Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

Julia realized her slip of the tongue the moment she parted her lips.

It’s winter. The season when the moon’s clarity is longer and deeper than the sun’s blessing.

She just wanted to spend more intimate time with Eugene, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. After all, during the day, they had only hugged over thick coats or held cold hands.

That feeling was so intense that she was about to blurt out the “good idea” that popped into her head.

Just before the thought became words, she realized those words could be misinterpreted.

“…Yes. So the mansion is empty now.”

And, Julia thought, it’s okay even if it’s misinterpreted.

The reward should have been grand, as much as she had waited for so long.

“I guess so. Even if he’s fast, he probably won’t be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”

“Yeah. That’s right. So the mansion is empty now.”

As she smiled gently, the gray-haired young man’s eyes widened.

Certainly, “repeating words” seemed to be a good method to make even this oblivious young man understand euphemisms.

Julia didn’t miss the clear light of understanding spreading in his eyes.

Soon, she felt a pain near her heart. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Surging heartbeat. Expectation and excitement, with a bit of fear.

The bomb of emotions turned into a kind of pain and began to pound Julia’s chest violently.

It was fortunate that it was a cold winter night. It would provide an appropriate excuse to redden her cheeks and ears at any time.

Soon, Eugene gently opened his mouth.

“Julia.”

“Yes?”

“The sun has set. It’ll get cold soon, so hurry inside.”

Words warmly uttered while avoiding eye contact.

It was the evasion Eugene was good at.

Julia, realizing once again that her nature wasn’t so pure, put strength into the hand, gripping the front of his coat and pulling his body.

Burying her face in his chest, she spoke softly.

“Eugene. Can I say you’re being too much?”

“Why?”

“You’re going to pretend to be embarrassed and not understand and turn away this time, too, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Coward.”

“I’m not.”

“Coward… You’re a coward, Eugene—”

For some reason, sadness welled up in her, and she was whining like a child.

Julia’s head was naturally tilted up.

Realizing it was Eugene’s doing, grabbing her chin, Julia opened her eyes wide.

Why does he have such sad eyes?

He had an emotion that didn’t match the playful situation from moments ago.

But it didn’t take long for Julia to be moved by that expression. Because the melancholic moon, the vast night sky, the snow – the whole world gave sadness to Julia.

Eugene smiled bitterly and raised his other hand.

Right after, Julia had to close her eyes.
Eugene closed her eyes.

And his breath got closer.

A deep kiss. 

It was surely a soft and hot kiss, but Julia tasted bitterness.

She couldn’t tell if it was because his tongue touched or if it was because of the bitter smile just before.

“Mmm…”

The warm suffocation ended quickly.

As Julia exhaled a breath that wasn’t her own, Eugene reached out and placed the back of his hand on her cheek.

“Uh, it’s cold.”

“Julia.”

“…Yes.”

“Please bear with this for now.”

“…”

“Next time. I’ll wait until you’re healthier and when I’ve become a more steadfast person. Then, even if you say no, I won’t back down.”

The words he added at the end seemed to be Eugene’s own joke.

It was somewhat funny how his face turned bright red as soon as he finished speaking…

Was it because of the kiss? Julia smiled, but due to the bitterness that had transferred, that smile turned into a bitter one as well.

She answered calmly. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“I’m sorry, Eugene. I didn’t mean to rush you.”

“Haha…”

“Yes. I’ll wait. It seems I have a talent for waiting, after all. Instead, can you promise me one more thing?”

“Promise?”

Julia didn’t let Eugene ask further.

She stood on her tiptoes and hugged him tightly to smell that familiar scent.

Winter’s cold rarely numbs the nose. So, Julia embraced Eugene with her whole body and spoke softly.

“A hug when we meet. A kiss when we part.”

Creak, click.

“I’m home.”

I stepped into the entrance while closing the door.

It’s something I do every day, except for when I occasionally collapse and sleep in the lab.

Somehow, it feels awkward, and it’s not just because of my mood.

The day was long.

If the criteria for illness were divided by heart rate, I should be immediately transferred to the ICU. My heartbeat had been wildly fluctuating all day.

It might have been dangerous if it weren’t for Klaus Müller’s advice.

Exchanging love itself is a beautiful thing, but the timing isn’t good. Neither for me nor for her.

“You’re… back?”

“…Ah. Sally? What are you doing in the kitchen?”

It’s quite late at night.

I didn’t expect to get a response to my formal greeting, especially from one of the twins who loves to sleep.

Her eyes, resembling aquamarine, curved gently.

“Lena, heated up some milk for me. I was reading a book, here.”

“I see. What about Susan and Ellie?” [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Susan is, in the master bedroom. And sis is, sleeping. Snoring.”

Her expression twisted cutely.

14 years old. An age where one can freely badmouth their twin sister.

After arranging my shoes, I approached the dining table.

“You came back quite early.”

Then, I could also see Lena’s figure, hidden by the wall.

Lena, the only one who knew the meaning of my outing, greeted me with a sullen expression that wasn’t quite a greeting.

I was about to smile back at her when I made a slightly puzzled expression.

The dining table was messy, as if something had been hastily hidden. A notebook hurriedly covered. Slightly trembling pupils.

“What were you doing?”

“…”

“You don’t want to say. I understand.”

“Ah, it’s just—!”

Lena urgently grabbed my forearm as I was about to turn away.

“It’s just work. Nothing strange…”

“…Pfft.”

“Why, why are you laughing?”

I didn’t answer that it was because it was too easy to understand.

Others would probably see me the same way.

Instead of answering, I placed my hand on her head and ruffled it slightly. Sally’s, too.

“Hey, what are you doing…”

“…Hehe.”

“Sleep well.”

Contrasting reactions came back. I was satisfied with that and headed to my room.

