Chapter 22
“Miss, Miss.”
A voice called out from within the darkness of my room.
“Mm…?”
I responded half-asleep and slowly got up.
Crying, falling asleep from exhaustion, then crying again—
After repeating this cycle several times, I found myself back in my bed.
Did the Duke bring me here?
“What is it, Annie?”
I answered again with a slightly hoarse voice.
Then, within the pitch-dark room, a faint light began to grow brighter.
Annie had opened the door and approached me.
She gently smoothed my disheveled hair and whispered,
“While you were asleep, the wizard from the Tower arrived. The examination just finished.”
“Really?”
I jumped up in a hurry.
Thud.
The next moment, with a loud crash, I tumbled straight onto the floor.
That alone showed how frantic I was.
“What about Father?”
“He’s waiting for you now. He said he wants to hear everything with you.”
Ah…
Hearing that the Duke was waiting made me squeeze my eyes shut and open them again.
Just moments ago, I had been groggy, but now I was completely awake.
“Help me up. I can’t seem to muster any strength in my body.”
“Yes, lean on me.”
I allowed Annie to support me and slowly rose to my feet.
After a short while had passed—
“Rosent.”
Next to the Duke who welcomed me, stood someone unfamiliar.
A golden world tree embroidered on a black robe.
Even without asking, I knew this was the wizard Annie had spoken of.
“How is Noah?”
Without hesitation, I stepped next to the Duke and asked.
The wizard looked at me with a serious expression and said,
“Before I give the results of the examination, there is something I’d like to ask permission for from both Your Grace and the young lady.”
What? Ask permission?
Is the diagnosis that bad…?
“Alright, go ahead.”
No matter how much it costs, or what he asks for—
I was ready to do anything for Noah.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
But that’s when it happened.
“Please give the young master to me!”
What?
The wizard’s eyes sparkled as he looked between the shocked Duke and me.
“The young master possesses the innate qualities of a wizard.”
Wait, what?
“Wh-what do you mean?”
I couldn’t even form proper words in my confusion.
With a sigh, the wizard explained,
“Ah, I must have surprised you. My apologies. You see…”
He glanced toward Noah’s closed door and continued,
“The reason the young master had a fever is because his mana has awakened for the first time.”
“Noah’s… a wizard?”
The Duke asked on my behalf.
The wizard nodded and replied,
“To be precise, he shows talent. If both Your Grace and the young lady permit, I would like to formally train him—”
“W-wait a minute.”
I hastily interrupted the wizard.
“Then… then, the fever yesterday really was because…”
“As I said, it was due to his first mana awakening.”
First mana awakening.
In other words, it was the first time Noah’s magical energy had stirred.
Which means…
“I’ve never walked down such a vile path as controlling monsters.”
Suddenly, countless scenes flashed through my mind.
Wait—
Doesn’t that mean Noah can’t transform into Locus?
Then… was the Locus from that day just someone who happened to look like Noah?
“Ugh.”
My stinging eyes began to burn.
Embarrassment overwhelmed me as I lowered my head.
I felt like I was going to curl up into nothing.
Is this what it means to beat your own drum and dance to it?
Was all that crying yesterday… just a dramatic mess I created?
The thought alone made me shrink in shame.
Where’s a mouse hole to crawl into?
What the heck was I thinking?
Why did I make such a scene yesterday?
Right, Rosent, you idiot.
Logically speaking, that man couldn’t have been Locus.
Locus is right here, in front of me, as Noah!
Noah, I’m sorry.
I’m truly sorry for misunderstanding.
How could such a little kid become an adult like that? It doesn’t make sense!
Unless he received some specialized training, he wouldn’t even know magic…!
“…And so, I humbly request to take the young master to the Magic Tower.”
But then, the wizard’s next words snapped me out of my thoughts.
Embarrassment faded. Reality hit.
“You mean Noah has to go to the Tower?”
“That would be ideal, but if it’s uncomfortable for the young lady, private lessons could be arranged. Or he could enroll early in an academy.”
The wizard continued enthusiastically,
“If we start his education now, he could become a great mage in the future. Isn’t that exciting? A grand mage in the family…!”
Of course, if a grand mage appeared in the family, it would be a huge honor.
There are few mages, and even fewer great ones. It would be a massive deal.
His life would turn from a flower path to a golden road.
