Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: After Story (2)
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Ashen Mage.
Raniel van Trias.
Who was he?
The Black Mage Tower Lord recalled the image of the Ashen Mage, whom he had encountered a few times in the past. They hadn't interacted frequently. Their meetings had only occurred a handful of times at the regular gatherings of the colored Mage Towers.
'My first impression was of an arrogant punk.'
Several years ago, at a Mage Tower gathering.
There, Yetoal had met Raniel. That first impression hadn't been good, not even as empty flattery.
The seat of the Ashen Mage Tower Lord.
A boy was sitting in the place where an elder should have been. He merely nodded in greeting as the other Mage Tower Lords gathered one by one.
The Mage Tower Lords felt displeased by the boy's demeanor.
In a gathering of Mage Tower Lords, it was not an elder but the next Mage Tower Lord sitting there. And he wasn't even showing respect to the other lords. That fact grated on them.
'Disrespecting the authority of the Mage Tower Lords.'
That's what the Mage Tower Lords thought.
Some didn't stop at mere thoughts. One Mage Tower Lord had picked a fight with the Ashen Mage right at their first meeting. If memory served, it had been the Azure Mage Tower Lord.
- "What is this brat who isn't even twenty doing barging in here? Looks like the Ashen Elder has finally lost his mind."
The Azure Mage Tower Lord slammed his staff down.
He must have intended to cast a spell to bounce the Ashen Mage out of the meeting room, but the one who flew out was the Azure Mage Tower Lord himself.
One wall of the meeting room shattered.
The Azure Mage Tower Lord, embedded in the wall, fell silent. His eyes shook violently.
- ······.
Everyone fell silent.
In the silence, the boy, resting his chin on his hand, spoke.
- "Is age the only thing you have to brag about?"
It was a single remark laced with mockery.
From that day on, the Ashen Mage's image was etched in the Mage Tower Lords' minds as a 'rude little shit who couldn't be bought off.'
'...But he was excessively capable.'
He was capable, even if he lacked manners.
Yetoal clearly remembered the time when he had been the next Mage Tower Lord.
'It was a humiliating time.'
As time passed, the hierarchy among the Mage Towers became clear. At the very top of that hierarchy was the Ashen Mage Tower. No, perhaps the word "reigning" was more appropriate.
The Ashen Mage Tower was that unrivaled.
At some point, even the regular Mage Tower gatherings revolved around the Ashen Mage Tower. No one questioned it.
And.
All of it had been led by a single mage.
"...Good to see you, Ashen Mage."
The girl smiled at Yetoal's words.
It was a faint smile, as if she had expected exactly that.
2.
"······."
Yetoal fell silent for a moment.
The girl waited wordlessly for his silence. Yetoal looked at her face without opening his mouth.
'Professor Lania.'
That's what she had been called until recently.
As Belnoa's mentor, Yetoal had met her often. They had even conversed. They were as familiar as could be.
But now that he knew the truth, how did it feel?
'It's unfamiliar.'
Extremely unfamiliar.
It felt like meeting her for the first time. Amid that awkwardness, Yetoal slowly opened his mouth.
"...Honestly, it's hard to believe."
Yetoal was a mage.
He knew that changes to the body, let alone degradation of the soul, were impossible according to natural law. He could write dozens of pages on the subject right now.
'And yet, a change in the body?'
It was hard to believe. Hard to believe, but...
"But I have no choice but to believe it."
There was a reason he had to believe.
That day, in that place, Yetoal had seen it.
"There's no one else who could face a Calamity single-handedly."
Lania van Trias.
No matter how brilliant a mage she was, facing a Calamity held an entirely different meaning. And what of the battle she had shown that day, in that place?
'It was like watching a seasoned soldier.'
A soldier who had rolled through countless battlefields.
A combat mage perfected through endless real combat—the very embodiment of an ideal Battle Mage.
'And that was just a twenty-year-old professor with no real combat experience?'
It didn't make sense.
The girl shrugged at Yetoal, who said as much. It was as if she were trying to brush it off.
"A soul degradation sounds even less believable."
"That's true too. But still..."
Yetoal smiled wryly.
