Chapter 120 : Chapter 120

Chapter 120

The day he poured out his anguish while drinking with Leodimir.

Eddie was absent from class for the first time.

The reason was sick leave.

In truth, the reason was his poor condition due to drinking until the morning, but since he couldn’t reveal that, Leodimir had it processed simply as sick leave.

Come to think of it, sick leave wasn’t entirely wrong.

Eddie had drunk the hard liquor because he couldn’t bear the anguish.

His drinking, which had continued until dawn, only stopped after Leodimir sternly told him off and Bex pecked at his hand.

Leodimir was about to continue with his nagging, but he couldn't because of the sincere expression on his master’s face, revealed by the alcohol.

‘He had an expression as if he were missing something terribly.’

Eddie was missing so many things that it was impossible to know which of them had made his expression that way.

But what was certain was that it was a longing for something ‘irretrievable.’

“Haa……”

Leodimir let out a deep sigh and looked at the clock on the wall.

It was already past noon and nearing the students’ lunchtime.

Eddie, who had collapsed at dawn, would probably be awake by now and suffering from a hangover.

So Leodimir called Parita and gave her instructions.

To prepare a simple meal with dishes good for hangovers and send it to Eddie’s room through Bex.

And he handed her a personally folded note to send with the meal.

As Parita took the note and left the office with Bex, Leodimir relaxed his expression and smiled a little.

He couldn't do it while his master was drinking, but as his favorite disciple, he couldn't just skip the nagging.

* * *

Eddie stared alternately at the food on the desk and the note in his hand.

Then he burst out into a hollow laugh and wiped his face.

[If you skip your meal, I will consider the matter of using the indoor training hall you requested as unheard of.]

That was what was written on the note from Leodimir that Bex had brought with the bundle of food.

It was a threatening nagging that was quite contrary to the sincerity of sending only food good for hangovers.

But knowing that the threat was ultimately out of concern for him, Eddie sat down obediently at the desk.

‘It would be quite troublesome if I couldn’t use the indoor training hall.’

The indoor training hall was necessary to start training with Marcel from today.

‘He said he would be back starting today.’

Remembering Marcel, who would probably be eating lunch alone by now, Eddie let out another hollow laugh.

Coincidentally, he was absent on the day Marcel returned.

There would be a lot of talk again, saying that he deliberately didn't come out because he was uncomfortable with Marcel.

But it didn't matter anymore.

Marcel had made his decision, and he had accepted it.

There was no room for others’ gazes to intervene in their own affair.

Eddie put down the note and picked up a spoon.

Then he began to eat diligently.

To teach magic, he too had many things to prepare.

And that would require a lot of energy, so he needed to get over the hangover quickly.

* * *

That night.

Marcel headed to the indoor magic training hall as Eddie had told him.

When he arrived, Eddie, who had arrived first, was sitting facing the winter on the training hall wall.

But as he got closer, he saw that he wasn't just sitting.

He was closing his eyes and concentrating on mana attunement.

Marcel hesitated to approach for a moment, worried that he might be a disturbance, but he soon summoned his courage and started walking again.

And when Marcel was right behind him.

Eddie opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“Sit down in the same posture as me. We will start with the basics, mana attunement.”

Only the tone was polite; the content was the same as that of the professors.

At Eddie’s instruction, Marcel hesitated for a moment but soon followed without a word.

The reason for his hesitation, as Eddie had figured out, was not because he was being talked down to.

‘Even if we’re starting from the basics, he must be wondering why we’re starting with mana attunement and not mana application.’

But Eddie had no intention of letting Marcel carry on with the basics he had learned while trapped in a prison of praise within his family.

That was what it meant to learn magic from him.

As Marcel sat down in the posture, Eddie first demonstrated mana attunement.

“Hooo…”

As he composed his breathing and focused his mind to react with his mana circle, golden mana particles soon appeared around Eddie.

It was the sight of natural mana being absorbed by a user.

Although it was a familiar process he already knew, Marcel didn't take his eyes off and focused on observing.

Soon, a sight quite different from what he knew unfolded.

A golden mana circuit began to appear on Eddie’s skin.

A mana circuit that spread out more densely than blood vessels.

The spiderweb-like network flickered more brightly each time Eddie inhaled.

Marcel quietly widened his surprised eyes.

‘I’ve never had my mana circuit revealed like that during the mana attunement process before…’

Eddie, flickering with a golden light, seemed to be truly one with mana.

To be different from the very basics of basics, mana attunement.

No, it was different from the attunement he had seen from other mages.

But he didn't need to ask to know.

That what Eddie was showing now was the proper way of mana attunement.

Marcel clenched his fists, which were on his knees.

His heart pounded with the expectation of finally being able to learn proper magic.

But at the same time, he wondered what he had been learning from his tutors all this time.

One side of his swelling heart sank heavily.

“Idle thoughts hinder concentration.”

It was then that Eddie’s stern voice was heard.

Could he see everything about him even with his eyes closed?

Marcel was startled and corrected his slightly disheveled posture.

Soon, Eddie stopped his attunement and slowly opened his eyes.

