The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 31

Three Weeks of Vacation

Sage

A wise and intelligent person, second only to a saint.

The origin of all magic, the founder of the modern magic circle system.

Even excluding these notable achievements, he was a sage who had accomplished feats that no human could ever dream of.

The reason why such a man transitioned from being a Sage to a Hermit was:

[ “The world should be dirty to a certain extent, but it was so filthy that it made me sick, so I gave up.” ]

It was because he had viewed the world with pessimism.

< “That sounds plausible.” >

Leonardo, who similarly held a cynical view of the world, nodded in agreement.

[ “…You agree just like that? Don’t you want to ask more?” ]

< “It’s true that the world is rotten.” >

Leonardo, who had lived alone without the warmth of a family since he was just ten years old, couldn’t hold an optimistic view of the world. He had lived as a mercenary, feeling the law of the jungle firsthand.

[ “Well… Since I’ve brought it up, ask away. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to tell a story.” ]

< “…Then, what’s the most disgustingly memorable thing you’ve seen?” >

[ “That would be…” ]

The Sage, who hadn’t told old stories in a long time, began to recount quickly, as if he had oiled his tongue.

Although it wasn’t a tale of beautiful adventures and fantasies, but rather a tragedy filled with a heavy atmosphere and brutal developments, it was precisely because of this that Leonardo became engrossed in the story.

[ “Well… There was such a time. I went through all the trouble of developing an explosion spell for mining, only for it to be used for terrorism and treason. Those were truly the end times.” ]

< “It’s still a mess now. They even put magic bombs in golems and detonate them remotely.” >

[ “Ha… Those bastards, what are the Magic Tower people doing? They stormed in frothing at the mouth when I could barely use a first circle spell.” ]

Though it happened two years ago, the tyranny of those two magicians still remained fresh in his memory. The reason he was now going to get a permit was to prevent such situations in the future.

< “It’s simple. They think I’m easy prey, and they’re scared to mess with those bomb maniacs. That’s how the law works.” >

[ “If I go to the Magic Tower, I should break it down and straighten them out. They’ve gone downhill over the past 300 years.” ]

< “Let’s destroy the newspaper company first. They were spewing nonsense again this morning.” >

Currently, the top priority for Leonardo’s destruction list was the newspaper company, by just a paper-thin margin. Especially, the creator of the term ‘Joke Assassin’ definitely deserved to be eliminated.

That was the proper order and the rightful justice.

[ “Anyway, after seeing such rotten deeds for hundreds of years, I felt like my eyes were rotting too. So, I shut myself up in the mountains and just died.” ]

If summarizing his own death in just two lines was a form of wisdom, then it was indeed wisdom.

However, there was something strange about such an explanation.

< “Then why did you leave the Philosopher’s Stone?” >

[ … ]

He who despised the world to the point of disgust, why would he leave behind something akin to a legacy? It was highly suspicious.

< “There’s no reason to leave anything in such a damned world.” >

[ “…But I still wanted to believe. That someone would change this damnable world. So I left it behind, even if it meant becoming a ghost like this.” ]

Hearing those words, Leonardo didn’t think of himself.

Instead, he thought of the founder of the family he now served.

The savior who protected humanity.

‘…Ruben Reinhardt.’

The hero of the first generation must have been the Sage’s last hope.

[…Well, don’t feel too burdened by it. I don’t even have high expectations like I did with Ruben.]

[I’ve already told you that.]

The Sage spoke briefly. There was no sense of vulgarity or pretense in his words.

[You’re a genius, after all.]

Because to that wise man, it was an undeniable truth.

<…Uh…>

But it was a bit cringe-worthy.

[Why are you acting up just because I complimented you?]

[You cheeky bastard.]

Yeah, that’s the Sage for you.

It was a conversation that left him somewhat satisfied.

***

[By the way, how do you plan to get to the Magic Tower? Warp Gate?]

Considering the distance between the Magic Tower and the mansion, the cost would be quite significant. Using a black card would solve the problem instantly, but for Leo, who had other purposes in mind, that seemed like an inefficient expense.

