The Inept Mage's Infinite Regression - Chapter 14

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Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Gorm

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 14

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"…If it’s just one question, then fine."

Ethan took a moment to organize what he knew about Boen.

Boen was the top student in his year, so it was clear just how intelligent he was. Although he was overshadowed by Arca Wiz Charasen, a genius a year above him, there was no small number of talented individuals at Yurmus Magic School.

<Yeah, it’s the privilege of being a noble. What can you do?>

<That’s why they’re trying to kick me out after taking my tuition.>

As well, Boen used crystal-based magic. Crystal materials reacted easily to magic, so that was not particularly special. The fact that he could shoot them with enough force to kill someone meant he could hold his own on the battlefield, though. If he became a combat mage, he could earn a decent living.

The fact that he wore glasses was somewhat unusual. Ethan didn’t know much about the Palmize family, but he’d received enough of an education to infer a family’s wealth and status based on their speech, demeanor, clothing, and accessories. Boen seemed meticulous and practical, and the patches on his clothes suggested he wasn’t well off. On the other hand, glasses, even if worn out of necessity, were a relatively expensive accessory, making them stand out.

For some reason, Boen was also a member of the Imperial Inquisition. He seemed to have some connection to Bain, but the details were unclear.

<You don’t know much, do you?> asked Demi.

And with that, Ethan began his counterattack. "You don’t seem to like this job very much. Why are you doing it?"

To Boen, it must have felt like Ethan was baselessly probing for information. Boen adjusted his glasses and said, "Did I ever say that?"

"Your expression gave it away. But I’ll humor you: Do you like it?"

"It’s work. Whether I like it or not isn’t important."

"I answered your questions honestly, but you’re avoiding mine."

Boen sighed. "Fine. I don’t like this work. Does that answer your question?"

"That’s not an answer to my question either."

"…It’s not something I’m willing to discuss with someone I just met today."

"How can I get you to tell me?"

"You probably can’t," Boen said. "Please leave."

"All right." And with that, Ethan obediently left Boen’s dorm room.

<User, it seems you did not gain much new information.>

Before Demi could grumble further, Ethan pulled the trigger against his temple.

∞

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"…If it’s just one question, then fine."

Ethan asked, "Do you have any hobbies?"

"I’m not cultured enough for such noble pursuits."

"…I see."

∞

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"…If it’s just one question, then fine."

Ethan asked, "Do you have a favorite book?"

"Ku Remigio Scherz’s ‘A Thousand Changes.’ "

"…Really? That’s a textbook on ancient magic."

"I always like the last book I read the most."

"…I see."

∞

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"…If it’s just one question, then fine."

Ethan asked, "What’s your favorite food?"

"…Where did that come from?"

"You said you’d answer one question, right?"

Boen’s mouth twitched as if he was about to say something, but after a moment of silence, he nodded.

"I like wontons."

Ethan, hearing the name of a dish he’d never heard before, was momentarily stunned. After a moment to process the unfamiliar term, he asked, "…What’s that?"

"Didn’t you say just one question?"

"Okay. Wontons, right? I’ll be back."

"Huh?"

REAPER SCANS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Gorm

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"…If it’s just one question, then fine."

Ethan asked, "What kind of food are wontons?"

"…Huh?" Boen responded, looking unusually flustered. His confusion was understandable, though; they had just been talking about dark magic and demons, so suddenly mentioning wontons caught him off guard.

"You’re from the Empire, right? I heard there’s a dish like that in the Empire. It just came to mind," Ethan said, stringing together some context on the fly.

It took a minute, but Boen finally regained his composure. "Ah, well, it’s a strange question, but I can answer. Wontons are not exactly a dish so much as a type of cooking. They’re made by kneading flour into dough, wrapping minced meat and vegetables inside to make ‘dumplings,’ and then serving them in a ‘soup,’ a thin broth."

Ethan stubbornly asked another, most important question: "Are they good?"

"Weren’t you just going to ask one question?"

"You looked like you enjoyed answering that one."

Boen hesitated slightly but nevertheless answered, "They’re good. I like them."

"What do they taste like?"

"…They’re hard to describe. You take a dumpling and tear the wrapper slightly with chopsticks, and the steam escapes as broth fills the spoon. You drink the broth first. The Empire’s winters are bitterly cold, so you can feel the warmth traveling down your throat. Once your stomach warms up, you bite into the dumpling… Filling your mouth with the dumpling is satisfying in itself. The meat is tender, and the vegetables add texture. The taste varies depending on who made them and when, so there’s a joy in discovering new flavors. Before your mouth cools, you take another spoonful of broth…" Boen trailed off. "I’ve said too much."

"No, thank you for explaining. When do you eat them?"

