Book 13 Chapter 4

Episode 2

The shock I felt when I first arrived at the magic tower of the Ossarius School is still incredibly fresh.

It was more like an orphanage than a magic tower.

Children who had been looking after chickens and chicks burst out cheering, rushing out barefoot to greet the dean.

"It's Dean Auntie!"

Hmm…

This kind of place, a magic tower…?

"Have you all been well?"

The Ossarius School, despite looking so shabby, was said to be a school with a deep history.

Perhaps that's why the stone walls, covered in vines and scarred in various places, were so old they were weathered to an ivory color.

When I tried to cross the fence, I felt my body gently pushed back by an invisible barrier.

"Oh, dear… Pomas, Rin, please let her enter the barrier."

Hmm, so this is a barrier?

It seems wizards block the approach of outsiders and wild animals in this way.

"Who is she?"

The orphans I met at that magic tower ranged in age from twenty-one to as young as five.

Learning their ages and names came later; at that moment, the unreserved attention they gave me, to the point of being embarrassing, felt overwhelming.

The Dean gave my hesitating back a strong push and said,

"Rin, she's eight years old. From today, you could say she's our Ossarius School's adorable youngest."

In that instant, amid an unknown tension, I felt the tremor of my heartbeat shaking my chest.

What should I ask…?

If they ask where I came from or what I was doing, what would be a good answer? Would they be disillusioned if I said I was an orphan?

"What, so she's a colleague then?"

"Her height is equal to or greater than mine."

However, the moment the Dean introduced me like that, all animosity and wariness melted away like snow.

"Hmm, who would be good?"

"How about Gizella?"

It was the comment of Senior Disciple Pomas.

Senior Disciple Pomas, who was twenty-one this year, had such a peaceful impression that he looked benevolent, perhaps due to his drooping eye corners.

He was the only person I never teased by calling him a gorilla. At that age, he was already a gifted wizard of Limites (2nd Star) rank.

In the Empire's 7-star magic system, it was said that the Limites rank was typically achieved by prodigies when they reached an average age of 30.

Most wizards end their lives at the Bandoran (1st Star) rank. The Bandoran rank is the most basic and common wizard's license.

"Yes, that's a good idea! Gizella!"

A girl called by the Dean's name sprang forward.

"Yes, Dean!"

As if to demonstrate her active personality, she kept fidgeting her entire body.

"Gizella is the same age as Rin, so it'll be perfect for you two to become friends. You guide her around the magic tower."

"Yes, Dean!"

The girl named Gizella looked at me briskly, then pointed her thumb at her heart.

"You're the new Rin, right? I'm Gizella! Candidate No. 2 for the next Dean! If you want to be my rival, you'll have to work hard starting now!"

I had no idea why she put on such a grand display and claimed to be No. 2 instead of No. 1, but for now, I was swept up by her momentum and ended up nodding.

"Alright, Gizella, go back to your spot. Rin, stand next to her. Good, since it's morning, shall we shout our motto? School creed, our resolve!"

"Oh, I hate that."

"Hurry! If you don't, no food today!"

Everyone looked disgusted, but when Atlante was the first to strongly raise a hand and shout, everyone eventually started repeating it.

"Our Ossarius School is!"

"…a school that will become a great school."

"Your voice is too small! Louder! Our Ossarius School is?"

"A school that will become a great… schoolll!"

"Excellent! That's the spirit! Let's strive to become a great school today! Aja, aja, ajaja!"

"Aja, aja, ajaja…"

Gizella whispered to me, "We do this every morning." Then she added, "If you get into trouble, they make you do it at lunch or dinner too."

What kind of cruel and ruthless torture is this…!

To think they know such an efficient way to torment people, I had a premonition that the dictionary definition of 'morning' would soon change to 'the birthplace of truly terrible memories'.

"This is the kitchen."

"This is the library."

"This is the study room."

"This is the restroom."

"The chicken coop is in the yard."

Contrary to its external appearance, the interior of the magic tower was quite comfortably furnished.

It seemed the Dean Auntie and the Senior Disciple person had been diligently making repairs using magic.

Since the magic tower was a tower, it was possible to move between floors via a spiral staircase. Every place I went was utterly simple, yet it pursued its own efficiency.

"Dean and Senior Disciple oppa are wizards, so they get called to many places. They take turns leaving the magic tower for ten days out of a month."

Actually, though I'm listing them with some arrogance… compared to the days of wandering the slums and sleeping rough, this place was nothing short of paradise.

"So, there's a duty roster system, and you can't slack off. If you upset Dean, I absolutely won't let you off."

The room was designed to be shared with three children, and the children on duty, already instructed by the Dean, were bringing in bedding.

My room…

My sleeping quarters…

It was impossible to describe the profound emotion of receiving things that some people take for granted from birth.

But.

No emotion, however profound, could possibly compare to the emotion of learning magic.