Chapter 65: Act 1 – The Burning City
With the Spirit Festival approaching, Luke, who had plans to depart for Beriton, called Third to a familiar café to discuss the current situation regarding Third’s Circle, updates on the Academy, and to check on the symptoms of the “Scar of Flames.”
Recently, as Third began attending the Academy, the amount of conversation they could share naturally increased, leading Luke to think it would be better to meet in a dedicated location rather than on park benches or streets.
The weather had also turned slightly chilly.
Seeing Luke for the first time in nearly a month, the employee Mine was struck with admiration.
“Oh my, is that you, Luke? You’ve grown quite a bit!”
Children grow quickly, but this time, Luke seemed to have grown significantly in a noticeable way.
Should she say the atmosphere had changed? He was already a mature child, but while still looking somewhat childlike, it felt like he now possessed a genuinely adult-like aura.
So, Mine made a light-hearted joke.
“If you grow a bit more, you could work here, you know.”
“Ha ha, thanks!”
Luke also knew she was joking and responded with a smile.
Naturally, he could serve customers and make desserts without any trouble, but being formally employed would be too early for him; if he were cheated out of his pay, he wouldn’t be protected by labor laws, and besides, there wasn’t a particular need for him to work in a café like this.
“Are you having that again today?”
Before Luke even stated his order at the counter, Mine asked him.
He always ordered the same thing when he came in.
And since Luke knew what she was referring to, he nodded and smiled slightly.
Such small considerations were among the reasons why Luke preferred this café as a meeting spot.
Of course, the biggest reason was that this café made “that” better than anywhere else.
Thus, he ordered one Mint Chocolate Frappe.
If it wasn’t from this café, which balanced refreshment and sweetness just right, it wouldn’t suit his taste.
In other places, the mint flavor was often too strong or, conversely, too weak, which regularly led to problems.
Perhaps it was because the first Mint Chocolate Frappe he had tasted was from this café that it solidified his first impression.
First impressions are indeed very important.
“So, that’s why I’m worried about Third.”
Third’s first impression was hardly positive.
Having grown up in an unfortunate environment, Third lacked social skills, had an unnatural smile, and expressed himself in a very rough manner.
Such traits were hardly accepted positively by others.
Perhaps that was why Luke had recently begun to worry about whether Third was making poor friends in the Academy again.
While he had told him to make many friends, he had never seen any of Third’s friends himself…
———
After waiting a moment, a man walked into the café through the door.
He had a bandage on his face, looking like he had been in a fight, and he had a rather unpleasant appearance.
It was Third.
However, Luke knew it was a kind of consideration he had chosen to hide a hideous scar from others.
Whether he had come straight from the Academy or not, Third was still in his school uniform.
Waving happily at Third, Luke said, “Third, it’s this way. Come sit here.”
“Ah, Master…?”
At Luke’s greeting, Third showed a bewildered expression.
It had only been a month or two since they last saw each other, but the notable change in atmosphere caught him off guard.
Third hesitated before taking a seat.
Then, as if waiting, Luke began to speak.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Third. The Spirit Festival is just around the corner. How’s the Academy? Is it still enjoyable?”
“Yes, it’s okay. No problems.”
“That’s a relief. Are there any bullies? You aren’t making friends with bad people, are you?”
“No, of course not. Everyone treats me really well.”
“That’s really good to hear. I heard you moved into the dorms. Is that okay?”
“Yes, it’s much better than living alone.”
Luke nodded with a satisfied expression at Third’s response.
Fortunately, it seemed there were no major difficulties in his life.
Then suddenly, a troublesome thought crossed his mind.
“Hmmm, somehow I feel like I’ve become a mother…”
He suddenly felt as if he were a mother worrying about a child sent to the Academy.
While the relationship between a mage and their apprentice is generally akin to that of a parent and child, actually thinking like that felt oddly delicate.
But Third could not sense Luke’s subtle inner feelings.
He was too overwhelmed trying to accept the reality that stood before him.
“My goodness, what on earth happened to my master?”
Luke had undeniably “grown.”
At least his Circle had definitely expanded.
Third, being a rather sensitive mage himself, could immediately notice it.
Generally, it could be considered a joyous occasion.
He was also in the process of forming his second Circle and advancing toward his third.
“Congratulations! Now your Circle is steadily progressing. That’s quite stable.”
“Th-thank you.”
Indeed, his master had noticed and congratulated him without him saying a word.
And why wouldn’t she? She was an extraordinarily talented mage beyond comparison.
Still, Third, with a puzzled expression, asked, “But Master, what about your growth…?”
He had been unaware of this before, but now that he had recently leveled up his own Circle, he could firmly grasp just how absurd Luke had become.
In this world, all knowledge is only as visible as one’s experience allows.
But even so, wasn’t the pace of her growth too fast?
The interval between the fourth and fifth Circle was ridiculously short.
Thus, Luke’s growth was quite strange.
