The scary atmosphere was completely ruined in a matter of seconds.

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She finally let go of my cheeks.

“I’m sorry for not greeting you earlier Mixen, I was very busy in the past two months. So all I could do was give you a place to live and secure your place in the University.”

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So that was you?

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Well… The reaction of those workers makes a lot more sense now.

“I was really surprised when that Misha asked for my help. But… I’m happy to help an old friend.”

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Even though he always calls you an acquaintance.

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“And… What the hell happened at the Entrance Exam? You had more points for your written exam than it was ever recorded in history! Aren’t you suppose to be a swordsman?”

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Really?

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I knew something wasn’t right when everyone started saying that the written part was hard, but… Did I place a new record? Seriously?

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Isn’t that getting too much attention?

“Umm, Miss Valeria can you tell me how many people know about that?”

“Well… I think it’s only Henry who checked your work, both Directors and both Vice-Directors, that includes me… Oh, and the head of the Student Council probably knows. But why do you care?”

That many should be ok…

“Father told me to hide my last name, so to avoid the possibility of people digging up information on me, I must stay low.”

“Right… But… Your sheet of papers says otherwise, you know? It looks like you went all out. If only you had more mana in you… You would be one the biggest talks among not only students but teachers too!”

“Heh… To be honest I understood that I can’t go all out only at the third part…”

“...Huh? Does that mean… You can cast a second circled spell?!”

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Is it okay to tell her?

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I guess… Father trusts her after all…

“Yes, I already mastered second circle spells.”

“M-Mastered?”

She took a few steps back and looked at me in shock.

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It’s too early to be surprised.

“And I also can cast a few third circle spells. But, unfortunately, my mana capacity lets me cast only one before I run out of mana.”

“T-T-T…”

Her face is a bit twisted, she has neither a smile nor a frown.

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She probably is processing the information right now.

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Ain’t I great?

*Thump*

She just hit the floor with her foot.

*Thump*

Now the table

“Stupid!*Thump* Familly!*Thump* Traditions!*Thump*”

She then proceeded to make a mess out of a perfectly fine table.

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I pity it…

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After there were only planks left, she calmed down.

“Aaahhh, I’m sorry you had to see that, I have some anger issues.”

I could guess.

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But what was that all about?

It was so unexpected that I kind of spaced out when she started doing it.

“... You see… I’d really want to take you in as my disciple. But… By traditions of my family, I can only take in one disciple in my lifetime… How about I take you in secretly? My family doesn’t pay that much attention to me so it should be fine.”

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Am I worth such risks?

But I can’t take the offer in any way. 

“I’m sorry Miss Valera, but I already have a Master.”

“Ah… Well… I should have thought about that… It’s almost impossible to get to that level with your level of talent…I checked it myself, you were born with so little mana that it didn’t even show on Magic Sphere… So how on Earth…”

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Wait. Did she say talent?

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Perhaps…?

“Miss Valeria, do you perhaps know of a theory about talent being connected to one’s mana at birth?”

“... It’s more surprising that you know of it. That fool isn’t really known to the world after all.”

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I think a vein just popped on my forehead… And my face hardened by itself.

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No-no, I shouldn’t get angry, she doesn’t know anything after all.

“Miss Valeria.”

I try to control my expression.

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“...Yes?”

“I will think of those words as a slip-up. As that fool is my dear Master.”

“W-What? That… man… Is your Master?!”

Whoever it is. I will not let anyone slander my Master’s name in front of me.

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One day I will make them know of his greatness.

“His name is Theodore Miller.”

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“I-I’m sorry…”

Her voice is very weak.

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“D-Don’t make that face, p-please... You remind me of your Father…”

I do?

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But why do you look scared?

“*Cough* He often made that face when I tried to play with Susen in front of him...”

She’s back to how she was before.

I too relaxed my face.

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I guess she misses my Mother too…

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If my face looks like Father’s… Do I look as cool as him?

“As I said. I’m sorry for I didn’t know he was your Master. He has done a lot of research and discoveries. But his methods are unorthodox and we can’t understand anything from his books. Well… I managed to get some new information that was indeed useful. Like the talent theory. I am a part-time teacher myself, so I could check it on my own… So your case doesn’t make much sense…”

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No idea myself to be honest, but I think it has something to do with my reincarnation.

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I can’t hold it anymore, I will ask her.

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May Father forgive me.

“Miss Valeria, can you tell me more about my Mother?”

“Huh? Did your father not tell you?”

I shook my head.

“Well… I get it… Where do I start…”

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I will switch to Valeria PoV for convenience.

-Valeria’s PoV-

I was born in the Softflower family as a fourth child and a second daughter. All I did was study and socialise. I grew up while always listening to lies and fake flattery. I also knew from a young age just how corrupt nobles were. Like that, I started to despise them. Only a handful of nobles were truly “noble-like”. Commoners were much kinder and simpler to deal with… 

My only escape from that cruel world was magic. I was lucky to be born with an A-ranked mana capacity. So all of my free time I devoted to magic. I studied and practised only to forget about where I am. One day I got an invitation to Magic University. My parents didn’t like that at first, as they wanted to use me as a potential bride. But after hearing what benefits the family will gain by managing to produce a battlemage, they instantly agreed. My time there was pleasant. Although my public image was bad because most of my friends were commoners, I didn’t really care. 

