Chapter 98

### Chapter 98: Magic (1)

* * *

#1

When I was young.

To be more precise, not long after I started elementary school at the Academy, Ruby and I were not yet friends.

We occasionally met because our parents would gather, and when they did, I would sometimes be forced to sit with Ruby, but I couldn't feel at ease with her.

The reason was simple.

I felt embarrassed.

—Ezio, Ezio. Where did you live before?

—...

The young Ruby had shorter hair than she does now, quite different from her current appearance.

Her light pink, shoulder-length bob, her round, chubby face, and her luminous green eyes.

The adults in the village praised Ruby, the epitome of a cute and adorable little girl, saying she would surely grow up to be a great beauty...

I didn't know much about it. To me, she was already a great beauty even then.

Even if Ruby heard it, it might make her feel embarrassed, but the truth is, from the moment I first saw her, I had harbored such thoughts in my heart. So, I guess I liked Ruby.

It was a really, very embarrassing thing, but I had fallen in love with Ruby at first sight.

Of course, I was young.

I didn't really understand what it meant to like someone.

I just wanted to talk to Ruby more than to other friends, and like most young boys, I found it hard to express my feelings, so I would sometimes act annoyed, but in front of me, Ruby would always laugh and say "Hehehe" in a silly, happy way.

—Sometimes, you really look stupid.

—Wh-What, stupid...?

There was a time when I started to open up to Ruby in conversation. One day, while we were walking home together, I blurted out this comment, even though there was nothing particularly special happening. I, who used to say such thoughtless things, probably couldn't understand Ruby, who was always carefree and always had a bright smile.

The silly Ruby. As she got closer to me, she seemed to want to color me with her own hue. Maybe I said those things because I was afraid I might become a fool like Ruby.

Little did I know, Ruby was a once-in-a-century genius, and I was a once-in-a-century dullard and fool.

—You always laugh so easily. Your laughter is too cheap.

Your laughter is too cheap. That's right. Ruby always had a smile on her face. She would laugh until tears streamed down her cheeks when something funny happened, and even when there was nothing to laugh about, she always had a gentle smile. She laughed so much that it seemed like she could share it with anyone.

Of course, I liked Ruby's smile. When a beautiful person smiles beautifully, it's natural for the observer to like it. Even more so when it's directed at me.

Anyway, Ruby laughed a lot.

—Huuu...

—Wh-What, what?

She cried just as easily.

Shocked by the comment that she looked stupid, Ruby started crying right there, and I, standing beside her, was at a loss, not knowing what to do. "Ezio, Ezio, you said I'm stupid..." she mumbled, crouching down and sobbing bitterly.

Watching her, I couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of guilt. I made Ruby cry. I didn't mean to. I didn't know what to do. I was so sorry that I even considered banging my head against the ground, as the soldiers sometimes did.

I had to comfort and console the sobbing Ruby in the middle of a small path under the dense trees, and it took a lot of effort to clean up the mess I had caused.

Ruby was the type who found it hard to control her emotions. Once she started crying, it was hard for her to stop. If she continued crying, her eyes would swell up, and she wouldn't be able to go home. I had to make her stop, but my repeated apologies didn't seem to work.

What should I do?

Based on what I had seen and heard, the only way to comfort Ruby was to do what my parents did when I couldn't stop crying as a child. They would gently hug me and pat my back.

—Huuu...?

So, I just hugged Ruby, apologized, and patted her back. It felt strange, but I couldn't quite explain it.

I wasn't too embarrassed because I was so young, but it was a strange feeling.

Anyway, as I stood there stiffly, Ruby's crying gradually subsided, as if by magic.

—Hehe... Ezio is warm.

Looking at Ruby, who seemed to have forgotten she was crying and was hugging me like a fool, I couldn't help but think she was still stupid.

That's how I gradually got to know Ruby. Friendship is a relationship that progresses with mutual agreement.

Just as I had liked Ruby from the moment I first saw her, Ruby also liked me.

Despite her doll-like beauty and gentle nature, which made her a favorite among many adults and peers, I was always by her side.

If we had made plans to play together, she would reject other friends' invitations. Sometimes we would play with other kids, but in games like tag, where one person chases the others, I would pretend to almost catch the slow-moving Ruby but let her go. Most of the time, I did this. If I did catch her, it would be after catching everyone else.

Ruby, who didn't realize I was letting her go, would run as fast as she could. Watching her for a long time, I sometimes had a sudden, impulsive feeling. Most people would probably agree.

Naturally, she would trip and fall while laughing and running.

Then, a "Huuu" cry would soon follow.

I would comfort her again. If she had a scrape, I would carry her home. Sometimes, I would stumble and fall on the hill because she was too heavy for me. It was funny and painful at the same time. Laughing, I would laugh. The evening sky in my field of vision was always sparkling and beautiful in my childhood memories.

Our bond began like that.

I thought those times would last forever, and I was so happy that if it were a dream, I would never want to wake up.

