My daughters went back in time to find me.

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"I am just going to run some simple tests for her physical abilities and other things."

"Naru, ready!"

Naru appeared very excited in her new set of gym clothes.The white top and red shorts looked very comfortable for movement.

Her shoes were made of leather and resembled modern sneakers.This was a testament to the technological prowess of Freesia.

"First, how about a 100-meter run?"

Brigitte came out with a chart and checked something with her pen.Soon, Naru stepped onto the track.

Thunk—Naru assumed a creditable crouching pose even without anyone telling her how.

"Is that really my daughter?"

She's really quick-witted.If she truly takes after me, then she must be a good runner.

Black-haired people are so good at running that it was joked around that the ones who couldn't were already caught by the guards and killed.

"Good. Ready. Set. Go!"

At Brigitte's mark, Naru started running.She pushed forward with a Kick–! and…

"Slow."

Why is she so slow?Her pace was slower than expected for a six-year-old.She even tripped over her own leg, falling mid-run.

"Oof…!"

Thud—

"B-Blood, blood is c-coming out of Naru! Waaaah!"

And she was crying a surprising lot?Her sobs sounded just like a firetruck siren.

"Yeah, well. Maybe she's not good at running."

I nodded.Now there were the push-ups and sit-ups.

"Haaa, haaaa, j-just…..One….."

But she couldn't even do those either.Not even one.

"...Is this really my daughter?"

Something is not right.Naru, despite her unlimited energy, was not athletic at all.

Even Brigitte seemed surprised at the unexpected results.

"If her written tests are going to be like this too, she won't make it. Since she was your daughter I thought she would be able to do at least ten. Are you sure this is your kid?"

I was also a little doubtful about that now.But before I could even answer, Naru got up.She grabbed my pants and started sobbing again.

"N-Naru is dad Judas' daughter! Don't throw Naru away… Waaaah!"

She was crying so sorrowfully.Did she think I would abandon her just because she couldn't do at least one push-up?

Honestly, I did consider it.But just a little bit, just a little tiny bit.

"Okay, okay. Don't cry. It's okay."

I never knew what do to when a child started bawling.So I gently stroked her head, and she started sniffing a little, calming down.

Witnessing that, Brigitte said.

"Well, all there's left is the magic aptitude test. Honestly, if she's your daughter, Judas, this will be nothing more than a formality since your aptitude is zero. And magic is closely tied with one's bloodline, so…"

Shhh—Even as Brigitte spoke with a pessimistic tone, she brought a large bucket-like container from somewhere.

It was filled with water.But it wasn't any ordinary water, but a slightly viscous milky white substance.It looked like milk.

"This is pure magic conductive water. This is how we usually measure magic potential. Of course, normal magic conductive water is more transparent and colorless, but someone of my standing can obtain the purified version easily."

"Really?"

I had no idea what she was talking about, but since it sounded like it was something amazing, I nodded.Then Brigitte continued to rumble, sounding even more excited.

"If the test subject has any magic aptitude then the milky white color will change like this."

Dip—She dipped her index finger into the bucket.

Then, the milky substance instantly turned pitch black and started bubbling.

It was a very ominous sight, like boiling tar."Well, that's how it works." Said Brigitte with a self-depreciatory tone.

From what I heard; Brigitte, was granted the 'Black' color upon her ascendence as an archmage.I knew this because her preferred magic was also black and very destructive.

However, she didn't seem to like the color.It must be why she also didn't like me very much— a black-haired Babaroi.

Not that she ever said it outright.It was the kind of thing you'd eventually notice after spending a lot of time together.

"Wow, it's black, black…! The same color as Naru's hair…! Deep, pitch-black, like the night…!"

Naru however, looked overjoyed at the bucket.

Does she like black that much?I remember loving the color yellow when I was at that age.One time I remember getting smacked because I scribbled all over the walls with a yellow crayon—

But that wasn't important right now.Splash—!

Brigitte poured the water from the bucket onto the ground.

"There are five main colors based on the intensity of magic: red, blue, yellow, orange, and black. Depending on the strength of one's mana, there might be a few variations on the color shade."

Ripple—

As Naru watched the pitch-black water seep into the floor, Brigitte refilled the bucket and put it in front of her.

"Dip your hand in and try to release your mana. If you have any magic potential, you should know how to do it instinctively, so there's no need to teach you that."

Releasing your mana?I had no idea what that meant.

The people in Pangaea could do that as naturally as breathing, but I, a guy from the 21st century from Korea, had no clue about these things.

But what about Naru?She seemed to be a child born in this world.

"Gnnrgh, gnnn, gnnnrr…!"

Plop!Naru dipped her hand into the bucket and put on a very serious expression.

"Guuuh, guuuh, guuuuuuu....!"

She looked like she was trying to hold back something.So, I asked her.

"Naru, do you need to go to the bathroom? Or do you want some tissue?"

"Gnrrr, n-no!!!"

Maybe not that then.Why so angry?

I don't have this sort of tick.Maybe that's something she took after her mom?

I really want to see who her mom is.Is she the kind of woman who is usually calm but can completely flip over when she gets angry?I kind of liked that.

A few minutes passed.Brigitte soon shook her head and took the bucket away.

The water in the bucket remained white, and only ripples caused by her little finger could be seen.Brigitte narrowed her eyes after saying that.

"You don't seem to have any sort of magical talent. She is just like you in this aspect Judas, but that is to be expected since black-haired people rarely have magical talent."

So that's how it is.Well, this was the end of Naru's skill test.

To be honest, I didn't feel much about it.If I had to put it in words, my current feelings would be 'Oh well'.

