Please, Just Read It

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Chapter 11

Purpose and Revenge (4)

[Are you awake?]

“Yeah.”

Riley rubbed her eyes and got up, clearly having been woken by the ship’s announcement.

It seemed there had been some confusion with the paths of the vessels.

Apparently, we’d have to wait a few more hours to dock completely at the port.

[Well, it’s not all that bad.]

By the way, I had a simple technique I wanted to share with Riley.

“Another technique?”

[Yep.]

“Is it really a good idea to try it right after getting up?”

[It’ll be fine.]

It wasn’t a complicated technique.

If anyone could pull it off, it would be Riley, even when feeling groggy.

“What is it?”

[Isn’t it uncomfortable to talk to me in front of others?]

It’s annoying to have to whisper.

You have to be careful not to be suspected of talking to yourself.

It was inconvenient in many ways.

“That’s true.”

[This technique is for those times.]

“Is it something like telepathy?”

[Sort of.]

Telepathy, or what they call “voice transmission,” is a very difficult technique.

It involves converting magic power into sound and accurately sending it to the target; only highly skilled practitioners can succeed.

[But the telepathy we’re going to do is a bit different.]

Since the “Bonding Providence” is already established, Riley and I could communicate to a certain extent.

If we simply use a little bit of voice transmission with our magic power, we could achieve a much easier and more efficient means of communication than typical telepathy.

“It sounds difficult just from the explanation.”

Sure, it might sound hard when you hear about it, but there was no need to be scared.

It was simpler and easier than expected.

None of my students struggled to learn this technique.

[Even those with zero talent managed to pick it up, so you’ll succeed quickly if you figure out the trick.]

After that, everything proceeded smoothly.

I taught Riley the trick, and she attempted to replicate what I had taught her.

‘Am I supposed to do it like this? Right now, I should…’

[Can’t hear you well.]

Of course, it was too much to expect success on the first try.

I could roughly guess what she was trying to say, but it wasn’t coming through clearly.

It felt somewhat like trying to make a phone call with a lot of static noise.

‘Not sure if this is going well.’

[Umm.]

But after an hour passed…

‘Feels like I’m sort of getting the hang of it.’

[Yeah. Let’s keep trying.]

As time passed, it was now the second hour.

‘Can you hear me clearly?’

[Perfectly.]

Riley easily mastered telepathy.

Honestly, I never thought it’d take long. Again, the telepathy Riley learned wasn’t all that difficult.

I figured she’d succeed within two hours max, and we accomplished that, so I was quite pleased.

‘But why tell me about this technique now?’

[Huh?]

‘If it’s so simple, you could have told me sooner.’

[I don’t know.]

To be honest, I had my petty reasons.

It was kind of cute when Riley whispered every time she had to say something in front of others…

However, if I said that outright, she might scold me or something.

So I just kept quiet.

‘…Besides, with the Bonding Providence, I can hear all your inner thoughts, you know.’

[…….]

Tsk.

*

Ultimately, we could finally dock at the harbor after one more hour passed.

I had no complaints.

Such confusions were common when traffic is focused in a strait.

And we got to use that time for Riley to learn telepathy, so it worked in our favor.

‘This is the strait, huh?’

[Yeah.]

Soon after leaving the harbor and entering the center of the strait, Riley looked around slowly.

It was a vibrant city.

Nicely paved roads.

Neatly arranged white buildings.

Merchants and people moving in and out of the shops.

Truly a typical wealthy district of the Empire’s capital in a fantasy world.

‘It’s beautiful.’

[First time here?]

‘Not the first time. It’s just…’

[Just what?]

‘I’ve never seen it so lively and bright during the day.’

[So when you came before, it was at night?]

‘Yes.’

It had been night.

Though I had been here before, it was for business with the Thieves’ Guild.

I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to admire the scenery of the strait.

So it was definitely captivating to take in.

This strait was a bustling city.

It felt somewhat unfair to compare it to other towns.

Even I, who had visited countless times, couldn’t help but admire the strait after such a long time.

[This place is still fabulous.]

Honestly, I was a bit curious.

How much had the strait changed?

Were the shops I knew still thriving?

What about that temple?