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After graduating I was hired as a guard for a Duke in the same city… The city of Ganesh. There I heard about Grandmaster Battlemage Theodore Miller, who worked there before me, he retired to become a scholar. Everyone praised his skills in battle but said that he became senile soon after retiring. He was ridiculed for his methods and discoveries that didn’t make any sense. I too gave it a go. I found some interesting things but, didn’t understand most of it. Some say he became like this after his wife died. I once saw him, at that time I thought that he looked like an old hero… 

Though that image quickly crumbled as I saw him desperately asking a young girl to become his disciple… The girl wasn’t even 4 years old but had S-ranked capacity and already understood the basics of magic. That girl was Duke’s granddaughter, and though Duke knew Theodore for many years, he couldn’t let a “Senile mage” be the master of his daughter. So he quietly asked me to take her in, so the old man stops pestering her. 

My family is by no means a swordsmen family. But we do have our Sword Style. And those who learned it, are allowed to pass it to one person. One member of the Softflower family could have only one disciple. Although I didn’t learn the Sword Style, my father still warned me that I should obey the tradition. And if I ever take a child as my disciple, I can’t take another, so I should protect him or her like my own… But after he heard that Duke himself asked for it, he ordered me to do it… I wasn’t too keen on that idea but didn’t have much choice… I soon forgot about those worries when I actually started teaching little Agness. 

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It was at that time when I first met her… A thief tried to steal an heirloom of the Duke’s family. With a few traps, I managed to catch her. She wouldn’t tell us anything… So I came to torture her myself… And I use the cruellest torture I knew… Tickling. And I have to confess… It was a bit too fun to mess with her…

After she gave up, she told me her story.

Her name was Susen, and she was an orphan from the neighbouring Kingdom of Lead. That kingdom, according to her, was searching for talented orphans all around its territory to turn into mindless weapons. They did that with the use of some sort of brainwashing artefact. But, for some reason, it didn’t work on her. And as her skills were too valuable to just throw away, they proposed a deal to her. They will give her and her friends freedom if she manages to steal 3 heirlooms from our kingdom. She already stole two of them and Duke’s heirloom will be the last one. 

I spent all my life covered in lies, so I knew she wasn’t lying. At least I’m sure she is truly worried about her friends… Looking back at it… I’m not too sure why I did what I did…

I gave her the heirloom but said that I will come to take it from the Kingdom of Lead in a year. She was shocked but thanked me from the bottom of her heart.

As she was leaving… He came… It was the first time I met Michael Zyckor. I didn’t know him at the time, neither did he know me. Susen said that he was the one from whom she stole another heirloom. At first, I tried talking to him, but he didn’t listen. Soon he started attacking, so I said Susen to run while I hold him here. Susen thanked me again and fled.

In front of me was a young man, in his twenty’s at best. I was already a Master Battlemage with a lot of experience, I wasn’t scared of him. But he wasn’t scared either… As soon as he took his sword out, I understood I won’t have an easy time… But I underestimated him too much. Never before did I lose to someone. Nevertheless… His every swing nearly took my life away. All I could do was defend and look him in the eyes… And that look… I’ll never forget it… Like a bear fearlessly attacking a pack of wolves… There was nothing I could do to stop him… I lost consciousness in the middle of a fight…

When I woke up, I was bound by some ropes, near was a bonfire and he was quietly watching me. After he noticed that I am awake, he started his interrogation. His gaze alone was enough to make me talk… I still get nightmares where I get eaten alive by a bear… After telling him everything he just let me go. He said nothing. Just walked away. I didn’t understand his actions, but I didn’t have any time for that. 

I returned to Duke and said that the thief escaped. I was punished, but it wasn’t anything harsh, as I was still Master of his granddaughter. A few weeks have passed, and I got a letter from Susen. She said that she will raid the base where the heirlooms are kept. And that she’ll need my help. I said to Duke that a chance to return the heirloom appeared, he was happy and let me go without asking much.

After meeting with Susen at the border to the Kingdom of Lead I noticed… He was there too… She said that he understood her situation after much talking and will help with returning the heirlooms. I started pulling her cheeks as a punishment for not writing that piece of information in the letter. Then I asked why we were doing it in the first place… She told me…

After she returned and gave the heirlooms away. She was told that she is free now… They didn’t mention her friends… After she asked about them, they said that they don’t want to leave. She couldn’t believe that, so Susen went to their place momentarily… They were brainwashed… With a broken heart, she ran as far away as possible… And then Misha caught up to her. Yet again they started the fight…I was a bit shocked to find out that she already fought with him, and even always tied… But as Susen was too exhausted from earlier events, she collapsed….  Just like he did with me he interrogated her. After listening, he decided to help. He also said that if they manage to return the heirloom, he will help with finding a cure to her friends brainwashing. Then she wrote me a letter, and there I was.

Soon after we sneaked into the Kingdom of Lead. While going towards our objective she told us her plan and even taught us some Stealth Techniques. It was hard for Misha to execute them, but it was still pretty useful.

