Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: 04. Scout
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I read the application form from beginning to end after those two left. They called it a contract, but it wasn't formatted like Party A and Party B or anything like that.
『The school vows to prioritize the protection of students under adulthood (age 15).
In accordance, students must also comply with the following rules.』
It started off like that. Don't reveal anyone's abilities besides your own without permission—even if it's another student or teacher at the school. Also, do not disclose others' abilities to outsiders. They requested permission to impose restrictions related to this. These would apply starting from enrollment.
I read through the several pages of documents. A subtle feeling came over me. I'd never even imagined a school that protected talented young mages so thoroughly.
I then recalled the faces of the people who had visited today. The high school division's student council president and a teacher who seemed pretty well-known.
Neither of them had given a great first impression. But one of them turned out to be my benefactor who had saved me.
A strange feeling washed over me. At the time, I'd thought I'd escaped on my own. But thinking back, the iron room's rampage had stopped midway. I'd never even considered someone might have helped me from behind the scenes.
‘Come to think of it, who was that teacher? Mom seemed to know him...’
But since it wasn't a big deal, and investigating would be a hassle, I soon stopped thinking about it.
The next day, Auntie Seona and Uncle Jeongmin returned from work. But something was off. Auntie Seona's expression was unusually serious, considering she'd heard about the scout.
“Eunha, I heard. Scouts from Daehyeon came by.”
“Yeah, uh, yes...”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Auntie Seona grabbed my shoulders with a grave look.
“Why didn't you say anything? About the greenhouse incident?”
My eyes widened for a moment. I wondered what she was talking about...
‘Ah...’
I realized soon enough. When I'd been attacked at the glass conservatory, Auntie Seona had still been overseas and hadn't returned yet. Inha had known about the conservatory beforehand because I'd shown her my metal shaping magic once.
“Seriously! I heard scouts from Daehyeon came, and I thought they must have spotted your talent there, but what? Terrorism?! Those bastards, I'll deal with them later...!”
“Uh, um...”
“And what's this metal shaping magic? Seriously! Even if it's temporary, I'm your magic teacher! Keeping even one thing about magic from me!!”
“No, it's not that I hid it...”
“Anyway!!”
Auntie Seona threw a childish fit, which was totally unlike her. I was genuinely flustered.
“Show me right now! That metal shaping magic!”
I hesitated but nodded. However, my metal shaping magic required at least a tiny bit of ‘metal object’ to use. Of course, I didn't have anything like that on me right now. I patted myself down everywhere and made a troubled face.
“Uh... It's a magic that needs metal, but I don't have anything metal right now...”
“I see?”
But extracting metal from nearby objects and using it didn't seem right. There was no guarantee I could restore it perfectly to its original form. Seeing my hesitation, Auntie Seona muttered, “In that case,” and rummaged through her subspace before tossing something at me with a flick. It was just a short iron rod. Its silver color made it look like real silver. No way it was actually silver...?
I made an awkward face but manipulated the metal as I imagined, shaping it into a dagger form. Auntie Seona watched with interest.
“Hmm... So you can increase its mass to some extent?”
“Yes. But it's a magic I can't use without metal anyway.”
“But you could just learn other metal-related magic to procure metal. With continued use, it seems like it'd be pretty convenient.”
“Maybe...?”
“But you didn't even tell me you made this, and you haven't practiced properly, have you?”
I nodded.
“Honestly, I wasn't that interested...”
“Why?”
“All the magic I've made so far was stuff I thought up and created because I liked it. But this one was really just by accident, something I couldn't help creating...”
Yeah, all the magic I'd created up to then had been things I'd eagerly imagined and brought into being. But metal magic was different. It didn't match my preferences at all. So aside from occasional play, I hardly touched it.
“I see. Well, can't be helped then.”
Auntie Seona seemed convinced by my explanation. And as usual, she checked over my magic.
