Episode 11: Magic Academy (2)
"You learned magic on your own? And it's only been a month since you started using it properly?"
The master of the house, who had been clattering the tableware, let out an exclamation of admiration.
At her father’s reaction, Liz also felt proud, as if it were her own accomplishment.
Of course, it wasn’t as if he was surprised that a fifteen-year-old boy could use magic.
Starting magic at that age could be considered rather late, but the fact that the boy had taught himself without a master captured his interest.
Clatter-clatter!
"Elizabeth. You must mind your dignity."
"Yes~."
Despite the man’s words, Liz’s fork did not stop.
Having devoured a thick slice of toast and a potato for lunch, it seemed it would take more to satisfy a growing girl.
Thanks to that, the fish on Liz’s plate had already been reduced to nothing but a head.
It was enough to make Sid look clumsy in comparison, as he struggled to debone his fish with awkward knife skills.
"Dad. He smashed a huge boulder too! Bare-handed, boom!"
"A boulder?"
"Ah, that was just an application of the monks’ iron fist technique, so it is nothing special. It is called Magic Sword—a magic that discharges mana."
"Ah, do you mean the magic that knights wrap around their swords? I see. It is quite an efficient magic."
As Magic Sword was not unfamiliar, the man nodded easily.
Sid’s heart was relieved to hear that it actually existed, for he had thought all this time that it was a magic the passbook made up to tease him.
Soon, the man quietly wiped his mouth and extended his hand.
"My introduction is late. I am the master of this mansion, Vain Agnarsdottir Aren. An alchemist. My daughter has been terribly rude."
"Not at all! I am the one who has received such fine hospitality and caused offense! Thank you."
Vain introduced himself with a humble attitude.
And at the occupation of "Alchemist" that he revealed, Sid understood what he had seen.
An alchemist’s workshop was naturally overflowing with all sorts of suspicious things; if so, it was not strange that he had seen strange objects in the room just now.
"Then are the things I saw in the room alchemical tools as well?"
"The room?"
Vain, who had been filleting the fish, turned his head.
Realizing that he meant the study he had just closed, he smiled brightly.
Liz, who had finished her own portion of fish and was eyeing her father’s helping, also focused on the pair’s conversation.
"I was in the middle of making a rather noisy fellow. It must have caught your eye."
"A noisy fellow?"
"It is the Great Work of an alchemist. I am preparing to move forward. Ah, do you happen to know what the 'Great Work of an Alchemist' is? The explanation is rather long…."
"Ah, yes! Of course I know! I have asked too many questions."
The boy nodded at the word he had once seen in a book.
So it meant Vain was in the process of making the Philosopher’s Stone or a Homunculus.
Indeed, for two people possessing powerful mana, it was not strange that suspicious mana was emanating.
Perhaps because it was a familiar story, Liz butted in and chimed in.
"He’s been making it for four years already! It’s almost complete!"
"Hehe… It is finally reaching the completion stage. I lack much. But for someone who left the monastery this morning, you know quite a lot!"
"Huh? I read it all in books… I do not actually know them."
"Did you hear that, Elizabeth? This is why you have to read lots of books. See? He can even hold a conversation with your father."
The conversation shifted to the daughter’s studies.
Liz puffed her cheeks, showing her discomfort.
At the affectionate sight of father and daughter, Sid smiled warmly.
"May I ask you a few questions? I am very curious."
"Of course. Please ask away."
To a story he had only seen in books, Sid continued with excited questions.
Though it might have been rude, Vain’s reaction was favorable.
He listened to Sid’s words with a relaxed attitude.
"Then is what you are currently making the Philosopher’s Stone? It would be tremendous if you succeed. I truly hope you do."
Recalling the Philosopher’s Stone he had read about in books, the boy’s eyes sparkled.
The Philosopher’s Stone.
Chosen as an alchemist’s greatest work, and the one and only Magic Essence that humans can create.
Moreover, who wouldn’t be curious about the mystical object that chooses its own master?
But Vain waved his hand and smiled.
"Hehe, no. What I make is nothing as great as the Philosopher’s Stone or a Homunculus."
"Huh? Then what?"
Clatter.
The man set down the tableware he was holding.
A brief silence hung about his face as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"I am not great enough to handle such things. Simply put, I have no talent. How should I say it… I merely imitate and copy what others have made. I am just like a merchant."
"A merchant? Even from what little I have heard, your knowledge is tremendous, sir!"
As this was the first alchemist he had ever met in his life, the boy’s admiration was genuine.
The man’s self-mocking demeanor was revealed in the way he simply turned his head awkwardly.
Then what he was making now was something completely different, neither Philosopher’s Stone nor Homunculus.
Sid cut the conversation short, thinking it might be rude to ask further.
At this, the alchemist also cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"By the way, since this is fate, I would like to write you a brief letter of recommendation."
"Huh?"
"It is nothing much. I have a brief connection with the principal over there. It is not a major matter, so please do not feel burdened."
"Wow! My dad is the best!"
At the unexpected news, not only Sid but Liz’s expression brightened as well.
At the two brightly shining smiles, Vain smiled.
His eyes could not leave his daughter in particular, whose eyes were sparkling.
"You helped us with our carriage today. Moreover, it has been a long time since my daughter was so happy, so I truly wish to repay you. It is a father’s joy."
"I did not expect this… Thank you so much."
"Hehe."
Setting down his tableware, Sid bowed deeply.
Liz cheered for her father like that and kept the mood lively.
Soon, Vain headed to the study and brought out a sheet of parchment.
Come to think of it, Cepesh had also said he had a connection with the principal in his younger days.
What a coincidence indeed.
"Actually, it is not a good connection. She was merely a friend of my wife’s."
