Please, Just Read It

---

“Please just read it!”

Chapter 3

Cheina Yunsebella (3)

[Haa… So you have no intention of dropping the sword at all, huh?]

“That’s about right.”

The boy scratched his head and continued speaking.

“I’ve lived half my life wielding a sword. Even the Academy professors said my talent isn’t too shabby…”

[……]

Well.

It’s unfortunate, but if it continues like this, I only have one choice left.

If I stubbornly insist now, there’s a risk that it could backfire.

I finally found someone worthy of ownership after 300 years, but if things go wrong here?

That would be truly terrifying.

I didn’t even want to imagine waiting any longer than this.

So even if it means my pride takes a hit, I have no choice but to compromise here.

There was no other option.

[Alright, I’ve given you enough leeway! How about a Magic Swordsman? One hand holding the sword! The other casting magic!]

“Hmm…”

Magic Swordsman.

This was the best compromise I could offer.

It did bother me a little that he wouldn’t be a pure magician, but at least a Magic Swordsman is still an extension of being a magician.

And who knows?

There’s a possibility that while walking the path of a Magic Swordsman, that boy might just fall head over heels for the charm of magic!

If things go well, I’d even have the chance to raise him as a pure magician.

The boy gets to wield the sword he wants.

And I get to train a magician as I wished.

Two birds with one stone.

Everyone’s happy.

It was truly a perfect compromise that would rival Solomon’s wisdom.

“Hmm, a Magic Swordsman, huh…”

Could it be that my feelings resonated with him?

After deep contemplation, the boy finally opened his mouth to respond.

“…That’s really cool!”

[Great! Really great!]

It’s done!

I finally succeeded!

This difficult owner was a first for me, but I managed to persuade him at last.

Now it was time to fulfill the contract.

[Alright! Now unfold my emblem! If you do that, I’ll make you a legendary magician remembered in history… No, a Magic Swordsman!]

“Yes! I understand!”

The boy looked at me with sparkling eyes filled with excitement.

The moment he unfolds my emblem, the contract would automatically be enforced.

From that point on, I would be granted a sort of magical ‘authority’ to teach that boy. There would also be a ‘bond’ that ensures interaction until the owner dies.

And from that very moment…

My ‘magician training’ would resume after 300 years.

Slithering─.

The boy carefully turned the page. Golden patterns etched into the air and gently settled on both of our bodies.

Paaah─!

[…….]

“……”

I felt a strange subtle bond form between us.

Thus, the contract was established.

This also meant an eternal farewell to the lonely wait of 300 years I’d endured.

[It’s done! It’s done!]

I shouted in jubilation, overwhelmed with an ecstatic sense of liberation.

[I’ve truly done it! Finally! After holding out so long! Finally!]

I was happy. I had never felt this level of happiness in my life.

[Haaah! Damn it! Finally escaping this damned bookshelf! This rotten corner!]

However, in stark contrast to my boundless joy, the boy’s expression looked dark for some reason.

But whatever.

His feelings were none of my concern right now.

All I needed to do was enjoy my newfound freedom to the fullest.

“Ahhh…”

[……?]

But no matter how much time passed, the boy’s expression showed no signs of brightening.

In fact, he looked even more glum than before.

What’s wrong with him?

It was making me uneasy.

Sensing something off, I quickly hid my apprehension and spoke to the boy.

[Hey. You’re about to become a great magician, no, a Magic Swordsman, so why do you look so dejected? What’s the problem?]

“Uh… um, just a moment.”

I was anxious.

Something definitely felt off.

“Ah, this… I’m so sorry, what should I do?”

And just as my ominous premonition proved true, the boy, stammering, finally blurted out the thunderous revelation.

“Magician, I thought about it again, but I really don’t think I can do magic. I’m really sorry.”

[……?]

Wait, what?

What’s with this sudden change of heart?

He was all for being a Magic Swordsman earlier!

“I actually come from a knightly family, you see.”

[……?]

“If they find out I learned magic, I could get kicked out of my family…”

[Ah.]

But at the boy’s next words, I couldn’t help but gasp.

This was a real predicament.

It was indeed a pickle.

Everyone living in this world knew the fact that the relationship between magic families and knight families was utterly terrible.

Knights looked down on magicians, whom they considered to be nothing but charlatans steeped in sorcery.

Conversely, magicians would insult knights as simple-minded fools with nothing but muscles in their brains.

This trend had persisted for hundreds of years within the Empire.

Amidst this, a knight learning magic?

That could be viewed as an unforgivable act, leading to disownment from one’s family.

…But seriously.

[So what?]

“Uh…?”

I had no intention of caring about the relationship between magic families and knight families.

300 years.

Three hundred whole years.

After such a long wait, a trivial issue like that was completely irrelevant to me.

[What does it matter if you get kicked out of your family, you brat? What’s the problem? You could be a great magician… No, a cool Magic Swordsman! Can’t a real man handle that?]

“Uh? But…”

[Are you scared of your father? Afraid you might get beaten for saying you want to learn magic?]