Magic practice went on pretty late, so that night we just slept together in Inha's room. We lay side by side on the bed. Inha watched me practicing magic by her bedside out of boredom, then asked sleepily.
“So? What do you think of Daehyeon?”
“Hm, I don't think it's bad. What about you, Inha?”
“Well... I feel the same as you. But it seems like a hassle with all the secrecy.”
I looked at Inha's profile as she said that so casually and nodded once. Yeah, someone like Inha, who doesn't care about others' gazes, might feel that way.
But honestly... Daehyeon's secrecy rules appealed to me quite a bit. When I first heard about Daehyeon, I thought it sounded pretty decent. On the other hand, my first impressions of those two weren't great, which made it a bit awkward.
I scattered light toward the pitch-black ceiling. The dark ceiling sparkled like a starry sky. A natural planetarium. Though you couldn't find any constellations.
Inha blinked sleepily, rubbed her eyes, and rolled over. She snuggled right up to me, face down, and mumbled almost inaudibly.
“Tomorrow... kindergarten too?”
“Yeah.”
“I wish... we could graduate quick. Go to school together... like that...”
I gently stroked Inha's head as she nearly dozed off.
“Yeah, sleep.”
Her bobbing head soon settled on the pillow. A steady breathing sound came soon after, and when I removed my hand from her head, Inha was already asleep.
“Good night.”
I lay on my side, looking at Inha's sleeping profile.
After graduating kindergarten and going to school together? Yeah, that'd definitely be great. Going to school together, studying together. Being at the same school with a close friend and playing together—yeah, it'd be fun for sure.
At the same time, it made me anxious. I'm a really timid kid, after all. You might see me among other friends and get disappointed. Or if you make a friend besides me, you might ditch someone like me for them.
A moment later, I turned off the magic. Then I leaned against Inha and tried to sleep.
The ‘secrecy rules’ were honestly very appealing to me. Those two had visited Inha's house while I was at kindergarten, just as they'd mentioned beforehand, and Auntie Seona seemed to like what they said quite a bit.
“Daehyeon raises kids pretty well.”
She'd even said that.
But whether they did or not, I wasn't the type to dwell on worries for long. If something didn't resolve after a bit, I'd usually switch to something else. In the past, that would've meant reading a book, but now I practiced magic alone.
Actually, lately I'd been reading Mom's elementary school textbooks from her childhood. Since they were over a decade old, not many remained, but just reading them was quite helpful.
Especially the elementary textbooks, which explained things simply. The basics were solidly covered, and most of it was stuff I could incorporate into my body.
The part I was reading right now was about ‘mana crystals.’
Mana crystals... A field I'm very interested in. Forming mana itself into a shape suits my tastes perfectly. I fixed my gaze on the text.
『Mana solidified into crystal form by will is called a mana crystal. Its color or even shape varies depending on the person's mana color and attribute compatibility.』
I liked that too. Each person's crystal color or shape being different meant the crystal's appearance reflected their mana's characteristics. So I could solidify the mana I see with my own eyes.
Thinking that made me excited somehow. I read on through the section on mana crystals.
Once you're more familiar with making mana crystals, you can imbue them with your unique magic. Lovers or friends exchange them. Couple rings made from mana crystals are a common example. However, be cautious when giving them to others, as they contain your personal information. So give them only to truly precious people—usually best friends, lovers, or parents.
‘I see. Heh, sounds fun. The method is...’
Below that was an explanation of how to make them, with diagrams. Cup your hands like in the diagram above. Close your eyes and concentrate. Imagine your mana gathering at one point in your hands, forming a lump. Visualize the crystallized mana.
This might be easy for me. It's similar to making illusions. Just like character magic.
And finally, it said the crystal's shape usually follows the person's mana traits, but skilled people can shape them. However, it requires far more mana and concentration, making it much harder than basic crystals.
