Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

Julia still has nightmares about once every couple of months.

On the day of the Entrance Ceremony at the Frauvian Federal University of Magic…

If the carriage had arrived a little late, or if the unexpected event of a gray-haired young man taking first place in the Entrance Exam didn’t happen…

What would Julia Müller’s life have been like then?

The reason it keeps appearing in dreams, even though there’s nothing good about thinking about it, was obvious.

It’s because imagining that future is too easy.

Powerless, limp legs. On a wheelchair. She would spend her college life looking normal on the outside by covering her legs with a skirt or blanket, but in reality, she couldn’t use even a simple spell.

In the end, she would be confined to her room, only smelling the strong scent of roses…

“Excuse me, are you alright?”

“Huh?”

“You suddenly sat down.”

The view changed abruptly.

At the Frauvian Hospital…

After being dazed for a moment, Julia realized that Eugene’s attending nurse was looking down at her with a worried gaze. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

The attending nurse glanced inside the room and said:

“You came to visit, but he’s still in there. Should I call the patient for you?”

“Yes. Please…”

She closed her lips before finishing her sentence. 

Call Eugene?

Wouldn’t that be admitting she eavesdropped?

Moreover, this is right in front of Werner Ross Diemann’s room. If she carelessly raised her voice and was discovered, it would be quite troublesome.

Julia put a finger to her lips.

“Shhhh.”

“Pardon?”

“K-keep it a secret.”

Perhaps thanks to employing all sorts of non-verbal expressions including eye movements and chin gestures in addition to the whisper…

The nurse nodded once and quickly retreated the way she came.

She would probably call Eugene only after Julia had returned to his room.

Julia also headed towards Eugene’s room with small steps, making no noise.

She felt a hot sensation in her left hand.

“To give, huh.”

Julia isn’t naive enough not to know what the ‘something to give’ mentioned in that letter means.

An engagement ring.

In other words, a proposal.

Julia drew a gentle smile on her lips.

Perhaps due to the long wait, although it didn’t reach the emotion of ecstasy, she rather liked this calm joy more.

Now, she knows this warmth is more valuable than all the gold in the world.

It seems there aren’t many days left until she uses the surname ‘Oslo’.

Julia wanted to share a surname with Eugene as soon as possible. Although her father might be sad when he finds out…

Wait.

In the still-empty hospital room…

Julia, who had arrived before the room’s owner and gently sat on the makeshift chair, suddenly widened her eyes.

Something bothered her mind.

Something important was missing from his words.

“…When?”

#April 25th. Clear.

Proposal. 

Engagement. 

Whatever it’s called, matters of deepening romantic relationships are usually kept secret until just before to make the feelings for each other more tender and dramatic.

However, Julia realized.

When excitement continues for two weeks, it becomes a kind of heart disease.

For the past two weeks, throughout two hospital visits, Julia was constantly in a state of tension.

Eugene will give her an engagement ring before he’s discharged.

But when? [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

The category of ‘before discharge’ was too broad, so Julia had to be on edge every time she visited, thinking ‘Could it be today?’

As a result…

She would flinch at just her name being called, or…

<…>

She experienced such embarrassing moments several times.

Perhaps because this had continued for two weeks, now, her chest ached just standing in front of the hospital. Even though she was young at 24, she was too young to suffer from chronic pain.

“I’m a fool for expecting.”

Only her left hand, still burning hot, was pitiful.

According to what she heard from Eugene, he must be discharged no matter what by mid-May when the conference is held at the University of Magic.

As it’s now the end of April, rehabilitation should start soon.

The method of rehabilitation would be repeating what Eugene and she once did by the lake.

Only, the subjects of teaching and learning would be reversed.

It’s time to reduce excitement a bit and strengthen resolve.

After adjusting her grip on the basket, she entered the hospital.

“Ah, you’re here again?”

Julia gave a slight bow to the nurse who recognized her face.

“Is he in his room?”

“He’s there so well it’s troublesome. Ah, it’s examination time now, so please wait a moment. I’ll let the patient know you’re here to visit.”

“Please do.”

Having to wait due to timing issues is a common occurrence.

Thinking this would be a good time to figure out how to teach [Walk Assistance], Julia sat on a bench near the corridor and wiggled her legs.

From toes to ankles, knees, and hip joints.

Looking at the joints moving freely according to her will, Julia tilted her head.

“…I don’t think I can teach this.”

She could somewhat understand why Eugene had simply told her to walk about five years ago.

It’s not like you can teach someone how to walk step by step.

As she was wiggling her toes for a while…

When she turned her head at someone tapping her shoulder, an elderly woman who looked like a patient was looking down at her.

Julia had been playfully moving her lips, but…

“Excuse me, young lady. Are you engaged to that scholar; the young man in the 3rd-floor room?”

The moment she heard that question, she brought out the smile she used to wear as Student Council President.

…The woman’s gaze was far from friendly.

It was one of curiosity.

As usual, a somewhat frivolous kind.

Julia answered with a gentle smile.

“It’s a bit embarrassing when you put it that way. If I may ask, why do you want to know?”

“That young man. His hair color…”

Ah.

Her amber eyes read the old woman’s appearance at a speed that didn’t feel out of place.

It’s a bad habit from the days when she used to look at people analytically, but it’s helpful at times like these. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

This old woman must have roughly guessed that Julia Müller’s social status is very high.

Even if she doesn’t know the name of the Müller family, it’s not difficult to figure out. Although her current appearance was modest, people like that could roughly estimate from attire, appearance, and the items in the basket.

