Book 17 Chapter 26

Old Rulers,

Ancient Madness Calling the Sea Wind (5)

This island is said to be the 11th island of the Tersh Archipelago.

The Tersh Archipelago consists of 18 islands, excluding the one where the green city <Karsiko> is located; single-digit islands were large, and double-digit islands were small.

Island 11 was one of the larger double-digit islands, being close to a single digit in size, but strangely, its communication with the outside world was completely cut off.

"It's because of the Nagas."

"Nagas?"

"Ever since the Black Rose Society arrived, Nagas have suddenly been swarming."

The Black Rose Society?

I feel like I've heard of it somewhere.

"Those guys are just snatching people from all over the island… But our master is an incredibly devout witch! The barrier she cast is completely protecting this island."

"Is it the strongest barrier?"

"Yes! The strongest! For an imperial, you're quite understandable! Our master is the best and the strongest!"

Then I'd like to have a go at it.

"So it was a bit suspicious that you broke through that barrier… I guess it must have been because of the staff's power. If that's the case, then whatever."

It took a full day to look around the entire island.

Given how vast it was, it's not an exaggeration to say that anyone who could cast a barrier over the entire island must be extremely powerful.

Stone walls, as if freshly built, surrounded the island, and adults stood guard over them.

During that time, teenagers filled in for the adults by working in the fields, and younger children were entrusted to this witch's hut.

"How long will you be staying?"

"I don't know."

"'I don't know'?"

"Because I'm not the one who decides that. It'll be faster for them to come looking for me than for me to go looking for them. And we won't miss each other."

Thus, I also came to stay here. It turned into a rather long sojourn.

The daily routine here is simple.

In the mornings, Enizer taught the children language and spells, and in the afternoons, while the children played, the witch would go inspect the barrier. Finally, in the evenings, the blue witch would teach Enizer spells.

I listened in when Enizer taught the language.

The Republic language of the Tersh Archipelago here had not yet devolved into a dialect, so it wasn't significantly different from the Republic language of the upper region.

It was also a time to delve deeper into the language, which I had only learned the basics of from Friede, and learning something is, after all, an enjoyable experience.

Furthermore, to read the scrolls in the witch's hut, I had to master the language.

There might be materials necessary for the progress of the Osarius Beastman research and the deciphering of Hurk's grimoire.

During those days, as I didn't particularly reveal my name, Enizer started calling me 'Rimu'.

They said it meant 'insectivore' (食蟲) in the Republic language, and soon my name became 'Insectivore' among the islanders.

"Big Brother Rimu!"

"Older Brother Rimu!"

"What, you brats."

[The Strongest Magician] is supposed to not care about titles, but this name is a bit awkward.

It was awkward, but since the situation where I could only study without working was good, it didn't seem bad to just leave it as awkward.

While adapting to such a daily life, I couldn't help but notice something strange about the witch's teaching method.

"Why don't you teach the children directly and teach them through Enizer?"

So, one twilight, when Enizer left to see the children off, I directly asked the witch.

"Well, you would teach them much better, so isn't it natural to wonder why you insist on adopting such an irrational method?"

"It seems your mental age is just as it appears. Hehehe! Of course, if I taught them, it would be easier. But then, wouldn't I be unable to help Enizer grow?"

"Grow?"

"The act of teaching someone is like a mirror that clearly reflects the areas where you yourself were lacking. You can't teach others if you don't know something for sure."

Is that so?

Indeed, it seemed that way.

"Crucially, teaching quickly turns a child into an adult. It matures them to serve those beneath them… That's why I make her teach. I don't just assign this task to anyone. It's because I've chosen Enizer as my successor."

At that moment, a memory from a day long ago, when I was in the magic tower and complained to the Head Senior Disciple, spontaneously surfaced in my mind.

- The Headmaster keeps making you teach the other kids, and it's annoying?

- It's driving me crazy with annoyance, seriously. Why is it always me? They always make me do it and scold only me. There's the Head Senior Disciple and even advanced gorillas like Gisela, so why just me?

- Lyn, that's because the Headmaster intends for you to succeed him.

- ?

- Teaching your fellow students instead of the Headmaster carries such significant meaning! Do you really not know? That the Headmaster chose you as his successor.

Back then, I thought the good-natured Head Senior Disciple was just sweet-talking me as always.

Because…

The Head Senior Disciple had been in the magic tower the longest, and he also helped the Headmaster the most, so I naturally thought he would inherit the magic tower.

"That statement… does it apply to everyone?"

"What do you mean?"

"If someone, in a similar situation, um, were to educate a youngster of a similar age… would it be safe to assume they harbored similar feelings?"

Then the witch, as if she had read all the thoughts I was trying to hide, replied with an unsettling smile.

