Mightiest Melee Magician

“Is Ruina doing okay?”

“Of course, she’s all grown up now. Recently, she has been learning swordsmanship.”

“The sword, huh…”

“Hehe. She said it’s to protect her weak older brother.”

“Damn. I’m a bit embarrassed.”

Ruina was my younger sister.

It had already been years since I last saw her, yet I still clearly remembered the childish but lovely way she acted towards me.

But now, she had started learning swordsmanship.

To protect me.

Heh, this was a bit embarrassing.

“Please come this way.”

My father was looking continuously surprised at the interior of the academy while we made our way towards the recovery room.

Maybe because he was a noble who came all the way to the city from the countryside.

For some reason, my smile didn’t want to fade from my face.

Anyways, because of how he was, I deliberately took a longer route around the academy to show him this and that before arriving at the recovery room.

“It’s here. Would you like some tea?”

“Sure.”

After I brewed the tea myself on the tea table and put it in front of my father, our awkward silence slowly dissolved.

“The tea tastes good.”

Even though it was a common herbal tea.

I could tell he was only using the tea as an excuse, as he looked cautious in talking so as to not hurt me.

So I opened my mouth first.

“I’m doing fine.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s all good. I’m not hurt physically or emotionally.”

“……”

Another silence overtook us, and my father sipped on the tea without a word.

That lasted but a short while.

My father finally talked.

“If you’re tired… it’s always fine to return to our territory. If you were having a hard time and only held it in because you couldn’t say anything…”

“I’m not having a hard time.”

“But weren’t you in an accident? That could’ve been a huge incident. It’s my fault. It’s my fault that you were in trouble because I wasn’t powerful enough.”

“It’s not because of you, Father. In fact, it’s my fault. It’s all because I couldn’t hold in my anger…”

Before long, my father’s cup had emptied, and I asked him while refilling his cup,

“Were you curious? About my academy life?”

My father’s eyes shone.

Of course, he would be curious, more curious than anyone else.

He was the one who also knew the fact that my extraordinary talent could surpass any other ordinary mage. 

“It was like I was trapped in an endless cave. No matter how much I struggled to run, the exit was nowhere to be seen, and pitch-black darkness was all around me. Ever since my magic had stagnated from 10 years old.”

“……”

“Because of this, I put in a lot of effort. I missed the undeserved attention I got when I was 10. But even then, no matter how much effort I put in, it was all futile. Maybe because of this, it looks like I had a lot of anger buried deep within me. I didn’t want to lose my face, so I punched and kicked others who looked down on me or insulted you, father. That last accident happened because of that as well.”

My father listened to my story without saying a word.

He had a sorrowful expression, like a single tear would roll down his face at any moment.

Feeling bad looking at such a sorry state, I tried to turn the mood around by smiling brightly.

“But do you know how I’m doing now?”

As I smiled, my father looked at me.

As if to tell me to continue.

“After waiting for 6 years, I finally found the light at the end of this dark tunnel.”

“Hm?”

“I think I found a way.”

“…found a way? What do you mean?”

Replied my father, surprised.

But how would I explain this to him…?

“Well, I can’t give you all the details…”

As I hesitated on my words, my father asked back in frustration,

“Is it perhaps related to those weird activities you’ve been doing recently?”

“Weird activities?”

“Like kicking or punching thin air.”

“How do you know about that?”

“……”

My father closed his mouth at my question.

The reason he came here would’ve definitely been related to my accident.

Most of the information he received would’ve arrived to him in ‘official documents’, so how did my father know such mundane details?

The words that my father spoke next surprised me quite a bit.

“From Hydel… No. I heard it from Professor Hydel.”

“What?”

To hear it from Professor Hydel.

What did this mean?

However, as if to tell me that wasn’t important, he quickly moved on in our conversation.

“So, tell me. Is it related to this?”

I nodded my head.

“Yes. It is related.”

“……”

My father had an expression that said he had a lot of questions for me.

Well, that was understandable.

Their child that said they would become a magician started kicking and punching the air after getting hit by lightning.

Of course the parent would be worried.

Maybe it’s good enough that he didn’t think I went insane.

“Is it some method to cure that illness you have?”

“Well, I can’t be too specific about it… but it’s close.”

My father’s eyes sparkled a little.

His ultimate question still hadn’t been answered, but it was still a hopeful answer.

But he didn’t express his feelings that openly.

He looked like he was still a bit uneasy.

“Please, trust me.”

“I came here to ask you if you wanted to stop going to the academy.”

“I know. That’s why I’m telling you this.”

“……”

“I’ll make a promise to you, between father and son.”

“A promise?”

“Yeah. A promise.”

I smiled for my still restless father.

“On my next test, I’ll give a good result for the practical.”

My grades, no matter how you looked at them, were bad enough to say it was embarrassing.

Because even though my theory marks were 100%s, my practicals were a failed mark of 0 for every subject.

For me to say that I’d get good marks on the practical was like one of those old scams that promised to create something from nothing.

“I don’t know.”

My father still had an uneasy expression.

For him, nothing seemed certain now.

He’d be anxious that I’d remain at the academy.

I knew.

That I was ‘disqualified’, both as a magician and a student.

Even though I knew all this, I looked straight at my father.

“If I even fail the next exam, I’ll do whatever father wants me to.”

Next term.

Only 2 more terms left until graduation.

Too short of a time to prepare something new.

What would my father think of his son who was so filled with confidence?

Would he think I was foolhardy?

Or would he think I was someone who had nothing but desire?

I didn’t know.

I thumped my heart purposefully and laughed in a joking manner.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m not that weak. I even survived getting hit by a Lightning Bolt.”

