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Translator: Lizz
Now that the fear of death had passed, all that came to Leon’s mind was anger.
Since taking over the private school from Ceres, he had maintained a delicate distance from the villagers as if walking on thin ice, and had managed to get by without major issues. All the apprentices who had come to Leon so far had been commuting students, and they understood their own situation well enough to avoid causing trouble with the villagers, to the extent that their visits to Leon were kept secret.
Leon had never imagined that there could be such a fool in this world who would cause troubles so openly.
(That damn brat…!)
Those villagers who looked down on mages as lowly beings, who the hell were they? In the end, they were just fools who persecuted and tormented those weaker than themselves to validate their own worth and status. Bowing to that lot against his will, enduring insults against his will, and even risking his own life, all because of that boy who was forced upon him, that foolish, stubborn boy from the Iron Fortress who couldn’t even perform proper magic.
“Damn it…!”
As Leon moved through the trees, whose vibrant green had begun to fade, concealed from people’s eyes, curses unwittingly slipped from his mouth. The cold wind that brought autumn carried them away. Zechs was foolish. But that might be because he didn’t understand the situation, or perhaps he had experienced things so emotionally overwhelming that he couldn’t let go of his foolishness. Also, it was still too early to judge whether he was incompetent. One should not make such judgments lightly. More than anyone, Leon himself must not do that.
Reasoning with himself, Leon headed towards the open high ground deep in the forest.
As expected, there was a figure at the edge of the cliff. His stubborn back seemed to reject everything, and the air around him was filled with a murderous aura.
“Zechs.”
When he called out his name, the boy turned around more readily than expected. However, Leon involuntarily tensed at the coldness in the eyes that faced him. Zechs’ eyes were filled with uncontrollable anger and undisguised hatred.
“You went on a rampage and injured the village kids. Is that correct?”
“So what?”
His voice, like his eyes, was as sharp and cold as a knife. It carried a pressure that sent chills down the spine, but Leon’s determination not to be intimidated by a child, as well as the pride he had in his role as a teacher and a guide, kept him standing firm.
“…We are going to apologize. Come with me.”
At Leon’s words, Zechs momentarily looked dumbfounded with his mouth agape, his face becoming childlike. But it was truly just a moment. In the next instant, he regained his unmistakable murderous intent and hostility, which seemed to almost visibly radiate from his small body.
“Don’t mess with me!”
Zechs stood up and shouted. At the same time, a sudden storm seemed to arise, and a whirlwind struck Leon. After the sharp pain came a seeping warmth. Ignoring the sensation on his cheek, Leon faced his apprentice head-on. Come to think of it, this was the first time they had exchanged words so directly.
(Good grief.)
“You can say that because you don’t know what they said to me!”
“A filthy mage, or a monster? Oh, were you mocked for being a Seldian?”
Zechs, who hadn’t been intimidated by Leon’s bleeding, was at a loss for words, perhaps because Leon had hit the mark. The emotions that had been running high for a moment subsided, and the wind that had been cutting at Leon also stopped.
“You don’t understand how I feel.”
It seemed to Leon that he was trying to retreat back into his shell.
“I’m not a Seldian. But I’ve gone through a lot just for being a mage. In that sense, I understand how you feel.”
“You don’t understand! No one understands how I feel. Don’t pretend you do, you can’t possibly understand!”
Clenching his fists and lowering his face, he shouted with all his might. Seeing the boy like that, Leon felt irritation rather than pity.
Having lived more than twice as long as Zechs, Leon had experiences as a mage that couldn’t be expressed in words. Of course, mages belonging to city guilds likely faced more contempt than Leon, who lived hidden away in the countryside, so he didn’t consider himself particularly unfortunate. However, he had at least endured more hardships as a mage than the child before him. And above all, Leon had never had a future from the start. He had no talent, no matter how hard he tried. This was the decisive difference between him and the boy.
“You, don’t mess with me!”
Before he knew it, Leon had grabbed Zechs by the collar. The boy’s clear, young eyes widened in surprise, looking up at Leon helplessly.
“Whose fault do you think it is that I had to bow my head to those scum who can only persecute the weak! Because of your excessive actions, I almost got beaten to death! Think about the troubles you cause others for once!”
Zechs probably didn’t immediately understand what was said to him. Instead of getting angry or resisting the sudden violence, he just blinked for a while. Seeing this, Leon regained his composure and released his hand, which was trembling with anger, from the boy.
“I never asked for that.”
The boy muttered, his voice drained of strength.
“I never asked you to bow your head. It’s not my fault! They mocked and hit me first. It’s their fault for starting a fight without being prepared for payback!”
As he continued speaking, Zechs gradually regained his original strength. On the other hand, Leon seemed to have his energy drained, his shoulders slumping.
“You’re right…”
“…”
“It’s not your fault. It’s true that no one has the right to persecute or despise others. But reality is different. Mages and certain ethnic groups are hated and despised. It’s inevitable.”
“It’s not inevitable! We should resist. We should fight back!”
