Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: 3. Peaceful Daily Life at the Orphanage
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While Yujin was pulling off his desperate sales push.
Karen was going through her usual routine. Taking magic lessons from Hella, practicing spells, and collapsing from exhaustion.
Today was no different. She attended class, practiced , and eventually collapsed from mana depletion.
"32 minutes 50 seconds. Same as last time?"
"...I'm sorry. I tried my best."
"No. Honestly, it's impressive that you've come this far in less than a month of learning magic. And more importantly, I had my suspicions."
"Suspicions...?"
Karen tilted her head, expecting Hella to scold her for her stalled progress given her personality. But Hella opened her mouth with her usual expression, as if it were no big deal.
"You've awakened to your lineage, haven't you?"
"...!!"
"No use hiding it. You did a good job, but it was bound to show eventually."
"........."
"Still planning to keep it secret?"
"How did you... know?"
"Obvious. You're a genius that our scout recommended to me, and I've confirmed that talent myself. For someone like you to be stuck at a plateau for days? Something had to be up."
"But that doesn't mean it's a lineage."
"Forgot what I taught you on the first day? I told you—mages who awaken to their lineage rarely use magic outside it. Know why? The efficiency sucks. Once you awaken, they generally don't learn new spells outside their lineage or develop the ones they have."
"They don't even try?"
"Well, other spells are useful too. But if I can cross the empire end to end with applications of my lineage, just twisting and adapting it properly lets you accomplish so much. Someone who knows how to walk and run doesn't need to crawl around normally, right?"
"Ah..."
"And it takes forever to learn them anyway. Unawakened mages actually master basic elemental spells faster than those who've awakened. Anyway, that's how I guessed you'd awakened yours. Honestly, it's hard to believe."
"...Sorry for keeping it secret, Master."
"Sorry? Most mages hide their lineage—it's normal. A lineage ties into your life's purpose, your origin and end."
"But you told me yours on the first day..."
"Yeah, I did. But that's because I got too famous as an adventurer. Normal mages have to keep theirs under wraps. Especially kids like you hiding dangerous purposes."
Hella took a step closer. Karen felt the same pressure from her as on the first day, along with powerful mana.
But unlike back then, when she was helplessly crushed, now Karen stood tall before Hella.
Hella smirked at the sight.
"Yujin told me the training period ends when I'm satisfied. Awakening your lineage qualifies. So this is your final test."
"...Final."
"Yeah. Whether I leave you with Yujin or drag you to the Magic Tower by force."
Snap!
The moment Hella snapped her fingers, transparent walls appeared around Karen like a cube, closing in and pressing from all sides.
Hella's lineage was [Protection]. True to its name, her barriers specialized in safeguarding others, but they could also crush foes in reverse.
It was far too harsh an assault for a young orphan.
"I absolutely..."
"Hmm."
"...will not leave Father's side."
It was mere child's play for a mage awakened to her lineage.
Seeing Karen no longer as an orphan but a mage, Hella's lips curved. At the same moment, black mana rose like mud around Karen.
Writhing like a living thing, it surged like a waterfall, physically blocking Hella's barriers—and then.
"That's it? Got anything else?"
"Ugh..."
"No way that's all. Show me more."
Crackle.
Just as Hella openly showed disappointment, her barriers 'vanished.' Not shattered physically or pushed back by force. Holes appeared one by one, turning black before dissolving. Hella finally nodded as if she got it.
What caught her eye in that sudden shift wasn't the black mana, but Karen herself.
The girl who had barely endured while sweating buckets now gazed with cold, clear eyes.
"What did you do?"
"...I thought about killing you."
"Me?"
"Just a little... that's all I thought."
"Got it. Not that you really wanted me dead—it's the trigger, right? Natural for a lineage. Lineage magic draws not just on mana, but actively on the mindset to enact it."
Hella snapped her fingers again, and her barriers enveloped the entire orphanage in an instant.
The speed and scale to cover a three-story building were impressive, but the walls looked even thicker and sturdier than before.
"So when I intend to 'protect' something, my lineage magic manifests stronger. For you, it's killing intent."
"...Is that weird?"
"Nah, not even close to weird. Plenty of lineages use killing intent as the trigger, even if the expressions differ. But you thought it was odd, so you hid it. Dangerous, right?"
"Yes."
"When you awakened, what were you feeling?"
"...I wanted to kill them. The ones trying to kill Tricksy, the scum who hurt Father—I wanted them dead, in agony and misery."
Karen's voice dripped with thick, heavy emotion, like her black mana.
Hella nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. You pass. No need to teach you anymore."
"It's... over? Then I..."
"Won't drag you to the Magic Tower. Was planning to basically imprison you there, but seems fine now."
"Even with a lineage like this?"
Unlike Hella's [Protection], Karen's lineage specialized overtly in killing. Triggered by killing intent, it made targets spill black blood as they died.
It seemed so ominous and dangerous even to Karen that she'd hidden it from Hella. So how had she deemed it okay?
Hella answered lightly.
"You couldn't break my barriers earlier because you had no killing intent toward me. Only after you did could you dissolve them."
"Yeah..."
"That means no intent, no power. That's why it's fine."
