25 – Duplicity
Humans are often said to be the guardians of all things.
Beings who perceive existence, contemplate, and give rise to value.
Because they are a creative life form that has not been found on this blue earth until now.
However, even those who firmly proclaim the title of guardians of all things sometimes descend into the primitive instincts of beasts, especially when entangled in relationships, most often involving matters of the heart.
It’s not always a bad thing.
If they have mutual affection, no matter what they do, it will seem cool and beautiful. Who cares about anything else? Sometimes being a beast is effective.
The problem arises when only one side is sincere.
Unless mutual affection is presumed, a beast is just a beast.
Unbridled instincts must be governed by cruel reason, and it is the law of nature that the atmosphere becomes harsh if one prematurely regards the other as their lover.
And now.
“That’s enough. It’s pathetic.”
“What, what?!”
In the attempt to demonstrate maturity that combines wildness and intellect through a duel, the man found himself facing the harsh word “pathetic” from the very reason he had kept in his heart.
That one word seemed remarkably piercing.
Judging by his frozen stance, holding a spellbook with a provocative posture, it was evident.
“……”
There was no sense of sympathy. Probably because it was too absurd.
It had been just over thirty minutes since meeting them, but I could vaguely sense it.
The man, Everist, was under the mistaken impression that the female student was not interested in him because he was trying to show off and almost stumbled over.
The female student, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about him.
I had finally confirmed the impression of the female student that I had glimpsed before.
She was an impressive female student, wearing clothes that tastefully blended subtle decorations to create an elegant look.
Although the face of the female student still retained a youthful appearance more than mine, her aura was far from that of a girl.
Sharpness and decisiveness.
Not a joke, but a real, seasoned entrepreneur’s apprentice was there.
“Le, Lena.”
“Please don’t call me casually.”
Had she been holding back all this time?
Words started to burst out of her fresh mouth like a waterfall.
“You said you approached me to organize a seminar for young intellectuals, didn’t you? I accepted because you mentioned plans to pursue it as a business… but why me in the first place? I’m still a minor and a student.”
“That’s because you’re famous as a business prodigy.”
“It’s just baseless rumors and exaggerations.”
“Lena. As the youngest advisor of the Full Body Nation and a genius in investments, I believe you are an essential talent for our seminar.”
“Enough. You’re getting off-topic.”
The female student, Lena, shook her head nervously.
What was contained in those large pupils was thorough calculation and disillusionment.
“Tell me honestly. It’s not for some grand reason, is it?”
“What, what are you talking about?”
“During the three debates, nothing seemed to change, except that the numbers praising you increased. I’m not someone who can just fit into this kind of drama.”
“……”
“And a duel? What is that all about? If it was just to impress me, showing your best would have been enough, instead of clinging to a pathetic person like me.”
Her gaze sank into an icy coldness.
“You are the complete opposite. A person full of arrogance without any ability. The race I despise the most.”
“…Kuk, Lena. Are you taking the side of this gray-haired bastard?”
“I’m taking the side of the wronged person, not the despicable one.”
Chilly.
A space of complete silence was born on the outskirts of the bustling square.
Lena did not fill her words with elaborate logic.
She simply listed the facts, effectively conveying to herself, the six others, and even to me, who was scratching my cheek next to her, that this Evareist was nothing.
I hesitated whether to give him a word of comfort when I saw him shivering all over.
“Gray-haired―!”
“It’s Eugene.”
“How dare you insult me… The duel shall proceed! Quickly, take out your grimoire!”
At that moment, he glanced at Lena.
Though we had never had a conversation before, somehow our gazes exchanged words.
The content was roughly like this.
― This person seems out of their mind.
― Indeed.
― What should we do?
― I’m sorry, but can you handle it reasonably?
― Sure.
After nodding, they exchanged glances, then pulled out a magic book from the bag and held it in their left hand.
Of course, they didn’t adopt a strange posture.
“What’s the duel format?”
“It’s simple. The attacker showcases a spell, and the defender replicates the same spell. The one who can’t replicate the opponent’s magic while exchanging attacks loses the match!”
So, those are the rules.
I thought it could be disadvantageous for a moment.
If Evarist is really a magic university undergraduate, they must have mastered both Type 1 and Type 2 magic. Unlike me, who only learned Type 1 magic through self-study, they would have a much wider range of magic to use.
In that case, the strategy I should adopt is clear.
Difficulty.
I will compete with the difficulty of magic, making it impossible for them to replicate.
At that moment, Evarist gestured to me with an air of arrogance.
“I’ll pass on the first move.”
“….”
I didn’t respond.
Magic will represent me.
Now, I chanted the magic activation phrase, akin to my second nature.
“[Disc].”
Thud.
A single droplet shot up from my outstretched right hand.
Upon hearing the activation phrase, Evarist, clenching his fist, scoffed loudly.
“Pfft. Merely a Grade 1 magic [Disc]? Pulling out such basic magic in a duel, even a passing child could do better.”
