Chapter 15 – Put to the Test (1)

The Wayne brothers, who had reached the level of novice magic engineers at the age of nineteen and joined the ranks of the elite.

But what on earth should one call a boy who, at an age four years younger than them, understood intermediate theory?

‘A monster… An inhuman monster, it would have to be.’

Herman Melville, who had recently risen to the advanced rank and stood at the very peak of magic engineers in the history of the ice age.

My father, Demian Vale, who had become the youngest magic engineer to rise to the intermediate rank at the age of forty this year and was receiving all of Herman Melville’s expectations.

The nameless boy, who possessed understanding and skills comparable to the intermediate rank at the mere age of fifteen, was at a level that was by no means lacking even when compared to those called the highest authorities in the magic engineering world.

No, rather, if one only looked at the timing of achievement, he could be said to be even further ahead.

Of course, there was me, who possessed the understanding of the upper-intermediate rank at the age of nineteen, but…

‘An existence like me is an irregular in this world. Since I was possessed at some point.’

A comparison with me, who was an out-of-standard existence called a player, was not appropriate, and it was correct to compare based on the standards of this world.

Therefore, the boy had to be seen as a prodigy with a talent that would never appear again under the heavens.

That was precisely the reason why I had gone so far as to pull out Heimdall’s compass to save this boy.

But why was that?

“To become your person…? No way. Why should I?”

It was the critical moment when the boy would be separated from the girl or exiled from the city together.

Even though I had appeared like a comet and saved the two siblings, far from being grateful, the boy did not hide his blatant hostility.

As I frowned at the hard-to-understand situation, he blocked the front of his younger sister and spoke solemnly.

“I won’t be fooled by trash like you anymore.”

“……?”

“Approaching while pretending to be good people and hiding their true intentions, only thinking of using us behind our backs—selfish and despicable scoundrels…”

The white steam leaking from between his teeth made it feel as if the emotions of hatred and contempt were being visualized; that was how angry the boy was.

Although a pitiful thought occurred to me that the lives of the siblings had certainly not been smooth.

“I feel offended.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what kind of past you siblings have gone through. But I went out of my way to save you two, so do I have to receive this kind of treatment?”

“…….”

Since I was not their babysitter, there was no need for me to understand and embrace their past.

What the boy had to clearly understand right now was only the fact that I had saved him and that I was their benefactor.

At my confident attitude, the boy was dumbfounded this time, and I began to correct his words one by one.

“First, I have never deceived you.”

“Never deceived us? What do you mean…”

“Did I approach you while hiding my intentions? I believe I approached you while clearly stating my purpose.”

When I said that, the boy could not say anything and only glared at me.

Since geniuses were all prideful fellows, I went on without paying any mind.

“The fact that you are a magic engineer who has reached the intermediate rank is the real reason I saved you. There is nothing to hide.”

“……Absurd. Just because you confidently reveal your true intentions, does that somehow justify your desire to use me?”

“You seem to be mistaken about something, but I have no intention of justifying it. I only move out of necessity, and I am willing to accommodate the terms you want.”

While not letting down his guard, the boy softened his defensive posture.

He understood in his head that if I had intended to deceive them, I would not have told him to become my person from the beginning, nor would I be saying such things now.

“You can say anything with words. Aside from your words, I have no trustworthy proof whatsoever. Furthermore, we are yellow-tags from an Ember, without names or identification cards.”

However, even if the intentions were transparent, he had no choice but to be mentally suspicious, which was probably why he was taking such an attitude.

Yet, I still liked the boy’s defensive attitude. Being highly suspicious was, in other words, meaning he was cautious.

‘Even without his magic engineering talent, he is the type of person I must make mine. Fellows like him make excellent close aides.’

A momentum that did not waver despite being in a position of an obvious underdog, and a vision capable of viewing the situation broadly. In this world where life and death were divided by a single decision, this young boy, who doubted and doubted again to make multi-faceted judgments, was complete as a human being.

Transcending professional utility, this was exactly the kind of human being that must be kept by one’s side.

However, as the boy said, all I could prove right now was just words, so while acknowledging that, I continued speaking.

“Second, I have no intention of exploiting you. You have a dagger… though it is a bit much to call it that, in your chest pocket, don’t you?”

“……!”

That was the first time the boy widened his eyes and showed emotional agitation. Indeed, it was natural for him to be surprised, since I had mentioned a dagger he had not even pulled out.

However, I could tell from the boy’s posture of putting his hand inside his shirt in that touch-and-go situation. That it would be a dagger.

There was no way a yellow-tag would have a mana gun, and there was no way they would give a weapon to an exploited boy, so that was the only answer.

However, the reason I was sure there was a dagger in his pocket, which he had not even pulled out, lay strangely in my sixth sense rather than my reasoning.

‘I don’t know why on earth… but I can feel it. The faint mana wavelength and its shape felt from his inner breast pocket…’

It was completely incomprehensible, but I felt it clearly. The subtle mana wavelength and the faint blue-lit shape that the dagger in the boy’s pocket radiated through the fabric.

This phenomenon was identical to the ‘mana sense’ that humanity had lost several generations ago, as described in …

‘How on earth can I feel that? In an era where mages have disappeared?’

Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, plus the mana sense—not the five senses, but the sixth sense.

However, since it was a phenomenon I could not understand for now, I focused on the situation in front of me.

“I saw your willingness to risk even death to protect your sister right in front of my eyes, so with what and how would I exploit you? I’ve seen many smart guys like you, but you’re the first one who’s also this venomous.”

“And?”

“I am saying that I have no intention of forcing anything on you.”