Sudden changes often carry side effects.
It has been an experience of sudden Circle loss and growth for him, which he learned through his own body.
Because the Circle is delicate and dangerous.
Thus, Third had no choice but to worry.
“Is Master hastening the growth of your power?”
If that were true, then he wouldn’t be able to leisurely cultivate his strength as he currently was.
If his master was increasing her Circle while bearing side effects, then he too would have to put forth substantial effort.
While Third was engulfed in such thoughts, Luke replied with a smile.
“Ha ha, there’s no need to worry too much. I’m just progressing quickly because I have a solid foundation.”
“Eh? What does that mean…?”
“I’m merely retracing the path I’ve already walked.”
Saying that, Luke lifted the drink before him and gulped it down.
He had an untroubled expression that seemed far too calm to believe he was shouldering some unspoken side effect.
“I can’t give you detailed information, but currently, I’m in the process of reclaiming my true power… if you understand that, then it’s clear. The growth of this body is part of that influence.”
“Ah!”
Upon hearing that, Third finally gasped in awe.
“Indeed, my master is extraordinary.”
Was that really the case? It seemed Luke was altered in a childlike form due to some specific reason, and now he was recovering his powers.
In truth, he had suspected something like this vaguely.
If he were truly just a ten-year-old child, it wouldn’t make sense from the start.
No matter how exceptional his abilities, it wasn’t possible to act as if one had experienced things they had never actually encountered.
However, Luke appeared to be adept at all magic and knowledge as if he had lived through everything at least once.
But if Luke had lived a certain amount of life and was now regaining his strength after being rejuvenated by some magic or scheme, then everything made reasonable sense.
Receiving affirmation of his thoughts, Third answered with a calm expression that seemed to reflect relief.
“Indeed, so that is how it is. I feel reassured now.”
Luke smiled back at him, thinking, “Well, it’s true that it’s urgent, but…”
To be honest, it wasn’t so urgent that it would warrant risking side effects, but there was indeed a sense of urgency.
The immediate threat of Sigarmata loomed, along with the unknown dark sorcerer behind the artifact, and the objectives and background of the lich they had previously gathered; for preparedness, it was essential to hasten the rise of the Circle.
But regarding that Circle, he couldn’t afford to be too impatient.
There was a limit to the amount of mana he could absorb daily, and it wouldn’t do to recklessly pile up mana even by thievery.
That would mean sacrificing the present for a future he couldn’t guarantee.
Thus, the solution he found was simply “money.”
With money, he could buy virtually any magical materials, so long as they weren’t extremely rare, and even if they were, it would still greatly assist with his immediate needs.
That was the reason why, recently, Luke had begun to look for ways to earn money.
However…
“Um, Master, you suddenly look troubled. Is there something bothering you?”
“Ah, so my expression gave it away.”
Luke smiled awkwardly.
Lately, he had felt he wasn’t able to manage his expressions very well.
It wouldn’t be hard to mask them if he set his mind to it, but it felt like his focus on such matters had diminished over time.
Creating and managing expressions was, to be honest, an annoying task.
He must always be conscious of how his face looked.
Originally, since Luke was born a mage, he had never felt so emotional, and thus there weren’t many occasions for what he was thinking to reflect on his face.
So, he often forgot what kind of expression he was wearing if he didn’t actively pay attention.
“Indeed, there seems to be something serious going on.”
Third asked with an intensely serious expression.
Luke felt put on the spot.
The brief worry he had was due to something so minor that if Third were to learn the reason, he might laugh outright.
“It’s nothing to be worried about. It’s just… sigh, I couldn’t find a doll. A few days ago, I went to the doll shop to get one, but it was closed. There’s no word on when it will reopen.”
But contrary to Luke’s worries, Third didn’t laugh; he looked flustered.
“A doll…? You mean?”
A doll?
Was he really talking about some toy meant for children, stuffed with cotton wrapped in thin cloth?
Third suddenly imagined Luke walking back dejectedly from a closed doll shop.
Thinking it over, it felt like something that would truly fit the behavior of a child of that age, so he muttered to himself that it could perhaps be acceptable outwardly.
Inappropriately so.
Third shook his head and thought.
“No, that can’t be. Surely he must be talking about something different than a mere doll.”
Perhaps, one shouldn’t take the mention of “doll” too literally.
For instance, he might be referring to the children known as Merlin’s “dolls.”
“Could it be that doll shop…?”
Carefully asking, as he observed Luke, who maintained his composure and smiled in reply.
“Ha ha, I wonder if you’ll know, but it was a place called ‘Merlin’s Doll Shop.’”
Upon hearing that, Third immediately jumped up and exclaimed.
“You mean ‘Merlin’s Doll Shop’!?”
As expected, his predictions were never off the mark.
Thinking of “Merlin’s Doll Shop”…
Could it be that the worries he had foreseen were about to come to fruition?
