Disciple to Master, Master to Disciple (3)
Disciple to Master, Master to Disciple (3)
[Olivia]
- Level: 60
- Class: Advanced Ice Mage
- Titles: Academy Valedictorian, Top Disciple of the Gold Tower Lord
Olivia slowly contemplated her state.
She could see how hard she had leveled up over the past six days, already promoted to a senior mage.
Level 60.
It wasn't enough to be called strong, but it wasn't a level where she would get insta-killed anywhere she went either.
Considering the White Tower Lord was Level 66, anyone from Level 70 upward could truly be called strong.
This would include the lower Tower Lords of the Five Great Magic Towers, Knight Commander-class paladins, and High Elf Royal Guards.
Level 80 was a step above that. Archmages, Sword Saints, and Knight Commanders belonged here.
'...But was my leveling always this fast?'
No matter how much of a veteran she was, she didn't think she'd ever gained 5 levels in just ten days.
Of course, it would be possible if she used an elixir that exponentially increased experience gain, but that wasn't a resource to be used at her current low level.
'...Was she imagining things?'
It was a bit perplexing. But thinking it was a good thing anyway, Olivia let it slide.
There was a mountain of work to do ahead, and she didn't want to waste mental energy on useless things.
Unlike with Kiel, her first meeting with Melina had been made with zero accumulated Favorability.
That was why she hadn't yet deliberately shown the 'changing' process.
Because if Melina recognized the two selves before they were close, she might not be able to distinguish which one was the perpetrator of the Genocide.
'A single mistake and I'll fall straight into the abyss.'
Not yet. She would have to show her little by little, at least after hitting 50 Favorability.
She saved her words as much as possible. No matter how much of a veteran Olivia was, deceiving a genius on Melina's level was nearly impossible.
The game and reality were different.
Even among the regressors, the only human with a quicker mind than Melina was Aria. Of course, if she expanded the scope to include other races, the picture changed slightly, but she was still at the very top.
So how did she handle it?
A genius like Melina didn't easily believe what others said. She only believed her own thoughts.
Olivia planned to exploit that point conversely.
Having played Lactea thousands of times, the NPC she had met the most was Melina. Since she had seen almost every ending as a mage class, it was quite natural that she met Melina the most.
To the point that she was confident she knew Melina better than Melina knew herself.
Olivia strode down the hallway. There was no need to separately investigate what had happened in the last six days.
Every time other mages ran into Olivia, they shut up and bowed first. It would have been stranger not to notice how things were going.
Only after exchanging a total of fifty-eight greetings was she finally able to reach the office.
"You're up early. Have you come to pay your morning respects?"
The Melina she met like that was... strange.
[Melina Diviae]
- Level: 95
- Favorability: 38
- Class: Archmage of Time and Space
- Titles: Guardian of the Empire, Gold Tower Lord, The Emperor's Drinking Companion
It had definitely been 3 the last time she checked.
But now it was a whopping 38.
'...Huh?'
Honestly, it would be a lie to say she hadn't wanted the Favorability to rise. She hadn't just offered to help her reach the Truth; she'd acted like a star lecturer saying, 'Hey, you can see the Truth too!' It would have been weirder if it hadn't risen.
But this was too much of a rise. What was certain was that this was a level that could no longer be called an ordinary teacher-student relationship.
Around 20 was said to be a decent teacher-student relationship—enough to smile, exchange jokes, and visit every year on Teacher's Day to gift carnations.
But now it was nearly double. Of course, it was lower than when she first met Kiel, but back then she had already been rolling around in Euran for months.
But this was Melina. It had only been ten days since they became teacher and student.
But in that time, would a person change this much?
"Alright, come in. What brings you here so early in the morning?"
"Uh, well..."
"That's not like you. Come, sit down and tell me about it slowly."
Leaving aside the affectionate tone, what on earth was that affectionate gesture that seemed to tell her to sit on her lap?
She had definitely planned to raise Melina's Favorability, but she hadn't expected this much.
Olivia barely managed to hide her flustered expression.
"...I'm fine. I'll sit in a chair."
