25
Chapter 25
Just as her teacher had said, without Bruno, she was just a poor kid from the slums with nothing.
"I highly valued your passion and allowed you to handle expensive research tools that you wouldn't even dare to dream of as a disciple, but it seems that only fueled your greed."
Her legs trembled.
Before she knew it, she was about to beg for forgiveness.
"Vivian, look down there."
Belinda's voice from the previous day stopped her.
The terrace of a coffee house directly overlooking the gates of the royal capital, Monteo.
The tip of Belinda's fan pointed to a group of people.
Hunters returning from the dungeon were embracing their comrades, celebrating each other's return.
"Do you know what they would never let go of, even if they abandoned their weapons?"
"…'Meteor Lighthouse'."
Inside the dungeon, where even compasses lost their direction, the hunters relied on the 'Meteor Lighthouse,' which endlessly pointed to the location of the stars.
The light of the Meteor Lighthouse was the only guide that led them home.
Belinda's fan pointed to the left this time.
Workers getting off the merchant guild's carriages were lined up in front of iron cages, waiting for their turn.
It was to send greetings to their families in their distant hometowns.
"What allows them to convey their regards to their families so quickly?"
"…'Twin Migratory Birds' Nest'."
Hoping that good news would be delivered faster than anything else.
With that in mind, they created the 'Twin Migratory Birds' Nest,' which could transmit voices to distant loved ones.
All of them were Vivian's creations.
Vivian couldn't take her eyes off the faces of the people using her Magic Tools.
She had always been locked in the Magic Tower's chamber, doing research, and hadn't seen how her teacher's Magic Tools, no, her own Magic Tools, were being used.
"That's the value I saw in you. When you feel like you're insignificant, remember this scene."
Vivian, who had been looking down, slowly met her teacher's gaze.
"I, I..."
Belinda's voice pushed Vivian's back.
"If you can't believe in yourself, believe in their joy."
"I'm... not."
"What?"
I'm not just a poor kid from the slums with nothing.
I'm someone who can bring smiles to people's faces.
Someone Belinda recognized as valuable.
I am...
"I'm not as lacking as you say, Teacher."
"You..."
Bruno was momentarily speechless at his disciple's rebellion, who had never made a peep before.
Toward him, who was gaping, Vivian declared quietly.
"I was the one who released the recipe for 'Cecil's Lullaby' in the slums this time. I even applied for a patent for 'Cecil's Lullaby' under my name at the Magic Tower."
"You... you vile thing, daring to repay kindness with betrayal!"
Bruno finally took out his staff.
But Vivian was no longer afraid of him.
Belinda had said that those with ability had a responsibility to bear their talent.
Vivian finally realized that she had been shirking that responsibility, not believing in her own value, and passing it on to someone like him.
She unfastened the Brooch she had been wearing all along.
It served as the Magic Tower's identification card, and returning it meant severing ties with the Magic Tower.
It was throwing away the only thing she had received in exchange for eight years of work, but unlike before, Vivian had no hesitation.
"Thank you for everything, Teacher."
* * *
A high-end bar located in the commercial district.
Bruno's face was flushed as he repeatedly downed drinks there.
"That little thing, daring... daring!"
With a tongue twisted by alcohol, he didn't stop venting his anger.
Vivian had returned her identification card, but he thought she was just bluffing, dissatisfied with being a trainee for so long.
She would be back by evening.
She had no money, no place to sleep, and if she couldn't do alchemy, wouldn't she rather choose death?
But his goose that laid golden eggs didn't come back to beg for forgiveness.
Bruno had to admit his painful mistake.
Just as he was grinding his teeth in anger at Vivian.
"Mr. Bruno?"
A woman he had never seen before naturally joined him at his table.
'No, is it a woman?'
He had drunk a lot, but not enough to cloud his reason.
He couldn't distinguish the gender of the person sitting in front of him.
"Who are you?"
"So you are Mr. Bruno! Oh, I've been looking for you for so long. Your assistant sent me. The assistant also said you would be here at this time."
"Why is that useless trash looking for me now?"
"Well, I don't know the details, but they said they completed the task they were given."
"Task?"
Bruno's eyes, which had narrowed due to the alcohol, widened.
She must have found out the buyer of the PanShield.
Bruno's lips twisted cruelly.
Right, there's no way Vivian, who was ignorant of the world, could have planned all this. That buyer of the PanShield must be pulling the strings from behind.
'I'll make both of them regret messing with me.'
After all, the Magic Tower was extraterritorial. Even if he committed murder, the kingdom's laws couldn't punish him.
As the target of his revenge became clear, strength surged within him.
He abruptly got up, then staggered.
He was confident in his alcohol tolerance, but strangely, it was hard to keep his balance.
"Oh my, you seem to have drunk too much. Lean on me. Come on, let's go."
He staggered and barely took a step, leaning on the other person.
But not long after leaving the bar, he realized something was wrong.
"Hey, where are you going now? This is the slums. Even a Stray Dog knows not to go in there at night."
"Did the person who knows that disturb the order of the slums?"
"…What?"
"Even the Sewer Rat have their own rules. If an outsider tramples on them with muddy feet, wouldn't the rats living in the Sewer Rat be upset?"
A chill.
Sensing danger, Bruno pulled away from the other person and rummaged through his inner coat pocket. But there was nothing to be found.
"You only cling to this staff, no wonder Wizards don't develop."
Terry sneered, snapping the staff he had stolen from Bruno's chest in half.
"There, there must be some misunderstanding."
Bruno stammered, looking around to ask for help.
He had heard rumors. There were two forces in the slums that you should never mess with.
The Sewer Rat who controlled all the rats in the slums and the Stray Dog without a leash.
He had laughed, calling them nothing more than Sewer Rat and Stray Dog, but...
"It's almost time for you to sleep. Is your type slow to take effect? Surely you haven't tried the medicine you sell, have you?"
Whether Terry's words were true or not, his eyelids suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
Bruno shouted as if making a final struggle.
"Daring to touch a Wizard of the Magic Tower! Are you trying to make the Magic Republic your enemy! The Magic Tower is extraterritorial...!"
"You still don't understand. Just as the Magic Tower is extraterritorial, this slum is also a kind of extraterritorial."
"Wh, what are you talking about?"
"Even if people die, they blame the person who entered here, and no one tries to find the murderer and punish them legally."
A bright smile appeared on Terry's face as he said that.
And he whispered sweetly to the fainting Bruno.
"Have a happy dream, Mr. Bruno. When you wake up again, you'll have to beg to be killed until your voice is hoarse."
* * *
Warm autumn sunshine.
The fragrant scent of black tea.
Sweet desserts.
And even Leo, with his lips pursed, diligently studying his writing.
Ah, I don't know how long it's been since this peace came.
"Belinda, I'm done!"
"Okay, let's see."
I started checking Leo's homework with a red pen.
Leo waited anxiously for the results.
And finally.
"Five Macarons."
Leo, who received a passing score, cheered and raised both hands in joy.
Then, he chose three out of the five Macarons he received as a reward and gave one each to me, Lord Penadel, and Vivian.
Leo, who had become the happiest child in the world even with two Macarons in his hands, was so lovely that I wanted to give him a bunch of Macarons to eat as much as he wanted, but...
'I have to hold back so he doesn't get cavities.'
I endured with tremendous patience.
Soon, just as the adults were huddled together, about to stuff the Macarons Leo had given them into their mouths in one bite.
"What are you all eating without me?"
A familiar face suddenly popped out, and I almost screamed.
