy some sun for a vitamin D boost.

 

After arriving at the river, Mika couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to play with the children, so he ended up practicing magical power manipulation again. Sitting on a stone in the river allowed a cool breeze from the water to flow over him. While sitting still, he inadvertently became the target of the children’s prank, being drenched in water.

 

Given the sudden cold water on his back, it was only natural that he let out a scream. Giving up on magical power manipulation for now, he lowered his crossed legs and soaked his feet in the river.

 

“Ahh, it feels good.”

 

Dipping his bare feet in the cold river water, he felt the flow of the clear stream. Combined with the murmur of the river, it created a refreshing atmosphere.

 

Counting the number of children and making sure they were all present, he noted that the river was about 10 meters wide, not very deep, but the center had a slightly faster current. To ensure the children didn’t get carried away, he paid a little attention.

 

However, for the children of Rish Village, the river was a familiar playground. Everyone knew that the central part of the river was dangerous, so it was just a precaution.

 

While sitting on a rock and splashing water on nearby children, he received multiple times more water in return. Playing with the laughing children, Mika occasionally thought it was nice to do something like this. Only occasionally, though. He wouldn’t want to do this every day. He never dreamed of becoming a daycare worker or an elementary school teacher.

 

Having spent the morning at the river, he had lunch at home, eating bread and fruit. In the afternoon, he continued practicing magical power manipulation.

 

Initially, it was just about moving it, but now it involved some struggle. The most challenging part was after waking up in the morning. While sleeping, magical power manipulation was impossible, so waking up meant being in a stable state.

 

The most difficult part was from this stable state until it began to waver.

 

Then came the challenge of swinging the wavered magical power back and forth. While it was easy to move the magical power like a pendulum, keeping it shifted to the right or left, moving only a part of it, proved tricky.

 

Because the sensation was extremely subtle, it took a while to know whether it was working or not. Nevertheless, after a few days, he managed to perform such operations to some extent.

 

Now, he began the operation of gathering magical power.

 

He focused on gathering it in each hand, a practice he had done in the river.

 

Initially, he could only gather it in the right hand or the left hand separately. However, with practice, it became relatively easy to gather it in both hands simultaneously.

 

This was because the feeling of magical power had changed.

 

When he was merely moving the magical power, there was no change in sensation. However, since he started this “gathering” operation, he became more sensitive to the feeling.

 

Even from the stable state upon waking up, he could now easily move the magical power.

 

Perhaps the amount or concentration of magical power within him had increased. Expecting this, he actively engaged in the operation of gathering magical power.

 

Currently, magical power manipulation still required concentrated focus. He aimed to elevate it to the level where, like touch typing on a keyboard, his fingers could move without conscious thought.

 

“I can’t wait to use magic…”

 

While there were many unclear aspects such as chanting and praying to the gods, everyone would want to use such a dreamlike power if given the chance. He was willing to spare no effort to achieve that goal.

 

…If it were a problem that could be solved through effort, that is.

 

In reality, the sensation of magical power had changed over the past few days, but whether it meant progress was subtle. Firstly, there was no means of measuring the amount of magical power.

 

When measured at the village chief’s house, unknown men were present, and the crystal for measuring magical power was likely brought by those men. According to Radi’s story, every spring, they toured all the villages, measuring the magical power of the children. Probably officials from the country or perhaps this territory. If there was no way to measure magical power other than that, there was no way to confirm whether the efforts he was making had any meaning.

 

The next measurement would be at the age of nine.

 

If he did not reach the standard at that time, everything he was doing now would be meaningless. He wanted some kind of criterion or basis to confirm that he was growing.

 

And the biggest problem was praying to the gods.

 

To be clear, Mika had never prayed before. Of course, he had made wishes.

 

Chapter 8:

 

“Let it be like this.”

 

“Become like this.”

 

However, that is probably different from prayer.

 

In the first place, I don’t understand what it means to pray.

 

If it’s about reading and chanting the church doctrines, I can do it as told.

 

If they say to memorize praising phrases for God, I can memorize as many as they want.

 

But is that really prayer?

 

What is the prayer that reaches God?

 

If it’s not something measurable in a visible form, I’m not quite sure how to go about it.

 

(Well, as for praying and such, I should be able to manage if I can infiltrate the academy.)

 

Every year, they train children chosen solely for their potential, so there must be manuals and know-how.

 

Anyway, if I get selected in the assessment at nine years old, everything should work out somehow.

 

It’s still about a year and a half away, but I believed that it was probably the most reliable path.

 

I’d prefer to avoid the route of not being chosen at the nine-year-old assessment and being taught at the church.

 

In my impression, they wake up before dawn, engage in activities like cleaning, and spend every day diligently reading and writing thick scriptures.

