Luke and the young man on the bus.
What people were waiting for was a large carriage called a ‘bus.’
It was quite an experience, and Luke couldn’t help but shine his eyes in wonder.
“Hey, is this carriage… no, car going to the World Tree?”
“Yeah. You can take this.”
Grateful for the young man’s words, Luke followed him and boarded the bus.
“Hey, kid. Do you have money?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t be able to use this facility without money. How much do I need to pay?”
“For children, it’s 500 Gil.”
With the bus driver’s kind words, Luke pulled out the allowance he had kept in his pocket, unfolded a bill marked 1000 Gil, put it into the square box, and received the change that fell.
That experience was also quite fascinating, but Luke suppressed his reaction. For some reason, the glances directed at him had been unsettling since earlier.
“…….”
“…….”
By chance, Luke ended up sitting next to the young man.
Despite eventually taking out his earphones, the stares from the surroundings remained intense. The young man thought it was a relief that he hadn’t been reported and sighed deeply.
“Uh, I’m sorry. I lost my earphones, and you…”
“It’s fine. It’s fine.”
In fact, if they had stayed there a little longer, they might have ended up on a prisoner transport bus instead of this one. It was a future that was too hard to accept for a promising student.
“Since things have turned out this way, kid, should we introduce ourselves? I’m Marco Albi, a student at the Tenegan Academy.”
“You can call me Luke Irushi. By the way, an academy? That means you’re a mage, right?”
“Well, not exactly… Since up to 2nd Class is compulsory education, I don’t particularly plan to become a mage.”
“Class?”
Luke cocked his head at the unfamiliar term. Class, class? The level of a mage should be determined by the Ring of Heart, or Circle. But saying class is strange.
Moreover, there was no Circle to be felt on the chest of the young man he called Marco.
“Uh, Luke? Why are you suddenly touching my chest?”
“Oh, I had a reason for that. My apologies.”
Marco was flustered, but he had learned enough during holidays with his cousins that trying to understand a child only made him tired. Moreover, children around Luke’s age already had their own worlds… and invading that world often resulted in significant fatigue, so it was much easier to just pretend not to notice.
“Can you explain what class means?”
“Well, it’s quite a broad concept… but you’ll learn about it in the future as you grow. Class refers to the magical units that a person can enjoy throughout their life.”
“Magical units that one can enjoy?”
Luke became interested in this new magical concept. How had magic advanced after 5000 years?
The young sage in front of him was trying to explain it. He couldn’t help but brighten his eyes.
On the other hand, Marco felt good seeing Luke’s bright eyes as he listened attentively. It felt rewarding for his efforts in studying. He felt like he was talking more than usual.
“So, class is a classification of magic. 1st Class, 2nd Class, 3rd Class, 4th Class… As the effects and range of magic increase, the class level rises, and more restrictions are imposed.”
“Restrictions? In what way?”
“Well, fines, or imprisonment… something like that. Using unauthorized magic.”
“If you use magic, you get fined?”
Luke was engulfed in shock. A world where using magic comes with a fine? He grabbed his head, overwhelmed by the reality.
“That’s absurd; this is magical oppression!”
Luke’s sudden outburst startled Marco, who quickly hushed him, “Shh, shh! Your voice is too loud!”
It was already a nuisance to be drawing attention from stares; raising his voice would only worsen it.
After calming down from Marco’s restraint, Luke cleared his throat and apologized.
“I’m sorry. I got a bit excited… um, it’s just that what I thought about mages is so different from this.”
“It’s fine. Well, that could happen…”
Children of Luke’s age often had vague fantasies about mages. In comics or fairy tales, mages are often portrayed quite beautifully.
Soon Luke looked at Marco as if he couldn’t understand and asked, “Why impose such restrictions? Isn’t magic a study that seeks freedom?”
“Magic is a power too strong for individuals to use. Just think about it—what if a mad mage dropped a meteor in this city? Such dangers can’t exist. So, ordinary people can’t use magic above 3rd Class without special permission.”
“I see.”
Luke nodded slightly. To be honest, even if he understood, he didn’t want to accept it.
“However, police or soldiers are allowed to use up to 4th Class attack magic while on duty. Moreover, if a mage requests special permission in advance for research in a laboratory, it can also be allowed based on the committee’s judgment.”
“I understand. The unit of magic allowed depends on need and hierarchy, referred to as ‘Class.'”
“Exactly. Nice summary. You’ll study well later, I can tell.”
Luke brushed off Marco’s compliment and fell into thought.
‘This is so different from what I imagined. The premise of the magic system I know is completely wrong.’
In his understanding, Circle was the right to interfere with the world, the source of influence. It was Circle that created influence.
However, in this world, social influence creates class.
It was a bizarre structure that was difficult to understand.
But Luke felt intrigued by such an enigmatic structure. This was a magical system that developed entirely opposite to Circle.
He was desperately curious about how it operated.
