Chapter 7 (1/2)

Mightiest Melee Magician

Chapter 7

“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?