Chapter 20:  Like Spring Sunshine

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Why are you getting angry? — Sugar was baffled.

She had simply told her friend that she didn’t like blondes, but now someone else was getting upset.

And that someone wasn’t even a blonde. His hair was the color of faded, dry soil—dull and dusty.

Did he know someone who was blonde? Maybe one of his parents had been blonde?

“Why do you hate it so much? Since when? Why?”

Since the beginning? Should she say she dislikes blondes because one might kill her in the future? She couldn’t exactly say that.

To begin with, she didn’t have any inherent dislike for blondes. As she had mentioned earlier, there were many blonde characters she liked.

It was just an offhand comment that slipped out because of Riley.

It wasn’t like she had always hated blondes. In her past life, she hadn’t harbored such strong resentment toward Riley.

Back then, this world was just a game to her, and he was merely a villain in that world. It was entirely different from the reality she was living in now.

Unable to explain all this, Sugar decided to play the part of a simple blonde-hater.

“It’s just a matter of preference.”

“…”

At that, Tommy turned around sharply, his movements sharp and his fists clenched tightly. He looked deeply dissatisfied.

“…I hate your weird, pale hair color too.”

He spat out the words with a venomous tone and then quickly dashed back into the building.

“…Did you come all the way here just to say that?”

“Probably not…”

At Praline’s response, Sugar simply shrugged.

Tommy had only gone to discuss what had happened at the factory.

But then he accidentally overheard something he didn’t like, and now he was holed up in a corner of the attic.

That horribly detestable hair color, just like his mother’s.

It was a color he had to hide until he could escape the slums. A color he wanted to keep concealed until he could stand tall without shame.

He had covered it with dust, wanting to disappear from the world.

To have that deeply scarred color dismissed so casually made his heart feel strange. He couldn’t quite describe this unpleasant, odd feeling.

Was he angry? Annoyed? Both, perhaps, but more than that, it felt like it hurt.

The first thought that came to mind was, Why?

Why should he feel hurt by something a girl like that said?

He tried imagining someone else saying the same thing. For example, Praline or one of the other kids.

‘…It’s a bit annoying, but I don’t care.’

He could just brush it off. It didn’t matter what they said.

But when he thought back to what had just happened…

–I just personally don’t like that color.
–It’s just a matter of preference.

He felt a sharp pang of discomfort. It felt like a part of himself had been rejected.

Why? Why did it hurt so much when Sugar said that? Why did it feel like a dagger had been driven into him? The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

The tormented boy covered his eyes.

He couldn’t think too deeply about it. If he realized why it hurt, he might never be able to come back from it.

Turning his thoughts away, the boy raised his hand. A book appeared out of thin air as he focused.

The best way to cut off his thoughts was to immerse himself in something else.

The boy loved acquiring new knowledge, and he hoped it might also improve his mood. So he began to read intently.

“…”

But it didn’t take long before he closed the book.

After all, not a single page had been added since he met Sugar.

The grimoire, which restored its pages through the life force of living beings, had stopped progressing.

Looking at it only made him depressed for another reason, so he willed the book to disappear.

Then he flopped down onto the floor.

The faint light streaming in from the small window felt unreal. His dull blue eyes stared blankly into the darkness.

As he gazed mindlessly, it felt as if he had become the darkness, and the darkness had become him.

He stayed like that for a while.

“…”

–Tap, tap, tap.

Suddenly, the downstairs became noisy. The sound of someone running, and someone else shouting loudly.

The one who usually caused such a commotion was, with high probability, a certain girl. Without realizing it, the boy got up. His heart was pounding for some reason.

“Tommy! Where’s Tommy!?”

The voice calling his name was, unfortunately, not the one he was hoping for. Instead of a clear, melodious voice, it was the grating tone of a middle-aged woman.

Still, he went downstairs, half-expecting something.

“…I’m here.”

“Ah! There you are! Uh, get ready… shower! Clothes! Get ready!”