“So, who are the ones completely allowed with Class?”
“Well, perhaps the president?”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Luke didn’t really know what a president was, but while thinking about whether he could ever become one, the young man faintly smiled.
‘I had dreams of becoming president at that age too.’
——-
Having gotten off near the World Tree with Marco, Luke bade him farewell.
“I have to go that way. Well, goodbye, enjoy your visit to the World Tree.”
“I really enjoyed our conversation. If we get the chance later, let’s meet again, Marco Albi.”
It was a parting filled with goodwill towards the young sage.
Waving his arms widely so he wouldn’t be unseen due to their length, Marco waved back and shouted, “Yeah, Luke Irushi! And if you become president later, don’t forget me!”
“Of course, if you come back later, I’ll definitely treat you!”
Luke yelled with all his might, but whether Marco, who had already run quite far, heard him was uncertain.
He wished he could use some amplification magic. Turning towards the World Tree, Luke headed forward.
Just now, he heard an explanation about the magic system of this era, Class, but that didn’t mean he would abandon Circle.
Although Marco didn’t have a Circle, Luke thought that to learn new magic, it was first essential to lay the foundation with his familiar magic system.
Circle was a sort of insurance.
It was the act of taking a stone in the unknown dungeon ahead.
Moreover, no matter how completely different the Class magic system was, it didn’t seem like it would clash or rebel against the existing Circle method.
Both were merely different ways of handling mana, and in the end, it was the manifestation of will that moved mana to create the phenomenon of magic.
Rather, the Circle technique, which increases the amount of mana and its manipulability that one body can handle, would be beneficial rather than harmful.
If so, Circle could be learned according to its own way, and Class could be learned as its own.
“Alright, let’s get ready.”
Just as Luke was confidently about to step into the interior of the World Tree, he was suddenly stopped by a guard in front.
“Hold on, kid. You can’t come in here alone. Don’t you have a guardian?”
Luke nodded and said, “I came alone. Do I really need a guardian?”
“Of course. This place is too dangerous for kids like you. You can’t enter without a guardian.”
The artificial World Tree was, as the name implied, a critical facility that had to supply mana to the entire city.
They couldn’t allow unregistered individuals to roam about as they wished in such a place, especially since there were areas with high-voltage mana flowing where children couldn’t be allowed to wander freely.
However, Luke had come this far and couldn’t just go back, so he looked up at the guard with a longing gaze.
Luke had no awareness that he was using the body of a child.
“But I need to enter here to become a mage. Is there no way, perhaps? Um… I don’t have much money, but…”
Luke recalled his past experience of slipping money to a guard, pulling out all the money from his pocket.
Even though he didn’t quite understand the current monetary units, it was certainly not a large sum as Yerna had left a little for child’s allowance.
However, based on past experience, having something was a significant difference from having nothing.
But it came across differently to the guard.
The pointed animal ears on the guard drooped down like a drenched puppy, and the sight of him pulling out crumpled bills and coins from his pocket was too pitiful.
The guard couldn’t help but avoid his gaze.
He had no choice but to think, “Does this child really want to become a mage already?”
“Do you really want to become a mage?”
“Yes. Is it not possible?”
“…Alright, let me ask inside if they can allow you to observe. Wait here for a moment.”
“Thank you so much! I am deeply touched by your kindness!”
“Hmm…”
He seemed to have read quite a few books for a Hyun.
He didn’t know what kind of Hyun he was, but perhaps a mix of cow and cat? He still looked quite cute. If I had a daughter like this, I might have become a doting father.
Thinking this, he dialed the phone in the guardroom.
——-
Luke sat on the visitor bench, filled with nervousness, sipping cocoa from a paper cup.
A paper cup, that was a luxury item during the era he lived in.
It was a time when they would peel off sheep skin, tanning it as much as possible to make it soft and white.
Seeing a cup made of that made him feel a bit nostalgic.
‘Perhaps Yerna isn’t from nobility.’
Well, even if she weren’t, what of it?
Her kindness was genuine.
As he waited, blowing on the hot cocoa and sipping it little by little, the guard called for Luke.
“Hey, kid.”
“Uh, h-huh! What’s the matter? Is it a no-go?”
“Not at all; they’re going to send someone from inside. Just make sure to follow that person well. Got it?”
“Of course! I’ll repay this favor for sure!”
“Alright. Make sure to become a great person and turn my fate around.”
The guard casually patted Luke on the head, and when Luke made a sound of surprise, he thought the child was just shy.
“…Huh?”
However, when he noticed that the amount of cocoa Luke was holding had hardly decreased, he curiously asked, “Are you not fond of cocoa?”
“No, it’s just too hot, so I’m letting it cool down a bit.”
“I see…?”
He felt sorry to say it, but the call took quite a long time.
There was also no steam rising from the cocoa, and it looked quite cooled down, judging by its dark surface, devoid of froth…
‘Those ears definitely lean towards being cat-like.’
