You Thought I'd Let You Go? (3)
When the day of our triumphant return to the North finally arrives, the connections we can leverage with the imperial mainland will be more than enough with Cryan alone. As for the financial resources we lack… it would be wiser to seek them from my patron, Babalk, or from Nonedon, whom I installed as chairman. In that case, most of the benefits I could gain from my relationship with Gremory—soon to become the Tower Master—were already in my hands.
However.
There was one thing she possessed that I did not. Knowledge. And within that, the third path I had long abandoned through selection and focus, lacking both the energy and capacity to learn it in my previous life. The laws of an entirely new world that I had never been able to wield until now… magic.
It was a concept that had not existed in my previous world, so learning it had proven exceptionally difficult. I had given up on it early. Yet if I were to seek the right moment to belatedly master it, I realized the present might be the optimal time.
“I would like to request tutoring. Please teach me magic.”
Therefore, this was precisely what I sought.
The moment those words left my lips, Gremory’s eyes flew wide open, as if she could not believe this was all I desired.
“…Y-yes? You want me to teach you… magic—?”
“Correct.”
Well, I had approached the matter with such gravity. She must have been bracing herself for a far heavier, more valuable demand. To hear something so modest after all that tension would naturally leave her bewildered.
Yet I had not made this request thoughtlessly. The idea stemmed from the very principle of preparedness I always valued.
Let us return to the beginning. Vincent, the one targeting me, is a mage. Moreover, he is the strongest archmage, a being who utterly transcends ordinary human understanding. The title of archmage is a colossal honor bestowed upon the five greatest mages of the era. Even Gremory, the youngest to ever claim such a position, already wields tremendous power. But Vincent—the one who cursed her ancestor’s heart to grant her that strength—is clearly after me. In the recorded confrontation he showed me, had he not utterly crushed her without her being able to lift a finger?
Witnessing that, a single thought had flashed through my mind.
If Vincent approached me right now and unleashed his magic, I might endure somehow. But I have no understanding of the structure or nature of the power he wields. I would be forced to assess the situation solely through visible phenomena and react accordingly.
That was clearly an untenable position. With even one competent mage at my side, I could at least put up a fight. But if I learned magic myself, I could read his attack patterns at a glance and prepare countermeasures without the hassle of consulting others.
In terms of the swordsmanship I frequently employ, it would be akin to discerning his school from the first exchange and anticipating the next technique in my mind.
Of course, I did not believe that learning magic would let me surpass him overnight. Still, I could not simply leave things as they were. The variables born from ignorance of magic were too dangerous, and I wished to minimize unnecessary complications.
Considering his high mobility and aggressive nature, I doubted I would have much time to prepare the deceptive tactics I often relied upon. Something told me that, sooner or later, I would clash with him in a fierce battle. If so, thoroughly investigating the magic I had long neglected seemed the best course available to me now.
Thus, I had chosen the green-haired woman before me.
Gremory maintained her characteristic graceful poise as she spoke.
“…I thought you might demand money, or something of equivalent value. Perhaps I was being too much of a beast—.”
“No, the conversation simply flowed in that direction. It couldn’t be helped.”
“But Sir Yohan… you haven’t forgotten that this is an academy, have you—?”
She sat back down, resting her chin on one hand and glancing up at me.
“You may learn magic as much as you wish. The path of learning is always open. If you were to attend the magic department’s lectures, I suspect every professor there would welcome you with open arms—.”
Well, I knew that much. This was an educational institution, after all. But the reason I had gone to such lengths to request this specifically from Gremory was different. It seemed she was overlooking a crucial fact.
“…That is, Lady Gremory.”
“Hmmm—?”
“I truly know nothing about magic. It appears I lack even the basic circuits that any ordinary human possesses.”
“…Pardon?”
“Therefore, I only know how to let mana flow somewhere. Even then, it is so faint that I must squeeze out every ounce of strength just to draw it forth.”
She clearly had not expected me to be at such a level. With a startled expression, she lifted the pen on her desk with mana and shook it in the air.
Whoosh…!
“—Then, Sir Yohan, you cannot even do something like this? Floating a pen with mana?”
“I cannot.”
“Then… changing the flow of mana to avoid burning your hand while lighting a fire—?”
“I cannot…”
“Then what about simply releasing mana to dry your hair with its heat, or drying your hands after washing them?”
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of such things.”
Damn it. I can’t.
At my words, Gremory drew her chin back in disbelief. She placed her voluptuous chest—impossible to ignore unless one deliberately averted one’s gaze—upon the desk and clutched her head with one hand.
