~Chapter 73~
“The accident was caused by an apprentice wizard—”
“Accidents by apprentices are everyday life.”
How could summoning a monster in the underground training hall be everyday life? I couldn’t understand.
Seeing my confused face, Aisha sighed and explained.
I could roughly understand.
‘So yesterday’s incident left an impression on the mages in the garden.’
I already carried the unique title of “Aisha’s disciple.” And now I had put down yesterday’s chaos.
“You went from someone with backing to someone with real ability!”
“But wasn’t my ability already proven at the ‘qualification exam’?”
“You mean the one with apprentices? That was like a little play.”
I stared at Aisha.
“Well… not that the wind you summoned was a joke. But being given a stage, told ‘show us,’ and taking your time to cast spells is different from firing magic in real combat.”
“Ah, I see…”
“This isn’t just ‘ah, I see’! You reversed a monster’s summoning in the Imperial Palace after only one month in the garden. That’s incredible. The Emperor himself was there. Do you realize? If things went wrong, His Majesty could have been harmed.”
“It’s nice of you to praise me, but wouldn’t it have been resolved without me? There were other mages in the tower…”
I thought of the elderly mage I saw earlier. There were plenty of high-ranking mages in the tower.
“If those guys come out, it means the Empire is already doomed.”
Aisha explained: high-ranking mages never leave their labs unless something truly interests them. Only if the Empire was collapsing would they poke their heads out, annoyed, saying, “Too noisy, I can’t research. Time to quiet things down.”
“Got it? They’re people you must never get close to. Anyone with a private lab—think of them as enemies.”
“…Alright.”
Though she herself had one, Aisha excluded herself as if naturally different from the rest.
The place Aisha took me was the 3rd floor of the main building we came to yesterday.
Instead of Duke Durnar, another man sat on the sofa, head bowed. He looked familiar.
“L-Lady Bella.”
It was Lian.
“Why is he here?”
“Why else? It’s payback time.”
“…What?”
“What should we make him do first? Clean the whole building? Or fetch phoenix feathers? Oh, how about making him drink tea through his nose?”
Why would anyone drink normal tea through their nose…
“I-I’ll just drink the tea!”
Why would he even agree… and the tea was steaming hot.
“Um… can I say something?”
“Say it.”
“I don’t think this place suits me.”
“……”
“……”
A long silence.
“…It was a joke.”
Didn’t seem like a joke.
“So what’s the real reason you’re here?”
“How should I know? He said he had something to say, so I brought him.”
“……”
“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t bring him for nothing.”
Then Aisha gave a little lecture:
“Fear always comes the day after an accident. In the moment, you don’t think. But the next day, you regret it and have to deal with the mess. If people comfort you, saying it was nothing, of course you’re grateful—but deep down, you don’t feel better. Sometimes being worked hard feels easier.”
Was that so?
Indeed, being ordered around for mistakes might ease guilt faster.
“Then talk it out between you two. I’ll go.”
Before leaving, Aisha whispered in my ear:
“Don’t pity him. Make sure to work him hard. Got it?”
And then she was gone.
I looked at Lian in silence.
“You don’t need to mind what Aisha said—”
Suddenly, Lian jumped up.
“I truly apologize for yesterday!”
Clearly, it wasn’t about tea. I stayed quiet.
“Driven by ugly jealousy, I did what I should never have done. It was all my fault. And when I couldn’t even finish what I caused, I got angry and reacted badly yesterday. I committed an offense that can’t be covered by anything.”
“……”
“So, I plan to leave the garden to take responsibility.”
“What?”
Yesterday’s incident was caused by a failed spell. Lian was still just an apprentice, and Aisha said he’d escape heavy punishment. But he wanted to leave on his own?
“Don’t rush. Think again—”
“No. I can’t bear it.”
“……”
“I was jealous…”
Lian gave a bitter smile.
“And to think I survived only because of your mercy… it just makes me despise myself more. I’m sorry, for being like this.”
I suddenly understood what kind of person he was.
He had pride, competitiveness, and self-respect.
And now, after being defeated in front of so many apprentices, he naturally wanted to redeem himself.
He might feel indebted, but he would never stand on my side. To him, even thinking positively of me would feel like another form of defeat.
Maybe it was petty of me, but even if I convinced him to stay, it wouldn’t help me.
Still, since he could look at himself objectively, he wasn’t completely useless. Better to keep some connection.
‘If needed, I could call this debt later.’
Then he pulled out an old book.
“What is this?”
“It contains magic to summon spirits.”
When I opened it, it was filled with true magic. One of them looked familiar.
So this was the cause of yesterday’s chaos.
“Marquis Blansia gave it to me.”
“And you’re giving this to me?”
“Since he gave it to me, it’s mine. What I do with my belongings is up to me.”
Well, that was true.
I slowly flipped through it. It wasn’t my first magic book, but this one had no explanations—only spells. Was it a field book?
Good if you want just the essentials. Bad because it was terribly unfriendly.
“Be careful of Marquis Blansia.”
“…What?”
I looked up. Lian was nervous.
“You’ll see when you check. Every circle in this book has a flaw. It doesn’t just fail—it’s deliberately altered to summon ancient monsters.”
“……”
“At first, I thought it was a trap against this garden. But now… I think it was aimed at you. Otherwise, why would he pick me, out of all apprentices? I had resentment toward you, making me an easy tool.”
“Hm…”
You must watch for malice, but you must also be careful of baseless suspicion.
“Why do you think the Marquis dislikes me?”
“How can I know the minds of high nobles? I’ve only learned to notice signs to avoid offending them.”
If he really had sense, he wouldn’t have taken the book.
But I didn’t say that aloud.
Then Lian bent down and lifted a black bundle by the sofa. Luggage. He had packed to leave from the start.
“Honestly… I envy you, and it annoys me. But I don’t wish you harm. That powerful wind, I still can’t forget it. And the magic you used to save me…”
Mumbling, his face turned red.
“T-that was my way of saying… thank you.”
In the end, what he really wanted to say came out.
“…Alright.”
I smiled.