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After arriving and starting the operation all went smoothly. I and Michael were there just as a backup plan.  All hard parts were done by her alone… When we were almost done… Misha got caught. They saw his face and started a fight… But it made a great distraction. Susen successfully escaped with all of the stolen heirlooms. I helped Susen with her retreat. She wanted to go and help Misha, but I said that he’ll be okay… And he was… He had a couple of injuries that Susen tried to tend to with all her might… It was cute…

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Soon after Michael was forced to return home, as they were being attacked by “Devil Worshipers”. But we knew who that was… Susen went with him out of guilt… At least she said that… I’m sure she had another reason… I on the other hand took the heirloom and brought it to the Duke.

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It took less than a year for the Zyckor family to fall… Fortunately, Susen and Michael escaped. Although not without losses… Susen got poisoned by an unknown poison that was slowly killing her. Misha took her to the best doctor he knew. He was a friend of the Zyckor family that was supplying them with potions. That person lived in a small village. Doc said that he will try his best, but also that we should expect the worst outcome. Misha spent all the money he managed to take while escaping on medicine… But it didn’t help… I visited them often, played with Susen and tried to cheer Misha up. Susen was always smiling even though she was visibly sick… Misha pretended that he was alright… He wasn’t… Soon after doctor brought some news… Susen was pregnant. When she heard that she was as happy and cheerful as she could be. Misha on the other end… He wasn’t happy at all… His eyes were becoming more hollow each time I visited… I wasn’t feeling scared while looking at those eyes anymore… I only felt sad… 

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There was an incident. A suspicious group of people came into the village… And, let’s say… That village would be razed to the ground if it was an ordinary village… Fortunately, its chief was an old Grandmaster Swordsman, so he threw them out. Misha wanted to run away and change locations… Susen physically couldn’t do that… And the child was already on the way… I decided to stay with them for some time. Just for the child to be born safely…

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Before birth, they decided to name the child. The doctor said it will most certainly be a boy. So they took the first half of Michael’s name and the last part of Susen’s name to name him Mixen. Susen didn’t have a last name, so his full name would be Mixen Zyckor.

On the day of delivery, the doctor did his best… But Susen didn’t make it… When Doctor came out with a child in his hands, Michael had empty eyes… As if they were totally black…

Doc didn’t say anything, Misha had already understood… He took the child, but his face hasn’t changed… As if it wasn’t his… Still… I noticed… He held him gently, in a way that wouldn’t hurt him… It’s hard to do with his big hands. So I know he loves that child… But it’s hard for him to show it now… Then he gave the child back to the doctor and said that we need to hold a funeral.

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On the same day, we cremated the body… I have a Fire affinity, so I was the one to do it… Only a few people came to the funeral. Me, Michael, Doctor, Chief of the village and a few kids who often came to play with Susen.

After putting her ashes into a jar Michael said that she had a dream… She wanted to see the ocean… So he will scatter her ashes over the ocean. Misha asked the doctor to take care of the child for a week, while he prepares… Though he didn’t specify for what…

In the meantime, I returned to the Ganesh. I heard that Misha kept his promise and returned after a week. He took the child and disappeared.

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I haven’t heard from him for nearly ten years… I already retired and became a Vice-Director at Magic University. My disciple is also attending it. Although she will soon graduate… But recently… He suddenly appeared in my office. No notice, no letter. Guards didn’t even see a glimpse of him. And what is truly strange, is that even the magic alarm didn’t work…  Come to think of it… Susen could do that too, didn’t she? Did he learn her Stealth Technique properly?

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His eyes… They aren’t hollow anymore… They became the same like they were when Susen was still alive… No… There is a warm light in his eyes. I don’t feel scared when looking at him either… What changed him so much? Is it just that time heals?.. 

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Or… 

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Did he find another woman?

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Soon he greeted me and apologized for not being in contact. And immediately said the reason he came. He wants me to watch over his son when he’ll enroll into the University. At first, I thought that I heard it wrongly, as I placed the hand of that child on Magic Sphere myself. He definitely had no mana. But Michael assured me otherwise. He said that he even drank an elixir to expand his mana. And that he absorbs mana from them at a high percentage. But that it’s also very dangerous for his health… Well, I can’t say no to an old friend. In the end, he added that he will hide the fact that he is a noble. He isn’t sure if the Kingdom of Lead is still searching for him, but he is not taking any chances.

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He soon left and I informed the staff about the kid named Mixen. I heavily advised them to give him the best treatment a commoner could get. Unfortunately, I needed to do a lot of work for the Entrance Exam for commoners and the Entrance Ceremony for nobles, so I didn’t look out for him like I should’ve… But I heard that he didn’t have any troubles, so it’s all good. 

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After the Entrance Exam, I looked at the ranking and saw that he was pretty low on the list… That’s because ranking works in a way where you get the most amount of points from your rank of mana capacity. That is a bad system, but I can’t change it easily. But there was a ruckus about him in the office of commoner’s part of the University. Director, Vice-Director and his classroom teacher Henry were discussing if there was a possibility of him cheating on the exam. After all, he got all questions right, and they are supposed to be hard even for second-year students. They came to me and the Director for advice on this situation. When I heard that I became surprised and momentarily said that there is no chance that someone could cheat on the Exam. So they just quietly left. 

