Volume 2, Chapter 10 – Welcome to the Blue Star Republic

“You really are diligent with your practice, Onee-sama!”

Lu-chan said that upon seeing me repeatedly enchanting and then discarding small stones.

“Am I?”

Toss

I discard the small stone I just finished enchanting.

We have left Illumi City and are heading for the border with the Blue Star Republic.

Even though it’s a border, relations between the White Moon Kingdom and the Blue Star Republic aren’t bad, apparently, with trade carriages passing through fairly regularly.

However, it seems there aren’t many travelers, as we are the only passengers on this stagecoach.

The border crosses a mountain range, so I hear it gets a bit cooler once we enter the Blue Star Republic side.

The Blue Star Republic is also said to be a country of fine cuisine, so I’m actually looking forward to that a little.

“Onee-sama, why do you have the Enchanter Class even though you’re the Saint?”

“It just ended up that way.”

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“Huh?”

“I was studying because I wanted to Level Up, and this is how it turned out.”

I gave Lu-chan the same explanation I had given Shishou.

“—And that’s the story.”

“I see~! So it was training to become a Magic Apothecary! Still, the person who’s basically like a parent to you in the Royal Capital, Onee-sama… I’d love to meet them~!”

“You can meet them if we go to the Royal Capital.”

Toss

I discard an enchanted small stone while talking with Lu-chan.

“Onee-sama, what can that Enchant of yours do?”

“I can imbue things with magical power. Right now, I’m imbuing these small stones with holy-attribute Purification magic.”

“Wow~! Can you Enchant anything?”

“Not at all. Gems and metals are the main things. Also, I read in a book that you can sometimes do it with materials from certain special monsters. But basically, you can’t enchant living beings.”

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Also, depending on the material, the strength of the magic you can enchant, how easy it is to enchant, the number of times it can be reused, and so on all differ.

Of course, materials that allow for high-level enchantments and are easy to enchant are all extremely expensive and rare.

“Also, if you want to enchant a powerful spell, you need to raise your Enchant Skill Level to the same level as the spell you’re trying to enchant. For example, there’s a disease called Mummy Disease that I was involved in treating before. To make a Magic Item capable of treating it, you’d need to raise both Enchant and Healing Magic Skill Levels to 4. And you’d need to use a more expensive material, not just ordinary pebbles.”

Actually, this is part of why Magic Items are so expensive. People like that hardly exist in the first place.

Even at the Temple in the Royal Capital, there are few people with a Healing Magic Skill Level of 4.

On top of that, there’s practically no one who would go out of their way to additionally train Enchant.

After all, Healing Magic alone is sufficient to save the people right in front of you, and you’d be far better off putting that effort into raising Healing Magic if your goal is to save more seriously ill patients.

This is what Shishou meant by calling people like that “crazy.”

Even I wouldn’t be doing this if Healing Magic hadn’t been MAX from the start.

By the way, as you can probably tell from my explanation so far, it seems there are hardly any Enchanters in this world.

The reason is simple: if you want to make powerful Magic Items, you also have to raise the Skill Level of that magic.

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There’s practically no one who, having the potential to become an excellent Elemental Mage or Healer, would willingly put in double the effort for a supporting role.

In reality, it’s mostly Elemental Mages who can no longer fight on the frontlines, making them as a little side business in their second careers.

“Lumia, this very sentiment is why Fiene-sama is the Saint. Fiene-sama bestows tools and medicine upon those she cannot directly extend her saving hand to, so that she may offer salvation even when she cannot be there herself.”

“Onee-sama! So that’s how it is! How admirable!”

Lu-chan looks at me with incredibly sparkling eyes.

Nah, it’s not that noble; I just want to Level Up and mow down monsters.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Checkpoint inspection! Passengers, disembark from the carriage and line up in a single file!”

We finally reached the border. Once we pass this checkpoint, we’ll be in the Blue Star Republic.

“Hmm? It’s unusually sparse today. Well then, starting with you people over there—that attire, could it be…?”

“I am the Holy Knight Christina. And this esteemed person here is the Saint, Fiene Argentata-sama. This is our companion, Lumia. We are on a journey aiming for the village of the Silver High Elves dwelling in the Far North. We request permission to enter.”

“Ooooooh! So it’s really you! We’ve heard the rumors! Captain! Captain!”

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The guard ran off in a great fluster.

“It seems rumors of Fiene-sama’s deeds have reached the Blue Star Republic as well.”

And after that, a man introducing himself as the captain of the checkpoint guards came out, showered us with praise, and even handed over something called a Blue Star Republic Travel Guide.

“This is a book compiling the specialties and sights of each city in our Blue Star Republic. We have been instructed by the Presidential Office to be sure to present it should Saint-sama pass through. Please accept it.”

“O-oh, I see. Well then, I’ll accept it without further ado.”

Shouldn’t this book be expensive? Or are books cheap in this country? And wait, the Presidential Office?

Feeling puzzled, I passed the book to Chris-san and boarded the carriage again.

“This too is surely a testament to Fiene-sama’s virtue!”

Chris-san says this, boarding the carriage cheerfully. Lu-chan follows.

Rather than having anything to do with my virtue, it feels more like the Blue Star Republic wants to make use of the image of the Saint for something.

With a lingering sense of discomfort, we entered the Blue Star Republic.