Leaving the House Behind
And here I thought this was going to be the worst day of my life.
The boy she had tracked down through prophecy magic had turned out to be an utter disappointment—his talent, his personality, his face, everything about him had grated on her nerves. To make matters worse, having to deal with that pompous, insufferable excuse for a noble had completely ruined her mood. In all honesty, Merna had found herself regretting the very idea of taking on a disciple.
Then, she had sensed the unmistakable presence of a spirit churning within the roaring flames. At the very least, she thought, one of her goals would be fulfilled.
Yet the one who had emerged from that inferno was a boy barely in his early teens. A child who could not only perceive spirits, but actually converse with them face-to-face.
Where in the world could she ever find such a prize catch again?
Here stood a child blessed with a gift she herself did not possess. What revolutionary heights might the magical arts reach through his unprecedented talent? For the first time in her life, Merna felt a thrill of genuine curiosity—not about expanding her own sorcery, but about what this child might accomplish.
Is this why they chose to take apprentices?
Merna recalled the faces of her past comrades and longtime friends.
To think I spent so long agonizing over it. I feel like an absolute fool.
To advance her own magic and carve out an uncharted path, or to pass down her legacy through an apprentice so that her craft would endure—she had wrestled endlessly between those two choices. Yet perhaps they were never fundamentally different to begin with.
Looking at the boy before her, Merna realized the truth. This child would fulfill both paths at once.
“That was rather uncharacteristic of me. Forget the expression I just made.” Having lost her words in sheer shock for a moment, Merna finally regained her composure.
Telling me to forget it is easier said than done, Eron thought. The gap between her usual dignified self and that look was so vast that it left quite an impression—
“Well, disciple? Your answer?”
“Yes! Completely forgotten! I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“For a child, you are remarkably quick on the uptake. You seem quite clever, too.”
As a reincarnator, hearing that I’m ‘quick on the uptake for a child’ doesn’t really feel like a compliment. It’s a bit awkward.
“You are worlds apart from that hideous brat I met earlier.”
“A hideous brat?”
Could she mean Jay? No matter how I think about it, it has to be him. It’s obvious without even asking that he must have pulled something ridiculous. Eron immediately pictured his half-brother at the mention of a hideous brat.
“A truly hopeless pair, both that boy and the one calling himself his father.”
“Yeah, they tend to be like that.”
“Come to think of it, your family name is Hynek as well, isn't it? Are you...?”
“His son. Supposedly.”
“I was told he had no other children.”
Being treated as non-existent just because I don't possess mana isn't entirely unexpected, but the sheer shamelessness of it is almost impressive.
“Well, I suppose I understand why.”
“Pardon?”
“You possess no mana.”
“Ah...”
No mana. Come to think of it, he hadn't even mentioned that yet. For any ordinary mage, discovering that would be more than enough reason to retract an offer of apprenticeship on the spot.
“Hmph. Do not make such a face.” As if reading Eron's thoughts, Merna let out a soft chuckle. “Innate mana means absolutely nothing to you anyway.”
“Is that so?”
“Now, let us depart at once. We have much to do.”
“Yes, Master.”
Of course. How could an Archmage fail to notice that I lacked mana from the very beginning? There was never any reason to worry.
“That's right! This great me is right here by your side!” Ifrit puffed out her chest proudly, her delicate wings fluttering. “Human mana is utterly meaningless!”
“Uh... you're staying with me?”
“Yours truly went out of her way to contract with you, didn't she? What, got a complaint?”
I assumed she'd ditch me the second we escaped that forest, but I guess not. And here I was fretting over how to coax her into staying. Despite all her bluster about humans being weak and annoying, she didn't seem to actually hate humans at all. If anything, she had probably wanted to travel alongside someone all along.
“Right, right. Thank you.”
“Hmph! That's right! Be grateful!”
She might be a handful, but he was genuinely thankful. It was solely because of her that he could wield magic at last.
“Come now. There is much to prepare for the days ahead.”
“Yes, Mas—”
“Excuse me! Please, wait, Archmage!”
