Great Teacher in a Defense Game

#57 Just a Plain Racist?

Enoch narrowed his eyes.

The red-light district, out of the blue.

What in God’s name had he been doing in the future?

“Your gaze is… peculiar. Just what are you thinking?”

“That you’re a piece of garbage.”

“I return the sentiment. I *am* you from the future. Insulting me is just slinging mud on your own face.”

“No. Unlike the past, the future can be changed. If nothing else, I will become a better man than you.”

Enoch fired back instantly.

The future Enoch frowned, a deep crease forming between his brows.

He shook his head after a moment.

He couldn’t win with words.

“…Enough. We should clear up a misunderstanding first.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“Just because I went to the red-light district doesn’t mean I was wallowing in debauchery. I was simply keeping an eye on Orban.”

“Monitoring him?”

“Yes. He tends to cause trouble, so… I need to manage his reputation appropriately. That’s why I accompanied him.”

In the near future, Orban would become Enoch’s comrade.

A sort of sidekick, assisting him from the sidelines.

In the midst of all this, strange rumors mustn’t spread.

Talk of him flitting in and out of the whorehouses, his lower half swinging back and forth, would be troublesome for everyone involved.

“…Couldn’t you have just stopped him?”

“Impossible. He doesn’t listen, not to a damn thing you say.”

“Orban’s reputation is one thing, but yours? What do the others say?”

“…At first, there was a real commotion. I was drinking when Jane suddenly burst in–“

Future Enoch trailed off.

He was straying too far from the point.

He hadn’t come here just to have this kind of conversation.

“…Let’s stop this. What were we talking about?”

“You told me to ask whatever I wanted.”

“Right. Back to the matter at hand. Is there anything you want to ask?”

“Why are you wearing clown clothes?”

“……Enoch, this isn’t going to end.”

Future Enoch ran a hand over his face.

Weary, he reached out, gesturing towards the tent flap.

“If you’re going to keep this up, you might as well just leave.”

“I’m genuinely curious.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“And why did you talk to Lacrimna like that earlier? Did you have a lot of built-up resentment I didn’t know about?”

“I said, shut your mouth.”

Future Enoch rubbed at his eyes.

He was starting to get tired.

Even more so than when he had to stop his two female disciples from fighting.

The conversation resumed a short while later.

Future Enoch ended up resorting to magic.

He threatened to dump him in the middle of the ocean if he continued to spout nonsense.

Enoch humbly accepted his own threat.

Curiosity kills the cat, after all.

Sometimes, it was simply best to keep one’s mouth shut.

“…Let’s return to the matter at hand. Ask a proper question, now.”

“Good. Then, I’ll start with Lacrimosa. You said earlier, she wasn’t even Essence-tier, let alone Border-tier. Is that resolved now?”

“Yes. Halfway.”

“Halfway?”

“The rest depends on her.”

Enoch cocked his head, puzzled.

The answer felt a little lacking.

“What was the root cause, to begin with? With that much talent, how could she not even reach Essence-tier?”

“Simple. Secrets are the reason.”

“Secrets?”

“Recall her magic.”

Future Enoch said this, raising both hands to shoulder height.

“The ideal hero you desire. And Lacrimosa’s past. The two are contradictory. Magic and self don’t mesh. Like this.”

*Clap.*

Future Enoch clapped his hands.

But the sound was muffled.

Two hands need to strike true for a sound to be born, but the angle of the hands was off.

“Something like that. Comprehend?”

“…I see. Unlucky, in many ways.”

“You could say that.”

Enoch understood the situation.

It was problematic that Lacrimosa’s magic was tied to herself.

The definition of Essence-tier is simple. To transcend merely controlling magic, and delve into its depths.

And magic is one with the mage’s very being.

In other words, to advance to the next stage, one must first observe their own inner self.

But Lacrimosa’s magic begins with denying her original self.

Forgetting her soiled past, aspiring to be the ideal that Teacher desires.

Magic and mage contradict each other.

It was, in many ways, a singular affair.

Had she been a simple elemental mage, none of this would have transpired.

As Enoch would have it, just ill luck.

“So, I resorted to this method. It’s the swiftest, most effective way.”

“Outright exposing her?”

“Sometimes a harsh word is needed.”

To scold with mere words would be too late.

Better to get whipped first, as they say. Better to expose it upfront and mend it later.

Enoch, surely, wouldn’t abandon Lacrina over something like this.

“Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I concur. This is indeed the better path.”

Enoch nodded.

Hearing the situation laid bare, no better recourse seemed to exist.

Furthermore, the harsh words were delivered by another, not himself.

A miracle of good cop, bad cop, achieved by summoning his future self.

From Enoch’s perspective, there was truly nothing to lose.

“That expression is impertinent. What thoughts occupy your mind?”

“Nothing of consequence. Disregard it.”

“A sudden curiosity arises within me.”

“What is it you ask?”

“How did you come to know Lacrina’s past? Judging by circumstance, it doesn’t seem she volunteered it.”

Enoch inquired after a pause.

Future Enoch sighed, nodding his head.

“…Indeed. She would never speak of it.”

“How did you unearth it? Did you threaten her with a blade, perhaps?”

“Speak not such madness. I simply came upon it by chance.”

“Chance?”

“Aye. An Elven Seer divulged it directly.”

An Elven Seer. One gifted with the power of prophecy, bestowed by the World Tree itself.

If he used that power, unearthing Lacrimna’s secrets wouldn’t be so arduous.

A pubescent girl’s dirty little secrets – he could expose them in an instant.

‘The Seer, was it? I was planning on paying them a visit when the opportunity arose.’

Enoch smacked his lips, a needless gesture.

He couldn’t go, even if he wanted to.

The narcotics had destabilized the political landscape, and besides, the path itself was obstructed from the start.