Taking the train instead of using a Warp Gate would do just fine.

[…Train? What’s that? Is it something you eat?]

Given Leo’s current intelligence, it was an out-of-the-ordinary statement that he couldn’t comprehend.

Come to think of it, the Sage had likely been in seclusion for more than 300 years, so there was no way he could know about modern inventions.

“Leo!!”

Suddenly, someone called out Leo’s name loudly. It was rare for someone to use such a familiar term of address even within the family.

“Lady Aria?”

Rather than rare, it would be more accurate to say that Aria was the only one who did.

“Today…! You’re taking a vacation…?!”

The place he had just come from was the head butler’s office, where Alfred was attending to his duties.

The reason he had met with Alfred was to inform him about his vacation plans.

“Oh, yes. I was going to tell you as well, my lady.”

It was only natural to inform the master he served. However, he thought it would be more efficient to get permission from the head butler first.

“…Why…?! Why…! Are you taking such a long vacation for 3 weeks?!”

Aria couldn’t help but be surprised since Leo was using up the vacation time he had accumulated over the past two years all at once.

“Well… since I’m going out anyway, there are a lot of places I need to visit. There’s quite a bit to do around this time.”

Leo didn’t choose the train over the Warp Gate just to save money.

If he only had one destination, the Warp Gate would have been far more convenient, but since he had multiple stops to make, the train was much more efficient.

“…Still…! This is too sudden!”

“…Is it? But there’s actually a lot I need to get done, and I can’t just back out now.”

The authorization for the Magic Tower could be delayed. Since there was no specific deadline, he could afford to take a week or two off.

But…

“I can’t afford to take it easy since I need to visit my family’s graves. I have to go down to my hometown within a week.”

“…Grave visit? You’re going to Doron?”

He hadn’t mentioned it often, but she remembered the name of that remote place well.

As expected, a genius.

“I need to visit my parents’ graves. I did the same last year, too.”

“Last year…?”

Well, there was no way Aria could have known.

“Last year, I used the Warp Gate to go directly. It completely emptied my wallet, though.”

Last year, thanks to the Warp Gate, what would have taken over a day for the grave visit was shortened to about two hours. Of course, since it was a personal matter, he had to scrape together his own money to cover it.

[Ah, that time when you went down to your hometown?]

The Sage couldn’t help but remember since he had no choice but to follow along. Of course, having him chatter incessantly by his side had been annoying, but it wasn’t all that bad either.

“Then this time, why don’t you use the Warp Gate and come back immediately…!”

“That’s not possible. The expenses would be too much…”

Leo’s expression turned slightly gloomy.

“The village chief is ill. I received a telegram a few days ago. So, I think I’ll need to stay a bit longer.”

“…Ah…”

[Isn’t this too much of a guilt trip?]

Visiting his parents’ graves, an acquaintance’s illness.

Stopping him now would require an almost inhuman level of ruthlessness.

To begin with, trying to stop him would make you a terrible person.

“…Then… have a safe trip…”

Leo didn’t notice, but Aria was barely holding back her tears with her aura, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

For Aria, the thought of Leonardo, who hadn’t been apart from her for even a moment over the past two years, disappearing for three whole weeks was simply too cruel.

“Oh! Why don’t you come with me instead?”

“Go… together?”

That suggestion instantly caused the tears that were about to fall to retreat.

“Well, since I’m taking the train, it would be boring to go alone. I’d also like to introduce you to the villagers… Would that be okay?”

In that moment, Aria had already imagined herself on the train.

***

The train station was even more crowded than the Warp Gate. Since trains were a transportation method designed for the middle and lower classes who couldn’t afford to use the Warp Gate, it was only natural that the crowd would be overwhelming.

[…Oh, so this is a train?]

The train looked as if a gigantic, elongated cylinder had been sliced and connected multiple times. From its silhouette alone, it resembled the mythical Eastern creature known as a dragon.

[…Hmph…]

The ancient Sage, seeing the train for the first time, looked at its grand structure with a surprisingly calm expression.

[This looks similar to something I designed a long time ago.]