Abel, who had been listening in silence while still bound by the magical vines, urgently broke into the conversation.
Right, Abel was still here! With everything happening so fast, Eron had momentarily forgotten about her.
“What is it? Do you have an objection?” Merna asked, turning her gaze toward her.
“No, it's not that, but...”
“If you are worried about your insolence earlier, pay it no mind. I am hardly so petty as to hold a grudge over that.”
“Master, could you please undo her bindings first? She is, after all, my personal maid.”
No matter how one looked at it, freeing her took priority. Leaving someone trussed up like that simply wasn't right.
With a languid flick of Merna's hand, the magic entwining Abel dissolved into motes of light, finally setting her free.
“Do you truly intend to take Young Master Eron as your disciple?” The moment she was released, Abel stepped forward and addressed Merna directly.
“Abel? Wait—” Eron flinched. Isn't her tone a little too sharp? Surely she could phrase it more diplomatically?
“I do. Is that a problem?”
“Are you truly serious about this?”
“I do not jest about such matters. This child will be my apprentice. And in due time, he shall stand among the greatest mages in the world.”
The two women locked eyes, carrying on their conversation as if completely ignoring Eron standing right between them.
This is getting terrifying...
Ifrit, who had been chattering boisterously just moments before, had quietly retreated to perch on Eron's shoulder, keeping her mouth clamped shut.
She's terrified too. Just like me.
Sparks practically flew between Abel and Merna as their gazes clashed in tense silence.
“Then I shall believe your words.”
“Hmph. Whether you believe me or not is—”
“Please take good care of Young Master Eron!” Abel bowed her head deeply toward Merna.
“You need not worry. I will look after him properly.” Seeing the raw sincerity in Abel's bow, Merna's posture softened noticeably. “Say your farewells and follow me.”
Leaving those words behind, Merna slowly walked a short distance away, granting the two of them a private moment.
That's unexpected. She didn't strike me as someone who would be so considerate.
“Young Master Eron?”
“Ah, Abel. Still, pushing it like that just now was a bit too—”
“Please take care of yourself. Do not push yourself too hard.”
“Uh... thank you...”
In his previous life, his parents had died when he was young, and in this life, his biological father was an absolute scoundrel. He had never once known parental affection, but he thought that perhaps it felt something like this. Wrapped in Abel's sudden embrace, Eron felt an indescribable warmth swell deep within his chest.
“Have a safe journey, Young Master Eron.”
“Yeah. I will. Um... please explain things to Lena for me.”
“It won't be easy, but I shall do my best.”
Seen off by Abel's gentle smile, Eron walked over to where Merna stood waiting.
“Are you finished?”
“Yes, all done.”
“Then next, let us pay a visit to your biological father.”
“There's really no need to say goodbye to him. Honestly, I don't even want to see his face.”
Naturally, he didn't harbor a single shred of affection for the man. Jalen had literally tried to have him killed; how could any sentiment remain?
“I know. But we must still deliver proper notice.”
“Notice?”
“Indeed. If I simply carry you off, it becomes an abduction.”
I doubt that man would care in the slightest even if it were. If anything, he'd probably throw a banquet to celebrate. Or... would he react differently?
“Shall we go, then?”
At Merna's words, an enormous magic circle illuminated beneath their feet.
“Master? What is this?”
“Whoa! What in the world is this?!” Ifrit squeaked, darting behind Eron's neck.
“Everything is a learning experience. It is Space Magic. Taste it for yourself.”
In truth, Eron had experienced space magic a handful of times before, as it was Lena's primary specialty. Yet even Lena, exceptionally gifted as she was, could only teleport across a distance of roughly fifty meters at most. The destination of this spell, however, was the main estate several kilometers away.
“Off we go.”
As their forms dissolved into brilliant ripples within the glowing geometric array, Eron felt it down to his bones—the overwhelming, terrifying caliber of an Archmage.
To suffer such sheer humiliation...!
Experiencing such utter disgrace for the first time in his life, Jalen felt his blood boil in his veins. Not even the high-ranking nobles who looked down their noses at him had ever subjected him to such indignity.