"Humans are foolish; they cannot understand until they experience it themselves. One cannot know a parent's heart until one becomes a parent, nor a master's heart until one becomes a master."

"?"

"Someday, when you are old enough to teach someone and take on a disciple, you will surely understand. Then you will also realize how much great love you received while growing up. That is what I mean."

Much later, just as the witch had said… only after becoming someone's father and someone's master did I truly understand.

Headmaster, the love you gave…

How immense and profound it was, and how you tried to raise me with that love that nothing else in the world could provide.

Oh, how wonderful it would have been…

If only I had been able to return to your side after that five-year journey… and show you my growth as the next Headmaster of the Magic Tower…

* * *

"Big Brother Rimu, you've changed!"

"Older Brother Rimu, you seem to be in a good mood!"

"What did I do?"

"Your state is different!"

I must admit that the me of my younger days was a crazy piece of trash whose emotions fluctuated wildly, so feelings like inferiority (?) that I harbored towards Rista and Friede in <Terbenopel> vanished instantly the very next day.

"Follow me, you useless brats. Sval, you're the one most included, so why are you pretending not to hear?"

It's a change of pace.

"Gung?!"

To stop these guys from calling me Insectivore, I decided to personally participate in 'fish hunting'.

Since the island's produce alone was not enough to feed everyone here, seafood was a very important resource.

The necessary terrain is a small channel.

Something too large like a cape is excessive; a narrow but slightly deep channel carving into the land is ideal.

By the time I found this, it was already dusk, but it didn't matter. As long as I caught a lot of fish, that would be enough.

"First, freeze only the entrance of the channel with Sval's power, then cast a 1-star lightning magic quad-casting inside it."

From 2-star and above, the lethality rate is too high, so I need to be careful.

If I end up in prison for killing people while trying to retrieve dead fish, wouldn't it be too embarrassing to be called [The Strongest Magician]?

The iceberg created by Sval blocked the channel, trapping those who had entered it. Then, the electric magic swept up and down, stunning all the fish.

"Wow, Older Brother Rimu is awesome!"

"There are so many fish! Even Big Sister Enizer couldn't do this!"

"Now, retrieve all of them with your own strength. If your head is ignorant, shouldn't you at least use your strength well?"

Wouldn't this be enough to repay some of my debt and shake off the title of Insectivore?

It wasn't enough.

Instead, an opportunity that would more than fulfill both of those chances came from a different direction. Not from the sea, where fish were abundant, but from the distant land.

"Sister?"

"It's Big Sister Enizer!"

As I was about to return to the hut, Enizer appeared on a broomstick.

Seeing her frantically turning her head this way and that, it seemed she was angry that these brats hadn't returned.

It was time to fulfill a newly registered item on [The Strongest Magician's Bucket List]: making an angry opponent speechless by showing them countless fish.

"Rimu…!"

But something was wrong.

Not only was her robe in tatters, but her movements as she jumped off the broomstick and her expression were far from those of an angry person.

Instead, she looked like someone frantically, urgently, desperately searching for something.

"Help me… Master, Master… she's been captured… along with the others…!"

Tears streamed transparently from Enizer's eyes as she clung to my collar.

"Suddenly the barrier was breached… it was probably a Naga wearing the Grand Witch's emblem… At that time, I, I… couldn't do anything, truly nothing at all… I only got in the way, and so Master put all her effort into helping me escape…!"

The little brats who usually dared to tease [The Strongest Magician] by calling him Insectivore fell silent.

The youngest one, the stutterer who reminded me of Winterwind Riki, even burst into tears.

I want to emphasize that I put a conical hat on that kid simply because he was noisy, and I absolutely had no intention of imitating the Headmaster's act of putting a conical hat on me.

"Don't you cry, and you, don't ask for help. Are you kidding me right now?"

"What? No… Master said you're an amazing person, and that unlike your young appearance, your magic power is truly immense…"

"Characteristic of [The Strongest Magician]: Never says thank you."

The despair that darkened Enizer's eyes at that moment… Unlike in the Republic, you have to hear Imperial speech to the very end, darn it.

"Instead, I repay through actions."

"!"

"I owe a lot, so you don't even have to ask for help. Where was that old witch captured?"

Headmaster, I may not be able to become someone who smiles and extends a hand to complete strangers like you did.

"Ri, Rimu…!"

But at least I'll try to become someone who can repay those who showed me kindness two to three times over.

I am Lyn of the Osarius School.

Because I am the disciple whom Atlante, the Headmaster of the Osarius School, raised as his successor.

"Instead, when this is over, don't call me Insectivore, okay? I'm telling you now, my name is Lyn. Lyn of the Osarius School. I'm known as [The Strongest Magician] in the world."