Chapter 7: Counseling

Chapter 7: Counseling

This one is on me.

The stores owner, who I had assumed had withdrawn to the rear of the shop, came back and set down two cups of coffee for the two of us.

Having thanked him, the owner gave a bow and this time he went back to the inner part again.

With a sigh and a sip of coffee, I quickly cut to the chase.

So, why did you do that?

The neat eyebrows of Fina, who was likewise tilting her coffee cup in front of me, were blatantly distorted.

I told you before we reached here It was the other party that initiated it, so I was merely defending myself.

Self-defense, huh? If you say so, your defense has gone overboard. At your age, youre brilliant enough to be a third-class magician. Had you intended to, you could have gotten rid of those punks in a much more moderate manner.

Why should I care about the individuals who assaulted me?

Because that is the responsibility of a magician.

I took a sip of my coffee and said after a pause.

A magician must not misuse their magic. Any prospective magician will first learn this rule of the magician. But unfortunately, this is far from being adhered to at the moment. Youre taking a class on moral principles of magic. Have you heard about the percentage of crimes that took place in this city last year that involved magic?

Fina shook her head in silence.

Eighty percent. That means that out of every five crimes, four of them are committed by people who abuse magic. The prohibition against the misuse of magic, which is an absolute rule when becoming a magician, is nowadays a decoration, and it is not an overstatement to say that this is the state of affairs.

No surprise was reflected in Finas complexion. It must have been a well-known piece of information. Looking into her eyes, I could not read any of her emotions from them.

So what does this have to do with what you just told me?

In other words, it is the young generation of magicians like yourselves who will have to learn how to master the proper application in the future. The magic of the modern day is a development of the original life-facilitating magic, which was improved throughout the war. I dont have in the slightest intention to say that magic is all evil, but if it is mishandled by the wielder, it can become a weapon that is more dreadful than anything else.

After speaking this much, I reflected on the fact that I was being preachy. The purpose of today was to raise Finas impression of me even if it was a tiny shift of heart. Speaking so eloquently about generalities that any teacher would give would not make me come across any distinguished.

I therefore ventured to make a bold move on her.

Fina, is there anything thats been a struggle for you lately?

What are you saying all of a sudden?

She didnt deny it. I carried on, being aware that my supposition was turning into fact.

You are a close associate of that nationally admired Ortesia. The fact that you also respect her, it is quite conceivable that you yourself are likewise devoted to her. But I cant believe that you would go to such lengths simply because you got tangled up with those thugs. It was because you were distressed about something, wasnt it?

Are you implying that I used them to relieve my stress?

Am I wrong?

No, its nothing like that.

Fina lowered her gaze and sipped from her cup.

I then exhibited the reassuring smile that was my trademarka slightly troubled smile.

Well, if you prefer not to speak to me, thats fine. But Ill tell you this, I dont think that developing your magic skills is the only thing you can contribute to her.

!?

Bingo.

For the first time here, astonishment was mirrored on Finas face.

I knew I was right. Its not particularly a mystery. Aside from you, there are many other students who have lost their confidence after watching that. The majority of them reached out to me. The match between Karen Ortesia and Rain Aldar was such a shock that numerous students who had previously been confident in their magic sought advice from me.

Fina covered her mouth with her hands as if in disbelief. Her wide-open eyes sent forth a scattering of pearl-gray colored stars.

I didnt know that.

I guess its not surprising. The only thing that comes to the students mind is the overall result of all the subjects. Ive been interested in you since you enrolled. Not Fina, who is Karen Ortesias escort, but Fina Trinity, the prodigy who was admitted to the school this year

!

In addition to dispelling Finas long-held notion that she was Karens accessory, I was going to introduce her to a talent she was unaware she possessed. These kinds of humans were invariably driven by a longing for self-acceptance.

Fina. Ortesia is more closer to you than you might realize. Have confidence in yourself. Think of ways you can help her that work for you

She fixed her gaze on me for a while before silently bowing her head.

Yes. Just give it back to me the next time we meet.

Handing over the umbrella, Fina accepted it after some hesitation.

Thank you.

No. On the contrary, I am sorry that I couldnt send you home. From now on, I also have other business to take care of.

I put my hand in the rain after leaving the store.

Yeah, its still drizzling and its okay. Go back home quickly. Dont detour on the way home.

I know. I wont repeat the same thing I did today.

All right. Ill see you tomorrow, then

With the confirmation of the small reply, I started running in the drizzle.

No magical power was used. I didnt necessarily have to be in a hurry.

After roughly 30 minutes of running, I arrived at a copse of trees on the outskirts of the area.

Around here, private properties managed by the aristocracy were all over the place, and people who had no business in the area rarely showed up.

That was to say, it was a perfect place for evil-doers to reside.

Having ascertained that there was no presence of anyone around me, I attached a magical device, which looked like a simple ring, that would allow me to pass through the barrier of this place.

I continued on my way through the copse of trees with a familiar gait and eventually arrived at a clearing.

There, a magnificent samurai residence stood, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

The fences surrounding the house, and the tiles covering the roof. Even the shachihoko was there, making me rather inclined to ask whether the people who have been living here have ever seen a genuine samurai residence.

I walked up to the gate and knocked four times, slightly harder.

No reply was forthcoming. As usual, I entered the house on my own accord.

Once inside the fence, what greeted my eyes first was a vast garden. If even one plant had been grown here, it would have been spectacular, but unfortunately, since here was where all the training took place, even one tree planted here would have been destroyed and trampled on the very next day.

When I reached the front door, I would knock there too, just in case. Sometimes the daughter will show her face here, but today she didnt appear either.

Exhaling a breath of sigh, I opened the door and went inside, and walked down the hallway as if I owned the place.

Even so, wouldnt it be tough to clean such a long corridor? He and his daughter were the only people who resided here. This house, which easily accommodated 10 people, looked to be off balance in every way

With these thoughts in mind, I opened the door to the living room.

As I expected, there was a lone Ogre there, clad in human skin.