The mercenary guilds?

I’d like to explore this place a little longer.

Reluctantly admitting it… after 300 years out of the library, my heart couldn’t help but flutter.

That excitement was enough to relieve my rage toward Yan Ilarantes, even if just for a moment.

Above all, Riley’s eyes were sparkling bright.

I had never seen her so focused on anything before.

[Want to take a look around?]

‘Huh?’

[We still have some time left.]

“……”

[Since we’re here in the strait, why not try some delicious food and check out the local specialties? It would be a nice change of pace.]

I had enough money for that.

Thanks to the allowance the professor handed out to us in Lutemis.

Riley’s expression brightened at my suggestion.

Of course, it still looked expressionless, but through the “Bonding Providence,” I could tell she was excited.

‘Okay.’

*

It had already been four hours since Riley and I started exploring the strait.

The sun was high in the sky.

[Hmm.]

Surprisingly, the strait hadn’t changed much.

Though 300 years had passed, most everything remained as I remembered it.

On one hand, I felt relieved.

It gave me a sense of comfort that the world hadn’t drastically changed.

[…….]

But well.

To be honest, I had somewhat expected it. The Empire likely hadn’t changed much.

With thousands of years of history behind it.

Or rather, it wasn’t just the Empire; I had probably been a central figure across the entire history of this continent.

Groundbreaking inventions in magical engineering.

Theoretical discoveries.

Innovative ideas.

All created by me and my students.

With my absence for these 300 years, it was only natural that the Empire had experienced little change.

While pondering this, I turned my gaze to Riley.

Then I asked her.

[Is it good?]

‘Yeah.’

In Riley’s hand was one of the strait’s specialties, skewered unicorn meat.

Of course, the name was nothing but a name; it was essentially the same as any other lamb skewer.

“……?”

However, the way Riley reacted to that comment was a bit peculiar.

‘This… Wasn’t it unicorn meat?’

[What?]

‘I thought it was definitely unicorn meat since it was called skewered unicorn.’

[What is she talking about?]

That would be a catastrophe.

For both the eater and the seller.

Anyone who laid a hand on a divine beast would be executed without mercy.

‘I feel cheated. No, it’s totally a scam. I want a refund.’

[…….]

I couldn’t help but respond in disbelief.

[Think about it logically. Who would even try to make skewers out of unicorns?]

Riley immediately countered.

‘The world is vast, and there are plenty of crazy people. I thought at least one person would try it.’

[That’s just ridiculous.]

Again, no one in this world would seriously entertain the idea of creating skewers from unicorns.

Absolutely not.

‘Want to bet?’

[Go ahead.]

At that moment, Riley’s expression turned oddly serious.

I felt a chill and quickly added.

[No, not you! Don’t actually do it.]

‘You figured me out.’

[…….]

No.

If it were anyone else, I’d dismiss it as a joke.

But with her acting like this, it just felt… a bit unsettling.

‘Of course, I’m joking. What do you take me for?’

[……That’s a relief.]

I desperately hoped it was a joke and pushed the conversation out of my mind.

Riley took another bite of her skewer.

As she chewed, she asked me.

‘By the way, I feel like we’ve seen most of the strait by now.’

[No.]

‘We still have more to see?’

[Yep.]

There was still one place we hadn’t yet visited — a place every citizen of the Empire should visit at least once in their life.

*

The destination we headed for was the expansive square of the strait.

Kids walking hand-in-hand with their parents, smiling brightly and the minstrels joyfully singing away, this was the grand square of the strait.

While admiring the scenery, Riley quietly remarked.

‘I see why you wanted to bring me here, Magician.’

Before her stood some colossal figures.

They were statues.

Five immensely massive statues.

I quietly whispered the names of the statues one by one.

[Ian Shishikin, Cherdian Sokolov, Chrome Bell Stingwood, Dmitri Kisin, and Marta Parherich.]

All were the names of the great magicians I had raised.

[You know who they are, right? You must have learned about them in history class.]

‘Yes.’

Riley replied.

‘The Five Great Magicians. I learned they are incredibly talented geniuses with unmatched passion for magic.’

[Wrong.]

‘Huh?’

