The Weight of Defeat
My steps felt heavy. As if I had been cursed.
As I walked down the street, the commoners—who used to wear gloomy expressions and only ever smiled when they drank their only joy after a hard day's labor—were now laughing as they strolled about. That must have been why.
Hicks's footsteps, as he headed toward the inn, were so heavy they barely moved at all.
"The instructors teaching us are all so excellent. And Lord Alpha said that magic is something anyone can learn if they're an ordinary person!"
'Just what the hell have I been learning all this time…'
It was common knowledge that magic required talent from the moment of birth. First, one needed an excellent bloodline. Commoners could become mages, but only if they weren't poor due to lack of ability—only the children of wealthy families who had sufficiently proven their talent could do so.
Such carefully selected, talented bloodlines. Even among nobles, it was common to stop after learning only the First Circle of magic.
Yet what Hicks had witnessed was completely different from the reality mages had always described.
People missing arms, missing legs, even those who couldn't speak properly. Worms who couldn't even be sold as slaves and thus proudly called themselves commoners. So many of those worms were learning magic?
It was impossible.
And Selin—who he had always secretly looked down on as ugly—had reached the Third Circle in the short time since he'd left…!
He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it.
That we mages had been wrong.
We had always devoted ourselves to the territory, sacrificing body and soul. We educated intellectuals and took those with visible talent to raise them as mages.
So why were the territory's residents smiling with happiness far greater than when we had been here?
Crack…
He wanted to destroy it all. Those people smiling happily in front of him, despite being mere commoners. How dare they laugh in front of a mage?
If it had been the old days, he would have burned them to death on the spot with summary execution and made them realize exactly what kind of beings mages were.
'Endure…'
But Hicks had no choice but to endure. His current affiliation was with Kerens Territory, which had poor relations with Bicken Territory. If he committed a crime here recklessly, he would be caught and executed immediately.
Well… this obvious fact was something Hicks had only learned from the knight who came after his rampage at the Osu Treatment Plant.
"Did you hear? They say a strange disease is spreading in the next village."
"What? Even though we've been washing cleanly with soap?"
"From what I hear, it seems soap doesn't work on this plague. Still, it's a relief that it works against the Black Death…!"
Hicks, who had been walking wearily in search of an inn to stay at briefly, smiled at the sound that made his ears perk up.
"As expected…!"
A strange disease, huh…! As expected, the territory couldn't function properly without them.
He didn't know what kind of illness it was, but as one of the mages who had gathered data while working in this territory, his help would surely be needed!
He had no desire to do so, but if the lord and that bastard Alpha bowed their heads and apologized, he was willing to consider helping.
Hicks turned with light, quick steps and headed straight for the lord's castle.
"Huh?"
As he walked, Hicks spotted Zemel wearing a plague doctor mask, commanding the doctors and directing something.
'The Vice Duke family—!'
Filling his pride could wait. Hicks stopped in his tracks and greeted her.
"Lady Zemel! Have you been well? You may not remember, but I am the mage Hicks who once worked in this territory."
"Ah… yes."
Zemel answered somewhat reluctantly, but Hicks cheered inwardly. If he could somehow connect with the Vice Duke family and work there, his future would be smooth sailing.
A mage belonging to the Vice Duke family—which held power second only to the king in the kingdom—would not be looked down upon by other mages, even if he only possessed a low circle.
On the other hand, Zemel, who had seen many such approaching mages and power-seekers, roughly guessed his intentions and merely frowned.
"Just a moment. I'm quite busy. Everyone, please carry out isolation operations with these soldiers, focusing on the areas where the plague has broken out. Block off the use of water from the wells. I will bring and use water from the Osu Treatment Plant."
"Yes! But why must we do that?"
"This plague appears to have occurred because the well water has been contaminated."
"Understood."
