Episode 5: I Got a Senior

The training with Raphael continued almost every single day.

She utterly destroyed me.

After that, she injected Holy magic to forcibly heal me.

And the next day, she beat me up without fail.

I hereby retract my previous thought that nobles were at least intellectuals!

Nobles are all just as savage!

But annoyingly, Raphael’s training was effective.

Three weeks later, as soon as I learned the theory of Holy magic, I immediately succeeded in using lower-level Holy magic.

It was just basic Holy magic that healed minor wounds, but as soon as I heard the theory, I knew how to use my body.

,Huum, it seems the seed of light has taken root properly.”

,Seed, you say?”

,The achievement of magic is the process of creating a giant tree inside your body.”

Raphael took out a magic book and showed me an example.

It depicted the process of a seed growing into a tree in a total of 5 stages.

Stage 1: Germination

Stage 2: Foundation

Stage 3: Flowering

Stage 4: Ripening

Stage 5: Sowing

I haven’t even entered Stage 1 yet.

,No matter how much you want to use magic, you can’t use it unless the seed takes root. It’s a pure area of talent.”

I knew it; I had a feeling I wanted to use Holy magic from the start.

I knew I had talent.

,The quality of a mage differs depending on how they nurture this seed.

The reason why street mages are disregarded is because their seeds are left to rot before they can even bloom.”

There was a reason why magic was divided into formal magic.

,And there are innate differences in talent even in seeds.

Starting with size, some people even develop separate seeds besides the seven attributes.”

,What about my seed?”

Raphael twisted the corner of her lips up.

,It’s incredibly big and solid. You can be proud.”

It was a physique that far exceeded the average.

These savage Otherworlders wouldn’t even dare to compare.

,But because it’s so solid, it will be hard to break.”

,Break it? Instead of cherishing it, you’re saying something so scary!”

,Of course, you have to break it to become a tree. What are you talking about?”

,I will try to become a baobab tree.”

I have to nurture it and become the biggest tree in the world.

,How you nurture it is up to you. Since it’s such a pure seed of light, do your best to cultivate it.”

,Then, is the hitting over?”

,No, you have to keep doing that too.”

I cried.

The training continued steadily.

As I was rolling around on the floor again today, I sensed someone at the entrance of the training ground in the distance.

It was Sisiroka.

She peeked her head out at the entrance and watched me.

Sisiroka didn’t train with me.

Instead, she only attended theory classes.

I once asked why we didn’t do the same training.

,Sisiroka’s body is naturally weak. If that child did the same training as you, she wouldn’t be able to stay in this world any longer.”

The reason why Sisiroka’s body was weak was because of the talent she possessed.

Sisiroka was the one who had the special seed that Raphael mentioned.

Sisiroka was born with a seed.

The Seed of Banna.

It was a seed that was eating away at Sisiroka’s body.

The Seed of Banna sprouts based on the body, not magic power.

So, Sisiroka’s body was constantly being devoured by the seed.

She is 18 years old this year.

The reason why I thought she was a middle school student was because her body was being devoured by the seed, preventing her from growing properly.

Right now, it’s okay because her growth hasn’t been caught up by the devouring yet.

But the moment the rate of devouring becomes faster than the rate of growth.

Sisiroka’s remaining life will be short.

There is only one way for her to live.

She has no choice but to reach the point where Holy magic is constantly activated.

Holy magic neutralizes the Seed of Banna, extending her lifeline.

Of course, reaching a level like Raphael’s is not common.

Even Raphael was a member of the angel race, a minority race born with the light attribute.

Is it really possible for an ordinary human to reach that level in their twenties?

It was a sad story, but reality was cruel.

Sisiroka was struggling to survive death, but death was tightening its grip on her neck.

My eyes met Sisiroka’s.

The reason she’s watching me now might be because she’s researching ways to train Holy magic to survive even a little longer.

Some people live because they can’t die.

Some people live because they don’t want to die.

What a fucking world.

,Sisiroka-seonbae-nim.”

I got up from my spot, covered in dust.

Sisiroka flinched.

,If you want to observe, I will gladly include you.”

Sisiroka’s hair stood on end, and she fled.

Was it because I tormented her a little on the first day?

Sisiroka ran away whenever she saw me.

,You’ve gotten pretty close to Sisiroka, haven’t you?”

,Of course. Sisiroka-seonbae-nim and I are alumni. It’s only natural to get close to my sajeo.”

,You’re so shameless.”

Raphael looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

,Still, the fact that Sisiroka is acting like that probably means she doesn’t see you in a bad light. Please get along with her.”

She looked at the entrance where Sisiroka had disappeared with a look of pity.

,Because I can’t be that child’s friend.”

Sisiroka cannot be healed even by Raphael.

Perhaps that’s why Raphael showed a particularly weak side towards Sisiroka.

Telling me to get close to an 18-year-old girl, even I find that difficult.

But it’s my master’s order.

,Then, if I become friends with Sisiroka-seonbae-nim, please teach me that.”

I pointed to the whip she had been using to beat me up recently.

The whip was not an ordinary whip.

It was a whip made of light.

,You really want to have a means of attack, don’t you.”

,Attack is the best defense, they say.”

,I don’t know what’s making you so obsessed with attacking, but.”

Raphael twisted the corner of her lips up.