“Quiet.”
“…?”
Focus is required.
Even for me, this magic was of an exceptionally high difficulty.
Swoosh!
A droplet, the size of two finger widths, began to rotate, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a razor-thin disc.
Its speed increased significantly in about a second.
Evarist, who was displaying arrogance just moments ago, trembled, and even Lena, who seemed unfamiliar with magic, widened her eyes at the revolutionary casting speed.
However, the magic was not yet over.
Arching my eyebrows, narrowing my forehead.
A trance.
And I envisioned.
“…Fold.”
Ssshh.
The magic circle begins to distort.
Folding. Rolling up. Tearing apart. Unfurling.
“Groan.”
The magic I practiced countless times in the attic. How much time have I spent trying to recreate this spell since ‘that day’?
I haven’t properly learned magic yet. Although I’ve given it a foundation through academic study, my instincts still dominate more than half, making my head feel like it’s going to split.
Nevertheless.
Even so.
Admiring and admiring again. Practicing over and over.
At some point, it bore fruit.
“Hoo!”
When I finally exhaled the held breath, a handful of blue roses floated gracefully in front of me, swaying in the breeze.
“[Flowering].”
My first unique spell.
Although the original was Benjamin’s, no one could easily ignore the sweat and effort put into reverse-engineering this magic.
I smiled, suppressing the trembling of my hands as much as possible.
“Now, try it. Follow along. Take the initiative.”
No response.
Thud.
The magic book that Everist Dumah held rolled on the floor.
“It seems like the match is over.”
“Ah, Lena!”
The evarist, who seemed absent-minded, reached out his hand, but Lena didn’t even give him a glance.
Instead, she approached me and grabbed my wrist abruptly.
“Follow me.”
“Uh, uh.”
*
When I saw Prussia from afar, it gave the impression of being a meticulously planned city.
But as we left the main streets and squares and entered the residential areas of the city, I started to feel that it wasn’t quite like that.
The liveliness of the people crowded in every narrow alleyway. That’s what I felt.
“It’s a livelier city than I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Lena tilted her head and then let go of my wrist.
And then, she seemed to bow her head.
“Thank you.”
“Hmm?”
I couldn’t remember doing anything worthy of receiving gratitude.
While I was perplexed, Lena straightened herself up and sighed deeply, her gaze drifting into the air.
“Thanks to you, I was able to get rid of that man.”
“Ah.”
“As much as I was summoned for practical matters, I’ve repeatedly stated that I have no interest in relationships between men and women. You were called Eugene, right? I express my gratitude once again.”
“Even if you receive thanks for such a matter, I don’t really know how to react….”
As I was saying that, Lena made a surprised sound and awkwardly reacted.
“Well, I suppose that’s the case.”
After contemplating for a moment, Lena looked at me as if she realized something.
“You’re not from Prussia, right?”
“Yeah. Did you figure it out because of my travel bag? I arrived today.”
“In that case, you probably don’t know much about Prussian geography. If you tell me your destination address, I’ll guide you to the right direction. Let’s travel together to the correct place.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Destination.
Honestly, I couldn’t say that I headed to the restaurant while contemplating that problem. The story was too complicated to explain briefly.
After a moment of contemplation, I made a decision.
“Then, I’ll appreciate your help.”
Benjamin’s hometown.
I thought it would be less confusing for them once the foundation of my life was established.
These days, I even doubted if I might be directionally challenged, so perhaps it would be better to receive help and visit the Oslo family directly.
I recalled the address I had memorized.
“I want to go to Kram Gata.”
“Oh. Lucky me. I’m also heading to Kram Gata.”
Lena’s eyebrows curved.
If Dorothy was on the side of being emotionally rich but inept in expression, Lena seemed closer to the side of being emotionally rich but not expressing it.
Is she generally inclined to treat people in a business-like manner?
For me, it was a good thing. At least I didn’t feel any resistance towards the gray hair.
After crossing a few alleyways, we walked along the main road for a while.
It seemed more difficult to find the way than I thought, so I thought it was a good idea to get some help.
Lena stopped in front of a wide road where her steps stretched out.
“This is Kram. If we know the house number, we can find it right away. What’s the house number?”
“Number 15.”
“…It’s a little strange to have the same house number.”
It seemed like another coincidence.
Lena tilted her head, but I was satisfied that I could get detailed directions and followed her.
“This is number 15.”
“Thanks. Now I just need to find out which house the number 20178 refers to.”
“…!”
In the next moment.
Crash!
Lena raised her guard and grabbed my collar.
With suspicion filling her big eyes, Lena interrogated me.
“Who are you? A stalker?”
“Uh, what?”
“What business do you have in our house?”
Ignoring the change in tone, a difficult-to-hear word slipped out of Lena’s mouth.
Our house?
I felt a cold sweat running down my back as I asked the question.
“…By any chance, your name?”
“Lena Oslo. The third daughter of the Oslo family.”
Ah.
“This time, I’ll ask. What do you do?”
