The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 12

< The Story of a Baron's Second Son – 12 >

If you were to ask if Gaius and I were friends, well, I would say we were acquaintances, but not exactly what you’d call friends.

If I had to describe it, he was like an older acquaintance from the neighborhood. He was seven years older than me and, like a typical wizard, didn’t pay much attention to anything that wasn’t his direct concern. He had that kind of relationship with most wizards, except for a select few, so he wasn’t a ‘special’ person to me.

However, what set Gaius apart from other wizards was that we had another connection: we were *dong-gi* [peers who joined at the same time].

Gaius was born in a completely different place, at a different time, and grew up in a different environment. Until then, the only things he and I had in common were our gender and the fact that we were walking the path of magic. But we received our notices around the same time, departed from the Imperial City on the same day, and arrived at the Terra Barrier on the same day. From that moment on, Gaius and I began to have more and more in common.

We woke up around the same time, went to bed around the same time, ate the same food, and fought the same battles. And then he died. Leaving only nine people including me. One was subtracted from a number that wasn’t even in the double digits.

“You’re back alive! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…Mr. Laurent.”

“Oh, you must have heard the news.”

Laurent was actually closer to Gaius than I was. They were of similar age, and unlike me, who made friends with Ild or the other wizards around, Laurent hadn’t yet been recognized, so they probably had no one else to talk to but each other.

In fact, it was easy to see them hanging out together. But Laurent’s attitude was too calm and composed for someone whose friend had died. I seemed more depressed than he did.

“Why are you so gloomy? It’s not like it’s the first time someone has died.”

“Are you okay, Mr. Laurent?”

“What’s not to be okay?”

However, that attitude didn’t mean that Laurent was a heartless person or that he wasn’t really close to Gaius.

It was just that Gaius’s death had already happened two weeks ago, and unlike me, who had heard the news less than a day ago, Gaius’s death was just an event from two weeks ago for Laurent.

Even after the death of a family member you’ve lived with for decades, you return to a somewhat normal life in a week, so even if it’s a close friend, after two weeks, things will seem more normal.

“Actually, it’s a place where you could die at any moment. This Terra Barrier. It’s not like we’re soldiers who die by the dozens every day, but death isn’t far away. Gaius dying isn’t anything special.”

Laurent is right. This damn place kills too many people. A place where ‘death,’ which should be special, has become commonplace. I was living day by day in a place where you had to throw a celebration party if you didn’t see a human corpse for even a day.

#

Gaius’s cause of death was officially listed as a fall. According to the soldiers who were nearby, while they were holding back the endless waves of monsters as usual, a monster they didn’t even know the name of climbed up the wall, wrapped its long tongue around Gaius’s body, and dropped him below the wall.

Of course, Gaius was a wizard, so even if the Terra Barrier was high, he could have avoided death if he had calmly dealt with it, but at that time, there were countless monsters below the wall, rushing in with the sole purpose of devouring humans, so even if he could have avoided the fall, he would have eventually died.

As a result, Gaius’s body was never found. It was probably torn to pieces inside a monster’s body, unrecognizable. It wasn’t just Gaius’s story. Not many people who died at the Terra Barrier died in one piece.

All that Gaius left behind was a wooden staff that he dropped when he was suddenly dragged away, some belongings left in his room, and a will that the defenders of the Terra Barrier were required to write.

Those items will probably be sent to Gaius’s family along with a letter stamped with the imperial seal, stating that he fought honorably and is mourned in the name of the empire. At least he’s a wizard, so he gets some mementos; considering that ordinary soldiers don’t even get that, Gaius is fortunate.

“Thank you all for your hard work. Thanks to your sacrifices, your families, friends, and, in a broader sense, the people of the entire empire are living safely away from death today. On behalf of His Majesty the Great Emperor, I, Duke Sigmund Zieg, pay my respects to your sacrifices. Also, as of December 31st, I hereby discharge you all. May you all return to your hometowns in peace.”

Whether Gaius died or not, the situation at the Terra Barrier was no different than before. Throughout the history of the Terra Barrier, the number of those who died like Gaius was countless, and even if one more person died now, nothing would change. The monsters still swarmed endlessly, as if boasting of their vigorous reproductive power.

Meanwhile, the weather outside became so cold that your hands and feet would freeze if you stood still for even a moment. Of course, when you’re killing monsters, you often forget about that due to the heat of battle. As time flowed, the last day of the year approached. At the same time, a memorial service was held for all those who died at the Terra Barrier during the year.

The memorial service for at least thousands of people was extremely simple. The host was Duke Zieg, the mourners were their comrades who were trying not to become like them, and the mourning time was not long either.

It’s not like the monsters would know and not attack because we were mourning the dead. We were just taking some time for those who had died, whom we hadn’t been able to pay enough attention to due to the urgency of survival.

“Rest in peace.”

The steps of Gaius and many others will not be heavy. At least their families will be able to live without starving. Of course, what comfort would a few coins be to those who have lost their husbands, sons, and fathers, but at least it’s better than nothing.

“He has a younger sibling.”

“A younger sibling?”

