"Certainly," said Althor. "What have you been up to lately? What are you doing in the city? Are you working in a shop?"
"Eh? Well, that's..."
Shirone decided to tell the truth. He knew his father was silent, but he couldn't treat them so coldly as to lie when they asked.
"Well, actually, I'm attending a magic academy."
"What?"
"Really?!"
All the kids exclaimed with wide eyes.
It was incredible. Of course, they had known since childhood that Shirone was extraordinary, but they couldn't believe Shirone was studying at a magic academy.
"Oh, what's going on? Are you sure?"
Shirone was surprised that the kids were more surprised than expected. He said this deliberately to calm them down.
"Haha. It was just luck. I worked as a librarian for a noble family, and I was fortunate enough to be admitted to the school thanks to the favorable opinions of the family."
The kids were more pensive when they heard the story. No matter how much he worked as a librarian, no aristocrat would do that favor for common folks.
It was natural that anyone who didn't know how difficult it had been for Shirone to get here wouldn't understand.
"Well, anyway, that's great. Are you learning magic now?"
"Wow! Magic! Can you use magic? Eh? Try it! Show us!"
The kids exclaimed, "We're all different," and Shirone had to make an effort for a long time to calm them down.
"Well... I'm not very good at it because my level is still low. And if you use magic outside the academy, it goes against the school rules."
Althor looked at Shirone with doubt. To be honest, he couldn't believe it. Since childhood, Shirone's appearance and character had caused admiration in the kids. However, Althor had been able to become a leader because he had the most important strength for common people. But now? Shirone had become a student of a magic school attended only by the noblest of people, and he was still just an Althor from Hwajeon Minchon.
"Why are you here if you're going to a magic school? Shouldn't you be studying right now?"
"Oh, that's... I just got a break. I had a tough exam the other day, so I'm taking a break."
This time, he had no choice but to lie. If he said he had been suspended, his father would know. Even if it was something good, it was clear that his parents would be disappointed.
Most of the kids seemed to believe it. Since he had never gone to school, they thought it was easy to take a break.
Lumina said, grabbing Shirone's collar.
"How many days are you taking off?"
"Well, I don't know. About three days or so."
"Really? Are you going back home then?"
"Haha, no. The semester is about to end, so I won't be going back home. I'm sure my parents are busy too."
"Well, in three days, you'll be here. The holidays are coming to an end."
They, with the same parents, knew better than anyone how busy people were.
Martin said, "Have you decided where to go? Where are you going to sleep?"
"Well, that... I haven't decided yet."
Lumina exclaimed, smiling.
"Really? Then come with us. You used to sleep a lot."
Shirone was fascinated by the words. Even if he went back to school, he couldn't borrow books from the library because he was suspended, and all he could do was lie in the accommodation and pass the time. But he didn't want to spend the night alone in this place where he didn't know anyone.
"Is it okay if I come?"
"What are you talking about? We still sleep together at my friends' houses every other day."
"Yes, of course! I'd like to see you too after so long."
"Let's go! Now that you're a mage, let's have a big beer!"
Althor walked to the carriage with his arm around Shirone's head. Shirone's pain was heard by a much stronger force than usual.
"Ouch. That hurts."
"Haha! You're still so scrawny, aren't you? To be a good mage, you need physical strength."
Shirone knew that this behavior was a way to establish hierarchies and regain the leader's authority. He didn't feel bad about it. It was Shirone, who had lived as the son of a thug all his life, and he understood their lives.
Althor put Shirone in the carriage and hugged him. No matter how small he was, it was impossible to lift an adult man without considerable strength. When he stared, thinking that his childhood friend had turned into a monster, Althor stroked Shirone's head and burst into laughter.
"It's good to see you, Shirone! Let's drink until we can't anymore tonight!"
* * *
Shirone, who arrived at Hwajeon Mincheon in a carriage, was impressed by the scene he hadn't seen in a long time. Green shoots were sprouting in the fields along the ridge, and smoke was rising from the mountain village along the ridge. The residents saw a cart coming down the road and shouted.
"Martin! Are you coming now?"
"Yes, sir. Shirone is with me too."
"What? Are you sick, aren't you? And where's Vincent?"
"Uncle Vincent isn't here. But, sir, do you know this? Shirone is attending a magic school now!"
"What? Are you joking?"
"..."
Martin fell silent, and the old man continued plowing the field. Althor understood his uncle. How could he believe it when he had lived his whole life farming the land and couldn't even believe it now?
Lumina pursed her lips.
"Why don't you believe him? Don't worry, Shirone. I'll tell him later."
"Haha. That's not necessary," said Altor.
"You didn't say anything either, did you? Don't go out for nothing, just shut up."
As the leader of the cutter and burner children, Althor knew the horror of words. If Shirone was lying, Vincent's position would be difficult.
