Chapter 212
Chapter 212
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 212
Chapter Title: A Difficult Truth
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***
"Hmm..."
I let out a soft sound, my eyes taking in the cadet standing before me.
His youthful features held a peculiar air, both special and alien.
It was so obvious that he was different from ordinary people, I could see it in an instant.
"......"
Even as I looked into his dark eyes, frozen as he stared at me, he was 'more than I expected'.
A crushing pressure, as if he were being weighed down by the dense mana emanating from me. One would have to be exceptionally sensitive to mana to feel it so quickly, yet only a single cadet had reacted to me before I had even closed the distance.
Compared to the other trifling cadets... he could be considered a special 'gemstone in the rough'.
"How curious."
I uttered a single word and touched the rigid cadet's shoulder, helping him relax.
"...Ah."
Seeing him finally take a proper breath with a short gasp, I slowly scanned his body from top to bottom.
He certainly... wasn't bad.
The body I saw was clearly accustomed to mana.
Even considering he was an adult, his body was astonishingly adapted to mana, and I could feel an alien quality to the mana dwelling within him.
And that 'alien quality' was more than enough to pique my interest.
"M-Master?"
My mood seemed to lighten slightly as I glanced at Esia, who had belatedly appeared by my side.
I had been displeased to find my cherished disciple, whom I hadn't seen in so long, working as an instructor in such a sorry state. But now, I felt as though I had discovered an unexpected gemstone.
"Your name is Han Cheon-seong, correct?"
"...Yes."
"Do you have time right now?"
"I do, but..."
"Perfect. Let's have a little chat."
As I spoke, I unhesitatingly grabbed Han Cheon-seong's hand with my right and Esia's with my left.
*Grasp. Grasp!*
"!?"
"...!"
Taking in their distinctly surprised reactions, I cast a spell as easily as breathing.
—Blink.
The moment I inwardly uttered the incantation, I was able to escape the dormitory filled with insignificant beings.
My vision shifted in a flash, and in an instant, we arrived at the space I had only glanced at for a moment.
"Gasp!"
"…!"
A smirk played on my lips as I watched the cadet panting the moment his feet touched the ground.
'Somehow...'
It seemed this time wouldn't be as unpleasant as I'd thought.
***
*Clink...*
One by one, teacups were placed on the table, the subtle aroma of tea leaves filling the room.
Even the scent of the tea felt utterly pathetic as I observed each person in the room.
Esia, Han Cheon-seong, and my two attendant mages.
"W-well then, I hope the tea is to your liking."
"It is."
As the pathetic farewell ended and the servant withdrew, I gently crossed my legs.
*Rustle.* Then, I fixed my gaze on the two people in front of me.
"......"
"......"
The bewildered expressions hadn't faded from their faces yet. Both Esia and Han Cheon-seong looked equally dazed, which I found amusing.
After a brief explanation from Esia, Han Cheon-seong's gaze toward me changed, and a sense of satisfaction filled me.
It felt good to receive attention from someone I could call a special gemstone.
From my perspective, that cadet was a 'gemstone in the rough,' and thus worthy of my attention.
"I'll be calling you Han Cheon-seong, so you know."
"...Yes. Understood."
At his acquiescence, I lightly tapped the rim of my teacup.
I had no desire to let such a low-quality brew touch my lips.
*Ching—*
As the faint sound faded, I spoke calmly.
"The reason I wanted to talk is actually quite simple. I just want to hear about the details of last week's incident directly from you. Information is more meaningful when heard firsthand rather than secondhand."
"Tower Master Ariya, what I explained to the academy officials and what I would tell you now will not be all that different."
As he cautiously voiced his opinion, the corners of my mouth curled up.
"That doesn't matter."
The information I'd received came from the Ryuel Guild, so it was likely the same story, but I wanted to grasp the fragments of 'emotion' that would come from Han Cheon-seong's own lips.
The inevitable fragments of emotion woven into his voice. They would allow me to glean more information about the incident.
"...In that case, I understand. I will do my best to explain in detail."
I gave a slight nod at his response, then glanced at Esia, who was sitting right beside him.
"......"
She was just listening to our conversation, but my softer tone of voice seemed to be bothering her in some way.
I clicked my tongue inwardly as a mix of love and resentment churned within me.
The pathetic sight of the disciple who had betrayed my expectations and left for the academy certainly lacked her former brilliance.
If I had my way, I would have berated her more coldly... but I suppressed the urge and feigned composure.
*Flick.*
I turned my gaze back to Han Cheon-seong.
With another shining gemstone in my sight, I couldn't help but wonder.
