Reunion (2)
Oscar Crucian had become a Level 4 mage.
The news spread through the entire White Tower within days of his return.
"Wow, time really does fly. Feels like it was just yesterday the kid hit Level 3..."
"Hold on. It really was barely two months ago?"
"...Huh? Is that even possible?"
There had been those who predicted Oscar would never rise above Level 1 in his lifetime—and honestly, who could blame them? The man had lived as a Level 1 mage for over ten years.
But then everyone came to their senses and realized something absurd.
He had survived as a Level 2 mage for barely a month, and as a Level 3 mage for a measly two months.
It was a growth rate with no precedent anywhere in recorded human history.
Naturally, the mages descended into heated debate.
"No, this is completely natural, I'm telling you. Oscar's body was the problem—his theory was already professor-level."
"By that logic, every brilliant theoretical mage in history should have been high-ranked."
"Then how else do you explain this insane growth rate?"
And following those questions came a hypothesis that attached itself all too naturally: the theory that Oscar had been hiding his power.
"If he could have leveled up all along and simply chose not to, every question is answered."
"Ridiculous. He couldn't level up because of Mana Deficiency Syndrome. That's established fact."
"You still see him as a Mana Deficiency Syndrome patient?"
At that, everyone fell silent.
After all, at some point, Oscar's condition had seemed to heal itself completely.
"Wait—so that means only one of two possibilities is true."
One: Oscar Crucian was the first human in history to overcome Mana Deficiency Syndrome.
Two: Oscar had never been a patient at all, and had been hiding his strength all along, waiting for the right moment.
It went without saying that the second option made for far more tantalizing gossip.
"If that's true, then who exactly was he hiding himself from?"
"...No idea. Most likely culprit? Whoever set the fire at the Crucian estate."
As the crowd spun theories and let their imaginations run wild, the man at the center of it all was sitting in the Special Affairs Department office, reviewing paperwork.
...
The air in the office was heavier and more suffocating than it had ever been. If he'd been someone as energetic as Franc, he would surely have bolted from the room just to escape it.
"Haaah..."
The cause of the oppressive atmosphere was, needless to say, Oscar himself. He wore an expression of utter dejection, heaving deep sighs at regular intervals.
The reason was simple.
She won't see me again.
Ever since his encounter with Sasha two days ago, he had been steadily requesting a meeting. Every request came back with the same answer: refused.
Being busy with work was the official reason, but it was obvious she was avoiding him.
"What, everyone's gathered in he—"
Veronica, arriving fresh from training, took one look at Oscar's condition and shot a pointed glance at Kilian.
Hey, what's wrong with him?
?
Alas, Kilian, warrior of the forest, had no chance whatsoever of catching her meaning.
"What was that look? Do you wish to spar with me?"
...
More fool me for expecting normal communication from this one.
With a faint sigh, Veronica sat down and asked the question point-blank.
"Oscar. Something's wrong with you. Is it that rumor going around?"
"...What rumor?"
"Guess you haven't heard. Everyone's losing their minds that you hit Level 4. They're saying you must've been hiding your strength all this time."
"Hiding my strength? Why would I?"
"Because your growth rate defies all reason, obviously. So people scramble for an explanation and pile on whatever details make it stick."
He had to admit, his current growth rate really was absurdly fast. At this pace, he'd be the youngest high-tier mage in history without question.
If they want to misunderstand on their own, that suits me fine but...
Truthfully, his head ached enough just thinking about Sasha that he had no spare attention for rumors.
When Oscar heaved yet another long sigh, Veronica's eyebrows twitched.
"Hey, quit sighing. It's dragging down everyone who has to listen to it."
"Sorry..."
"So what's actually wrong?"
"Hm."
Oscar deliberated for a moment, then opened up.
"There's someone I care about deeply. Someone very precious to me. And that person absolutely despises me."
"...Someone precious? Who?"
"That part I can't tell you."
Veronica thought.
A woman?
Kilian thought so too.
"It's a woman."
No—he simply said it out loud.
What was even more startling was that Oscar didn't bother to deny it.
"Well, biologically speaking, that classification would be accurate."
"...Seriously?"
Veronica's eyes went wide—she'd heard it with both ears and still couldn't believe it. Who lives long enough to see Oscar Crucian moping over woman trouble?
Well, romance is serious business at our age, I suppose.
She herself was too busy to spare it a single thought, but apparently spring had come to that particular young man.
Come to think of it, he'd always been popular, even back at the academy.
I never understood it myself—that insufferable personality, and girls chasing after him calling it 'cool.'
For all she knew, he already had plenty of experience.
And Veronica could never resist her curiosity.
"Have you ever dated anyone?"
"...Me?"
Oscar paused to consider.
Well, it wasn't as though he hadn't. Thirty years of a previous life—there was no way around it.
But that was, quite literally, a past life. Whether it counted as "having dated" was another matter entirely.