,Okay, if you become Sisiroka’s friend, I’ll teach you.”

From today on, Sisiroka’s attacks will be considered attacks against me.

* * *

From that day on, I followed Sisiroka wherever she went.

,Seonbae-nim, are you having a meal? Let’s eat together.”

,Hikkiyakk!”

,Seonbae-nim, you must be hungry. Have a snack.”

,Kkyayaakk!”

,Seonbae-nim, you sneezed, here’s a blanket.”

,Hyayaakk!”

Perhaps because I kept popping up.

Sisiroka screamed and ran away every time.

But she was slow, so I caught up and brought her back.

Sisiroka seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit.

,Sisiroka was wrong. You don’t have to call me seonbae anymore, so please don’t torment Sisiroka.”

,Torment? It’s just an expression of respect.”

,R-Respect? This is?”

Sisiroka made a frightened expression.

,This is how seniors and juniors, and friends, usually get along.”

,O-Oh, is that so?”

Sisiroka didn’t have any friends.

So, she seriously wondered if this was what friendship was like.

,What do you think, Sisiroka-seonbae-nim, are we friends?”

,…Sisiroka is not stupid.”

,Of course not. Sisiroka-seonbae-nim is a genius.”

Sisiroka looked at me with eyes as if she was looking at something she couldn’t understand at all.

,Why are you trying to do so much for Sisiroka?”

It’s to learn the light weapon creation, of course.

But I don’t think I should tell her the truth.

,I’m a Transcender, so I don’t know anyone in this world.”

My human relationships are limited to Bulldog Ajussi at best.

The rest are just the thief bastards who are after my wallet every time and the annoying-faced Pioneer employees every day.

So, it was safe to say that my human relationships were completely ruined.

,I’ve been living alone in a world where I don’t know anyone for months, and then I got a sajeo who has the same master. It’s only natural that I want to get close to her.”

I don’t have the strength to live alone yet.

If so, I have to cling to the relationships around me to survive.

,When Sisiroka-seonbae-nim called me her junior, I was happier than I thought. It’s because Sisiroka-seonbae-nim accepted me.”

,… .”

Sisiroka was silent.

She is not a Transcender.

So, she won’t be able to fully sympathize with what I’m saying.

To be honest, I didn’t say it for her to sympathize with me.

A life of having to cling to savage Otherworlders.

It’s a terrible life, but I have to do my best now to live in this shitty world.

Raphael cherishes Sisiroka.

If I become friends with Sisiroka in front of me, I can become closer to Raphael too.

Sisiroka’s blue eyes stared at me for a moment.

,…Sisiroka is not a Transcender, so I can’t perfectly sympathize with how Harua-hubae feels.”

Sisiroka had the same thought as me.

Then, Sisiroka raised her hand.

She tried hard to lift her heels to make her small height taller.

Her small hand patted my head.

,Good job.”

I suddenly received a compliment.

,Good job?”

,You’ve been living in a world where you don’t know anyone. Sisiroka has a lot of people around her who take care of her like this, but it hasn’t been easy for me to live.”

Sisiroka’s life is much harder than mine.

Her life is getting shorter every day.

I guess everyone feels that way, but death was too close to her.

On the other hand, what about me?

I come back to life even if my limbs are torn off by a pseudo-religion, I come back to life even if I’m stabbed to death by thieves, and I come back to life even if my neck is cut off by a murderer.

Compared to Sisiroka, my life was at least immune to death.

And yet, Sisiroka says I did a good job.

For some reason, a little laughter leaked out.

,Harua-hubae, I didn’t know you could smile like that?”

,I’m always smiling.”

,It feels different from that smile.”

Is that so.

If it looks that way, then it must be.

,Sisiroka-seonbae-nim, what do you think? Can we become friends?”

,It’s a difficult thing.”

Sisiroka seriously pondered.

,But if I become friends with Harua-hubae, I’ll have another precious friend.”

I know one thing for sure.

Why Raphael cherished Sisiroka so much.

Sisiroka was a person who knew how to speak beautifully.

,I’ve found another thing to learn from seonbae-nim.”

,Is there anything to learn from Sisiroka?”

,There’s a lot. It’s not something I say to just anyone. It’s something I only say to people I acknowledge.”

I only acknowledge a very small number of savage Otherworlders.

Sisiroka straightened her back and puffed up slightly.

Her adorable appearance made me laugh a little.

,More than that, did you have any friends?”

,S-Sisiroka has friends too! They’re friends that Raphael-nim introduced me to.”

I thought she wouldn’t have any friends, but that’s surprising.

But wouldn’t that just be acquaintances, not friends?

Sisiroka cleared her throat and changed the subject.

,If I become friends with Harua-hubae, it feels like it will be a chaotic day.”

,If you want, I’m confident that I can still run around the noble district with Sisiroka-seonbae-nim in my arms.”

,Then we can’t be friends. Absolutely don’t do it.”

,If I don’t do it, can we become friends?”

Sisiroka covered her mouth slightly and smiled.

,Yes, maybe.”

Maybe I’ll make my first friend in this Otherworld.

Sisiroka and I laughed as we shared such trivial stories.

It was a feeling that was somehow warming after a long time.

And a month later.

Sisiroka collapses and ends up in the hospital bed.