[93] The Genius Who Lost the Light (2)
"Good judgment. It would be foolish to ignore nine things just because you gained one. Never stop thinking in any situation. Everything in this world is decided by the amount of thought you invest. Battle is no different."
"Don't be mistaken. I will never forgive you."
"Heh! If you've even got grit, that's perfect. Let me guess—you grow through actual combat. A school that teaches only rigid formulas isn't for you. How about it? Come with me. If you do, I'll make you the greatest mage."
"Don't spout nonsense. The teachers here are far more respectable than a murderer like you."
Arkein exploded into loud laughter. This was the joy of teaching: gathering naive kids and rattling off whatever nonsense he pleased.
"How rare. Truly rare. Do you think something called the 'Immortal Function' is ordinary? But child, there are terrible monsters living in places you don't know about. If you mingle with them…."
Arkein squinted one eye and grinned.
"Unlockers aren't that rare, either."
Shirone swallowed dryly. How many times would one have to cross death's threshold to say Unlockers weren't rare? Beyond skill, his accumulated experience was of another order entirely.
"In a hundred years I met seven. Four were decent; three I killed. Unlockers' hallmark is uniqueness. The possibilities for distortion are infinite. But untrained uniqueness tends to die when faced with greater stability."
It stung, but it couldn't be denied. Individuality could be a variable that ignored objective strength, but it was a double-edged sword that could evaporate before brute force.
"A school that ignores individuality and teaches everyone the same has nothing to offer you. You need to sharpen your own talents. I can do that for you."
"I don't learn magic to topple people. Don't lump me in with someone like you."
Arkein read the conflict in Shirone's eyes. Of course—without that drive that verged on obsession, Shirone wouldn't have come this far.
"You probably think everyone likes you now. But humans are inclined to favor greatness. They don't like you for you. How long do you think you can keep mixing with those hypocrites?"
Everyone Arkein mentioned furrowed their brows.
Shirone, however, listened in silence.
"Get stronger. Make it so they can never look down on you. Otherwise they'll trample you. If that happens, can you really dodge the fight with a polished excuse?"
Arkein held up three fingers.
"Three years. In that time I'll train you so no one on the continent can ignore you. Think three years is too short? I don't. If we maximize your individuality, it's by no means impossible."
To Shirone, it didn't sound like nonsense. For an Unlocker like him, there was almost no benefit in giving up an archmage's tutelage and staying at school. At best, it only made it easier to get a foothold in the magical community.
"You're right."
Iruiki and Nade's faces darkened.
"Shirone…."
If it was true, there was nothing to deny. Unlockers occupied an odd position even in the magic world, and a magic school's standardized education had limits.
"Maybe you're right. But I'm still not going with you. The school isn't just a place I have to fight in—it holds my life. Teachers, friends, a sense of belonging. I don't think you can give me those things."
Arkein scowled. Whatever trick Alpheas had used, he had to admit the man's ability to influence his students was impressive.
"You're being deceived. When you actually live your life, those things won't matter. If you weren't strong, you'd be nothing more than an ordinary kid at school. Proving your strength is everything in life."
"If that's truly all there is, then why are you doing this?"
"What?"
"If fighting made you an archmage, what do you have left now? Everybody hates you. Aren't you lonely too? No one cares about you, so this is the only way you can prove yourself."
Arkein ground his teeth; his face flushed.
"You talk nonsense. The strong are lonely. It's the weak who cling together. Look at the situation now—everyone kneels at my feet. I command them. That is loneliness."
"No. You're just a murderer no one cares for."
The word murderer sent a flicker of madness through Arkein's eyes.
"Hahaha! Maybe. But do you know? I once had comrades. One of them led everyone around him to ruin. That was Alpheas—the one you hold in such esteem."
Shirone refused to believe it. Etella had told him the two were at odds; the Alpheas he knew would never be someone who dragged others to ruin.
"I don't know what happened in the past, but I won't listen to you. You're a murderer. And you still commit murders."
"A murderer? That Alpheas… you mean to say he's the same kind of murderer as me?"
Shirone's eyes widened. For the first time, he had no choice but to be shocked.
"That's a lie. What could you possibly know about the headmaster?"
"Ha ha ha! Of course I know. That brat was my student."
"What…?"
Shirone was speechless. Alpheas had been a pioneer of light magic since his youth. How could someone who wielded dark magic be his teacher?
Sensing the irony, Arkein looked up at the sky with a distant expression. The events from that day still felt like yesterday. A thought crossed his mind and he turned to Etella.
"Is Alpheas married?"
"No. He has lived alone his whole life, devoted to education."
"I see."