"You're the one who saw and faced the truly unbelievable thing yourself, so it doesn't seem like something you should say."
"······."
"It's impossible by natural law. But from the start, there's an existence that defies natural law right here."
Yetoal didn't name that existence.
There was no need; the girl before him knew it better than he did.
Demon King.
An existence that shouldn't be.
Raniel nodded at Yetoal's words.
"When you put it that way, I don't really have anything to say."
"...Is it true?"
"Didn't you come here already convinced?"
She flashed a mischievous smile.
It was as good as affirmation. Yetoal let out a short breath and relaxed his shoulders.
"Hoo..."
Even with conviction, hearing it directly from her lips felt different.
'...The White Mage Tower Lord would faint if he heard this.'
Amusingly, that was his first thought.
Recalling the White Tower Lord's disgraceful behavior in front of this girl... cold sweat ran down his spine.
'I've ended up saving the White Tower Lord.'
Gathering his thoughts, Yetoal spoke.
"How long have you known this fact?"
"It was always just two. My master and the Royal Guard you met back then."
"...Now with Belnoa, that's four."
Belnoa swallowed hard.
Yetoal placed a hand on the head of Belnoa, who had been silent since entering.
"This one seems to have something to say separately, so talk with them later..."
Yetoal stood from his seat.
He pulled his chair back slightly and handed the staff he had been holding to Belnoa.
"I didn't come here just to play guessing games."
"Then?"
"I have a message to deliver."
The confirmation was over.
Even if he hadn't been certain, there was something he had to do. Yetoal didn't put off what needed doing.
Chin.
He slowly raised his right arm and placed it over his heart. As if swearing on the mana pooled there, he opened his mouth.
"Allow me to express my gratitude to you."
He bowed his head slowly.
Without abandoning his authority as the lord of a Mage Tower, the Black Mage Tower Lord bowed his head.
"If not for you, both Belnoa and Clio would have been taken. It was something I couldn't do. And you did it."
Even though it was originally my duty.
Yetoal raised his head as he said this.
"...Thank you truly, Ashen Mage."
"I didn't do it because someone asked."
"That's exactly why I must thank you all the more."
Raniel looked at Yetoal with a somewhat unfamiliar expression. It was due to the gap between the Black Mage Tower Lord in her memories and the one before her now.
"...You look at me strangely."
"Honestly, I wonder if you're really the Black Mage Tower Lord I know."
"Isn't it the same for you? The Ashen Mage I knew was arrogant enough to pierce the heavens."
Yetoal chuckled as he spoke.
"The Ashen Mage I knew would surely grumble in this situation, 'Are you just going to fob me off with words? No reward or anything?'"
"...Me?"
"The past you lacked manners."
Rosel, who had been listening, nodded vigorously. Seeing this, Raniel tilted her head.
'Was I like that...?'
Watching her, Yetoal continued.
"But that was a justified demand."
"Pardon?"
"Everything deserves compensation. If you owe a debt, you pay it. That's the precept of the Black Mage Tower."
The lord of the Black Mage Tower must always be calculating.
Yetoal had upheld that belief his entire life. This time was no different.
"I considered various rewards... but none seemed useful to you. If there's anything you want, tell me. I'll grant what I can."
"Nothing in particular."
"...Quick answer."
"Ah, there is one thing."
She held up her index finger in front of her lips.
"Keep it a secret, please. It's not something to go around announcing."
"...I'd do that without being asked. Besides, if I blabbed, my head would roll."
Yetoal shook his head as if exasperated.
It was because he remembered the Royal Guard who returned the magic artifact, threatening him for hours.
- "We ask that you keep this secret."
- "If this leaks out, we'll silence you by any means necessary."
The infamous hounds of the royal family.
The Hounds would silence him by any means. Even Yetoal, confident in his skills, wanted no part of being hounded by them.
"Well, if there's nothing you want, that's fine. Let me know anytime if you need something."
As he said this, Yetoal rummaged in his robe and pulled something out. It was a wooden box densely embedded with the emblem symbolizing the Black Mage Tower.
"This is the bare minimum sincerity."
Raniel scowled at the wooden box.
'This fucking...'
She instantly recognized what was inside. She had often seen such wooden boxes during her time in the Hero Party.
