How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 51

With both students gone, the Tower of Magic was utterly quiet. Only the occasional hiss and rustle from Eric’s experiments disturbed the silence, making the emptiness feel all the more desolate.

Pfft.

Once again, the unfinished spell caught fire and vanished halfway through. The sole point of light in the dark room disappeared with it, sinking Eric’s face into endless blackness.

He paused, sighed, and irritably reached for the material he used to test his spells so that he could begin again. His hand closed on empty air.

He had been using a great deal of that material recently, so his supply had dwindled rapidly. Then Claudia had come by last night and borrowed the last of it. Naturally, there was none left now.

He would have to buy more.

…And of course, it happened to be something the Tower of Magic did not provide.

Eric instinctively opened his mouth to call for Thorne, only to remember that Claudia had summoned the boy away.

Clicking his tongue softly, Eric set down his wand in frustration. Without the testing material, there was no point in continuing the spell. He paced restlessly around the room several times before finally deciding to go out. Even then, he spent the next several dozen minutes searching before finding his key in the pocket of a winter coat in the wardrobe, one he could no longer remember wearing. Stuffing the key into the pocket of his mage’s robe, Eric strode out of the Tower of Magic.

The last time he had gone outside seemed to have been several months ago. He had not left the tower in so long, and the laboratory was kept dark year-round so that magical patterns, arrays, and the state of other spells could be seen clearly. The moment Eric stepped outside, the dazzling sunlight made him knit his brows in annoyance. He instinctively recoiled, but it did no good. The sunlight continued to strike him squarely in the face, and with no other choice, Eric walked on with his brow deeply furrowed. A short while later, he discovered that he had also misjudged the weather. The temperature had already climbed quite high, and after only a few steps, sweat began to bead across his back.

He truly did not want to return to the tower only to come out again, prolonging his ordeal in the outside world by several more minutes. Gritting his teeth, Eric pressed onward. Before long, he reached the market.

As always, the place was crowded. He pressed his lips together uncomfortably and tried his best to avoid the throng, but there was nowhere to hide. Eric had never been good with people, and after secluding himself in the Tower of Magic for so long, he had interacted with crowds even less. The noise and disorder of people passing in every direction left him agitated and unable to bear it. He only wanted to buy the materials quickly and return to his quiet laboratory.

“…Ah, tod… Aisha…”

Suddenly, broken fragments of conversation reached Eric’s ears. Although he could not make out what was being said, the name “Aisha” caught his keen attention. Eric spun around to find the source, but the already indistinct figure had long since melted into the bustling crowd.

Aisha was not an entirely unique name, but hearing it still bothered him. Something seemed to lodge in Eric’s chest, leaving him unable to let the matter go. Yet skilled as he was in all kinds of magic, he could not find someone who had already disappeared into the crowd. He had no choice but to continue toward the magical-supplies shop. Then, all at once…

“…Aisha Byrd…”

At the familiar name, Eric whipped his head around. Two young women dressed as warriors came into view. They wore armor and carried weapons, looking as though they were on their way to a fight, yet their expressions were full of anticipation, as if something exciting awaited them. A moment ago, they had been nothing more to Eric than two faceless pieces of the passing crowd. Once he noticed them, however, their voices became piercingly distinct.

“She should be coming today too, right?” one of the young women said happily. “I went and adjusted my classes yesterday. From now on, I should be able to come every week on the day she’s here…”

“Me too!” the other replied with a laugh. “I wonder if we’ll get to know her after seeing her every week… Aisha really is an outstanding mage. She’s kind, and she’s so skilled with magic. I hope I’ll have a chance to work with her someday.”

“So do I, but I have a feeling she’ll go much farther than us… By the way, don’t you think she looks a lot like Tina Killott in the graduation portrait hanging at our school?”

“Ah, so you thought that too? She hasn’t said anything herself, but maybe they’re related somehow! That would explain it.”

“Mm… But it would be such a shame to give up just because of that.”

“Why don’t we invite her to tea once we know her better?”

…

Their voices gradually vanished beneath the clamor of the crowd. Eric’s heart tightened, and he instinctively turned to follow them.

Without warning, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Eric wheeled around.

“You care, don’t you?”

To his utter surprise, the aged face before him belonged to Claudia Green. At that moment, her deep green eyes shone with a light that seemed to see through everything.

Eric froze. His first instinct was to deny it. “No, I only—”

“Aisha is very popular around here.”

As though she had anticipated his reaction, Claudia gave him no opportunity to defend himself and simply continued.

“She is not quite like Tina, but…” Claudia said slowly, approval entering her gaze, “in her own way, she is influencing others just as her mother did… Would you like to see?”

Eric frowned. “I…”

Claudia raised her brows, her expression taking on a faintly commanding edge. “Follow me.”

“…”

Eric opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He followed with stiff, awkward steps.

…

Claudia led him to the Free Arena. Looking at the arched building before him, Eric felt his vision waver.

Claudia glanced at him. “If I recall correctly, this is where you and Tina first met. But… after Tina left, you never came here again. Well? Does it still look familiar?”