Smiling, Vain picked up a pen.
It was a luxurious pen with a shining white nib.
"Still, since you are a guest my daughter brought, I wish to help you. Since you may become a great mage in the future, it is also a way of making a connection in advance."
"Not at all! The place you provided today is more than enough. Thank you so much."
"Hehe."
The alchemist smiled.
As they conversed, the pale parchment was filled with short sentences.
The man, having shaken off the ink for a moment, raised his head slightly.
"By the way, you may not have heard, but she is quite a prickly person. If possible, be careful not to get on her bad side. It gets quite exhausting. Hehe."
"Prickly?"
"Our aunt has quite a temper!"
Liz raised her fist as she said the word "aunt."
Cepesh had called her a "kind and beautiful person."
Could kindness and prickliness coexist?
'Whew.'
While the letter was being written, the boy fell into his thoughts.
By tomorrow, the academy he had only dreamed of would become a reality.
Thinking that, he worried whether he would be able to fall asleep tonight.
But the boy, wrapped in a fluffy cotton blanket, fell into a deep sleep alongside profound fatigue.
Without knowing what would happen the next day.
* * *
"Take care! We live close by, so come visit if you’re bored! Got it?"
"Thank you! You be careful going home too!"
"Yeah!"
Early morning, in front of the academy.
Everyone’s gaze gathered on the boy who arrived in a splendid carriage.
Receiving Liz’s encouragement, Sid bowed his head.
The coachman, who had forged a brief bond, also took off his hat to cheer him on, and after seeing the boy off, Liz disappeared together with the carriage.
'Whew…'
Because he had gotten off right in front of the main gate, the academy unfolded before him without giving him a moment to prepare his heart.
Blue robes, red robes.
Splendid mages he had only heard about in stories passed by the boy.
Amid such a crowd, the boy wearing countrified monastic robes felt as if he were floating.
'Let’s go!'
Letting out a breath, Sid took bold steps forward.
It was a place about three hours away from Liz’s house.
The Magic Academy was a magical castle nestled between a small lake to the south and a large lake to the north.
Passing through the murmuring crowd, the boy walked with a spirited gait.
"What's with him? Didn’t he just get out of that incredible carriage?"
"Hey, hey, did you see the kid riding in the carriage? She was super cute. What’s this guy supposed to be?"
To Sid with his sharp hearing, such murmurs reached him clearly.
Had he known this would happen, he would have regretted ignoring Liz and Vain’s kindness and walking here alone, but it was already too late.
Walking with both fists clenched, the mocking gazes and laughter only increased.
'I can do it! Don’t be discouraged!'
But the boy was not alone.
Checking the numbers floating above the heads of those mocking him, Sid walked proudly.
The passbook against his chest became a firm pillar of resolve, cheering him on.
[Balance] *3,872 (Eirena Academy)
[Stored mana is sufficient.]
The mana Sid currently possessed was 3,872 mana coins.
Excluding the mana used to smash the boulder yesterday, it was the mana he had gathered over the course of a day.
Of course, it was a meager amount compared to what he had planned to store over three days, but that number was enough to inflate his confidence.
Past a tranquil pond and garden, the boy’s steps continued.
At the appearance of a monk who did not fit in at the academy, the eyes of students in uniforms locked onto him.
Finally, when he reached the door marked 'Principal’s Office' following the path on the map, the boy’s heart was pounding violently.
'Whew!'
Clutching the two letters of recommendation, Sid opened the door.
The dream of becoming a mage that he had only ever dreamed of until now was truly about to begin.
"Hello! I have come to enroll!"
In the principal’s office, there was only a figure sitting with their back turned in a chair; no one else was visible.
Red hair visible over the large backrest.
The owner of that hair must be the academy principal, Eirena Simpson.
"Excuse me."
He knocked near the door, but the figure with their back turned did not say a word.
Even when he cautiously reached the desk, the principal did not give him a single glance.
Still, he could not just retreat like this, so Sid held out the two letters of recommendation.
At the sound of the papers being carefully placed down, the hair sticking out over the chair flinched.
"Let me greet you again. My name is Sid. I came here wanting to enroll in the academy, but I am so ignorant of the ways of the world… I feel sorry for coming all the way to the principal’s office like this."
Though he spoke with a humble tone, the chair did not turn.
At the moment he was about to open his mouth, realizing once again how right Vain had been, the chair swished toward the boy with a sharp turn.
Startled, Sid bowed his head.
"Ah… hello! These are letters of recommendation from Brother Cepesh and Alchemist Vain! If you would please read them…!"
"Cepesh, Vain?"
Sid’s eyes grew wide at the person who spoke.
Fiery red hair and the corners of eyes tinted purple.
Her thick, prominent lips were red just like her hair, and her sharp eyes subdued the beholder.
Even though she wore loose robes, the figure revealed above her waist belt was impossible to conceal.
A truly captivating woman who stole the gaze of all.
Although deep wrinkles around her eyes and mouth spoke of indelible years, she was captivating enough to make her age seem irrelevant.
Eirena Simpson.
She was the principal of the academy Cepesh had spoken of.
"Hmph."
Having read the two letters, Eirena frowned.
The moment he expected an answer regarding the recommendations to follow.
Red-tinted nails entered his sight.
Srrrip! Tear!
"Huh?"
But Eirena’s hand ruthlessly tore apart the letters of recommendation Sid had brought.
His heart sank at the completely unexpected action, but that was only the beginning.
The principal, whose first impression could not be called good, glared at Sid’s face.
And the words that followed were enough to crush the boy.
"The entrance ceremony ended yesterday. Would you get out?"
- To be continued in Episode 12 -