Luke’s expression had not been very good all day.
It wasn’t just because he had heard that his name sounded like “that rustic grandfather.”
The term “rustic” was ultimately a personal opinion and could not serve as an absolute standard for judgment. Besides, Luke had no desire, even the slightest, to change his name just because it was a childish taunt from an immature child.
Isn’t that right?
To discard his identity, accumulated over more than a century, for such a trivial matter.
Moreover, for a mage, there are rarely things as important as one’s own name.
The most crucial aspect of handling a Circle is the unwavering belief in oneself.
Belief in oneself ultimately begins from the question, “Who am I?”, and a name is like a collection of all those answers.
The great Luke Irushi.
The grand magician Luke Irushi.
The hero Luke Irushi.
He was the owner of all those titles, and by firmly believing that he was such an existence, he could wield the will of “Luke Irushi.”
Luke was well aware of this fact.
Even if it was just a memory, knowing was knowing.
Even if his soul and body had changed, and he might not truly be the Luke Irushi of that time, it was undeniably Luke Irushi’s memories.
Therefore, Luke had no intention of changing his name.
To the current him, the identity of “Luke Irushi” was all that remained.
Thus, for the current Luke, giving up that name would mean giving up everything he had built through magic until now.
All the senses and will, including the foundational knowledge that allowed him to handle the Circle, stemmed from the name “Luke Irushi.”
So unless someone appeared who could convince him and willingly take that name, he would still be Luke Irushi.
However, what troubled Luke’s heart was perhaps one word that hinted at another identity of his.
Luke briefly lowered his gaze to the blue orb of magical energy shimmering on his palm.
“Ererani.”
It was a name he had never heard before, and he had no memory of it.
“Who is Erera?”
Luke muttered, but the blue magical orb did not answer.
And it could not, for it was a mana spot created in the shape of Py, not Py himself.
A phenomenon generated by magic could not be expected to respond.
Luke gestured and scattered the shape of Py he had formed with his hand.
Then he let out a deep sigh.
“What on earth is happening….”
He wondered if Py was stealing magic again somewhere like last time at the zoo.
He had thought that someday Py might leave him, but he already missed Py’s absence.
“Sigh.”
With a sigh, Luke returned his gaze to the moral textbooks and the legal-related books he had borrowed from the library.
To his surprise, scoring 80 points had been shocking.
“Luke, don’t push yourself too hard. An average of 97 points is incredibly high, isn’t it?”
“No, I’ve definitely realized through this exam that I lack moral knowledge. As a magician, it is proper to use this opportunity as a stepping stone to improve myself.”
“Even so….”
Seeing Luke read with an unsatisfied expression, Yerna couldn’t help but worry.
Originally, Luke had a sense of ‘enjoyment’ when studying, but now that feeling seemed absent.
He had changed too much.
Democracy, this system was incredibly unfamiliar to Luke, a man from 5000 years ago.
It was far different from the past when a few superhumans held overwhelming power over their territories.
Indeed, this era, due to the influence of universal class magic, made it hard for a “grand magician” to arise as in the past.
Everyone used magic, increasing the class units assigned according to needs and circumstances.
Those assessments were decided by the central council of elders, and they would inform the individuals.
A massive system was ‘controlling’ the power an individual could possess.
It might be a reasonable suggestion, considering the safety of the majority.
Perhaps under the current magical system, it was the best option.
Luke understood that “magic enjoyed by all” did not only have a bright side.
In the past, superhuman powers were enjoyed by a small number of individuals.
The image painted was one where a small elite group controlled the majority both physically and socially.
In those times, the only way to control them was to trust those with that power.
For instance, it was believed that a high-ranking magician, a lord, wouldn’t go mad and use destructive magic without thought.
If one had accumulated enough knowledge and experience to reach that level, they would be well aware of the potential consequences of their actions.
Magicians unable to make that rational judgment would all die before reaching a high rank.
To build a Circle, time and suffering were inevitable, and there was something being built along that process.
Thus, with gain comes loss.
Isn’t it reasonable to believe that those who have lost much would think rationally?
There is no reason for someone who is living well to commit meaningless violence without a purpose.
Though, of course, there are those who act foolishly with their own power.
Those who go beyond the limits are ultimately ‘punished’ by stronger beings and lose everything they have.