What was she talking about? The orphanage director’s rambling was irritating, and Tommy frowned. Then, suddenly, he felt a heavy sensation.

Something thick and pungent enveloped his entire body. It wasn’t just his mood from earlier. This was caused by someone’s magic.

–Tap, tap.

The sound of a cane, familiar even though he had only heard it once before.

“Director. You don’t need to prepare anything. As you can see, appearance doesn’t matter with these eyes.”

“Oh, but… it’s only polite…”

“It’s really fine. I’m just here for a brief chat today, so don’t worry about it.”

“…Alright. Then I’ll take you to the reception room.”

“Oh my, how kind.”

She smiled warmly.

Despite openly exuding such heavy magical energy. By now, even Sugar in the backyard would have sensed Louveci’s presence.

“Now, let’s go… Tommy, was it? Nice to meet you.”

Tommy silently glared at the woman who had emerged from the shadows.

The tea smelled good.

The orphanage director had brought out some rare tea, unlike her usual self. Normally, they drank bland, over-brewed tea, but for a distinguished guest, she brought out the good stuff. She had some basic decency after all.

“…”

“…”

The two sitting in the reception room remained silent for a while.

Though they weren’t speaking, their magic was clashing fiercely. To be precise, Louveci was trying to envelop Tommy, and Tommy was pushing her away. His displeasure was at its peak, and his expression said it all.

The moment he felt her magic, a sense of rejection surged. It was natural to resist. Sugar’s magic, which blended so easily, was the anomaly.

“…Stop it. What are you even here for?”

“Just to say hello. And to check your potential.”

“Hah. So I’m the target this time?”

“Yes. Sugar’s reaction last time was so stubborn. I thought if her friend came, she might soften up a bit.”

“Get lost.”

His immediate answer seemed to amuse Louveci, who smiled.

“Tommy. If I were to adopt you, do you know you wouldn’t have any say in the matter?”

“…What?”

“Orphans don’t have the right to refuse. Even if you ran away, once I’ve ‘observed’ you, I could track you down anywhere.”

“You…!”

“Or, while you’re running away, I could take Sugar. There are many spells I can use without breaking my oath not to harm her. If you’re not there to defend her, I can take her however I want.”

How utterly powerless—Tommy muttered under his breath, then immediately raised his hand. The anger boiling inside him at her blatant provocation made it impossible to think rationally.

You’re powerless, you can’t do anything. Hearing the words he hated most, the young boy couldn’t help but waver. Rational thought was out of the question.

He was about to summon his grimoire.

–Rustle…

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something white shimmering.

It was such a brief moment, it felt like a hallucination.

A gradient of pink mixed into white. Hair of that color seemed to appear outside the reception room window. The boy’s eyes instinctively followed the color he liked so much.

“…Huu.”

Once the flow was broken, Tommy took a deep breath. He finally came to his senses. Realizing what he had been about to do, his mind was in turmoil.

“Ah… what a shame. I thought I’d get to see it.”

“…See what?”

“What you’ve been hiding. I thought if I made you angry enough, you’d show it.”

Her sly smile made him feel like he’d aged ten years.

If he had summoned the grimoire then, if he had unleashed that power, no matter the outcome, he wouldn’t have been able to stay at the orphanage any longer.

Tommy, who had no intention of leaving yet, crossed his arms.

“What am I hiding?”

“I don’t know. I can tell there’s something, but I can’t figure out what it is. How are you hiding it so well that even I can’t sense it…?”

Louveci made a circle with her hand and held it up to her eye, then straightened her posture.

“I apologize for my earlier behavior. If I upset you, I’m sorry. As I said before, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I don’t have the ability to, anyway.”

“You provoke me and then say sorry if I’m upset? Got it, now get lost.”

“I really… got carried away by curiosity and made a misstep.”

Louveci chuckled aloud and sipped her tea. Despite her words, her demeanor showed not a hint of regret for her actions.

“Now, shall we get to the main point?”

