That afternoon, at least for most of the day, Ed tossed aside the symbols that filled his mind. Talarna's lavender cod lives up to its name, and the old tavern lying by the sea is surprisingly quiet. They stayed there for a long time. Outside the window, under the gray white sky, the sea lazily licked the beach, and even if the drizzle kept falling, there were still energetic children running and chasing on the beach, and the shrill laughter seemed to become less harsh through the rain.

On the way back they saw a juggler who said it was juggling, and it was evident that some kind of magic had been used, and the raindrops gradually coalesced together in the young entertainer's fingers, turning into larger and larger balloons of water above his head. When the water balloon suddenly fell and slammed into the young man's head with a snap, the few onlookers erupted in loud laughter.

But the frustration on the young man's face was so palpable...... It's real, making this scene not seem like a deliberate joke. The laughter quickly waned, and everyone walked away, except for a thin middle-aged man who threw the young man a silver coin and shook his head at him.

"Go home, kid. He said, "With your ability, you can't enter the ** Division Tower." ”

"But, but......" the young entertainer suddenly became excited, "you have seen it! I used to ...... when I first came here."

"yes, you weren't going to hit yourself with a water balloon back then...... You can also turn it into various shapes. The middle-aged man's tone was calm, "So what? The god of magic is such a wayward god, he may smile at you one moment and turn his back the next...... What can you do with him?"

“...... Is he talking about a god or a girl?" Eth whispered in Ed's ear.

“...... You can be a little quieter. Naria, the only girl here, glared at him, "Seriously, aren't you the most headstrong among us?"

Ed's sympathy dissipated most of it with an uncontrollable chuckle, and Iss could only shut his mouth sullenly, not daring to refute.

They also don't stay when middle-aged men leave. After taking a few steps, Ed suddenly stopped.

“...... Not really...... It's not ......"

The entertainer murmured behind them, a hint of despair gradually revealed in the frustration.

Ed turned and walked back.

"Can I see your magic again?" he asked, "...... I can pay. ”

The young man looked at him suspiciously, and then nodded hesitantly.

However, after repeated attempts, the results did not make much difference, except that the water balloon stayed in the air for a longer or shorter time, whether it hit a person or the ground...... Looking at the look on the young man's face, Naria felt that this was really a bit cruel.

She opened her mouth, but in the end she didn't say anything. Ed was never the one to do such a thing that stabbed people in the wound repeatedly...... It doesn't seem to be an excuse to give this entertainer a few more coins.

As anger burned in the young man's eyes, Ed finally spoke.

"It's not your fault. He said.

The young man stared at him, a little inexplicable.

"You haven't lost control of the power of magic...... It's just that there are fewer and fewer forces that you can control. Ed scratched his head, seemingly unsure of how to explain it, and wasn't even sure if he should say it.

The young man's eyes suddenly lit up.

“...... That's it!" he almost cheered, "that's what I felt! But no one believed it...... Are you also a mage? Are you like me? You ......."

Before he could pounce too enthusiastically, Iss decisively dragged Ed away. Nalya stepped forward and slapped a gold coin into the young man's outstretched hand with a smile.

"It's to thank you...... of the performance. She said, "And, maybe we can talk in another place?"

The young man's name was Patrick and he was from a small town in central Rutgar. His family didn't object to him becoming a mage, after all, he was born into a family of coopers who barely survived, and he had no better way out.

He learned his spells from an old mage who lived in seclusion in the woods near the town. Because he was praised as "very talented", he dared to perform all the way to Neo, hoping to enter the ** division tower.

He failed the first trial to enter the tower, but the mage who presided over the trial kindly told him that he could practice for a while and try again, and he also cheered up.

Young people like him, who have a longing to practice their skills and use spells to earn money in order to survive, are actually quite common in Neo City. It's just that few people have lasted as long as Patrick, and there are too many temptations and too many ways to survive in this prosperous seaside city, and many of the perseverance born in poverty is unconsciously consumed.

He originally thought that he had made progress, but in the past six months, he had quickly regressed to the clumsiness he had when he first learned the spell.

"I'm more skilled. He said, "But...... However, it was like I was locked in an airtight box, and gradually, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't breathe in much air...... Can you understand that feeling? You get it, right?"

Ed nodded, a little weak. Patrick seems to think of him as one of his kind, just a richer one who doesn't have to worry about life, but in fact, he still casts spells with great ease...... And even smoother and smoother.

His power has another source.

"Do you know what the hell is going on?" asked the young man eagerly.

Ed hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Patrick left rejecting more of his gifts, as if just a little bit of understanding and venting would give him the courage to continue.

"Even if I can't really be a mage, I can always find something to do here...... The worst is to go home. He said, "But...... If you find out why, can you let me know? I stayed at the Tobacco Bag Hotel under the Lund Bridge. ”

Ed nodded solemnly.

“...... You already know, right?"

As Patrick's back disappeared into the drizzle, Naria asked softly.

But he probably wouldn't believe it. Ed smiled wryly, "And...... How am I going to tell him? He felt so strongly because of his 'skill'...... It's very simple. ”

"What about the more skilled mages in the Wizard Tower, don't they feel anything at all?" asked Narya, holding her chin.

Iss laughed.

"That's a good question. He said.

.