Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Talent Will Out (1)

After getting up from the hospital bed, I straightened my clothes.

According to Levia, the other three who had been inside the Artificial Rift had already gone into the dormitory to rest.

She held out a Subspace Bag to me.

"You should go to the dormitory and get some rest too. Proper classes start tomorrow."

When I reached out to take the bag, she abruptly pulled it back.

"And try to refrain from using the Sacred Mark carelessly like you did today."

"If I hadn't used it, I might have died."

"I'm telling you to learn the basics properly before you use it. Never mind Black Magic, when it comes to Holy Magic, you're a beginner. If it runs wild again and your Sacred Mark gets exposed in public, it'll be hard for even me to cover for you."

"I can't exactly promise that......"

"True enough."

Levia twisted her mouth.

"Just do your best. You're the only one who has a Sacred Mark."

The Sacred Mark was treated as top secret even within the Holy Empire.

That meant that while I could learn Holy Magic within Saengterminum, there was no way I could know the exact method of using a Sacred Mark.

Which was to say, there was no suitable teacher who could instruct me in how to use it.

She let out a deep sigh.

"It's a shame there's no one else besides you who has a Sacred Mark."

***

After receiving the Subspace Bag from Levia, I left the hospital and headed toward the dormitory.

The sky had already gone pitch-black, but it was not especially dark thanks to the magestone lamps standing here and there, casting their yellow glow.

"So I'm the only one with a Sacred Mark......"

As I mulled over Levia's words, I swallowed a dry laugh.

It's not as hopeless as she's making it sound.

Because I know that Yulia has a Sacred Mark too.

'If you still end up being branded with the Sacred Mark even after returning to the past... come find me. I'll teach you how to handle it.'

So far, so good.

'Like the Holy Empire is going to welcome a Black Mage like me with open arms. Right? And it's not as if you'd even remember what happened between us.'

'T-th-then you will just have to figure that part out yourself!'

'How irresponsible.'

"How irresponsible."

Recalling the last conversation I had shared with Yulia before my return to the past, I grumbled under my breath.

Back then, things had been urgent, so there had been no helping it, but this was still an awkward situation.

Ask the Yulia of this timeline to teach me how to handle the Sacred Mark?

To even bring that up, I would first have to explain why I had a Sacred Mark and how I knew she had one.

And sure, someone I had known for less than a day would believe that without question.

It was still too early, so for now, the first priority was getting closer to Yulia.

More than anything, with her personality... there was no way she was quietly resting in the dormitory right now.

'There she is.'

Benches had been arranged at regular intervals along the path to the dormitory.

And on one of those many benches sat a familiar young woman.

Flip... flip......

Judging by the way she brushed back her hair, tucked it behind her ear, and turned the pages in her file folder, she seemed to have been sitting there for quite a while.

"Ah."

Yulia, sensing my presence, turned to look my way. 

The moment she saw it was me, she stood up, still holding the file folder.

"You're here. I've been waiting."

The light from the streetlamp shimmered in her amber eyes as she smiled at me with her eyes.

I had known it already, but unlike the way she acted around a Black Mage, she was extremely polite.

"I heard you were resting in the dormitory."

"Even so, I felt I should thank you before the day ended, so I came looking for you."

"Did you now?"

After walking up to me, she lowered her head politely and raised it again.

"As someone from the Holy Order, just like Viole, I would like to formally thank you. Thanks to you, my friend was not seriously hurt."

...Right. 

This is the kind of person you are.

It was not only because of her skill, but also because she possessed such an upright character even at such a young age that she had inherited the Sacred Mark from the Holy Order.

So in a way, it was only natural that she would wait for me all this time just to offer her thanks.

Because to you, the me of right now is not a Black Mage the Holy Order ought to reject.

"There are not many people who can make that kind of judgment in an instant. I think what you did was something you have every right to be proud of."

A gentle face and a tranquil smile.

She truly looked like the very model of a benevolent holy knight.

"And... I'm sorry for knocking you out. That really was the only method available."

"Ah, yeah, that part did piss me off a little. But you've apologized, so it's fine. If that was the only solution, there wasn't much else to be done."

She had probably expected me to get genuinely angry, because she had been watching my reaction carefully. 

But when I responded more calmly than she'd expected, she looked puzzled.

"Um... is there some kind of problem?"

"No. Nothing."

My attitude probably seemed pretty lukewarm, but what was I supposed to do?

The moment she came at me with that sort of kindhearted attitude from the start, the gap between the way she was acting now and the way she had treated me in the previous timeline made me instinctively recoil.

Still, this was a hundred times better than having her come at me with hostility, so good enough was good enough.

'Hmm......'

I swallowed a short breath.

How was I supposed to deal with this girl, putting on a front?

Right now, the best thing would be to get closer to Yulia.

But I knew.

She was wearing a mask right now.

The sort of mask that came from an almost obsessive need to become someone worthy of the Sacred Mark.

A Sacred Mark passed down through generations in the Holy Empire.

Having inherited something like that, of course she would feel pressure.

To be honest, it was not really any of my business to interfere.

No matter what, she would eventually be the one to kill the Hellfire Demon.

But still.

'What exactly... were we fighting for?'

I just could not bring myself to ignore that.

Making that kind of pitiful face right before I returned to the past was playing dirty.

After that, if I treated you exactly the same way I had in the previous timeline, huh? 

That would make me a heartless piece of trash, wouldn't it?

Fine. 

We had fought together in the previous timeline, so out of a sense of camaraderie, I would restrain myself and ask as politely as possible.

"You said you were sorry, right? In that case, there's something I'd like to ask of you. Would that be all right?"