"I can't say I haven't. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"...Nothing. Forget it."
That unhurried composure carried something inexplicably mature, and Veronica shook her head. She hadn't expected there to actually be someone, but judging by that attitude—he was an old hand at this.
Without quite meaning to, she glanced over at Kilian.
Well... this guy obviously hasn't, so I'm not the weird one here, right?
Kilian, catching her gaze, spoke up without warning.
"For the record, I have."
"What? Don't lie!"
"It is true. A woman of my tribe and I were briefly together. We parted ways, some time ago."
Wait. So between these two personality-deficient men, she was the only one who'd never been in a relationship?
However uninterested she was in that sort of thing, it suddenly sounded suspiciously like an excuse.
There was an odd, faint feeling of being left behind, all on her own.
Veronica muttered before she could stop herself.
"W-well, me too. I've dated. We broke up, but still."
Oscar thought.
That's a lie.
Kilian thought so too.
"That is a lie."
No—he simply said it out loud.
When Veronica caught the faint curl at the corner of his mouth, she exploded.
"And what would you know about it? I have really done it!"
"If that's what you need to believe, suit yourself."
"Why, you—!"
Sensing that continuing this conversation would only drag her deeper into loss, Veronica hastily pivoted.
"Anyway. So why does she hate you? Did you do something wrong?"
"Hm. I did do something wrong... but it was quite a long time ago. Can she really still resent me for it?"
"Depends on what kind of thing it was, but if it wasn't something unforgivable, wouldn't you just make it up to her?"
Something unforgivable.
Oscar's gaze clouded over.
Abandoned by her parents as an infant, Sasha had harbored an extreme terror of being left alone.
...
A bitter taste spread through his mouth. Honestly, her reaction was only natural.
No—it was natural. Whatever reasons he might have had, in the end he had abandoned them. Abandoned the White Tower.
And after returning after twenty years, he had actually expected a warm welcome.
It felt so complacent, so shameless, that even he was disgusted with himself.
And from what I heard... it didn't stop at simply disliking me.
She refused to hear a single word about Lloyd and Gilliot. Something had clearly happened—something serious.
As he wrestled with how he might ever unravel it, Veronica piped up.
"Oh, right. Come to think of it, a few days ago there was a summons for you to come to the Tower Master's office. Did you get in to see her?"
"Yeah, briefly."
And that was why he was now racking his brains over all of this, thank you very much.
Oblivious, Veronica mused aloud.
"She's always away on external business, but around this time of year she always comes back to the White Tower without fail."
"Well, tower administration means periodically meeting with people face to face."
Indeed, back when he had been Tower Master, guests from outside visited every year at the turn of the season—a steady procession at his door.
"Funny, then, how around this time she doesn't show her face at all. Shut up in her office, refusing to see anyone."
"Well, all that travel must wear on her. She could be unwell..."
Wait. Unwell?
Something flickered through Oscar's memory, and his face went rigid.
"...You wish to see the Tower Master?"
Embarrassment flickered across the face of Hamel Grimwiz, the Deputy Tower Master. He shook his head as he regarded Oscar's desperate expression.
"I'm afraid not at the moment. When the time is right, I will bring word to you again..."
"It's Fairy Bloom, isn't it?"
"...!"
At those words, the Deputy Tower Master's eyes sharpened in an instant.
"Oscar. Where did you hear about that?"
"I learned of it on my recent journey, at Starlight Mountain."
"Starlight Mountain... you mean from the Sage of the Stars? I see. Then that explains it."
Fairy Bloom—the fairies' ailment. It was a kind of growth pain that fairies endured, striking once a year when their powerful vitality activated in a violent, explosive surge. Those who endured it emerged stronger and healthier than before, yet some fairies perished from the agony alone.
If my memory serves, Sasha's Fairy Bloom struck at exactly this time of year.
You idiot. You absolute fool.
To think he had forgotten this of all things. Every year, whenever her body ached and burned, the one who pressed down and soothed that torment had been none other than himself.
Oscar bit his lip hard at his own incompetence and irresponsibility.
"That's why I've come back with methods that should help ease the Tower Master's symptoms."
The Deputy Tower Master's face brightened.
"Wait—you mean you can soothe the Tower Master's suffering?"
"I can't promise a perfect cure, but it will certainly be a great help."
"Hmm..."
Hamel glanced at the clock. By schedule, the Tower Master would be facing her Fairy Bloom alone about now. He found himself debating whether it was right to impose an unrequested remedy upon her.
"Deputy Tower Master. I'm begging you."
...
Lost in deliberation, Hamel rose from his seat at the earnest note in the young man's voice.
"Anyone else, I might refuse—but with you, Oscar, I haven't the heart not to believe you. On one condition: I will be present, watching the treatment myself."
"Of course."
Oscar nodded and hurried after him, out the door.