Water Magician-Chapter 549: A Celebration of Success

Editor: Tseirp

At the Ryusen Residence, there is a vast training ground on the premises.

To put it into perspective, it’s about the size of two 400-meter tracks.

The area is exclusively for guests and can be used freely.

Because of the high accommodation fees, most of the guests staying there were wealthy merchants or local lords.

Although they rarely use the training grounds, those who protect them never miss their daily training…

You could call it a sign of professional pride.

Over the past few days, several major merchants and local lords, along with their entourages, have been staying at the ‘Ryusen Residence’.

Naturally, this is due to the arrival of Princess Shio Fen, who is to become the official consort of the Sixth Prince, Ryun, and the related wedding events.

The imperial palace and surrounding areas, where the wedding-related events will take place, are about a ten-minute walk from here.

That’s not exactly close.

If proximity were the only factor, there are plenty of other inns.

However, a ten-minute walk is, in a way, just the right distance.

If it were too close, it would be easier to be watched, and harder to move around freely.

Additionally, many of the guests staying at ‘Ryusen Residence’ have brought large entourages with them.

For them, the training grounds, large baths, and other facilities are very convenient for relaxation.

Naturally, when these groups stay in the same place for several days, they start to recognize each other’s faces.

And so, they noticed—

New guests had arrived yesterday.

One group consisted of ten warriors.

Apparently, they were newly arrived retainers of one of the lords already staying here.

But the other group…was just two men.

A foreign man in a black cloak and a man in a robe. Just who were they…?

Since morning, a lone swordsman had been practicing at the edge of the training grounds.

Though he was a swordsman, he wasn’t swinging a sword.

“Hup!”

With a shout full of spirit, his body floated up.

And then, forward…

Zaa—!

“Ugh…”

Abel fell over.

“You were really close! Actually, you were floating, and even flying for a bit.”

Ryo cheered him on.

“Right? It felt like I was getting the hang of it!”

Though he kept falling, Abel’s face was lit with joy.

Flying through the sky—something he had dreamed of.

And now, it was slowly becoming a reality. Of course he was thrilled.

Even though it started this morning… they had actually been practicing on and off since arriving at the inn yesterday afternoon.

“Still, I’m impressed that you haven’t run out of magic despite all this practice. Is it because of how amazing the flight ring is, or do you actually have a lot of magic power…?”

“Didn’t you say something about magic being connected to gravity the other day?”

“Yeah, well, that’s true… But the magic power used to draw in gravity from extra dimensions acts kind of like a primer, and that part, I think, still comes from within your own body. So I figured anyone would run out of magic eventually if they overdid it.”

“Huh…I don’t really get it.”

With that, Abel turned his attention back to flying practice.

(Rather than thinking about things he doesn’t understand, he chooses to move his body…classic muscle-head behavior.)

“Ryo, were you just thinking something rude?”

“N-No, not at all! Come on, focus on your training!”

Even in a moment like this, Abel’s sharp instincts made Ryo flustered.

Of course, Abel didn’t really mind and went right back to practicing flight with the bracelet.

People can keep doing the things they love.

Even if others say they’re not getting results or making progress, it doesn’t matter.

They keep at it anyway.

Why? Because they love it. Because it’s fun.

And if you keep at it, you improve.

Yes, you will improve if you keep going.

That’s an absolute truth.

Even if it doesn’t seem like you’re improving, you are.

It’s okay.

Just keep going with confidence.

Because one day, the results will suddenly appear.

No one really knows why, but that’s just how people are built.

That’s just how it is.

You can’t change it.

So just keep going.

You’ll definitely get better.

People who say, “I’m not improving,” or, “I’m not seeing results,” are usually saying that because they didn’t get the result they wanted at the moment they wanted it.

In a match.

On an exam.

During a trial.

Yes, you might not make it in time for the moment you hoped for.

But that doesn’t mean you haven’t improved.

It just means the speed of your improvement wasn’t fast enough.

Don’t get that wrong.

Absolutely, if people continue, they will improve.

That’s how we are made.

And in front of Ryo’s eyes stood a swordsman who was about to seize his results.

That evening—

Abel finally succeeded in flying.

“Congratulations, Abel!”

“Thanks!”

Ryo clapped, and Abel smiled from ear to ear.

He only got about ten centimeters off the ground.

But he stayed in the air and flew fifty meters in a straight line without touching the ground.

According to the training manual, once you can do that consistently, you can start working on turning, quick stops, and even high-altitude flight.

In other words, Abel had taken the first real step toward full, free flight!

“We should celebrate tonight!”

“Yeah, let’s eat whatever you want in the dining hall! It’s my treat!”

“Abel… You know that everything’s already included in the lodging fee, right? So technically, it’s not your treat.”

“You figured that out quick.”

“Stealing my role as the comic relief on a celebratory day…how dare you.”