“…Ruin…”

“I’m just joking.”

A serious statement disguised as a joke.

I stopped laughing and looked at my father’s eyes seriously.

“Father.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve already waited for me for 6 years. I’ll try to not make you wait any longer.”

Did I show enough confidence to my father?

I didn’t know.

But I was confident about one thing.

“Thank you for waiting for me all this time.”

“……”

My father lifted his teacup with a more relaxed expression.

“…The tea tastes good.”

“It’s just a normal herbal tea.”

“It’s not about what I drink. It’s about who I drink it with. Would you pour me another cup?”

That this was him approving my request.

* * *

* * *

My father didn’t remain long at the academy and returned home.

Saying something like a noble staying at an educational institution like this for too long isn’t a good sight, and quickly changed the subject.

As he was departing, he told me this.

“Always look after your body.”

Looks like he didn’t want to pressure me, even to the end.

Because of this, I couldn’t say something cringy like, ‘I’ll become the strongest and most brilliant magician in the world’.

It was better that I didn’t.

For now, giving him just this much assurance was enough.

“Was it fun meeting your father?”

Professor Hydel, who came to send off my father with me, asked me this.

I could only stare back at him and ask him a question.

“So how do you know my father?”

Professor Hydel shrugged his shoulders, looking a bit flustered.

“Did he say that? That he knows me?”

“Yes. Well… He didn’t tell me any details.”

Professor Hydel looked around as if he was a bit embarrassed, and after confirming there was no one else around, told me in a whisper,

“Your father, Lord Dellin Ardell, is a long-time friend of mine.”

“What?”

“He’s also my benefactor that I couldn’t repay my debt to, even if I worked for my entire life.”

It was a surprising statement.

For him to be both a friend and a benefactor.

For my father to have such a connection with such a magician.

Professor Hydel talked to me while we watched the ever-shrinking visage of my father’s group.

“Ruin, you should know from the rumours that I was born a commoner.”

“Yes.”

“My home is in the Ardell territory.”

“Wait, hold on. Our territory is your home?”

“Born a poor commoner, the one who sent such a good-for-nothing here was your grandfather and former head of the Ardell House, Lord Hwidell. And the son who begged Lord Hwidell to give me a chance was the young lord, your father, Dellin Ardell.”

“……”

It was a pretty big shock.

Professor Hydel.

It wasn’t detailed information, but rumours were floating around talking of his common birth.

That’s why it was all the more impressive.

Even though he was a commoner, to become a ‘Combat Magic’ teacher that only the most qualified were allowed to be, he was the target of envy for those of elite birth.

To see the talent of such a person and to raise him as a high-ranking magician.

“My father and grandfather…”

So this was what a ‘benefactor for life’ was.

“Keeping this fact secret from you was the will of your father. He didn’t want me to give any hints. The reason being… Well, you know how Lord Dellin is better than I do, right?”

Dellin Ardell.

My father.

He was not someone who would ask others about favors for me.

He would hide it, saying it would be a burden, and if he couldn’t hide it, he would shower them with gifts and goodwill.

As I lightly nodded, somewhat understanding, Professor Hydel smiled at me in a way I had never seen before.

“This is a secret between the two of us. If a rumour were to spread outside, it wouldn't be good.”

“Yes? Ah. Ok.”

“And if by chance, you think I would treat you more favourably… forget it. That won’t happen.”

Who was he taking me for?

I replied back equally sternly,

“I’ll decline your favouritism, Professor.”

“Good.”

He smiled as if my response was funny, and stared back at the figure of my father who was now disappearing in the distance.

Cool-headed and always serious.

The professor, someone who would exude a cool aura and would look like he could see through anyone.

His eyes shone for the first time in a while.

With pure innocence.

Like a young child.

* * *

Hydel went back to his cross between an office and a home.

His heart was still elated from before thanks to meeting his old friend.

‘Dellin Ardell…’

The boy of nobility who had handed a piece of bread to a commoner that was trying to study just a little more while suppressing his hunger.

Their friendship had surpassed the boundary between a commoner and noble, and thanks to that friendship, he was who he was now.

Hydel was always concerned.

‘How will I ever repay this kindness?’

However, it was impossible.

Dellin Ardell.

A frustratingly stubborn personality.

He would never desire any help from Hydel.

However, neither Dellin or Ruin, nor anyone else in the Ardell house knew that Hydel was indeed helping them.

• • Magic Evocation Disorder

• • Disqualified as a Magician

• • Confirmed Failure

From internal evaluations, Ruin’s failure was determined, but without Ruin’s knowledge, Hydel had directly spoken up for him in the meetings with the higher-ups and just barely kept him in the academy.

‘Volunteer work on academy grounds for 1 month.’

As the result of that time’s incident, Ruin would have had to be expelled with Ben Polt or been given a sentence just as severe, but Hydel also was the one who asked them to lower the punishment.

Because this was the least he could do to give back to the ‘Ardell’ family for the kindness he had received from them.

Hydel remembered Ruin, who was the main focus for both.

‘That kid… what is he up to now?’

From what he heard from Dellin Ardell, Ruin had promised he would definitely get a good mark on the next test.

How would a magician who couldn’t release their magic get a good mark?

Even a professor like himself could only stop him from getting dropped from the course. 

He didn’t have the power to alter his test scores.

This meant all the marks would have to be gained by Ruin himself.

‘There’s only a few days left…’

Said Hydel while looking at the calendar.

A red circle marked the soon approaching test period.

‘…I’ll know after I see him.’

Recently, Ruin had become a very interesting student to observe.