Chapter 8

Translator: Lizz

 

Even after knocking on the door of the hut, there was no response from inside. It was a small hut, barely ten steps from end to end, so unless the person inside was asleep, he should have heard the knocks.

 

With that thought, Gateau walked around the hut, along its outer wall. Winter was becoming increasingly harsh, and the strong wind blowing from the mountain made him instinctively hunch his shoulders. Behind the hut, nestled between the trees, was a long and narrow strip of cultivated land. It had originally been a tiny plot, barely big enough to be called a garden, where Leon grew some crops for his own consumption. But when there were two mouths to feed, he had cut down trees to expand the area. Cutting down the trees that stood close to the hut had been difficult, so they had avoided them, resulting in this oddly shaped field.

 

“Leon, are you here?”

 

When there was no sign of him, Gateau raised his voice, and soon there was a rustling sound and a head of dull red hair appeared from the back.

 

“Oh, you came. You’re such a carefree knight, aren’t you? Aren’t people around you getting tired of you coming to this rural place so often?”

 

“I mostly come here while on duty.”

 

“Aren’t you taking a terribly long detour.”

 

“The route I take is my personal choice. By the way, today, I’m a mailman.”

 

Leon looked as if he was about to scold him with something like ‘A knight shouldn’t easily take such requests, if at all’. But when Gateau pulled out a letter from his pocket and waved it, his expression darkened. He likely didn’t receive many letters, let alone ones sealed with a wax seal.

 

“Thanks for the trouble.”

 

Leon said, reaching for the letter. However, Gateau pulled his right hand, which was holding the letter, behind his back, avoiding his grasp. Leon frowned, puzzled by his actions.

 

“Are you planning to go against the Iron Fortress?”

 

“…Did you read it?”

 

Leon’s suspicious gaze held a hint of reproach.

 

“Of course not. Even I wouldn’t be that impolite. I heard most of the situation from Dariesh.”

 

“The eccentric knight is still chummy with mages, I see.”

 

“Don’t tease. Think about the apprentice who came to consult me, ready to face any reprimand.”

 

Leon frowned and fell silent.

 

It was rare for a mage to initiate conversation with a knight, even for one from the Iron Fortress. Unless they were on duty, mages’ and knights’ living spaces in the capital were entirely different, so there shouldn’t be many opportunities to speak.

Dariesh’s official Master was the Master of the Guild in Daza, where he belonged just before entering the Iron Fortress. It was unusual for a mage to remain loyal to a Master from before their time in the Guild. However, Dariesh, who was once considered talentless, became a mage thanks to meeting Leon, and he still held a deep respect and admiration for Leon. That was why he was worried, and likely felt responsible for the situation he may have imposed on him.

“Leon, why are you rejecting the Iron Fortress’ request?”

 

“I’m not rejecting it. I’m just saying it’s too early.”

 

“Why? From what I see, that boy is already a fine mage.”

 

“Zechs’ abilities as a mage are impeccable. It’s well-known already, but he is probably one of the best in Lavarta… no, in the world. But…”

 

There, Leon paused. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words, his gaze wandering. In the end, he let out a sigh and said.

 

“…He’s still a child.”

 

Gateau also sighed in return.

 

“Is it because he’s easily swayed by his emotions? Because you’re worried he’ll act on impulse like when he first came here? You’re wrong, Leon. He might be a bit short-tempered and not great at hiding his emotions, but he’s gained a lot of patience compared to before. No matter how much I tease him or how much the villagers insult him, he endures it, although with some anger. He might struggle a bit with building relationships, but is it really something to worry about that much?”

 

“Zechs is a Seldian. And…”

 

Leon trailed off. The issue with Zechs’ literacy skills was known only to himself and Nia. Zechs considered it his greatest shame and didn’t want anyone to know. He hadn’t even told the mages of Daza.

 

Alongside his magic studies, Zechs had also been working on improving his literacy, and unlike when he was a child, he could now read simple and short sentences. However, he still couldn’t instantly read long texts or complex words. Until now, Leon had taught him magic by reading aloud, but that method wouldn’t work if he went to the Iron Fortress.

 

Leon also had one more concern. However, he couldn’t put it into words. He held a vague fear of letting go of Zechs. He feared that something irreversible might happen, preventing him from making a decision.

 

“Being Seldian is an inescapable fact. It will follow him wherever he goes. I’ve heard he’s even been harassed by the mages in Daza. Given that he’s a Seldian with extraordinary talent, it’s understandable. But has it caused any problems so far?”

 

“…No.”

 

Leon gritted out his denial. The current Master of Daza mages, who was once his senior apprentice, had been informing Leon in detail about Zechs’ work and relationships ever since he caught wind of Zechs joining the Guild. According to him, Zechs had been subjected to such severe harassment that, if it were the old Zechs, he might have destroyed the entire town. Nowadays, thanks to the intervention of a kind senior mage, the harassment had significantly reduced.

 

“I’m more worried about you. I’ve heard rumors that the Iron Fortress has sent spies to observe the boy. I hope they don’t interpret your actions as rebellious.”