"Alright, do as you're comfortable."
Olivia, who had barely calmed her heart, spoke.
"I was hoping to get permission to go out."
"Go out? Can you not just leave? There's no one stopping you."
"I think I'll be back late at night. I felt I should tell you..."
"Then are you planning to take the day off from lessons?"
A trace of regret momentarily flickered in Melina's eyes.
'...Hmm?'
Olivia didn't miss that look. In a brief moment, she derived a reasonably rational explanation for why Melina had changed so rapidly.
Come to think of it, today was the day she had intended to give Melina a Fragment of Truth. The only time she could pass her the paper with the Fragment written on it was during their private lessons.
To Melina, the meaning of skipping a lesson was synonymous with not giving her the Fragment of Truth.
Only then did Olivia understand.
That 38 Favorability wasn't due to their teacher-student relationship, but a desire to glimpse the Truth.
As expected, she didn't disappoint.
Only then could Olivia feel at ease.
"No, we must have the lesson, even if it's tonight."
"Understood. Don't go too far, and be careful."
Melina stroked Olivia's head. Olivia flinched for a moment, but didn't pull away from the touch.
"Then I'll be off, Master."
Instead of answering, Melina nodded her head.
-Squeak.
The door closed. Left alone in the room, Melina waited until the footsteps faded away, then pulled out a book from between the documents.
[Know-How on Teaching Disciples], recommended by the 4th Elder.
Today was a deeply meaningful day for Melina.
For the past six days, Melina had taught Olivia with her whole heart. Therefore, the Fragment of Truth she would receive this time would be much sweeter and more valuable than the one she received last time.
[...Sitting young disciples on your knee is effective.]
Melina drew a solid red line over the sentence.
Sometimes, Olivia really seemed like a young girl. That gesture just now was a mistake that came from that.
Honestly, it wasn't just sometimes.
The times Olivia showed her sage-like side were truly brief. Perhaps that was why Melina sometimes had this misconception.
Melina spun her pen around and thought.
'An act... No. Pretending to be a disciple all day is close to impossible. At the very least, her true nature should have slipped out a few times.'
But Olivia usually concealed her sage-like side to a surprising degree. Honestly, it was beyond surprising; it was in the realm of near impossibility.
'...Unless she is normally sealing away her sage-like side.'
That was the only remaining possibility.
Because only then could she sincerely serve as the disciple of a mage who was both far younger and her junior.
But for that to be possible, she must have at least two selves.
A self that has not attained enlightenment, and a self that has.
'...But that should be impossible.'
There would be no reason for the former to leave the latter alone, and in the first place, a mortal mind couldn't withstand a thousand years.
That the only thing left for a human divided into two selves is ruin was a fact proven by countless histories.
'...Could reaching the Truth make something different?'
Melina's pen began to spin faster than before.
Indeed, the Truth was the only unknown realm she had not reached. If so, there could certainly be other methods Melina did not know of.
A method of living with a divided self, or a method of maintaining one's sanity through eternity-like years.
But here, one more question arose.
'Is there a reason to take such a risk?'
Even if such a method existed, Melina couldn't even imagine how great the price would be.
Reaching the Truth or not, the study of magic was originally like that.
Magic was such that even using a spell just one level higher than your ability required paying your life force as the price.
Then what on earth was Olivia paying as the price?
Even Melina frowned at that.
Because she sincerely couldn't understand why Olivia was doing this.
'...I've never even shown her any kindness.'
No matter how much she searched her memory, the result didn't change. She had clearly first met Olivia ten days ago.
She just couldn't figure it out.
-Clatter.
The pen fell to the floor. Clicking her tongue, Melina picked it up.
Melina decided to just finish reading the book. The answer was something only Olivia would know anyway.
[...The love a teacher shows a disciple has no limits, and the same is true for the disciple.]
Melina, who was about to turn to the next chapter, stopped.
It was a sentence that pleased her.
Unbeknownst to herself, Melina engraved the sentences, one by one, deep into her heart.
Like that, until dusk fell. She engraved them, over and over.