Volume 1 - CH 11

Suitable Place

“No, really. It’s not a big deal. It is something easy to figure out.”

Arum didn’t lie.

But Elmira frowned when she was denied her request. Arum appeared to be the type to keep secrets and there was no humility in his words.

Little did she know that she was completely wrong.

‘How can I explain that anyone can do that magic?’

Arum scratched his head realizing that he would have to do something bothersome.

“Non-attribution magic doesn’t go through Mana Conversion. So this magic is something that is an intermediary existence between attributed magic and mana.”

“Yes Yes.”

Elmira nodded. This was something she knew from her childhood.

“So if you create attributed to magic, you have no choice but to release it. But the same wasn’t true for the non-attribute. You can convert it back to mana. So I created a magic spell, that stores mana outside the mana vessel in our bodies with it being transported in the form of a non-attribute. Since mana has no physical existence, in reality, I can therefore store as much mana in it as I want.”

Arum’s magic was something that had overthrown bloodline magic, it was quite a simple form of magic. But the downside was that only a monster like Arum could bring such a spell to fruition.

As Arum continued to explain Elmira’s face bloomed to a half-moon smile.

“Well, is that really just non-attribute magic? Isn’t it just bloodline magic of your own?”

Arum shook his head. The spell might have countered a bloodline spell but by its very nature, it wasn’t related to Arum’s bloodline.

“I think everyone here can do it as long as they have enough mana reserves. Since my mana reserves are particularly high it was something that went well with me. That’s all, it’s nothing special.”

Arum said in a matter-of-fact tone. He felt that Elmira should have realized this much for now but he told her nonetheless.

Elmira poked her cheeks as she pondered over a topic unknown to Arum.

“Hmmm… then take me for example. If I cast that spell of yours can I defeat the thunder light giant in the same way?”

Arum shook his head again as he shrugged.

“No, that’s impossible.  Non-attribute magic has a higher consumption rate than the other attributes. If someone else were to use that spell all he will be able to produce would be a small gush of mana since the spell requires you to convert the mana into non-attribute twice! It’s a magic spell that works only when you have high mana reserves like the current me.”

“… Oh that’s right.”

One might assume that Arum’s spell had some advanced magical technology to it since it was powerful enough to destroy the bloodline magic of Lux. But that was hardly the case.

In reality, it was just brute force and nothing else.

Elmira sighed audibly. What could she do? Her expectations certainly had been betrayed. The majestic spell that seemed to be strong enough to defeat a towering giant was just about pumping more and more mana.

Arum didn’t respond to the sigh. From the very beginning, he was a commoner without any glittery background. The means that he uses were ought to be simple and he didn’t care as long as the job is done. Let bygones be bygones.

Elmira turned to Arum with a conflicted look as she continued.

“Sorry… Arum you fought well in the match so don’t worry…”

Arum shrugged.

“It appears I have not lived up to your expectations.”

“No, it was my fault. I had expectations without any base just because your spell seemed powerful… By the way, did the matter regarding your master came to an end?”

Arum raised his brows.

“What was supposed to happen at the end?”

“Didn’t Lux tell you that he would apologize for your master if you win the duel?”

“… Ah”

Lux had promised Arum that he would apologize for his misbehavior. But unlike Elmira Arum wasn’t expecting much from a noble like him. It was unlikely for a noble to apologize to a commoner no matter how grave a mistake they had made.

Not to mention that as soon as the giant was destroyed the duel between the two was canceled by the teacher making it have no clear winner. Thus, Arum believed that it would be childish to pursue the matter any further. He might have got angry then but at present, he had a cool mind.

Arum nodded.

“Nothing like that happen yet but it’s okay. I think I was able to prove that my master’s teachings are valuable. At least for now… by defeating them and shutting their big mouths.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Elmira pondered as she poked her cheek. But Arum felt the need to make matters clearer lest rumors begin to spread about him. All the nobles had a weird fetish for gossip.

“And also I didn’t even win the duel. The duel was canceled so there is no point in pursuing the matter for the time being…”

Arum spoke nonchalantly but he was interjected in between by a scream from an unknown source.

“That’s no good!!”

A voice that denied Arum’s words was overheard by both of them. Instinctively they turned their heads to learn about the source. Their eyes flickered as they blinked several times wondering if something was wrong.

Two familiar figures were gazing down on them from the window of the second floor of the main building. There was Misty’s modest figure waving at Arum and also a breathless Lux who just seemed to have shouted out his lungs. Who knew for how long they were eavesdropping? Arum had no idea. But Arum wasn’t particularly worried about it.

