The Reincarnated Extra
chapter-54

1. Sara’s Magic Practice and Extra Teaches the Secret of Incantations

* * *

The busy days of a maid apprentice fly by with cleaning, laundry, and all sorts of other tasks.

Truthfully, my initial impression was that this residence wasn’t particularly large, but maintaining it spick-and-span with such a small staff is incredibly difficult.

According to Maid-senpai, even though we’re in the rural frontier, unexpected guests could arrive at any time. So the residence must be kept spotless, or else the Baron will be mocked by other nobles for a lack of decorum.

Geez, is this some kind of noble face-saving thing?

How tiresome.

Well, even if I think that, I’ll still do the cleaning diligently since it’s my job.

Since Maid-senpai is also tasked with cooking, she’s currently holed up in the kitchen prepping for dinner.

Wouldn’t they normally hire a cook for something like that?

<Well, I suppose they normally would…but this is likely a compromise the Baron had to make due to being impoverished?>

Whether it’s a compromise or not doesn’t really matter, but honestly, isn’t Maid-senpai overworked?

She seems fine with it, but I’d like to think it’s not an issue.

At the very least, I’ll strive to give Maid-senpai some relief during this one month that I’m here.

Oh, incidentally, I was firmly denied entry into the kitchen.

As expected, they can’t just allow a newcomer who arrived only yesterday into the kitchen, or so I’m told.

After parting with Maid-senpai, following her instructions, I weeded the grounds around the residence together with Uncle Mauve, the other servant here.

This man, well, he’s the plain-looking uncle who was our coachman yesterday.

He has a gentle face and seems kind, but also a bit of an absent-minded air that makes me feel uneasy around him.

Earlier, while weeding, he accidentally uprooted some medicinal herbs the Baroness had planted, and got severely scolded by that intimidating old butler.

The areas were clearly demarcated with stones and such, so how did he mix that up?

Come to think of it, he also broke a plate at breakfast this morning.

Is he really cut out for servants’ work?

Since he looked dejected, I patted him encouragingly on the back, but he flinched away from me and kept wiping the area my hand had touched with a handkerchief over and over.

………………

Ah, my bad Uncle, I touched you right after cleaning without thinking.

“Emiiii! Emiiii! Where are youuu!?”

Oh, that cute yet boisterous voice belongs to Sara.

Looking up, she’s leaning precariously out of the second floor study room window, searching for me.

Ah, be careful Sara! You could die if you fall from there!

<Perhaps if she had undergone cliff diving training like Emi, then maybe…?>

No ‘maybe’ about it. A young lady wouldn’t be put through something like that.

Before she continues these dangerous antics, I quickly move under the window.

“Ah! Emi! I’m going to practice magic now! I’ll be going outside with Mother, so please wait for me at the entrance!”

Saying that, Sara pulls herself back into the room.

I hear some scuffling sounds as she likely begins preparing to go out.

The Baroness’ admonishments of “Don’t shout!” and “Don’t run!” can also be heard.

Sara has a long, long way to go on the path to becoming a proper lady.

Seriously, good luck Baroness.

* * *

And now, I’ve come to the magic practice grounds behind the residence together with Sara and the Baroness.

The so-called ‘practice grounds’ is simply a mowed field with some targets set up.

Beyond the field lies a forest, so just in case there are assassins lurking for the Baron’s household…I remained vigilant while observing Sara’s magic practice.

“O water bullet, manifest and pierce my enemy! 【Water Bullet】!”

As Sara chanted something while pointing her index finger at a target, a small water sphere formed at her fingertip.

That water sphere flew forcefully towards the target…only to plop uselessly to the ground, leaving a small wet mark.

“Mmm…I can’t do it properly…”

“You need to concentrate more. Firmly visualizing the image while incanting is crucial. ‘O water bullet, manifest and pierce my enemy! 【Water Bullet】!'”

The water sphere launched by the Baroness flew straight and struck the target with a loud thump.

That level of force likely couldn’t kill, but would certainly be enough to stun or immobilize an opponent.

Apparently, this 【Water Bullet】 spell is the most basic magic that noble children in this country learn first – an introductory defensive spell.

…Speaking of which, Extra.

I have a question.

<Yes, what is it Emi?>

Up until now, you’ve taught me living magic spells like 【Ignite】, 【Desiccate】, 【Gather Water】, and I’ve already learned those…

<Yes, yes.>

But the magic I’ve been using didn’t require any kind of incantation like that, right?

Yet Sara and the Baroness are muttering some kind of incantation, aren’t they?

What exactly is a magic incantation?

<…Put simply, a magic incantation is a password to connect to the “magic assistance system” created by the God of Magic. I learned about it from the documentary series “The Gods’ Challenge.”>

A system? A password?

<Yes. Manipulating magical power is difficult, right? So the God of Magic created this system to assist anyone in using magic. If you incant the preset phrases registered by the God of Magic, it triggers a spell within certain predefined specifications – that’s the system.>

Assisting magical power manipulation with a system!?

<Yes. Thanks to this system’s implementation, the population capable of using magic increased 50-fold from before. It was for this great contribution that the God of Magic’s divine rank rose rapidly from a low-ranking god to a high-ranking one…>

Wait, wait, wait!?

So you’re saying, like with 【Ignite】 for example, I really struggled a lot to learn that, right!?

But if I had just known the proper incantation for 【Ignite】, I could have used it effortlessly!?

<Well, yes, essentially.>

Ehhh!?

You should have taught me those incantations then~~!

<…………My apologies, but I cannot do that.>

Eh?