Damn it all! How dare that wretched woman treat me like this! That insufferable hag!
What infuriated Jalen to the point of madness was the humiliating reality that he was completely pinned, helpless against the magical vines entwining him. Worse, there was not a single thing he could do in retaliation. Against an Archmage of Merna's standing, he possessed no means whatsoever of exacting revenge.
“Damn it!! Curse it all!!” With nowhere to vent his boiling fury, it simply festered violently inside his chest.
“M-Master Jalen. These vines will not budge. We must summon another mage from—”
“Stop wasting your breath and step aside. As if mere human strength could ever unravel my sorcery.”
From behind the butler who was fruitlessly straining to pry away the bindings, two figures materialized out of thin air.
“Guh! A-Archmage! I... I apologize for earlier. Please, release me from this!” Swallowing his humiliation and venom, Jalen choked out a plea for mercy.
“Do not fret. I shall release you before I depart. I merely returned because there is something that must be said first.”
“What could you possibly...”
“I have decided to take your son as my apprentice.”
“Ha... Haha!”
At those words, the mask of humiliation on Jalen's face cracked into a triumphant smirk.
Of course! Naturally! There is no way my son could lack talent! That's why this wench came crawling back!
Jalen sneered inwardly with boundless satisfaction. I can overlook today's disgrace. For now, I need this woman's power. And once Jay comes of age under her tutelage... I will grind every high noble who looked down on me and every peasant who dared mock me beneath my heel!
“We are departing immediately, so we came to bid our farewells. Go on, speak to him.”
“Immediately? So soon? Farewell... Jay is resting over there... wait, why are you... why are you here...?”
Entering Jalen's sight was not his beloved son Jay, but the manaless defect. The miserable eyesore he had long considered a blight upon his glorious lineage: Eron.
“Starting today, I have decided to become Lady Merna's apprentice.”
“Wh... What nonsense are you spouting?! Why you... Why would you?!”
Hearing those words, all of Jalen's suppressed rage and wounded pride erupted at once.
“Because this child possesses immense talent,” Merna stated coolly.
“Talent in a manaless defect like him?! Don't make me laugh!”
Should I call this expected, or is it surprising in its own way? Eron mused quietly. He had wondered whether, even with no mana, a father might still feel some fleeting pride upon hearing his child had been chosen by an Archmage. But this visceral disgust... this was a reaction born purely of deep-seated, irrational hatred.
“Taking a defective failure like that as a disciple... You... You're a fraud! You have to be!”
“That's right! There's no way a defect like him has more talent than me!” Jay chimed in, rushing forward from the hallway, his face twisted in disbelief. They were utterly convinced that the boy they had ridiculed and trampled for years could never possibly surpass them.
“If that is what you believe, then surely you will have no objection to me taking him off your hands,” Merna replied flatly.
“I cannot allow that creature out into the world! He is a vermin that will ruin our noble name! A blot on our house! If that wretch wanders outside, the shame brought upon m—mph!”
At a flick of Merna's finger, the foliage entwining Jalen surged upward, gagging his mouth shut.
“I have never held much fondness for nobles, but you are a singularly revolting piece of trash even among your kind.”
“Mmph! Mph!”
The self-righteous fury of a man screaming about frauds vanished in an instant, swallowed whole by raw, trembling terror.
“Do not look so frightened. Today marks my disciple's very first step into the world; I have no desire to show him something overly gruesome. Eron?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Do you harbor even the slightest attachment to this family?”
“Attachment...?”
Eron paused to reflect. He certainly felt warmth toward Abel, who had raised him with care when no one else would. Abel's daughter, Lena, had been his one true friend, so he cared for her as well. But this family? Was there anything in this house worthy of even a drop of affection?
The answer surfaced without a moment's hesitation.
“None. None whatsoever!”
“Hmph, is that so? Splendid. Then allow me to grant you your wish.”
“Mph! *Gasp!*” With a lazy wave of Merna's hand, the vine over Jalen's mouth retreated, leaving him gasping frantically for air.
“I shall erase Eron from your family registry entirely. It would foul my mood to have my apprentice tied to such a pathetic household anyway.”