[That’s incorrect.]

I continued.

[They weren’t geniuses. They were just a bunch of morons.]

I gazed at the statues.

300 years.

An entire 300 years had passed.

While everything in the strait remained intact, it seemed these statues had not survived the test of time.

[…….]

The statues bore various patches of strange colors.

Marks left from corroded sections that had been fixed.

As I observed them, I slowly began my tale.

[See that old man on the far left?]

‘Yeah.’

[That’s Ian Shishikin.]

“…….”

[He was just a little kid at first.]

Ian had been living in the countryside of the Empire when he discovered me at the age of eight.

He was one of the most dramatic of my students.

The biggest complainer, and the least talented.

You could say he was the complete opposite of Riley.

[So I made sure to whip him into shape. I’d yell and curse him out for every little failure…]

“…….”

[One day, do you know what he said to me?]

‘What did he say?’

[He said that since failure is the mother of success, he hoped I could be more lenient with his mistakes.]

‘That’s actually true.’

[Right? But considering he only ever failed, wouldn’t that make me furious?]

Reflecting on those old memories, I continued.

[So I shot back.]

‘What did you say?’

[I told him that if failure is the mother of success, then he probably has thousands of mothers.]

Riley burst out laughing.

Though passersby glanced at her strangely, Riley paid them no mind and replied.

‘Still, Ian Shishikin made it to the esteemed position of a great magician.’

[Yeah. Even though he whined, he was a fighter.]

Anyway.

[Do you see the next person? The one next to Ian?]

‘Yeah.’

[That’s a guy named Cherdian…]

And the stories continued.

Fueled by nostalgia, I shared all the tales of my students with Riley, one by one.

Listening, she laughed, sometimes wore a serious expression, and at times looked saddened.

Time flowed on.

And my stories spilled forth.

From Cherdian Sokolov to Chrome Bell Stingwood, Dmitri Kisin, and finally Marta Parherich, my last student 300 years ago.

Once I finished, I asked Riley.

[So, what do you think?]

‘Huh?’

[What are your impressions of my five fools?]

Riley paused to think for a moment.

Then she shared her feelings with me.

‘You seem very fond of your students, Magician.’

[…….]

Fond of my students, huh.

Hearing that from her made me smile wryly.

It was a lonely smile.

[Riley.]

‘Yes?’

[You asked me yesterday why I raise magicians, right?]

‘That’s right.’

[The reason is simple.]

The reason I raised magicians was singular.

It had been my goal from the very first moment I became a Magus, my guiding star in life.

[I want revenge on those bastards who made me like this.]

“…….”

[My aim is to raise my contractors into powerful magicians and take vengeance on those who reduced me to this pathetic scrap of paper.]

The memories were still vivid.

My first contractor, Peindal.

And his death.

-Peindal?

-…….

And next to that cold corpse, helplessly watching his lifeless eyes until midnight while a new “Phase” would open.

Even when I begged for help, pleading that someone was dying here, screaming in distress.

No one could hear my voice…

I vividly remember that day.

[Since that day, I’ve had no more students for thousands of years. I couldn’t bring myself to bond with any of them.]

“……”

I was afraid of losing a student I had grown attached to.

Each death would bring me immense psychological pain.

So for a while…

I called them “contractors.”

I stopped using the term “students.”

Contractors were merely tools to me. I sought vengeance through them, and they sought power from me.

It was not a mentor-student relationship.

It was, in its essence, a contract formed out of mutual interest. A continuous cycle of cold, unfeeling days devoid of humanity.

In that process, I used my contractors like tools.

I never thought about their safety.

I viewed them as mere test subjects.

Whether they lived or died, I continued to force them down dangerous paths.

I merely collected their overlapping deaths as data, aiming for better results in the next cycle.

Thus, this bloody cycle of despair continued.

Until I met a girl.

[Ruel Nirav, that’s her name.]

“……”

That name, now forgotten in history.

Yet in my heart, she occupied the greatest part, the world’s first great magician.

Ruel Nirav.

[I subjected her to every kind of dangerous experiment. She must have faced death thousands of times.]

Looking back, it was miraculous.

The path she walked was a continuous agony. After enduring that pain, the only reward awaiting her was death.

