Book 11 Chapter 7
Chapter 259
#4 The Disciple’s Epilogue.
The reunion with family in this life was boisterous, but the reunion with family from a past life was not.
“You’ve come to visit Archmage Atlante’s grave. Please follow me.”
How many years had it been since I last visited the Osarius School’s magic tower in the north?
I hadn't even thought of coming since being reborn.
‘To go means I have to acknowledge it. To see with my own eyes and realize it. That I can never meet them again.’
So much had changed.
The structures were built much more splendidly than 300 years ago.
And it was heartwarming to see all the students wearing the standardized uniforms and conical hats that Lynn wore during the turbulent period.
Amidst this wave of change, strangely, the main building, which was the old magic tower, had changed little.
“We are upholding Archmage Atlante’s will. She asked us to keep this building in its old form.”
“Why?”
“She said she was worried Lynn would be confused when he returned.”
In the distant past.
Her tombstone stood on a sun-drenched, windswept hill.
“Oooh! The bright sunlight makes this place feel like justice is alive and breathing… that’s what it is!”
“Nen, be quiet here. Aki, take care of Nen for a bit.”
“Aki, yessir!”
“You shouldn’t shout either…”
The Osarius School mage, who was walking ahead and watching Aki and Nen with a warm smile, said,
“It’s too humble for the grave of an Archmage of the Eight Great Schools, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
That was the answer, but rather…
It’s quite interesting that because it’s so humble, one can know that this is truly her burial place.
Not only the Archmage but also the grave of the Senior Disciple was next to her. It seemed he was the next Archmage.
“According to their wishes, all Archmages of our school erect their graves with just such a stone slab.”
“I see.”
“Disciples are also educated one-on-one, only one at a time during a period. One mage trains one to a maximum of three Osarius mages in their lifetime.”
“Reason unknown. Efficiency low. Schools require many disciples depending on their scale.”
Mir’s sudden observation caused the other person to make a bewildered expression. Rain quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
“No, it’s just that… it didn’t seem to be that way before. Before it became one of the Eight Great Schools.”
“There is a theory passed down by word of mouth among the Archmages, but… it’s not accurate.”
“Please tell me.”
“Archmage Atlante was said to have lived with many regrets.”
“Regrets? What kind of regrets?”
“That she couldn't give Lynn more affection. So she established this system so that her disciples wouldn't make such a mistake.”
Rain felt a momentary pang of pain, as if clutching her chest.
“Is that so?”
Yes, so that’s how it was.
That’s what you were doing, Auntie.
On the stone slab, an old scene was faintly brought back to life by the hand of a master craftsman.
The sight of Auntie putting a conical hat on Lynn as he left the magic tower, and the classmates who cried with her while watching it…
“Well then, please call me if you need anything else.”
After the guide left, Rain stared at the stone slab silently for a long time before finally opening her mouth.
“Archmage, I’m here.”
As Miria looked on with a worried expression, Rain stroked the stone slab and said,
“Returning from that expedition, I wanted to tell you this, Archmage. One was that the expedition during the turbulent period was not difficult at all.”
A bitter smile formed on Rain’s lips as she placed her hand on the head of the boy with the conical hat on the stone slab.
“The other… was thank you for raising me.”
You were the mother of my life.
If you hadn’t reached out to me that day, if you hadn’t taught me magic, this story would never have begun.
Miria came and stood next to Rain with a gentle smile.
“The Archmage said something similar.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She said that you were like a son she raised, and she knew all your thoughts. And she was immensely proud of your growth conveyed through letters.”
“Like a son she raised, Auntie had the same thoughts as me.”
Rain let out a faint laugh and looked up at the clear autumn sky.
“Archmage, I’m going to take the ranking exam. I’ll go to the same place where I attained 4th rank with you. Soon, a mage who attains 7th rank after fourteen hundred years will appear, and the Empire will be abuzz.”
But that laughter quickly melted into the air, and her upward gaze dropped.
“I wish I could have shown that to you first…”
Rain entrusted Mir to Miria’s arms, then respectfully prostrated herself before the grave and bowed.
Her shoulders intermittently heaved, and dew drops fell onto the grass in front of the stone monument.
Her head did not rise again until the midday sun turned to twilight, casting fantastical shadows over the world.
Aki and Nen, who had been playing on the ridge of the grave, returned and tilted their heads, then bowed before it, following Rain. And they fell asleep right there.
Only Mir briefly raised her gaze and met Miria’s eyes.
“Reason for this action undetectable. Object in direction of bow is inorganic, not a living organism.”
Miria smiled deeply and rested her chin on Mir’s head.
“You think that’s just a stone. It’s not, Mir.”
“Explanation requested.”
“A grave, you see, is a passage. A passage to communicate with someone you can no longer meet. Even if it’s one-way, not two-way.”
Someday you’ll understand.
Someday you’ll come to a place like this and tell your own stories.