To think a single cadet at the academy could be more talented than the apprentice mages residing in the Tower... It was hard to believe even after seeing it for myself.
Only when my gaze fell upon him did Han Cheon-seong finally begin to speak.
"First, on the day of the incident, I was..."
***
Han Cheon-seong's explanation continued for quite some time.
His serious demeanor was palpable as he detailed the events of the incident, and his logical, articulate speech was worth listening to.
As he elaborated on the Apostle's presence, its aura, and his own strength that allowed him to endure it, my expression gradually hardened.
"......"
I narrowed my eyes, studying Han Cheon-seong once more.
"That is all I have to tell you. Anything more would be no different from what I've already described to others."
Disbelief colored my eyes as he calmly concluded his story.
"...I see. I've heard you."
The fragments of emotion in his voice spoke nothing but the truth. Knowing there was no exaggeration in his explanation, I was met with one surprise after another.
The information I had received about the incident... felt different, as if it had been downplayed.
*Tap.*
I tapped the rim of my teacup again, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
"Hmm..."
I originally had no expectations for the name Han Cheon-seong.
Even with the prior information I'd received, my focus had been on the cadet Leonhardt with the Legendary Trait.
But meeting him in person and hearing his account of the incident changed everything.
It was almost unbelievable.
Furthermore.
'A being of this caliber...'
The fact that he wasn't mentioned in the Tome of Prophecy. That, to me, was incredibly puzzling.
In the past, the Tome of Prophecy had helped the empire overcome crises several times. After becoming the Tower Master and becoming aware of the Tome, I was given the 'responsibility' to prevent such crises, and I had naturally done so.
This academy incident was not mentioned in the Tome, and the only person to watch out for was a single cadet named 'Leonhardt Rorient'.
Nevertheless, I had to visit the academy.
I came to help Leonhardt after he lost his trait. Other than that, my visit had no significant purpose.
The name Leonhardt, written in the Tome of Prophecy, was an ember that could not be allowed to die out here.
And yet...
Things were now starkly different. Clear doubt and suspicion were now swirling in my mind.
"You said your name was... Han Cheon-seong."
"Yes, that's correct, Tower Master Ariya."
As I uttered the unfamiliar name once more, I watched the cadet who answered cautiously.
He was now calm, his demeanor completely changed. It seemed he had somewhat adapted to the mana I was emitting; there was no longer any trembling or bewilderment.
In the dark eyes staring straight at me, there was a strange expectation, a yearning.
"Have you ever had a different name in the past?"
"I have not."
At his serene reply, I asked again.
"Then did you have a mentor before the academy? Or perhaps your parents' names. Anything will do, just tell me everything."
A clue about this being whose name did not appear in the Tome of Prophecy. I had to find it.
I had simply noted his 'Common Trait' and not looked into the information properly... I never thought it would come back to bite me, but I needed to know the truth.
As I stared at Han Cheon-seong, he hesitated to answer, his lips faltering, which displeased me.
"Why don't you answer?"
I pressed him, narrowing my eyes in frustration. Who did he think was asking that he would hesitate to answer like this?
"Master...?"
"What is it, Esia?"
"May I answer on Cadet Han Cheon-seong's behalf?"
"What?"
Esia's unexpected interruption was so absurd it made me laugh.
I may have cherished her and given her affection in the past, but I never taught her to be so impudent as to interfere like this.
"Instructor Esia, I'm fine."
"But, Cadet Han Cheon-seong..."
It was even more ridiculous to see her turn away from me to speak with the cadet.
"Tower Master Ariya, I will answer properly. I apologize for my hesitation."
"...Fine."
His polite and respectful demeanor finally managed to soothe my temper.
...And yet, the deepened gloom in the cadet's eyes sparked a strange question within me.
'Is my question that difficult to answer?'
I couldn't understand it...
"I have no parents or mentors."
At the quiet words...
I froze for a moment.
***
"I have no parents or mentors."
As Cheon-seong calmly spoke, Esia couldn't help but let out a soft gasp.
"...Huh."
Seeing her master blink in surprise, she felt a pang of guilt.
'What do I do?'
Before Kalli left the academy, she had asked a favor of me.
She'd asked me to pay a little more attention to Cadet Han Cheon-seong while she was away. It was a rare request from Kalli, and I remembered it vividly.
I had originally planned to visit Cadet Han Cheon-seong yesterday after he left the infirmary.
But things had gone awry...
And now, Cadet Han Cheon-seong had been forced to speak of a truth he found difficult to share.
The fact that Cadet Han Cheon-seong had lived a difficult life as an orphan...