Synopsis and Review of the water magician volume 3 and 4 of Arc 1

Hello again! Following up on my previous post, here's the synopsis (with spoilers) and review for Volumes 3 to 4 of the Water Magician: Central Provinces Arc.

If you missed it, you can check out my write-up for Volume 1 to 2 here.

I'm currently working on the synopsis for the other books in Arc 1.

Book title: The Water Magician

Author: Tadashi Kudou

Characters

Ryo: A water magician reincarnated from Earth. He has eternal youth and currently works as an adventurer in the city of Lune.

Abel: A B-rank adventurer based in Lune. He was saved by Ryo and later became his traveling companion.

Nils: A cheerful swordsman and one of Ryo’s roommates.

Eto: A calm and composed priest, also one of Ryo’s roommates.

Amon: A young swordsman who first met Ryo during a dungeon beginner’s course and later became his roommate.

Oscar: Vice-captain of the Debuhi Empire’s Imperial Mage Corps. Known by the title "Flame Magician."

Fiona: Captain of the Debuhi Empire’s Imperial Mage Corps and the 14th princess of Emperor Rupert VI.

Escort Mission to the Port Town

Ryo and his roommates—Nils, Eto, and Amon—accept their first official escort mission, guarding a merchant caravan heading to another city. Their destination is Witnash, where the city is hosting its once-every-five-years Port Opening Festival. During their stay, they enjoy the festivities freely.

At the boat racing competition, Nils enters the race but ends up breaking his boat mid-race and is disqualified. Princess Fiona of the Debuhi Empire, who is watching the event, becomes fond of crepes, though Vice-Captain Oscar later refuses to serve sweets at the training grounds.

Festival Attack

On the final day of the festival, a garden party is held at the local lord's estate—but during the event, a group of black-clad attackers launches an assault. Princess Fiona protects her brother, Prince Konrad, with a “Sanctuary Array,” but is seriously injured.

Oscar rushes in to assist and mistakenly assumes that Ryo and his group are part of the attack, and launches an offensive. Eto uses a spell to block the attack and is gravely wounded in the process. Abel steps in to mediate and explains Oscar's identity and the misunderstanding, and the fight is halted.

The next day, Eto miraculously recovers. Abel informs the group that no punishment will be issued regarding the incident and that Princess Fiona has rewarded Nils, Eto, and Amon with monetary gifts in appreciation.

Sera's Age and the Forbidden Library

After the festival, Sera finds ancient texts related to alchemy and arranges access to the restricted archives of the North Library for Ryo. She teaches him the magic of “Transcription,” and during their time together, Ryo learns—much to his surprise—that Sera is around 200 years old.

Subjugation Request in Abary Village

Ryo and his roommates accept a quest in Nils’s hometown, Abary Village.　The Guild Master informs them that previous adventurers failed the mission and that a guardian beast and a shrine are located near the village.

In the eastern forest, Ryo uses “Ice Bind” to stop a Goblin General, allowing Nils to land the finishing blow. Eto eliminates the skeletons guarding the shrine, while Ryo crafts a special “Ice Hammer” for Nils and Amon. Working together with Ryo's ice magic to slide the hammer across the battlefield, they manage to defeat a powerful Skeleton Arch enemy.

Inside the shrine, the village elder reveals that the site is part of a hidden temple connected to a leyline. He expresses hope that they will now begin restoring the stone statues that had previously been destroyed.

Buying a New Home

After returning to Lune, Ryo decides it’s time to find a new place to live and enlists Abel’s help. They find a farmhouse on the outskirts of town with a large yard. Ryo instantly falls in love with the property and purchases it using the large sum of money he earned.

Review

I just finished Volume 3, and the first thing that struck me was how the story is finally beginning to expand on a larger scale. Compared to the earlier volumes where Ryo was mainly based in the city of Lune, the stage now shifts dramatically outward, and it’s exciting to see his name and reputation starting to spread across the wider world. Watching Ryo gradually gain recognition—as a potential “dangerous individual”—was genuinely thrilling.

Although this series definitely falls into the “cheat power fantasy” category, it doesn’t rely solely on combat. One of the things I really like about it is how it incorporates small but clever details like magic circle modifications and alchemy. This volume includes a great example—Ryo receives an alchemy notebook from another reincarnated character, which keeps the story from turning into a simple “might makes right” kind of narrative.

Ryo’s interactions with Abel continue to be a highlight. Their banter is as sharp as ever, and it’s pretty funny how Abel and Ryo seem to match. That kind of deliberate absurdity is part of the fun, and I think it’s handled well.

That said, I have mixed feelings about Ryo’s personality in this volume. The calm, rational tone he had at the start is starting to fade, replaced by scenes where he acts completely oblivious to how bizarre or inappropriate his behavior is, always with a big smile. There’s one moment where he causes damage to a city with magic and cheerfully says something like, “Now everyone can escape!” It honestly made me pause. Whether you enjoy these kinds of “goofy” moments might really shape your impression of this volume.

I didn’t cover it in detail here, but the side stories about Oscar and Fiona were also intriguing. Oscar, in particular, is steadily climbing the political ladder, and at times his story feels even more dramatic than the protagonist’s. The fact that even secondary characters are given this kind of depth is a big strength of the series.

All in all, Volume 3 was packed with content—intense battles, great character chemistry, and an expanding world. People may have differing opinions on Ryo as a character, but for me, this volume was a solid read. Flaws and all, I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.

tag: The Water Magician chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, The Water Magician manga