But instead of feeling happy, I looked at the wizard with a pale face.
Because this meant Noah now stood at a crossroads.
Would he become a magic swordsman, using his awakened mana?
Or would he go to the Tower and become a mage?
I bit my lip and looked away from the wizard’s gaze.
Because Noah was only ten years old—far too young.
Even now, his days are packed with etiquette and sword lessons. Adding magic on top of that…
It wouldn’t just be hard; it would crush him.
Besides, Noah hadn’t grown much due to the lack of food during his time at the orphanage.
He was so small that I mistook him for a toddler on the first day.
Only recently, after eating properly and exercising, does he barely look around eight years old…
Of course, if Noah wants to go, I won’t stop him.
Noah should decide how to live his life.
I have no right to impose my wishes on him.
“…”
After a moment of thought, I looked at the Duke and said,
“We should ask Noah first.”
But then—
“I’ll do it.”
A familiar voice cut between us and the wizard.
“I’ll take the magic lessons.”
It was Noah.
* * *
Backtrack to just before the wizard and Noah’s first meeting.
The wizard had actually been in a foul mood since dawn.
That was because the research he had been working hard on was interrupted by a sudden request.
The requester? None other than the famously wealthy Agrinda Duchy.
He had initially intended to reject it.
No amount of money could replace his urgent research.
However—
He still remembered vividly:
“The young lady has offered to pay triple the consultation fee.”
Said the errand boy from the Tower.
Triple the fee?!
Did the young lady think he’d rush over just for that?
Of course I would.
Naturally, he had to go.
Whatever the task, he would complete it.
What could possibly be wrong in such a peaceful duchy?
At most, maybe the young lady had gotten a small injury.
And the request was specifically for “a wizard most skilled in magic.”
Feeling recognized, the wizard had started to feel better.
But that didn’t last long. The moment he arrived, his thoughts changed drastically.
“What is this…”
The wizard couldn’t hide his surprise as he examined Noah.
“Young master, what kind of spell did you attempt for your mana to become so violent?”
Forget injuries—
There was a much bigger problem before him.
“You’re still so young, yet your mana is already this wild. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He muttered quietly and continued,
“Your mana is unstable from a sudden depletion, which is putting strain on your body.”
With a small groan, the wizard added,
“In this case, the young master needs to control the mana raging inside him.”
“How do I do that…?”
“First, recovering your mana is most important. For that, you need proper treatment from the Tower. Could you extend your arm?”
Noah obediently extended his arm.
The wizard grasped it gently and whispered,
“I’ll share a bit of my mana to help your recovery. Ah, and I should report your condition to the Duke and the young lady—”
“No!”
Before the wizard could finish, Noah shouted.
“Don’t tell my sister or father anything about my condition!”
“…What?”
The surprised wizard tilted his head.
Realizing the situation, Noah calmed down and said,
“Just say it was… my first mana awakening. I don’t want them to know anything else.”
The fever made it hard to breathe again, and Noah lay down.
It would be a huge problem if anyone learned of his abilities.
They might discover—
That he had tampered with time magic in order to turn back time.
That he had deceived everyone until now.
That everything he had worked for could crumble in an instant.
“No one must know about this… What’s your name?”
“Kennis.”
“Alright, Kennis. This is a secret between you and me.”
“It’s not hard to keep quiet… but is there a special reason?”
Kennis asked cautiously, and Noah’s eyes clouded.
A reason?
Of course there was…
“How would our Noah live without his sister?”
As the words echoed in his mind, Noah murmured,
“I just want to stay by her side a little longer.”
I don’t want to be alone again.
I don’t want to lose this warmth.
I want to receive Rosent’s love.
Noah lowered his head, lost in the past—
Longing for unrequited love.
The moment he tried to stop Lucas for hurting Honey, and earned her hatred instead.
Right.
He must never forget that vow.
He couldn’t forget.
In that moment, Noah’s irises lit up with a clear color.
I’ll be different from the past.
He had vowed that upon arriving at the duchy.
Not to repeat the same life.
Not to love Honey so much he lost his life.
“…”
Noah turned his head and exhaled.
Little by little, he would free himself from Honey.
From the woman who was a chain to his past.
And then—
A voice reached Noah’s ears as he breathed quietly.
“Are you planning to tell the Lady of Agrinda about this?”
Maybe he would discover the source of that whisper too.