Looking at Marcel reflected in the mirror, he said in an even sterner voice.

“Here, empty your head and focus only on learning. Magic is not that easy. To learn and master it properly, even concentrating with all your mind is not enough.”

“I understand.”

“This time, you will do mana attunement with me. Listen to my explanation carefully and follow slowly.”

Marcel nodded again without a word.

Then he looked at Eddie in the mirror with determined eyes.

It seemed as if Eddie was avoiding his gaze even through the mirror, but he just dismissed it as his imagination.

* * *

And so, Eddie taught Marcel every night.

During the day, they kept their distance as if they didn't know each other.

And after lights-out, they would meet in the indoor training hall and exchange teachings.

It was quite contrary to the public relationship between Kirhausen and Eddie Summerson that people knew.

But the hearts of the two who were continuing this strange master-disciple relationship were sincere.

Not only Marcel, who had developed a craving for magic and truth, but also Eddie, who had revenge at the end of his path, was sincere.

And as he taught Marcel, he learned several new things about him that he hadn't known before.

First, contrary to his appearance, he was surprisingly impatient.

When he was taught one thing, he learned it with a diligent attitude like a model student, but he was always curious about the next step.

And second, he had several bad habits when it came to learning.

Marcel kept holding his wand in a way that was comfortable for him, and he didn't check the circle’s reaction to the end when raising his mana.

And he kept forgetting to check the state of the circle for any mana leakage after a spell was cast.

Despite Eddie’s numerous pointers.

Of course, it wasn't that Marcel was deliberately doing it to cut corners.

Those mistakes were due to habits that were already ingrained in Marcel’s body.

Habits that his tutors had left uncorrected with the thought that they could just get him a well and supplement his mana.

When Eddie pointed that out, Marcel was shocked once again.

Then he tried even harder to improve, but…

A habit that had been ingrained in his body for nearly 10 years could not be corrected so easily.

And through that, Eddie realized another characteristic of Marcel.

That he was much more influenced by his innate anxiety than he thought.

This was a fundamental part that was connected to the two shortcomings above.

Because he was anxious, he wanted faster progress, and the fact that his habits weren't being corrected fueled his anxiety even more.

He had told him many times to clear his thoughts, that worrying alone would not solve anything, but it was useless.

Even when he was doing well, the moment a wave of anxiety hit him, Marcel’s concentration would invariably waver.

In Eddie’s view, this was a more serious problem than his low mana.

So, after some thought, Eddie decided to try a new method.

A way to relieve Marcel’s anxiety and also to improve the skills of another disciple who still needed more training.

* * *

“So, you’re telling me to spar with the Kirhausen family’s young master for 30 minutes every night in the indoor training hall from now on?”

Joy asked with a frown and in a dumbfounded tone.

At Joy’s unexpected reaction, Eddie was flustered even as he answered yes.

He hadn't thought she would accept right away, but he hadn't expected her to be this reluctant.

‘Did Joy dislike Marcel this much?’

Eddie asked himself as he looked at Joy’s frowning face.

Come to think of it, he had never thought about their relationship.

The only reason he could infer was that she might dislike him because he was part of the magical world’s upper class.

But wasn't Joy opening her heart to the upper class as she participated in his plan?

That was why this reaction was somewhat baffling.

And-

‘Hmph.’

Joy looked at the flustered him and replayed the unspoken complaints in her mind.

‘You haven’t watched my training even once for two weeks because you were teaching the young master, and now you’re telling me to train with that young master?’

Even she thought it was a childish jealousy, so she couldn't say it out loud, but that was how Joy truly felt.

She was jealous of Marcel, who had snatched away the best magic teacher.

But Eddie had no idea that was the case.

Most of his disciples in his past life had come to him as adults, so he was ignorant of a teenage girl’s heart.

“Sparring with Marcel will also help your magic training. You and Marcel have opposite tendencies when it comes to casting magic.”

But for someone who didn't know Joy’s true feelings, the hastily made persuasion was quite plausible.

At the words that it would also help her, Joy’s ears perked up, and she showed interest.

“Since I have an aggressive tendency, that young master must be defensive?”

“That’s right. So if you exchange blows, you will learn a lot. I also have the same tendency as you, so there is a limit to how much I can teach about defensive deployment.”

“Hmm…”

Joy’s expression softened, and she thought deeply.

Eddie was relieved at the change in her attitude and, seizing the momentum, threw out the final bait.

“And above all, if you spar hard with Marcel, I’ll teach you Piling.”

I’ll teach you Piling.

At those words, Joy’s red eyes sparkled, and she fixed her gaze on Eddie.

Seeing her with the delicious bait fully in her mouth, Eddie burst out laughing.

Then he met her red eyes, shining with expectation, and added certainty to the words he had spoken.

“Yes, I’ll teach you. Piling.”

Once you’ve relieved Marcel’s anxiety with that simple and cool tendency of yours.

And so, a deal that wasn't quite a deal was struck.

And on the night of the fifteenth day of teaching Marcel, Eddie headed to the indoor training hall with Joy.

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