“Wow—. Just a moment… Then how exactly have you been living until now…?”
“W-well, isn’t it natural to do those things by hand? You simply exercise caution with fire and heat, dry things properly, and there’s no problem at all—!”
“…Oh dear. No. This is part of formal education. Then what have I been watching all this time? A person who creates ice with magic and devours iron claiming he doesn’t know these things—?!”
“Devouring iron is simply something I do. As for the ice, that comes from the sword’s ability…”
“This feels like it belongs in a folklore textbook long before any mage’s introductory course…”
Her expression was a strange mixture of confusion and pity. I could sense she was being considerate, worried I might feel offended. Yet she still looked at me as though she had discovered an ancient being who had only just learned to walk on two legs.
It appeared Gremory had mistakenly assumed I possessed at least some proficiency in magic. Given this reaction, it was certain that others in this world held the same misconception.
Even so, what could I do? I had grown accustomed to the ways of my previous life and lived exactly like that for my entire existence.
That was precisely why I had asked her for private lessons.
If I were to attend classes at the academy now, it would be no different from an elementary student who could barely manage basic arithmetic walking into a university lecture on introductory physics.
Nevertheless, once I explained my actual level, she seemed to understand why I had approached her so cautiously. She smiled slowly once more, her tone carrying subtle curiosity and a firm resolve to somehow mold this existence into a proper person.
“…Well, if that is the case, very well. Teaching someone like you would be an honor in its own right—. Then, Sir Yohan. From today onward, I swear I shall take you as my own special tutoring student—.”
“I am confident in my ability to comprehend. Please focus primarily on theory.”
“That will likely depend on your capabilities…”
At any rate, having received such a firm confirmation, she would not go back on her word.
“…Then, since I have even given my oath, could you please tell me about the entity that attacked me?”
“Vincent.”
I spoke his name without the slightest hesitation.
“…Yes?”
“It is Vincent. One of the Six Swords. The world’s strongest archmage. The hellish archer who brought the Stars to this world.”
“…………Hah, haah—.”
Her reaction was quite sharp.
“…You have come. My everything. Have you found Grespara?”
At that same moment, Vincent had gathered all his subordinates except Grespara—the Zodiac sisters—and spoke while gently stroking each of their heads in turn.
Unlike the vicious demeanor he displayed before humans, before them he became a gentleman gentler and kinder than anyone else.
“Mmm……”
“……We could not find her.”
Yet none of them answered his question easily. There were four of them, excluding Grespara. They had divided the North—where they had last sent their youngest—into every direction for reconnaissance… but had gained nothing.
“…I am worried. So very worried. The fact that my small, adorable Pasa has still not returned is no ordinary matter.”
It was then that the fourth sister, the one with the highest voice, spoke. Baranta of Taurus, who had scouted the northern region of Fralbert near the Demon Realm, waved her hands wildly.
Her black twin-tails fluttered through the air.
“Lord Vincent, Lord Vincent—! Cute Baranta could not find Pasa, but she may have heard news—!”
“Speak.”
“…They say she went to some small mountain village, slaughtered all the human scum there, and then got captured and taken to the royal capital?”
At that instant, Vincent’s expression twisted with fury.
“…Kyaa, kyaaak—.”
“………Baranta. Do not speak falsehoods to your master. How could a disciple I personally taught possibly be captured by mere livestock-like humans?”
“……Th-that is… Baranta only heard rumors, so I’m not entirely sure!”
However, the eldest of the Zodiac sisters, Regolan of Leo, seemed to know how such a thing could have happened.
“Oh my. This Regolan has heard something. They say a terrifying knight known as the Lord of Steel caused some incident during an invasion of a human village. This may very well be that individual, Lord Vincent.”
“Lord of Steel…?”
…….
…….
…….
“Yohan. That bastard—.”
When he had visited the capital a few days earlier to capture him directly, interference had prevented him from identifying the man properly. By the time he realized it, Yohan had already been absent. Yet the moment Regolan spoke, Vincent’s thoughts connected in rapid succession and reached a conclusion.
He was in the North. The information we gathered stated he is a knight of the royal castle, so it is certain he was taken there.
At that realization, dark energy surged from him in a wave of rage. The remaining Zodiac sisters could only fidget helplessly.
Without delay, Vincent called out to one of those present—the second sister with golden hair. Rho of Cancer.
“Rho…!”
“Yes, Lord Vincent…”
“I clearly sent you to scout the western region, including the royal castle. Therefore, tell me everything you saw without omission or addition.”
A question upon which her very life might hang. At those words, Rho’s lips began to tremble violently.