Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Volume 6
Page 23
Just as God had wished for her with his final words:
“Please, have a good life…”
Bonus Story:
Weapons
“Reina, have you ever thought about changing your weapon?” asked Mile one day.
“Huh???”
The other three members of the Crimson Vow appeared bewildered at the sudden proposal.
“Isn’t this rather sudden?” Reina asked suspiciously.
“Well, I mean, rather than smacking or jabbing people with a staff, wouldn’t some other kind of weapon be a lot more efficient?”
“I mean, I guess you’re right…” Reina agreed.
“But,” Pauline added, “mages’ weapons have always been bludgeoning types since way back when. There must be a good reason for that. Well, that is mages who aren’t you of course, Mile.”
Pauline did not seem to be in favor of Mile’s proposal either, and even Mile had to agree that she had a point. As much as she
might call herself a magic knight, or what have you, even with a sword at her side, she was still primarily a magic-user.
“I know that much! I’m fully aware that the incantation is the most important thing for a mage and that they need a weapon they can use to reflexively defend themselves while their concentration is taken up by their spellcasting. It’s true that bludgeoning weapons are the best type for that…”
“That, and, with swinging-type weapons, you can generate a lot of force when you swing them. Mages tend to be weak when it comes to facing melee-type weapons, so if they allow even the slightest opening in close-range combat, they’re toast. If you prioritize self-defense over toppling your enemy, you create a moment to quickly fire off a spell. That’s the conclusion that our predecessors came to, and I’m pretty sure it’s the right one.”
Indeed, there were some very good reasons for mages to wield the weapons they did. However…
“That’s for normal mages, though. I’m sure that you and Pauline could handle something different while casting, no problem! Here, see, try something like this…”
As she spoke, Mile produced a weapon that had three fine blades extending from the hilt of a sword, fanning out at the end—a weapon that looked like it was, well… rather more impressive than practical.
“No thanks! I’m sure that would increase my ability to fatally wound someone, but that would never stop the force of a monster rushing at you, and it would never pierce right through them. Besides, it’s not about how badly you can wound your enemy. A mage’s weapon isn’t for close-range attack power, it’s for getting yourself out of a bad situation. I have no intention of giving up the staff that I’ve been using all this time!”
Apparently, Reina and her staff shared some memories, and she had absolutely no intention of switching weapons.
“Hm, well then… I’ll just install some reinforcing parts on that staff, then!”
“Huh?”
Yet another strange proposal.
However, Reina and the others were already well accustomed to Mile’s ways and could hardly be bothered to show surprise.
“What I’m saying is that I can put some metal spikes on the end of the staff that you hit people with. And on the thrusting end, I can put a metal cap for added power and weight balance, and…”
“How can you just pop out literally anything right on the spot like that?!” Reina shouted, though she took the offered parts in her hands and examined them. “These aren’t bad. They’re a little heavy, but it would raise my power that much more…”
Mile nodded approvingly as she watched Reina take forceful practice swings with her staff, when suddenly she heard Pauline’s voice softly in her ear.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Hm?”
Mile cocked her head. She had no idea what Pauline meant.
“I mean, whenever Reina gets mad at you, she always hits you on the head with that staff, doesn’t she? Like, bambambambambambambambam! Now that her staff is stronger, the next time you make her angry…”
“G…”
“G?”
“Gyaaaaaaaah!!!”
And so, Mile withdrew her proposal for strengthening Reina’s staff, fully of her own volition.
Afterword
Long time no see, everyone. FUNA here.
We’ve now reached Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Volume 6. Volume 2 of the manga is going on sale now as well. Head straight to your local bookstore today!
This volume features a battle with some new enemies: demons.
And, at last, Mavis has a grand awakening, surpassing human limits! It’s the first time we’ve truly seen Mavis in action since the battle against the elder dragons—ba-bam!
What? You’re saying that she “already surpassed human limits” during that battle?
Whatever! Don’t sweat the details!
If you keep picking those nits you’re gonna end up bald!
A new encounter, a new burden, and a new adventure!
Here’s Volume 6, beaming right onto your shelves!
Lately, I’ve been busy working on my three series in syndication, as well as working through the publication process. So much so that I’ve had barely any time for writing thank yous to all the kind messages I’ve gotten, cooking, reading net novels, or even sleeping… Ah, yes. For the past year and a half, I haven’t read any other net novels at all. I figure that’s no good, so I’ve started trying to pick up a few again.
Before, I used to visit izakaya maybe two or three times a week (more for eating dinner rather than drinking), but now I probably only go about once a month, if that. My expenditures have gone way down—it’s Engel’s law.
Mile: “Oh! Servants of God have started appearing to you at a high frequency then?!”
FUNA: “No, that would be ‘Angel’s law.’”
Friend: “FUNA-san, have you been out much recently?”
FUNA: “More than enough! I visit a fantasy world every day…”
Friend: “And as for the real world?”
FUNA: “Once a week, to the local supermarket…”
Friend: “…………”
FUNA: “………………”
Friend: “You’re gonna die at this rate.”
Don’t worry though, I only go there late at night, when all of the deli meats are half-off, so I’m safe.
Wait, no. That’s not the problem here, is it?
I may be slowly turning to stone, but I’m still a bundle of joy.
“You’d better accept the boss’s orders!”
Oh, a bullet for me, then? Thank you very much.
Doctor: “When you drink carbonated drinks, it dissolves the calcium in your body.”
FUNA: “Gotcha! So I should drink lots of carbonated drinks to get rid of those kidney stones!”
Doctor: “No! When the calcium dissolves, that’s what passes into your kidneys and forms the stones!”
FUNA: “Uh…”
Following the current release of Volume 6 of Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, along with Volume 2 of the manga, the second novel volume and first manga volume of Living on Potion Requests! will be coming out from Kodansha’s K Ranobe Books on November 2nd, and the second novel volume and first manga volume of Working in a Fantasy World to Save Up 80,000 Gold for My Retirement will be out on the same day from K Ranobe Books as well. Please enjoy these along with Abilities Average.
The manga serialization of Abilities Average is currently in healthy syndication in the web serial, Earth Star Comics (http://comic-earthstar.jp/), while the manga versions of both Potions and Retirement (the shortened title of Working in a Fantasy World…) can be read in the webcomic magazine, Wednesday Sirius (http://seiga.nicovideo.jp/manga/official/w_sirius/).
Please look forward to both the novels and the manga from here on out.
And finally, to the chief editor, Itsuki Akata, the illustrator, Yoichi Yamakami, the cover designer, and everyone
involved in the proofreading, editing, printing, binding, distribution, and selling of this book; to all the reviewers on Shousetsuka ni Narou who gave me their impressions, guidance, suggestions, and advice; and most of all, to everyone who’s read my stories, both in print and online, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I hope to see you all again for Volume 7.
I hope that both the Crimson Vow’s dreams, and all my hopes, can stick around for a little while longer…
—FUNA
Thank you for reading!
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