I finished the process and unclasped my hands. On my right palm sat a round, gem-like stone I hadn't seen before. It was deep navy toward the center, shimmering silver like gloss on the outside. I blinked at the fingernail-sized gem. Success...?
“Wow! You succeeded on the first try!”
I smiled in satisfaction at the droplet-shaped oval gem. Proud, I looked around the room.
“Uh, so, like...”
I fumbled a bit and pulled open a drawer. My first-ever crystal. I couldn't just leave it anywhere. I opened and closed drawers with a rattle, searching for what I wanted. There! A small metal ring, material unknown.
I quickly searched on the room computer. Typed 『necklace clasp』 into the search bar and found a necklace chain I liked.
I shaped it exactly like the image into a necklace chain. I admired it happily. A bit bumpy, but I liked the look. Then I smoothed out the uneven parts with character magic. I deformed the center to make a decorative clasp and pulled out instant adhesive (magic-reinforced) from the drawer. Carefully applied it to the clasp, fitted my mana crystal in. Mana crystal pendant necklace complete!
I beamed at the finished necklace, wiping away cold sweat. As expected, metal magic was still unfamiliar without much practice. Thud. I flopped onto the bed. Shining light on the mana crystal, enjoying it, then pondered what to do with it.
‘Come to think of it, I made it into a necklace. Should I wear it?’
The design suited my taste, so not bad. Then I recalled the textbook line: ‘Lovers or friends exchange mana crystals.’ Naturally, Inha's face came to mind. I shut my mouth for a moment.
‘...Would she like it?’
I think I agonized over it for a full day after making the crystal. Would it suit her? Yeah, probably. How to give it without occasion? What excuse? Just give it...? Thoughts spiraled. Honestly, across my entire previous life, Inha was my first ever best friend.
No, I think I definitely had a few best friends before. But they never lasted. Close for a moment, then drifted. That's all.
Gifts? I don't think I'd given any. Maybe birthday presents at most? Received any? Hm, not really. We might've swapped small things on some days, but without reason...?
‘None.’
I nodded once more.
‘Yeah, none.’
Man, what can I say... I know it's pointless worrying. But what to do? When actually in front of her, words fail, hand stuck in pocket with the necklace, fumbling awkwardly.
I sighed. Kids chattered with friends, boarding buses or heading home. Instead of the kindergarten bus, I tugged the teacher's sleeve.
“Teacher. I'll go home alone again today.”
“What?”
The teacher looked flustered at me.
“Again? Eunha, your house isn't that far, and your parents say it's okay sometimes so I allow it, but doing it alone too often is dangerous. So many bad people out there. You've skipped the bus three times this month already. No more.”
I fidgeted under the teacher's firm expression. She usually nagged but nodded, but today she wouldn't allow it. No choice. I'd take the kindergarten bus home to the neighborhood today.
As I thought that, an unexpected voice came from behind.
“Huh? Eunha, wanna go somewhere?”
Truly unexpected. I whipped around in surprise to see a somewhat familiar face. It was that Lee Eunhee sister from last time.
Today she wore casual clothes, not uniform. Short black shorts despite the cold winter, white t-shirt with a blue hoodie cardigan, hood up. Neat slip-ons. Absentmindedly scanning her outfit, I noticed the long necklace dangling below her neck was made of mana crystals.
“Bored, so I came to see Eunha. Where you headed?”
No, why was the council president sister here? I stared at her in confusion. Wait, she said she came bored on a whim. She'd said she'd be around awhile, and she'd talked with Mom a few times after, so not that strange.
As I stood speechless in bewilderment, the teacher asked.
“Eunha. You know her?”
“Huh? Yes. I know this sister...”
“I see?”
The teacher looked puzzled but accepted it. The sister grinned at me.
“Wanna go somewhere? I'll take you.”
The teacher brightened.
“Really? Great. Eunha wanders alone a lot... Can't help but worry.”
“Yeah? Eunha, you stressing out adults?”