"...?"
"You won't turn that intent on Yujin."
"Ah."
"Like I said from the start, he's our scout—that's what matters. Don't care who you kill, as long as Yujin's safe. That's why you pass."
"........."
"But if your actions end up harming Yujin, even indirectly..."
In Hella's eyes, how did Karen appear?
To her, with the [Protection] lineage, Karen was like a vast abyss. Endlessly void, dragging all who approached into the depths.
You could talk from outside the pit. But the replies were mere echoes of your own voice bouncing back. To truly get close, you had to leap in yourself.
And Yujin was the type to gladly dive into such a hole.
"You'd better be prepared. I'm not the only one watching our scout closely."
"...Don't worry. I'll protect Father."
"You'd better. With that power, it shouldn't be hard. [Curse] lineages are rare, but each one is insanely strong."
"[Curse]... So others have awakened to it too?"
"Pretty much. Lineage names are common words anyway. Same lineage means some commonalities, but not identical. Lineages are just the means to your life's purpose—people take different paths even from the same start."
Some walk to their goal, some run, ride carriages, dig tunnels, or fly.
Awakening means realizing your destination and the way you'll go. Everyone's end is different.
"You're graduated. Congratulations, you're a mage now."
"Yes, Master."
"No need to call me that anymore."
"Yes, Hella."
"Love the straightforwardness. Advice, then: Avoid the Magic Tower if possible. If you end up there, act like you never awakened. With your talent, you can at least maintain basic elemental magic. Like walking, running, or riding when you could crawl or waddle—but suck it up."
"Got it."
"And most importantly: Hide your lineage. Never forget. It's life or death."
Oh, and.
"Hope that heart of yours doesn't change. Don't betray our scout."
With that, Hella vanished. An application of her protection lineage. Karen hadn't understood at first, but now she vaguely grasped the principle.
If her guess was right, Hella could protect Father faster than anyone. Hence the warning.
'No chance of that anyway.'
Fwoosh.
Karen conjured a small . Awakened, she could now cast far stronger spells with less cost. She got why awakened mages shunned other magic.
But this basic fire spell served as camouflage for her lineage—and held deeper meaning for her.
Gazing at her fireball, Karen's eyes trembled wildly.
"Father."
Remembering the pain he'd endured for her, that foul smell, his charred black hand.
Recalling a father's sacrifice for his daughter.
She would never forget this feeling.
Never leave Father's side.
*
After bidding Yujin farewell and leaving the orphanage, on her way back.
Hella, who had walked until Yujin and Karen were out of sight, pulled a crystal orb from her pocket.
"Ah, can you hear me? Break your orb quick. Gotta head out soon."
[That's easy. But first, our deal?]
"Deal? Oh, right."
[If the scout called you in, must be amazing talent. Promised the story for helping with your return.]
"Well... she was impressive. Around my dad's level?"
[...Serious?]
"Surprised? I was shocked on day one—now it's just absurd."
The voice from the orb filled with shock and bewilderment.
Hella continued with a hollow laugh.
"Our scout says the kid, Karen, mastered the basic magic book in a week. Even manifested perfectly."
[You finished basics in two weeks, I recall.]
"I had intensive lessons from Dad and other masters, plus lectures beyond the book, and chugged mana potions like water. Good environment. But her?"
[Scout has no magic talent, only basic book, no potions or elixirs.]
"Yet a week. Believable? And now she's awakened her lineage. Total monster. Like listening to Dad's annoying boasts."
[Former Magic Tower Lord has the right.]
"Yeah, but annoying from a daughter's view. Anyway, awakened lineage—no more to teach. Satisfied?"
[Lineage in two weeks? I could teach most.]
"...Sharp old man. [Curse]."
[What!? You left her with that?!?]
"Quiet down. I have some危機 sense. If it were normal curse lineage, I'd have killed her on the spot."
[Then why!!]
"Our scout wouldn't miss it, right? Old man, remember what he was called among active adventurers?"
[...Golden Eye.]
"Sharper insight than any tech or spell. Think he'd overlook a curse lineage? No way. So what does that mean?"
[Even a curse—one he deemed safe?]
"Yeah, curse lineages have flashy histories, so your reaction's fair. But I don't trust curses. I trust our scout."
[...Sigh. Saw his character adventuring, but embracing even curses...]
"He's the impressive one. Who'd think a street orphan has curse lineage? Left alone, continental disaster. Scout found her early instead."
[Makes sense. Thought he meant retiring for real, but opening an orphanage...]
The voice trailed off, nostalgic.
Then snapped back.
[A real orphanage—Her Highness the Princess will be thrilled. Minus the curse part.]
"Good. Legs hurt—break it quick."
[Got it. Talk later.]
Crash!
The old man's voice cut off as something shattered on the other end. Hella's lineage reacted instantly.
When harm came to what she'd decided to [Protection], she had to go right to it. A teleport exploiting that trait.
Hella's body enveloped in protection magic.
"Curse lineage, huh..."
Her eyes turned toward Yujin's orphanage.
"You're the same as ever, Yujin."
Hella vanished with a small smile.
She had to share Yujin's update with his curious old comrades too.