For now, the two of them took a nice, refreshing bath and headed to the dining hall.

It was around 6 PM, so it wasn’t too crowded yet.

Though they called it a dining hall, it wasn’t like a regular town tavern—it was more like the main dining room of a luxury hotel.

Even the guards of the merchants and lords used it, but they were clearly well-trained. No one got overly drunk or caused a ruckus.

“I get the feeling that all the guards here are really professional.”

“What do you mean, professional?”

“I mean, there aren’t any rowdy, unruly types like adventurers.”

Ryo’s judgmental bias came out in full force.

“…You do remember we’re adventurers too, right?”

“We’ll have to be careful not to stand out in the wrong way.”

Abel and Ryo were technically adventurers—but they were also a king and a duke.

So when the situation called for it, they could act with proper manners.

All hail education!

The two entered the ‘Ryusen Residence’ dining hall.

Just like the night before, the host began to guide them to their table…

“Huh?”

Ryo couldn’t help but let the words slip out.

“What’s wrong?”

Abel asked.

Following Ryo’s gaze.

Ryo was looking toward a strange, black, three-legged table in the back of the dining hall.

Although it was being called a table, it was slightly taller than an ordinary one.

“No way…a grand piano?”

Ryo’s muttered words just barely reached Abel’s ears.

Of course, it was an unfamiliar word to him.

“Um, excuse me.”

Ryo called out to the man guiding them.

“Could we sit near that…thing?”

He pointed to the black, oddly shaped table.

The one he had just referred to as a grand piano.

“Certainly.”

The man nodded and led the two of them to a table near the object.

“Ryo?”

“Abel, when we had dinner here last night, was that thing there?”

“No, I didn’t see it. Must’ve been hidden behind the curtains.”

“Which means, if it’s out tonight…it’s probably going to be used.”

Ryo looked excited.

“Do you know what that is, Ryo? I heard you say something like ‘grand’ something earlier.”

“Yes. I think it’s a grand piano. At least, it looks exactly like one…though the lid is closed, so I can’t be completely sure.”

“Grand piano? What’s that?”

“It’s a musical instrument.”

“Huh…”

Upon hearing the word instrument, Abel gave the object a good look.

No matter the shape, all musical instruments had one thing in common:

They produced sound.

But no matter how he looked at it, Abel couldn’t figure out how this thing could make a sound.

Well, there was one possibility…

“You could hit it with your hands and it might make a noise.”

“…The part you’re thinking of hitting is the lid, Abel. That’s not how you use it.”

For some reason, Abel was playing the fool and Ryo had to play the straight man.

It was usually Ryo’s job to be the funny one, so he felt slightly robbed—but let it slide.

“Ah, anyway, let’s order dinner first. This is your celebration, after all. The piano isn’t going anywhere.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Even if they were curious about the piano, they were also hungry.

And they definitely wanted to celebrate Abel’s success in flying.

So for now—dinner comes first!

While the two of them enjoyed their meal at a more leisurely pace than usual, more guests began to fill the dining hall.

And then, finally…

“Oh?”

Abel noticed something and let out a small sound.

That prompted Ryo to look up as well.

A well-dressed woman had entered the room.

She walked over and opened the lid of the grand piano.

Reflected in the polished inner lid were rows of strings, clearly visible now.

“Ah, I knew it. It’s exactly like the grand pianos I know.”

Ryo said with clear delight.

“Wow. So it really is an instrument. But it’s huge. No way you could carry it around.”

“Exactly. It weighs several hundred kilograms. They don’t exist in the Central Countries, do they?”

“Never heard of one like that.”

Abel nodded at Ryo’s question.

Abel could play the violin.

In fact, by Ryo’s standards, he was talented enough to be called a master.

Apparently, members of the Knightley royal family were trained to play from childhood, and Abel still kept up with it…

So if even Abel—someone with deep knowledge of music—had never seen or heard of a piano, then it likely didn’t exist in the Central Nations.

In the first place, why there was a piano in ‘Phi’ to begin with was the real mystery…

Soon enough, the woman began to play.

It was background music for dinner.

It didn’t interrupt conversations. It enhanced appetite and created a pleasant atmosphere.

It wasn’t a showy performance meant to steal the spotlight—but rather, one that gently uplifted those present.

In that sense, it was a truly wonderful performance.

Of course, it was a song Ryo didn’t recognize.

Most likely, it had been composed here in ‘Phi’.

The piano might have been recreated in this world…probably by a reincarnated individual, but the music itself was an original creation of ‘Phi’.

A fusion of Earth’s culture and the culture of ‘Phi’.

It was, without a doubt, a beautiful experience.

“Nice.”

Abel murmured, and Ryo nodded in agreement.

Good music is good, no matter who’s listening.

And so, the two let themselves be carried away by the gentle sounds of the piano…

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