I mean, let's be honest here, if you were talented when you were six years old, just how much talent would you have?It's enough if she grows up to be a good person.

Because of this, I wasn't disappointed or angry.Naru seemed a bit gloomy though.

"Naru, no magical talent…"

She looked a bit pitifulSo I tried to reassure her.

"It's okay. When I was young, I always came in last in races."

That's why I hated sports day at school.It's really embarrassing to come in last place when your parents are watching you.

So, as I recalled my younger self, I tried to comfort Naru, who seemed a little depressed.

Tsk—Brigitte clicked her tongue.

"This is why it's going to be difficult for her to get admitted… Might as well do something about it. Maybe I should sabotage the written test scores…"

The woman who is hailed as a hero by the rest of the world, was going to cheat a six-year-out out of the admission?Why in the world would she do that?

Maybe she was just curious about the whole 'space-time' magic involving Naru. Mages sure love these kinds of weird stuff.Perhaps that's why she wants Naru around.Like her own personal lab rat.

"..."

Wait a minute.Is it safe for Naru to be close to Brigitte?

—-Ahhh! A little girl from the future! I can't lose this rare material. I wonder which part should i dissect first?—- Hiiiiiik, Dad! Please save Naru from the scary lady!

"..."

Seeing how Mages are a weird bunch, this was possible!

It was the same reason why I was playing the role of Judas of Bavaria, instead of admitting that I was an otherworlder!What if she tried to capture me to experiment on my otherworlder body?

Perhaps it would be better not to mention the fact that Naru came from the future so openly.I should warn Brigitte about this too.

"Then, I'll take care of this pure magical water."

Shh–.Brigitte left us.

Leaving me and Naru alone in the field.With nothing to do.No, we had something to do.

"I should find out what's going on here. Brigitte is hiding something, and that's suspicious. Shall we go on a little adventure?."

"Adventure…?!"

Naru's eyes shone a little.

* * * * * * * * * *

Swoosh—The pure magical water burbled in the bucket carried by Brigitte.

Its color was the purest of white.

Only the purest mana could be this clean and clear.This was the pinnacle that all mages strived for.

But Brigitte was not happy at all.Because black was the complete opposite of white.

And that was the color of her mana.Her magic was also pitch black.

She had faced discrimination from a young age because of it.

Black was considered an ominous and anomalous color.And it was common sense that no Mage with this color had ever accomplished anything of value.

Brigitte's decision to join the Demon King subjugation party was driven by the desire to make a name for herself, to make everyone incapable of ignoring her, despite the color of her mana.

In the end.Brigitte became an Archmage and was given the title of 'Mage of the Black Jewel'.Now that some time had passed.Has her life truly changed for the better?

"Look, that's Brigitte.""She's amazing, isn't she?""Ahh, but I'm kind of scared of her. Didn't you hear that she can annihilate a whole platon with her magic?""She's a black mage…"

See, it's always like this.Brigitte had once tried hard to gain recognition from others, but her efforts only managed to distance her from the people even more.

"Hmph."

Of course.

Brigitte was too noble to care about gossip.As someone who had broken through the Demon King's Castle, she had a certain amount of self-pride now.

"You said my mana was the color of the night's sky."

Naru had mentioned this earlier while looking at the bucket.It reminded Brigitte of something Judas once told her about her mana.

—Your mana is just like the night sky. The darkness of the night is the perfect cover for a rogue like me to hide. You and I are quite compatible, don't you think so?

—Hah…? I'm a top graduate of the Graham Academy! How can I, an elite among elites, be compatible with a criminal like you? Why is someone like you the last member of this party, and not someone useful like a demon hunter…?

It was during their first meeting.It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"We were complete idiots back then."

Thinking back on it. Judas didn't mind Brigitte's magic. Nor did he find it scary or ominous.

"It was the first time someone treated me with no reservation."

The Night Sky, huh?Brigitte felt a sudden compulsion to see her mana's color again.

So, she slipped into an alley where no one was looking and dipped her finger into the bucket.Right into the perfect white liquid.

Now, if she released a little of her mana, the color would change to black akin to a Night's Sky once more.But, when she did it.

"...?"

Brigitte feld someting strange.Because the color of the bucket, even after being exposed to Briggite's mana was still pure white.

"Impossible…"

While mana was an ever-changing substance.There were only a few cases where such a thing remained pure white after being exposed to Brigitte's mana…And one of those cases…

…Was that the water had already undergone a color change.This meant that someone had already caused a change in the color of this pure white water.

"...No way!"

The white color.It was a color that could not exist for the people of this world.

Was Naru, the self-proclaimed daughter of Judas, the possessor of such a thing?As a mage, Brigitte was brimming with excitement, but as a Hero, she began to feel a foreboding sense of danger.

"Judas, just what the hell you've gotten yourself into?"

Naru said she had traveled back six years in time to prevent a 'great danger'.This meant that something very bad was going to happen between the present and six years from now on.

"Could it be that was why Judas came to the Graham Academy? To prevent that catastrophe?"

Brigitte recalled her old comrade— Judas.

He was a man with many secrets, but he was also incredibly skilled.He also liked to handle things on his own, no matter the situation.

Maybe.

Just maybe, he was aware of this 'great danger' unfolding in the darkness of the Academy or in Freesia, and he came here to stop it.Maybe he pretended to not know about it, but in reality, he was trying to prevent Brigitte from getting involved in a dangerous situation.No, she was sure it was exactly that.

It is Judas after all.

"Then again, Naru's mother must be…"

To read about 200 fully translated episodes, patreon.com/Nora02