Chapter 43: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (2)

Every autumn.

When the first frost covered the land, the wizards of the Empire would gather in one place.

The Grand Festival of Magical Arts and Sciences.

Also known as the Arcane Olympiad.

It was for the event commonly called the Autumn Academic Conference.

To wizards, this Autumn Academic Conference was not a simple venue for sharing knowledge.

It was a place where geniuses from across the continent proved their accomplishments and vied for supremacy in the magical world.

Furthermore, it was a stage where one could indirectly display the national power of their affiliated country.

To borrow Yulian's expression, it was the wizards' Olympics.

Countless wizards from all over the world flocked to the Empire's Capital for this conference.

There was no particular reason why the Empire's Autumn Academic Conference, of all places, had become the wizards' Olympics.

"Ugh. Is today's schedule finally over..."

Because the Father of Magic lived in the Imperial Capital.

And because this conference was the only event he officially participated in.

His presence alone ensured that no magical conference surpassing the authority of the Olympiad had ever existed in human history.

"Hoo. I've gained a good disciple in my old age."

And so, having finished the first day's schedule of this year's Autumn Academic Conference, the Great Sage relaxed in a townhouse owned by the Merkur Trading Company.

"Then please enjoy your time, Great Sage."

The attendant withdrew.

Soaking his feet in a basin of floating herbs, the Great Sage recalled the day's events.

It had been a truly fine day.

He got to see his disciples' faces after a long time,

— "Adlen, the Master of the January Magic Tower, greets you, Great Teacher."

— "Have you been well, Teacher?"

shared recent news,

— "Ah, right. I should let you all know. I recently took on a youngest disciple."

— "What? When?"

— "Let me see... It's been about three years."

and it was a joy to see his disciples, the Masters of the Magic Towers, looking healthy.

— "What! Why are you only telling us now!"

— "Yay! I'm not the youngest anymore!"

— "Is he pretty?"

— "When are you going to introduce him to us?"

In many ways, it was a fine day.

Although the rookie wizards' presentations were boring, that was to be expected.

There weren't any particularly noteworthy presentations at the conference, but it wasn't bad to see the passion of promising young wizards.

'But, of all today's events, the most satisfying was... the evening schedule.'

The Great Sage gently closed his eyes, enjoying the warm aroma of herbs rising from his feet.

Across from him, on a table, a calm and elegant melody flowed from the brass horn of a gramophone.

The Great Sage let out a languid breath and looked around the room.

On the floor, a top-quality carpet so plush it sank to his ankles.

In the fireplace, the finest magic briquettes that produced no smoke or acrid smell.

On the table within reach, a 50-year-old Cognac in a crystal decanter.

It was the pinnacle of luxury, an extravagance that even nobles would find difficult to enjoy.

'That boy... He must be raking in an obscene amount of money.'

The Great Sage let out a wry laugh as he poured the amber-colored Cognac into a crystal glass.

The face of his beloved youngest disciple came to his mind.

"I don't know where he learned it, but he's certainly mastered how to serve his teacher."

As he took a sip of the Cognac, the rich aroma of oak barrels that lingered on his tongue was exquisite.

With that, Louis thought about the trading company providing this impeccable ceremonial service.

'The world is so unfair. To give him that talent and those looks, and then business acumen on top of it all.'

Recently, the Merkur Trading Company's name had been the eye of the storm in the Empire's business world.

According to the Great Sage's investigation, the company had been driven to the brink of bankruptcy by repeated sabotage and an overly honest approach.

But five years ago, the company had suddenly emerged as a newly-emerging powerhouse by introducing three medicines.

And now, that same company had introduced a vaccine.

'I released the patent, and yet this company ends up with a monopoly on the vaccine.'

The Schnabel Formula and the vaccine manufacturing method had no such thing as a patent.

Naturally, other trading companies jumped into vaccine production.

But the result was the Merkur Trading Company's monopoly on the vaccine.

'Perhaps it was an expected outcome.'

The reason was simple.

The Merkur Trading Company had already completed its preparations before the vaccine was even made public.

Production facilities. Distribution networks. Skilled personnel.

While other companies were scrambling to decipher the formula, Merkur was already mass-producing the vaccine.

On top of that, there was the sense of security that came with being the original.

A vaccine is something that goes directly into the body.

No matter how cheap it was, no one wanted to willingly use an unverified medicine.

The Merkur Trading Company, on the other hand, was different.

A supernova that had appeared like a comet five years ago, introducing miraculous medicines one after another.

