Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: A Deal with the Chancellor
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Over the weekend, I threw myself into devising survival strategies. The guy who might've been 'potentially dangerous' had been upgraded to 'definitely dangerous.'
"Feels like walking on thin ice..."
I had no idea what Valensidis was after (he's a powerhouse who, like me, has no real need to learn anything at school), but figuring out his motives was secondary now. The immediate problem was that I could die.
Socrafres.
- Inherit progress on 'unique magic' research from the surrounding environment.
- Progress: 44.8%
If there was any consolation in this mess, it was the progress on my unique magic. It had jumped nearly 4% just from this expedition.
"Fighting strong opponents really boosts it, huh? Black mages get all the bonuses."
Libeni's parting words also nagged at me—the one who looked just like Lin. Something about being the vessel for Lin's soul...
'Whatever he's scheming with my soul, it's gonna be a bust.'
No need to worry much about that for now. Lin's soul was already in this body.
The real issue was Student Council President Valensidis.
Should I corner the guy and wring out of him why he was making 'Lin'?
'No.'
That wasn't a smart move in my current state, where I hadn't fully recovered from the assimilation poisoning.
'More than that, that guy...'
He felt completely different from Libeni, whose goal was one-sided slaughter. His actions had only made me more curious about Tureina, hadn't they?
"Bonus, bonus, bonus."
Pipi mimicked my words while pecking at scattered corn kernels on the desk.
This little guy worried me too.
Pipi was powerful against mid-to-low-tier monsters, but useless against true powerhouses. And now, in his old age, even more so.
"Maybe I shouldn't have brought you along."
I flopped onto the desk with a sigh. Pipi, apparently mad at the scattered corn, pecked at my cheek with his beak—pok pok pok.
"Ow, sorry! My bad!"
And then... there was another huge problem on the level of the student council president. While walking the campus during commute hours, I'd overhear whispers like this.
"Hey, you hear? Professor Elin got nabbed by the 'Golden Children.'"
"No way, for real?"
"Researching black magic or something?"
Cracks were forming in Aunt Elin's reputation, all because she'd risked herself to protect me.
With the holiday over and her still not showing up at school, the suspicions were only growing.
'I need to do something...'
She was a huge pain, always meddling way too much, but she was a good person. And this mess was my fault, really.
With a deep sigh, Rain headed toward the Dragon Wheel Pavilion.
* * *
"You're requesting a meeting with the Chancellor right now, Young Master Rain?"
<Delaiten> Chancellor's Office.
The secretary tilted her head in confusion. No one had ever boldly requested a meeting with the Chancellor before.
"As top student, I've got some grievances... Anyway, there's something I want to ask. Any chance?"
This was so far outside the norm that both the requester and the messenger assumed it'd be shot down.
"Who's requesting the meeting?"
But when the secretary went in to check.
"It's Rain Ludwig."
Madelia Page, mechanically stamping final approvals on city management issues and academic reports, lit up with interest.
"Intriguing. Let him in."
The meeting was approved so casually that the secretary froze in disbelief for a moment.
The Chancellor's office was an octagonal room where sunlight poured in brilliantly from all eight sides.
It was said to have been built by magic's founder, Emita Page, so he could bask in the light of the Black Sun Karenden with his whole body—a room steeped in poignant history.
'Whoa, this is where the first Sage lived...'
As I scanned the room from the guest sofa, eyes gleaming, a poised beauty with a mature air crossed her legs at the head seat and lifted her teacup.
"This is the first time we're talking alone like this, isn't it?"
"Yes, Chancellor."
"How are Kevn and Brim doing? Those two."
"They're doing well, vigorous as ever."
"Hmph."
Rain straightened up, a bit tense.
Her deep blue hair shimmered like jewels in the sunlight. Her violet eyes held noble dignity, and her demeanor was impeccably smooth.
Amid the mana of this heroine reigning at the pinnacle of the new generation mages (Skalji and Marhena were old guard), my hair stood on end.
"I've heard plenty about you from various professors. Especially your homeroom prof Owen—he couldn't stop singing your praises."
"Pardon?"
It would've been less shocking if Owen had announced he was quitting exercise. The guy who never praised even his own parents...
"It's not just Owen. Several people recommended you. So, what brings you here?"
Straight to the point, trimming the fat—nice. That's how mages should be.
I explained briefly and concisely.
Borrowing Tureina's book, getting caught by inquisitors when trying to return it, and Elin shielding me by getting taken instead.
"...So, Auntie's in this mess because of me."
"I see."
"Could you make sure she doesn't face any backlash? As Chancellor."
Madelia narrowed her eyes as she sipped her tea and listened.
"This doesn't seem like a matter of your aunt's treatment. It's about yours."
"..."
"You knew first-years can't borrow books, yet you used your status as Ludwig heir to do it anyway. Forgiving that lightly would undermine school rules."
Meeting her sharp gaze, I suddenly realized—ah.
Auntie hadn't shielded me over the heresy inquiry, but this? I swallowed dryly.
