Chapter 318
Chapter 318
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 318
>Chapter Title: Qualifications to Teach
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Forerunner.
He was a stray from the 7th Black-White Slums, just like me. Our connection wasn't deep in my past life, and it wasn't in this one either.
But... what did he say?
"Disciple?"
I frowned slightly as I looked at Forerunner, who had thrown himself flat on the ground, begging me to take him as my disciple.
It just didn't make sense.
"Suddenly, what disciple nonsense is this?"
"......Pardon? Didn't you promise?"
I tilted my head at Forerunner's question.
"Me?"
That I had promised to take him as a disciple?
"Yes, well...... You said if we followed you to the Magic Tower, you'd teach us magic."
"Oh."
Come to think of it, I had made that promise.
Right...... When we were leading the kids we rescued from the Troubleshooter training camp, Lortel, I, and Senior Mysern had laid out conditions.
If they followed, Lortel would teach swordsmanship, I'd teach magic, and Senior Mysern would teach spirit arts.
"Of course, only for those who wanted it."
No one had asked to learn magic from me until now, so I'd completely forgotten.
I'd been pretty out of it mentally, too.
Once my thoughts reached that point, I couldn't help but glance at Senior Mysern, who had an "oh crap" look on his face.
"Ahem, yeah, that was the deal. Tower Lord, you've gotta honor your promises."
"You're talking like it's not your problem."
"No one's asked for spirit arts lessons yet, so......"
I thought to myself.
If none have asked, just make some.
I should pick a day, gather the kids who want to learn spirit arts.
Wait, hold on.
"You know, now that I think about it, that's pretty shameless."
What was shameless?
Senior Mysern, of course.
He'd quietly settled into the 2nd Black-White Slums and dumped the kids he was supposed to look after on me.
Maybe he sensed my thoughts.
Senior Mysern cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke up.
"Ahem, I think I've more than earned my keep."
"After accounting for inflation?"
"If you nitpick that far, you just look petty. Good is good—let it slide."
......Fine, whatever. That wasn't the important thing right now anyway.
"So."
I set aside my respect for Senior Mysern for the moment and focused on Forerunner.
"You want to learn magic?"
"Yes, sir! I want to learn magic."
Well, what now.
"I did make the promise, so I can't exactly back out."
Promises were made to be broken, but I didn't want to break one made in the Magic Tower's name.
That meant I had to teach him magic somehow.
"Let's see......"
First, let's sort out the situation.
Naturally, I had zero intention of taking Forerunner as my disciple.
The situation around the Magic Tower was complicated enough as it is......
"Heh, hehehe."
......I hadn't even taken Lucifer, my chosen successor, as a disciple. Take in Forerunner?
Ridiculous.
"But can I even teach magic in my position......? Well, no, that's not it either."
Why?
Because once break ends, I won't be able to enter the 2nd Black-White Slums.
It was a supreme order from the esteemed Grand Duke Muspellun senior, one I had to obey.
Not because I was too lazy to teach magic, of course.
So, what to do.
"Hmm."
"Tower Lord."
I paused my thoughts and looked at Forerunner.
"......If you just take me as your disciple, I'll serve you with utter loyalty until my bones grind to dust and my body wears away. I'll study magic really hard too......"
He was rubbing his palms raw.
I wasn't sure about bones to dust or body wearing away, but his fingerprints were definitely going.
I stared at him for a moment, then asked.
"Honestly, I just need to teach you magic, right? No need to make you my disciple."
"......Y-yeah? Well, being your disciple would be better, but......"
"Yeah, no."
Anyway, no need to take him as a disciple.
"So, you'll be loyal to the end? Bones to dust...... and what about your body?"
"Until it wears away! And I'll study magic really hard!"
"Nah, you don't have to go that hard on the magic."
If he wanted to learn magic, there might be a way.
So, what was that way?
"Come with me for now?"
"Yes, sir!"
He jumped up and followed behind me.
Rubbing his palms three and a half times per step—it was the picture-perfect sycophant. I glanced back at him and kept walking.
We arrived at Lucifer's room.
"......Tower Lord?"
Lucifer, woken by the noise, blinked at me sleepily with hazy eyes. I furrowed my brow for a moment.
"......He's gotten taller?"
He was already big, but now even taller, with thicker muscles.
At this rate...... he'd catch up to his past life's size by year's end, maybe even surpass it.
"Are you...... alright?"
"As you can see."
I reassured the worried Lucifer and calmly looked him up and down.
"This guy...... picked the wrong path......"
Shouldn't he be holding a sword?
Whatever, not important right now.
"Introduce yourselves."
I stepped aside, facing Lucifer and Forerunner off.
"This is Lucifer, this is Forerunner. You know each other's faces, right?"
"Yes, I do, but......"
"Tower Lord?"
The two tilted their heads, wondering why the sudden introductions.
I smiled warmly at their confusion.
Because.
This was something worth smiling about.
"The reason I'm introducing you two is simple. To forge a very precious bond......"