Her face brightened at once.

"Of course. If you want something in return, I will do my best to help within my ability."

"Today, while I was fighting that mid-rank monster, the 'Holy Light Forging' I used went out of control, didn't it? You would know what the problem was, wouldn't you?"

As far as I knew, 'Holy Light Forging' was a low-level Holy Magic spell.

The magical formula I used was identical to the one for 'Mana Forging,' but for some reason it had not been properly controlled.

There had to be something I had overlooked.

"Of course I know. I was actually planning to help you with that, but I didn't expect you to bring it up first."

Since it was already late today, she said she would point out the problems with the 'Holy Light Forging' I had cast after class tomorrow.

"Sounds good. I'd appreciate the help."

"Of course."

Yulia and I looked at each other and smiled amicably.

Things had gone exceptionally well.

At this point, it was safe to say I had achieved my goal of getting a little closer to Yulia.

Hmm... should I try to narrow the distance a little more?

Looking for a suitable topic of conversation, I pointed at the file folder in her hand.

"What's that? It looked like you'd been reading it the whole time until I got here."

"Ah, this? It's nothing important......"

She opened the file folder and showed me the first page.

At the top of the page was a photograph of someone's face, attached like an ID photo.

"...Huh?"

The moment I saw that picture, even I could not help being dumbfounded.

Pitch-black hair.

Sharp eyes.

Blood-red irises.

Uh... well....... that's me, isn't it?

My original face was right there on the page.

"It's a file containing information on 'Aron Bayonel' and the incidents involving him. The Holy Order provided it."

When I took a quick glance over the text written in the folder, it contained detailed information about me in the form of a report.

"Ah-ha......"

I shifted my gaze and studied her expression.

The more Yulia spoke about Aron Bayonel, the colder her entire demeanor became.

Damn it, I had a feeling I'd gone and kicked a hornet's nest.

Instinctively sensing trouble, I put on a shamelessly calm face.

"Ahem, Aron Bayonel, that's him, right? The son of one of the Four Great Houses, same as Lloyd?"

"Yes. He is an infamous criminal with a wanted order issued even in his homeland, the Dark Empire."

Well now so I'm an infamous criminal, am I?

That is certainly one hell of a choice of words.

"From what I've read about his personality and behavior, he sounds like a complete delinquent. It even said he spoke terribly to fellow Cadets who were also Black Mages....... A man like that could not possibly have fled the Dark Empire with good intentions."

"Did he really do something that bad?"

"More than that, I think the bigger issue is how dangerous the abilities he possesses are. According to the information provided by the Holy Order, this man is currently capable of using all four categories of Black Magic."

"I don't really know much about Black Magic, so is that really that impressive?"

"Of course it is. More than anything, the fact that he escaped the Dark Empire alone and vanished without a trace is proof in itself that he possesses considerable skill."

Well, thanks for the compliment.

"So he is a seriously strong bastard."

"If that were all, I would not have paid him much mind either."

"Hm?"

She stepped one pace closer to me and looked up at me intently.

"Do you know when Aron's whereabouts became uncertain? It was after he crossed the border between the Dark Empire and Saengterminum. From that point on, his trail was completely cut off."

...So the Holy Empire had already figured out that much too.

Then again, there was no way news of me being wanted would not have reached the Holy Empire.

I had wondered why she was reading a file on me here of all places, but now it seemed the Holy Empire had warned Yulia in advance.

That Aron Bayonel might be hiding in Saengterminum, so she should be careful.

"Of course, he may have passed through Saengterminum and gone somewhere else... but we cannot rule out the possibility that Aron Bayonel is hiding somewhere inside Saengterminum."

She clenched the file folder tightly.

"What a vile bastard. To think he would dare hide the fact that he is a Black Mage and secretly enter Saengterminum, where students are gathered."

"Ah, really?"

Sorry, but that vile bastard is standing right here.

She really had no problem saying all sorts of things in front of the person in question.

I suppose this was exactly what people meant when they said the darkest place was right under the lamp.

"Whew....... I let myself go on for too long. This is the sort of matter that could become quite serious."

Well, her judgment was not wrong.

The information written in that file was probably everything up until before I fled Necropia.

If those were the only things she knew, then of course she would conclude that I hated users of Holy Power for hindering the development of Black Magic.

In the previous timeline, I really had hated them.

Once she finished talking about Aron, the atmosphere around her softened again.

"You should be careful as well. If Aron Bayonel really is hiding somewhere inside Saengterminum, he likely would not look too kindly on people like us who use Holy Power."

"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind."

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow."

As I watched Yulia walk away, I let out a sigh.

So... that means I'm already marked as a dangerous figure in the Holy Empire too?

I had expected as much to some degree, but hearing it directly from Yulia made it hit much harder.

"Damn this cursed karma."

I was already sick of Aron Bayonel's infamy spreading in real time.

***

After parting ways with Damon, Yulia muttered softly,

"What a strange person......"

She recalled the 'Holy Light Forging' Damon had used.

There were not many even within the Holy Order who could create a Holy Light weapon that enormous.

"Could someone really refine that much Holy Power right from the start?"

It was not as if he possessed a Sacred Mark like she did.

Still, there was one word that could explain the situation.

Talent.

If he truly possessed overwhelming talent for handling Holy Power, then it was not impossible.

His personality was rather rough and made him somewhat hard to predict, which was a flaw, if one had to name one.

"Good."

Firming her resolve, she nodded.

Once classes were over tomorrow, she would properly verify his abilities.

If his talent truly was exceptional... then she might even try recruiting him into the Holy Order.