“…”

Eric unconsciously avoided Claudia’s gaze. After five seconds of silence, he finally muttered with obvious reluctance, “It is nothing…”

“Good.”

Claudia looked away and fixed her eyes straight ahead.

“Then this is precisely where you should take a proper look at Aisha.”

With that, Claudia fell silent and strode directly into the Free Arena. Eric hesitated, but ultimately followed without a word. One behind the other, they proceeded down the arena’s long corridors. Claudia walked quickly. Eric followed her for several minutes, yet she showed no sign of entering any of the doors. He was just about to speak when Claudia rounded one final corner and at last came to a stop.

“We are here,” she said.

Eric stared. Although he habitually concealed his true emotions, the sight before him still brought open astonishment to his face.

Claudia explained, “They cleared this place specifically for Aisha. She treats the wounds of those who have finished their matches here as a way of practicing her innate magic. Because of her, the Free Arena always has a great many visitors at this hour, including many newcomers. Even wounds Aisha cannot heal completely can be treated immediately at the professional medical center beside her, and her ability can at least ease some of their pain. She has improved rapidly. Injuries she could not fully heal a short while ago are effortless for her now.”

Even without Claudia’s explanation, the scene before him was enough to convince Eric that she spoke the truth.

They stood in the open space before the medical center. Eric had once known the Free Arena well, and he was fully aware that this area was normally quite deserted. Now, however, a large and orderly line stretched out before him. Most of those waiting were warriors, though there were mages among them as well. At a careful count, there seemed to be forty or fifty people.

Following the line to its end, he saw Aisha seated there. Her expression was solemn, and she held her breath in concentration as she cast magic on the warrior at the head of the line. A soft, limpid golden light glowed at the tip of her wand…

Almost reflexively, Eric narrowed his eyes and began analyzing what he saw.

Her posture… above average, though not especially orthodox. A gifted mage’s innate magic could certainly be performed more effectively.

The frequency of her magical output… stable.

The result… very good. However, this method of releasing innate magic still wasted some power. Gifted mages naturally possessed a special affinity for their innate magic; there appeared to be room for her to conserve even more mana.

Her current level…

In the next instant, undisguised shock overtook Eric’s face. He examined the true shape of the golden light several times through the eyes of a mage, so astonished that he could barely speak.

Golden threads!

She had already created golden threads on her own!

Without anyone to guide her, how could that be possible? Just what kind of girl was she…?

Eric’s gaze moved from the tip of the wand to Aisha’s face. He suddenly went still, as though only now realizing that the person he had been observing was Aisha—his own student. He had already inferred the strength of her talent from her ordinary magic. But… seeing Aisha’s innate magic with his own eyes for the first time, rather than learning about it secondhand from Claudia’s records, still shocked him all over again.

His heart began to pound. Cold sweat suddenly broke across his body, and even his hands trembled without his noticing. He could not help clenching them into fists.

“Surprised?”

Claudia’s calm voice sounded beside him.

“All this time, you saw her only as Tina’s daughter and failed to recognize her own true talent. Do you regret it? This girl’s gift can by no means be summed up so easily with the words ‘Killott’s daughter.’ Incidentally, those golden threads are not something she learned recently. Her magic was already like this the first time she went to take the entrance examination at Wold Warrior School. I am told she has only known magic for a short time. Even afterward, she never received instruction from a professional teacher and relied entirely upon herself. In other words… she discovered all of this on her own. She had even reached this level before she knew that what she had discovered was magic… Yes. She is an uncut diamond.”

Eric said nothing. His whole body merely shook harder.

Beneath the golden light, the dark bruising on the warrior’s arm visibly faded. Soon, only a faint trace remained.

Aisha exhaled softly. She seemed somewhat tired now. Raising an arm, she wiped the sweat from her brow, then looked up and said something to the warrior she had just treated. The warrior nodded in understanding, turned, and entered the medical center.

Aisha rested for only a dozen seconds before calling the next person forward. That appeared to be all the time she needed to recover her mana. She skillfully began the next treatment, and that beautiful golden light appeared once more, exquisite beyond compare.

Claudia paused. She gave Eric a faint glance, lowered her voice, and said, “Eric, I believe you know how the outside world speaks of you—the only mentor in the world truly capable of teaching gifted mages. You have always had good reason to take pride in that. Although you have never said so openly, I know you enjoy the work. It is only that most of your students have graduated, and lately you seem to have forgotten what that felt like…”

Claudia paused again.

“Do you remember why Tina attracted you? Undeniably, your infatuation with her had many causes, but the first and most immediate was still her strength and the potential she possessed to surpass even you… Look carefully at the child before you and consider it. With her talent and powers of comprehension, combined with your understanding and study of gifted mages… Think of the treasure you overlooked because of your own obstinacy. Think of the miracle the two of you could create.”

Eric shuddered. A moment later, however, his shoulders sagged. He looked utterly exhausted, as though he had aged several years in an instant.

