Published: August 25, 2025
Today, four chapters are posted simultaneously.
This is the fourth chapter.
When I stepped out of the tower, the outside was dim. It wasn’t yet time for it to get dark, but clouds thick enough to block the sky had spread. From the humidity and smell in the air, it looked like rain was about to fall any moment. For now, I returned to the building I stayed in last night to discuss what to do next.
The conclusion was to stay one more night and head back to the town in the morning. The reasons were the weather and time of day, and also because the urgency of the curse? was low. There were no obvious symptoms, and we had already spent more time than expected at The Execution Ground of Starvation and Thirst. After consecutive battles, it made sense to rest and wait for the rain to stop, then find a faster way home. So we decided to rest and prepare for tomorrow.
However, even with free time, there wasn’t much to do. It was too early to prepare dinner. As we chatted casually, Mr. Sebas prepared tea, and before we knew it, an elegant tea time had begun. Soon, the rain started to fall lightly, pattering against the ground, gradually getting louder.
...The rain was stronger than expected. I’m glad I sent the Goblins and slimes back to the dimension home.
“Ryoma-kun, how are you feeling?”
“Well... I’m not feeling unwell, but it seems like my mana recovery is unusually fast. I thought I used quite a bit in the tower, but it feels like I’ve already recovered about 90%.”
“That might be because this land is rich in mana. The mana inside your body recovers by absorbing the mana present in nature through breathing and eating. So, in places with abundant mana, even the same quantity and quality of rest results in greater recovery. Unless there’s miasma, recovery should be faster now.
Places where undead occur frequently, or where strong magical beasts live, tend to be dangerous, but there are many mages who use such lands for training or research.”
Indeed, if mana recovery is fast, that means more time for magic training. Maybe I should build a base somewhere suitable for magic training... Since I’m going to the Shurus Great Tree Sea soon, if it looks feasible, I might build it there.
“If mana recovery depends on the land, then it should be fine. That’s really the only thing I can think of.”
“...In the past, when I was injured during a mission, I was helped with a curse that dulled the sense of pain. Generally, curses cause harm, but depending on the effect and situation, they can sometimes be beneficial. Could the curse you received be of that kind?”
“That’s possible. I’ve never heard of a curse that causes mana to recover, though.”
“A curse causes harm, and a curse that makes mana recover means that the mana recovery itself is harmful. If you think about it that way, what comes to mind is ‘mana intoxication’, but perhaps it’s something that speeds up mana absorption to bring about mana intoxication?”
If that’s the case, maybe I could confirm it by using a large amount of mana once. I thought that, but—
“You should avoid doing that. While it’s possible, there’s no proof, and there’s no need to deliberately worsen your condition just to confirm it. If it’s not a problem, it’s safer to maintain the current state without using mana. Also, make sure to rest well.”
“Understood. For now, Ryoma-kun should recuperate until he can be examined by a specialist. We can keep watch sufficiently.”
Since they kindly offered to worry about me and take responsibility, I was about to accept their words when I might have noticed something... the negative effects caused by the curse...
“Lord Ryoma? What is it?”
“Everyone, I just suddenly thought... avoiding mana consumption means that magic training or experiments are—”
“Better to stop, right?”
“Ryoma-kun tends to get too absorbed, after all.”
“Ugh! I knew it...”
I finally have free time, and I’m on land where mana recovery is faster, but I can’t use magic—that might be the worst curse right now!?