Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: A Graduation Gift
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A few months later.
Loan sat alone in his dorm room, gazing down at the elixir.
‘She told me to drink this around graduation.’
In that time, Loan's body and mind had steadily matured.
A slightly more defined jawline, a significant growth in height, clear muscles, and a well-proportioned frame.
Having passed from childhood through his boyhood, Loan was now on the cusp of young adulthood. Feeling the hint of spring in the gentle breeze, he looked back on the past five years.
Like growing pains, he had experienced several moments of realization.
He felt he had reached a certain level of achievement, and a sense of confidence and pride filled him, both inside and out.
Loan placed a hand on his firm chest, feeling the mana Pauline had gifted him.
Though the amount was the same, it swirled stronger and hotter than before. He could now draw on his Convection a little faster and more powerfully.
As he quietly felt the vortex, a clear, sharp voice called from outside.
"Loan! Are you really not going to the salon?"
He went to the window and saw it was Sophie.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Of course you are. Much better than someone else, at least."
Lucas, who was looking up at Loan beside her, scowled and gave Sophie a light shove.
Sophie let out an exaggerated scream and shouted to Loan.
"We'll go on ahead, so take your time and come when you're ready! It's our graduation, after all!"
Loan watched the bickering pair as they walked away.
Lucas with his hulking frame, and Sophie, who was shedding the last of her girlishness.
He couldn't believe how much time had passed.
‘Graduation… Does it even matter?’
In truth, the Union entrance exam, which started that afternoon, was far more important to Loan than the graduation ceremony.
They said they considered nothing but skill and character, so it shouldn't matter whether his hair was long or short.
Wouldn't it be enough to just trim his moderately curly hair himself? After all, beauty was one of the things he knew best.
But Loan was likely the only one who thought so lightly of it.
The truth was, it held a significance far beyond a simple school graduation.
One could tell just by seeing the visitors who had come to celebrate the children's graduation—not just their families, but also representatives from various governments, noble houses, and organizations.
Ostensibly, they were there to observe before the Union entrance exam, but in reality, they were there to seize the last chance to recruit high-caliber talent into their ranks.
Even if they failed to scout anyone, they could still gather minimal information on the prospects, so there was nothing to lose.
That was why the others were urging Loan to go get ready for such a grand graduation ceremony.
‘My father is coming for the first time in five years. I should at least get a haircut to give him one less thing to nag me about.’
Cutting Lucas's shaggy hair would probably make his scruffy face look a little cleaner.
‘I’m not sure about the head of the family, but it seems people from the main house are coming. Since I missed out on being valedictorian, I should at least look presentable.’
Sophie seemed incredibly nervous.
Loan had heard the stories about her being abandoned or used as a political pawn, so he could understand.
‘Since I don’t have a family, should I consider this a relief?’
Was that why he felt so indifferent about the graduation ceremony?
After a moment's thought, Loan shook his head, clearing his mind.
‘No, they are my family now. My family, whom I must protect.’
So he had to protect them, and to do that, he had to become stronger.
Steeling his resolve, he looked back at the elixir.
How great would it be if it had even a slight effect on improving his constitution?
Loan immediately lifted the small bottle and poured its contents into his mouth.
Unlike its complex aroma, it had no discernible taste.
The clear, slightly viscous liquid slid smoothly past his tongue and flowed down into his body.
Following a warm sensation spreading through him, the mana that formed his core and the mana that had entered and circulated within him all began to shine brightly at once.
However.
‘It doesn’t seem like my constitution itself has changed.’
He knew it instinctively.
It was no different from when he had taken the elixir Arthur gave him.
Still, it wasn't as if there were no changes at all.
Loan instantly realized that his perception of mana had gained a new depth.
‘I can see it more precisely.’
It was to the point where he felt he could examine the very structure of mana itself if he focused.
But he quickly stopped after a brief attempt, sensing it would strain his body.
‘I need to take it slow until I get used to it, just like when I first saw mana.’
He hadn't achieved the desired result, but since he hadn't held high expectations, his disappointment was minimal.
In fact, he felt rather pleased to have gained anything at all.
With his heightened senses, Loan's gaze was suddenly drawn to something that strangely captivated him.
The Stone of Goetia that Lucas had bought for him long ago.
‘I’ve grown so much, but that stone is still the same.’
Even as he moved rooms, it had always remained in its spot by the window.
He hadn't tried to incubate it like an egg or decipher its formula.
There was no particular reason.
He had simply enjoyed looking at the vortex of turbid mana it held within.
"Hmm..."
Had his sight truly improved?
He could clearly see the mana inside the stone resonating with his Convection.
Like interlocking gears, they spun in opposite directions.
An image flashed in his mind.
As he watched the minute movements of the mana within the stone, a magic circle he had previously found difficult to understand unraveled three-dimensionally in his mind.
This was thanks to the five years he had spent meticulously deconstructing standard spells to master the principles of creation and extinction, of existence and phenomena.
He had built a solid foundation, allowing him to analyze, understand, and recreate any spell.
Soon, the magic circle in Loan's mind converted into a formula, and a method to break it was naturally reverse-engineered.