“I fear it is already too late. She will certainly leave. All this time, I…”

For the first time in more than a decade, his mind seemed utterly clear. Yet at the same time, that intense guilt and anxiety ate away at him once more. Simply standing there made Eric feel as though needles were piercing every inch of his body. He did not even dare look at the girl smiling at a patient nearby.

She resembled her mother so much, and yet was so different.

Claudia sighed.

“There is still one week before the end of the trial period, Eric. What you need is communication. In this world, you truly are the person most capable of drawing out the full extent of her talent. Even I could not do better than you. You must tell her yourself what you can offer her and what the two of you can offer each other… In fact, it was Aisha who asked me to find you. She has already begun to grow. Eric, it is time for you to take a step forward and move on from Tina at last.”

…

That day, Aisha finished her practice at the Free Arena at the usual time and returned to the Tower of Magic. She closed the door to the ninth floor as quietly as she could to avoid disturbing Eric, only to turn and see Eric Green himself standing in the sitting room, watching her with an indescribable expression. Aisha jumped despite herself.

“…Teacher?”

She stared, then remembered that she had gone to Claudia some time ago. Seeing Eric’s complicated gaze, her heart gave a small jolt, and she asked tentatively, “Um… Teacher, could it be that… Lady Claudia has already come to speak with you?”

Eric’s body stiffened. Then he nodded once.

Aisha understood. Knowing that Eric had likely learned how she felt, she grew a little more nervous, but at the same time felt as though a weight had been lifted. At last, everything was out in the open… Yet she could not guess what Eric thought from his expression. After a moment, she gathered her courage and said firmly, “I am sorry that I asked Lady Claudia for help… When I tried to talk to you about this before, you did not seem to want to say much. Um… Teacher, my mother has told me a little about your past. I know the two of you were once friends… Well… I am sorry I do not possess the same dazzling brilliance my mother did, but I… believe there should still be things I can work hard to accomplish in my own way. Perhaps you had your own reasons for teaching me as you have, but I am still rather lost about my present situation, so I wanted us to talk things through… Ah, I am sorry. I am not expressing myself very well… If you do not wish to continue teaching me, I can understand. Um… the three-month trial period is almost over, and once it ends…”

There was so much she wanted to say, and nervous unease made her thoughts increasingly disordered. As she spoke, Aisha felt herself becoming more and more incoherent, and her face reddened before she realized it.

Then Eric interrupted her. “I…”

Eric had intended to look into Aisha’s eyes, but when he met those clear, candid hazel eyes, he still looked away unconsciously, unable to hold her gaze. It had been the same when they first met. That time, however, his fear had come from worrying that Aisha would leave him as her mother had. This time… he felt guilty toward her.

“I… I am very sorry.”

At last, Eric forced himself to look at Aisha and made himself hold her gaze.

“For… what happened before. I am sorry.”

“…What?”

Aisha stared blankly.

Eric bit his lip. “I went to the Free Arena today and watched you practice. Aisha… you did very well. Your innate magic was beautiful.”

“…Thank you?”

Aisha blinked in surprise. She had never expected Eric to say such a thing and, for a moment, did not know how to respond.

The two stood facing each other in silence. A long while passed before Eric spoke again. He was plainly unaccustomed to saying such things, and his voice sounded painfully strained.

“I am the one who should apologize… Forgive me. Because you… are Tina’s daughter… I never managed to see your talent for what it was.”

He bit his lip again, unable to find the words to continue. Instead, he began anew from a different direction. “I am sorry. I failed in my duty as your teacher. There is still one week left. If you are willing to give me another chance, I…”

“Would you be willing to look at my innate magic again now? I still have a little mana left.”

Aisha paused, then interrupted him with a smile.

“My mother praised you in her letter. She said you can use nearly every spell known to mages. I believe you can teach me… If you are willing to take a look, I would be very happy.”

Looking at Aisha’s gentle smile, Eric could not describe what he felt. His eyes suddenly stung. He hurriedly rubbed at them with his sleeve to hide it. He opened his mouth, but in the end, only one word emerged.

“…All right,” he said.

…

Watching Aisha follow Eric into the classroom at a time when they did not usually have lessons, Les finally breathed a sigh of relief from where he stood by the door.

He had originally come over to wait for Aisha after hearing her footsteps on the stairs. Instead, he had overheard something unexpected. Although he would now have to wait a little longer to feel Aisha’s warmth and breathe in her scent, Les knew how deeply this problem had troubled her. Seeing it finally resolved, he was happy for her all the same.

From now on, Aisha’s study of magic should proceed much more smoothly—

Creak—

Suddenly, Les’s ears twitched. He turned his head sharply and saw the door to the room beside him, which had been open a crack, being carefully pulled shut. A black-haired head silently disappeared back into the room.

“…That was pretty well done.”

Les heard the boy mutter under his breath. In the final second before Thorne turned his head and closed the door, Les’s keen eyes caught the trace of a smile on his face.

…For some reason, Les felt a jolt in his chest. An inexplicable sense of danger swept over him.