Book 13 Chapter 8
3 Years Later (2)
The Mage Alliance is an organization that oversees all mages. Not only the great mage families representing noble mages, but also the Seven Great Schools were affiliated, engaging in political strife to seize key positions here. Of course, mages prioritize skill, so no matter how adept one was at political maneuvering, it was usually the more capable individuals who rose to higher positions.
Under the Mage Alliance was the Special Operations Department. The Special Operations Department was an organization formed by selecting only the greatest battle mages of the era, known as the 'Blade of the Mage Alliance,' and it monitored and eliminated the stirrings of the Abyss.
“They completely swept them away with a 3-star spell. The time interval between the two spells being cast was less than 30 seconds.”
Randy, a member of the Special Operations Department, reported.
The man receiving the report was snoring with a foxtail grass in his mouth. Only after Randy stomped on his forehead with his boot did the idler with light brown hair, reminiscent of a snow-melted mountain range in spring, jump up.
“Huh, what? You mean I can go home now? Good job, as expected of the Vice-Chief. Yay, quitting time!”
“You always take an evasive stance like this whenever there’s a serious issue.”
“Geez, what do you want me to do? What's my position, having to write a report saying, 'There's a mage who consecutively cast 3-star spells, blew away a Grade 3 black mage, and annihilated a bandit group, but I don't know who it is'? Ugh, you should never become a Chief.”
The man seemed utterly incompetent, yet he was a comet-like mage who had achieved the Atlas (3-star) rank at such a young age. One of the supreme mage families, the eldest son of the Warden Margrave family, Sieta Warden. Even Sieta, considered one of the next-generation leaders of magic, found the scene unfolding before his eyes hard to believe. Such was the power of the flames and lightning that residual magic was still simmering.
‘Consecutive use of 3-star spells… one is Hwagyeong, famous for high-level fire magic, and the other is lightning magic, but its identity is unknown.’
In any case, consecutively casting 3-star spells is difficult even for an Atlas-rank mage. Even with the Remedier type, one would have to review the calculations in their head and then re-enter the coordinate values. Sieta, whose creed was not to worry if worrying wouldn't yield an answer, sighed.
“But all mages are self-obsessed lunatics, so it's natural for them to boast about their achievements. Why are they so quiet?”
“I don't know that. But the situation is unusual. Black mages are being discovered too frequently across the continent. There are also reports of mass movements of demons in the borderlands of the Demon World.”
“Geez, if a war breaks out, I might get deployed to the battlefield, and it's deadly hot there, seriously.”
“You say that, but you don't seem worried at all.”
“Of course. His Holiness the Light Dragon, who presides over all things in creation, revealed the location of this black mage, so he must also know who defeated him.”
Sieta Warden’s words were valid. Under the order of Haraderiman, the Light Dragon, one of the Three Divine Dragons, the continent was enjoying an era of peace. However… Randy gazed with serious eyes at the burned-down fortress in the swamp.
“But recently, the Black Church fellows have been acting outside His Holiness the Light Dragon's insight too frequently. Could it be that… they’ve gained a powerful ringleader?”
* * *
“Lynn, come here.”
How did things come to this…?
It was fine until I piled up the spoils in front of the magic tower as usual and secretly returned to my bed safely. And as usual, I was engrossed in reading a grimoire, covering my ears amidst the cheers of my dim-witted classmates in the morning, but… Finally, I should have glanced at the Dean, who had returned from work, looking bewildered, as usual. But why?
As I walked to the Dean's office after being called by the Dean, my heart was pounding as if I had committed a crime, for some reason. I resolved to feign ignorance.
However, sitting face to face with the Dean in his office, I concluded that all resistance would be futile.
“These are cookies Baron Gibil gave me. They were very delicious.”
“Yes.”
“Don't you have anything to tell me?”
“Nothing.”
The Dean had that kind of smile. At least, that's how I felt. I could never lie, never do anything bad… it was like standing before him made me feel reverent towards myself. So, I didn't meet his gaze.
“That’s a lie.”
The Dean reached out his hand. Still, because of the memory of the assault in the slums that remained in my mind, I squeezed my eyes shut. But the touch he bestowed was not violence, but warmth.
“Do you know? Heh heh, Lynn, every time you lie, your earlobe gets this hot.”
As I felt that warmth, something, an emotion that couldn't be clearly defined even by mathematics, swirled in my chest. Could this be the emotion of joy? Joy, they say, makes the heart flutter with excitement, but in the presence of this warmth, my heart grew calm, and every voice seeped into my soul.
“I've known for a long time. That it was Lynn doing these things. How many times has it been now? More than thirty, isn't it?”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
If you add up all the times I beat up thieves, bandits, and monsters, it would probably be over 50. But I never told the Dean about those incidents. Because he's someone who doesn't like killing. I just, for some reason, didn't want to tell the Dean that I had done something he wouldn't like.
“You probably just thoroughly smashed the nasty monsters, didn’t you? If you're going to beat them up, you have to do it properly. Because you are a disciple of the Osarius School, which is destined to become a Great School.”
Of course. Because I am the [Strongest].
The Dean, who had playfully shaken his fist, suddenly gave a wry smile.
“If it were just monsters, perhaps. But judging by the letter, it seems you’ve fought monsters imbued with black magic this time. Thinking of you entering such danger at a young age pains my heart, and I thought I absolutely had to give you a stern lecture this time, but…”
All the adults I had known until now only spoke their own words.
- You stole it.
- You're a thief.
- That's why your parents abandoned you.
However, as I talked with the Dean, I realized he was speaking *to* me.
“Are you doing this because you're afraid I'll be in trouble if you leave the monsters alone? Afraid your friends at the magic tower might be in danger?”
“No, what are you talking about… I'm just looking for subjects for magic experiments. They just got unlucky.”
“Another lie. This earlobe is hot too, this time.”
If I had a family, and a mother… wouldn't it have felt like this? The scent of that moment… The scent of that day, when the sweet aroma of brewing tea and the savory smell of cookies stimulated my nose, remains as vivid as an object, even more vivid than an object, to this day.
“Lynn, seeing you already using the power of magic correctly, I can't help but feel proud.”
Even his touch, as he brewed the precious tea brought from the city and put a cookie into my mouth. How could it be? Why did every moment I spent with you always carry such a scent?
“So, I'm proud, and yet… I'm also sad.”
“Why?”
“Because I worry that my incompetence is constantly pushing you down such a dangerous path at such a young age…”
Only after seeing the Dean shedding tears did I realize. Only after feeling the pain in my heart did I understand. The truth was… I had been doing those things hoping to make the Dean happy. I couldn't bear to look at the Dean's face, smiling yet crying.
Let's become strong… Let's become stronger than anyone else… Let's quickly become the strongest mage…
On that day, at that moment, I resolved anew. I repeatedly told myself that I would become a mage whom the Dean wouldn't have to worry about, but only feel proud and honored by. So, someday… after I become the [Strongest Mage in the World], which is my goal, I'll say this:
“Dean, you are not incompetent. You took me in. You raised me. You made me into a mage.”
The regret that I should have simply told him that answer at that very moment would come to me later.