The company had built up so much trust that a rumor was recently circulating in the Capital: any patient who waited to use a new medicine from Merkur was a fool.

As a result, even though the vaccine was public, people were only seeking out the one from the Merkur Trading Company.

'It will become First-Class soon.'

Among the Class 2 Trading Companies, it was the undisputed number one, with no one to even compare it to.

Considering the personal connections and capital it had sown in the Imperial Court and noble society, it was obvious it would be promoted to a 'Class 1 Trading Company'—the pinnacle of the commercial world—within one or two years at most.

And the Great Sage's youngest disciple had now become a major shareholder and co-manager with a 15% stake in that company.

"Goodness. After my tastes have become so refined, I wonder if I'll be able to drink plain water when I return to the Magic Tower."

A groan escaped the Great Sage's lips.

Yet the pleased smile on his face did not fade.

The warm herb water, the finest Cognac, the scent of a cigar lingering in the air, and the nocturne tickling his ears.

He had lived a long life and enjoyed every kind of wealth and glory.

But this sweet luxury, sincerely offered by his adorable disciple, couldn't help but feel special.

'He said he'd be giving scholarships every year now, too.'

This year, Yulian had sent 100 million Mar to the Great Sage.

But the Great Sage remembered the promise Yulian had made before.

— "After hearing your words, Teacher, I recently created a scholarship foundation, but I have to reinvest a lot in the company right now because of the vaccine business. For the time being, I can only provide this much support. Still, the business should be on track in three years. From then on..."

He had heard the foundation was willing to invest 500 million Mar annually.

When he heard that figure, the Great Sage couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.

— "Yulian. Do you have any idea how much money that is? What will you do if you can't use it when you actually need it?"

— "Five silver coins per person."

— "?"

— "That is the price of a vaccine. If vaccines like this are administered mandatorily to people all over the world, how many Mar will I earn each year every time I develop one?"

After hearing those words, the Great Sage decided to stop worrying about his youngest disciple's finances.

Who was he to worry about anyone's pockets?

It was plain to see that his disciple would soon become wealthy enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with a ducal family.

No joke.

If Yulian were to propose a political marriage to the daughter of a ducal family with slightly strained finances, wouldn't the duke agree without a second thought?

'I heard his father doesn't even know Yulian's current income.'

The only medicine the head of the Nihilrit family had a stake in was Quinine.

The stakes in the medicines that followed belonged solely to Yulian.

As a result, the family head only knew that Yulian's income was vaguely large, but he couldn't even guess the specific figures.

'Tsk tsk. Insulin and the vaccine are the real deal, not Quinine.'

In any case.

The massive donations sponsored by this huge trading company and the ceremonial service provided for this conference had the other mages grinning from ear to ear.

It was to the point where even those arrogant mages were praising the Merkur Trading Company as 'a trading company that knows honor'.

'He's already got this side completely wrapped around his finger, that boy.'

Thinking of Yulian, who had covertly gotten a leash on the mages, the Great Sage clicked his tongue in amazement.

It was then.

'Hm?'

The Great Sage, who had been languidly enjoying the luxury with his eyes closed, furrowed his brow.

The sound of the nocturne from the gramophone, which had been flowing gently into his ears, faded into the distance.

Instead, a sharp wave of magical power streamed into the depths of his mind.

— Kiii.

The very small, sharp cry of an animal.

A mansion on Sanctum Hill, dozens of kilometers away.

The vision of the ferret he had left on the roof of the Nihilrit Baronial Family's mansion was vividly superimposed onto the Great Sage's mind.

'What is it?'

Fitz.

His grimoire and his familiar.

He had originally intended for it to be a rat, but he'd had to change it to a ferret because it kept getting eaten by stray cats.

The Great Sage placed his Cognac glass down on the table.

And, with his eyes closed, he fully accepted the visual information Fitz was sending.

Inside a dark room.

A young girl, Freya, lying in bed, hovering between life and death.

And beside her was his youngest disciple, Yulian, beads of sweat dripping from him as he held a syringe.

["This will sting a little, Freya."]

After administering the medicine, Yulian continued to nurse his younger sister.

But the world cruelly kept trying to take his sister's life.

So Yulian sent the priestess out of the room and took a gamble.

He cast black magic on his younger sister.

And then, an unbelievable sight unfolded.

"Hah..."

The Demon Disease was cured.

By black magic, of all things.

"Heheheh..."

Laughter spilled from between the Great Sage's lips.