 

Leon quietly gulped at his friend’s words.

 

For Leon, who had never even been regarded by the Guild, the idea of being targeted by the Iron Fortress was unimaginable. He had heard that even the Guild mages were cautious about dealing with the Fortress. Someone like him, with neither status nor power, could easily be eliminated if considered a rebel.

 

“So, what does the boy think? Is he planning to bury his bones in this rural place?”

 

The last words were teasing, so Leon reflexively retorted ‘Sorry for being in the countryside’, but it was almost absent-minded.

 

Leon had never directly asked Zechs what he wanted. But he understood that his apprentice harbored intense frustration.

 

Zechs had ambition. He wanted to gain status, to become stronger than anyone else. It was an ambition worthy of his talents. While he once seemed to fear the Iron Fortress when he was a child, he no longer showed such signs.

 

“…Yes, it would be best to let him do as he wishes.”

 

Leon lowered his head, as if to avoid Gateau’s intense gaze, and muttered those words with a feeling akin to resignation.

 

He opened his favorite magic book, but his gaze just skimmed over the pages without taking in the content. His fingers, which had been turning the pages, were now simply toying with the paper.

 

“What are you doing!”

 

Suddenly, a shout echoed through the room, startling him out of his unproductive reading. Looking up from the magic book that he hadn’t made any progress with, he saw Zechs, who seemed to have just returned from outside, hastily taking a pot off the fireplace. It was then that he finally noticed the strange smell filling the room.

 

He remembered that, expecting Zechs to be late, he had tossed some chopped vegetables and water into a pot and put it on the fire. He couldn’t recall how long ago that had been.

 

Before he realized it, the sun had completely set, and the water in the pot had entirely evaporated, leaving the disintegrated vegetables burnt at the bottom. The lamp was lit, indicating that he had unconsciously turned it on when he felt it getting dark.

 

“Oh, sorry…”

 

“Darn it, are you really losing it despite being so young? If I hadn’t been here, you would have caused a fire and died already!”

 

Zechs raised his voice as he dealt with the burnt vegetables. But when there was no reaction to his sarcasm, he began to feel uneasy. Nervously, he turned to look at his Master.

 

“Leon?”

 

When he called out, his Master, lost in thought, suddenly looked up.

 

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something…”

 

This was not a new occurrence. Leon, who could be described as scholarly, often became so absorbed in his reading that he wouldn’t hear the sounds around him, and frequently appeared absent-minded. While this wasn’t the case when he had apprentices coming to him, ever since Zechs arrived, and due to the bad reputation Zechs had gained, Leon had had no other apprentices, as parents feared their children might get caught up in trouble. However, Leon didn’t lament this; instead, he seemed to immerse himself in his thoughts more often, as if freed from constraints.

 

Even so, under normal circumstances, he could put his thoughts aside once he recognized Zechs’s presence, and conversations weren’t usually hindered by his concentration. It was rare for him to respond so vaguely like this.

 

Zechs felt a pang of worry – Was he ill? Leon, left to his own devices, didn’t exactly lead a commendable lifestyle, yet he had a peculiar resilience and never seemed to fall ill. It was Zechs who usually needed care, catching fevers or falling victim to contagious diseases like a child.

 

This only heightened his anxiety. On closer inspection, Leon’s complexion seemed off.

 

“Are you feeling unwell?”

 

“No… that’s not it. Since you were late coming back, I thought I’d prepare a meal for a change, but I guess I shouldn’t do things I’m not used to.”

 

It became clear that while Zechs was out working, Leon, eating alone, wasn’t consuming anything decent.

 

As Zechs cleaned out the pot and started making dinner, he said.

 

“Exactly. Leon’s cooking isn’t something edible anyway.”

 

“…Hey, watch it.”

 

“It might be slightly better than dog food.”

 

“I’m not going to claim it’s delicious, but do you have to go that far?”

 

“If that guy hadn’t come, I would’ve returned on time.”

 

Blaming someone who wasn’t there, he heard a sigh from behind.

 

“You really hate Gateau, don’t you?”

 

Hearing the same thing Nia had said, Zechs couldn’t bring himself to give the same answer. Objectively, he understood that for someone of the ruling class, Gateau had a remarkably friendly personality. However, due to various circumstances, he just couldn’t bring himself to like him.

 

“Zechs.”

 

“What is it?”

 

He responded to the call of his name, but no words followed. Finding this suspicious, he stopped his work and turned around to see Leon standing and staring at him. In his black eyes, which seemed to swallow the darkness, there was a questioning look.

 

However, no matter how long Zechs waited, he didn’t say anything, so Zechs prompted him. Even then, Leon opened his mouth only to close it again, repeating this a few times before finally saying,

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

It definitely wasn’t nothing. Zechs frowned involuntarily, but when Leon reiterated ‘It’s nothing’, he reluctantly decided not to press further.

 

Eventually, Leon began tidying up the table, indicating that he didn’t want to continue this topic, and Zechs returned to preparing dinner.