But she persevered.

And she finally became a great magician.

[But do you know what she said to me just before she died?]

“……”

[Just one word.]

-Thank you.

Thank you for raising me into a great magician.

Thank you for never giving up on a talentless girl like me.

[That was her last word.]

“……”

I had only acted out of greed.

I never thought about her well-being or life.

Only my selfish desires drove me.

And yet, she thanked me.

It hit me hard.

The one who fought for revenge was, at some point, becoming like the very ones I sought to rant against.

There on the road I walked, countless victims lay beneath me.

The moment I realized that, I changed my direction.

The main goal remained revenge.

But I’d reach that goal without sacrificing anyone along the way.

Moreover, I’d build bonds with my students as well.

Though this method was slow, it was worth it.

I found joy in the act of raising my students.

Time flowed on.

The first great magician, Ian Shishikin, remembered in today’s Empire was born.

*

Yeah.

That was my fault.

I had used thousands of magicians like tools.

It had been a path lined with destruction.

The magic path, it was almost like the “Path of the Devil.”

I reflect on that past.

I endlessly apologize.

I sincerely repent to those contractors I drove to their deaths. Upon reflection, what a truly guttering act it was.

The path I walked was forged through the sacrifices of all those unfortunate contractors.

Through thousands of years of trial and error, I created a training method. I then raised the great magicians based on it.

Now Ruel Nirav has faded into history.

Along with Ian Shishikin, Cherdian Sokolov, Chrome Bell Stingwood, Dmitri Kisin, and Marta Parherich.

Through the sacrifices made by my old contractors, they managed to rise to the ranks of great magicians.

Yet all those fruits of sacrifice were suddenly snatched away by that liar, Yan Ilarantes.

By pretending to be Marta Parherich’s student.

And he didn’t stop there; he used that privilege to elevate his own worth, even going so far as to establish a magic tower named after himself.

[Now do you understand?]

“……”

Why I hold such rage.

[…… Have you finally understood?]

The crime committed by Yan Ilarantes was not simply an insult to Marta Parherich.

It was an act that denied the paths I had walked.

All the contractors who had sacrificed for the sake of my journey.

And it mocked me, who had barely held on at the edge of mental despair, as I traversed that painful path.

“……”

Riley fell silent.

The sun was slowly setting over the square of the strait.

Shadows began to fall between the massive five statues.

Even after a long time passed,

At last, Riley nodded her head and answered.

“I understand.”

[……. ]

“I understand the anger when one’s path is mocked by a singular person and denied.”

Riley stared resolutely at me from her pocket.

“Let’s make a vow.”

[……. ]

“I will take revenge on Yan Ilarantes for you, Magician. Moreover, I will become a great magician and hold accountable the entity that made you what you are.”

Riley’s voice trembled strangely.

Like yesterday, I felt I understood the reason behind that tremor.

Fury.

A burning animosity toward a target.

Those seeking power through magic typically desired but one thing.

“With that said…”

[……. ]

“…Magician, please help me achieve my revenge.”

I stayed silent.

Riley wanted to learn magic from me to grow stronger.

And through that power, she sought revenge.

That was why, carrying her singular purpose, she took the risk of seeking me out in that library that night.

…What had driven her to this point?

A girl who barely lived for 15 years.

Or rather,

Perhaps a girl who only had known freedom for three years after escaping the Thieves’ Guild’s grasp.

To find a target she wanted to take revenge on, and to risk everything for it, felt deeply tragic to me.

[…….]

But on the other hand, I felt a sense of kinship with her.

After all, I had my own targets for revenge.

Yeah.

That night,

Those of us who met at Lutemis’ library all had our own purposes.

Everyone had someone they wanted to take revenge on.

And each of us had our own ambitions.

Riley and I didn’t share a typical teacher-student relationship.

It was merely a contract born from mutual interests.

[I’ll promise it.]

“……”

But unlike those cold days filled with no humanity of the past, this was a firm vow forged in trust between us.

[I’ll fulfill your revenge.]

It was a feeling of bonds being forged.

Though not wrapped in rituals and magic circles, there was certainly a feeling of robust connection.