The joy of discovering what he had so long desired.

A wry laugh at his youngest disciple's overwhelming talent.

It was a laugh tangled with countless complex emotions.

"My goodness... To think the answer was in black magic."

For the past several hundred years.

The Great Sage had witnessed countless miracles created by magic.

It made carriages move without horses, lit fires without flame, and allowed people to overcome the seasons and control indoor temperatures.

But no matter how the times advanced and magic developed, there was one domain magic could never encroach upon.

Healing and life.

That was a domain that, since the dawn of history, only divinity had been able to handle.

But in this very moment.

A single boy was rewriting that history.

"Was it wrong to have made black magic taboo..."

Black magic is a magic that directly touches life.

Because of this, it often brought about tragedy through small acts of ignorance and error, and brought forth historical disasters with just a slight corruption.

That was why the world, including the Great Sage, had developed in a direction that so cautiously guarded against and suppressed black magic.

"Excellent."

Yulian had broken through that prejudice and written a new history.

"Hahahaha! Excellent! Truly excellent!"

The Great Sage's heart, which had grown dry over nearly a thousand years of life, began to beat wildly.

The cherished desire he had half-given up on.

His disciple had achieved the miracle of healing through magic.

By curing the Demon Disease, something even that lofty divinity could not do!

It was a great achievement that none of his other disciples had managed!

"You are forging ahead!"

Until now, his disciples had been busy just following the path the Great Sage had walked.

Of course, some had established great achievements surpassing the Great Sage in their own fields, but in the end, they could not break out of his mold.

But Yulian had shattered that mold for all to see and soared.

The Great Sage downed the rest of the Cognac in one gulp.

The taste of the strong liquor going down his throat was bland.

Because the new history of magic his disciple had just written was far more potent and thrilling.

He was lost in exultation and joy, laughing for a long while.

Since his disciple had accomplished such a historic feat, it was only natural for a teacher to bestow a grand celebratory gift befitting of it.

But while he was pondering what to give to make this beloved disciple happy,

a practical problem suddenly crossed his mind.

The Great Sage's expression subtly hardened.

"Hm."

He placed the empty glass on the table.

The Great Sage sat in his chair and rested his chin on his hand.

'Fifteen.'

Yulian von Nihilrit.

He is fifteen years old this year.

An age where a commoner would be helping in the fields.

But in noble society, fifteen was the age to start choosing a fiancé and searching for a marriage prospect for the family's future.

It's not that he didn't understand.

A world where one's title of nobility is influenced by magical talent.

Since a mage's talent was actually influenced by bloodline, it wasn't strange for nobles to be searching for marriage prospects at this age.

But when he thought about Yulian being that age,

'Tsk. This is the time when he should be running full steam ahead.'

The Great Sage frowned without realizing it.

The Nihilrit Baronial Family.

Its head, Handel, is a brilliant bureaucrat, but the family itself is far too minor to be called a central noble.

Furthermore, Yulian is thoroughly disguised to the public as the 'dullard eldest son with no talent for being a mage'.

If left alone, Handel would surely find a 'daughter from a mediocre noble family with moderate wealth and power' and try to marry Yulian off as an adopted son-in-law.

"Impossible."

The Great Sage's single blue eye turned cold.

Of course, as a teacher, he wished for his disciple to enjoy a normal and comfortable happiness.

But, Yulian kowtowing to some nobody noble young lady and becoming an adopted son-in-law?

And that girl becoming Yulian's shackles?

"That cannot be allowed to happen."

It would be a loss for humanity, and furthermore, a tragedy for the Great Sage himself.

He wanted to see a bird soar.

Not one trapped in a birdcage, bound by ill-fitting shackles.

"Even the daughter of a marquis family would be barely acceptable."

The Great Sage clicked his tongue and shook his head.

He wanted to somehow find a partner worthy of Yulian.

However, there was a fatal contradiction.

'But I can't just reveal Yulian's identity to the world either.'

What if it were revealed that Yulian was the real owner of the Merkur Trading Company and the creator of the Schnabel Formula?

What if, on top of that, it were revealed he was the Great Sage's youngest disciple?

And furthermore, what if it became known that he could cure the Demon Disease?

Not just the Empire's Imperial Court, but kings and Masters of the Magic Towers from across the continent would come knocking on the Nihilrit Mansion's door, offering their daughters and granddaughters.

But excessive attention can cause a flower to wither and die.

Yulian had not yet grown enough to fully handle the greed and interest of that vast world.