“No.”

“Just hear me out. It’s not a bad deal for you either. I’ve brought quite a realistic proposal.”

Then, she pulled out a long wooden box from the paper bag she had been holding all along.

She placed it carelessly on the table.

“I realized I’ve been treating you like a child before. This time, I’ve raised the bar a bit.”

“…”

“Go ahead, open it. It’s nothing bad.”

“You open it.”

‘Kids these days are all so bold…’ Unaware that the cause lay with herself, Louveci untied the string of the wooden box.

“Well, what do you think?”

The moment he saw the contents, it felt like his breath stopped.

It was shocking. He was shocked by the object itself, and even more shocked by how it seemed deliberately chosen to infuriate him.

The shock was so intense that blood rushed to his head, making his vision spin.

“You… you’re a mage… You know what this means, don’t you…?”

“Of course, I do. I thought it wouldn’t be a bad deal for you. Tommy, how long do you plan to stay here?”

“…”

“As an apostle, I’ve been active for many years. I was once part of the Sky Island too. Someone like me is telling you this: you’re overflowing with talent. Despite your young age, your understanding of magic is profound. But the reality is, it’s hard to shine in the slums. Aren’t you unsure if you’ll succeed? But I can guide you.”

“…”

“I can personally mentor you. There are also many other mages, and you can seek their help too. All you have to do is one thing: trust her and join us. Then, you’ll receive guidance and support.”

Tommy, the boy, chose his words carefully.

To avoid ruining things like before, consumed by anger. Yet, his insides burned, his mouth parched, and breathing felt difficult.

“How far… can you support me?”

“As far as our reach allows.”

“You, how high did you rise in the Sky Island?”

“High enough that mentioning my name would ring a bell. It’s a bit embarrassing to say myself, but it’d cause quite a stir if I revealed the whereabouts of that apostate.”

“…Anyway, you didn’t reach the top, did you?”

“Well, the top is—”

“What I want is to be number one.”

And when the boy raised his head, his eyes were far from those of a child.

They were sharp, filled with determination. Quiet yet vividly burning.

“What I want, more than anything, is to be at the ‘pinnacle.’ The ‘best.’ The ‘first.’ No one should look down on me. I want everyone to admire and envy me. To dare not challenge or talk back to me…!”

“…You have quite the pride.”

“Yes! But some mediocre guidance, some mediocre support? If it’s something anyone can get, I don’t need it! Take this trash away! How… how dare you mock me!”

The box the boy shoved away clattered loudly as it fell.

What tumbled out was a sleek, ash-colored magic wand.

A wand is something parents give to their child, or a master to their disciple. Though not a strict rule, it’s a common tradition among ‘ordinary’ mages.

But for Tommy, for this young boy…

…For Riley, there had been no proper parents or mentors.

It had always been a wound, a source of inferiority, and the beginning of all the distortions that would exist in any world.

A proper family. An ordinary life.

Always yearning for what was out of reach.

Instead, it transformed into a desire to be acknowledged by everyone, by the world.

For such a child, receiving a wand as if it were charity only further shattered their self-esteem.

“Get out of here, now!”

“…”

He spoke sharply, his words laced with thorns. Even as he vented his anger, it didn’t make him feel better. If anything, it only made him feel more miserable.

The boy gritted his teeth, tasting the bitterness of his emotions. The woman, without a word, smiled strangely.

The atmosphere in the parlor grew cold.

So cold it was almost painful.

“—That’s right. Get out of here, now.”

But here, there was a presence like the warm spring sun, melting away the icy space.

A magical child who led a fate entirely different from any other world.

She appeared as if out of a dream, perched by the window. Her light movements as she landed were like those of a fairy.

Such a girl ran to the boy’s side. As if she were about to embrace him, she arrived with a warm air carrying a sweet scent.

“You bad person, bothering my friend. I’m talking about you, Louveci.”

Sugar hid Tommy behind her and glared at Louveci with a deliberately angry face.