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On the first day of the semester, I decided to finally meet him. I asked Melissa who was nearby to bring him to me.

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When I saw him, I felt nostalgic… He looked just like her, with a few features of his father…

I couldn’t hold myself from grabbing those puffy cheeks… They feel the same… He truly is her son… 

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And Michael’s too…

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But I got to know it the hard way…

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I have no idea how long Michael’s PoV will be…

Anyway… Back to our MC.

-Mixen’s PoV-

Now the chapter became too big...

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Many things I figured on my own already… But this does give a lot more details.

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To think Father had it this hard…

I can now understand why he won’t talk about it.

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I will not ask him about anything, nor will I say I know everything. 

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Father needs more time to heal… But… What is he constantly doing behind my back?

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Don’t tell me… Revenge?

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Won’t it be dangerous…? 

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I need to help him. But… I’m too weak. 

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I need more strength… And quick. Father will continue one way or the other. And hearing that he did everything alone up until now… I don’t think he will ask anyone for help…

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I will help him even if he doesn’t allow me. But doing it right now will be suicide. 

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Need more power… How to become stronger at an even faster rate…

“Mixen, I see that you have a lot to think about, but it’s getting late. You should go to your room.”

It’s already evening?

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I guess I won’t go to master today…

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As a matter of fact, it might be even longer…

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I need to find ways to become stronger.

Classes and regular training take a lot of my time. So I’ll take a little break to do some research.

“Oh, and… If you need anything, just ask me.”

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Ask you?

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It might be a good… No. I know how busy she is, asking her to do something for me will be shameless.

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I don’t like to make use of people’s kindness.

“... Thank you.”

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A few days have passed. As classes are usually very boring, I think of what I can do to become stronger. I soon figured a few things that might help:

First — artefacts. The so-called magical items that are hard to craft and usually are found in ruins. Ruins are very similar to dungeons from various games. And they are extremely expensive. You clear them in hopes to get loot. There are not a lot of ruins in this world. But most of them are not fully explored, so they probably have a lot of useful artefacts inside. There are some ruins that have a clear origin. Like a graveyard that has a huge complex building under it. A necromancer with his army of undead built it and used it for various purposes. After his death, the undead still roams in it and protect its owner’s treasures.

Second — elixirs. I know that Master said that I’ll need a high-skilled healer in order to survive the process of injecting an elixir. So I need to find a healer and ask Master for an elixir. I can buy the services of a priest in Church… But, they ask for ridiculous donations…

Third — experience. We don’t have practice classes yet. I also don’t think anyone will agree to be my sparring partner… And I would need to find a person with a similar skill level for that. No. No that is a wrong mindset! It will take too much time that way! I need to fight stronger opponents to get fighting experience… Moreover… I need to fight in life and death fights to get a maximum out of it… One way of doing that is going in the forest and finding monsters to hunt… Although, fighting with monsters and people are not really the same…

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So… I can’t get anything from my little list… The first and second can be bought with money, but the third…

In the end, I spent all of my free time finding sources of income that are available to me.

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And I found one… This one can even fix my problem with getting experience.

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An Arena.

It opened just recently near the City of Ganesh. It’s located underground, and a way to enter it is known only in the “underground” community. Finding it wasn’t a problem for me, even with such a low amount of training in my Stealth Technique, I can still see the results… Nevertheless, most of it is still the work of Loki’s Gift… On Arena people can fight with people or with monsters. You can volunteer to enter the Arena for profit. The amount of profit you get depends on your rank in there. Ranks here are the same as for adventurers. From E to S, and you can advance only by defeating an opponent that is a higher rank than you…

In the case of defeat… You can… Get injured. There would be no challengers left if they always fought to the death. Only monsters die on the Arena. 

Although Arena is highly illegal, many nobles and commoners come here to have fun and place bets. They are required to wear masks like the one I wear all the time in slums. They also need to sign a Contract of no disclosure. The Contract is not the same as in my old world, it’s a Magical Contract. If one breaks the rules written in it, they will suffer punishment. Those wary from a headache to instant death. People in charge of the Arena do not joke around, so the punishment is obviously death… Although Contracts are not illegal, it’s illegal to make a Slave Contract. A Slave Contract is just a contract that binds your freedom. To actually sign a Contract you need a verbal agreenment and signature written in your blood. It’s very hard to break the Contract. I know a few ways, but… I don’t have to worry about it. In the All-Seeing Eye, I once saw an executive warn regular workers when giving Contracts to others. There is a first circle Water spell that can “wash away” your blood from the Contract after some time passes, so in this way, you can nullify the Contract. Most Contracts are being put in a safe place once signed, so executive warned them to check every Contract from time to time. After that, he asked the youngest of the workers to come with him to his office. It was a bit hard but I managed to follow them. In it, they both took their masks off, which was unexpected.  I never saw the faces of workers even though I spend a lot of time with them. Hell, they even eat with masks on… Anyway… The worker who sounded like a boy was actually a girl about my age. From the way her boss talked to her, I could guess they had father-daughter relations. He gave her a piece of paper with a spell on it and told her to get rid of it once she learns it. The girl had Dark affinity, so that meant that the spell wasn’t only for Water users. I used it to my advantage and actually learned it. 

