Quit The Hero Party

EP.115 Side Story (2)

Ashen Mage.

Raniel van Trias.

What kind of person is he?

The Master of the Black Tower recalled the image of the Ashen Mage he had encountered a few times in the past. They didn’t have frequent interactions. They had only crossed paths a few times during the regular meetings of the colored towers.

‘My first impression was that of an arrogant brat.’

Several years ago, during a tower regular meeting.

There, Yetual had met Raniel. The first impression was far from flattering.

The seat of the Master of the Ashen Tower.

Originally meant for an Elder, a boy was sitting there instead. He merely nodded to greet the arriving tower masters.

The tower masters felt discomfort seeing the boy.

A next-generation tower master sitting in a place designated for an Elder, and not even showing respect to the other tower masters. It was frustrating.

‘Disrespecting the authority of the tower master.’

The tower masters thought so.

Some went beyond thought. One tower master had confronted the Ashen Mage during their first meeting. If memory served, it was likely the Master of the Blue Tower.

-What does this brat, not even twenty yet, think he’s doing here? It seems the Elder of the Ashen Tower has finally lost his mind.

The Master of the Blue Tower tapped his staff.

It seemed he intended to fling the Ashen Mage out of the meeting room with a spell, but it was the Blue Tower master who got flung instead.

One side of the meeting room wall was shattered.

The Blue Tower master, embedded in the wall, fell silent. His eyes shook violently.

-······.

Everyone fell silent.

In the silence, the boy rested his chin in his hand and spoke.

-So, do you only have your age to boast about?

It was a remark filled with mockery.

From that day, the impression of the Ashen Mage was firmly rooted in the minds of the tower masters as ‘a brat with no manners.’

‘…But, he was exceedingly competent.’

Even without manners, he was competent.

Yetual vividly recalled the time he remained as the next-generation tower master.

‘It was a humiliating time.’

As time passed, the hierarchy among the towers became clearer. At the very top was the Ashen Tower. Or perhaps, one might say it was dominance.

The Ashen Tower was that unparalleled.

At some point, the regular meetings of the towers effectively revolved around the Ashen Tower. No one questioned it.

And.

It was all led by one mage.

“…Nice to meet you, Ashen Mage.”

At Yetual’s words, the girl smiled.

It was a light smile as if she had expected this.

2.

“······.”

Yetual paused for a moment.

The girl silently waited for the silence. Yetual kept silent, looking at her face.

‘Professor Rania.’

Just recently, that was the title she was known by.

As Yetual, being a teacher of Belnoa, had met her several times. They had even conversed. They had likely become familiar enough.

But now that the reality had been revealed, what was it like?

‘It feels strange.’

It felt extremely strange.

There was an awkwardness akin to a first encounter. Amid the awkwardness, Yetual slowly opened his mouth.

“…To be honest, it’s hard to believe.”

Yetual is a mage.

He understands that changes in the body and the corruption of the soul are, by natural order, impossible. If he were to write a thesis on it, he could spill dozens of pages immediately.

‘But, physical corruption?’

It was unbelievable. A difficult thing, but…

“But I have no choice but to believe.”

There was a reason he had to accept it.

That day, in that place, Yetual saw.

“There can’t be another person facing a calamity alone.”

Raniel van Trias.

No matter how excellent a mage she is, facing calamity is entirely different. Not to mention how she fought that day in that place.

‘She looked like a seasoned soldier.’

A soldier who had rolled around the battlefield.

A battle mage completed through endless experience—a perfect embodiment of an ideal battle mage.

‘And yet, this is just a twenty-year-old professor? With no practical experience?’

It was nonsense.

As Yetual voiced this, the girl shrugged. As if to say she would dispute it.

“The corruption of the soul seems less plausible to me.”

“That may be true, but…”

Yetual smiled bitterly.

“It doesn’t seem right for you, who has personally witnessed something utterly nonsensical, to say that.”

“······.”

“It is naturally impossible. However, there exists a being that has transcended nature.”

Yetual didn’t mention that being.

Even without saying it, the girl in front of him must know about that existence. Perhaps even more than he does.

Demon Lord.

A being that should not exist.

At Yetual’s words, Raniel nodded.

“Now that you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”

“…Is that so?”

