Paintbrush Summoner – 71

Chapter 71 – Is this person a sage??

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Early next morning, the three woke up and gathered together in the dining hall of the inn.

As it was run by a farmer, they started early. There was bread, vegetables and soup. And so they ate while discussing their plans.

“Mr. Wal seemed to have ideas. But we’ll want more bread and vegetables.”

“There will be little light in the forest. So warmer clothes will be necessary.”

“We should buy blankets.”

As there was no limit to what they could carry, they did not need to be stingy about it.

“I want to meet this old man.”

“Ah, me too! The man who is 120 years old. What do you think he is like?”

“…”

Ralph was quiet as he frowned.

Apparently, he had a bad feeling about it. Perhaps he was not confident about being able to stomach it if another eccentric character joined them.

“The chief went out into the fields. But he should return to his house soon. Why don’t you go and see him?”

Said the innkeeper. And so they decided to wake up Mr. Wal and Kanon and go and pay the chief a visit.

The chief’s house was towards the back of the village. It was the kind of old wooden house that Menew had only seen in pictures before.

Next to the house, an old bald man was washing vegetables by a well.

He was small and with a curved back. And the young man who guided them yesterday was helping him. He turned to them and waved his hand.

“Good morning.”

“Morning! Chief, these are the travelers I told you about yesterday.”

As Menew greeted the young man, the old man finally raised his head and looked towards them.

“Ehh? Your voice is too quiet! You couldn’t scare away a single crow like that!”

He shouted.

As Menew and the others flinched, the chief carried the vegetables into the house.

“Sorry, you must have been shocked. But he’s always like that.”

“Well, he certainly seems energetic.”

“Yes, I was shocked.”

“He hit me with ki. He is clearly quite skilled.”

Ralph muttered. Menew looked at him as if to say, ‘Huh? Really?’

The old man returned a moment later and introduced himself as Mofusen.

“Sorry for shouting at you! If you came here to meet me, then you shall have a cup of tea before leaving.”

And so they decided to accept his invitation.

They sat around the irori in the center of the room with tatami mats laid on the floor, and green tea was served.

Apparently, this fussy youngster was the chief’s grandchild.

“I’m training with grandpa to be a Barrier Master. My grandpa is amazing at making barriers.”

Everyone looked at Mofusen, and he just laughed happily.

“Is that the secret to living long?”

Menew asked, and the chief nodded.

“It is. I am able to create barriers inside of my body. Do you understand that?”

That sounded incredible. Ralph’s eyes widened.

Currently, it was assumed that the only way to affect your flesh in such a way was through cursed items.

While Barrier Masters may be able to affect the outside a little, it was an entirely different thing to influence the insides, which were not visible.

“I make a barrier to isolate the disease, and annihilate it. That is why I’ve been able to live this long.”

“Am-amazing…”

Totto was an alchemist. And so he knew just how advanced such a technique would be.

Menew was also astonished.

In other words, this old man could perform surgery without opening the body.

It was no wonder he lived so long. The techniques far exceeded their expectations.

The result of experience and imagination.

“The technique of making a wall work as a barrier was also devised by my grandpa. Now, it is used with all kinds of magic.”

Ralph and Totto’s expressions darkened a little. They were reminded of that stone room. Still, it was impressive. And so Totto smiled and clapped his hands.

“Barriers are incredible! I’ve never met a Barrier Master before.”

“Well, it’s not something that anyone can do. Only my grandpa. Hey, grandpa, why don’t you show them it?”

The young man said boastfully. And then Mofusen touched his beard thoughtfully.

“Well, visitors. If you tell me about your adventures when you return from the forest, I will agree to show you a secret technique.”

“Yes, please.”

Menew nodded immediately, as he was curious.

And so the group went outside, and were then taken to a demonstration area where there were logs wrapped up in straw.

Mufusen stood in the center of the logs, and with a speed unfitting for some of his age, he kicked them all down.

His foot should not even have reached the logs at that distance, and yet, each broke in half and fell to the ground.

“…What just happened?”

Mofusen had a body like a dying tree branch. And it was clear that he didn’t do it with strength or wind pressure.

Not ki, either. Ralph would have noticed it.

“Haha. It’s quite simple. I cut them by creating a flat barrier that protrudes from my feet. I can make a shield or sword easily.”

So saying, he created plate-like barriers on his arms. And while they were made to look like glistening glass, so as to be visible to the others, he was also able to make them completely transparent.

After that, Mofusen and the others showed their statuses.

Mofusen’s occupation was Barrier Master. Level 103.

Ralph was stunned.

This man was not in the records of Heroes. But Ralph was lucky to meet someone at that level right after starting his journey anew.

“Old Mof. Can I ask you a question?”

“What is it, Menew?”

“Did you perhaps go back to Level 1 once?”

Only Mofusen and Ralph reacted to this.

Normally, level 103 was impossible. In that case, perhaps there was a true level that exceeded normal levels. Like what Menew was raising right now.

“Menew. Are you…”

“Yes. I returned to level 1. Right now, I am 23. I finally caught up with my age. I see. So it’s that kind of system…”

While the grandson would end up seeing it, Menew decided to show his entire status.

Both grandfather and grandchild were stunned by the numbers and skills. They did not fit the level at all.

It was also Totto’s first time seeing it. But he was not really surprised.

“Hahaha! It is great to live a long life! What interesting travelers you are!”

After laughing, Mofusen coughed so hard that his false teeth fell out.

Menew couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“How filthy!”

It was quite rude, but it was too amusing, seeing the teeth on the ground.

Even if he seemed superhuman, he was still human.

“Hahaha. Wehh, there ith nothin I than thoo athout teeth…”

Mofusen picked them up and went to wash them. When he returned, he was able to talk normally again.

A carver had made them out of monster fangs. As people did not live long in this world, they must depend on him for a lot of their business.

“Hah, Mofusen sure is an interesting person.”

“I would have liked to train with him for some time. But we’re not in the same field.”

“I want to learn how to affect people’s bodies…!”

Menew’s Enchant relied on imagination, so he could not teach it to others. But Mofusen was teaching his grandson.

So it must be established as a technique.

After hearing Totto’s request, Mofusen thought about it for a moment.

“Well then. Totto boy, if you tell me about that dragon on your back, I might teach you something.”

Apparently, it was hard to hide anything from this old man.

Mr. Wal, who was pretending to be a stuffed animal, moved away from Totto and flew in the air with his own wings.

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