'Speaking of which, I still have to attend class later. I just hope those big shots can behave themselves…'
Charles sighed to himself with a hint of concern. 'I heard that all the tens of thousands of academies in the Wizarding World are organizing a unified tournament this time. The best young talents will be trained together—future pillars for the coming war. I hope I can get a chance… Though that's probably a stretch. If Saya can secure a spot, that'll be more than enough.'
When it came to himself, Charles still lacked confidence. He knew he was decent, but compared to the countless geniuses across the Wizarding World, he felt he was still far behind. Only someone like Saya—a true genius—had the potential to compete at that level.
Just as he was contemplating how he might help Saya earn a spot, a hoarse voice suddenly whispered beside his ear, "You seem troubled."
Startled, Charles instinctively turned his head.
Standing before him was an old man, nearly two meters tall, clad in a long black robe that obscured his figure.
Half of the man's face was made of flesh, while the other half was mechanical—composed of brown metal with visible gears quietly turning within.
As he met the old man's calm gaze, Charles felt as though he had no secrets left to hide. He tensed up unconsciously. After hesitating for a moment, his face flushed as he muttered, "It's nothing…"
The old man glanced around at the others nearby, expressionless, before calmly saying, "Is that so? Perhaps. But as an elder, let me give you a word of advice: thinking alone accomplishes nothing. A person's attention and willpower are limited, and so too are the plans we come up with. There's no such thing as a perfect plan. The best way to approach anything is to improve yourself. If you're strong enough, you can handle any problem."
Charles bit his lip and tried to explain, "But…"
"You doubt your own abilities?"
Before he could finish, the old man cut him off sharply. "A person should never doubt whether they can do something. Because the moment you doubt yourself, it means you've already failed. No matter the outcome, move forward. Until the very end, you must not hesitate or lose your way."
With that, he turned and walked away without another word, paying no mind to the storm of emotions on Charles's face.
In preparation for the upcoming war, the academy had abandoned its old laissez-faire approach to teaching. Students were now undergoing intensive training under the best instructors.
Even instructors who weren't strong enough had been pulled into retraining programs, effectively getting a "reboot."
Among those re-educated teachers was Charles's somewhat unreliable mentor—Todd.
Never in his wildest dreams did Todd imagine that, at over four hundred years old, he would return to life as a student—enduring soul-crushing, cram-style lessons!
Charles sat quietly in class, listening to the lecture with a dazed expression. He wasn't even sure how he felt anymore. That old man's words had struck a nerve deep inside him—he felt like a stray dog whose weakness had been brutally exposed.
Doubt, uncertainty about the future, a growing sense of failure—they all weighed heavily on him.
'Is this really how I'm going to live my life?' he thought bitterly.
At that moment, a hand extended something toward him from the side and gently poked his waist twice.
He turned to look and saw that it was Saya, who grinned at him. "Hey, Charles! This stuff is really good. I think you'll like it!"
Charles took the item Saya handed him and bit into it.
As the flavor filled his mouth, he looked at Saya's cheerful face and, almost absentmindedly, asked, "Saya, do you have any goals in life?"
"Goals?"
Saya scratched his head and thought for a moment before replying:
"…If I had to say, I just want to reach the top.
From a young age, my father and mother always taught me to climb—to go as high as I can. That's the only way to live a life without regrets. So, if you ask me what my life goal is, it's to stand at the very peak. Even if it's just for one second, it'll all be worth it."
"I see…"
Charles nodded seriously and said, "Then I'll help you, Saya."
Since he didn't have any clear goals of his own, no sense of direction, he decided he would help Saya achieve his instead.
If Saya could reach the summit of his dreams, then perhaps Charles could also feel a sense of joy and fulfillment through him.
Saya shrugged and grinned nonchalantly. "Well, thanks!"
To him, that so-called "life goal" still felt a bit out of reach—just a dream, really. Dreams were called that for a reason, after all: they usually only existed in dreams. So he didn't take Charles's words too seriously, thinking it was just something said in passing.
He never imagined that his only real friend was already preparing to take action.
After they finished eating, Charles listened intently to the lecture, his expression unusually focused. Saya was a bit puzzled—he knew Charles had always been diligent, but now there was something different. A new intensity. He looked as though he had fully committed himself to some sacred mission.
'???'
Saya stared in confusion for a moment, then gave up trying to understand it.
After all, paying more attention in class was definitely a good thing. So he reined in his wandering thoughts, focused on the podium, and began earnestly listening as well.
---
Three months later.
Standing in the crowd, Saya watched Charles step onto the stage to accept his entry slot for the Unified Tournament of the Wizarding World, having earned first place in the cohort.
Meanwhile, Saya himself had only ranked somewhere in the thirties.
His mind was full of question marks as he struggled to process what had happened.
"What the hell? Wasn't he still worse than me not long ago? How did the gap get this huge?"
Though confused, he didn't feel the slightest bit of jealousy. On the contrary, he was sincerely happy that Charles's hard work had paid off.
Because deep down, he truly regarded Charles as a friend. And real friends shouldn't be petty about such things.
"Everyone needs a few friends they can be completely honest with—people who understand and support you. Sometimes, those bonds can be deeper than even family or love. When you find someone like that, you'll know what it means to have a soulmate."
He had never forgotten his mother's words.
And to him, Charles was that friend—the one who had grown alongside him, understood him, and supported him without reservation. Someone pure and unwavering.
"Maybe I got complacent," Saya admitted to himself. "I forgot that, for wizards, power is everything. I put too much effort into organizing my team and neglected my own growth…"
Silently, he made up his mind: he would correct the slackness of the past and catch up with Charles, who was now striding ahead at full speed.
___
T/N:
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