The Appraising-Eye Slave Trader ~ A Blind Boy Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Dominates with the Power to 'See True Talent' ~ - Episode 8: Sub Job is Magician

Episode 8: Sub Job is Magician

“…I want to be able to use magic.”

The moment I said that, everyone in the mansion froze in place.

Kariya was practicing swings in the yard. She froze while still holding a wooden sword.

Lilia was brewing medicinal herbs. She dropped the whole leaf into the pot.

Varna was doing push-ups after training. She lifted her face while trembling slightly.

“Eh, Ouji-sama… what did you just say…?”

“I said, I want to use magic.”

“…Ouji-sama…?”

“Yeah, me.”

“Magic…?”

“Exactly.”

“……”

Everyone averted their eyes at the same time. Hey, why?

“What’s with that ‘Eh, no way’ kind of atmosphere?”

“Well… magic is, like… the image… and Ouji-sama is a slave trader…”

Is that really the image people have of me!?

Sure, I don’t give off an intellectual vibe!

But isn’t that a bit harsh…!?

“I’ve got an S-rank aptitude for magician, okay? Already been appraised properly.”

“R-really…?”

Kariya widened her eyes.

“Yeah. Magic Control B, Chant Memory A. I think I can do it if I try.”

“Amazing… That’s probably pretty exceptional…!”

“Right? So isn’t this reaction kind of awful?”

“No, I mean… it’s just, I hope Ouji-sama doesn’t get into danger using magic…”

“Hey, that sounds like you’re assuming I’ll lose control of my magic from the start…”

In the end, no one seriously tried to stop me.

Which means, if I want to, I can do it.

That afternoon, I visited the Great Temple of Realythos located in the center of the royal capital.

A pure white building. It was surrounded by sacred barriers.

At the top of the central tower, a “seven-colored crystal” floated. It was glowing with magical power.

I lined up at the cleric’s reception and requested to obtain a sub job.

Yes—this world has a special system called sub occupations.

In addition to your main job, you can choose a supplementary job to enhance yourself.

However, you have to pay an absurd amount of money to the Great Temple.

“Pardon me, would you like to register a sub occupation?”

“Yeah. ‘Magician’, please.”

The cleric stopped moving.

“…Excuse me?”

“I said, magician. I’ve got the registration fee ready.”

“Uh… just to confirm, what is your current main occupation?”

“Slave trader.”

The reception stirred.

Nearby worshippers all turned to look.

“A slave trader… wants to become a magician…?”

“What’s he gonna use it for… price negotiation with fireballs?”

Shut up.

“Th-that’s… extremely unusual. Normally, slave traders choose things like merchant, alchemist, or appraiser…”

“I know. But I need to become a magician.”

From what I’ve seen with my appraising eye, I have the qualities of a magician.

And if I can analyze magic with this eye, the possibilities for future use are endless.

“…Understood. Then, let’s begin the process. However…”

The cleric was checking the document in hand. He said with a slightly apologetic tone,

“To acquire the sub job ‘Magician’, you’ll need to undergo the ‘Secret Rite of Divine Revelation.’ Since it’s a high-ranking job, the cost will be—100 gold coins.”

100 coins… huh. Expensive. No, insanely expensive.

But—

“No problem. I’ll pay.”

“…!”

The cleric’s eyes widened.

“A-are you paying immediately?”

“Right now. Get it ready.”

“U-understood…! Sub job ‘Magician’ registration… approved…!”

Ignoring the stir around me, I calmly looked ahead.

Ouji Grandfalm, Slave Trader.

The next title is—Magician.

(If I have the appraising eye, I should be able to optimize magic too… That’s what I believe.)

I will forge the path no one has chosen.

Thus began my new challenge—

I was led into the inner sanctum of the temple.

A dim stone chamber—with pale blue light on the ceiling. A complex magic circle was carved into the center of the floor.

“This is the chamber for the ‘Secret Rite of Divine Revelation’. The job change to sub job ‘Magician’ is done using this magic circle.”

In the cleric’s hand was a palm-sized rainbow crystal—Secret Stone of Divine Revelation.

Using this, they open the path between mana and soul. They then imprint the new occupation and talents—that’s how the ritual works, it seems.

A bit different from a regular job change.

“…Well then, let us begin. Please stand in the center of the magic circle.”

As instructed, I stepped into the center.

—At that moment.

(…What is this structure?)

My eyes reacted.

The appraising eye began to analyze the structure of the magic circle itself.

This wasn’t just a pattern.

A circuit that circulates mana, a compensatory formula that aligns mana wavelengths, and a transfer poem formula that substitutes chanting.

At first glance, it looked like just sacred-looking patterns.

But I could see.

(Here—the rune connections are too roundabout. If I reverse-connect with this formula, mana consumption will be reduced by 20%.)

