14 – Discussing Change
The reason for the soldiers’ visit became clear the next day.
News had spread that a wanted order had been issued throughout Leman.
At first, I was skeptical. Even though I had been using magic as discreetly as possible, who could have seen me using it?
Or was it Lemi Fagery, who had been forced to hide and live outside the military’s watchful eyes, striking back at me?
It was neither.
“There’s pressure from higher-ups.”
I heard the situation from Dorothy.
The Leman military, which had been underperforming for the past three years, was now facing direct pressure.
Overseas deployments require a significant amount of capital.
Nevertheless, in the past few years, due to the work of subduing the remnants of the former empire and placing them under federal control, the military was a necessary presence.
Not anymore.
Eight years.
Eight years had passed since the end of the war, and the soldiers stationed in Leman, not even in the imperial capital, were being questioned for their usefulness.
The current prohibition of magic is solid, and the influential figures on the mainland have begun to genuinely ponder: Why should they pay a hefty sum to employ you now?
As a result, anxiety crept upon the officers in the Reman military encampment.
While soldiers, regardless of their destination, are just soldiers, the officers sensed a decline in both their status and pay the moment they returned to the mainland.
Action was required.
If they were an ordinary profit-driven entity, they would have scratched their heads to find a way to create utility for themselves.
But the officers didn’t follow that path.
Military groups had been utilizing a more efficient method for a long time—concealment and manipulation.
If there were no achievements, create them.
As the first step, a thorough investigation of past records revealed my name.
“You’ll be safe as long as you’re here,” Benjamin said.
And he was right.
Just yesterday, a common soldier knocked on the door, only for a lieutenant to emerge from within.
Dorothy may not have received a promotion, but she was a talent deserving treatment as a lieutenant or higher.
Five soldiers retreated without looking back.
It was generally agreed that it was safe.
However,
Would the Federal Army be satisfied with just digging into past achievements like catching mice?
I don’t think so.
And my expectation was accurate.
The rumor spread that the Federal Army had arrested an innocent civilian not long ago.
After two months, the number increased to five.
According to the rumor, three of them were young men with gray hair.
July 15th. Rain.
It has been two months since I stepped out of the door.
It was unanimously decided that it was a matter not to venture outside in such a situation, as one could face unforeseen danger.
I didn’t expect it to last for two months, at most one or two weeks.
But on the other hand, there was a positive side.
Thud―
There was a heavy sound.
The sound of closing a book cover. It was a sound that signaled the end of a thick calculus book.
It was the result of studying hard for the past two months.
Next to the desk was Benjamin. He smiled with satisfaction.
“You worked hard.”
I didn’t respond positively or negatively.
Instead, I picked up a magic book.
Since achievements were better shown visually.
“[염동(move)].”
I recited the incantation.
The moving object was the pen I held in my hand. I imagined its trajectory of movement.
One. This time, he did not rely on intuition.
＜cos t, sin t, t＞.
An equation representing the trajectory the object would trace. The imposition of this formula gave rise to inevitability.
From now on, the pen had to move ‘like this’.
Whooong—
The pen floated in the air.
Everything Benjamin could do with [Yeomdong] so far had been very simple. Every process of lifting and moving objects was steady and rigid. Not anymore.
With a flick, the pen took off when I snapped my fingers.
It rose gracefully, drawing an elegant curve.
Benjamin widened his eyes, tracking the path of the pen.
A helical trajectory!
It was something I couldn’t even imagine before opening the book.
Not only that.
With another flick of my finger, the pen began to accelerate. This time, in the opposite direction.
Whoosh—
The pen flew fiercely.
If I had performed such maneuvers three years ago, not a single one would have remained un-pierced by the pen.
But the accelerated pen’s destination was precisely within my grasp.
It swiftly returned to where it started.
Now, my magic, in terms of precision, was a testimony to Benjamin’s, if not surpassing it.
“How is it?”
I asked.
Benjamin gave a strange smile.
“It’s excellent.”
“Oh. This is the first time I’ve been recognized so cleanly. Am I a magician now too?”
“You still have a long way to go.”
“That’s a shame.”
I meant it.
After today, I wouldn’t be able to receive Benjamin’s teachings anymore.
“……”
Five imperialists were captured.
There might be more.
Among them, it was clear that the young man with gray hair, included in the three, was causing havoc under the pretext of being a ‘Eugene’ from the Federal Army.
The Federal Army stationed at Leman Camp would continue to capture new ‘Eugenes’ to protect their own interests.
There was a great rumor in the imperialist situation. The proportion of gray-haired individuals among the imperialists exceeded three out of ten.
Everyone would have to live hiding and unable to come out onto the streets.
But.
What if a real Eugene appeared?
Proving with their own body that they had captured innocent people.
Spreading rumors throughout the neighborhood that couldn’t be hidden from the authorities.
I can no longer live in Leman, but the officer in charge of enforcing the magic prohibition in the Leman military camp will face allegations of incompetence and falsification of records at the same time.
Verdict.
As the one who caused this, I had to conclude it.
At the same time, this was a very appropriate reason for me to leave this land.
July 16th.
Tomorrow, I will leave Leman.