NOthing that he spoke was something he didn’t want others to learn from anyone. Gossips about him were bound to spread and Arum himself wasn’t a fan of it.

***

“I am sorry,” Lux apologized in a light tone.

That was what Lux said as soon as they arrived in front of the gate. It was the same place where Lux and Arum had first met back at the entrance ceremony.

It was Misty’s idea to avoid the eye of the other nobles lest more gossip would spread. And Lux’s position wouldn’t be any good either, if others were to know about him apologizing to a commoner, his reputation would surely pummel to dust. Not to mention that Arum and Lux had already gone through a duel sturring the rumors about them like crazy.

‘Did it have to be like this?’

Arum didn’t care about the rumors.

But in the end, Lux’s reputation was more important than his apology. Arum could only wonder if there was any sincerity to it.

The academy gate was a quiet place. No student was going to enter the exit the academy at this hour. Not to mention that the residents of the city weren’t allowed to enter the academy. Why? A place meant for nobles was unwelcoming for the commoners.

Thus the place was as quiet as it could be.

In fact, there were only four people present there at the moment.

Arum and Lux, who was just bowing in front of him. And Misty and Elmira who were watching over it.

As Elmira watched Lux unexpectedly bowing she understood their intentions to bring Arum to such a place. They aimed to keep it a secret and prevent rumors. She turned to Misty with a conflicted look adorning her face.

“Should I leave?” she asked.

Her presence might be troubling to Lux since she could be the very person to spread the rumor. They just want their privacy so Elmira asked to clarify her doubts.

But Misty shook his head.

“I think it’s okay. I don’t think Lux would mind.”

It was Misty’s idea to find a less crowded place, not Lux. Misty didn’t know how sincere his apology was but it didn’t seem like he had a problem with Elmira being around for such an event.

‘Not to mention that she had already seen the important parts.’

“Ha ha,” Elmira smiled wryly, “I think I am on the verge of falling from shock.”

It seems strange to leave the place now, so Elmira will continue to watch. But besides the awkwardness, she felt there was also some shame.

“I have already apologized to Misty. Let me apologize to you too at this place for degrading you and your master.”

Arum was a little surprised that Lux would go to the extent of bowing to him. Till now all Arum had expected was a verbal apology and even that seemed to have a low possibility let alone this. He couldn’t find words to express what he felt.

‘I wonder if the other nobles would ever take such actions of their own accord if they are told to apologize.’

“Well, that’s surprising” Arum claimed as he pierced Lux with his eyes alone.

Lux could feel his glare making shivers run down his spine.

“??”

Lux raised his face Arum as he muttered.

“At that time, I had blood in my head. Yes, you have indeed done a great job of wrecking the hell out of my emotions. If playing with them and making me lose was your purpose, I would probably give you an A+ or any better grade if that even exists.”

Arum spoke with rage in his words. It seemed that the after effect from that battle had yet to subside. Even Misty stood by the side with a daze and pursing lips not sure what she should say.

“But it is also true that the challenge that I had thrown at you was just a one-sided one. You had never accepted the challenge… Neither had anyone claimed the existence of it. Yes, the challenge to avenge my teacher with a victory in the duel was just an empty one. It was not enough… it could never be enough. I have to do much more to prove how great my teacher is.”

Arum turned back to Lux.

“And yet here you are, bending on your knees even when there was no promise. No need for you to apologize. Tell me what brought you to such a state?”

“No, I can testify. It wasn’t one-sided and it is I who should apologize to both you and your teacher.”

Arum raised his brows. The fact that Lux was apologizing to him wasn’t the only thing that came off as weird to him.

Certainly, Arum wanted him to apologize for disrespecting his teacher. But what was the need for him to be so serious about it?

One must note that Lux was bending on his knees when instead he could have just left a casual apology. Even when Lux had called out to Arum, he had a shout out his lungs causing himself to be out of breath.

Arum rolled his eyes.

“It was just a verbal promise. No one would blame you if you deny standing to it. More than anything, you should be more mindful of your position before doing anything funny”

Lux shook his head.

“I can’t do that. The duel was to prove whether you are worthy to attend the school or not. And you have already proved so after defeating my [Thunder Light Giant]. You were the victor and that naturally means that I am the vanquished. And yet in such a duel, it was I who had insulted the master and the people who ought to be recognized for bringing you up, the one who was able to defeat me. Mud had already been spurted on my reputation as I lost to you despite you being of common birth. Thus there is no way I can go back on my promises and let myself be further groveled into the mud. It might be a verbal promise but it had a lot of importance for me.”