But the wall of reality is high.

Now, I know that it was an impossible wish from the beginning. Perhaps I had a vague sense of it even then.

—This is incredible... This child is a genius. Sir, Madam.

During a special class by an external instructor, who was invited to give children a unique experience or discover potential talents.

Ruby used magic.

Curious Ruby had just tried to do what she thought was the right way, but it was not something that could be achieved with such a simple process.

It required computational skills far beyond the level of an underdeveloped elementary school student, a tremendous amount of innate magical power, and an extraordinary genius that did not match the "stupid" expression I always used to describe the always-smiling Ruby.

—She managed to perform a 3rd-tier spell, even though she has never studied magic in her life... How is this possible...

Ruby was a genius.

That settled everything.

Next to me, where I couldn't even understand it, let alone replicate it, I saw a strong spark clearly.

Ruby, who should have been surprised, was frozen in place, lost in the moment. Her eyes, which had been dull, were suddenly filled with a bright light. Realizing the miracle of magic for the first time and feeling the slow activation of her magical circuits, Ruby didn't want to let go of that sensation.

Then, she snapped out of it and looked at me with a bright smile. She was so happy that she had used magic. I found it fascinating too, so I smiled back at her. If she could use magic, we could find more fun things to do. It was a very childish and innocent thought.

The adults in the village, who understood the situation, discussed and debated where Ruby should live, but ultimately decided she would stay in the village.

However, it was impossible to let her talent go to waste. Special education, such as inviting external instructors for Ruby, began.

This didn't drastically reduce the time I spent with Ruby, but there were times when I couldn't see her because she was learning magic.

Each time, I would go to the front yard of my house and try to do what Ruby had done, feeling a strange, indescribable feeling when I couldn't even make a tiny spark on my palm.

...I now know that the gap between us widened uncontrollably after that day.

#2

"Your progress is remarkable, Ezio."

These were the words of Professor Zeppelin, the magic specialist.

After the Wednesday class ended and he confirmed that I had no other commitments, Zeppelin called me to his office and sat down in his chair.

He invited me to sit on the sofa and even brought me tea and cookies. I wondered why he was treating me so formally.

As I sipped the tea Zeppelin had prepared, a thought crossed my mind.

I had heard that quite a few seniors continued their Frontier life under a specific professor after graduating.

One of Raylin's friends said that these people chose to enter a place known as a "hell path" even though they knew it was a difficult path.

What did they call these people?

No.

Actually, the official name didn't matter.

They were just called slaves.

Slaves who had all their human rights stripped away... That was the fate of students who were selected by a professor.

...It can't be. No, it can't be.

I was still a first-year, and I hadn't shown any extraordinary abilities that would attract Zeppelin's attention.

But why does the smile on his lips look so unsettling? Am I the only one who thinks so? I can't help but avert my gaze.

...I really appreciate that you think highly of me, but it's really making me uncomfortable. It also reminds me of what happened with Nadia.

I didn't particularly enjoy this private meeting with Professor Zeppelin...

"As a scholar, I became interested in your abilities, Ezio. Do you remember?"

"...Yes, Professor."

"Your unique abilities alone sparked a lot of curiosity, but the more I learn about you, the more fascinating you become. You seemed to have a high understanding of magical knowledge, but it didn't seem to be supported by your skills."

"Is that so...?"

Zeppelin nodded solemnly.

"Yes. ...But not anymore. In just a few days of observation, your skills have improved rapidly. It's as if a dam that was tightly sealed for some reason has finally burst. After reviewing the test results from today's class, I have made my judgment. If this continues, it's not impossible for you to achieve 4th-tier by the end of this semester."

"4th-tier..."

4th-tier... 4th-tier...

...Is that really possible?

"Based on what I've seen, it is possible for you, Ezio. However, as an educator, I have some doubts. If you had such talent, you should have already achieved 4th-tier through education... Did you say you were from the Lorson Academy?"

"Yes, Professor."

"I've heard that the magic department of that academy is one of the best in the empire. In fact, Ruby, a top graduate from the magic department, is a student here. It's very rare to find someone more talented than Ruby. But you, Ezio, are a graduate... or rather, a dropout from the integrated department of Lorson Academy."

"..."

"I won't ask for the details. I was just curious. The education level of the Epic Class is well-known, but your rapid growth is a bit suspicious. Of course, it could also be due to your personal circumstances."

"..."

A professor of the Epic Class can act superior. He didn't seem particularly unpleasant.

"So, Ezio."

"Yes, Professor."

I had a feeling that the main topic was about to come up.

His continued interest in me was quite unsettling, but I thought it couldn't be anything serious, so I listened silently.

The next moment, Zeppelin looked at me and spoke.

"I've already hinted at this to Ruby... Are you interested in joining the circle I oversee?"

"..."

"From what I've seen, you and Ruby seem to get along well. I think you two would be a good match."

Another form of invitation.

* * *