Besides, he's a child who has no talent as a mage and can barely protect himself.

Burdening him with all that was not something a teacher should do.

'What to do...'

While thoroughly hiding his identity, I must find the best possible fiancée worthy of my disciple's station.

It was a great dilemma, even for the Great Sage.

The Great Sage rested his chin on his clasped hands, lost in deep thought for a long while.

"..."

After a long silence, the Great Sage's closed lips slowly curled into an arc.

"Ah."

The Great Sage tapped the table lightly and nodded.

Just one person.

When Yulian's talent fully bloomed.

A figure worthy of him flashed through his mind.

"Yes... That child would be good."

A very mischievous smile spread across the Great Sage's lips, revealing who he had thought of.

But the Great Sage did not dare to speak that young lady's name out loud.

Instead, he simply raised the empty Cognac glass and made a light toasting motion to the air.

"I should go to the Imperial Castle for a cup of tea soon."

The Great Sage already felt tired just thinking about the battle of wills he'd have with the person who came to mind.

What would he have to offer that sly fox this time?

He had taken on this position of Imperial Magic Advisor because of a single slip of the tongue.

This time, if he wasn't careful, he might end up becoming the Lifetime Chancellor.

But, for his youngest disciple, it was an effort well worth enduring.

Cutting off his thoughts, the Great Sage turned his attention to another matter.

'That aside, I need to solve another problem.'

Before he knew it, it was morning outside.

While the Great Sage was worrying for his youngest disciple, the moon had set and the sun had risen.

For an 8th Rank Archmage, sleep was a luxury, so he did not mourn the passing of the night.

Instead, he focused again on Fitz's vision connected to his mind.

'Since my disciple's finishing touches are clumsy, it's my duty as his teacher to take care of it.'

In his eyes, his youngest disciple was a naive boy who didn't even know how to protect his own livelihood.

Too naive, and too kind.

Just like that saint recorded in the scriptures.

But the Great Sage, who had lived for a thousand years, was not.

'My apologies, Young Lady.'

Fitz's vision, still connected to his mind.

Through that vision, he saw the low-rank priestess leaving the front door of the Nihilrit Mansion.

It seemed she had been called by the family head, Handel, warned, and then released.

She was scurrying out of the mansion, clutching a pouch of gold coins preciously to her chest.

Watching her retreating back, the Great Sage quietly instructed Fitz.

'Follow her.'

The Great Sage was one to believe in a person's potential.

But he did not unconditionally trust in a person's goodwill or discretion.

'There's no guarantee that priestess will keep her mouth shut for the rest of her life after she goes home.'

Although there had been a cold threat from a noble family head, fear is bound to dull with time.

She would be silent for now, mulling over that warning again and again.

But a person's mouth is a treacherous thing; she could make a mistake swept up by drink, or be unable to bear the secret and seek out a confessional.

And that small deviation was bound to spread the secret like a collapsing dam.

In that sense, Handel Nihilrit's method was too soft.

Fear alone cannot seal a person's lips forever.

It probably wouldn't even last a year.

The most effective way of silencing someone is not fear, but giving them interests that make it impossible for them to open their mouth of their own accord.

The Great Sage's gaze slowly swept across the table.

Conference-related materials, mountains of invitations sent by nobles.

And stacks of documents sent regularly for reports from the Merkur Trading Company.

Among them, one document caught the Great Sage's one eye.

[Merkur Trading Company Human Resource Development Scholarship Foundation — Request for This Year's Scholarship Student Recommendations]

The Great Sage's eye narrowed like a snake's.

'Come to think of it, that priestess has two daughters.'

Swish.

The Great Sage picked up a fountain pen.

A neat script glided across the high-quality scroll, filling it out.

Two letters of recommendation.

One, a letter of recommendation for a special scholarship student at the Seminary under the direct control of the Sun Cult Monastery.

The other, a letter of recommendation for admission to the Imperial Academy High School Division.

The sender: The Merkur Trading Company Human Resource Development Foundation.

Sponsor: Undisclosed.

"My apologies, Young Lady."

The Great Sage looked down at the two completed letters of recommendation and smiled darkly.

If a teacher could be this sincere for his disciple's future,

how much more so would a parent be?

"But I believe this won't be such a bad proposal for you either."

The more a lifeline shines with gold, the better it is for hanging around one's neck.

The Great Sage mulled over the proverb as he carefully folded the two letters of recommendation and placed them in an envelope.