I did not know what the boy’s story was, but until now, he must have been forced to be controlled because of his sister.

But that would no longer work now.

Because the boy’s eyes reflected the will that it was better to die as a human than to live a life less than human.

Therefore.

“I will engage in a give-and-take with you.”

“Give and take?”

“This is a deal. A transaction where you and I provide what each other needs on equal terms.”

The only way to hold onto guys like this was just one thing: a reasonable transaction.

“I will protect your sister. I will guarantee a comfortable bed and three meals a day, of course, as well as a pleasant educational environment for the future she wants to achieve.”

“You’ll protect Williana? How on earth will you do that?”

“Didn’t you just see it? The same goes for you. I will provide you with the best magic engineering laboratory. You just have to do whatever you want to do there to your heart’s content. That is all I want.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the boy hung his head and agonized for a long time. For a moment, his eyes seemed to glisten with tears, but soon the boy spoke to me with his former fierce gaze.

“In the end, it sounds like exploitation disguised as a transaction.”

“Exploitation…”

“I didn’t know when I was trapped in a small Ember like a well, but now that I’ve left that place, I also know the size of my talent and the true value of it. Perhaps even the Immortal Embers would welcome us with open arms. Don’t you think there is too big a gap between what you are offering to my sister and me and what I am giving?”

It was painfully true. From the boy’s perspective, rather than joining our Ember, which was bound to look trivial to a fellow yellow-tag, devoting himself to the Immortal Embers was a much wiser choice.

“At least you aren’t shameless.”

I smiled.

It was a negotiation that started from a position where a deal was impossible, except for the fact that I had saved the siblings, but the boy did not reject it flat out even after seeing the cards I held.

That was a kind of possibility. A possibility of negotiation that arose when, estimating me as a person, the cards held were shabby, but he judged that I would possess value beyond what I had now in the future.

Above all, it was fun. This entire process of capturing the opponent’s heart solely with the value of myself as a person, without possessing anything!

The reason I loved and was able to become the best leader in it was precisely because I enjoyed this tightrope walk of risky negotiation.

I said with a relaxed smile.

“You said you learned the size of your talent as you left your small world. But from what I see, you are still a frog in a well.”

“What?”

“I am nineteen years old, upper-intermediate.”

“……!”

For a moment, the boy had a look on his face as if he were about to faint.

Since he had arrived at the Immortal Embers, he would roughly know the standard of a Grand Magic Engineer like Herman Melville.

“Y-you are an upper-intermediate magic engineer? What nonsense lies are you telling!”

Because he would not be able to estimate what kind of inhuman existence I, who reached upper-intermediate at nineteen, was, when even he himself had reached intermediate at fifteen.

But I felt sorry for the boy.

‘In truth, it is just that I am an anomaly; I don’t have talent like yours, child.’

Even if one searched all the Embers, the boy’s talent was worthy of being discussed globally. However, to persuade the boy, a little lie was inevitable.

Strictly speaking, it was true that I was at the upper-intermediate rank, so it was not a complete lie…

Feeling pleasure rather than guilt, I casually continued speaking.

“A lie. Then how was I able to recognize your level? Within a short exchange of merely a few words.”

“That…”

“Although there is no way to prove here whether I am upper-intermediate or not, it seems proven that I am at least at the same level as you from the fact that I understood the conversation at the checkpoint.”

The boy’s eyes shook with shock. I did not miss this momentum and pushed him.

Now was the turning point of the showdown.

“If I wanted to spend time, I wouldn’t be any worse than you, I have already reached an achievement far superior to yours, and I am confident that I will rise to a higher level than you in the future. But I need you. Because I will become a leader, not a magic engineer.”

“A leader…?”

“Yes. The reason I need you is that the work I have to do in the future cannot be biased toward one area. That means I need a talent to fill my empty space as a magic engineer.”

“The talent to replace you is me?”

“I don’t know about other things, but I promise you this one thing. The Ember where you and your sister will live will be the best Ember that will never exist again in the past or the future, let alone this Immortal Ember.”

The die was cast.

Since I had revealed all the future and ambition that a human like me could show, now I was only waiting for the boy’s choice.

And the boy replied before long.

“…Fine. It’s not like you can prove whether you’re upper-intermediate here, and anyone can talk.”

“Does that mean you won’t accept?”

I responded calmly, but my heart sank because the boy’s words were negative.

However, the boy’s true intention came after.

“No. I will accept your proposal after the test results come out. If you are a real upper-intermediate magic engineer, you will beat me and take top honors in this novice qualification exam.”

“So you’re testing me.”

“Why, nervous? It’s a matter of risking my sister’s and my destiny, so shouldn’t you do at least that much? Think of it as the minimum proof to recruit me.”

The boy had already accepted me in his heart. He was merely putting the minimum safety device.

“Sure, fine. If I can recruit you with just that, it’s a good deal for me.”

I did not know about the far future, but at least for now, I was ahead of the boy. Meaning, it was an all too natural result for me to take top honors in the exam.

It was when I turned around after shaking hands with the boy.

“Hey, if we want to meet again later, you should at least let me know your name before you go!”

The boy said.

“Didn’t you tell me to prove it?”

“……?”

“You will find out. Since my name will be the one hanging at the very top of the grade list. If you look for that guy and it is not me, it means I failed the proof, so it would mean there is no need to meet. Isn’t that so?”

“……!”

I replied.

Toward his face, which had now become worth seeing like a fifteen-year-old’s, I—

“I will also find your name in the second place. Let’s make that our introduction.”

Leaving only those words, I walked away.