“What? How could such a thing be possible...”
“You doubt me? Do not fret. I am capable of far more than your feeble mind can comprehend.”
Ordinarily, tampering with an imperial noble registry was an unthinkable feat. But for an Archmage of the Ranked Seats, laws were mere suggestions. Prostrate on the floor, Jalen realized this harsh truth with sickening clarity.
“Therefore, no matter what happens in the future, never let Eron's name cross your lips again. If you ever violate this command, I shall personally tear your house to absolute shreds.”
Merna spoke in a calm, melodic cadence. Yet beneath that placid tone lay a terrifying, bone-chilling intent. Trembling violently, Jalen could do nothing but bow his head and nod in silent submission.
“Good. Now we may take our leave.”
Just as Merna turned to depart with Eron, Jalen's muffled voice hissed from behind them.
“Filthy wretch...”
He spit the words like poison toward their retreating backs.
“A filthy defect like you could never be my child!! You carry someone else's filthy seed, not mine!!”
Venom dripped from every syllable as Jalen shrieked in deranged spite.
Ah. So that was the root of his hatred all along. Incapable of accepting that a child of his could be born without mana, he had spent years suspecting his wife of infidelity. Now, on the verge of Eron's departure, all of his festering malice spilled out without restraint.
“That a filthy mongrel like you ever carried our name is a permanent stain upon this house!”
He continued screaming at Eron's back.
“If you wish, I could teach him some manners,” Merna offered mildly, a dangerous glint in her eye.
“Excuse me, Master. Please grant me just a moment.”
“Hm?”
Merna watched in silence as Eron turned on his heel and walked straight back toward Jalen.
“You filthy—” Jalen choked on his words as Eron came to a halt right before him, looking down with cold, unwavering eyes.
“Wh... What are you doing?”
“Hey, old man.”
“What?! How dare you address me in such a—”
“We have nothing to do with each other anymore, so 'old man' fits just fine, doesn't it?”
Caught completely off guard by the brazen insolence, Jalen was struck utterly speechless. This was a child born without mana, devoid of any martial or magical prowess. A boy who had quietly endured years of neglect and abuse without ever uttering a word of defiance. The shock of being spoken to like this by someone he believed incapable of resistance shattered Jalen's composure entirely.
“You were the one who tried to have me killed, weren't you?”
“...”
“And not just once or twice, either.”
“How... How do you know that...?”
Eron had already uncovered Jalen's clandestine schemes through the Episode Window. Completely ignorant of that, Jalen could only gape in blind panic.
“I'd love to beat the living hell out of you right now, but with this scrawny body, it wouldn't hurt you much anyway, so I'll let it slide.”
“...”
“Instead, keep your eyes wide open and watch. I'm going to become someone an incompetent piece of trash like you could never even dream of reaching.”
Leaving those parting words, Eron cast one last disdainful glance down at Jalen, then turned his back and strode toward Merna.
Jalen, who had been struck dumb by Eron's frigid demeanor, belatedly regained his senses and began screaming hysterically, but Eron didn't spare him a single glance. Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave without settling the score just a little.
“All done?”
“Master? Could I ask for one small favor?”
Eron whispered a quiet request into Merna's ear.
“Hmph, that much is trivial.”
With a subtle flick of Merna's wrist, the verdant vines surged violently once more, wrapping tightly around both Jalen and Jay from neck to toe.
“Mmph!”
“Mph!”
Bound tightly by the enchanted flora, Jalen screamed with all his might, but not a single coherent syllable escaped his muffled lips.
“How many days will that hold?”
“They will not be able to break free for at least two days.”
“That sounds great. Thank you, Master.”
“It is nothing. Let us depart before we have to look upon their pathetic state any longer.”
Given their rotten nature, being trapped like this wouldn't change who they were at their core, but at the very least, they would spend the next two days wallowing in their own filth and suffering the ultimate humiliation.
Walking away from the estate, Eron felt not a single lingering regret.
All that filled his chest was pure, unbridled anticipation for the new road awaiting him.