This was the crucial part... The grandfather clock on the wall ticked irritably in my ears.
"So I came to propose a deal."
Madelia raised an eyebrow, intrigued, as she stared silently.
"A deal? Between you and me?"
"I'm the top student at <Delaiten> and rightful heir to the Ludwig line. Surely there's something worthwhile I can offer, even if minor."
Madelia inwardly caught her breath, amused and surprised by his boldness.
'Chicks facing me usually react in one of two ways...'
Either cowering and stammering endlessly, or too awestruck to speak.
And it wasn't just fledglings.
Even licensed mages now didn't differ much. But this kid... so unhesitant?
- Your son's called the trash young master, I heard.
She'd once said that to Kevn Ludwig, sharing parental woes. But Kevn just smiled faintly.
- He's just not ready to hatch yet.
So just wait. With love and faith.
Recalling her brilliant junior's words, Madelia rested her chin on her clasped hands and smiled.
"Intriguing. Let's hear it. What deal?"
"Why don't you tell me what I can offer, and we negotiate from there?"
"You're mistaken. You're the one who needs to convince me with appealing terms... Wait."
She set down her teacup, as if something clicked, pondered seriously, then blurted it out.
"Rain Ludwig, how about being my daughter's home tutor?"
Rain doubted his ears for a second.
Daughter? Home tutor?
Come to think of it, Father had mentioned the Page family had a young lady. I'd just never seen her and forgotten.
But he never imagined it'd come up here.
"You know I'm only sixteen, right?"
The Pages were a magic house. No, the premier magic house with a lineage straight from magic's founder.
Their home tutors were naturally top-rated mages by convention.
With bloodline limits and all, like how Kevn and Skalji taught me, she'd normally tutor her daughter personally at this age...
"Becoming top student in the so-called Golden Generation proves your exceptional talent, doesn't it? Plus, you served as assistant to Marquess Skalji Ludwig for three years?"
"No, still..."
Teaching others was a hassle. I'd only done it twice so far—hmm, it just stole time from my own studies.
"If you agree, I'll announce Elin was sent on a temporary assignment by my order."
"!"
"And I'll drop the punishment talk from earlier. What do you say? Not even years—just two or three months. No loss for you."
He hesitated, stroking his chin, since it involved teaching.
But it solved all his immediate problems effortlessly.
How hard could tutoring be?
"Alright. Let's do it."
But maybe he should've paused and thought deeper.
If a deal offered this much, something equally big had to be on the other side...
And so, the great mage met that girl.
* * *
The night they returned to the Papal Palace after five years of expedition, a meteor shower painted the night sky, ushering in the Golden Age.
The hero party members sat on railings, leaned against them, or lounged as they gazed up at the shooting stars.
"Lin would've loved seeing this."
As Rista muttered with a wry smile, the party members shuddered with inescapable grief.
"Yeah, he would've. Probably dying to make a fuss but holding back for our sakes, just eyes sparkling."
Fire Dragon's Shrine Maiden Fride chuckled to lighten the mood. Silence fell again. They all just stared blankly at the meteor rain.
"Feels like it'd never end, but our journey's over now."
Tureina, the party's youngest, snapped at Rista's words. Her voice trembled pitifully.
"It's not over."
"...?"
"It's not over! How can you say that? Master, Master's in that state...!"
"Tureina..."
"It's not over. Not until Master comes back. Never...!"
Without giving anyone a chance to stop her, she jammed Lin's memento straw hat over her eyes to hide her tears and ran off into the distance. Kies and Pipi chased after.
Fride watched her sadly, exhaled cigarette smoke, and turned to Rista.
"What now?"
"We wait. Until Lin returns."
"Rista..."
"Lin said he'd come back. So he will. I just have to wait."
Fride felt a stab of sorrow pierce her lungs at Rista's words.
"I know. But... your lifespan's almost up."
The FakeWarrior—implanting a dragon's soul to amplify power—traded lifespan for superhuman strength.
In wartime, FakeWarriors averaged mid-20s. Late 20s at best.
Rista had fought on the front lines with that power throughout the five-year journey. Maybe three years left, tops.
"That so?"
But Rista—the hero who'd always led with a sun-bright smile—let the night breeze tousle her silver hair and flashed her usual beaming grin.
"If not this life, then the next. If not that, the one after."
Fride could only gape at her for a moment. A choked laugh burst out soon after.
"You're hopeless."
She leaned back against the railing, blowing smoke toward the night sky.
"You know that was blasphemy, right?"
The Light Dragon Church doctrine rejected reincarnation, preaching heaven and hell. Rista's words were heresy.
"Can't overlook it just once, Shrine Maiden?"
"Oh my. With just words, Hero?"
The two women laughed silently.
In their laughter mingling joy and sorrow, the last meteor quietly streaked across the dewdrops in their eyes.
From that day until the heroes of Rista's party departed the world, the era was the Golden Age.
Like flowers blooming over a grave—over the boy great mage's death.