Chapter 353
Chapter 353
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 353
Chapter Title: Ark Orphanage (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the long yet short tale in Martel came to an end, nothing had really changed.
Oliver kept driving toward their destination without a break, while Yareli sat in the passenger seat, asking him casual questions.
Like what his childhood had been like, or how things were in the black magic family, or what happened after Merlin took him in.
Each time, Oliver answered by mixing truth and lies just right.
For instance, he told the straight facts about his orphanage days and the mine work in his early childhood, but embellished a bit about his time in the black magic family and as Merlin's disciple.
He hid the fact that he'd killed his master Joseph to take over the family, saying instead that he'd learned magic properly after Merlin took him in.
It was a pretty decent time, all things considered.
Thanks to the conversation, the drive passed faster than expected, and Oliver even picked up some new insights while answering her questions.
For example, he learned that what he considered everyday life in the orphanage and the so-called "employment" at the mines came as quite a shock to Yareli.
To Oliver, for whom that had been normal, her reaction was the surprising part.
They were clearly living in the same country, yet their worlds were completely different. But when he thought about it, maybe that wasn't so strange.
In this era of magic and industry, every field had advanced dazzlingly, but at the same time grown so vast and complex that understanding each other had become even harder.
Because people were just individuals. No matter how diligently you looked around, what you could know and comprehend was limited.
Especially if you'd grown up in different environments.
So these exchanges made the time feel pretty good to Oliver.
He got to see the perspective of someone from a totally different world.
'In a way, Yareli feels more like a proper young lady than Miss Jane.'
Oliver thought as he watched Yareli's reactions, the way she gasped here and there at his words.
Miss Jane was certainly a wealthy heiress in Randa now, but her own childhood had been pretty rough.
Yareli asked another question.
"So, most of the disciples in black magician families are bought or picked up off the streets?"
"Yes... Of course, I wasn't in every family, but at least in the one I was with, that was the case."
Oliver answered, reminiscing about his Joseph Family days for the first time in a while. He suddenly wondered how Marie was doing.
"Later, I asked everyone one by one how they'd ended up there, and they all said they'd been picked up by the master or sold to him."
"Ah..."
Yareli looked shocked, clearly caught off guard, and hesitated to say anything rash.
"Did you think differently, Miss Yareli?"
"Huh? Oh... Honestly, it's different from what I learned. I thought they all became black magicians out of their own greed and ambition."
"Ah, that's somewhat true."
"Huh?"
"They were all sold or picked up, sure, but wanting to become black magicians was their own choice. To gain the power to protect and support themselves."
Oliver replied, thinking of Marie's drive to become a black magician and grow strong, and Peter's pursuit of filterette-making skills to get rich.
They each had their own circumstances, but they shared one thing: becoming a black magician was their only hope for survival.
'If it was by their own will, then... yeah?'
"But isn't becoming a black magician dangerous?"
Yareli had a point there too. Black magicians were persecuted targets. Just becoming one came with risks. Though she was overlooking something.
"I think they figured it didn't matter, since life was dangerous either way. Most were orphans or sold off, so if they didn't make it as black magicians, they'd spend their lives as laborers in the family. If they hated that, they'd have to run away—but the streets were dangerous too. No money, no place to stay."
Oliver recalled how brutal life got in the lower ranks of the family.
He hadn't realized it back then, but looking back now, it was pretty harsh.
Low-rank disciples got no proper education, just endless shifts at the sausage factory.
Classes were rare—maybe a handful a year.
If you didn't improve in those, you'd spend years slaving away for free making sausages.
Yet they never rebelled or ran because there were no other options.
Kids with no money, no shelter, no way to survive on their own had no choice but to become black magicians, like it or not.
'That's why everyone worked so hard...'
Oliver pictured them all grinding away, then the family members right before he left.
"Anyway, that's why they all chose it of their own will."
"I... had no idea."
"Pardon?"
"That there were reasons like that for becoming black magicians... It's kind of shocking."
Yareli truly seemed unaware, her face tinged with shame born of ignorance.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. Not everyone's the same. Even in my case, I was dragged there by the master, but wanting to become a black magician was my own decision. Even if it'd guaranteed my livelihood and safety, I still would've done it."
"Really?"
"Yes. I was always fascinated by black magic itself... So what I'm saying is, people are all different, so no need to blame yourself. I had prejudices about mages too."
Yareli perked up with interest.
"What kind of prejudices?"
"I thought Mage Tower wizards all lived cushy lives in wealthy homes, arrogant and obsessed with human experiments."
