The warm sunlight streaming in through the window made Mia, who was standing at the counter, arch her back and spread her arms wide.
　It's still the middle of March, but today it feels like spring.

　In the fields near the forest, the early wildflowers must be budding soon.
　I took a walk in the still chilly breeze, finding the new season coming.
　It's a pleasure I get every year at this time.

　This year, however, I don't think I can afford to do so.
　The first reason is that my family's business is booming.

　If you do some work in the underground labyrinth, you can now get cash as a reward.
　However, the only places where you can use it immediately are this tavern or Uncle Hans' peddling cart.
　This is also the place where many items from the labyrinth first come in and are presented.
　The other day, I made a huge omelet from a large egg, which was very well received.

　As such, it was a place where wives who were free gathered to gossip during the daytime, families in good mood after taking a hot bath came to enjoy dinner after dark, and young people clutching coins came to drink heavily at night.
　As a result, Mia, the waiter, has to work very hard every day.

　The second reason is the thick book spread out in front of her.
　It's titled "An Introduction to the Magicians. It is said to be the easiest book to understand in King's Landing.
　Decipher this book and become able to use magic.
　That was Mia's task at the moment.

　Although her mother had taught her how to read and write to some extent, she was far from being able to decipher such a serious book.
　Naturally, there were so many unfamiliar words and formal phrases that she almost gave up after the first page.

　Then, a helping hand came to my rescue.

"Hey, Grandpa. What does this mean?
"Oh, this. This shows the path where magical elements can easily flow. The fire magic element you're good at is the third one, the diffusion type.

　It was an old man with a long white beard that reached his waist who answered easily at a glance.
　Eugen's grandfather, who used to live in the corner of the tavern, couldn't read or write the official language of the kingdom, but somehow he knew a lot about magicians.

　When Mia asked him why, he said it was because he had lived as long as his beard.
　It was a blatantly vague answer, but it was enough for the girl.
　The important thing was that the old man, a regular drinker, was helping her to unravel this difficult book.

I see. So, the way the magical element flows on this page is .......
"Well, the diffusion type is difficult to make a circulation path. There should be a sample diagram of the linkage a little further on. Here it is.
Oh, there it is. If you tweak this a bit and put it on top of the previous one, you get ....... Yeah, that looks good!

　This is something I didn't know before I started studying, but it seems that a magic circle differs slightly depending on the person who uses it.
　Each person is different in terms of the magic they are good at and the amount of magic power they have.


　It is only natural to adjust and change the details to suit each individual case.
　In addition, the distance to the target and the number of spells to be cast are not the same each time. 　

　You have to create your own personal formation that is most suitable for each occasion.
　Only when you can do that can you call yourself a mage.

　In order to do so, it is important to understand the various magicians and how to combine them correctly.
　Understanding does not mean memorizing every single word of a complicated sentence.
　It is about what works, how it works, and what the result is.

　And the old man's rough but precise way of teaching was perfect for the sensory Mia.

"Okay, I've got it right here!　How's that?　How's that, Grandpa?
"Mmm-hmm. Well, you're almost there, aren't you? Yeah, you're doing great.
"Yes!

　Eugen raises one eyebrow as he asks the girl, who is quite happy with the praise.

The labyrinth is a place of great interest to you?　The labyrinth?
"Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's great fun!

　Mia smiles and looks at the unfamiliar guest sitting on the opposite side of the room from the old man.

And you know, there are a lot of interesting girls here, too.

　Sitting beside the girl was a blue-skinned child with a white plate on his head and a turtle shell on his back.
　He was gnawing on a salted hard green fruit, sipping on a mixture of apple cider vinegar and honey, and letting out a sigh.
　Apparently, sour foods and green vegetables are his favorite foods.

　Mia smiled once more at the cute little thing as she worked hard to insert her beak into the cup, and then called out to her cat-eared friend who was pacing back and forth behind her.
　The beastly girl who claimed to be a knight of this village had been straddling a large, stone-like frog for training.
　She says she has no choice because she has no horse.

I'm sure you can do it!　I'm sure you can do it!
"Hey, Tini. Aren't you going to the labyrinth today?
What?　I'm not going today. Everyone is over there talking about difficult things.
I see. I can't wait to see it too.

　I can't wait to go see them too." To this Mia muttered, Tinya shook her head and replied.

I want to be more relaxed. I want to be more relaxed, and I want to dress up like Mia.
"Heh, thank you.

　Today, the girl is wearing a young grass-colored jacket and a yellow skirt reminiscent of a dandelion.


　The idea is that if you can't go to see the spring flowers, you can distract yourself with your clothes instead.

"Well, I'll try harder!

　And with that, Mia turned her gaze to the page of a difficult book again.
　But unlike before, her cheeks were still relaxed.