NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19 - Talent
Scene 019: Talent
Mondri stared at me in shock.
“How… how does the Count know that name…?”
Knowing Myohail’s identity also meant knowing the secret of the Cremonte family. Yet, Myohail’s expression didn’t change at all.
“Haha. I never expected anyone to remember the name I used in the mortal realm after all this time.”
The Cremonte family was one of the seven most prestigious magical houses in the empire, with the longest history. Myohail was the founder of the Cremonte family and the first to be bestowed the title of Sage, a legendary magician. He had become immortal and was still alive to this day.
“But I abandoned the name of Cremonte a long time ago. The Imperial family wanted to place me at the head of the academy, but it was bothersome, so I left the position to this poor disciple of mine.”
“Master! That’s unfair!” Mondri protested.
“Why? Wasn’t it you who wanted both the position of head of the Cremonte family and the university’s headmaster?”
“I earned both titles with my abilities!”
“You little brat! So, have you become a Sage yet?”
“Well, not exactly…”
Myohail clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Tsks… I could tell just by looking. You’ve stopped training just because you’ve gotten older, haven’t you?”
“W-what? No, it’s just that at my level, continued magical training seems a bit…”
“You fool! The less you use magic, the duller it becomes! I was even considering passing the headmaster position to William instead of you.”
A surprising name came up.
“That guy who didn’t even know how to use magic? Make him the director of a Magic University? He was younger than me, less experienced, and far less capable!”
“Hmph. He was one of my best students too. Are you saying my judgment was wrong?”
“Master! That’s not what I meant!”
William was Myohail’s disciple? This was news to me. Since William didn’t appear in the original story, there were plenty of things I didn’t know.
“That guy had a much better eye for people than you.”
“Huh?”
“He would have picked out students without relying on any of those useless magical devices.”
At that moment, I almost felt sorry for Mondri. Watching an elderly, white-haired man being chastised by an ancient cat was a strange sight indeed. Myohail clicked his tongue again.
“Tsk… But don’t worry. Even if we went back in time, I would have still made you the headmaster.”
“W-what?”
“He had a major flaw…”
Myohail slowly approached me.
“William judged the world based solely on value. He was efficient and never took a loss. But there was no emotion behind it. He was like an empty shell.”
Amber eyes scrutinized me closely, gleaming like those of a wild animal.
“Isn’t that right, Count? Or should I say… son of William?”
Myohail’s long beard moved slightly. He was watching me. Having lived for over a thousand years in both human and feline forms, his instincts were unimaginably sharp. He could even sense the faintest traces of someone’s emotions through pure intuition. But I had no intention of showing the slightest weakness to Myohail. Likewise, my “Pride” would not allow it.
[You activate “Pride”!]
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Trait: Pride
Rank: SS
Details: You are superior to everyone. The best. Therefore, you never show weakness, no matter the situation. Even in life-threatening circumstances, your pride remains unshaken. This trait shines brightest when you face someone stronger than yourself. Until your moment of destruction, you will remain the most superior being in the world. This trait is one of the seven deadly sins.
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Thump.
‘How dare you…’
A wave of irritation surged within me.
A suffocating sense of frustration.
‘Someone like you…’
I met Myohail’s sharp gaze head-on. A legendary magician and Sage. Even if he discovered that I was not Tristan, it wouldn’t affect me in the slightest. I wouldn’t reveal anything to him. He was older than me. He was weaker than me. He was inferior to me. He wouldn’t dare… to do anything to me.
[You activate “Patience”!]
[Your “Pride” is suppressed by “Patience”.]
As patience slowly settled in, I spoke.
“…Is this part of the test you mentioned?”
“Oh…? Haha… My apologies. This old man sometimes stares blankly at people… haha.”
Myohail stroked his beard with his paw, and then, pretending to notice nothing, smoothly changed the subject.
“Haha. Mondri and I will handle the judging. You won’t find a more distinguished panel than this.”
“…Do as you like. Wendy.”
“Y-yes!”
I slowly approached Wendy. Her large eyes hadn’t looked away from me the whole time.
“If you fail, you’ll be expelled.”
“Eek?!”
“Not confident, are you?”
“C-can I be honest with you…?”
“Even asking that question already shows a lack of confidence, didn’t it?”
“You’re right… This school is for important people, isn’t it…? Someone like me has no place here…”
Wendy’s voice quivered as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Sob… I’m not good enough to serve someone like the Count up close… I make so many mistakes… and I cry so easily… sniff.”
With that, Wendy hung her head in shame.
“I already knew.”
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Character Profile:
Name: Wendy
Age: 12
Occupation: Servant of the Ruelberta household
Traits: Crybaby, Clumsy, Frail, Unlucky
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Such miserable traits for a maid: tearful, clumsy, sickly, and always unlucky. To many, she would seem completely useless. To me, she’s practically a walking death flag.
But the reason I made Wendy my exclusive maid wasn’t just to keep her close and ensure she doesn’t die. It was because she was a waste.
Treating Wendy as a mere disposable pawn would be a waste.
The original author, Sora, once told me: “Every character in the story exists for a reason. There are no characters without purpose.”
I agree with that.
That’s why I love this story: because there are no characters that can be discarded. Even Tristan, for example—though a piece of trash—is important to the story.
“Wendy…”
“…Y-Yes. Sniffle…”
Despite traits that might make her seem useless, Wendy is also a named character: a character with her traits, a person with her desires and reasons to live.
That’s what I believe.
“Stop whining.”
“Sob!”
“Earlier, how did you climb the Stairway of Truth?”
“Th-that… the Count helped me-.”
“It wasn’t like that. You climbed up all by yourself.”
“B-but before the Count helped me, I couldn’t even stand up…! I’m a coward and a crybaby-.”
I sighed, recalling something I once told her.
“You’re always crying, you’re sickly, too skinny to have any strength, and you’ve broken plenty of plates from constantly tripping.”
“Sob… I’m so sorry…”
“But every time, even without me helping you up, didn’t you always get back up on your own?”
“…Yes?”
“That’s your talent, Wendy.”
Wendy fell silent. Then, in a trembling voice, she spoke.
“…But that’s all I can do…”
“I know.”
“…Th-that’s the only thing I can do…?”
“Yes. And that’s fine.”
“R-really…? Is that really enough…?”
“…I won’t say it twice.”
“Sniff… Hehehe…”
Wendy smiled through her tear-streaked, snot-covered face. Wiping her tears with the collar of her coat, she said: “If the Count says so, then it must be true…”
With a smile I had never seen before, she added, “I-I believe in you, Count!”
“…Suit yourself.”
“Yes, sir!”
-“Yes, sir! Yes, sir!”
Ugh…
At that moment, Myohail, who had been standing there for who knows how long, stepped between us with a smile.
“Little Lady, are you ready?”
“Yes, sir!”
“You’re full of energy. Since the Count is also here, I’ll explain the details of the test. Your special test is…”
Myohail’s eyes curved into crescent moons.
“Face me in a duel. Hahaha.”