“Since Mir is smart, I think you’ll always do well so that such regrets don’t remain.”
Toureina didn't even have that chance, but if it's you, who received a new life, then surely…
“Mir, explanation not understood. Judgement: explainer’s intelligence insufficient.”
“What?!”
Just then, Rain, who had risen from her deep bow of farewell, lightly tapped Mir’s cheek.
“That’s not something you learn by hearing, Mir. You’ll understand it naturally as you live.”
“Explanation needed why a delay is required for the acquisition of wisdom.”
“You’ll understand it naturally. And don’t worry. I’ll be by your side until you grasp it on your own.”
In this life, definitely.
Mir doesn't actively display affection like Aki or Nen, but she still became unusually docile when Rain touched her.
Her expression didn't change, nor did she rub her face or head against the touch, but Miria could still tell.
That Mir liked Rain as much as Aki or Nen.
“Let’s go, Miria.”
“Okay.”
“It’s time to officially declare ‘this body has arrived’ to the Empire.”
I don't intend to list every single thing that happened during the attainment of 7th rank.
To put it simply, the Imperial magic world was turned upside down, and only troublesome things arose.
There was one more place I needed to visit, and if I had known it would be this serious, I would have done that errand first…
“How are you alive?”
“I’ve lived diligently.”
“What enlightenment did you gain from your journey on the Adrion continent?”
“Well.”
“Are these your wife and children next to you? Then the saying that remaining a virgin for 100 years makes one a great mage is false, and one must have three children before turning 20?”
“?”
While heading to my last errand, surrounded by unwanted intruders, an ally appeared like the dawn.
It was the blond Crown Prince Raida Eijin, leading over a hundred Imperial soldiers.
Raida deployed the Imperial army and rescued us from the intruders.
“It seems you still enjoy attracting people’s attention.”
“Do I truly appear that way?”
“Hmph. Let’s walk for a bit. Will you entrust the hatchlings to your woman for a moment?”
“She’s not my woman.”
“Well, really?”
Raida had greatly boosted his reputation over the past two years, that is, while Rain was on his journey, by suppressing the stirrings of the Abyss on the Akrad continent.
“My father’s abdication due to illness has been confirmed, so the Imperial election will be held early next year. I will take the throne in about two years.”
“Is your election confirmed?”
“With high probability. Two electors have already promised to support me.”
“I see.”
“Look at the ground wet with autumn rain over there. Do you see the puddles? Stagnant water is bound to rot, and from what I’ve seen in life, life is like water.”
“Are you saying the Empire is stagnant water?”
Raida picked up a stone from the roadside.
“As expected, you understand my words at once, which I find very pleasing. The Empire has a history of a thousand years. The corruption that has stained it is beyond words.”
And he threw the stone into the water pooled in the ditch, causing ripples.
“I intend to make that water flow in a new direction. Starting by creating ripples in the stagnant water.”
“…?”
“If that happens, the electors who reign like kings in their respective regions will quickly turn their backs. Would the nobles who benefited from old customs be any different? Who knows what will happen.”
Raida turned his head and looked directly at Rain.
“I need a backing that can suppress the dissatisfaction of such nobles, both by force and by intellect. And that card is you, the 7-star Grand Sage Rain Ludwig.”
So it comes to this…
Is this also my fate? No, I already assumed this would happen when I spoke with Syrin and Valencidis.
As Rain met Raida’s intelligent gaze, a magic circle suddenly appeared on his palm.
“My master once said: ‘Become someone who can share the light of magic.’”
And the moment he broke the magic circle, the ground shook, and the scattered puddles connected into one, soon beginning to flow as a stream.
“It seems that time has come. But it’s a minimum of 9 years and a maximum of 15 years. I have no intention of working beyond that. For now, that is.”
Raida chuckled politely.
“In 10 years, either you and I will be accused of being tyrants and driven from the throne, or we’ll be remembered as reformist monarchs in the archives, one of the two.”
And then, elegantly mounting the saddle of a white horse that galloped over at his whistle, he looked down at Rain and nodded.
“I’ll prepare your official robes in advance. Your name will be the first on the new cabinet I’m launching. You’ll be incredibly busy for 10 years, so rest up now.”
“I will bear that in mind.”
“Don’t have too many more children. You won’t be able to attend to state affairs if you’re busy with family. What good is it to ruin your back before you even attend to state affairs?”
“…Even if it breaks, I can fix it. Though I don’t think there will be any work that would break it in the first place.”
“Haha, you truly are amusing. It’s funny to say this greeting now, but congratulations on your return, Rain Ludwig. Thanks be to the gods who guided your path back here.”
Raida, being kind, left fifty Imperial soldiers behind.
Under their protection, Rain was able to reach the last place. The place where his youth resided, the Magic Academy <Delighten>.
Surprisingly, as soon as he entered the campus, he ran into ‘those guys’ who were chattering with each other.
“Young master?”