It Seems That the Slave Girl Is Actually a Count's Daughter. - Episode 10: Hidden Power

Episode 10: Hidden Power 

After finishing breakfast, we immediately headed to the wastelands. Using the teleportation magic [Heaven’s Gate], we arrived in an instant. Naturally, Pamela’s eyes sparkled with excitement. 

“Amazing! So this is teleportation magic. It’s my first time experiencing it. It feels kind of… wobbly and a little unsettling, though…” 

“That’s how it is at first. But you’ll get used to it soon enough.” 

This area was a barren wasteland. It was almost devoid of plant life. Only rocks were scattered across the landscape. It made it an uninhabited, desolate place. Because of this, there were few monsters, and no people lived nearby. Since there were no valuable resources in the vicinity, it was rare for anyone to venture here. 

It was the perfect place to practice magic. 

“Well then, Pamela. As a warm-up, show me your water and ice magic.” 

“Understood!” 

Pamela created a water sphere and an ice chunk. They were both slightly larger than an adult’s head. I see. If she can produce magic of this scale with just beginner-level spells, then she has a decent amount of magical talent. 

“Good, Pamela. At this rate, you’ll do just fine as an adventurer.” 

“E-El-sama, does that mean I’m a worthy partner for you?” 

“Huh? Ah, yeah, I guess so?” 

Pamela cheered, raising her hands in joy. Meanwhile, Shiro quietly leaned over to whisper to me. 

“Are you sure about that? Won’t this make things more complicated?” 

“Well, Shiro, if I denied it outright, Pamela would get depressed, wouldn’t she? And then what? How do you suggest I cheer her up?” 

“I see… So you’re already under her thumb.” 

What are you talking about, Shiro? This is a crucial survival skill. There’s no need to needlessly make her sad. When she gets all down and shrinks into herself like that, for some reason, I just feel like hugging her.

“Alright, let’s move on and try some advanced magic. Let’s start with the light attribute. This attribute is useful for illuminating the surroundings and purifying impurities. First, let’s try [Small World], a simple spell that lights up the area.” 

Since I could use all magic attributes, I naturally knew this spell as well. 

After giving Pamela a few pointers, a faint glow appeared in her hands. 

“I-I did it! El-sama, I did it!” 

“Congratulations. That makes two advanced attributes you can use. Next, let’s try lightning. It’s somewhat similar to light. So there’s a good chance you can use it. We’ll start with [Silent Thunder]. This spell gives a little zap to startle the opponent.” 

To demonstrate, I used [Silent Thunder] on Pamela. A small crackling sound echoed as a faint spark flickered. It was similar to the static shock you get when taking off a wool sweater. 

“Eek! Oh, that surprised me. But it didn’t really hurt. How strange.” 

“I lowered the power. If you increase it, it can paralyze your opponent for a while. It’s a pretty handy spell. Now, time to practice.” 

I guided Pamela, teaching her the proper technique and visualization. Sometimes, I held her hand to direct the flow of magic within her body. After practicing for a while… 

“[Silent Thunder]! I did it! I really did it!” 

“Well done. Possessing three advanced attributes is quite rare. You should be proud.” 

Pamela puffed out her chest proudly. Meanwhile, nestled in her arms, Shiro looked annoyed—his fur had puffed up from the static charge. Even like this, he was adorable. I’ll give him a treat later to make up for it. 

After a break for lunch, we tried practicing dark and space magic. But Pamela wasn’t able to use them. However, since she had already learned light and lightning, she didn’t seem discouraged. 

“Lastly, there’s summoning magic. Unlike the others, anyone with magic can use it. However, this magic is quite unique, requiring extensive study.” 

“I see. So El-sama will be the one teaching me, then?” 

Well, yeah, I figured that’s how this would go. Summoning magic can be dangerous depending on how it’s used. So I shouldn’t teach her too much. Instead, I’ll focus on the summons that would be most useful for her. 

“That’s right. Pamela, do you dislike studying?” 

“Not at all! I love it! Please teach me thoroughly, hand-in-hand.” 

The look in Pamela’s eyes… was serious! They sparkled like stars, filled with determination. She was completely prepared for me to teach her closely and personally. But, uh… summoning magic doesn’t actually require any physical contact, you know?

That day, I had Pamela focus on getting accustomed to the new magic she had learned. By repeatedly using beginner-level spells, she would train her subconscious to activate magic naturally. This would reduce the casting time and allow her to use magic with less mana consumption. 

Despite this, people in this country either dislike such steady efforts or simply aren’t taught this method in school. They have a tendency to overuse powerful spells that can only be cast a few times. With that approach, they’ll never truly master magic. 

—

We returned home before sunset. We had already stocked up on food. So there was no need to go shopping. Pamela seemed eager to continue training. But rest was just as important. She couldn’t afford to carry fatigue into tomorrow. 

I prepared tea for the two of us at the living room table. And we took our time drinking it. The sweet-smelling tea was special—it helped restore mana. Since dinner was approaching, we didn’t have any snacks. The teacups were cheap, yet Pamela never complained. 

“How do you feel? Gained some confidence?” 

“Of course. I don’t even know how to thank you. If I had learned this back when I attended the academy, I wouldn’t have been looked down upon.” 

Pamela lowered her gaze. She must have been referring to the noble academy. It was where aristocrats attended not to study but to expand their social networks or find potential fiancés. 

Back then, everyone must have believed Pamela only had a single magic attribute. Even if they didn’t outright call her incompetent, they likely saw her as inferior. 

With her beauty and figure, jealousy from other girls must have been intense. She might have even been bullied. But without a doubt, she must have drawn plenty of attention from the male students. 

—

When dinner time arrived, the two of us started cooking together. At this point, we worked in sync without needing to be overly mindful of each other. The way we moved felt like a long-married couple. 

Tonight’s dinner was teriyaki chicken. It was served with soup and bread. 

As soon as we started eating, I brought up tomorrow’s plan. 

“Tomorrow, I plan to take on one of the permanent monster subjugation requests at the Adventurers’ Guild. Of course, it’s for Pamela to gain some combat experience. Have you ever fought a monster before?” 

“N-No, I haven’t.” 

She answered with a nervous voice. Maybe this wasn’t the best topic for a meal. But it was important to confirm our plans. 

“That makes it even more crucial for you to gain real combat experience. If you were just staying home, it wouldn’t matter. But if you’re going to follow me, fighting monsters is unavoidable. You don’t intend to become an adventurer, do you?” 

“No… I don’t think I could.” 

As expected, a count’s daughter couldn’t easily become an adventurer. Registering as one would mean providing personal information to the Adventurers’ Guild. It was something she likely wanted to avoid. If her name became known, it could lead to unnecessary trouble. 

Still, I wondered—what was Pamela thinking when she decided to follow me? Did she plan to make me the captain of the count’s knight order? If that happened, would my job be to hunt monsters around the territory? That sounds boring. 

I wanted to ask her directly. But I decided against ruining the meal with such talk. Instead, we continued chatting about trivial things as we finished dinner.