The experiment with the prototype 'Feathers' was an outstanding success.
All four magics that Tris had engraved onto the puppet had been tested and used without the slightest malfunction.
The weapons of Mages usually served two primary functions: amplification and acceleration of magic.
If a Mage possessed talent in the Fire attribute, they would typically use a staff or some tool made from materials highly compatible with fire magic. This would allow any Fire magic they cast to become more effective whenever the staff was used.
The Mage's staff could also be designed to integrate one or more specific magics. For example, if the integrated magic were "Fire Ball," each time the Mage released that magic, it would receive far greater amplification compared to casting any other Fire magic.
Similarly, Tris's puppet could be regarded as another kind of staff or wand, serving comparable functions. It was designed for high compatibility with Space magic, with four distinct magics integrated into its construction.
The first two magics were "Sky Walk," which granted flight capability, and "Light Bending," which created an invisibility effect.
Despite the name "Light Bending," the magic did not directly manipulate light. Instead, it was actually a Space magic that altered the surrounding space around the target to create a similar effect.
Its high flight speed, combined with invisibility, made the puppet not only an exceptional scouting tool but also greatly enhanced its effectiveness in assassination and combat.
"Feathers" had two integrated offensive magics.
The first attack was a Space "Magic Bullet" fired from the puppet's beak. The projectile shot out in a flash, striking the back of the first bandit's head and instantly knocking him down.
The second attack came from Feathers' wings, another Space magic: "Dimension Cut." After activating this magic, the wings became magical blades capable of severing anything they passed through.
The final bandit had been quite strong and possessed excellent reflexes. Tris had taken advantage of that very trait by creating a distracting sound, making it easy to eliminate him quickly.
Once you act, you should never leave any opening for your opponent to exploit and reverse the situation. Tris strongly agreed with this teaching.
Another saying he had once "heard" was: "three minutes of fun, thirty minutes of cleanup," which felt very similar to the situation he had just experienced.
'Though that saying probably refers to something else.' - He muttered to himself irritably.
It had taken him only a minute to deal with the bandits.
But the work afterward—settling the victims, cleaning the battlefield, destroying the corpses, erasing traces—was far more exhausting than the fight itself.
Being a good person often came with many restrictions and burdens. That was why anyone who willingly played the role of a hero without expecting any reward was truly damn admirable.
Although he respected such heroic figures, Tris also understood that he himself would never become one of them. Instead, he would lean far more toward the role of a villain—someone who prioritized their own interests over those of others.
Even though he had helped the mother and child, it was only because doing so had been convenient.
If killing them had somehow brought him significant benefit, he probably would not have hesitated to do it.
Understanding his own selfishness and cruelty was precisely why he could respect heroes—yet never become one.
'The cleanup was unpleasant, but at least I gained some spoils and materials. All things considered, it's still more luck than trouble.'
Tris began devising plans for his next puppet.
* * * * * * * * * *
At the village gate, two young men holding spears were chatting idly after a long day of duty.
"I'm starving. I wish the shift change would hurry up."
"Still about thirty minutes, I think. I've got some roasted beans here. Want some?"
"Yeah, give me a handful. Oh, look over there. That kid went out into the forest again today."
In the distance, the small figure of a child was walking toward the village gate.
People from elsewhere would surely wonder why such a young child was wandering alone outside the forest. But as gate guards of this village, they had long grown used to it.
"If the village barrier didn't block outsiders from entering, no one would even know that kid runs into the forest all the time."
"His father, Elder Arven, doesn't care?"
"Free-range parenting."
"Maybe that's exactly how you end up raising a little monster like that."
"I've never raised a kid before. Don't ask me."
When the child approached, one of the young men called out:
"Hey, Tris, the forest is dangerous. What are you doing going out there alone all the time?"
"Picking mushrooms." - The boy replied with a blank face, showing almost no emotion at all.
Watching the child's back as he walked into the village, the guard who had spoken earlier continued:
"That answer was so half-hearted it was obvious. He didn't even bother making up a convincing excuse. No one's believing he went mushroom picking."
"That kid always looks this expressionless. Have you ever seen him show any other emotion?"
"I heard he's been like that since he was born. No one's ever seen him cry or throw tantrums like normal kids. Nobody knows what's going on in his head."
"Honestly, it'd be scarier if that kid started crying and acting like a normal child. Just think about it—"
"A kid who beat a bunch of young adults in the Puppet Dance competition at age seven… acting like a regular child?"
"Damn… yeah, that would be even harder to accept. Is that kid really that strong? I wasn't in the village during last year's competition, so I only heard the stories."
"..."
"Hey?"
"Unreasonably strong. You know the competition, right? Even though it's only for Mages under twenty-six, many participants have years of real combat experience and have killed plenty of powerful monsters around the village."
"Even the village chief's eldest son—Zarek—participated last year. Everyone thought he'd win the championship."
"But he lost in the very first round… just because he drew Tris as his opponent."
"Just imagining Zarek's face losing to a little kid already makes me laugh. Did you laugh out loud back then?" he asked excitedly while chewing roasted beans.
"I did. But keep your voice down, or he might hear about it."
"When the match ended, the entire audience went silent for a while. No one expected that result. I bet even Elder Arven didn't see it coming."
"Normally, even talented kids in the village only start actually learning magic at age eleven. Before that, they're only taught basic theory."
"Yeah. Who could've guessed a seven-year-old somehow learned magic already? Not only that, he even employed the difficult technique of directly controlling a puppet in close combat.
I wonder how much Elder Arven taught him."
"So what happened in the fight? Tell me the details."
"Let me think..."