"If I lose the business with Uncle Vincent, my family will suffer."
Althor, who left a cart in a public warehouse, took his friends to the only store in Hwajeon Minchon that sold alcohol. All there was a pillar in the ground and a few tables, but the wife of the herbalist had a side job.
"Ma'am, I'm here."
"Welcome, Althor. Oh, isn't that Shirone?"
"How have you been, ma'am?"
"I'm well, thank you. Indeed. Vincent said you were working in the city, so I guess he met you there. Anyway, I'm glad you're here."
The kids were used to gathering three tables. Althor, sitting at the head of the table, placed an order.
"For now, I'd like a beer, and I'll have the usual side dish."
Shirone felt a sense of separation. When they used to go out together, they were all children who couldn't even drink alcohol. But now he sat
cross-legged like an adult, drinking beer. Compared to his appearance, the kids at the magic school were still children.
"What do you say, Shirone? Can you drink well?"
"Eh? Oh, no. I haven't drunk it yet."
"What? Now that I've seen you, you're still a kid. You don't even have hair there, do you? (Laughs)"
The kids burst into laughter at Althor's joke. But Lumina, a woman, was as serious as ever.
"What do you say to a friend you haven't seen in a long time? That's all you have, a big mouth."
Althor's face turned slightly red when he openly sided with Shirone against Lumina's embarrassing behavior.
"Well... it's been like this for a long time."
I've known since I was a child that Lumina liked Shirone. But now they're not all kids. The girl who used to be a child is now a wonderful woman. Althor thought that Lumina's partner should be him, the next mayor. Still, he was so happy that his unpleasant feelings quickly dissipated due to his drunkenness. Shirone was also happy to meet his friends after a long time. The beer he had for the first time was surprisingly good, so the atmosphere of excitement continued.
"Do you know that Hauran used to chase after Shirone?"
"Hey, why are you bringing that up all of a sudden? Don't."
Shirone, who was drunk, waved his hand to stop Martin.
"What's wrong with that? All that's in the past now. Besides, Hauran got married last year, so he's not even here."
"Oh, really? That's good."
The kids burst into laughter at Shirone's words and banged the table laughing. As the atmosphere rose, Lumina clung to Shirone with a drinking spirit.
"What kind of girl is your ideal type, Shirone?"
"Eh? Well, I haven't really thought about it."
Althor deliberately talked to Shirone because there was no way to stop Lumina from embarrassing herself.
"Shirone, are you really going to a magic school? Then shouldn't you at least be able to do simple magic?"
"Well, you know, I actually learned magic late, so I'm behind compared to the other kids. Magic itself is a very difficult discipline. It's not that I can't do it at all, but it's forbidden by the school rules..."
Even if he could do magic, he was definitely a student. Unless he obtained a formal mage certificate, using magic outside the academy was strictly prohibited. The exception was when they were threatened with death or when others were exposed to danger.
Of course, he knew that most students didn't follow the school rules, and there was no realistic way to prevent it, but there was a reason the school rules were created.
Shirone had broken the limbs of the thugs he met in the alley at the age of 12. The other day, Neid's sudden use of magic in the restaurant could have turned into a big fight if the opponent had been a little stronger.
Magic wasn't just about strength. It was a powerful power that brought forth the power of Mother Nature with the human spirit.
Shirone's main specialty, photon emission, didn't have a single gram of physical strength, but the moment it was introduced, it was known that fear and admiration welled up in people's minds. He didn't want the atmosphere to become strange by displaying magic at a drinking party.
Martin asked as he chewed on the dried jerky.
"If it's so difficult, can a mage be bad?"
"Of course, there are people much worse than mages."
"Really? If the mage doesn't work, how will you make money?"
"Eh? How...?"
He had never seriously considered the situation where he failed because he had been running towards becoming a mage.
Earning a living to make money was the biggest concern of children his age, so Shirone tilted his head when he couldn't answer.
"So, who will pay the tuition? Do the nobles give you that too?"
"Well, I have some support for now."
The kids' eyes widened.
"Wow! Really? How much? Have you saved some money? How will you get married? Have you dated nobles?"
"No, I've never even thought about it..."
"Have you been there? I mean, the shop with lots of girls. Nobles, however, go in and out, of course."
"Well... there are people like that, but not necessarily..."
Althor's impression was crushed by the enthusiastic questions and answers of the kids. Hadn't he become Shirone the leader? The order of Hwajeonminchon wasn't established just to beat up and leave weak kids. Without the control of a powerful leader, people become greedy for a larger share.
For them, who are isolated from society, discord means the collapse of a group. The reason leaders were chosen from childhood was also to prepare for the time when they grew up and had to take responsibility for the village.
said Althor in a bitter tone.
"Stop it. Why do you have so many questions? Are you envious of Shirone's life?"
"Of course I'm envious. The nobles pay him."