Ch. 50
Reflected inside the transparent orb was Marquis Lyle Dert, the headmaster of Drike Academy.
He was one of the most esteemed intellectuals in Dmitri, the king’s mentor, and a man of immense influence.
Stroking his beard, he continued speaking in a leisurely tone.
[You’ve had a tough time.]
“It’s nothing, sir!”
[I’m well aware of how unpredictable young Geenie can be. She’s not easy to handle… Still, I’m glad to hear she’s safe. Not that she’s the type to disappear so easily.]
“…I’m sorry for causing unnecessary concern due to my poor judgment.”
[No need for that. I’ll explain everything to His Majesty, so don’t worry about any disciplinary action. Just make sure the children are safe. Ah, and that boy Leo—bring him along as a reserve cadet. I’ll take care of things on my end.]
“Th… Thank you!”
[If Geenie causes any more trouble, just write me a report. I’m sure she will. She was furious about being forced into the delegation when she didn’t even want to go… When she went missing, I honestly thought she might’ve run away from home. Hahaha!]
“…I-I see.”
[She’ll insist on some strange things, but that’s just who she is, so try to let her win when you can. Winning against her is impossible anyway.]
“Yes, sir.”
[Take care, then.]
With a small popping sound, the image of the marquis in the orb vanished, and Tonel finally lifted his head.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He had known that Geenie Crowell was being closely watched by those at the top, but he hadn’t expected Marquis Dert to personally request an update upon hearing she was alive.
Normally, he wouldn’t even have the chance to exchange words with a man like that. The marquis was nobility far beyond reach.
“To think it was this serious…”
Just that morning, the knight commander had been gritting his teeth at Geenie Crowell.
But that communication had made things painfully clear.
Geenie Crowell must never be made into an enemy.
He was a man obsessed with power and had a keen instinct in such matters.
From this point on, the only path forward was to build rapport with Geenie Crowell.
In five—no, even ten years—the arrogant girl with golden hair would undoubtedly wield great influence.
It wasn’t just because the king paid attention to her or the marquis held her dear. Just remembering what she did yesterday was proof enough.
That tiny girl was surely going to secure a spot in this festival.
The moment his head was dunked underwater in the blink of an eye still left him dizzy just thinking about it.
She was far beyond the level of a child. Everything she did proved it.
* * *
Iruze, with hair pink and sweet-looking like cotton candy, wouldn’t leave my side.
She said she was afraid I’d disappear again if left alone, and clung to me without a break.
Listening to her chatter endlessly at my side, I was almost glad Mia wasn’t around.
Mia was just as talkative as Iruze.
“Geenie! We’re warping today! Warping! Did you know?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“It’s amazing!”
Iruze linked arms with me, gushing with excitement.
She had a rare gift for finding joy in the smallest things—and I found that enviable.
Especially for someone like me, who found fault in everything.
“I’m so nervous! I’ve never warped before!”
“Oh, me neither.”
“You don’t look excited, though?”
“Is it really something to get excited about?”
“I think it is!”
Warping was a type of teleportation magic.
A high-level spell that let you travel from one end of the continent to the other in a blink.
I’d heard it was too expensive even for nobles to use frequently.
It really was a strange world. Behind in science and technology but equipped with teleportation magic.
“It’s gonna be so cool, right?”
“It’ll be over in a few seconds—how cool could it be? It’s not like it’s a roller coaster.”
“Roller coaster? What’s that?”
“Mm, it’s a thing that exists.”
Today was the day we were moving to the next city, and we had gathered on the first floor with our bags to use Vailan’s pride and joy: their state-of-the-art warp facility.
The members of the delegation were practically buzzing with excitement.
They were too busy chattering about the upcoming grand festival that was now just around the corner.
But even amid the excitement, if someone made eye contact with me, the talking would stop, and they’d awkwardly turn away.
Since my duel with Leo, the way people looked at me had completely changed.
Where before they whispered behind my back with irritation, now it was like they were terrified that even mentioning me might get them in trouble.
Maybe I’d exposed too much of my rotten personality. I probably looked like a dangerous element now.
“Ugh, I’m hungry. I should’ve brought some bread. Geenie, aren’t you hungry?”
“I am.”
“Wanna eat chocolate instead of bread?”
“…Sure.”
Even so, Iruze still stayed by my side. She really was an unusual and kind girl.
And not just because she was feeding me chocolate like it was bread.
I decided to put a little more effort into our conversation.
“I heard warping makes you dizzy. Do you think we’ll be okay?”
“Why would it make you dizzy?”
“I’m not a magic expert, so I’m not sure… But we’re basically flying across the continent, right? Maybe it’s like the body gets broken down into molecules and then reassembled—that’s why?”
“…Molecules? I’ve never heard of that before.”
“I don’t really know either. Maybe it has nothing to do with molecules… Maybe there’s some kind of theory. But maybe expecting theory from magic is a stretch?”
“Geenie, even though you’re a Spirit Mage, I think you’re smarter than me—and I’m an alchemist! You know so much!”
“You’re mistaken.”
I shrugged as I accepted the chocolate.
“Hey, I’ve always wondered—what’s the difference between a mage and a Spirit Mage?”
“What kind of difference?”
“I mean, they’re both hard disciplines, right? And they both use magic…”
“Well, maybe this’ll make it clearer: mages cast spells using themselves as the medium. But Spirit Mages use Spirits as the medium. If you think of it that way, I guess Spirit Mages are more like summoners.”
“Oh, that makes sense!”
Iruze was just as curious as Mia. It seemed to be a common trait among the alchemy students.
Magic students were also known for their curiosity—maybe all the kids from the Knowledge Division were like that.
Do smart kids not feel curious about anything?
“Geenie, look behind you.”
“Why?”
I turned around and saw a clear path had opened up in my direction.
The kids were stepping aside to let someone through.
A tall boy—at least a head taller than the others our age—was walking straight toward me, making it obvious I was his target.
Judging by his uniform, he was from the Youth Division.
The little boys in the Toddler Division wore green-toned uniforms with alternating green and black, while the boys in the Youth Division wore blue-toned uniforms with alternating blue and black, so it wasn’t hard to tell them apart.
“You’re Geenie Crowell, right?”
The boy, who looked around sixteen, stopped confidently in front of Iruze and me. I had no memory of ever seeing him before.
Not that I knew anyone in the Youth Division to begin with.
I took on a rather guarded stance, while Iruze simply blinked her curious eyes wide.
“…Who are you?”
“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name’s Bright Kenian. I’m in the Magic Class, as you can see, from the Youth Division.”
The boy—Bright—looked quite proud as he said his name, but to me, he was just some random guy.