'The mysterious wooden boxes that arrived monthly.'
The main cause of the Hero Party's funding shortages.
Memories flooded back of throwing them away and bickering daily with Sara and Remia whenever they arrived. Raniel's expression twisted harshly.
"It's our tower's proud divine statue..."
"Ah, yes..."
"...Does it not please you?"
"No, it's just... bad memories."
Raniel reluctantly accepted the wooden box.
"I'll wear it well."
"...I'd appreciate that."
She had received a gift, yet her face looked like she had bitten a bug.
'...Did I do something wrong?'
Yetoal could only tilt his head.
3.
Even after receiving the gift, they exchanged a few more words with the Black Mage Tower Lord. If anything, it was more like promising to continue later than a full conversation.
'I'm tired.'
A side effect of expending lifespan.
As he forced his drooping eyes open, the Black Mage Tower Lord wrapped up his words.
"...I lacked consideration for the patient."
Yetoal rose from his seat.
"Once you're fully recovered, come to the Black Mage Tower. Aren't you curious about the Hero as well?"
"I'll visit depending on the situation."
"I'd appreciate that."
He stepped out of the room.
Belnoa didn't follow Yetoal. Sitting in the chair, they looked at me, as if they had something to say.
"Something to say?"
I asked.
After a brief silence, Belnoa spoke.
"I knew they were impressive, but they're even more so than I thought."
"Is that so?"
"...They're the model for my class."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"It wasn't my intention, but I'm sorry for creating a class without foundations."
"...Pardon?"
"Forget it if you don't know."
Belnoa tilted their head.
Watching them, I felt a bit unfamiliar. It had to feel that way.
'Belnoa is the first student facing me after my identity as the Sage and Ashen Mage is revealed.'
I hadn't planned to reveal it originally.
But now that the Black Mage Tower Lord knew... and Belnoa had watched that battle up close and heard the story, hiding it was impossible.
'Since it's out anyway...'
Out of curiosity, I spoke.
"Belnoa."
"Yes?"
"Remember what I said in class? What do you think about that?"
"...What do you mean?"
"What I always emphasized in class. That you learn by rolling in real combat. That you have to train hard to learn anything."
Belnoa now knew I was the Ashen Mage.
So, surely Belnoa would recognize the value I'd always emphasized?
"Doesn't that sound right now?"
"······."
"I created this class by rolling on the battlefield. To learn it properly... you have to do it like me, right?"
Right? I asked.
Belnoa fell silent.
"Right? Belnoa?"
I asked again.
"······."
Belnoa remained silent.
Belnoa looked at me in silence.
It was a look like, 'Isn't that a bit much...?' but I believed Belnoa wouldn't dare think such insolence.
"Right, Belnoa?"
"...Yes."
"Answer me."
"...Y-Yes, it is."
"Your answer's late?"
Belnoa broke out in cold sweat.
"...I was just admiring how much thought you put into everything. Even throwing us into the Harmain Forest to test our endurance—it was all planned."
"That's right. You get it."
I nodded approvingly.
"So, from now on, I'm thinking of training you even harder."
"Tha... Yes?"
"I tried it myself, and it seems you can handle more. Even that didn't break you."
I'd been too complacent.
'Exceptional talent.'
The endpoint that talent could reach.
I'd trusted that and let them slack a bit. But seeing Belnoa get helplessly kidnapped this time... I realized that wouldn't do.
"At the very least, you should beat a Black Knight."
That's the minimum to not get kidnapped anywhere. No matter how I thought about it, that was the bare requirement.
"I-Is that so."
Belnoa's voice was trembling.
I tilted my head and looked at Belnoa. Their eyes were shaking as much as their voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Th-Training directly under the Ashen Mage... thinking about it, it's incredibly honorable and exciting..."
"Good that you're happy."
I beamed.
Seeing my student so pleased made me proud too. Was this the joy of being a professor?
'Not bad.'
I reached out and patted Belnoa's shoulder.
"I'll do my best to meet your expectations."
Author's Note
Is there a professor like that in the world?
You're pretending not to know even though you do?
How could you not know for real?
Yeah, really.
Why does a professor like that exist...