"......?"
"T-Tower Lord?"
Lucifer still looked lost, tilting his head. Forerunner, though, seemed to catch on and called out urgently.
'Yeah, no. Not changing it.'
I ignored Forerunner's trembling eyes and spoke.
"Lucifer, this guy's your disciple from now on."
"......Pardon?"
Lucifer let out a dumbstruck question.
He blinked like it was the most absurd thing he'd heard, but this was my brilliant solution.
* * *
The training grounds, where I'd dragged the bewildered pair.
Forerunner just kept muttering "Uh, uhhh......" like his soul had left him.
'Just like Rayleigh.'
Rayleigh, now living comfortably as an academy guide and former Pathfinder, had been the same at first.
Muttering like a broken toy.
Maybe because I'd seen it with Rayleigh first.
Forerunner's reaction wasn't that unfamiliar, but the problem was Lucifer.
Lucifer was glaring at me with his fierce eyes wide open.
"Tower Lord...... I need an explanation."
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Forerunner's your disciple now."
"Doesn't seem like he thinks so......"
Yeah, easy to misunderstand.
Anyone could see Forerunner looked forcibly dragged here.
But misunderstandings were made to be cleared, and as the second-best reeducator on the Eastern Continent, I had a knack for it.
You might wonder what reeducation has to do with clearing misunderstandings, but they were closely linked.
Both required communication.
So, first......
"Forerunner."
"Y-yes, Tower Lord."
"You said you wanted to learn magic? Or not?"
"I did, but......"
His eyes screamed, "This isn't what I wanted."
I clenched my fist lightly.
"You did, huh."
"......No, yeah, I did."
"Right?"
"Yes......"
"You seem down."
"......Too happy."
"Right?"
"Yes......"
I'd just cleared up the misunderstanding with Forerunner when Lucifer spoke up.
"Regardless of what Forerunner wants, I lack the qualifications."
"Qualifications?"
Lucifer nodded at my question.
"I haven't even found my own path properly yet. How could I guide anyone? It's like a child raising another child."
"Isn't that how it works in the Black-White Slums?"
"......"
Lucifer gave me a cold stare.
'What? Why.'
Not just talk— that's really how it was in the Black-White Slums.
Strays taught other strays pickpocketing, begging.
Some even took in infants and raised them like parents.
"So, you're saying that's right?"
"I don't know about right or wrong."
"......Yeah, I get those cases. But this one? I know for sure. This is wrong. Me teaching Forerunner magic as his master wouldn't be good for him or me."
Hmm.
At first I thought he was just annoyed, but he had valid reasons.
To sum up Lucifer's point......
"You think your skills aren't enough to teach yet?"
"Yes."
That raised a question.
"Then, when do you think you'll be ready to take a disciple?"
"......Pardon?"
"When your level is high enough to accept one."
"Well......"
He trailed off, lips moving like it was a tough question.
I watched him quietly, relaxed my fist, and continued calmly.
"You don't know?"
"......No, I don't."
"Let's see. What if you reach transcendence? Think you'd know enough to teach then? Think you'd see your own path clearly?"
"That too...... I don't know."
Yeah, he probably wouldn't.
Lucifer had never reached transcendence.
But I had, and I knew the answer.
"It's the same."
"......Pardon?"
"The same."
"What do you mean, the same......"
"You think reaching transcendence will make your inner image crystal clear, your path obvious? Nah, not much different. You still won't know what blocks you or what's beyond it. So, tell me."
I looked at Lucifer and asked.
"Does that mean even I lack the learning to teach?"
"That's......"
Lucifer's eyelids trembled faintly. He looked utterly flustered—I could understand why.
By his logic, even I couldn't teach anyone.
But no, that wasn't why I said it.
What I wanted to say was simple.
"In my view, a good master isn't one with high attainment. Something more important matters."
Sure, higher attainment was better.
A master's higher level meant more knowledge to pass on.
But.
After reaching transcendence, I saw it.
"You and me, we're both clueless in the end. Ignorance is ignorance—no matter who knows a bit less. So 'knowledge' can't be the qualification for mastery."
Then what does matter?
"First, know exactly what you do know. Second, the attitude to identify what you don't. And third...... never forget it."
Why?
You can only teach what you know you know. And identifying unknowns is crucial because......
The process itself is learning.
The process matters most.
'You don't even need to pinpoint every unknown perfectly.'
Because.
What you teach isn't "what I don't know," but "how to seek the unknowns."
And third.
Once you know what you know, cultivate the attitude to pursue unknowns, and hold to it unwaveringly......
Your disciple learns by seeing that.
In that sense......
"You're already enough."
To be a master.
And also......
To lead the Magic Tower someday.
......What I wanted from Lucifer wasn't much.
Teach Forerunner while reflecting on himself, constantly honing his edge.
In that light, Forerunner was Lucifer's master too......
Whether Forerunner stayed in the tower after learning magic or left, I didn't know.
But I was certain.
Lucifer's Magic Tower would be different from mine.