 

That’s definitely not something my mind can handle.

 

Even for an indoor person like me, I would probably die from stress.

 

If I learn at the church, I might indeed become able to use magic.

 

But it’s not just about being able to use it.

 

Magic is merely a means, and what’s important is how you live interestingly with it.

 

Whether going to the church achieves that is honestly questionable.

 

Well, there’s also the option of learning and then returning to secular life, but I don’t want to be ungrateful.

 

One of my favorite sayings is “forgive and forget kindness, but engrave received favors on stone.”

 

I can’t behave like a saint, but I try to keep that in mind.

 

By the way, there’s also the phrase “bearing a grudge over the slightest resentment.”

 

It depicts a saying based on an anecdote of a prime minister in ancient China who repaid even the slightest resentment with a stern gaze.

 

This person was said to have repaid everything, from a meal’s kindness to just being glared at.

 

I think it’s a bit extreme, but I don’t want to be the kind of person who forgets favors easily.

 

Leaning against the chair’s backrest, arms crossed, chin resting on hands.

 

(How can I confirm that my magical power is increasing? Is there anything?)

 

That “Laughing Madonna Raphin Maria” must know a lot, but I still want to avoid her for now.

 

Based on the way she looked when I went to ask her the other day, she doesn’t seem to approve of what I’m doing right now.

 

She probably thinks I should wait for natural growth, as that seems to be Radi’s philosophy.

 

(But there’s no basis for saying that I should leave it to natural growth.)

 

One and a half years–––

 

It’s too long to spend idly.

 

It’s too short to achieve something.

 

While the goal is clear, Mika felt a sense of impatience in this trial-and-error state.

 

(Weak, fragile, like a thread.)

 

Radi’s words from the other day unexpectedly came to mind.

 

(Did she say she’s pushing into my hands…?)

 

When Radi interfered with my magical power, she just lightly overlaid her hands.

 

She didn’t touch the palm.

 

But the first place I felt the ripple was the palm.

 

I look at my palm.

 

“Can magical power be released to the outside…?”

 

Radi extended her magical power like a thread, touched my palm, and pushed it in.

 

If the amount of magical power released outside increases, that could be evidence of an increase in magical power.

 

There’s still a part that relies on feeling, but it’s a starting point.

 

If I practice releasing a certain amount, I can compare the increase in magical power by counting how many times I did it.

 

Even if there’s a slight error in the amount released once, if I can do it 10, 20, 30 times compared to before, it’s clear evidence of an increase.

 

“This is it!”

 

I involuntarily shout and strike a triumphant pose.

 

It’s just a hypothesis, but in the midst of my struggles, I saw a glimmer of hope.

 

I decide to try it right away.

 

Sitting on the chair like a statue, placing my palm on my knee with my palm facing up.

 

It’s a pose I always use when gathering magical power.

 

I’ve been practicing gathering with both hands lately, but for now, one hand is enough.

 

Concentrate, and gather magical power from the feet in the usual order.

 

From the right shoulder through the elbow, I feel a strong resistance, but I push through it.

 

When everything gathers from the wrist to the end, I look at my right hand.

 

Staring intently at the right hand I brought in front of me, I push the magical power onto the palm.

 

Then, the entire right hand is enveloped in a faint bluish-white light.

 

(“…It came out!”)

 

There’s surprise, but I focus to avoid breaking concentration and push up the bluish-white light even more.

 

And when I imagine a sphere and visualize the light gathering, a softball-sized sphere forms on the palm.

 

(“It worked!”)

 

I didn’t think it would succeed right away, so I’m surprised by my own achievement.

 

Exhaling deeply, the light sphere disperses silently in an instant.

 

Once I take a breath, it seems like the concentration needed to maintain it has worn off.

 

“It came out! It came out! Seriously! And, is it visible!?”

 

I never thought magical power would be something visible.

 

With this, it should be easy to maintain a constant amount.

 

“Rather than a constant amount, if it’s visible, can’t I just compare sizes?”

 

The one from earlier was about the size of a softball, but I wonder how big it would become if I made it as large as possible.

 

Would it become the size of a bowling ball or a large watermelon?

 

There seem to be various comparison methods with visible perception.

 

Once again, I take a deep breath.

 

I didn’t notice because I was excited, but there’s a slight fatigue in my body.

 

“By the way, I heard that handling magical power is tiring.”

 

Recalling what Radi said, Mika stretches on the chair.

 

The weariness lingers, but with the body loosening up, motivation surges within her.

 

“It’s no use if it’s just a fluke. I need to do it several times and get a feel for it.”

 

Continuation of Chapter 8:

 

Assuming the same pose as earlier, I focus my consciousness.

 

However, this time, gathering magical power proves to be challenging.

 

It might be mental fatigue.

