Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Owen's Advice
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“Hey, no way! That trash young lord actually knocked Logan flat!”
“Nah, get outta here.”
“I saw it with my own eyes, man! Just like those Ribarden punks said, the guy’s magic is insane. And get this—his personality flex at the end? Totally perfect.”
“So he’s not a trash young lord anymore? He’s a personality lord now?”
Moonlight streamed through the window, carrying the excited voices of boys chattering about the day’s events.
Owen, the professor standing by the window overlooking the scene, quietly turned around.
“Feeling better now?”
In the infirmary located in Delaiten’s main building, Logan pushed himself up from the bed and touched the bandage wrapped around his forehead.
“Ugh…….”
“That shit voice of yours is back to normal, and those dumbass eyes haven’t changed a bit. Guess that monkey-shit brain of yours is fine too!”
“B-Big Bro……!”
The moment he saw Owen, Logan shot up, straightened his back, and sat at attention. Chaihak Academy was infamous for its discipline stricter than military rules.
“You shitty bastard, Logan! Big Bro? Call me Professor here. Where’d all that ‘yes sir, repeat that sir’ go!”
“Yes, sir! I’ll call you Professor from now on!”
“At ease.”
Only then did Logan relax his body, staring powerlessly at his palm. He clenched his fist weakly, his whole body trembling.
“I’ve dragged the academy’s name through the mud. The elders are gonna beat me half to death.”
“Dragged the academy’s name through the mud? You trying to play the unlucky genius card now, Logan? We hype you up as a promising talent, and suddenly Chaihak Academy’s all yours?”
“No, Professor!”
“Your opponent just got the better of you. Those bald-headed old farts might turn red in the face……but give it a few years, and they’ll get it.”
Owen turned back to gaze out the window. In the shadows cast by the moonlight, the solid muscles etched into his frame twitched.
Muscles are a true mage’s real power…… Logan swallowed, feeling boundless respect for his great senior.
“What do you mean……?”
“You know Skalji Ludwig?”
As if he wouldn’t.
The man hailed as the empire’s greatest mage of the previous generation. Now retired from the front lines in his old age, he devoted himself to training the next generation……
“One of those Ribarden magic school brats said it. That shitty old man used Rain as his assistant for three whole years.”
“……?!”
“Three years! A full three years! Sure, he’s basically got no formal education for some reason, but that proves his skill’s the real deal. Even if he’s no genius, three years under that crap old man means he’d wipe the floor with any average chick.”
Hostility surged in Logan’s heart once more. That’s why he couldn’t stand the magic house heirs. Even without talent, they got that kind of training just because of blood ties.
“And from what I saw, Rain, that damn bastard, is a genius among geniuses.”
“Did I hear that wrong? That guy’s a trash young lord!”
“Use that pathetic thick skull of yours! Still not get it after that beatdown today? How’s that a trash young lord? In a few years, that guy’s gonna rule the magic world. Don’t think about making an enemy of him—get close now.”
“But he’s a magic house heir!”
“You’d rather die than get close? Fuck, preaching to that shit brain of yours……might as well take a monkey as a disciple!”
Owen let out a low sigh, then smacked Logan’s head with familiar affection before heading to the door.
“If you don’t wanna get friendly, at least don’t make him an enemy. That’s advice from your senior, not your professor. Got it?”
“……!”
“Keep the promise you made in that magic duel. See you later, you idiot junior.”
Logan stared blankly at the door Owen had left through, then let out a sigh of relief.
‘Overwhelming…….’
Rage boiled up, sure, but no will to charge in again. If that guy went all out, the outcome was obvious.
“I’m not scared. I’m just holding back because Big Bro asked me to. I’m not scared…….”
* * *
After receiving Lin’s diary, I’d considered the possibility that some unknown someone might be watching me.
But I never thought it’d actually be true……
The first confirmation came after the magic duel, when I returned to the library. The librarian was rummaging through the vast collection.
“Young lord, did you perhaps take a book with you?”
Here’s what happened, from her story.
I’d said I’d leave the book and left. When she finished her tasks and checked where Rain had been, the book was gone.
“I didn’t take it…….”
“Really? That’s strange.”
“Maybe someone else checked it out in the meantime?”
“Impossible. If you leave without proper checkout, the magic alarm goes off immediately.”
So the book vanished on their watch…… I couldn’t say it.
Seeing the worry beading as sweat on the librarian’s otherwise calm face……
But she bowed politely.