So, what the old woman wants to say can be summarized like this:

Why are you with someone from the Empire?

“It’s not just his hair, I heard he’s really from the Empire. Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m just worried about you, young lady.”

“Worried?”

“Yes. You need to be careful with them. I don’t want to talk about bloodlines in front of you, but there was quite a commotion last year, wasn’t there? Make a careful decision. He might try to deceive someone as lovely as you…”

“Hmm.”

Julia smiled brightly while inwardly sighing.

What deception.

If anything, she might have deceived him, but Eugene isn’t the type to deceive others.

After finishing her quiet rebuttal, she started pondering how to shake this off.

Love. 

Affection. 

Such general topics aren’t of interest to these people.

How should I deflect this? It would be good if there was some easy physical evidence.

“……”

Suddenly, she raised her left hand.

A slender, pale hand.

Although there was clearly nothing wrong, why did she feel a sense of emptiness?

She doesn’t even desire a brilliantly dazzling jewel.

A token of affection.

It would have been nice if there was one.

Let’s just brush it off and go to the room. Julia opened her lips with a bitter smile.

“I―”

Grasp.

A large warmth enveloped her left hand that had unconsciously stretched out.

When she raised her head to look up, Eugene with his hair more disheveled than usual was breathing heavily.

His right hand was on a crutch, and his left hand held hers.

“You were here.”

“…Nice to see you, Eugene.”

He nodded slightly and turned his gaze to the side.

He turned towards the old woman who was clearing her throat, perhaps because she had just been gossiping.

“Excuse me, were you in the middle of a conversation?”

“Ah, no. We weren’t saying anything.”

“Then, for a moment.”

Float.

Julia felt for a moment as if her body was rising.

It was because Eugene had grasped her left hand and lifted it.

“Shall we go?”

“Where to?”

“Outside. I want to hurry and practice [Walk Assistance].”

Eugene smiled slightly and changed positions. After all, they can’t walk hand in hand with their left hands. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Julia firmly grasped his left hand and followed his back.

They walked at an excruciatingly slow pace.

It was natural. Although all the wounds had healed, it couldn’t be fast as long as he was using crutches.

More than that, he looked unsteady.

She quickly linked arms to support Eugene’s body and then looked up at his face.

She swallowed slightly.

“My goodness. You’re drenched in sweat. Did you come down in a hurry?”

“Not really, but going down the stairs with crutches isn’t easy.”

“Liar.”

“Well.”

It’s an obvious lie.

If he was planning to act like a knight saving a princess, he could have pretended to be a bit cooler. That’s how lovers usually are.

But.

She likes him being this clumsy.

Their mismatched steps gradually align. Julia put strength into her arm and pressed her body close.

With a gesture too affectionate to be just simple support.

Sure enough, she felt Eugene flinch and try to back away.

Where are you trying to escape to― With such intention, she entwined her right arm with his left arm.

“Julia.”

“Yes.”

“We’re still inside the hospital.”

“Mmm. Do you dislike it?”

“……”

The lakeside from five years ago and the grass garden around the hospital were hard to say were similar even as a lie. They might be similar in that the former was desolate and the latter was bleak.

However, I felt nostalgia.

“Come on. Walk!”

Julia tapped her chest from ten steps away.

She must mean for me to walk up to here.

As that action was strangely similar to mine, I scratched my head awkwardly and said:

“Julia. Don’t you know [Walk Assistance] better than me by now?”

“I suppose so?”

“Is there no trick to it?”

“There isn’t.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. There’s no such thing.”

Julia said, spreading her arms wide.

“Think about it. When you made me walk, you just gave weird advice like ‘use [Rotation] well’ and then just made me walk without any guidance, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Actually, that advice wasn’t very helpful. Just try walking. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

Looking at Julia’s strangely triumphant smile, I could only smile bitterly.

Payback for that day, she must be thinking.

Thud―

I put down my crutch and stood on one foot.

Whatever scheme Julia might have, I don’t intend to do this half-heartedly.

Not only because I need to become familiar enough to stand at the conference in two weeks, but also because it’s connected to giving the engagement ring.

The later I succeed in walking, the later I can give the ring.

Not only that, if I stumble due to clumsy steps, I’ll be teased for decades to come.

The only consolation was that I didn’t have to worry about the ring being rejected.

I glanced at Julia and said:

“I’m going.”

“Okay. Do your best.”

And, I firmly grasped the grimoire with my left hand.

In theory, [Walk Assistance] is an application of [Move] and [Rotation]. But since I’m confident enough to be called a genius in Type I magic casting speed, I could probably use a more complex combination of various spells.

So, when I lifted the limp right hip joint upwards…

“Oh.”

How did I walk again?

Such a thought flashed by.

What followed was a struggle that could hardly be called walking.

“Uh, uh. Wait a moment.”

Since one leg is fine, I don’t fall easily.

Except for that point, it wasn’t much different from Julia five years ago.

“Julia. Um. Oh.”

“This way!”

In the end, I trusted Julia and fell forward, and Julia also trusted me and caught me with both arms.

If there was a blind spot.

“Oh.”

“Uwah?”

It would be that while I could easily catch Julia, Julia couldn’t do the same for me.

We both fell with a thud, our bodies overlapping on the grass.

We looked at each other and laughed helplessly.

“This is unexpectedly difficult.”

“Ahaha, hehehe. I told you so…”