Chapter 121
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Consultation
She had been eagerly looking forward to meeting me—I could tell that much without her needing to say a word. And I knew the reason why.
I carefully examined the mana flowing around her. Now that she had become a Transcendent, Roselin should be able to manipulate the surrounding mana to some degree without even thinking about it.
I could see the influence it was having on her. Though it was still faint, barely noticeable.
The awkward movements of the ambient mana affected by her presence were palpable—like it was clinging to her, peering curiously, wandering aimlessly without direction. An odd clumsiness.
'Is this how it usually is at first?'
It was a novel sight to me.
This was the first time I'd seen someone freshly ascended to Transcendent status, and when I'd just become one myself, I'd adapted almost immediately.
'Is this why the Root of Understanding marveled at how quickly I adapted?'
Of course, it might have been because my trait of Form Transformation meant I handled raw mana directly so often, speeding up my adjustment.
Roselin noticed my gaze lingering in a certain direction and seemed to realize what I was observing.
A fleeting, sheepish expression crossed her face before she spoke.
"It's still not easy to handle."
"You've still got the qualifications, though."
At my words, she drew in a short breath.
Her nodding face held a mix of resolve and faint anticipation.
"...Yes."
I already knew what that anticipation was about.
"Let's start with the basics."
"Yes, please go ahead."
"The pact."
"The pact..."
It wasn't a face she'd made upon hearing the term for the first time.
Of course not. I'd mentioned it several times when talking about Zmol.
"As you probably know, the pact is the broadest standard currently controlling the Transcendents."
I gestured toward her.
"Imagine you run into another Transcendent in your current state. What if they decide you're a potential threat someday and just kill you on a whim, no reason given?"
"If that kept happening... the world would probably descend into total chaos."
"Exactly. To prevent that, the ancient human Transcendent who became the Hero engraved this pact. That's why we call him the Hero now."
"The Hero..."
Whether that was truly his intent or not, the current consensus was as much.
And after saying that, I watched Roselin's reaction closely.
Until now, she'd only known fragments about the Hero from the chatter in the chatroom.
This was the first time she'd grasped its true meaning.
I observed her response. As the next Hero, I wanted to see what kind of reaction she'd have to that word.
"I see."
Surprisingly calm reply.
She didn't show any dramatic reaction.
Honestly, I'd expected her to be at least a little awed...
"Do you think it was right?"
"Right and reality are different things. But I do think it was an incredible feat."
That sounded exactly like the detached perspective of a third party.
Well, it might not have sunk in for her yet.
"And right now, there are those who flagrantly violate that pact without restraint."
"And those are the ones behind Zmol..."
"Correct. We call them the Forces of Evil."
"Forces of Evil?"
Only then did Roselin start showing a strong reaction.
Her pupils shook as she repeated the words, like an earthquake had hit.
The chatroom conversations were probably flashing through her mind.
And she'd just realized it was directly connected to her.
"So the ones behind Zmol who tried to kill me... they're the Forces of Evil?"
"Yes. They're the faction eroding the mana system rooted in this world, forcibly widening cracks in the pact to plunge the entire world into chaos."
"Why would they target me...?"
Because she's the Hero.
Though even they aren't entirely sure.
I had no intention of giving her that answer right now.
"If you join me, it'll be a journey to uncover that."
"Then, Teacher, may I ask why you're pursuing the Forces of Evil?"
"Because they're my enemies."
That was all I'd tell her for now.
Their leader stood at the opposite end from my successor, and though they didn't know it yet, they'd come after me first—by chance or by fate.
I couldn't give her such a grandiose explanation just yet.
"...That's still something I can't understand."
She furrowed her brow, pondered, then spoke.
"Actually, not long ago, I was attacked by a Transcendent. Their magic felt incredibly strange, but could that have been the Forces of Evil?"
The strange magic she mentioned was probably the black veil and darkness-infused attacks.
"...Likely. You were lucky to survive."
"They seemed to be after one specific person there. That's why I've managed to stay alive this whole time. I heard that person is still on the run, hiding..."
