Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 165
>Chapter Title: Screeeeech!
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We exchanged updates over a simple breakfast, picking up where we’d left off.
Oh, and for the record, the story about Chenbi eating dirt wasn’t just made up to tease me.
“It’s a trick Sir Tohoman told me about. He said it’s the best way to deepen your understanding of earth-affinity mana.”
“……Sir Tohoman?”
“Yeah, one of the Nine Stars. He’s been overseeing my training for a bit.”
The Nine Stars were on par with Lortel’s Ten Swords or the Decullan’s Seven Mages in status.
You could call them the nine representative mages of the Blandoga Family.
Sir Tohoman was the third seat among them.
At that point, I couldn’t hide my surprise.
‘They even assigned him a Nine Star?’
It was a clear sign of just how much support the Blandoga Family was pouring into Chenbi.
From what I heard, he hadn’t become a direct disciple, but they’d allowed him personal instruction over the break.
It was like if Lortel had assigned him one of the Ten Swords.
And that wasn’t all.
“Way above my station, but…… they even gave me elixirs.”
“Elixirs?”
“Yeah, premium ones. This is already my third.”
“…….”
Elixirs, of course.
“And they assigned me a top-grade training chamber. Aster, come with me later. I’ll ask if we can share the one I got.”
“……Holy hell.”
He’d even gotten a top-grade training chamber.
What’s a top-grade training chamber, you ask?
It’s a facility equipped with mana concentration arrays and all sorts of cutting-edge magic circles to aid cultivation.
I didn’t know the efficiency of the Blandoga’s, but generally, they were at least twice as effective.
Sure, it might not be special for bloodline members, but for an outsider like Chenbi, it was astonishing.
As I listened up to that point, my eyes drifted to Chenbi’s forehead.
“Mind lifting your bangs a bit?”
“……?”
Chenbi looked puzzled but obliged without protest.
I narrowed my eyes at his unexpectedly smooth forehead.
‘……What’s going on? No slave mark.’
Why was the Blandoga Family showering him with this level of support? It was beyond me.
Sure, Chenbi’s talent was top-tier.
He hadn’t stood out much at the academy, but just getting into Jenion Academy without any real backing proved it.
But was it enough to warrant this from the Blandoga Family……?
‘Nah.’
As I pondered that, Damian provided the answer.
[I asked for it.]
[……You?]
[Yeah. I had two cards. Used one.]
No idea what “cards” meant.
But I could guess it was one of the privileges the Young Patriarch could wield.
Even so, it was mind-blowing.
‘Damian aside, his mom approved this?’
No matter how you sliced it, this went beyond special treatment for a friend.
As those thoughts crossed my mind, another message spell from Damian rang in my ear.
[Chenbi’s gonna get strong. Adversity makes people strong. Hanging with us? He’ll toughen up for sure.]
[…….]
No clue what that meant.
Fine, adversity builds strength. But what did hanging out with us have to do with adversity?
Still, one part rang true despite the randomness.
‘Adversity makes people strong…….’
Yeah, exactly.
Training under the Blandoga was nothing short of torment for Chenbi.
It sounded luxurious on the surface, but Sir Tohoman’s methods were anything but normal.
‘Eating dirt’s the least of it…….’
They buried him in the ground.
At night, instead of his assigned room, he slept in a burrow Tohoman had made.
And the magic training? Mostly underground. Head poking out, buried up to the neck.
It sounded more like torture than training, but Chenbi seemed to take it in stride.
More than that, even.
“Sir Tohoman said if you lack talent, you pour in time and effort instead. But everyone has time.”
“So?”
“He said then you crank up the effort, but normal methods won’t cut it.”
“And the result…….”
“Yeah.”
Chenbi looked downright cheerful.
Like the grueling regimen was nothing.
Seeing him like that, I realized the academy break hadn’t just changed me.
The timid, repressed Chenbi from our first meeting was evolving into a proper mage.
Anyway, we swapped more updates, but sadly, it didn’t last long.
“Young Master Damian, it’s about time to get up.”
“Already?”
“Yes, guests are waiting to see you.”
“Hmm, better head out now?”
“Yes, that’ll give you some breathing room.”
Damian surprisingly agreed and left with Ransi without complaint.
“Buddy, see ya later! You gotta come to the banquet!”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
I waved lazily as Damian followed Ransi out.
Honestly, it was a shocking sight.
Damian, who used to drag his feet just getting up, heading off for family duties without a peep?
Unthinkable back in the day!
Chenbi watched him go with a pleased smile.
“He’s grown up a lot, huh?”
“Hmm.”
Not sure about that.
“Grown up” meant composed and weighty in words and actions, but “composed” and “weighty” didn’t fit Damian at all.
Maybe he read my mind.
“Haha, it doesn’t show when it’s just us. Watch later.”
I nodded at Chenbi’s grinning face.
Didn’t look different to me…… but Chenbi was one of the Damian experts. If he said so.
Anyway, after Damian left.
“Aster, got time? Wanna meet my family?”
I agreed readily to Chenbi’s tentative offer.