Tch. She ruffled my hair as she said that. A bit repulsed, but I didn't resist. She took my hand.
“So, where to? Eunha?”
This time I made a truly uncomfortable face. Wandering with a near-stranger... Awkward. Very. But yeah, wandering alone at this age is dangerous. And right now, I just felt like roaming anywhere.
“Uh, then this way...”
I led silently. Anyway, I wanted a mood change. I went around the fence, checked the signal, crossed the pedestrian walk. Repeating that led to the shopping street.
First, into the stationery store for needed supplies. Come to think, eraser's almost gone. Mechanical pencil lead low too. Might as well get a notebook? I groaned, reaching for what I wanted. Everything good here, but stuff's too high up.
“Here, like this?”
As I struggled, the council president beside me lifted me up effortlessly. Kid or not, wizard strength. Impressive. I admired.
Embarrassed too, but kid so whatever, I grabbed a few pencil leads.
Notebooks were low, easy to pick. Lots of cute ones, so I deliberated.
“Wow, this is cute. Should I get one?”
After necessities, eyes on cute stuff. From bell hair ties only for kids to grown-up ribbon ones. Clip-on earrings since no pierced ears, ear cuffs for unpierced. Simple necklaces, bracelets. Lots matching my taste; I loved this place.
Then headbands caught my eye. In my past life grown-up, they didn't suit. Wanted to try super cute ones once. Yumi wears them sometimes, super cute. Inha occasionally, looks pure and innocent.
‘Sigh. Pretty kids have it good~.’
Grumbling inwardly, I tiptoed to the mirror.
‘This much, I'm not bad-looking...’
Muttering that, suddenly embarrassed. What am I thinking, chubby baby-faced kid. I checked out with notebook and supplies first. Paid with pocket money I'd saved.
“Oh, already getting allowance from parents?”
“Yeah.”
“Kinda surprising~ Kids your age usually only care about cute stuff or snacks.”
“Yeah...”
But I'm no normal kid, so whatever. Then I strolled the shops. Lots of restaurants, cafes, clothes stores. Passing a clothing store, I got sentimental. I liked that style~ But can't wear yet. Liked those heels too, but can't wear those shoes yet.
“Oh, tons of yummy-looking places~. This area's decent. Hey, hey, let's try that cafe! Feels right! My treat!”
“Huh?!”
Done shopping, just browsing before home, but she dragged me surprisingly. Caught in her hand, entered what looked like a cafe. Ding-a-ling, doorbell rang.
“Welcome” voice as I followed her inside. Moderately crowded. Warm from heating.
“Sit, sit~.”
Led to window table. She pressed a button on table, electronic menu popped up.
“Ooh, looks tasty!”
Likes sweets, huh. I thought that, watching uncomfortably. She offered to pay, but owing someone I barely know felt uneasy. Half-forced, sure...
“Eunha, what you want?”
I scanned menu. Lots expensive-looking. Found cheap-ish matching my taste. First! Super sweet? Skip! Pricey? Skip!
“Then... espresso and coffee cake...”
“Eh? Why those two? Espresso too! Super bitter...!”
I hesitated.
“I don't really like sweet things...”
She tilted her head.
“I thought so before, but you're kinda different from other kids. Talented mana kids mature faster, more adult-like... Hm...”
News to me. I blinked. Talented kids mature more? Recalled Inha. Yeah, Inha's mature for no reason. That kinda case?
She pondered briefly, then started pressing buttons. My espresso and coffee first. Hesitated, then her picks.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
...Huh?
At the ominous beeps, I looked up. Whoa, how many? Caramel macchiato, strawberry cream, cheese, chocolate... How many cakes? Onslaught of sweets, I dazed. She ordered 8 desserts total before stopping.
“Good, 『Confirm』.”
Menu vanished, 『Order received...』 appeared. Staring blankly, she rested interlaced hands on table, smiled brightly at me.
“So, decided which school?”