<…Seriously?>

Normally, he would’ve scoffed at such a statement, but after hearing about the Sage’s past achievements, a small sense of belief began to take root.

[Back then, there weren’t the necessary facilities to build stations or the funds to lay tracks across the country, so the idea was rejected. Times have really improved.]

[Hey, it’s been more than 300 years. Complaining about it now would be too petty…]

[Can I kill him?]

Please restrain yourself until we get the permit from the Magic Tower.

“Leo! I think it’s this way!”

Aria waved her hand excitedly from the platform. As the young lady of a noble family, she rarely had opportunities for experiences like this, so it was only natural that she was brimming with excitement.

“First, we need to buy tickets at the ticket office! Follow me!”

When Leo shouted this, Aria blushed with embarrassment and ran over to the ticket office.

“…S-sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’ll buy two tickets.”

Leo said this as he approached the ticket counter and placed his order. Seeing the hefty pouch in Leo’s hand, the ticket clerk cheerfully handed over two first-class tickets.

“Hold on to them carefully. The staff will check the tickets during the journey.”

“…I-I knew that much…”

The lack of confidence in her voice only made it more suspicious, but Leo didn’t pry further. After all, wasn’t it the knight’s duty to cover for the master’s shortcomings when necessary?

“Well then, let’s board. The train will be departing soon.”

The station staff began guiding passengers to the train’s entrance. Following their lead, Leo and his group stepped into the train and found their seats.

[This feels different from a carriage. It’s much more spacious and comfortable.]

As the Sage mentioned, the interior of the train was far superior to that of a carriage, offering a level of comfort that was a class above. This was largely due to the fact that they had purchased expensive first-class tickets.

Since they were paying a premium, the seats had to be worth the cost.

[Well, I’m going to take a quick look around.]

[Just going to check out the inside of the train. I need to understand its structure to determine whether this is plagiarism or imitation.]

Could it be that the Sage still harbored a grudge about the earlier discussion? Before Leo could ask, the Sage had already flown off into the distance.

Even though the Sage had distanced himself, Leo grumbled as they continued their telepathic conversation.

[Endure it for now. It’s all part of getting used to this.]

When his mana core and circle had increased to two, Leo had discovered that the greater the number of mana cores and circles, the further away the Sage could move.

Now, the distance had roughly doubled from its original range.

‘Well, I guess it’s fine. I’m a bit sleepy anyway… A little quiet rest wouldn’t be so bad…’

Perhaps it was due to the recent lack of rest, but Leonardo’s eyelids began to droop. Normally, he hadn’t been able to sleep properly because of the Sage’s constant presence.

Was it the comfort of first-class, or was it the sense of relaxation that came with being on vacation?

Before long, Leonardo had fallen asleep.

“Leo, I heard there’s a snack cart coming around. Do you want anything…?”

Aria, who had been eagerly exploring the train, suddenly felt something heavy but warm settle on her shoulder.

It was both heavy and warm.

Ticklish yet soft.

“…Hmm…? Oh…!”

Leo’s head had gently rested on her shoulder.

‘…Should I wake him up…?!’

Just as Aria was about to reach for Leo’s cheek,

‘…Wait…’

Did she really need to wake him up? In this situation?

Leo, her personal knight, rarely had a peaceful day.

He never missed his daily regimen of strength training, weapon practice, and mana cultivation.

In addition, he constantly studied magic.

The fact that they were currently on their way to the Magic Tower to obtain a third-circle magic permit was proof of that.

Was it right to wake up her precious knight?

Absolutely, no way!

Even without Aria, anyone would shake their head at such a selfish act!

‘…So…’

Out of nothing but ‘goodwill’ and ‘consideration’ as a friend,

Ariasphil decided to gladly sacrifice her shoulder.

To be clear, there was no ulterior motive.

She definitely wasn’t hoping to catch more of Leo’s scent or for him to shift slightly, resulting in him burying his face into her chest as a reward.

Therefore, Aria focused on her thoughts,

Thoughts that were very happy, accompanied by the scent of the boy beside her.