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Today is Friday, and I’ll join in as a volunteer in the Arena.

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After classes ended I dressed in my “regular” outfit, took my sword and left for the Arena. 

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It has a few entrances. There is one even in the city, but only nobles are supposed to know about it. So I went with a most known one, that even commoners can know. I was stopped by guards when I entered, they said that weapons aren’t allowed. So I told them that I came to volunteer. They laughed at first, but then told me to follow them. 

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Now I was in a small office.

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And a man is sitting in front of me.

He doesn’t have a mask, so that means he doesn’t hold much power in here, and in the case when Arena is busted, he will be the first in jail. Guards too don’t have masks, but you can tell from first glance that they are just regular thugs that will do anything for money.

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But… He is too young… I would say he is in his twenty’s… He doesn’t look strong, and nor does he have much mana in him. But he has a noble-like atmosphere around him…

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Now he looks at me with one brow higher than the other.

“...Did you come to… Volunteer?”

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…Duh.

“Yes.”

“Kid… Even if you heard that we don’t let people die in the arena… You will get injured and might get even crippled. We don’t provide healing for low ranked fighters.”

As my face is covered and my voice is slightly distorted by the mask… My height is the reason he calls me a kid.

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Did guards laugh because of that too?

“I fully understand that.”

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“Well… I hope you know how to swing that thing… Let me bring a Contract.”

He stood up and went to some other room.

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His office doesn’t look very good… It has old stools and the table is barely standing.  Calling it an office might’ve been an error…

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Why did I even think of it as an office?

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I think it was because of the atmosphere in the room…

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Hmm…

*Creak*

“Hope you weren’t too bored, we have a lot of newcomers, so we are almost out of Contracts.”

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He sounds friendly…

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As he sat on his stool he gave me the paper. 

“Read it and say that you agree out loud after that.”

I quickly read through it without giving it much attention.

“I agree.”

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“*Sigh* Kid, let me give you advice. You need to thoroughly read the Contracts you sign.”

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Why is he so kind? 

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I thought everyone in here would be a scumbag.

“I’m a fast reader.”

Although I am, I just don’t care as I won’t be following your rules.

“... Fine. Just put a drop of your blood in the marked area… Here, use this.”

He gave me a needle… 

No thank you.

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I have no idea how many people used this before me…

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Moreover…

When I bit my pinky I drew a circle for that spell. 

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The man looked at me weirdly, probably wondering why I bit my pinky and not any other finger.

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Well… It is weird, but the spell works only from there so…

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I signed the Contract and it gave off a small light. That means it was properly signed.

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But the spell didn’t backfire, so it must have worked too…

“Great! Now let me put the Contract to the other and bring a pen and a resume.”

He quickly left.

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But… A resume?

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“Finding a spare resume is a lo~t easier than a Contract.”

He yet again gave me a piece of paper… and a pen.

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The resume has a lot of questions on it.

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And some are… 

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Who cares about the fighter’s marriage status!?

“Oh, and, you don’t have to fill everything. Just your name, age and class would be enough. But most people want to know on who they are betting. That’s why we have such resumes”

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Convenient.

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What do I put as my name? Maybe Darling? No… Even if there is a chance that Naty or someone else will be here… It might not end well…

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So what do I put?

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I won’t think much. Let’s go with simple Jack.

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I don’t see a reason to lie about my age… But I’ll put 12 just in case.

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Class… I can use both Magic and Sword. So what class am I?

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Ah! I once heard about it. 

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Magic Swordsman.

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A very rare class for adventurers.

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I heard that not long ago first-ever Titled  Magic Swordsman appeared.

His title was… Sword of Flames, I think? Kind of lame…

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I gave the paper back to him.

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“Really? You’re just 12? I thought you were just short… Where this world is going…”

I am actually 10, so it’s even worse.

“... And, Magic Swordsman? Kid, can you even use magic?”

“I can use it a little, but my main speciality is the sword.”

“Oka~y, what is your affinity?”

“Wind.”

He put in my resume.

“Well, we are done here. I’ll be in your care then… Or more like you in mine?”

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“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know? I will be your manager from now on. Every fight that you’ll want to start, have to be arranged by me. So be free to come here and say when you want your fight. Although you are only an E-ranked fighter so you can’t choose your opponents, and can’t fight against people before you get to D rank.”

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I see.

“Do you want to arrange a fight on some day?”

I wanted to fight today actually… But I don’t think I can do that.

“Can I book more than one fight in a day?”

“... Yes? Why would you?”

“Then book as many as you can for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow… But I’ll need a thirty-minute break at least.”

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“... Are you serious?”

“You said I can do that.”

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“You will be punished if you won’t come to the match you know that right?”

“Yes. Oh, and I want to fight D ranked monsters.”

I also know my capabilities.

“Kid… Suicide is not an option…”

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I’ll just ignore that.

“... You never told me your name, manager.”

“Oops, where are my manners!? You can call me AL.”

He held out his hand

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I shook it.

“I hope you will take care of me.”

“As long as you will win your fights I can even be your errand boy.”