A momentary sadness passed over Arkein's face. He had hated Alpheas for forty years, but if there was one thing he still felt pity for, it was Erina.
"Perhaps you don't know, but Alpheas was married."
Etella tilted her head. As far as she knew, Alpheas was unmarried. Even if he'd married and divorced, a family union would normally leave records.
"But the headmaster is listed as single on the official documents."
"Apparently it wasn't recognized. Still, Alpheas was married—for three years. A woman named Erina. She was remarkable. She shone and was beautiful above all."
"What on earth happened between them? Is it the sort of thing that would breed a grudge even fifty years later?"
"At that time Alpheas had been recognized for his Bright Photon Theory and was one of the promising newcomers. He'd even received the Gold Circle Award from the emperor, so you can imagine his standing. He had a secured post in the Yongroe magic division, and he and a woman from the Bastard family were setting up a household—there was nothing to envy. But he had one worry."
Arkein tapped his head as he spoke.
"His wife Erina's intelligence was somewhat lacking. At the level of a ten-year-old."
"I see."
"But Alpheas didn't care. He truly loved her. His love wasn't pity or pretense."
Arkein's memory reached back forty years—to the time he had dominated the world, when Alpheas was a supernova rising in the magical realm.
"This year's Gold Circle Award! Mirhi Alpheas!"
Fanfare echoed through the Grand Hall. Showered with confetti, Alpheas wiped tears of emotion. The Gold Circle Award went to the mage with that year's greatest achievement. Win it and not only would you enter Yongroe, countless noble houses would support you.
"Congratulations, Alpheas. I knew you'd win."
"Please look after me going forward. Now that I've made it, you won't forget your old classmates, right?"
Many mages crowded around Alpheas. His value would only rise, and people wanted to get in early.
But not every gaze was welcoming. Sarof, who had been in close contention, wore a face like he'd eaten something foul.
"Heh. He got ahead by marrying some idiot. Mirhi and Bastard tied together—how are we supposed to beat that?"
"Right. She's nothing to brag about, but what can we do? The result stands. We'll have to watch what we say to Alpheas from now on."
Sarof understood. None of them could leave the magic community; getting on Alpheas's good side was prudent.
"What'll you do, Sarof? Meeting him alone would be awkward. Why not quietly join him and ask for reconciliation?"
"Nah, I don't feel like it. I'm fine; you go."
"Same here. Let's leave it for later. Two are better than one. Want to go drink?"
"Yeah. I don't want to stay."
Sarof left the castle with his friends. He too had been a finalist who narrowly missed the Gold Circle, but nobody paid attention to the loser.
Klump laughed and dragged Alpheas through the crowd. Alpheas thought he'd get a breather, but Klump jammed his face into his arm and shook him wildy.
"Wahaha! You bastard! You did it! My friend won the Gold Circle! I can't believe it!"
"Ow! That hurts! It hurts!"
Alpheas screamed, but Klump's celebration wouldn't stop.
"When you acted like a smug prick I wanted to beat the stuffing out of you, but turns out you're a genius? You did it, man!"
Alpheas felt dizzy but didn't try to break free. The Gold Circle—when else would he taste such electric agony?
"Come on, it's a good day; let's drink until our noses hang crooked. I booked a tavern, so leave your brains and bring your stomachs."
Finally freed from the headlock, Alpheas offered an apologetic smile.
"Ah, I can't stay long. I need to step out for a moment."
"What? How can we toast without the protagonist?"
"I'm going home for a bit. I want to hang the medal around my wife's neck."
Klump couldn't stop him. Alpheas had married Erina a year ago, but because both families opposed the match they couldn't even get support and lived modestly in a small newlywed home in a lower-class district.
The trouble began with the Mirhi family. They'd sent their son abroad to study; how could they accept him marrying a foolish woman?
The Bastard family refused to yield, too. Even among first-rank nobles there was a difference between the provinces and the capital; they wouldn't have their daughter embarrassed.
In the end, Alpheas and Erina had no choice but to hold an unofficial wedding among friends.
"I see. Your wife's here? Why not bring her along?"
"No. What wife would like to see her husband drunk and raucous? I'll be right back."
"You sly thing. Hurry back then."
"I'll be quick. Go on to the tavern without me!"
Alpheas fled the castle as if running. Exhausted from day-and-night research, his body was worn out, but today his chest felt light.
'I did it! I did it!'
He had won the kingdom's most prestigious award. With this achievement the Mirhi family would have to accept him again; a spiritual marriage ritual with Erina might no longer be a mere dream.
"Honey, I'm home."
Erina knew it was the day the winner had been decided. In another house she might have prepared a surprise, but she came out of the kitchen just as always.
"You're back? Did you eat?"