“If you do that, they’ll just think, ‘Oh, they really are dangerous and troublesome.'”
“That’s not…”
“Moreover, they look down on us because they think they are superior. They believe they have more power and use that power to persecute us. You have the power of magic that they don’t. If you use that power to retaliate, you will be just like them.”
Even Leon himself thought that was a sophistry. Still, he had to think that way to survive. He had no choice but to cling to the pride that he was different from them.
“Zechs, you’re not stupid or weak. So, don’t become like them. Don’t fall to their level.”
He placed his hand on the head of the boy who was looking down and told him.
“…Even so, I don’t want to be made a fool of.”
Without raising his downcast face or brushing away the hand placed on him, Zechs muttered.
“I don’t want to get hit and keep silent either.”
Leon smiled wryly at the sulky words. Zechs’ words were childish complaints, but they were also true.
“That’s right. Then, someday, return to the Iron Fortress. If you are recognized as the greatest mage in this country, the number of people who try to mess with you will decrease.”
That was why every mage aimed for it. Long ago, when Leon was even younger than Zechs was now, he too had that fleeting dream. However, it would not be a dream for Zechs. His talent had already been recognized; once it blossomed, he would be welcomed with open arms at any time. However,
“…It’s impossible.”
In a subdued voice, Zechs said and suddenly shook off Leon’s hand. The atmosphere around him seemed to stiffen, as if he was completely shutting out others. Unlike earlier, when he had shown emotions and weakness in his words and actions, his expression had hardened.
Something in their conversation had caused Zechs to retreat back into his shell. However, before Leon could identify the cause, the boy had hurriedly left.
In the end, Leon returned to the village alone. He could have found Zechs if he had searched, and if necessary, he could have dragged him back by force. However, he felt that doing so would create an uncrossable distance between them. It might have been simple hypocrisy, not wanting to be hated by his apprentice, even one only in name. He thought it would be easier to bow his head again to the people who had already disliked him and endure their insults.
However, when Leon returned to the village as dusk approached, the villagers were just hurrying home and paid no attention to him. Those who noticed his presence deliberately looked away. Leon, who had expected to be yelled at the moment he faced them, felt a bit disappointed. Just then, a strong hand grabbed his arm. Startled, he turned around to find Old Orga.
The old man checked to make sure no one was around Leon and spoke.
“You didn’t bring him?”
“He couldn’t come. Sorry, I’ll go instead.”
“It’s fine. Stop poking around a hornet’s nest.”
Doubt must have shown on Leon’s face at the unexpected words, as Old Orga answered with a grim expression. The shadow on his face was likely not just because the sun was setting.
“Everyone lost their cool at the time, but if you think about it carefully, everyone knows that the child is not normal.”
“Not normal? Of course not. He has a guiding vein.”
It was common knowledge that just being a mage deviated from ‘normal’; Leon’s tone became almost self-mocking. Old Orga, face still cold, said.
“I’ve never seen a mage-in-training who, just from being teased a little, blows up an entire hut. Even Ceres has never shown such power.”
“……”
“That one is truly a monster. No one wants to get involved. Dio and the others are still angry though. If they meet that child, they might come to kill him. Don’t let him come near the village anymore. You too, be very careful with your actions, mister mage.”
Although the old man’s tone was somewhat teasing at the end, Leon understood that he was genuinely concerned, and it was clear that the villagers’ impression of Zechs, and by extension Leon, had worsened.
Realizing this, overstaying his welcome would not do. As Leon made a slight bow and was about to leave, Old Orga called him back. He shoved a bundle he was holding at Leon. Confused, Leon accepted it and opened it to find old but clean clothes inside. They were small, likely meant for a child.
“Children are geniuses at sniffing out anything different, even under normal circumstances. At least make sure he looks decent.”
“Look decent?”
“I’m not saying he should dress like a noble’s son. But looking like a urchin stands out too much. It makes him a target for teasing.”
Leon finally realized that Old Orga was talking about Zechs’ outfit, and he felt a shock as if he had been struck by lightning.
Indeed, Zechs had been wearing the same ill-fitting rags since he arrived. Zechs himself hadn’t complained, and Leon hadn’t thought it necessary to do anything about it. Leon himself had always believed that as long as clothes kept one from freezing, that was enough.
Now that it was mentioned, the village children were dressed modestly but cleanly, and compared to them, Zechs’ appearance was practically inviting bullying.
“I didn’t notice…”
“Of course not. Men are completely oblivious to such things.”
“You’re a man too, grandpa.”
“Hmph, it was my wife who noticed. These are my son’s old clothes, but she mended them, so they should still be wearable.”
“Thank you.”
Touched by the couple’s casual kindness, Leon bowed deeply. Old Orga waved his hand dismissively and hurried back to his home. After all, it wouldn’t be good for the villagers to see him being friendly with a mage.
Leon bowed once more to the old man’s retreating back, closed the bundle, and hurried home.
Silavin: Do note all photos from the Light Novel will only be posted in the Patreon. A little troublesome to post it here.