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I will remember that.

“I think there are no fights for tomorrow afternoon, so I will book ten 15-minutes matches. And same for the day after tomorrow… I don’t think I can book more than ten matches for one person... And… Are you sure you want to fight D-ranked monsters?”

Stop caring so much about me, you aren’t my Father.

“Yes, I killed one already.”

“Really? *Sigh* Fine then, you can pick your own way of death after all.”

“I won’t die.”

“Sure hope so… I don’t have many fighters under me…”

Then I left.

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Finally.

I stand before big gates, as they announce my entrance.

“Next fighter is extraordinary! He just joined as a volunteer and already wants to fight with a D-ranked beast!”

*Woooo*

The crowd started yelling.

“And that is not all! Ledy and Gentleman, this fighter’s class is not something common! He is a Magic Swordsman!”

*Woooo!*

Their interest grows.

“On top of that! He is just a boy! He just turned… 12!!”

*WOOOOO!*

They are excited about the show.

“So here he is!.. Jack!”

*Jack, Jack, Jack*

As the gates open I slowly enter the Arena.

There are thousands of people all waiting for blood to be spilt while shouting my name.

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They disgust me.

“His opponent… Is a D-ranked Horned Rabbit! Don’t be fooled by its looks, the speed of his can be on par with some C-ranked monsters, and his horn can pierce your flesh like a well-sharpened dagger!”

Isn’t that the same monster I first killed?

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That time I killed it with a “sneak” attack. So this time it will be harder.

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But I also became stronger.

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“Now! Let the fight begin!”

As he yelled that, the cage that held the monster opened. 

I prepared my sword.

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It started jumping at me the moment he saw me.

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But, it wasn’t really fast.

*Shiek*

My sword went through it.

*Thump*

Both parts of its body fell.

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Sh*t, I want to puke.

I still am not used to taking a life…

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But I need to get used to it… I might even need to take a human’s life in the future.

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And I can’t puke into my mask! Hold it!

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As I was trying not to puke, the crowd was yelling and shouting my name.

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I saw AL waving his hand at me. I probably need to go to him.

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“That was awesome, kid! Here, have some water.”

I immediately drank it.

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Fortunately, my mask doesn’t cover my mouth. 

“Thanks. And… I don’t really need a break. Can I start the fight right away?”

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“I don’t think so… People need time to place bets. But I will ask so next time breaks will be smaller.”

“Thank you.”

He is a bit too kind.

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That day I had nine more fights. They went as easy as the first fight.

AL was very impressed and said that I will soon become a celebrity among fighters.

Then he gave me my share of earned money. It was one gold coin… That’s quite a lot for one day of earning money… But I had 10 fights so maybe that’s too little?

The public was very impressed with my stamina. But bets became very low-scaled, so AL said I will be forced to fight with C-ranked monsters. Looking back at the fights I had… That’s probably ok. 

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After I returned home, it was quite late so I decided to eat something and go to sleep.

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I couldn’t properly sleep that night. 

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I had a feeling that I forgot something.

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Did I?

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The next day I woke up, did my training and went straight to the Arena.

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My first fight was versus a C-ranked Giant Snake. 

I was warned by AL that if I get bitten by it without armour, I might die… This snake is more than 4 metres long, and its jaw is at least 40 centimetres wide, but it has no poison, so that’s a plus.

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The fight went well, I used wind magic to become more agile and after evading the snake’s attack, I sliced it.

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But it didn’t cut through.

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My sword was too dull…

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I never sharpened it, did I?

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After dodging the leap that was aimed at my neck, I understood that my only choice was to aim for her eyes or to shove my sword inside her mouth when she opens it.

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So I did. I carefully blocked and dodged, while waiting for an opportunity. And after a few minutes, I saw it. She did a predictable leap with her mouth wide open. I simply held my sword straight and…

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It died. 

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And I was covered in blood…

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Fortunately, I know a spell for cleaning.

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Other fights went easier. I asked for a new sword, so could cut through most of the monsters. Although I say it was easier… Some took longer than my first fight of the day. Like that fight with Striped Bear. My sword wouldn’t pierce it, and it didn’t let me hit its weak spots by covering them with its big paws when I try attacking. So I quickly came up with a strategy. I defended as usual while striking the same place on its belly over and over again. It took more than thirty minutes, but eventually, blood came out, so I struck my sword in that wound… I pushed as deep as I could… Until it died.

I was exhausted, but it was the last fight so it was okay. 

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After that fight, a lot of people started coming to me. Some wanted an autograph, others asked if I’m interested in a job or who I am. AL blocked them all and led me to his office.

He gave me thumbs up and my share of the gold. This time it was 5 gold. He said that I can start fighting with actual people. And that profit from that depends purely on the number of bets placed on me and my opponent. Right now, I am the hottest news on the Arena, so my first fight with a challenger should make me lots of money. I said that I will do that on Wednesday evening. AL said that he will do his best.

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It wasn’t really late when I came home, but I was in a worse state than after my training with Father. 

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I was ready to go to sleep… when I saw someone sitting near the table and reading a book.

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It was Naty.

How did she even get in here?

“Naty? What are you doing here?”