"...What made you think that?"
"That's what everyone said on Randa streets: wizards are all arrogant, rich, and do human experiments. But after working at the tower, I realized it's not all of them."
It really wasn't.
From the outside, they seemed arrogant, but they had deep insecurities and no real leisure.
Cramming students into the confined Mage Tower forced constant competition—it was only natural.
In that arena, only a few had any real ease; the rest lived under immense pressure.
The arrogance they showed outsiders was just a defense mechanism or compensation.
And yes, some were wealthy, but plenty weren't. Made sense— even in the world's richest city like Randa, poor folks existed. Quite a lot, actually.
"Plus, I thought they were all deep into human experiments, but it doesn't seem that way."
Oliver glanced at Yareli as he said it. She replied,
"Even inside the tower, there are voices calling for self-reflection. Saying we need to keep it in check."
"Exactly. That was my prejudice, what I got wrong. Working there taught me better. Pretty eye-opening."
Yareli looked at him like he was something amazing.
"You're impressive."
"What do you mean?"
"Having such a strong mind. I hardly ever meet people as positive and resilient as you, Mr. Xenon."
"Funny you say that. I got the same vibe from you, Miss Yareli."
"...?"
"I heard about what happened with Professor Kevin and your father."
"...You mean how Professor Kevin dueled my father to get into the Mage Tower?"
"Yes. I heard the outcome too."
Oliver spoke cautiously, bracing for anger. Fortunately, she didn't snap.
Just a bittersweet shadow crossed her face.
"I don't know much since my father was gone by then, but I know it was a pretty sad and tough thing. I learned about it... But even so, you signed up for Professor Kevin's class."
"......"
"If it's not too rude, could I ask why? It seems like a awkward relationship personally."
Yareli fell silent, then stared straight at Oliver's face.
"...Can I ask why you're asking?"
"Just curious."
She turned forward again, thinking it over, then seemed to make up her mind and spoke.
"...Because he's so skilled."
"Pardon?"
"Professor Kevin. Even as a Hongin, he rose to master rank purely on talent. And though no one admits it, he's a proper disciple of the Archive. So I figured there was a lot to learn, and that's why I took his class."
Sincere. Dead serious.
She wasn't without feelings toward Kevin, but separately, she respected his skill in surviving the tower under harsh conditions.
"And while it's known that my father lost to him and got chased out, that's not the only reason. It was decisive, sure, but even before that, he'd been marked by the Prime Master... my grandmother."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Father had talent and solid skills from family training, but he couldn't control himself. Arrogant and conservative, yet his private life was wide open, and he wielded power beyond his station, clashing more and more with Grandmother. Then Professor Kevin showed up and took down Father and his allies, stripping their influence."
"...Political maneuvering?"
"Not sure. I was too young... Anyway, Father brought it on himself too. That's why I don't hold grudges against Professor Kevin. Taking his class was just because I thought I could learn something useful—for me, for the family, for the Scardi minor faction."
Yareli spoke with firm resolve and true conviction.
She was genuinely trying to set the past aside and focus on the future for herself and her group.
Seeing that will in her, Oliver said,
"You're pretty too, Miss Yareli."
Suddenly, silence blanketed the car.
The moment Oliver called her emotions pretty, her eyes widened like coins behind her glasses, flashing confusion before she clamped her mouth shut.
He wanted to ask what was wrong, but her vibe seemed flustered and annoyed, so Oliver opted to stay quiet instead of prying.
With Yareli silent, Oliver drove on wordlessly, and after hours of that, they finally reached the Ark region, where green plains stretched out.
They said Gallos had vast flatlands with few mountains, and arriving made it real.
Up to Ark, dense forests and hills had blocked the view, but Gallos opened up so wide you didn't know where to look.
"It's really vast."
Oliver said it like a kid seeing overseas for the first time.
"Gallos is all rolling hills and open plains—no real mountains. This scenery is common here."
"Oh, you know your stuff."
"We don't just study magic at the tower. And we visit Gallos sometimes for exchanges. It's not on our kingdom's level, but it's impressive."
"Is that right?"
"Yes—huge land, big population, fertile soil. A land blessed by the gods."
"Oh, interesting. I read that phrase in a book once. 'A land blessed by the gods, holding all the world's abundance and wonders.'"
"...What book was that?"
"A humor book. It said the gods balanced it out afterward by filling this great land with Gallosians... Funny joke."
Yareli just stared at Oliver without a word.