And at that time, the strongest being was the ‘Immortal King Renie’, so that system appeared to be functioning perfectly.
Perhaps it might last forever.
However, with the disappearance of that transcendent being ‘Renie’, the belief changed slightly with class magic.
Magic given to ‘everyone’ also meant it was given to those who have no ‘qualification’ to use it.
Children with immature judgment, criminals who commit offenses routinely, radical dreamers with extreme ideologies.
In any case, if superhuman strength were given to those who should not have it and that power came easily to them…
Clearly, the present peace could not be maintained.
Yes, he understood that much.
He could grasp the broader framework in which this system had settled.
He also understood why moral values had drastically changed.
But…
This one thing, he could not understand, or rather, he did not want to accept.
The abolition of the death penalty.
This book described the system of ‘capital punishment’ as something very horrific and stated that all lives are equally precious, thus killing someone is legally forbidden in any case.
Luke, who had lived in an era where it was thought that criminals should be isolated from society and that death was the perfect means of separation, found this description quite hard to comprehend.
Isn’t it so? If his existence were tormenting others, couldn’t it be resolved simply by sending him to the side of the gods?
If the execution were a mistake, the gods would refuse it and bring him back to life.
“…Ah.”
But was there no god left in this era to make that judgment?
“What a foolish thing.”
As gods vanished and the concept of an afterlife became ambiguous, this was undoubtedly a dangerous concept.
But he could not accept it.
There are indeed evildoers who can only be judged by death.
For example, a heinous criminal who uses violence to rape and murder.
For instance, a treasurer who embezzles public funds and starves thousands to death.
Or a general who betrays his kin, siding with the Demon King for his own safety and leading the charge against his people.
Must those who bring misfortune to all for their own sake truly be kept alive?
This must end in death.
It is something that must be done.
Their death would be too light.
Biting down, his hands tremble slightly with the pressure.
The vivid sensation of executing them with his own hands springs to mind, yet there is not a single shred of shame in that act.
And yet, if such beings are born in this era, does it mean that even that punishment cannot be given?
“Luke?”
At that moment, Yerna, who had been observing Luke’s unusual reaction, stepped closer and asked.
“What’s wrong? Is there something strange in the book?”
“Yerna.”
Luke pointed to the passage about the abolition of the death penalty in the book.
“Is this—what is written here true?”
“What do you mean?”
As Yerna took the book, Luke quickly spoke.
“This says that capital punishment is prohibited and that killing someone is always wrong, yet I don’t agree with that. Do extreme evildoers not exist in this world? Those below the threshold of humanity! For instance, those who enjoy brutally killing others, or those who casually rape and murder women? Undoubtedly, for such individuals, prison would be a luxury. But why does the law of this country not allow for their execution? For those whose horrid nature leaves no room for redemption? Isn’t this clearly wrong?”
“….”
In response to Luke’s speech, Yerna momentarily widened her eyes.
She had never seen Luke display such anger.
The child who always smiled and cared for others was now expressing rage as though he had become a different person.
And the reason for that was the law of this country that “cannot even kill extreme criminals.”
Yerna looked at Luke with a somewhat stiff expression.
Could it be that there was someone he hated so much that he wanted to kill?
If so, who could it be?
The researcher conducting human experiments? Had specific memories returned to him? Could it be that he had identified who that person was?
“Luke, do you… want someone to be executed?”
At that question, Luke nodded.
“Of course, if they are clearly an extreme evildoer.”
With that firm declaration, Yerna immediately inquired.
“If there is such a person, let me know. Who is it? I can do something.”
In this world, there is also ‘unintentional manslaughter in the line of duty.’
Moreover, that system is quite lenient for Forest Keepers.
Of course, paperwork would need to be processed, and there must be evidence that one was on duty.
Of course, it’s not impossible to secretly take someone’s life without that.
This would obviously be illegal, but as long as one does not get caught, it isn’t technically illegal at that moment.
However, even if things went wrong and one ended up in prison, it might not matter much.
If that happened, Luke would likely have to rely on Dayton.
It might feel a bit guilty.
Listening to Yerna’s words, Luke stroked his chin, pondering, then said.
“Um… someone I want to kill… I don’t have anyone right now.”
Because…
“They’re all already dead.”
“Eh?”