Lux claimed.

But Arum pursed his lips.

“Aren’t you being a bit too specific?”

It seemed like, despite Lux apologizing to Arum, his disdain for Arum had not yet completely disappeared and was still affecting his way of speech. After all, years of superiority to the commoners wasn’t easy to shrug off just because of a single loss.

Arum glared pierced Lux all the more as a visible frown appeared on his face. No matter what he did, Arum’s anger was not quelled.

Under Arum’s piercing gaze Lux looked down a little and kept silent for a while being mindful of the situation.

Arum didn’t know what Lux was thinking in that head of his but it certainly couldn’t be anything pleasing. Even the apology seemed to be kinda half-hearted. Or so was what Arum had thought.

As Arum and Lux’s eyes met again it seemed as if Lux felt the need to speak up. His lips pursed but he continued.

“I had always believed that humans should attain only those positions in life that they had rightfully deserved. I have met many people in my lifetime who didn’t put mind to such a rule and used any means from bribes to threats in order to acquire positions and posts that they should have never deserved. And yet it is so hard to judge one’s deservings. I had always thought that the struggles of one’s ancestors, one’s talents, and one’s skills were the absolute measure; everything in their life including what they were born with and what they had worked hard on. I always thought that based on such measurements we can always find a suitable place for everyone to stand on.

That’s why I thought that you weren’t the right person to be studying in this academy. A human who had no ability who had no talents had come to this academy passing the exams through unfair means. That’s what I thought and I couldn’t bear it. This is the Beralt Magic Academy after all, where only those with the abilities of the clan of wizards should come to study, not a commoner like you. I judged you by the scores of your exam results which was only one aspect of your ability. I was wrong. I was looking down on you. I know that I have angered you too.”

Lux explained his first impression of Arum based on his own morals and values. He had indeed judged a book by its cover.

Lux bit his lips as he cursed himself and clenched his fists tightly in lamentation.

There was no lie in the impression of Lux that was riddled with regret. And with such an expression Arum’s impression of Lux improved as he nodded.

“I was stupid… really stupid. This apology is also my self retrospect. Please forgive me for my stupidity.”

Arum held onto his chin.

“But I am a commoner. There was no need for you to facilitate your relationship with me. And thus there was no need for you to apologize either. You would have no benefits in dealing with a commoner like me.”

Just because someone felt guilty doesn’t mean that he will always apologize. Many guilty men would pass away as guilty but never apologize for their own mistakes lest they would hurt their egos.

But, there was one big exception to all of this. That was when the offender saw some benefit in apologizing to the victim.

As such Lux had no benefit in apologizing to Arum.

‘Yes, I am a commoner. I am aware of that more than anyone else.’

There was no need for someone of Lux’s standing to keep his promises to a commoner like Lux. At least that was what Arum had learned about the ways the accursed world worked.

Even if Arum would pass it off as the nature of Lux that was too respectful and chivalrous, there was something that Arum found amiss in the situation. A hidden puzzle that he couldn’t figure out.

Arum didn’t know how much of a gap there was between the nobles and the commoners but there should definitely be a huge wall in between them.

Why would a noble bent on his knees in front of a commoner? Just because he was feeling guilty? The world didn’t work that way. By doing such funny things the noble would only bring about more trouble for himself if rumors were to be spread. People would soon begin to doubt his authority threatening his rule.

Such was the disdain for the commoners that the circle of nobility harbored.

‘He is just a kid,’ Arum thought. There was no other explanation.

Take the Carrera village’s tax collector for example. The man rarely visited the village very rarely only with the thought of collecting the tax in mind. Even he didn’t want to be among the commoners let alone someone from a wizard clan like Lux.

Wasn’t such a limiting visit proof enough that nobles hated to be with the commoners and didn’t expect anything from them?

It was one fateful day that Arum had realized from the other villagers that the reason the collector didn’t get involved with them was that he saw no benefit in us. The commoners existed solely to pay their taxes. There was no other identity associated with them. They were somewhat like piggy banks to them that generated money.

And it was on that fateful day that Arum had realized how cruel the world was… a world that distinguished by birth and blood… a world that gifted only a chosen few allowing them to grovel the others under their feet only using them needed and tossing them away otherwise.

Indeed, it was in such an accursed world that Arum was born.