...That's me.
What should I say to that?
"That's unfortunate for them."
I replied in a hollow tone, but Cedric's usual voice wasn't much different anyway.
"Yes..."
Roselin accepted it naturally.
But her expression darkened in an instant.
Why the gloom?
Was she worried about me?
But as Ivan, I hadn't had much interaction with her.
...Maybe not feelings about me, but about herself?
She'd looked terribly flustered back then.
I thought it was natural, but reflecting on it afterward, her emotions might have turned more negative.
"Ah, sorry. I just feel pathetic for not being able to do anything back then."
"..."
I knew exactly what happened in that incident. As Cedric, I'd been right there in the middle of it.
Did Roselin really do nothing?
I didn't think so.
For someone who wasn't a Transcendent yet, panicking in that situation was natural... and it was an ambush to begin with.
A Transcendent enemy out of nowhere.
There was nothing she could have done. Any clumsy move might have made it worse.
And hadn't I asked her specifically to block the aftermath since she was nearby?
So blaming herself as pathetic... wasn't that too harsh?
'You're the son of courage. The Hero.'
I was the one who'd given her that name, yet here she was tearing herself down.
"There was nothing you could have done, right? You hadn't even become a Transcendent yet."
"I wasn't one then... but the target they were after wasn't a Transcendent either."
Ah, I see.
She's feeling inferior because in the same situation, she froze while I responded?
But actually... I was already a Transcendent back then...
Knowing the full story, I realized she had no reason to feel that way at all.
"What is eating away at you like this?"
"No, it's not eating away, just..."
"What do you think courage is?"
Her head snapped up.
Because of the word "courage"?
She was called the Son of Courage in the chatroom, after all.
I pretended not to know, tilting my head slightly.
"Just asking. Why the surprise?"
"...No reason. Courage is... a word that suits that man. Ivan. The one the Transcendent was targeting."
As if she'd been holding it in, her words came pouring out.
"He must have felt fear too. But overcoming that fear and pressing forward—that's true courage, I think."
"That's why I'm asking. What did you do in the face of fear?"
"...Nothing. Shamefully."
"Not compared to him. Just you, yourself."
"..."
I'd asked her to block the aftermath.
And in reality, she probably tried to do just that.
It might be a stretch to credit her alone, but in the end, nothing happened in the banquet hall.
I lured him out, and Maron, passing by chance, killed him in one shot.
She did her job.
"Fear and courage. Most people miss something between the two. I call it ability. Stepping forward without the ability isn't courage—it's recklessness. How does your ability now compare to back then? The same?"
"...I've become a Transcendent."
"Then you've advanced. Do what you can do. Do you think he'd scold you as a coward?"
"No... but."
"Then there's no need to shrink back. Overcoming fear isn't about comparing to others—it's about whether you've surpassed yesterday's you."
"..."
It had somehow turned into a counseling session, but knowing the incident too well, I couldn't ignore it.
"Tomorrow's you will be different from today's. Am I wrong?"
"...I'm trying."
"That's enough."
I tapped the table with my finger.
"For now, your task is to get more proficient with natural mana. I have things to do, so by the time I return, it should be different from now, right?"
Roselin's eyes dimmed ever so slightly, then brightened again.
At the same time, I could see her tense shoulders slowly relax.
I felt my intent had reached her.
All I needed to do was part the fog she'd been lost in, help her focus on the path right in front of her.
From what I'd observed of her so far, I was confident she'd stride down it without slacking.
"Yes, I understand...!"
Honestly, when I only knew the Merciful Crown's request as "something only a human can do," I'd thought about solving it together with Roselin.
Strictly speaking, she fit the condition perfectly.
But after learning about Mugeon, I'd shelved that idea.
'I need to find a provision for Roselin soon too.'
The next one should instill confidence.
I could decide the form of the provision anyway.
On my way out of the inn after parting with Roselin.
Not long after, the manaphone rang.
It was a message Roselin had left on the manaphone.
[Son of Courage: Can I know more details about the Forces of Evil?]