“My apologies, young lord. My mistake. I was supposed to hold the book…… I’m sorry. I’ll contact you as soon as we find it.”
The odd part? Kies and Fride’s books were still there, but only Tureina’s was missing.
“You’ve already searched quite a bit. How much does the book cost? I’ll just buy a new one. I’ll cover it.”
Sixty years ago, the Dwarves invented printing, stabilizing book prices. No need to shell out a fortune for handwritten copies like in Lin’s era.
“What are you saying? It’s my fault, so I’ll report to the head librarian and take the punishment.”
She blinked in surprise but soon shook her head.
“No, that’d mean disciplinary meetings and all that hassle, right?”
“Yes? But…….”
“And those thick biographies aren’t stocked in regular bookstores anyway……Contacting the publisher myself sounds like a pain.”
Then just contact the family and get one directly. Leave it as the library’s issue and wash my hands of it—easy.
Why bother?……
A small token of thanks for bringing Tureina’s book, dredging up memories I’d buried deep.
Yeah, not kindness.
Just a minor payback.
“Then process it as lost on your end and order a new one. Give me the receipt, and I’ll pay.”
“Y-You really don’t have to. Seriously.”
“No need to refuse. It’s pocket change for me anyway. Even if it’s my fault, I wouldn’t get punished. Just pay up.”
After three rounds of urging and declining, she bowed deeply in gratitude.
“……Thank you so much, young lord.”
But would life solve unexpected problems this easily?
Three days later, I got a despairing reply that school life was about to get complicated.
* * *
Back at the dorm, Rain buried himself in bed and pondered for a moment.
Should he overthink this situation or keep it simple? Complication was his pet peeve, but piecing together the events, it was a mess of weirdness.
‘Lin’s diary came to me, so while investigating my comrades’ pasts, Tureina’s book vanishes…….’
If the one who sent the diary and is watching me is Tureina?
But that makes no sense.
First, she’s dead. Second, if she knew my identity, she’d approach directly—no need to spy.
‘Rista’s dead, Kies is dead, Fride’s dead……then who the hell……argh, headache.’
Just the Light Dragon Haraderiman?
Racking my brain alone wouldn’t yield answers. After an hour of groaning, he sat at his desk.
When his head hurt, studying was best.
Nothing beat solving math problems for fun. Time to unwind with Previs differential methods.
Flipping open Lin’s diary to review old problems from his Lin days, something surprisingly pleasant happened.
Socrafres.
- You can inherit the progress of ‘Unique Magic’ research from the surrounding environment.
- Progress: 37.9%.
It was due to the info displayed by RudiyËn (who got sucked into the diary when closed and reappeared when opened).
“37.9%?”
Weird.
Wasn’t it 37.1%? What did I do to gain 0.8%? Reviewing today……
“Only smacked someone with magic?”
Does hitting people increase contribution more the harder you hit? Fascinating. Is the path to truth paved with violence?
‘Nah, no way.’
Still, worth testing.
0.1% from targets at Battle Dragon Field, but 0.8% from living Logan.
So, magic on living things? But can’t just grab someone and cast.
“Ah, maybe play adventurer?”
No need for money or fame.
Just for magic experiments……perfect.
* * *
“Is that so?”
Madelia Page, the chancellor with her pale purple hair, turned her chair toward the window after hearing the day’s report from her secretary.
“Got it. You’re dismissed.”
Should’ve gone herself…… The magic duel held layers of meaning.
- Per Professor Theon’s testimony, confirmed use of three Osarius-style seals with high-speed calculations……
Osarius Academy ran on one-on-one master-disciple, accepting only the tiniest elite.
Rain learning Osarius seal style? Impossible. They wouldn’t take a magic house heir.
So, he saw it in a book once and perfectly mimicked it……
“And high-speed calculations on top?”
Superior physicals and brainpower too? Kevn Ludwig, that annoying bastard, hid a monster well.
More intriguing than skill: his character. Reason for joining the duel wasn’t house-heir typical.
Innate justice?
Or plain curiosity?
Whatever, one thing was clear.
“What a lucky bastard with kids…….”
How’s it feel to raise such an outstanding child? Madelia would never know.
Ten years ago, her daughter’s accident shattered her world.
Didn’t need to be a great mage or famed sage—just see her laughing and running like before, and she’d want nothing else……
‘Maybe introduce them?’
Seeing a peer genius might stimulate her. But she shelved the thought.
‘After confirming Rain Ludwig’s character for sure. Only once I’m certain he won’t scorn or mock Kasena…….’
Right.
Time to watch closely.