“You already came with a conviction, didn’t you?”

She wore a mischievous smile.

It was practically a confirmation. Yetual let out a short sigh, loosening his shoulders.

“Phew…”

Even if there was conviction, hearing it from one’s own mouth feels different.

‘…The Master of the White Tower will surely faint upon hearing this.’

Funny enough, that was the first thought that crossed his mind.

Recollecting the disgraceful display the Master of the White Tower might have shown in front of this girl… it was enough to make cold sweat trickle down his back.

‘I just saved the Master of the White Tower.’

Gathering his thoughts, Yetual spoke.

“How many people know about this?”

“Initially, just two. My teacher and the Royal Guard you met then.”

“…Now it seems there are four, including Belnoa.”

Belnoa gulped, swallowing hard.

As Yetual placed his hand lightly on Belnoa’s head, who had remained silent since entering.

“This one seems to have something to tell, so let them talk later…”

Yetual stood up from his seat.

Sliding his chair back slightly, he handed the staff he had been holding to Belnoa.

“I didn’t come here just to find the correct answer.”

“Of course?”

“I have something to convey.”

The conviction was solid.

Even if he had doubts, there was something he needed to do. Yetual didn’t postpone his obligation.

Thud.

He slowly raised his right arm and placed it over his heart. Swearing upon the mana accumulated in his heart, he opened his mouth.

“I express my gratitude to you.”

He slowly bowed his head.

Without laying down the authority of being a tower master, he bowed as the master of the Black Tower.

“If it weren’t for you, Belnoa and Chloe would have been lost as well. It was something I couldn’t have done. And you did that for me.”

Originally, it was something I should have done.

Yetual spoke as he lifted his head.

“…Thank you so much, Ashen Mage.”

“Nobody asked me to do it.”

“That’s why I should be all the more grateful.”

Raniel looked at Yetual with a somewhat unfamiliar gaze. It was due to the disparity between the Master of the Black Tower in her memory and the Master of the Black Tower before her now.

“…You look quite unfamiliar.”

“To be honest, I’m starting to wonder if this is the Master of the Black Tower that I know.”

“Isn’t it common for both sides? The Ashen Mage I know was a mage whose arrogance was sky-high.”

Yetual chuckled.

“If they were the Ashen Mage I knew, they would definitely be complaining, ‘Is this all? Won’t there be any form of compensation?’”

“…Me?”

“In the past, you might have been a bit rude.”

Rosel, who had been listening, nodded vigorously. Seeing that, Raniel tilted her head.

‘Did I really act like that…?’

Watching this, Yetual continued.

“But it was a valid demand.”

“Huh?”

“It means everything should come with compensation. If you owe a debt, you must repay it. That’s the doctrine of the Black Tower.”

The master of the Black Tower must always be calculative.

Yetual, who had maintained that belief his whole life, found no reason to be different this time.

“I thought of several compensations, but… it seemed none would be necessary for you. If you have something you want, just say it. I’ll accommodate what I can.”

“I don’t have anything specific, though.”

“…A direct answer.”

“Oh, there is one thing, I suppose.”

She raised her index finger before her lips.

“I’d like you to keep it a secret. It’s not something I can just go around announcing.”

“…I wouldn’t say anything even without you asking. Besides, if I start blabbing, my head will be on the line.”

Yetual shook his head as if disgusted.

He recalled the Royal Guard handing back the magical tools and delivering hours of warnings.

-Please keep this confidential.

-If this information leaks out, I will do whatever it takes to silence it.

The notorious hunting dogs of the royal family.

The Hound would do whatever it takes to silence information. Despite Yetual’s confidence in his own skills, he didn’t want to be tormented by the Hound.

“Well, it’s fine if you don’t have any specific desires. If you need anything, feel free to let me know.”

Saying this, Yetual rummaged through his robe and took out something. It was a wooden box densely emblazoned with the emblem of the Black Tower.

“This is a minimal gesture.”

Raniel frowned upon seeing the wooden box.

‘Oh no…’

She immediately recognized the identity of what should be inside the box. It was a wooden box she had often seen during her days as a member of the hero party.

‘The mysterious wooden box delivered monthly.’

The primary cause of the hero party’s financial struggles.