‘The mana was spinning uniformly because pressure was being applied evenly. It’s also impressive how the formula for resistance to friction, heat, and explosion was placed after the five verses of the formula for maintaining constant force.’
It was an incredibly intricate and complex formula.
Whoever the caster was, they were immensely skilled.
It put a strain on Loan's body, but it was also enjoyable enough that he felt it was worth doing.
‘The core of this formula was to constantly regenerate the internal barrier. It’s as if it was meant to confine the turbid mana itself. Sealing might be the right word.’
Having interpreted it to his own satisfaction, there was no reason to hesitate.
Loan reconstructed the reverse-engineered formula into a new magic circle and, using new mana, slowly layered it onto the stone, one careful application at a time. As he did...
Sss-tzz-pat-
Cracks seemed to form from within the stone, and the turbid mana that leaked out collided with the Convection of mana leaving Loan's hand, creating sparks.
‘Hmm...’
Though the stone was barely large enough to fit in his palm, the concentration of the turbid mana flowing from the cracks was in no way inferior to that of the human tree.
Loan immediately drew the flow of black mana into his Convection, channeling it into his body to circulate.
He had done this before.
Moreover, the mana gifted by Pauline was now spinning wildly in his heart.
Thanks to that.
Like black coal turning to white ash.
The turbid mana, having passed through the intense rotation, was dyed a pure white and immediately exited Loan's body.
The purified mana enveloped Loan and the stone before pouring back into its cracks, and then...
Crack-!
A living creature emerged from within the split stone.
"An owl?"
It was an owl.
But not an ordinary one.
It was an owl with incredibly long legs, nearly two or three times the length of its body.
Even so, it was small enough to fit in his palm, and its face was utterly adorable.
Another peculiar feature was the tuft of feathers on its head, which stood up like a crown.
The creature looked at Loan and tilted its head.
"You're not a normal owl, are you?"
"Aul?"
"Hmm... Maybe not."
"Aul..."
"Hmm..."
The owl hopped on its long legs, moving closer to Loan's hand.
It blinked, then rubbed its wide face and beak against Loan's hand, as if greeting its mother or father.
The sight was so endearing that Loan tickled the little creature with his finger, playing with it for a while.
The turbid mana was gone. He had found a friend he liked.
"From now on, your name is Aul."
"Aul?"
"That's right. You are..."
He considered it a graduation gift from those who remained in his heart.
***
The 266th Union School Graduation Ceremony.
Oscar, the Vice Commander of the Faith Division, who had returned to the Union for the first time in five years, bought two high-quality leather wallets on his way to the graduation ceremony.
It was a traditional graduation gift from a parent to their child.
One was for his son, and the other was for...
‘He’s a child who ended up at the Union because of my decision, after all. Since he has no family, I should be the one to congratulate him.’
A long-awaited visit to the Union, and his first time at the school.
He was happy that his troublemaker son was finally graduating, but being suddenly thrust into a bustling crowd felt chaotic and overwhelming.
Oscar quickly scanned his surroundings, searching for familiar faces that might help him compose himself.
As it happened, several such people were gathered in one spot.
‘Director Lazarus, former Commander Arthur, Department Head Daphne, and Diego, too. But why is Sienna with them?’
As he approached, he saw them engaged in a rather serious, free-for-all debate.
The scene was strange enough, but the topic was even stranger.
"As his counselor, I've had the most profound conversations with him. An adult he can open his heart to is practically family. Therefore, I should be the guardian who receives the plaque of appreciation."
"He is a child who will open new horizons in magic. He will continue to dedicate himself to research with me even while active in the field. That means we will continue to be together after graduation."
"That sounds more like your wish, Dean of Magic, not a reason for you to claim guardianship."
"He's agreed to call me grandfather upon graduation."
"..."
"The graduation ceremony isn't over yet. And this is a bit awkward to say, but five years ago, when he left the shelter, he once called me his big sister. I've always thought of him as a younger brother."
"People around me often say the same thing. They're amazed that a child follows me so devotedly. They even ask if we're related by blood, haha. Haven't I even been told I should adopt him?"
Oscar tapped the shoulder of Diego, who was standing a step away from the group.
Diego saw Oscar's face and brightened, giving a slight nod of his chin.
Oscar asked bluntly.
"What's going on? They all seem to be claiming they're his guardian. Is the subject of this conversation who I think it is...?"
"You guessed it. That's why I'm so disappointed."
"Disappointed?"
"That I didn't manage to build a relationship close enough to join that conversation."
"..."
He didn't know what had happened over the past five years, but he could roughly guess and understand.
After all, on the day they first met, he too had been charmed into granting the boy's wishes.
But since his son Lucas and Sienna hadn't reported anything unusual, he had assumed Loan was simply doing well.
He'd heard bits and pieces about the Schwerin exchange, but since he'd already been surprised to see the boy use magic, it wasn't anything new.
He had dismissed it as a case of shared hardship, never imagining the boy would grow into someone with such influence.
And so—
"Representative of the 266th graduating class. Valedictorian Loan, please come to the stage."
The moment the boy's name was called—
Oscar naturally recalled the day the boy had left the shelter.
‘I’ll go on ahead, Vice Commander Oscar.’
Loan had drawn remarkably close to the Union.