Therefore, receiving Benjamin’s teachings will also be the last.
There’s something to be cautious about.
Half of the reason for leaving is my personal greed, and the other half is because of the Oslo family.
If the fact that the Oslo family is hiding a magic user Eugene is revealed, it won’t end with a decline in authority.
If I want Benjamin to continue living comfortably in this peaceful duplex, he might lose his honor, and as for the soldier Dorothy, she could even be referred to a military tribunal.
That’s why it’s a secret to Benjamin and Dorothy.
If I tell them the circumstances, they will never adopt this easy and simple solution.
I have clearly stated that this plan is for my arrogance and despotism.
The 15th. The day I closed the calculus textbook.
We spent a very ordinary evening together with bread and potato salad.
*
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
I shook hands.
Dorothy also awkwardly waved her hand at me before returning to my room.
The hand turning the doorknob felt strangely awkward.
As I tried to recall the memory of entering this room for the first time, I instead remembered that there was no such memory.
After all, I had woken up in this room after losing consciousness. So, if anything, I should recall the memory of leaving this room for the first time.
Come to think of it,
I used to refer to this place as a storage room back then, but I was now calling it my room.
An unnoticed change.
Does that mean that I have developed a deep affection for this room?
“……”
Kkik. When I opened the door, I saw a neatly organized desk and bedding.
Many things were prepared in advance.
I checked my belongings once again during the remaining time.
Things to take with me.
A bag containing clothes and enough food for about three days. Twelve pounds that I earned from begging. A magic book.
Things to leave behind.
Various textbooks and the money Benjamin gave me for transcription expenses. Twelve pages of letters on paper.
I planned to leave everything except what was absolutely necessary. Most of what I have is what the two of them gave me.
From Noble mtl dot com
Oh, there is an exception.
Shirts that have already become too small and scarves that are unnecessary in weather like today.
Ironically, those two things were not necessary at all, but I brought them along.
“Hoo.”
After completing the final check, I wiped the sweat off my forehead.
“Preparations complete.”
Preparations were complete.
To be precise, it meant that I had finished the maximum level of preparation I could do.
Leaving Leman is merely the first step towards heading to the Federation.
Imperial citizens are still prohibited from traveling.
Since I don’t have any money, I have to board the ship secretly.
During the journey, I must not be noticed by anyone. And when I arrive, I heard that I must go through mandatory identification verification.
The biggest concern is the final step. The Federation’s identification process is likely not as lax as the Empire’s.
There were not just one or two gates.
But I have already made up my mind.
I still want to set foot in the Federation. That’s enough for me.
Swoosh—
After shouldering my bag, I opened the window and slipped out onto the roof.
It was a dawn where even the sun hadn’t risen.
“[Levitation].”
I landed lightly on the ground.
I looked back.
A duplex house where silence had settled.
“Alright.”
I succeeded in sneaking out secretly.
Thank goodness. It would have been troublesome if someone had caught me carrying my heavy luggage and leaving the door.
After fixing the spellbook, I quickened my steps.
From now on, I planned to set up a trap in the military camp.
Then, I had a strange feeling that the spellbook was somehow swollen.
I have been touching this book for a long time. Even though it looked like a thick bookmark, it seemed to be swollen.
It wasn’t visible in the room, but it was clearly visible under the moonlight.
“What is this? I’ve never put anything in the spellbook.”
Just before leaving the courtyard, I stopped and unfolded the spellbook.
Swish—
I opened the page with the foreign substance.
“…What is this?”
A thick piece of paper the size of a palm.
I’ve seen Benjamin carrying papers of the same size several times. It’s something like an identification card, called a proof of identity.
What is this?
It’s not mine.
I read the Pravovian written on the paper with suspicion.
A date and unknown symbols. In the middle of the paper, covered with small numbers, there was a person’s name written.
[ Eugene Oslo / 1880. 3. 14 ]
“Yujin, Oslo?”
I turned around suddenly.
The duplex house was still enveloped in silence.
But.
It looked as if two figures were waving their hands inside the moonlit windows.
“Ah….”
It was difficult to be certain. Because of the hot sensation that rose from my eyes, I couldn’t see clearly.
It’s probably a ghost or something like that.
Without hesitation, I turned my footsteps.
But then I stopped.
“Thank you so much!!!”
I shouted with a voice that came from deep within my chest.
“Father!!!”
The sun rises.
Just by following that yellow light, I could reach the east, which is the harbor.
I ran out recklessly.
Feeling the heat flowing down my cheeks.
That day, when Yujin appeared in the military camp, flying through the air and knocking down the officers, the higher-ups were thrown into great confusion upon hearing the news. Yujin was already supposed to be in prison according to the documents.
It was impossible to hide because the rumors of the gray-haired magician had spread throughout the city.
The higher-ups who realized the false report gave them one last chance. The officer in charge, who got the chance, searched every nook and cranny to capture the gray-haired magician, but ultimately couldn’t find him.
It was a natural outcome.
“The times are changing. Let’s not settle for the glory of eight years ago anymore,” said an old man with a chuckle, and with that, the officer was captured.
“Ah.”
The old man reached his hand towards the sky.
“The rain has stopped.”
