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After the atmosphere calmed down somewhat, Lewelin spoke up with a bright voice as if to lighten the mood.

“Alright then! I have something to discuss with The Faceless Hero, so could you step out for a moment, Miss Silvia?”

“Eh? Me?”

Silvia’s eyes widened in surprise, and she pouted teasingly as she replied.

“What’s that about? You’ve got something to say that I can’t hear?”

Lewelin placed his finger to his lips, giving a playful smile.

“Because from now on, the conversation we’re going to have is more of a parent-to-parent talk.”

“Parent-to-parent?”

Silvia showed a brief look of confusion before nodding as if she understood.

“Oh… in that case, I suppose there’s no helping it. You two have a good chat, okay?”

She waved her hand affectionately and left the Underground Room.

Only the two of them remained in the dimly lit underground chamber, one of whom was in a rather ambiguous state of being human.

I could easily guess what Lewelin was going to discuss.

“Is it about Osnia?”

“Yes. How is she doing?”

After a moment of hesitation in response to Lewelin’s question, I answered.

“She’s doing well. She’s made friends and is taking classes consistently. The occasional laziness is a downside, but at least she doesn’t neglect her duties. I received a lot of help from her recently.”

“Is that so? It’s wonderful to hear she has been of assistance to The Faceless Hero. I’m glad to hear you’re keeping a close eye on her, more than I expected. I was worried since she’s not exactly the most social person, even casually.”

There was an unexpected sincerity in his voice. Was this what it meant to be a mentor? It felt quite strange to think of Lewelin genuinely worrying about someone.

I nodded slightly.

“That’s the role of an instructor.”

Lewelin slightly raised the corners of his mouth, which peeked out from under his robe.

“I recently received a letter from Miss Osnia. Aside from greetings, it was only about her friend Titania and her instructor. Just from reading the letter, it was obvious how much she relies on you.”

“……”

Miss Osnia, huh? I didn’t know she would refer to her student that way. But then again, Lewelin had a humble disposition, even if his inside feelings were different. Nevertheless, he continued speaking.

“She’s a child with many scars. She protects herself with indifference, fearing interactions with others. Apart from me, she hasn’t exchanged a single word with anyone at the tower. Do you know about her past?”

“Yeah. I heard it directly.”

“Well, I thought it would take months, but it seems you became friends faster than I anticipated. As you know, Miss Osnia is the child you saved. All I did was bring her to the tower after the Imperial Army found her, nothing more.”

“You’re being overly humble. Aren’t you her teacher?”

“That was just a necessary minimum measure to protect Miss Osnia. I have never taught her anything.”

That claim was hard to accept.

Her quick casting from the beginning of the semester. And the teleportation she used during the recent airship crash. All of it was magic that far surpassed a student’s level.

I had always assumed she possessed such skill due to Lewelin’s direct teaching.

After a brief silence, I slowly opened my mouth.

“You didn’t teach her?”

“At first, that was the plan. I thought it would be good to test her potential since our meeting was a kind of fate. But…”

Lewelin let out a chuckle almost like a snicker.

“Wow, truly… she has remarkable talent. It wasn’t just a matter of teaching one thing and her grasping ten. It was as if something emerged from nothing. Whenever she wanted to know something, it seemed like that magic knowledge instantaneously popped into her head.”

“Pop, pop, huh…”

I asked dubiously. That seemed rather cheap for a spellcaster’s vocabulary.

“I’m serious. It felt like seeing The Faceless Hero’s magical version. Didn’t you learn swordsman skills and warrior shields just from seeing them once? I can still vividly remember Lord Notos rampaging that day.”

“……”

Yeah, that did happen.

The Sacred Shield Technique of the warrior was a sacred skill passed only to elite paladins under the Law Kingdom’s banner. It was natural for that to infuriate any Law Kingdom paladin knowing I had learned it just by seeing it.

What did I say back then?

Ah, “To think such a skill learned just by seeing could be called magic, it really shows the level of the Law Kingdom.”

…Back then, I was in a much worse mood and let my irritation get the better of me, thanks to all the noise from those around me. What followed was predictable…

Ultimately, the Sacred Shield Technique was nothing more than an advanced shield technique when one couldn’t use holy power, so we ended it on the agreement I wouldn’t teach it to anyone.

I had gotten lost in thought. The important thing was that Osnia’s talent was at that level.

“Aren’t you a bit of a genius when it comes to magic? Did she truly have that much talent that you couldn’t teach her?”

“To be precise, I did not teach her.”

Lewelin shook his head.

“She is still an unhatched egg. Nobody knows what’s inside that egg. But the moment I try to teach her something, it will be as if I’m breaking the egg shell with my own hands.”

“…What does that mean?”

“It means taking away her chance to break free. I would be robbing Miss Osnia of her potential. Have you seen her cast?”