(Here too. The energy path is congested. If I shift the route slightly downward, it’ll balance out…)

I didn’t move my fingers. I didn’t speak a word.

But my appraisal interfered with the magic circle. And it automatically adjusted the technique to the optimal solution.

The magic circle subtly changed its glow.

“…Huh? What’s this light…?”

The cleric frowned.

“That’s strange… the usual mana distribution is… why is it auto-correcting…? And it’s perfectly balanced…?”

While the cleric hurriedly re-checked the formula,

I casually said,

“…Could it be that I just… adjusted it myself?”

And then—

The magic circle quietly activated.

◆　　◆　　◆

My vision turned completely white.

Floating sensation. Mana like the wind wrapped around my body and seeped through it.

At the core inside my chest—what felt like a mana core—gently grew warm.

《—Sub occupation, “Magician”, acquisition complete—》

A voice echoed directly in my head.

I slowly opened my eyes.

“…Oh. Feels like I got something real…”

When I lightly raised my hand, faint sparks like fire gathered at my fingertips.

Nowhere near the level of Lilia and the others’ magic.

But this was definitely—

“I… became a ‘Magician’…!”

◆　　◆　　◆

Waiting for me when I exited the ritual chamber was the same cleric from before.

His face was pale.

“Ouji-sama… wh-what exactly… did you do?”

“Huh?”

“The magic circle… optimized itself! Normally, its structure never changes unless by divine intervention!”

“Well… it was a bit distorted, so… I kinda wanted to fix it?”

“‘A bit’ and that kind of correction…!?”

The cleric covered his face and looked to the heavens.

The temple staff around us clearly started marking me as a “person of interest.”

(Did I mess up…?)

Well, as long as I don’t get caught, it’s fine. I’ll just silently adjust it next time.

…No, maybe I could even make a business out of adjusting magic circles?

Thinking such things, I left the temple.

(Not just ‘seeing’—with this power, I can change the very structure of magic.)

Bending the world with information.

Maybe that’s how I’ll fight—as a “Magician”.

“I’m home.”

When I returned to the mansion, Kariya, Lilia, and Varna were all waiting at the entrance.

Apparently, my “I’m gonna be a magician” declaration caused a bigger stir than expected.

“…So, what happened?”

Kariya crossed her arms and asked.

“I got the magician job.”

“You really did…!”

Lilia’s eyes sparkled.

“That’s amazing, Ouji-sama! But… can you really use magic?”

“Fufufu… prepare to be amazed.”

I went out into the yard and slowly extended my right hand forward.

I focused mana into my fingertip. The image: “a tiny spark.”

“《Fire Spark》!”

*Pop!*

A tiny red spark flickered from my fingertip.

“Whoa…!”

“…I-it’s a cute flame.”

“Kind of like the fire starter in a magic tool…”

Hey, your reactions are way too underwhelming.

“I’m still training! Look, magic isn’t about flash—it’s about precision and timing!”

I declared proudly.

Right after that—another “window” appeared in my vision.

(This time… it’s self-appraisal.)

My appraising eye activated naturally. It visualized the flow of mana within my own body, muscle movements, and even the creaking of my bones.

Things I hadn’t been able to see with the eye before were now visible.

Probably because now that I had the sub job magician, I could feel mana flow more vividly.

Not just an appraising eye—combined with mana flow, it now saw even finer details.

This is practically a magic eye…

(T-this… is crazy…)

My shoulder joint is slightly out of place.

Mana is stagnating at my right elbow.

My breathing rhythm isn’t synced with mana circulation—

(Which means, all of this is ‘waste’…!)

“…Hmph, fine. I’ll adjust everything.”

I took a deep breath and finely adjusted my body’s center of gravity.

The appraising eye guided me—like navigation—showing the most efficient way to circulate mana.

Skeleton posture, muscle tension, breathing rhythm—everything was optimized.

“Whoa… my body feels so light…!”

It felt almost like I had taken a step into the air.

“…This… I might actually be able to fight.”

I turned toward Kariya.

“What is it?”

“You, next time, do a mock battle with me.”

“…Are you serious? With your stamina, Ouji-sama?”

“No problem. I’ll ‘read’.”

“Fine, but… please don’t get injured…”

“Of course.”

I had realized that I could see not only my own body, but even the movement of the other person’s muscles.

Which foot Kariya was putting her weight on.

The predicted trajectory of her next sword swing.

The movement of her shoulder blades, the angle of her knees, the trembling of her eyes—

I could process all of that as “information”.

(I’m no longer just a slave trader…!)

I control magic with information,

I optimize my body,

I even read my opponent.

“This is… my way of ‘fighting’.”

◆　　◆　　◆

That night. In the underground training room of the mansion. 

The mock battle with Kariya was set.

“Ouji vs. Kariya”

The curtain rose on this too-unusual match-up—.