Nothing to do till the banquet, and he’d mentioned it before break. No reason to say no.
I took a bite of the post-meal dessert cake and followed him out when a thought struck me.
‘Too…… peaceful.’
A crisp start to the day.
A perfectly serene morning, but for some reason…… it felt like a massive storm was brewing.
Like the calm before the storm, real trouble always hit in the quiet.
“Aster?”
I snapped out of staring at the sky and started walking again at Chenbi’s call.
‘Eh, just my imagination.’
Probably.
Today, no mishaps.
And even if something went down, how bad could it get inside Blandoga territory?
We’d walked a bit when Chenbi spoke up like he’d remembered something.
“Oh yeah, Aster.”
“……?”
“Ever heard of the Fairy Dance?”
“Fairy…… Dance?”
I had. How could I not?
My wyvern in the abyss was still roaring toward the Amera region, shaking off its pathetic gloom.
What’s that mean?
‘Trouble’s gonna hit big if it hits.’
Just a hunch, but given my luck this life, not one to ignore.
But why bring up the Fairy Dance?
My brow furrowed at the ominous premonition when Chenbi continued with an innocent smile.
“They say one appeared in the Amera region. Sir Tohoman mentioned it’s something every mage should…….”
But then.
“Oppa!”
“Ah, Chensla!”
At the end of the hall, a girl called out to Chenbi with a bright smile.
He stopped, introduced her with a grin.
“Aster, this is my little sister Chensla. Chensla, meet Aster.”
“Ah! Hi!”
“Uh, hi. Nice to meet you.”
Fine, greetings done.
What about Sir Tohoman?
I shot Chenbi a look to finish his thought. He went, “Oh,” and picked up.
“The Fairy Dance is something mages should…….”
But then.
“Mom! Dad! ‘That’ oppa’s friend is here!”
Chenbi’s sister Chensla bolted off to announce me. Moments later, a middle-aged couple appeared.
“Aster? You’re Aster?”
“Nice to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you from Chenbi.”
“……Uh, y-yes. Nice to meet you.”
I stammered as Chenbi’s warmly welcoming parents greeted me.
But my mind was on what Chenbi hadn’t finished.
‘What about the Fairy Dance!’
……Spit it out already.
* * *
In the end, I never heard what Chenbi was trying to say, not even when we wrapped up with his family.
“So, Aster, you helped Chenbi out a ton at the academy?”
“Thank you. Without you during the Trial Spire mess, I don’t know what would’ve happened to our boy…….”
Chenbi’s mom wiped tears, recounting the Trial Spire incident.
His sister Chensla teared up too. No chance to ask about the Fairy Dance.
After lunch with them, Ransi summoned me away.
“The tailor shop called. They need you for a final fitting.”
“……Okay.”
I went with the servant Ransi assigned, checked the final outfit, and returned.
Tried to pull Chenbi aside after, but no dice.
I was busy, and so were he and his family with banquet prep.
But what was this uneasy feeling?
‘Tch, what is it?’
Fairy Dance for mages means what? Something cool? A must-see spectacle?
Either way, my gut screamed bad news.
As I dressed in the tailcoat with servants’ help, I finally met someone who could answer.
“Aster! Long time, haw haw! Haven’t seen you in ages—grown a bit…… er, grown. Anyway, good to see you!”
“……Mr. Alfredo.”
The visitor was butler Alfredo.
He clutched a thick, ominous list, touring the mansion. Spotting me, he beamed and seized my hand.
“Heard you arrived, but duties piled up till now. Heard you’ve had some academy troubles…….”
“No, not troubles, exactly…….”
“You’ll keep going to the academy, right?”
“I…… have to?”
“Hahaha! That’s what matters.”
Alfredo grinned ear-to-ear for some reason.
He patted my shoulder with a sly smile. No idea what had him so thrilled.
“If you ever hit snags, call on this Alfredo anytime. Tuition, money troubles, whatever…….”
“Sure, okay.”
How long did that one-sided chat go?
“Mr. Alfredo, time to move.”
“Hmm, right. I’ll head out first.”
He sent his pack of under-butlers ahead, then smiled farewell.
That’s when I grabbed him.
“Aster, we’ll catch up later. So…….”
“Uh, got a question.”
“What? Curious about the butler curriculum……?”
“No, not that. Anything about Damian and Chenbi…… like an excursion? Say, to see the Fairy Dance in the Amera region…….”
My heart pounded.
‘No way.’
No matter how spectacular the Amera Fairy Dance or vital for mages, sending the Young Patriarch and his friend on a field trip?
No.
It had to be no.
But……
Alfredo’s casual follow-up left me sputtering in disbelief.
“Oh, didn’t you hear? Young Master Damian and Chenbi head to Amera day after tomorrow.”
“……What?”
“Ah! Worried they’d leave you behind? No issue! This butler Alfredo had your gear prepped the moment we heard you arrived.”
“……What?”
“Uhaha! No biggie, Aster. Wasn’t easy, but this Alfredo…….”
I didn’t hear another word from Alfredo after that.
Just.
Screeeeech—!
The wyvern’s roar echoing in my abyss alone.