Chapter 33: Magic

That day, after taking care of the orphanage children and playing with them.

Sir Richard came to see me at the church.

“This is a gift from the knight order.
We’re always grateful for your help.”

“Oh my, thank you very much.
I’ll go hand it to the priest.”

I accepted the gift from the knight order, completed the formalities, and handed it to the priest.

After that, I was able to spend some time talking with Sir Richard.

“Actually, recently I’ve come up with a hypothesis about your magic, Ellen.”

“A hypothesis?”

I tilted my head.

“Yes.
Ellen, are you familiar with weapons imbued with magic?”

“…In theory, yes.
But I’ve never seen one in person.”

Weapons imbued with magic.

A type of magic different from healing magic, and when magic is imbued into a weapon, what happens is…

“Magic-imbued weapons are ‘enhanced.’
They become sturdier, or their sharpness improves.
However, not just anyone can imbue magic like that.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Healing magic has a fair number of users.

But so-called ‘enchantment magic’ truly has very few practitioners.

Naturally, if such a thing were easy, the knight order would want to enhance everyone’s weapons with magic.

The fact that this hasn’t been done says it all.

One must pay a large sum to a rare enchanter just to finally request magic to be imbued into a weapon.

Even finding and negotiating with such an enchanter is difficult in the first place.

“So, what about magic-imbued weapons?”

If he had something like that, it would surely help Sir Richard.

Though in his case, he might not even need it.

“Well, actually.
There’s been talk that your magic might be this ‘enchantment magic.’”

“Huh?”

My magic?
What does that mean?

“…I’ve never used magic on weapons.”

“I know.
That’s not what I mean.
Rather, your magic may be ‘enhancing the knights themselves.’”

“Enhancing… the knights?”

Wait, does that mean…

“The golden light of your magic.
It feels as though it doesn’t merely heal us, but actually ‘enhances’ us.
The members of the knight order agree on this point.”

“Eh…?”

In other words, enchantment magic not on weapons, but on people?

“But I’ve heard that enchantment magic on weapons is something with lasting effects.
Isn’t this a bit different?”

“Yes, I’ve heard that too.
But apparently, it isn’t truly ‘permanent.’”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.
Magic-imbued weapons consume the wielder’s magic power to maintain their ‘enhanced’ state.
However.”

“However?”

“If the weapon isn’t used for a long time, it runs out of magic, and eventually the imbued effect disappears.”

“I see.”

That sounds troublesome.

You’d have to keep fighting with it, or give it to someone who does.

No, perhaps regular training would suffice.

In any case, maintenance sounds bothersome.

“So whether we call it enchantment magic or enhancement magic, that ‘enhancement’ is temporary.”

“I see…”

“When we receive your golden magic, Ellen, our bodies feel lighter, and our strength seems to increase, but…”

“Huh?”

That much?
That’s the first I’ve heard of it.

No, come to think of it, people may have said something like that before.

I just thought it was a matter of morale.

“It fades after a while.
It doesn’t seem to maintain a constantly enhanced state.”

“I see.
Um, just to be clear, this isn’t a misunderstanding?”

“Probably not.
But doesn’t it intrigue you?
Even if it’s a bit late.”

“Well, yes…”

“Why not try to ‘verify’ it?
Of course, only if it fits your schedule, Ellen.”

“…All right.”

Does my magic really have such an effect?

Normally, you wouldn’t cast healing magic on someone who isn’t injured.

In my case, I’d been continuously casting healing magic so that knights would recover immediately if they were hurt.

Using sheer magic output to keep it going.

I never imagined that could lead to ‘enhancement.’

“…It’s kind of scary.”

If that’s true, is this power unique to me?

Or can others do the same?

If it’s the latter, that’s fine.
But if it’s the former…

That would mean I’m truly special, rare… and useful.

In that case, people who desire me would appear.

Right now, I’m just ‘Ellen the commoner.’

Some noble might seek an engagement for that unusual ability.

Or the church might change its attitude and try to exploit me.

Such anxieties crossed my mind.

Right now, I’m enjoying a free, peaceful… gentle love.

If something like that happened, and I were forced to part from Sir Richard…

“Ellen?
Are you all right?”

“Y-Yes.
I was just thinking…”

We haven’t confessed our feelings, nor made promises about the future.

We’re just in a relationship where we vaguely sense mutual affection.

…I am a bit timid.

After all, I’m divorced, once-married.

And above all, I still haven’t told Sir Richard my real name.

At this point, it’s hard to bring it up.

I’ve already gone by ‘Ellen’ for so long…

‘Will I ever be able to tell him properly.
Everything about me.’

I hope so.

Carrying my worries and anxieties, I proceeded with verifying my magic with the cooperation of the knights.

Was it just a placebo effect, or was there truly an effect?

The result matched Sir Richard’s hypothesis.

It seemed that there really was… an effect.

In other words, my golden light was also ‘enhancement magic.’

“Hmm…”

“Something wrong?”

I was speaking with the commander of the frontier knight order.

“Well, you see.
If that’s the case, maybe we should officially change how we treat you.
You’re already being treated like a ‘goddess,’ so it might be a bit late, but…
You don’t just have achievements, you have clear abilities.
This affects the morale of the entire knight order.”

“Morale?”

“Like, you know, dress you up properly.
White with gold embroidery, and maybe a spear-bearing… banner.
Not ‘saint,’ but the Battlefield Goddess stands here!
Something like that would skyrocket morale.
And the abilities really do improve.”

“That’s a bit…”

I don’t want to stand out in the first place.

“I’ve heard you were doing something similar elsewhere?”

“That was only because I had no choice…”

It wasn’t something I did willingly.

I just did my best in each situation, doing what I could.

“…I see.
Still, I want to report this to the margrave.
And if I do, I think you’ll hear something similar.”

“I suppose so…”

I could easily imagine how that would go.

If I were in the margrave’s or the commander’s position, I’d likely propose the same thing.

But thinking about what would await me beyond that…

I couldn’t help but worry.

As days passed like that, the Grandra Margrave returned from the royal capital.

And then… he summoned me personally.