Interlude 23
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On a quiet afternoon, after the rush of job assignments for adventurers has settled, the Greeneyes Adventurer Guild finally grows calm.
Purume, thinking it’s about time for lunch, stretches her body and leaves her office.
「Um, it’s my first time here, but—」
Just then, she notices a shabbily dressed girl speaking to the woman at the counter. Beneath the mage’s hat, that crimson red hair is unmistakable.
「Well, well, if it isn’t the young lady from Honest,」
Purume calls out to the girl, deliberately trying to suppress her racing heartbeat.
The girl’s expression seems somewhat worn.
Poor thing… Purume feels a lump forming in her throat.
「Sorry, sorry, I didn’t come here to tease you.」
She says lightly, not letting any trace of sadness show on her face.
Still, the girl looks at her suspiciously.
「Oh, we’ve met a few times at the diner, don’t you remember?」
The girl’s expression reveals a hint of distrust.
Purume feels sad seeing such an expression on the face of one so young.
「…Did you know about me?」
「’Did I know?’ You’re a celebrity. Anyone who’s even slightly involved in the mage community knows about you.
The red-haired girl who’s said to be the same as the wise who once saved the world alongside the Hero. Not knowing would make one a complete amateur.」
The girl’s piercing gaze eloquently says, 『There must be some reason you’re talking to me, right?』
「Come now, don’t look at me like that. I’ve known about you for a while. Well, to be precise, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to talk to you ever since you started working at the diner.」
Without realizing it, Purume lets slip, 「It’s finally time.」
「Excuse me. I’m Purume En Dynast, the Guildmaster overseeing this city.」
「I’m Angelica.」
Just Angelica.
She doesn’t give her family name.
It’s painful to see.
「I’ve finally been able to talk to you. I tried many times to get permission from the couple at the diner to speak with you, but they always flat out refused, saying things like, ‘Ann’s going to be our daughter-in-law in the future!’ and ‘It’s better for Ann to forget about magic!’」
As if that could ever happen—
Purume feels anger rising just remembering it.
「There’s no way you’d ever give up magic.」
To Purume, this statement is as obvious as saying 「humans die if they don’t breathe.」
「How do you—」
The red-haired girl asks in a husky voice.
「It’s because you’re going to be a big shot in the future,」 Purume responds.
The red-haired girl’s eyes widen at Purume’s words.
「Me…?」
「Yes, you.」
「Why?」
The girl’s eyes waver.
「Why, it’s just my ‘hunch.’」
There’s no way to know anything for certain.
That’s precisely why Purume values her intuition.
「But I’m just someone who can’t even use intermediate magic—」
The girl’s words trail off.
It seems as though her damaged self-esteem and her desire to deny it are at odds with each other.
「Just what? Were you going to say ‘defective’? ‘Defective red hair’?」
The term 「defective red hair」 used to refer to the girl was a derogatory nickname meant to belittle her.
It was plastered with various negative emotions like jealousy and envy, both internal and external, such as 「I hate the privileged Honest family」 or 「Despite having the same red hair as the founder」 or 「Getting cocky just because you have a lot of mana.」
There was no need for the girl to care about such things, not even a speck. Purume had spoken with this intention, but the girl’s expression showed she was hurt.
「No, no, that’s not what I meant to say!」
Purume says, flustered, waving her hands in front of her face. She then proceeds to tell the girl about her true identity.
「A girl said to have the highest qualifications in history, possessing the ‘Wise One’ skill and mana rivaling that of a Saint. She continued her grueling training without resting on her laurels of talent—」
The training must have been tough.
Moreover, it was training squeezed in between the grueling work at 「that diner.」
「—However, perhaps due to this defect, she ended up being cast out from her family. Even now, that girl continues her relentless training in this city, away from her family home.」
Purume narrows her eyes.
The girl’s mana lines glow brilliantly.
The light far surpasses what she saw on that last day.
「As they say, ‘mana control is the fruit of training.’ Mana control can become infinitely precise with practice. However, unlike long-lived elves, mortal humans tend to stop at a certain level of mana control. Do you know why?」
「Why is that?」
The girl asks with a puzzled expression.
「Because it’s such an ordeal. When someone with a certain level of control trains further, it brings about excessive pain and Lethargy. Not many can endure this.」
Purume continues,
「That’s why most mages stop training under the pretext that precise control isn’t necessary to use intermediate magic.」
The girl is misjudging herself.
「When you were ten years old, I saw you once. When I visited the Honest main house and saw the barrage of beginner magic you unleashed in the training hall, I was shaken to my core.」
It’s not hard to imagine what’s going through the mind of a girl who had everything denied at such a young age.
Even now, as she listens to Purume’s words, she’s still belittling herself.
She probably thinks 「that’s nothing special.」 That’s why Purume needs to use even stronger words to make her understand.
「Don’t take this the wrong way, but the current Honest family is full of fools. How many people in this world do you think can do what you do?」
A faint color seems to return to the girl’s face.
「I can see it, you know. The abnormally coordinated mana lines running through every corner of your body. Ah, why can’t those idiots at Honest understand?」
Purume shakes her head.
「You can only use beginner magic — but that also means that’s your only weakness. Apart from that one point, your talent and charm aren’t clouded in the slightest.」
Purume continues,
「Well, I’m just a humble Guildmaster. There’s not much I can do, but I can at least provide an environment for you to grow.」
There were words that needed to be said.
「Won’t you come work with me?」
Purume can see the girl hesitate.
But it’s only for a moment. With a determined expression, she firmly grasps Purume’s outstretched hand.
「Thank you, I’d be honored.」
She says, showing a beaming smile.
◇◇◇
「Ah,」
Purume has never forgotten that day.
Indeed, at that moment, the two of them became family.
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