Memories of throwing it away every time it arrived, bickering with Sara and Remia, flooded back. Raniel’s expression darkened.

“It’s a proudly new product of our tower…”

“Oh, uh…”

“…Is there something you don’t like about it?”

“No, it’s just… it brings back bad memories.”

Raniel reluctantly accepted the wooden box.

“I’ll wear it well.”

“…I’d appreciate that.”

With the gift received, there was an expression as if she had bitten into a bug.

‘…Did something go wrong?’

Yetual only tilted his head in confusion.

3.

After receiving the gift, Yetual and the Master of the Black Tower exchanged a few more sentences. Though, it was more about promising to meet again than actually having a conversation.

‘I’m tired.’

It was a side effect of pouring into one’s lifespan.

As he squinted against his heavy eyelids, the Master of the Black Tower concluded.

“…I was lacking consideration for a patient.”

Yetual rose from his seat.

“When you’ve fully recovered, do come visit the Black Tower. Aren’t you curious about the hero as well?”

“I’ll come visit depending on the situation.”

“Then I’d appreciate that.”

He stepped outside the room.

Belnoa did not follow Yetual. She remained seated, looking at him. She appeared to have something to say.

“Do you have something to say?”

I asked.

After a brief silence, Belnoa finally spoke.

“I knew you were an impressive person, but you turned out to be much more impressive than I thought.”

“Is that so?”

“…You were the model for my class.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“While it wasn’t my intention, I feel sorry for making a nonexistent class.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s fine if you don’t know.”

Belnoa tilted her head in confusion.

Watching her, I realized this felt somewhat unfamiliar. In fact, it couldn’t help but be.

‘This is the first time a student is meeting me as the Wise One, the Ashen Mage.’

Normally, I wouldn’t intend to reveal that.

However, the Master of the Black Tower had also discovered it… Given that Belnoa had witnessed the battle up close and heard the conversation, it would be impossible to keep it hidden.

‘Now that I’ve been found out…’

Curiosity sparked within me, prompting me to speak.

“Belnoa.”

“Yes?”

“You remember what I said in class? What do you think about it?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The thing I emphasized during class. That you learn by rolling in real situations. You have to push yourself to learn something.”

Now that Belnoa knows I am the Ashen Mage, I wondered if she would acknowledge the value I had been emphasizing all along.

“Does it sound more like the right thing now?”

“…”

“Isn’t that the class I created while rolling on the battlefield? To learn that properly… wouldn’t you have to do as I did?”

Right? I asked.

Belnoa remained silent.

“Right? Belnoa?”

I asked again.

“…”

Still silent, Belnoa watched me.

Her gaze seemed to say, ‘Isn’t that a bit unreasonable…?’ but I believed she wouldn’t entertain such rebellious thoughts.

“Isn’t that right, Belnoa?”

“…Um.”

“Answer me.”

“…I see what you mean.”

“The answer was a bit late, wasn’t it?”

Belnoa started to sweat.

“…I was just impressed that you had been making plans all along. To think you were testing me by throwing me into the Harmain Forest was intentional.”

“Exactly. You understand something.”

I nodded appreciatively.

“Therefore, I intend to push you a bit harder from now on.”

“What…?”

“I found that I can push a bit more. I feel that just rolling a little isn’t enough.”

I had been too complacent.

‘Exceptional talent.’

The final destination for that talent.

I realized I had been neglecting it a bit by just believing in that. And seeing Belnoa, who was helplessly kidnapped this time, made me think that way shouldn’t continue.

“At the very least, you must defeat the Dark Knight.”

That should be the minimum requirement to avoid getting kidnapped elsewhere. No matter how I thought about it, that was the bare minimum.

“Is that really so?”

Belnoa’s voice trembled.

I gazed at Belnoa, who seemed uneasy. Her eyes were darting around, matching her trembling voice.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Well, being taught directly by the Ashen Mage feels incredibly honorable and exciting…”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I smiled brightly.

Watching the student’s joy filled me with pride. Is this what it feels like as a teacher?

‘Not bad.’

I reached out and patted Belnoa’s shoulder.

“I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”

Author’s Note

Where in the world is there a professor like that?

Are you pretending not to know even while knowing?

Is it really possible to not know?

Well, really.

Why does such a professor exist…?

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