The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 55

55. The Great Mage of the Hero Party Reincarnated – Episode 55 (55/280)

Episode 55

I spent the weekend focusing on survival strategies. The guy who ‘might be dangerous’ was now upgraded to ‘is dangerous.’

“Is this what walking on eggshells feels like…?”

I don’t know what Valencidi’s goal is (he’s skilled enough that, like me, he doesn’t really need to learn anything at school), but figuring out his goal is now secondary; the immediate problem is that I could die.

Socrafres.

– You can inherit the progress of ‘unique magic’ research from the surrounding environment.

– Progress: 44.8%

If there’s anything comforting in this situation, it’s the progress of my unique magic. I think I’ve raised it by almost 4 percent just during this expedition.

“So, fighting strong guys really makes it go up fast? Black magic has a lot of perks.”

I’m also bothered by what Rivenee, who looked exactly like Rin, said at the end. A vessel to receive Rin’s soul…

‘I don’t know what she’s planning with my soul, but it’ll be a waste.’

I don’t think I need to worry too much about this part, for now. Rin’s soul is already in this body.

The problem I need to focus on is Student Council President Valencidi.

Should I beat him up and find out why he was making ‘Rin’?

‘No.’

That’s not a good choice with my body not fully recovered from the dark poison.

‘More than anything, that guy is…’

He felt different from Rivenee, whose goal was unilateral slaughter. Wasn’t it his actions that made me more curious about Toureina?

“Bonus, bonus, bonus.”

Pipi, who was pecking at the scattered corn kernels on the desk, repeated my words.

I was worried about this guy too.

Pipi was definitely powerful against low to mid-level monsters, but he couldn’t use much power against truly strong opponents. Even less so now that he’s old.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you.”

I collapsed onto the desk and sighed. Pipi pecked at Rain’s cheek with his beak, probably annoyed that I had messed up the corn kernels.

“Ah, sorry, my bad!”

And… there was also a problem as big as the student council president issue. When walking through the campus during commuting hours, I overheard whispers like this:

“Hey, did you hear? Professor Elin was captured by the ‘Golden Children.’”

“Seriously?”

“Was she researching black magic or something?”

My Aunt Elin, who risked danger to protect me, was having her reputation damaged.

Since she hadn’t shown up at school even after the holidays, it seemed like these suspicions were gradually increasing.

‘I need to do something…’

She’s a good person, even though she’s annoying and cheeky. And when you think about it, this happened because of me.

Sighing deeply, Rain headed towards the Dragonscale Hall.

* * *

“Young Master Rain, you’re requesting an interview with the President right now?”

At the President’s office.

The secretary of the President’s office tilted her head in disbelief. No one had ever boldly requested an interview with the President before.

“You could say it’s a grievance as the top student… Anyway, there’s something I want to ask, is there any way?”

This was such an unconventional matter that both the applicant and the deliverer thought it would be rejected.

“Who requested the interview?”

But when the secretary went inside the President’s office to ask for her opinion.

“It’s Rain Ludwig.”

Madelia Page, who was mechanically stamping the final approval on various city management issues and academic reports, showed a glint in her eyes.

“Interesting, tell him to come in.”

Thus, the interview with the President was established so easily that the secretary was dumbfounded and stopped thinking for a moment.

The President’s office was a room where sunlight shone brilliantly from all eight sides.

It was a room with a poignant history, built because Emitte Page, the progenitor of magic, wanted to bask in the light of the Black Sun Karenden with her whole body.

‘Wow, this is where the first sage lived…’

While looking around the room from the reception sofa with shining eyes, a woman with a dignified presence sat in the high-backed chair, crossed her legs, and held a teacup.

“This is the first time we’ve talked like this, just the two of us, isn’t it?”

“Yes, President.”

“Are Keibaan and Brim doing well?”

“Yes, they are healthy.”

“Hmph.”

Rain straightened his back, feeling slightly nervous.

Her light blue hair was as brilliant as a jewel under the sunlight. Similarly, her purple eyes held a noble dignity, and there were no ripples in her demeanor.

In the magical power of the heroine who reigns as the pinnacle among the new generation of magicians (Scald and Marchena are old generation), his hair stood on end.

“I’ve heard a lot of stories from various professors. Especially Owen, the professor in charge, praises you to no end.”

“Pardon?”

It would have been more shocking if Owen had declared that he would quit exercising. He’s someone who doesn’t even praise his own parents…

“It’s not just Owen. There are several people who recommended you. So, what business brings you here?”

She’s cutting out the small talk and getting straight to the point, not bad. A magician should naturally have this kind of temperament.

I explained it briefly and concisely.

The story of borrowing a book from Toureina, being caught by the inquisitor when trying to return it, and Elin being taken away to protect me.

“…So, it’s all my fault that my aunt was captured.”

“I see.”

“Could you do something so that my aunt doesn’t suffer any disadvantages? As the President.”

Madelia’s eyes narrowed as she sipped her tea and listened to the story.

“I don’t think this is a matter of discussing your aunt’s treatment, is it? It’s a matter of discussing your treatment.”

“…”

“You knew that freshmen couldn’t borrow books, but you went ahead and did it, using your status as the eldest son of a noble family. If I easily forgive this, the school’s rules won’t stand.”

Facing Madelia’s sharp eyes, I suddenly realized, ah. Was my aunt protecting me because of this, not the inquisition issue? My throat went dry.

This is where it gets important… The sound of the clock on the wall ticking was nervously piercing my ears.

“So, I was wondering if we could make a deal.”

Then Madelia, who had been silently staring at Rain, raised her eyebrows as if she was interested.

“A deal? Between you and me?”

“I am the current top student of and the legitimate heir of the Ludwig family. I think there must be something, even if it’s small, that I can offer you, President.”

