Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2

The ‘miracle’ I saw happened because of a huge accident that started from a small mistake.

I nearly died.

A few days ago.

“Ruin!”

Very similarly to now, my name always came with the implication of ‘the worst’.

“Ruin, it’s your turn.”

“Ah. Ok.”

“You have to cast Fireball and hit that scarecrow.”

Fireball.

An easy spell that any student in the academy could cast.

Even if they couldn’t master 2nd-class magic, so long as they could manifest mana and feel the element of fire, anyone could cast it.

And that included me.

As soon as I stretched my palm open and applied mana…

“Wow!”

The flames lit up.

It was once a symbol of my talent.

A Fireball that was bigger and stronger than anyone else’s floated atop my palm.

For an instant, it was almost impressive enough to make others exclaim.

However, that was it.

“Ah…”

If I tried to release this fireball, my innate problem would become apparent.

It was dizzying.

A myriad of new obstacles appeared when I tried to release the Fireball.

My forehead started sweating as stomach acid tried climbing my throat and intense dizziness overcame me.

“Ruin!”

“…I can’t do it.”

It’d already been 6 years since my magic became troublesome.

“Throw it already.”

“It─it’s not separating from my hand.”

“……”

It was always like this.

Hydel, our combat magic teacher, looked at me and the Fireball locked on my hand, eyes cold.

“Ruin, it’s been 6 years since you’ve entered the academy. You’re part of the graduating class.”

“……”

“But if you can’t do such a simple thing, there is no way you will pass the graduation test. You will definitely fail.”

Yeah.

Definite failure.

In the test for this subject, you were supposed to create 10 Fireballs and hit 10 different scarecrows simultaneously.

But since I couldn’t even throw 1 Fireball, failure was guaranteed.

At this rate, there was no point in even considering going to a magic tower or becoming a court magician.

I wouldn’t be able to graduate.

Meaning, I wouldn’t become a magician.

Damn it.

However, I couldn’t say anything.

“I’ll practice more.”

I could only talk about practice.

I knew.

I knew better than anyone else.

That this wasn’t something resolved by practice.

However, I had nothing else I could say.

If a day came where I couldn’t even say this, all my blood, sweat and tears across the past 6 years would have been for naught.

“Hm.”

Professor Hydel gave a light gesture with his head that told me I’m free to go.

“Then… I’ll be going now.”

I bowed my head and turned my back.

Unpleasant stares immediately flooded onto me.

They told me with their gaze,

‘Dunce of the academy.’

‘A person with Evocation Disorder trying to become a magician is idiotic.’

‘Just disappear already.’

“……”

Why did I feel like a sinner?

What did I do wrong?

What harm did I do to them?

Nothing.

If I had to think of something, it was because I was the cause of one of the most toxic emotions.

That was…

‘Envy’

Because I was called a ‘Magic Genius’, despite being a nobody from a countryside noble house.

Because, at one point, I was seen as the best student, surpassing the children of prestigious houses.

Even after these halos faded and I fell from above with broken wings, everyone in the academy still treated me as their enemy.

This was the starting point of the accident.

As soon as I was outside of Professor Hydel’s view, some stopped bothering to hide their obvious hostility.

No, they started messing with me openly.

“Ruin, isn’t it time you pack your bags?”

“Do you know what the underclassmen call you? ‘Duncehead Ruin’. It’s embarrassing that we’re in the same year.”

Each time, I suppressed my hostility towards them.

I did my best to hold it in.

Because whenever they messed with me, I was the only one who suffered a loss.

Do you know why?

“Why don’t you pack up and leave so you don’t taint the graduating class. Back to that ‘rural territory’ of yours. Kek.”

“Oh, you mean that territory that you can’t even see on the map?”

“Did you know, I only saw a map with ‘Ardell’ on it after I came here?”

“……”

I was the lowest, weakest existence outside of the academy.

This was where they nurtured ‘Magicians’, the strongest combat force of the kingdom.

Most people here were children of those in seats of power.

Contrary to that, my household was the furthest from power, being only a small territory at the edge of the countryside.

It wasn’t a fair comparison to begin with.

That’s right.

It was fine if I held it in against all the insults they threw at me.

Even if they pointed and laughed at all my blood, sweat and tears across the past 6 years, so long as I endured it, nothing else would happen to me.

However, there was one thing they overlooked.

“I asked my father about the head of the Ardell family, but he said they’re just ‘an aloof individual, despite having nothing noteworthy about them’.”

“They have no sense and a stubborn ego. No wonder they’re rotting somewhere on the edges.”

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. They should know their place. Did they want to raise a magician? What a joke.”

“Kek.”

“……”

They overlooked that it’s not about authority.

That they were being more reckless.

That they should’ve only messed with ‘me’.

I stopped in my tracks and turned around.

Walking towards the closest guy who was provoking me, my steps started to pick up.

I felt everything inside of me shift.

“You should’ve known when to stop.”

“…What?”

Without hesitation, I launched my fist at the one who mocked my father.

It collided directly with his face.

CRACK!

“Augh!”

Coupled with the sound of the crushing of cartilage, that guy collapsed to the floor, grasping at his nose.

Crimson blood started flowing down the back of his hand.

“B-b-blood!”

After getting shocked from seeing blood, he, as if he had lost touch with reality, glared at me with half-dazed eyes.

Hatred burned deep within them.

“You son of a bitch!”

They didn’t even think I would dare attack him.

Because they were people of high status.

Was his name Ben Polt?

Whatever.

Even if he was the son of some viscount, it didn’t matter anymore.

I looked down towards Ben Polt and asked him,

“Say it one more time. What did you say my father was?”

Ruin Ardell.

The name that didn’t even have an ounce of talent but had a stubborn ego.

This was one of the reasons they couldn’t completely destroy me.

Even though I was powerless, I never surrendered.