 

It doesn’t gather as I want it to.

 

It seems my concentration is lacking.

 

Taking my time, I carefully gather magical power and push it into my right hand.

 

As I visualize pushing it up, my right hand is enveloped in a bluish-white light, but the light feels somewhat weaker.

 

Has my concentration dropped, or has the magical power within me decreased?

 

When I visualize a sphere, the magical power takes shape as imagined, but this time it’s not as large as a softball.

 

(…Is it an issue of concentration or magical power amount?)

 

Thinking about such matters, suddenly something surges up from my stomach.

 

“Ugh!?”

 

I leap from the chair, pressing my mouth, and tumble out of the entrance.

 

There’s a loud crash as the chair falls, but I don’t have the luxury to pay attention to it.

 

I vomit everything from my stomach into the bushes next to the house, and even then, the nausea doesn’t subside.

 

Continuing to retch for a while, I can’t even bring up stomach acid anymore, but I keep retching.

 

After some time passes, the nausea begins to settle a bit.

 

Perhaps my sense of balance is off; I manage to return to the house with unsteady steps.

 

I pour water into a cup with a ladle from the water jug, then rinse my mouth with the water.

 

Afterwards, I drink the water, but as soon as I do, nausea strikes again, and I stagger outside.

 

Repeating the cycle of drinking and vomiting several times, I eventually give up on taking in any more fluids.

 

Returning the cup to the table, I collapse on the spot.

 

(…Seriously, this is bad. What… is this?)

 

Reaching out to stand up, I place my hands on the table, but my hands and feet tremble.

 

(…This isn’t working. At least… the bed.)

 

Concentrating my remaining strength into my trembling limbs, I slowly stand up, supporting myself on the table and righting the fallen chair.

 

Managing to reach the bedroom, I collapse onto the bed and release consciousness.

 

—

 

When I wake up and look around, it’s still bright.

 

Looking out the window, it seems it’s not even evening yet.

 

(…I was unconscious for at most about two hours? It doesn’t seem like three hours have passed.)

 

Rising slowly from the bed, despite my heavy body, I don’t feel unsteady.

 

Leaving the bedroom, I take the cup from the table, fill it with water using a ladle, and drink it in one gulp.

 

Nausea is gone, and the only reminder of the unusual condition is the lingering weariness.

 

(What was that? What caused it?)

 

Sitting on the chair, I lean back against the backrest, contemplating my condition from earlier.

 

Sudden and severe nausea, and fatigue so intense I couldn’t stand.

 

Experiencing loss of consciousness like this is the second time, the first being the heatstroke the other day, and only the second time in my life.

 

Since coming to this world, I’ve lost consciousness twice.

 

(…Even if heatstroke was unavoidable, why did it happen this time?)

 

I gaze intently at my right hand.

 

The only thing I was doing at that time was releasing my magical power to the outside, right?

 

The first time I tried, it was a light sphere about the size of a softball.

 

What happened to that sphere?

 

It seemed to disperse into the air like mist.

 

I didn’t imagine it returning to me, just as I hadn’t imaged it.

 

So, as it appears, it likely dispersed and disappeared into the air.

 

Thinking about it, that portion of magical power was probably lost from within me.

 

The second time, I tried to make a light sphere about the size of a baseball.

 

It was smaller than the first time.

 

I gathered magical power in the same way, and if anything, the second time felt like the gathering was worse, so I gathered it more carefully.

 

Even so, I could only create a smaller sphere than the first time.

 

(…Is it an issue of concentration or magical power amount?)

 

Staring at my right hand, I reach a conclusion.

 

If the magical power decreases too much, it strongly affects my physical condition.

 

It feels natural to think in this way.

 

(By the way, Radi also warned me not to overdo it.)

 

Is this the result of not listening to the grateful advice of those who came before me?

 

(…I can’t help but smile wryly at my own shallowness.)

 

Like a child who enthusiastically gets obsessed with a new “toy,” I became engrossed in this “magical power.”

 

But––––.

 

(I gained valuable experience. My current magical power is equivalent to one softball and one baseball.)

 

The wry smile has turned into a satisfied grin.

 

Using this as a reference, I can judge whether my magical power has increased.

 

It’s significant to have a clear understanding of my limits.

 

(I can stop if magical power becomes hard to gather. In other words, that means I can go that far.)

 

From now on, when my magical power increases, it will serve as a benchmark to indicate, “You’re getting close to your limit.”

 

Feeling a rising excitement at these gradually clear milestones towards my goal.

 

(…Well, let’s follow the grateful words of those who came before me.)

 

Stretching on the chair, I dispel the weariness remaining in my body.

 

“To learn moderation, perhaps it’s time to allow for moderate recklessness.”

 

With those words, I begin my practice of moving magical power.