Zemel Vice was famous even among those who practiced medicine purely out of a sense of duty. A noble—from the main branch of a ducal family, no less—who struggled to save people through medical work. It was only natural that the doctors followed his words and moved quickly.
The doctors each took the soldiers Zemel had brought and departed, dividing up the plague-stricken areas.
"Ah! It's because of the plague. Shall I help a little?"
"You, Mister Hicks?"
Zemel's eyes widened. During her time here, every mage she had seen had been trash. They ignored and abused those beneath them, and didn't even care if those people got hurt.
With her colored glasses firmly on, there was no way Hicks would have looked good to Zemel. At least not until he offered to help.
'That's right. Not everyone can be a bad person!'
Zemel, who had been wearing colored glasses, instantly threw them away and looked at Hicks. Mages were usually arrogant, believing only they could use magic, and often ignored those beneath them.
For such a mage to step forward and offer to help upon hearing that a plague was spreading…!!
"Then please follow me for now."
"Yes."
Zemel led Hicks to Helen's laboratory. It was a separate space next to the soap factory. Since the factory owner Helen was always there, it had at some point become both an office and a laboratory.
The moment Hicks stepped inside, he couldn't help but be startled.
A height exceeding 180 centimeters, close to 190. A sharp nose. Lips that looked soft yet somehow rough. Eyes that overwhelmed others.
It was Alpha.
'Stand tall, Hicks!'
If he had been alone with him, Hicks would have slightly hunched his back and avoided eye contact. But with the females Zemel Vice and Helen Wagner present, he squared his shoulders proudly and met Alpha's gaze.
"Well, well… Isn't this Mage Hicks, who left the territory?"
Seeing this, Alpha let out a small laugh and greeted him. Without so much as bowing—merely with words.
"That's right. I am Mage Hicks. You're now affiliated with another territory, so where has your courtesy toward mages gone, Breeder?"
"I'm sorry, but I am no longer a Breeder. I've become a proper commoner."
"Ha? Is there some law that says commoners don't need to show courtesy to mages?"
How dare a mere commoner stand before him—a mage—without even bowing, greeting him with nothing but words…!!
Wishing to look good in front of Helen and Zemel, Hicks summoned flames in his hand and threatened him.
"Stop it! Mage Hicks, what is the meaning of this?"
"Lady Zemel… Th-that is, this insolent bastard is disregarding us mages…!!"
"Lord Alpha is currently acting as the territory's representative. No matter how much of a mage you may be, he is not someone you can treat with such casual disrespect."
"T-territory representative…? H-how could a commoner…!"
Zemel realized from Hicks's reaction that bringing him here had been a mistake. He hadn't truly felt sorrow for the commoners suffering from the plague and offered to help. He had simply wanted to satisfy his own base desires…!
"Mage Hicks. I'm sorry, but from here on we must discuss confidential matters regarding the territory. Could you please leave?"
"Ahem. I've shown an unsightly display. B-but I can help with the plague! I have information gathered by mages about the plagues that occur in this territory."
Hicks said with a smile. He believed the current plague must be one of the diseases they had recorded.
"Ah, that's quite all right. We've already predicted what kind of disease it is and even made the medicine."
"What?"
"Please leave quickly. We have confidential territory matters to discuss."
Seeing the looks from Zemel and Helen, Hicks had no choice but to exit through the door.
The moment he left, a sound-blocking spell was cast over the room.
'They've already… made the medicine…?'
Overwhelmed by a deep sense of defeat, Hicks forgot about Zemel and began walking to tell his master what he had seen in this territory.
*
'Sigh. How pathetic.'
That was my thought as I watched Hicks's retreating back. Instead of showing the dignity of a male in front of females, he had displayed such a disgraceful sight. I clicked my tongue at the sight of a Beta Male who seemed destined to have no connection with females for his entire life.
"Has the medicine really been completed already?"
"Yes."
When I said nothing, Zemel asked first, as if growing impatient. I smiled and spoke to her with confidence.