Synopsis
Ryo’s life does a 180 after arriving in the city of Lune, where he spars with an expert sword-wielding elf, takes on guild jobs with Abel (his partner-in-adventuring), Abel’s party, and his roommates, and much more! Ryo never could have imagined discovering a whole different side of this new world! But then monsters spill out of the dungeon in droves and plunge the city into an unprecedented crisis. When Abel and his party set out to investigate, they’re forcibly transferred to the lowest level of the dungeon. There, they encounter a life-and-death situation against devils—creatures who eventually awaken as demon lords. The Handalieu Federation’s meddling and a confrontation with the Inferno Magician ratchet tensions up even more… With the dangers racking up one by one, Ryo finally gets serious?! “I won’t let you lay a single finger on this city or my friends.” Here comes the explosive second volume recounting the adventures of the strongest, freewheeling water magician! (Source: J-Novel Club)
The Water Magician Enjoys City Living!
After helping Abel back home, the second volume of The Water Magician picks up with Ryo beginning his adventuring life in Lune. Far away from the isolation of his former home in the forest, city life brings a host of new challenges for the budding magician. From dealing with schemes on escort missions to diving head-first into deadly dungeons, Ryo’ll experience many of his favourite fantasy tropes as he creates a path for himself as an adventurer.
For the most part, Ryo is conspicuously absent from the main action point of the novel’s first half. It’s an interesting direction for the author to take the story, but it ultimately pays off.
With Ryo either out in the library or enjoying the luxurious food the city has to offer, the story flitters between numerous character perspectives within the city. This gives the impression that, as a frontier city, Lune is teeming with life. Moreover, these perspectives give other characters introduced in the first volume a chance to shine.
Chief among those given a chance to shine are Abel’s team, The Crimson Sword, and Ryo’s adventuring pals in room 10. The Crimson Sword’s big moments come as they help investigate a dungeon stampede (known in-world as a Great Tidal Bore). Facing dangers on an unimaginable scale, the story highlights what it takes to become a high-ranking adventuring team and why Abel is their leader.
Room 10’s journey follows an adventuring team full of potential and just starting out. Much like with The Crimson Sword, their leader, Nils, is the focal point. During the volume, the story features an adventuring quest that takes the party and Ryo back to Nils’ hometown. Not only does this storyline help give insight into Nils’ past, but it also fleshes out the world as the story showcases a village filled with unique traditions.
Ryo’s role within the volume becomes more pronounced as the story progresses. As it turns out, his visits to the library were for more than just research. During his time there, he managed to make inroads with one of the few elves residing on the continent, Sera. This is the first time that romance is touched upon in the series, and this volume gets their blossoming love off to a good start. Their equal fighting strength sets up a nice bond between them.
This volume also sees Ryo pick up yet another rival in the form of the Inferno Magician. Meeting by chance during an escort mission, the two end up starting on bad terms. What’s most noticeable about their interactions during their scenes together comes from Ryo’s unexpected outbursts of emotion. It’s rare to see Ryo lose his cool and show how much of a loose cannon he can be when pushed too far.
Overall, The Water Magician’s second instalment successfully builds on the foundations of its prequel. While the protagonist isn’t as involved with the action scenes of the volume’s first half, this doesn’t hinder the story as it allows other characters within the cast to develop and shine. What we get from Ryo in the second half is great. It shows new sides to the character and opens a host of possible plot threads for the series’ future.
I Give The Water Magician Volume 2: 8.5/10
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You can read the second volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.
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