"Wontons are a regular meal, like bread and soup in the West. They have meat and require some effort, so they’re not something you can make every day."

"Have you had any since coming to Yurmus?"

"No. In Yurmus, I doubt anyone knows how to make them, let alone has tasted them… Anyway, was that a satisfactory answer?"

"Yeah."

Ethan left Boen’s dorm room and shot himself in the head.

∞

"Can I ask one more thing?"

"…If it’s just one question, then fine."

Ethan asked, "Do you know how to make wontons?"

"…Huh?"

It was the second time Ethan had seen Boen look so flustered. His confusion was understandable, though; they had just been talking about dark magic and demons, so suddenly asking if he knew how to make wontons caught him off guard.

Ethan looked up at the ceiling as if in recollection. "Once, a guest from the Far East visited our estate. They didn’t stay long, but they said Charasen food didn’t suit their tastes, and so they borrowed the kitchen to cook. My father told me not to bother the guest, but I was never one to listen. The guest recognized me and, seeing my curiosity, shared the food they had made, even taught me how to eat it.

"You take a dumpling, tear the wrapper slightly with chopsticks, and drink the broth first. It was winter, and I could feel the warmth spreading through my body. Next, you bite into the dumpling. The tender meat and vegetables were delicious. And then, before your mouth cools, you take another spoonful of broth… I didn’t know what they were called back then, but I heard later they are called wontons. Do you know of them?"

Boen stared blankly. It took him a moment to even realize Ethan had finished speaking. "Of course I know of them. Wontons are my favorite."

"How do you make them?"

"My mother always made them, so I don’t know exactly. I could probably mimic it. I helped her make the dumplings."

"The East is very far from here. It might be near the Empire’s borders, but the Empire is a vast country."

The Arnesia Empire spanned the East, covering all of Yumaha, and stretched to the West. The Empire’s races and cultures were neither unified nor harmonious. Only the Emperor’s power held the disparate communities within the Empire’s borders together.

Boen gestured to the chair in front of his desk and asked, "…Would you like to sit?"

It was the first time Boen had offered Ethan a chair. Ethan sat down, making an effort to not look too excited, while Boen perched on his bed.

"The Empire is a vast country," Boen began. "The world is called Damarth Yumaha. Damarth in the West and Yumaha in the East. People say the Empire rules Yumaha, but Damarth’s perception of Yumaha is somewhat narrow. Even in Damarth, there are only a handful of different languages, and you can understand them all if you listen carefully.

"In the Empire, however, there are dozens of languages, varying from one region to the next. Lainin, my hometown, is located in the northwest of the Empire. It is a barren land where even wheat barely grows. Even a single failed harvest means people will starve to death. They say no land is uninhabitable under Heisa’s blessing, but Lainin is hardly a place fit for living. People live there only because it’s been Yumaha’s chosen place of exile for so long."

"Yumaha’s chosen… what? Place of exile?"

"In Yumaha, some criminals are punished by being sent to live in distant lands. Usually, they’re sent to islands, but if there are no seas or lakes nearby, they are instead sent to Lainin. Lainin is the farthest habitable land, and the mountainous terrain makes it hard to freely come and go. Many criminals were sent to live and die in Lainin, and they left behind descendants. In Yumaha, being from Lainin means your ancestor was a criminal. No matter how strong or smart you are, being from Lainin makes it hard to improve your lot. The people living there can only rely on one thing…"

Ethan thought he knew the answer, but he let Boen continue.

"Magic," Boen concluded.

"Magic, huh."

Boen nodded and said, "No country, not even the Empire, has an abundance of magical talent. If a family produces just one mage capable enough to earn a salary, that is enough to change their fortune. Just knowing how to use magic can get you a government job—being recognized as a mage grants you an eighth-rank position. In Damarth, that’s equivalent to a baronet."

"So you decided you would become a mage and came here?"

"No. Magical talent doesn’t simply appear, it requires sufficient study and training. That’s why most mages in Damarth are nobles. They have the environment for it. Even the wealthiest families in Lainin don’t have that capability. Much the opposite: Lainin families are often extorted by officials from other regions, accused of gaining wealth through crime."

"Then how did you become a mage?"

Boen fell silent for a minute at Ethan’s question. Then, as if making up his mind, he met Ethan’s eyes.

The moment he did, a quest completion window appeared in the corner of Ethan’s vision.

[Quest: Advance Your Relationship with Boen Palmize (D) – Success!]

[Reward: 12 Experience Points]

[Reward: D-rank Lottery Coupon]

Boen said, "I was a slave. Slavery is prevalent in Lainin, and during famines, children are sold. Bain bought me to conduct magical experiments that couldn’t be performed in Damarth."

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