“The Elven territories. Anything you can advise me on about them?”

“…Elves, eh? Of course, there is.”

“Is there? What is it?”

At Enoch’s question, the future Enoch shifted in his seat.

His expression and atmosphere were notably earnest.

“Don’t go.”

“What?”

“I said, don’t go. You won’t find anything but misfortune there.”

The future Enoch stated, his face set.

The power in his voice was unsettling.

Even Enoch faltered for a moment.

“…Why? Is there some problem with the Elven territories?”

“The problem isn’t the territories. It’s the race itself.”

“The race?”

“The Elves of this world loathe us. Because we are beings that defy their rules.”

Enoch was slightly shaken by the words he heard.

Beings that defy their rules, he mused.

A truly unexpected answer.

“What does that mean? Is there something wrong with our bodies or something?”

“It’s not that. They are… segregationists.”

“Segregation?”

Enoch tilted his head, perplexed.

This wasn’t in the original lore.

“Segregation? What specific form of segregation are you referring to? Surely, not all the Elves in this world are… racists?”

“Nay. ‘Tis not like that. They are… a kind of unicorn, you see.”

“…? Hold a moment, what?”

“Unicorns, I say. Elves are madmen obsessed with premarital purity. They regard marriage as an oath eternal, holding it sacred beyond measure.”

Enoch was struck speechless.

Suddenly, premarital purity?

His mind required a moment to assimilate the information.

Future Enoch, brooking no delay, continued his explanation.

“According to their logic, we are sullied and unclean, they say.”

“Do not include me in ‘we.’ At least, exclude me.”

“Silence. In any case, I suffered all manner of absurdity there. I was even told that my skin itself was unclean.”

“Skin… color?”

For reference, Enoch’s skin possessed a slight darkness.

“Aye. Thankfully, my hair was not fair, and so I managed to pass… Orban, that one, was not even permitted to cross the threshold.”

“……”

“Such it was. Do not expect human reason from them. In truth, they are a different species entirely.”

Future Enoch added, almost a plaintive sigh.

‘Are they not merely racists?’

Enoch bit back the words that threatened to escape.

@

“…Wait. I have a question to ask.”

“What is it?”

“You said you travelled with Orban. Could it be that this visit to the elven lands occurred… after your excursion to that house of ill repute you mentioned earlier?”

“……”

Future Enoch subtly fell silent.

Even his gaze, imperceptibly, drifted away.

The answer indicated by this was only one.

‘You wretch.’

Enoch could no longer restrain his curse.

“You mad dog. All this because you were a slave to your desires-“

“Silence. ‘Tis not like that, I say.”

“What?”

“I repeat, I did no such thing. Had I truly done so, no elf would have even approached, let alone the entrance.”

Future Enoch added quickly.

It was no jest; he looked genuinely wronged.

Indeed. Had that been the case, he wouldn’t have heard Lacrina’s past to begin with.

Enoch pondered this, and soon deemed it plausible.

“Then what in the heavens is the problem? If what you say is true, there’s nothing to be pricked by.”

“Simple. They examine not only the flesh, but other things as well.”

“Other things?”

“Like…what they used to call ‘mind-body-spirit’ back in the modern era.”

“…”

“Understand now? They value purity of spirit, not just body. Do you still think I’ve done wrong?”

Enoch’s words caught in his throat, again.

Inside his head, phrases of fanatical purity that he had seen in the modern world began to surface, one by one.

He could understand why Future Enoch felt wronged, in a way.

By that logic, not a single soul could exist in this world who was truly clean.

“Hold on.”

“What is it now?”

“According to that damned mind-body-spirit theory, wouldn’t I be a problem as well?”

Enoch asked, pointing to himself.

Future Enoch nodded as if only just realizing it.

“You understand well. That’s why I told you not to go.”

He had only gone because he had no choice. Unless it was something important, it was best not to even go near the place.

Future Enoch added that.

“Couldn’t I sneak in?”

“No. The surveillance is thorough.”

The Elven domain is protected by the World Tree.

If an intruder appears, they are immediately alerted to the fact by the Mother World Tree.

Infiltration was impossible to begin with.

Unless, perhaps, one were to charge straight in.

“What happens if we get caught?”

“Simple. We’ll be punished in the Elven way.”

“Punished?”

“Yes. The Twin-Winged’s Vengeance, or what they call the Branch Trimming. It’s a punishment where they seek out the sinner’s lover, spouse, or even their twin, and expose every single dirty detail about them.”

For something explained so calmly, the content was quite horrific.

Enoch unconsciously held his breath.

What kind of damp, shadowy punishment was this?

“…That’s practically social murder.”

“In a way, yes.”

“…Wait. How do you know about it?”

“What?”

“Why do you know so much detail? Like you’ve actually experienced it yourself.”

Enoch asked, half-wondering.

This b*stard, could it be he’s been through it himself?

Thankfully, the answer that came back was a firm denial.

Future Enoch scoffed, immediately refuting Enoch’s suspicion.

“Trying to slander me again, are you?”

“If not, explain it then.”

“It’s nothing much. I just cast a lure, tested the waters beforehand.”

“Lure?”

“I mentioned I accompanied Orban, didn’t I? What do you think I took him along for?”

“……”

Enoch quietly closed his mouth.

Without realizing it, he crossed himself with his fingers.

It was the first time.

That he’d ever wanted to defend someone else, this desperately.

“Isn’t it a little… cruel?”

“Not really. Spreading drugs, dividing humanity. When I think about the times I had to clean up after that, I still feel it’s not enough. Those Resolver b*stards even got mixed up with drugs and wrecked my car. Even now, when I think about that -“

“…Wait, car?”

Enoch paused.

Amongst the words spoken, a strange one lingered.