She quickly looked at me and stood up.

She looks re~al angry for some reason.

“Darling!”

She made a few heavy steps toward me and…

*Thump*

*Boom*

She hit me on the head… But I am in really bad shape right now… So my legs gave out. 

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“...I-I didn’t hit that hard… Are you alright?”

Why are you feeling guilty now? 

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You shouldn’t hit me in the first place if you’ll feel guilty after!

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But did she even hit me?

“I’m okay… Why did you hit me?”

Her expression yet again became an angry one.

“So you really forgot!”

Forgot?

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Forgot what?

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F*ck, it seems I did.

“... I did, I’m sorry…”

“Do you even remember what you promised?!”

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Memory don’t you dare!

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Ah!

“I promised to show you around town…”

“You did! You told me you’d do it on weekend! But never specified when! So you know what I did?”

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That wasn’t a rhetorical question?

“... No…”

“I came in the afternoon yesterday! I asked the supervisor where you live, went there, but you weren’t in your room! And then… I waited till almost evening! You can’t imagine how embarrassed I was!”

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So guys can’t go into girls’ dormitory, but girls can go into boys’?

That’s… understandable actually.

“Today, when I did the same thing, I asked the supervisor when you left the room. And you know what she said?!”

“...No.”

“She said that you never left the room! Why is that!?”

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That’s because I do a bunch of shady stuff, so I want to have an alibi in the worst-case scenario. My room is located on the third floor, so nobody will think I’m leaving through the window… But I actually do… And come in too… But today I was too exhausted to do that…

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There is no way I can say the truth…

“Maybe she just didn’t notice.”

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Naty went from anger to sadness.

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Why so suddenly?

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She laid on my bed with her face on my pillow… Clearly upset…

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I closed the door and sat nearby.

“...Naty… I’m sorry…”

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I don’t know what to say…

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I’m clearly at fault…

“... How did you even get in here? Did I not close the door?”

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“...The supervisor… Asked me if I’m your friend…And gave me a spare key…”

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I’m not sure if supervisors are supposed to do that…

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“Say, Darling. Will you not take me on a date..?”

“I will! But… Not today…”

“...Why?”

“I think you saw it too… I’m really exhausted. Can’t even walk properly.”

She looked at me with a face that screams…

“...Why?”

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Can’t say…

I don’t want to tell her about me technically being a criminal.

“I was… Training…”

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“You’re lying…”

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What should I tell?

That I’m not?

How can she even tell that?

“Why… Do you think so?”

“I have known you for a long time… I can tell when you’re lying.”

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I probably have some habits…

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I can’t tell what they are though…

“I was…”

Let’s say something that is technically true.

“...Killing monsters…”

“What? Why would you do something so dangerous?!”

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I’ll need to lie again.

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Or not…

“To become stronger.”

Actually to earn money, but that too.

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“Why would you need to become even stronger?”

“You think I’m strong?”

“Yes… I saw you sparring with Lance many times… You probable are already an Apprentice Swordsman… I am not even sure why you enrolled into Magic Unversity… Though I’m glad…”

Didn’t quite hear the last part… But it’s actually Intermediate… Wait… does it even count? When checking a rank of a swordsman, you do it by checking what rank of a monster he can kill with a sword alone… But I used some magic too…

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Who cares.

“So tell me!”

She suddenly came too close to my face.

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She has teary eyes…

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I want to tell her…

But I can’t…

If I tell her one thing, it will lead to even more questions.

And I don’t want to become a criminal adult in her eyes…

“I… Can’t tell…”

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“You never tell me anything…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“... Do you really not know? You always keep everything in secret! You even keep your name secret!”

She closed her mouth with her hands.

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She did get a bit too emotional…

“I’m sorry for keeping my name secret for so long… But I didn’t lie when I said that I forgot to tell you… I got so used to hearing "Darling" that the thought never came to me…”

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“I see…”

“And I don’t have a lot of secrets! I even told you about my hood. There are just so many people who know about it!”

As I said that I held five fingers up.

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“But you do…”

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“That secret… Is not mine… Although I’m involved in it a bit…”

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She started crying.

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Why?

“So that person is so dear to you that you are willing to risk your life for their troubles?”

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“...I would give my life for his.”

I love my Father, even if my life is on the line I will not stop. I will do everything and more to help him…

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Although, he wouldn’t let me…

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For a second Naty started crying even more…

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Then stopped.

Suddenly.

Like a switch.

I even wanted to try and calm her down…

“... Did you say… him?”

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“...Yes?”

“Is the person you were talking about… Not Melissa?”

“...Who? Wait… Are talking about Melissa Rockhard?”

“So you do know her!”

“Who doesn’t know her? She’s the right hand of the Head of Student Council!”

“But… Didn’t you… Go on a date with her?”

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“...What? A date? Why would you think that way?”

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“There is a gossip… That she even came to find you after class…”

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No way… 

Naty is jealous! 

Pffft!

Nobody wants to take your friend away from you. No need to worry Naty!

“Ahahaha, Naty you don’t need to worry. You and Lance are my only friends!”

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“...You didn’t make any friends?”

“No? They all are a bunch of idiots that think I am the weakest just because I have a low amount of mana.”