“Yeah.”

“Has she ever recited even once?”

I’ve only seen Osnia use magic three times. When fighting Saladin, during the escape from the forest illusion, and when the airship crashed.

The first was a lower-level lightning magic, but Dispel Magic and Teleportation are high-level spells that even ordinary mages find difficult to cast. And Osnia had cast them without a hitch.

“…Quick casting is your forte. Naturally, I thought you taught her.”

“Quick casting and casting without recitation are completely different. I’ve never taught her how to shorten her casting time. Yet, at some point, she was using magic as if it were second nature.”

Lewelin chuckled again.

“While I may not live as long as an elf, I’ve been around long enough to suit my appearance. For many years, I’ve lived solely for magic. The results of those decades of dedication have earned me this title of Grand Mage. As for Miss Osnia? I wouldn’t be surprised if a few years from now, she’s known as the youngest Grand Mage.”

Lewelin’s expression darkened slightly. Though his robe obscured it, I could sense it instinctively.

“Hehe… I felt a bit of jealousy, though it doesn’t suit me. But that’s beside the point. The emergence of a prodigy in the magical world should be celebrated, shouldn’t it?”

“…So you sent her to the academy? Because her talent was too much for you to handle?”

“Um, no. Not at all. I think there might have been a slight misunderstanding from what I said earlier—”

Lewelin’s form wavered unsteadily.

He continued with a troubled voice.

“…Oh dear, I’m running out of time. I think the elders will catch on soon, so let me be brief. I was quite worried. While Miss Osnia’s talent is impressive, it was clear to me what would happen if she continued to grow in this environment.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s a child who was abused by her parents from a young age, and she has a talent that I can’t help but envy. No one will let her stay idle around them, yet she refuses to engage with anyone even here at the tower. What do you think will happen if she keeps growing like that?”

“……”

“Of course, she could flourish beautifully. But it could go the other way, too. I know I’m a person typically considered a social misfit, but Miss Osnia’s case is entirely different. I had no choice but to prepare for a worst-case scenario.”

I felt like I understood what Lewelin was trying to say.

“You took drastic measures.”

“I thought that meeting with children her age would bring some form of change, good or bad. I never expected her to meet you there, but that was fortunate. She seems to rely on you a lot.”

While his words were long, the gist was that Lewelin wanted Osnia to follow the right path. However, he didn’t feel he had the ability to lead her, so he was asking me to do it.

To ensure Osnia didn’t become a wicked necromancer who could destroy the world.

That expectation was a bit too much for me, who was barely managing my own circumstances.

I shook my head slightly and said, “I haven’t given anything substantial to Osnia. I don’t have the capability for that.”

“Either way, Miss Osnia has brightened up compared to when she lived in the tower. Isn’t that enough?”

That was a very mage-like perspective, emphasizing results.

“That’s easier said than done. And I have things to do.”

“Are you thinking of going to the Ionia Kingdom? To rescue that girl?”

Point hit home.

From the moment I heard Lewelin say that Ella was alive and acting as some sort of conduit maintaining the gateway between the worlds, I had been contemplating it, and ultimately I decided.

If necessary, I would have to take a break from my position as an instructor, but I needed to go rescue Ella.

Ella had been the most precious person to me as a child, and if I could save her, then I needed to place her above anything else.

Having resolved this in my heart, Lewelin stated decisively.

“Please don’t.”

“…What?”

“I mean, I’m not saying don’t go rescue that girl. I’m saying don’t go so far as to quit being an instructor.”

Before I could ask anything, Lewelin quickly continued.

“This is a piece of advice from an old acquaintance. The Faceless Hero, you’ve changed a lot compared to during the war times. You must have given up a lot. But is it really necessary to give up even the things that positively affect you? Just as Miss Osnia needs you, I believe you also need your students.”

“……”

“You’ve already given up so much, haven’t you? Maybe it’s time to fill that empty space in your heart with something.”

In that moment, Lewelin’s body was partially engulfed in flames, flickering unsteadily.

He clicked his tongue lightly and said, “I have so much more to say, but time is short. As a Grand Mage, I assure you. That girl named Ella will be safe for at least the next few months. So please, don’t overreach yourself by giving up what you already have. There will surely be a good opportunity soon—”

Whoosh!

While speaking, Lewelin’s form combusted into a handful of flames and disappeared.

It seemed like the communication had been cut off in a hurry.

I stared at the spot where he had vanished for a moment before looking away and heading back above ground.

As I opened the door to leave, Silvia promptly spoke up as if she had been waiting.

“Are you done? That took longer than I expected.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you heading out right away?”

That was her way of asking if I was going to go rescue Ella.

I slowly shook my head.

“No. I’m returning to the academy.”

It was time to meet the students.

 

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