Upon hearing my words, the boy hesitated before finally replying.

“Um… well, that too.”

[It’s fine! Just secretly learn magic from me for half a year! You’ll become ten times stronger than your father!]

“Uh, um…”

[And then your father starts hitting you? It’s okay! Just blast him with magic!]

“Y-yes? Wait a second! Why would I attack my father?”

It seemed our good boy was rather hesitant about becoming a filial son amid flames. Quickly, I suggested a new alternative.

[Alright, you don’t want to fight family members, huh? How about trying to convince him?]

“……”

[How about a simple letter? If you’re not confident in your writing skills, I could ghostwrite it for you. I’m exceptionally good at persuasion, you know.]

But the boy displayed a negative response towards my brilliant proposal.

“I-I’m really sorry. My father isn’t someone who can be persuaded…”

[…….]

“……”

A moment of tense silence.

“Ah, right! I’ll introduce you to other students from the Academy I know! Then we can form a new contract with one of them! Haha, how did I not think of this until now…”

[No way……. ]

“Eh…?”

[No way! Not happening! Absolutely not, you brat!]

I shouted with boiling rage.

[Once a contract is made, no new contracts can be formed until the owner dies! Once the contract is made, the bond is established!]

“Ah, ah…”

[Hey, you little brat! Why on earth are you telling me this now? Why are you bringing up your knightly lineage now? You should’ve just backed out of the contract! Why give me hope and then snatch it away? Why!]

“I-I’m so sorry…”

[You can throw your family away, but you can’t let go of that ridiculous family? Always responding, “I can’t do that!” Damn it! What did I do wrong? Huh? What did I do wrong, you sword-wielding bug?]

“Um… I’m really s-sorry… I just got carried away by the cool name ‘Magic Swordsman’…”

[Sorry doesn’t cut it! Sorry doesn’t cut it, you brat! This is why sword-wielding fools are beneath magicians! I waited 300 years! Do you know that? A long, miserable 300 years!]

“Really, I’m so s-sorry…”

[What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong? Did I do something bad to you? Am I your parents’ enemy or something? But why did you give me hope only to take it away? Why!]

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry… So can you please calm down now…?”

[Haa… Haa…]

After unleashing a torrent of curses, I took a breath.

I may be a book that doesn’t need to breathe, but, well, it felt good to vent.

It somehow helped calm my anger a little.

“Ah… I-I’m really sorry. I was a bit reckless. I truly am sorry…”

And just then…

“M-m-my…”

While I paused to speak, the boy began to sincerely apologize—

“You crazy magician! What right do you have to insult me!”

[……]

Correction.

That wasn’t an apology; it was a sudden burst of anger.

Damn it.

“Not only did you insult my father, but you also casually dismiss knights! You just gloss over my family!”

[Wait, what…?]

“That’s enough already, damn it!”

Bang─!

The boy yelled while almost in tears and forcefully shoved me back onto the shelf.

[Hey! Wait a minute…!]

“You said you’ve been stuck on that shelf for 300 years, right?”

He muttered, looking at me.

“Well, that’s nice! You managed to survive 300 years, so why can’t you wait until I’m dead?”

[Hey! Wait! No way! You can’t just—]

No.

It couldn’t be.

No matter how malicious that boy was, no way he could—

“Take care. You can find your next contract after I’m dead.”

[Hey! Hey! You can’t do this to me! Hey! Hey!!!]

Swoosh─!

But despite my cries of despair, the boy turned his back without hesitation.

His figure started to fade away.

An utterly desperate situation.

The exhilarating sensation of liberation I had felt after 300 years was slipping away from me.

The suffocating, sticky constraints began to crawl back into my mind, making me anxious.

[Haa, calm down… I need to stay calm… ]

But it’s okay. There’s still hope left.

I had my last resort.

The magical “authority” granted upon the execution of the contract with the owner.

By using this, that boy would have no choice but to temporarily follow my orders even if he didn’t want to.

This “authority” was indeed a powerful and coercive constraint.

[Stop! Freeze right there! I command you with my “authority”! Stop right there!]

“What are you talking about…”

But alas, my final glimmer of hope was once again shattered into pieces.

Damn it.

I was really done for.

My “authority” wasn’t functioning.

I had no idea why, but I could only assume it was because I hadn’t enforced a contract in a long time.

[Oh, no…]

So now, truly.

I was left with nothing but the future of waiting until that boy died to find a new contractor.

[No! Just die! Die already! Smash your head into the ground and die! Die, you damned sword-wielding brat…!]

But in that very moment—

Slithering―.

“Huh?”

It was as if he had fallen victim to a gliss magic spell.

The boy stepped on a piece of paper lying on the floor and slipped right away.

Thud─!

[……?]

Drip.

In an instant, an astounding amount of blood flowed down from his head.

[H-huh…?]

“……”

Had my “authority” finally kicked in?

Or was it just that the boy had truly abysmal luck?

I didn’t know the exact reason.

But one thing was certain…

[The bond… it’s broken?]

…That the boy had just died.