Unlike the living room, where the fireplace was working hard, there was a chill in my room.

Welcoming the familiar coldness of a storage-like room, I organized my clothes. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Along with that, I took out a well-folded newspaper I had kept in my pocket and placed it on the desk.

Flutter.

I opened the newspaper and checked the front page.

As expected.

It’s not because of the headline. But reading the words written large and bold enough, I had to swallow a deep bitterness.

[ Revival of the Empire? ]

[ Northern reactionary forces in former Bayel Empire territory armed occupation… Demanding recognition of independent government and autonomy, diplomatic rights ‘Return our magic!’ ]

“As I thought.”

The newspaper boy who kept glancing back at Julia and me…

That boy hadn’t turned back to admire the beauty of the chestnut-haired woman or to thank the magic scholar who had saved him from tripping.

It was me.

The boy had been double-checking the color of my hair several times.

#January 17th. Snow.

The wind is fierce.

It’s not that important how many times a year this unfortunate alignment of the open structure of the train station and the wind direction occurs.

Just because you can confidently answer “at least once” doesn’t mean the wind will stop.

Early evening.

I was standing blankly at the station to meet Professor Müller.

Didn’t Julia say she had a talent for waiting?

Of course, it wasn’t serious, but I keenly felt that I had no talent for waiting.

Isn’t it too much for the arrival time to be off by nearly four hours?

As a result, I had to stand there much earlier than the scheduled time and couldn’t help but fall into contemplation.

Thanks to that, I felt them.

“…”

The gazes.

Sporadic, but from all directions.

Subtle, yet quite blatant.

The characteristics of a train station with a high floating population from other regions bring about several features. It’s a good place to sell newspapers, and at the same time, it brings in news from various places.

So, much denser gazes flew in than when I was walking on the street yesterday.

They’re not gazes of discrimination.

They’re gazes of suspicion. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Gazes filled with negative expectations, as if looking at rotten fruit, a dud, or a white elephant…

Those gazes didn’t change my emotions but tried to subtly change something bigger.

Direction.

Why do scholars crave honor?

Answering this question simply with a desire for fame would be the ignorance Werner pointed out.

Coincidentally, time was abundant, and after much thought, I decided on an answer.

It’s probably because honor determines the life of a scholar.

The academe is a society. A society is a collection of people.

And people basically don’t operate solely on reason and logic.

I measured my life as a scholar.

A moment later, if Professor Müller returns with good news like “both of your papers were published in the ‘Magic Studies Yearbook,'” my standing in the academic world will rise.

Maybe, just maybe, I might even be offered a lecturer position.

But.

Someone might disparage that achievement with just a freshly printed extra newspaper…

…and they might try to bring me down…

…just because they don’t like me.

It’s too unstable.

A solid foundation is needed.

A scholar’s foundation is honor. To build honor, one must accumulate many research achievements while conforming to the academe…

“Ah.”

Suddenly, I remembered what happened at the ball the other day.

I remember the toast a young man shouted.

For some reason I don’t know, I could half-confidently say.

Have I been hiding my origins by concealing my gray hair with hats or umbrellas until now?

Not anymore.

The color of my hair doesn’t matter.

I should hide it by responding heartily with laughter to that toast.

So that Frauzen, the academe, and, further, the Federation won’t find me disagreeable. So they’ll consider me an important figure.

I had to accumulate papers, achievements, and honor.

All to protect my family’s well-being and keep the promise I made with Julia…

But.

“Was that my dream and soul?”

At that moment…

Whoosh—

A gust of wind blew.

A train is coming from far away. Did the train bring the wind? I’m not sure, but anyway, the fierce gust that rushed in hit my whole body.

I endured.

But part of me couldn’t endure.

Flutter.

“Ah.”

My scarf flew away. It was because I tied it loosely. 

The loose part caught resistance—or maybe it was just because it was old. 

Whatever the reason, the scarf slipped from my neck and flew far away. 

Even if I pick it up, I won’t be able to use it anymore.

Why?

Why do I feel like a piece of my flesh has fallen off?

Gritting my teeth, I took out my grimoire.

It wasn’t to cast magic. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Books just get old; they don’t get worn out and fly away. It was to feel reassured by that fact.

Once again, realizing that I have no talent for waiting, I was fiddling with the pipe in my pocket with my other hand when…

Someone got off from one of the cars of the train that had stopped at some point.

A woman wearing a gray scarf.

To be precise, a soldier.

I guessed her disposition through her neat appearance that was vaguely visible. Perhaps she’s sharp but actually sentimental inside.

The reason I’m having such delusions is, yes, it must be because I’ve been waiting for too long.

In the meantime…

“…?”

When the woman turned towards me while looking around, she stopped looking around.

Instead, she waved her arm. Leisurely.

It can’t be for me.

It must be for someone behind me.

It’s a common occurrence at train stations. It’s really not easy to call someone on a narrow platform. It’s too easy to make mistakes.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

Eventually, the woman started walking towards me.

The closer she gets, the clearer my vision becomes. Who?

A woman resembling a birch tree.

The woman who approached with big strides stood in front of me.

Black eyes and black hair. Dark green military uniform.

Soon, the woman looked me up and down a few times and said with a gentle smile:

“You’ve grown a lot. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“…Dorothy.”

“Yes.”

I had been standing upright for nearly four hours in cold weather. My muscles were stiff, and blinking my eyes was the best I could do.

Regardless, I lifted my head.

In the distance…

Another person was getting off from where the woman had come running.

It was an old man walking while heavily relying on a cane. The old man’s white hair makes his age seem at odds with his robust physique, but it seems that robustness couldn’t overcome even the bending of his spine.

Soon, the old man turned this way and said:

“So the runaway son was here.”

He showed an exceptionally cheerful smile.