The Old Man Who Taught Magic

Three months passed.

After three months of training, his once-scrawny body had grown much leaner and stronger. Not only had his Chakra increased considerably, but he had also gained a basic grasp of a ninja's fighting style and techniques, such as sticking to trees and happily racing across water. He actually looked like a ninja now.

Most importantly, he had also learned the Shadow Clone Technique.

It seemed he still couldn't make a Rasengan, so learning the Shadow Clone Technique wasn't all that useful.

As for Gale Palm, he was in no hurry. He still hadn't learned to convert his Chakra into the wind attribute, and he had Great Fireball as an offensive Ninjutsu. He would rather practice the techniques he had already learned. Otherwise, what if he panicked in a fight and forgot how to form the hand seals?

After three months together, Mira and the others had also come to regard the boy of unknown origins as family.

"What do people in this village usually do to make a living?" Chiba asked at the dining table one morning.

The time he had promised to pay the money back was fast approaching, yet aside from training every day and helping Mira with the housework, he hadn't earned a thing.

"Mining, logging, hunting, um... That's it..." Lisanna said.

"Which makes money fastest?" he continued.

Since he was pressed for time, he had to settle this quickly.

"Mining or hunting," Lisanna said.

Mira smiled faintly and continued explaining, "As for mining, there are usually all kinds of ores containing magic power in the mountains. Many people in the village collect them and sell them to the ore shop. The shop sends people to transport them out and sell them to magic shops in town. Hunting is generally more dangerous, but a single beast can fetch a very high price."

"Mining..." Chiba murmured thoughtfully.

"Are you going mining, Chiba?" Lisanna asked with a smile.

"No, I'm going hunting."

What a joke. He had trained for three months and finally forged himself into something resembling a ninja. He had even learned several Ninjutsu. He wanted to fight. Mining? He didn't have any magic power, so magic ores were no damn use to him.

Hunting was great. He could beat up little tigers, lions, bears and the like, then barbecue them and sell the rest for money.

Perfect.

Chiba had originally wanted them to come up the mountain with him, but then he remembered that he hadn't been to the surrounding mountains before and didn't know if there were monsters or anything like that. It would be better to go up and take a look by himself the first time.

So after eating, Chiba ran straight up the mountain.

Hunting was extremely hard work.

For example, you might eat yourself to death.

Chiba was now sitting somewhere on the mountain, with a huge wild boar on a homemade barbecue rack.

The mountain was pretty good. It had a waterfall, where Chiba had cleaned the boar before using the Great Fireball Technique to roast it.

Chiba really did have a good appetite, though. He had polished off half the pig and was starting to wonder if he had a stomach like Hinata's.

There was still half a pig left. Should he take it back?

But he wanted to bring one back alive. A live one could walk on its own; a dead one was too heavy.

He might as well throw it away...

But just as he was about to toss it, a dead branch suddenly shot past his eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't waste it, you can't waste it, you can't waste food..."

An old man with long white hair and a long white beard came running out of the woods. His clothes were in tatters, and he looked quite comical as he ran out. Staring at the half-roasted pig in Chiba's hands, his dim, yellowed old eyes shone like those of a lecher who had spotted a beautiful woman.

"Damn! Who are you trying to scare? You nearly scared me to death just now!" Chiba snapped, his brows shooting up.

A dead branch had suddenly come flying at him and nearly hit him. Of course he was angry.

"Sorry, sorry. I got a little impatient. I'm terribly sorry."

"Young man, give me what you're holding, and I'll give you something good." The old man reluctantly tore his gaze away from the roast pig and licked his dry lips.

Chiba had a feeling something was off about the old man, so he hid the roast pig behind his back and said, "Who are you? What could you possibly give me?"

The old man stroked his beard and put on an air of mystery. "How would a country boy like you know my name? Hurry up, this old man is hungry."

Chiba gave the old man a suspicious look. After confirming that he really was starving, Chiba, in the spirit of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, prepared to hand him the remaining half of the roast pig.

"Here!"

Chiba handed it over. The old man snatched it up and wolfed it down, reducing the half pig to nothing but bones in a matter of minutes.

It looked like the old fellow really had been starving.

"Kid, this pig you roasted doesn't have much flavor. You didn't add cumin or pepper, did you?"

The old man casually wiped his beard and resumed his inscrutable air.

Chiba curled his lip. I just came up the mountain to hunt, not to have a barbecue. How would I remember to bring any?

The old man looked at Chiba and suddenly smiled.

Chiba was a little afraid the old man would suddenly say, "Young man, want to buy a cheat?"

But the old man said, "Young man, I can see that you have extraordinary bones. You're well suited to learning magic. Take this book as thanks for your kindness." With that, he pulled a book from inside his clothes and tossed it to Chiba.

Chiba was slightly taken aback. The old man's words sounded familiar. Could he be some enlightened master?

He caught the book and looked at it. On the cover were the words Training and Circulation of Magic Power.

Damn, cheap street-stall junk!

"Old man, you can buy this book at any magic shop! It's only worth a few dozen J! You think it's worth that much pork?" Chiba said, glaring at him.

The old man's face reddened. He coughed twice, then said, "Don't be hasty, young man. That's only the first book. There's another one!" He pulled out another book and tossed it to Chiba.

Chiba caught it and looked at the cover. It read Tales of Romance.

This... Are you sure it isn't a dirty book?

Chiba's face darkened. "This is the book you wanted to give me?"

The old man hurriedly snatched the book back. His face reddened, and he coughed twice. "Ahem, that was an accident. How about this? Take me as your master, and I'll teach you magic."

"You're trying to take advantage of me?" Chiba glared at him.

"Nonsense!" The old man glared right back. "I'm one of the esteemed Ten Wizard Saints. Other people beg to become my disciples. How could that be taking advantage of you?"

The Ten Wizard Saints?

Chiba froze for a moment.

Speaking of the Ten Wizard Saints, it was necessary to talk about this world.

This strange world filled with magic power was called Earth-land. In the east of Earth-land lay a continent called Ishgar, also known as the Eastern Continent. On this continent was a permanently neutral country called the Kingdom of Fiore.

People capable of wielding magic were called "wizards," but only those who joined a "wizard guild" were officially recognized as wizards. As a result, numerous wizard guilds had been established. They sustained their operations by having wizards accept and complete jobs posted by clients, and served as workplaces for wizards.

There were two types of magic. The first, which used magic tools in conjunction with one's own magic power, was called "holder" magic. Magic performed using oneself, without relying on any tools, was called "caster" magic.