<You see, that system is designed with baseline human users in mind. It interfaces with the human soul to assist in magical power manipulation.>

But I’m human too!

<But you have me, the ‘Divine Vessel’, residing within you.>

Ah…?

<So if you try to mimic those incantations, the system will undoubtedly bug out.>

Bug out!?

<To put it bluntly, if you use an incantation to cast magic, you’ll instantly explode and die.>

Scary!!?

<Therefore, you must absolutely never use incantations, Emi.>

I-I see…

The world really doesn’t make things easy for me, does it…?

<Well, let’s look at it another way, Emi. Isn’t it great that you can’t use the system? That allows you to hone your magical power manipulation skills! Relying solely on the system’s magic has many limitations. It’s far better if you can perform the manipulations yourself.>

I suppose…

Yeah, I guess you’re right.

Just looking at activation speed alone, not having to mumble an incantation makes going without much faster, so there are merits.

<Speed isn’t the only benefit. Lower magical power consumption is another big advantage.>

Is that so?

<Using the system consumes extra magical power compared to not using it. This is essentially a maintenance fee collected by the God of Magic…but rumor has it that magical power is barely used for actual system maintenance and just lines the God’s own pockets. Apparently, the God of Magic is raking in huge profits by monopolizing magic rights. Even in the divine realm, the God is heavily criticized for this.>

…I just asked about magic incantations and ended up learning way more than I wanted to know about corruption in the divine world…

* * *

Anyway, even as I enjoy this mental conversation with Extra, I’m not letting my guard down.

There don’t seem to be any suspicious figures in the forest, and no strange noises besides animal calls. No issues at the moment.

Rather, Sara lying on the ground looking nauseous from magical power depletion is more of a concern right now.

When your internal magical power gets too low, you end up feeling sick and unable to move like that.

If this happened in the forest or mountains, you’d be done for, mauled by some beast. So I always keep a close eye on my remaining reserves to avoid such a predicament.

The most dangerous time was probably during my battle with the great serpent.

“…Ugh, urp…oh, ah…haah…”

Deep breaths Sara, deep breaths.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

I pat the back of the squirming pink-haired beauty making an unbecoming face as she struggles.

“I’ve told you time and again that magic doesn’t simply activate by pouring in magical power, haven’t I?”

The lecturing Baroness looks exasperated.

Ah, being a true noble born and raised, the Baroness says she can’t fight but has mastered basic magic incantations and usage.

Apparently, being able to use magic incantations is considered a essential noble education.

The main reason the Baroness wants Sara to learn magic seems to be along those lines.

“But…urp…I don’t know how to do it properly…whew…”

Sara can produce the water sphere, but after that, she can’t seem to launch it towards the target properly.

And getting frustrated at her inability, she overdid the practice and depleted her reserves, collapsing as a result.

Hmm, but I wonder why she can’t do it properly?

If she’s incanting correctly, the “magic assistance system” should be functioning normally to enable success, no?

<That’s likely because, as the Baroness mentioned, she’s unable to properly visualize the magic, as I suspected. The system can only assist with magical power manipulation. If the user can’t firmly visualize the magic they want to use, and doesn’t have the corresponding magical power for it, the system alone won’t allow them to use that magic.>

I see, visualization hmm…

<Additionally, Sara’s easily distracted nature is also an issue. You can’t thread a needle while looking elsewhere, can you?>

If you put it that way, it really does seem like a pipe dream for the current airheaded Sara to use magic properly.

You need to stay focused, Sara.

Be a lady to use magic, is that it?

“Hey hey, Emi, Emi can use magic too right? I want to see Emi’s magic!”

Oh? The rested and slightly reenergized Sara is saying strange things again?

<Her mind is wandering again. She likely wants some kind of change of pace.>

“You used magic to save us from the robbers, right? The robbers said so! I didn’t get a good look at it then, so I want to see it!”

Hmm, well even if you say that…

I do think I’m fairly capable when it comes to magical power manipulation.

So in the fundamental sense, you could say I can use magic without any issue.

But the kind of ‘magic’ Sara and the Baroness are referring to is the type that manifests through incantations, right?

In that case, I can’t use magic.

If I try an incantation, I’ll apparently explode and die.

“I want to see! I want to see Emi’s magic~~!”

Ah! Sara, stop being so noisy!

Don’t flail around on the ground like that!

Look, you’re making a vein bulge on the Baroness’ forehead! Realize it, Sara!

Geez, fine then. Allow me to show you my magic!

I plunge my right hand into the ground and scoop up some dirt clumps as usual.

Then I clench my fist tightly.

Alright, 【Solidify】!

I manipulate my magical power to make the pebbles as hard as possible.

Watch closely Sara! I’m using magic right now!

And with the completed hardened pebble, I put everything into 【Stone Throw】 towards the target!

Of course, I don’t forget to apply 【Body Reinforcement】 either.

The pebble that shot out of my palm at an abnormal speed struck the target, and without losing momentum, mowed down several trees in the forest beyond the field.

The crashing sound of the toppling trees echoed out.

Sara stares dumbfounded, while the Baroness looks at me with a pale expression.

“…I showed you. My magic.”

How’s that, milady?

Are you satisfied?

“…I don’t think that was magic…”

No, it was magic, probably. In the fundamental sense.

“…I don’t think that was magic…”

Even the Baroness! Well, I can understand their perspective to an extent.

Afterwards, the gruff old butler came running out from the residence, alarmed by the crashing sound. He gave me a thorough scolding, and Sara’s magic practice session was promptly concluded for the day.