“His parents are ordinary farmers, but he was lucky enough to have a high affinity for magic, so he was able to become a wizard. Gaius must have been the hope of his family, so it’s a pity. But it’s a relief that the one remaining sibling won’t be dragged away, so I guess we should call it a blessing in disguise.”

The conversation with Laurent during the memorial service for Gaius made me think a lot. To have to comfort someone by saying it’s a blessing in disguise that one of the two sons died so the remaining one won’t be dragged to the battlefield, when the real blessing would be for them to return safely to their families.

“Let’s go back when you’re done mourning. It’s cold, the dead are dead, and the living must live.”

That’s obvious. But the reason why those words feel even sadder is because I’ve died once. It must be because I remember the mother who buried her dead son in her heart and is living in this harsh world.

That night, on a blessed evening when I didn’t even see the shadow of a monster for the first time in a while, I was thinking about ways to reduce the number of people who die. With my hands behind my head, lying in bed, I should have been able to fall asleep, but as if my thoughts were commendable, not even a bit of drowsiness approached.

Until yesterday, I was only focused on my own survival. That’s not a bad thing. To be honest, Duke Zieg is probably the only one here who has a purpose other than survival. But after attending today’s memorial service, my thoughts have changed slightly.

Survival is still my top priority. To be honest, if I’m about to die, who am I going to care about or help? However, as someone with an ability that others don’t have, I may be suffering from a sense of obligation because I didn’t obtain that ability through effort but happened to obtain it by chance.

That I should use this ability not only for myself but for everyone. That using it only for my own selfish desires is different from the purpose for which I obtained this ability. It may be a foolish thought. But it wasn’t a wrong thought.

A place where death, which should be special, has become commonplace. I wanted to give death its specialness back in that place.

#

“What… what did you just say?”

“I’ve created another circle.”

“You’ve created another circle? You’re eighteen, no, you’re nineteen now that the year has passed. And you’ve reached the 4th Circle?”

Was it because of the change in my mindset? Was it that the experience of fighting for survival, which I had been doing to the point of death, had finally surpassed its limits? Last night, while doing my evening meditation as usual, I was able to create another circle in my heart.

And this morning, I reported that fact to my superior, Ild. Talented people should be used in the right places. Since the 3rd and 4th Circles have different limits on what they can do, and since Ild helped me raise my circle, there was no reason to hide it.

However, Ild couldn’t believe my words at all. In his head, he knew that I had no reason to lie, and that I wasn’t the kind of person who would lie, but his heart couldn’t accept it.

Eventually, after showing Ild the basic magic of the 4th Circle – it was impossible to use it in practice, but if given enough time and space, the incantation itself was possible – his surprised eyes were still there, but he believed my words.

“I should congratulate you first. To be in the 4th Circle before you’re even twenty, that’s an unbelievable achievement. To be honest, I’m jealous. Congratulations.”

Ild was sincerely impressed. There were wizards who reached the 3rd Circle before they turned twenty, though it wasn’t common. Those were the so-called geniuses. In the first place, those who weren’t geniuses, or at least those who were called prodigies, gathered and walked the path of magic, so it was possible for those who stood out among them.

But the 4th Circle is different. As far as Ild knew, there were only a few people who had reached the 4th Circle before they turned twenty. And those people weren’t people who could be called geniuses. They were more like prodigies who surpassed geniuses.

“It’s all thanks to your teachings.”

“What do you mean thanks to me? It’s all thanks to your efforts. Even if there were no teachings, it would have taken a little longer, but there wouldn’t have been much difference. By the way, I have to tell Wonder-nim soon. I’m sure he won’t believe it.”

Congratulations are congratulations, and Ild thought about what would happen next. If this news gets to the Magic Tower through Wonder, the Magic Tower will probably be turned upside down.

Because a prodigy who comes out of the Terra Barrier, which is nothing more than the final destination for those without background or skill, once every ten or twenty years, has appeared. They’ll probably try to get him out of the Terra Barrier somehow. It’s not that everyone with talent reaches a high level, but it’s true that the probability is higher.

“And congratulations again. You’ll be able to go to the capital soon. Regardless of your background, people won’t leave someone with your talent in a place like this. Maybe the Magic Tower Lord will try to teach you himself.”

At the same time, he felt a sense of regret. He was going to try to nurture him because he seemed talented, but he was going to leave his side in less than a year. He wanted to watch his growth a little more, but it seemed difficult.

‘In the first place, it’s a talent that I can’t handle with my vessel.’

Ild had also grown up without falling behind others. He reached the 3rd Circle before he was in his mid-twenties, and the 4th Circle after he was over thirty. He was transferred to the Terra Barrier as if he was being kicked out after struggling for several years in that state, and reached the 5th Circle when he was a little over forty. It was an achievement that was enough to be recognized by others. But in front of a prodigy, even those called geniuses had no choice but to fade.

At that time, unexpected words came to Ild’s ears.

“Ild-nim.”

“What is it?”

“I will not go to the capital.”

“You won’t go to the capital?”

Renil’s expression, as Ild looked at him, was more serious than ever.

< The Story of a Baron's Second Son – 12 > End