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“Then… Why did Melissa search for you?”

“That? She was just asked to bring me to the Vice-Director.”

“Vice-Director Shaun?! Why!? Did you get in trouble?!”

You get emotional too easily.

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That side of her is cute.

“Not Shaun but Valeria Softflower. The Vice-Director of noble part of the University.”

“What?! That’s even worse! Isn’t she known as a red-haired devil among students?!”

“No, she is a kind woman. Resembles your mother in a way.”

Especially her bust…

“Then why were you there?”

“Ah, she just wanted to apologise, she didn’t have time to take care of me properly, even though she and Father are friends that go waa~y b… Sh*t, my tongue let me down yet again.”

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“...No need to swear…”

“...Twice… Those were supposed to be my thought, just so you know.”

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*Sigh*

Nothing I can do about it now.

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But…

I need to make sure she doesn’t tell anyone

I think I changed expressions today way too often.

“Naty.”

“Y-Yesh?”

Did she bite her tongue?

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“You… Can’t tell this to anyone. Especially to my Father. After all, she was the one who told me his secret, that I wasn’t supposed to know yet.”

She noded a few times.

Why do women become like this when I make a serious expression?

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Probably Father’s trait.

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“...Can’t you tell me everything? I will keep it safe no matter what!”

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“That is the reason why I can’t tell you… If they will know that you know… They will not spare you.”

There are many “Truth Serums” in this world. And if they use one on Naty and she says “I don’t know a person by the name Mixen Zyckor!” they might let her go.

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In case she knows… 

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I don’t want to think about it…

“...So the reason you want to become strong is… To defeat them?”

“...Yes”

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“And just how strong do you need to become?”

“At least on par with Father… No… Stronger! He will not let me help him even if I become as strong as he is! I need to beat him! So he won’t say no! But… I have too little time… He already started action… I need to become stronger.”

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I think I said too much…

After all, I plan to help him from the shadows, so that he won’t know and won’t complain.

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Naty looks a bit scared.

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Letting my emotions out is dangerous…

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I need to switch topics…

“*Cough* Naty… Will you stay here for long?”

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She relaxed her shoulders.

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…And became sulky?

“Hmpf. I will get my date one way or the other!”

“What?”

“I’m staying here! And we are having fun!”

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If I wasn’t in my fifty’s I would understand it in a “bad” way.

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“... So what do you want to do?”

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She became red.

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Did you understand what you just said?

“... I-I was going to ask you this anyway… Why do have that book? Isn’t it too hard for you? Even though it’s not my element… I tried reading it and understood nothing. What is the point of skipping circles?”

Is she talking about Master’s books? I have only second and third circles.

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She can’t understand anything from the third circle?

But didn’t she cast a second circled spell already?

I guess it’s just that Master’s books are hard to understand…

“Who said I was skipping circles?.. W-Wait! What book are you talking about?”

I quickly looked at the table.

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Five circled spells.

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Sh*t I forgot about it.

“... No way.”

“I-I took it just to check it out! I understand nothing in it! I swear!”

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“Liar.”

“...Can we pretend that you haven’t seen that book?”

“No.”

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“*Sigh* Yes I can understand a little about fifth circled spells.”

“No way!”

“Shhh. Keep it secret. I’m trying to not get much attention.”

“... Why?”

“So that they don’t randomly find me and Father.”

“How is that connected?”

“*Sigh* What do you think will happen if I become a celebrity? My face will be everywhere! And my face resembles Father’s!”

She instantly noded a few times.

“Yes-yes. It is very similar to his… Sometimes… I will keep it safe… So can you use it?!”

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“Do you think I can deceive a Magic Sphere? I barely can cast a third circled spell once.”

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“You can actually cast a third circled spell?”

“...Yes? Didn’t you just ask me if I can cast a fifth circled one?”

“Umm… I did… But I was just asking! And you just now said that you can use a third circled spell! Do you know that those who can cast a second circle spell in the first year are considered prodigies? What does that make you?”

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“No idea…”

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“Teach me.”

“Huh?”

“I said teach me!”

“I heard it the first time! What does that suppose to mean? I’m not your element.”

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“Can you just tell me the way you do it with yours?”

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It’s getting late. And I’m really tired. I just want to sleep.

“Naty… I’m too tired for this…”

She looks at me with pleading eyes…

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She looks like a small kitten that you can’t abandon on the streets.

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Guh.

“... We will do this. On our next date, I will teach you magic. Although I always thought you knew it better than me…”

“Then I will teach you too!”

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This doesn’t make much sense…

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But she has a beaming smile, so I guess it’s alright.

“Sure. Please take care of me, Naty.”

I was getting a bit too sleepy, so I laid next to her on the bed.

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Getting red, are we Naty?

But this is my bed, so you’re the pervert here.

“Y-You too… Please take care of me.”

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Nonono this is very wrong.

I need to change the mood as soon as possible!

“Naty, you got the key, right?”

“Y-Yes? Why?”

“ *Yawn* Can you lock the door on your way out please?”

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She stood up from the bed.

“Hmpf! Idiot!”

*Boom*

*Click*

She stormed out of the room… But did close it with a key…

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I might have deserved that…