Published: August 25, 2025
Today, three chapters posted simultaneously.
This story is the second chapter.
The next morning
At breakfast, I brought up last night’s matter to everyone.
“As for the cursed arts lessons, it’s just as Miss Eleonora said. Things are going very smoothly, so there’s no problem dedicating time to that. It’s not good to overwork yourself, and it will serve as a good change of pace, so I actually recommend it.”
“We’re going to continue surveying the mountain anyway, so finding easier paths along the way is no big deal.”
“If I had to mention one concern, it would be about Ryoma, is he really okay?”
“That’s right! Ryoma’s got a lot on his plate.”
Everyone mostly agreed. The only concern raised was about me.
“I’m fine too. As of yesterday, I’ve completed measuring the miasma concentration. I’ll continue to do light checks before purification work, but there’s no need to investigate as thoroughly as yesterday. The most physically demanding work is mostly done, and with magic, the earthworks aren’t difficult.”
When I organized what needs to be done during this stay, or rather the goals, they were:
- Studying miasma purification
- Consulting and reproducing the lost magic of countercurse
- Exploring ways to allow Korumi to interact with outsiders
The latter two are the big goals, and to achieve them, studying cursed arts is necessary. Without a solid foundation, application is difficult. Even if you manage, there might be gaps or blind spots, so I asked Lord Rosenberg to dedicate time.
Although it looks like a lot, in the sense of “studying cursed arts,” it all connects as one. Rather than juggling multiple tasks at once, it’s more about handling them sequentially. Since about half of the miasma purification was finished on the first day, there should be plenty of room.
Lord Rosenberg also recommends taking breaks for a change of pace, and improving living conditions and roads won’t hurt. Making life more convenient during the stay, while maintaining the appearance of a skilled engineer and preventing future problems, is more than killing two birds with one stone—it’s three or four birds.
“You'll all help out, and I’ll use familiars to ease the workload where I can.”
“If you’re pushing too hard, we’ll stop you, so it should be fine.”
When Mr. Eudam added that last comment, everyone seemed to think, “That’s true,” and the topic shifted to concrete plans.
■ ■ â–
After breakfast.
The morning continued with practical training on miasma purification (advanced).
However, Lord Rosenberg said at breakfast, “Before the lesson, show me the purification method you used in the ghost town,” so I was to demonstrate my own style first.
While I was casting magic, the adventurer team stayed back, not going out to investigate. Because my magic uses smoke, they prepared to avoid any danger in case my method had issues or the smoke drifted toward them.
After checking the wind direction and setting up thoroughly on the plateau below the collapse site, I began the demonstration. Since the goal was miasma purification, I imagined fumigation for sterilization… but the source of the miasma was an abandoned grave, an unclaimed spirit’s resting place, so first I used the magic with the image of memorial rites.
Since the rituals don’t differ much, it’s better to do memorial rites first, then purify the land. I silently lit the fire, fed it food and mana, and offered prayers. Applying what I learned yesterday, I paid close attention to how the miasma shifted.
Repeating certain movements while watching the mana state, my mind naturally cleared as if practicing martial arts forms. The surrounding noise and the smell of smoke vanished, and I felt the miasma flow more distinctly.
…Though I’ve used this magic many times, I realized something new by observing carefully: the smoke absorbs the miasma. Like yesterday’s staff, the smoke wraps the miasma, and when blown away by the wind, it dissolves and disappears.