Madelia inwardly gasped, amused and surprised by Rain’s bold words.

‘The reactions of the students facing me are usually one of two things…’

They either become extremely timid and stutter a lot, or they are so overwhelmed with awe that they can’t say anything.

Is that just for students?

Even the magicians who have obtained a magic professional license are no different. But this guy… how can he speak so fluently?

– I heard your son is called a useless young master.

I said that to Keibaan Ludwig when we were sharing the same sorrow over our children’s problems. But Keibaan just smiled.

– He’s just not ready to hatch yet.

So, we just need to wait. With love and faith.

Recalling the voice of her bright junior, Madelia rested her chin on her clasped hands and smiled.

“Interesting. Shall we hear what you have to say? So, what’s the deal?”

“How about you tell me what you can offer, and we can adjust from there?”

“You’re misunderstanding something. You’re the one who needs to persuade me with attractive conditions… No, wait a minute.”

As if something suddenly came to mind, Madelia put down her teacup and seemed to seriously consider something for a moment before suddenly bringing up the story.

“Rain Ludwig, would you be willing to become my daughter’s tutor?”

Rain momentarily doubted his ears.

Daughter? Tutor?

Come to think of it, I did hear from my father that the Page family also had a young lady. I had just forgotten because I had never seen her.

But I never imagined it would come up in this situation.

“You know I’m sixteen years old, right?”

The Page family is a magical lineage. No, it’s not just a magical lineage, it’s the leading magical lineage that has continued a long lineage from the progenitor of magic.

It is a natural custom for the best magician of the time to be appointed as the tutor of the Page family.

Considering the bloodline limits, it would be right for President Madelia to teach me herself at this age, just like Keibaan and Scald taught me…

“Isn’t the fact that you became the top student in this class, called the Golden Generation, proof of your outstanding talent? And I heard you worked as an assistant under Scald Ludwig for three years?”

“No, still…”

Teaching others is quite a hassle. I’ve only taught two people so far, and, hmm, it feels like I’m taking away time I could be using for my own studies.

“If you agree, I’ll explain to the school that Elin has gone on a business trip somewhere else under my name.”

“…!”

“And I’ll withdraw the story about the punishment I mentioned earlier. How about it? It’s not like I’m asking you to teach for several years. Just two or three months. I don’t think you’ll be losing anything.”

He pauses for a moment, stroking his chin and hesitating because it’s a matter of teaching others.

But it was a deal where I could get everything I wanted. The immediate problem was solved surprisingly easily.

How hard could being a tutor be?

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

But at this time, I should have stopped for a moment and thought deeply.

When there’s so much coming from a deal, there must be something corresponding to it…

That’s how the great mage met that girl.

* * *

On the night I returned to the Papal State after completing a five-year expedition, a meteor shower adorned the night sky, marking the beginning of the Golden Age.

The members of the Hero Party sat on the railing of the Papal State, leaned against it, or sat leaning against it, looking up at the meteor shower.

“Rin would have loved to see this.”

The moment Rista muttered with a bitter smile, the party members had to shudder in an unbearable grief.

“Yeah, she would have. She would have wanted to make a fuss, but she would have just sparkled her eyes because she was aware of us.”

The Fire Dragon’s Maiden, Friede, tried to ease the atmosphere with a smirk. And then silence flowed again. Everyone just stared blankly at the rain of meteors.

“I thought it would never end, but our journey is finally over.”

It was Toureina, the youngest of the party, who bristled at Rista’s statement. Her voice was terribly trembling.

“It’s not over.”

“…?”

“It’s not over! How can you say that! Ssa-bu [Master] is in that state…!”

“Toureina…”

“It’s not over, until Ssa-bu, until he comes back, it’s not over, never…!”

Then, before anyone could stop her, she pressed Rin’s keepsake, the bamboo hat, low to cover her tears and ran far away. Keyes and Pipi chased after her.

Friede looked at her retreating figure with pity, then exhaled cigarette smoke and turned her gaze to Rista.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I have to wait. Until Rin comes back.”

“Rista…”

“Rin said he would come back. So he will definitely come. I just have to wait.”

Friede had to feel a sharp pain piercing her lungs at Rista’s words.

“I know that. But… you don’t have much time left.”

Fake Warriors, who amplify their power by embedding the soul of a dragon in their bodies, gain extraordinary power at the cost of their lifespan.

Here, the average lifespan of a Fake Warrior in wartime was only in their mid-20s. They would live to be in their late 20s at most.

From there, Rista had lived using that power at the forefront of the five-year journey. He would only be able to live for about three more years.

“Is that so?”

But Rista, the hero who had always led his comrades with a smile as bright as the sun, fluttered his silver hair in the night breeze and smiled as he always had, saying this.

“If it doesn’t work out in this life, can’t I just wait in the next life? If that doesn’t work, then the life after that.”

For a moment, Friede could only stare at Rista with widened eyes. A burst of laughter mixed with a hollow sound erupted a moment later.

“I can’t stop you, really.”

Leaning back against the railing, she blew cigarette smoke into the night sky.

“You know that was blasphemy, right?”

In fact, the teachings of the Gwangryong Orthodox Church denied the Three Lives and preached the providence of heaven and hell. Rista’s remarks were the kind of things that only heretics would claim.

“Can’t you turn a blind eye just this once, Maiden?”

“Hehe. Hero, not without a price?”

The two women laughed silently.

In the laughter where joy and sorrow intersected, the last meteor quietly cut through the dew that had formed in their eyes.

From that day on, until the day the heroes of the Rista Party passed away, the world welcomed the Golden Age.

Like a flower blooming on a grave, on the death of the young great mage.