PDMLS 10

Chapter 10

I had tried it several times, but it was useless.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The only thing that happened was the sound of mana exploding one after another.

There were moments when I succeeded in gathering the mana and giving it a form, but it would immediately burst like a soap bubble, leaving me feeling even more empty.

“Uh…… kids would probably like this.”

Phillion remained silent. The way he pretended not to hear even what I said was just……

Funny.

“Pfft!”

“Could you not do that?”

“I-I want to…… pfft! I really do…… ngh!”

“Ha. Just laugh.”

“Puhahahahaha!”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into laughter.

“Phillion Elfert…… ngh! Using magic…… pfft! Even apprentice mages who just entered the Magic Tower…… can do this……!”

Meanwhile, Phillion’s expression grew colder and colder. Belatedly realizing I had gone too far, I cleared my throat awkwardly.

“Ahem. Sorry. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine. Because this has confirmed it.”

“Confirmed……?”

“That I’m not Phillion Elfert.”

……He was saying that while wearing Phillion Elfert’s face.

In the end, I couldn’t hold back and laughed again.

That was when Phillion’s gaze turned even colder.

“So it was a lie after all.”

“Ah! No! What do you mean a lie?! Absolutely not! You’re definitely Phillion Elfert!”

“Leave.”

“So, what I’m saying is, you came to the Eastern Continent a few years ago for a short time, and we met then……”

“Don’t come looking for me again.”

“Hey, wait a second!”

Before I could continue, he walked past me with long strides. He opened the front door wide and looked back at me with an expression that clearly said, Why are you still standing there? Get out.

I guess I laughed too much.

Feeling a little apologetic, I walked toward the door.

There was nothing I could do. I’d just leave for today……

Wait, hold on. You used to tease me a lot back then too, you jerk.

“Are you seriously sulking over something this small? Honestly, you’re so narrow-minded.”

“Don’t speak as if you know me. It’s unpleasant to listen to.”

“I do know you.”

“I won’t believe it without clear evidence.”

His tone was so firm that it sounded like he was throwing out some kind of cultist.

And with his arms crossed and chin slightly raised, he looked like he was saying, If you can prove it, then prove it.

What an arrogant bastard.

“Of course I have evidence.”

“If you’re talking about that ridiculous wanted poster……”

“Not that.”

After muttering quietly, I turned my body completely and walked toward him.

I never took my eyes off him as I approached.

Even when I stood directly in front of him, Phillion didn’t move an inch.

In the strange silence, I pointed at him.

“You have a scar on your body. Right here.”

My fingertip pointed toward the right side of his abdomen.

A little below his belly button, there was definitely a scar.

It wasn’t something I could have known just by watching him for a few days.

“When you were young, you were constantly targeted by your half-brothers. This is the wound you received from an assassin sent by one of them. You were stabbed deeply with a sword, weren’t you?”

In the original story, Phillion himself had told Erion this, so I was certain.

But there was no reaction on his face.

I frowned anxiously.

“There’s something I’m curious about. What are you going to do if I leave?”

At last, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

I continued.

“There are two ways to undo petrification. Divine power on the level of a High Priest, or magic from a high-ranking mage. There isn’t currently a High Priest in the Empire with that kind of ability.”

“……”

“Then your only option is to ask one of the high-ranking mages remaining in the Empire. But most of them know your face. Even if you’re lucky enough to find someone who doesn’t, a difficult spell like breaking petrification can’t stay hidden among mages. Naturally, the Magic Tower will find out.”

“……”

“And if the Magic Tower finds out? You’ll be sent straight to the underground prison. Neither Elfert nor Dillaike will be able to do anything. Do you know how important that forbidden book is to the Magic Tower? Even if your grandfather officially protests, they’ll pretend not to hear him and torture you behind the scenes until the day you die.”

“……”

“Lost your memories? They’d like that even more. Who would pass up the chance to legally experiment on the genius known as Phillion Elfert?”

In other words, the only person who could safely undo his petrification right now was me.

He shouldn’t just throw me out!

He should cooperate with me!

You idiot!

I wanted to shout it at him.

……But I held it back.

Phillion had amnesia. He was, in a way, a patient.

So I had to reason with him.

I sighed and looked at him.

“Trust me, Phillion.”

“……”

“I can help you. I’ll find a way to bring Dale back somehow. Please believe me and wait.”

This time too, his answer didn’t come immediately.

But there was a reaction.

He inhaled deeply enough that his chest visibly rose, then rubbed his face.

After a brief silence, a low voice came out.

“I don’t understand.”

“……What?”

“Fine. Let’s assume I am Phillion Elfert.”

“It’s not an assumption. It’s true……”

“An assumption.”

He was stubborn.

I reluctantly nodded.

“So?”

“I stole the forbidden book, and the Magic Tower placed a bounty of ten billion on this body. Every bounty hunter must be desperate to catch me.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why are you helping me?”

His pale purple eyes stared straight through me as he approached.

“Why aren’t you handing me over to the Magic Tower immediately? Especially when you said I was practically your enemy.”

His presence was intimidating.

If I said even one wrong word, it felt like he would shove me away with overwhelming force.

His intention was obvious.

He suspects me.

Well, if he was in my position, anyone would.

We had only known each other for a few days. There was no reason for him to trust me.

The reason?

There were many.

I was grateful that he saved me from Medira despite not knowing me.

I felt sorry that he couldn’t use magic.

And I couldn’t shake the feeling that his life had been ruined because of me.

Yes, it was also true that he was almost like an enemy.

If Phillion hadn’t existed, my life in the Magic Tower would have been much more comfortable.

I might have become Serios-nim’s disciple and perhaps even the next Tower Master by now.

But.

Even so.

“There aren’t…… only bad memories.”

Five years ago.

After defeating me in the magic competition when I was twenty years old, Phillion followed me around.

It was terrible.

No matter where I went, he found me.

Even when I sealed my laboratory with barriers, he broke through them like a ghost and barged in.

Constantly asking if I secretly liked him.

Because of that, we ended up spending a lot of time together.

We ate together, took walks together, went out together.

We met almost every day and talked.

And among all those annoying and absurd conversations……

There were definitely moments that made me smile.

Usually because he was so ridiculous or unbelievable that I laughed.

But back then, when my daily life had been nothing but bleakness, those moments were a chance to rest.

I enjoyed them, even if only a little.

The conversations we had then.

—“Lyel. I think I should take on a disciple.”

—“Can I accept them?”

I thought it was just another ridiculous question from him.

So I answered coldly and ignored it.

But strangely, even after several days passed, that question refused to leave my mind.

Why had he said that to me?

I couldn’t sleep because I was curious.

We had grown closer than before, but……

No. Had we really become close?

Could I hope for a future different from the original story?

My thoughts became tangled and suffocating.

I wanted to know.

That was why, one day, before we parted ways, I called him back.

—“Don’t accept them.”

I had gathered all my courage to say those words, but I couldn’t make my voice any louder.

What if I had misunderstood everything?

I was afraid.

So I couldn’t say anything more.

But Phillion understood.

—“Okay. I won’t.”

He looked at me and smiled brightly, as if he was thanking me for saying that.

Embarrassment suddenly rose within me, so I hurried back into my laboratory and closed the door.

I still vividly remembered fanning my face because I could feel it turning red.

……But even that day couldn’t really be called a “good memory.”

Because in the end, Phillion still accepted Erion as his disciple.