Genius 5.2

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Chapter 5.2. The Truth of Magic And Apprenticeship

"Hey hey hey, just when I thought meeting those scumbags made today a bad day, it turned out to be the best day of my life!"

With that, for some reason, Rose's eyes sparkled as she lifted Hermes up by the armpits.

"Eh, wha-what?"

"With this much high magic power, top-notch manipulation and sensing abilities, and the cherry on top, not having Bloodline Magic!? Amazing! It's too perfect, I almost suspect it's a trap!"

He thought she might be teasing him, but there was not a hint of malice in her childlike sparkling eyes.

"And your personality is so honest and nice, plus you're cute! Ideal, I'm in love! I want to nurture you to my liking!"

"Eh, whaaat!?"

Far from it, the last statement she muttered was something outrageous, and now Hermes' confusion reached its peak.

"Uh, what are you talking about..."

"Oops, sorry. Got a bit carried away like a kid in excitement."

Perhaps realizing she left him hanging, Rose awkwardly put Hermes back on the ground.

Then she took a few steps back, cleared her throat, and continued.

"So, um... what should I talk about..."

After a moment of thought, she asked calmly.

"...Hermes. Do you like magic?"

"Eh─"

He was taken aback by the somewhat sudden question.

But her expression, though smiling, was more serious than he had ever seen.

So he answered honestly, as he had no reason to hesitate.

"Yes. I love it."

Magic.

Miracles performed by human hands. Divine works that grant wishes.

He had been fascinated by it since birth. He thought it was the most beautiful thing. He wanted to find his own wonderful magic.

Something worth devoting his entire life to. That was magic to him.

Satisfied with his answer, Rose nodded.

"But... I..."

"Not having Bloodline Magic. So I can't become a great magician──"

Picking up on his negative words, she smiled defiantly with the sunset behind her.

"─Then let's correct that misunderstanding first."

"!"

His heart skipped a beat again.

"Indeed, Bloodline Magic is incredible. I know because I have it myself."

Rose lightly pointed her finger.

Immediately after, with a thud. A beam of light pierced the ground from above, leaving a large hole.

The bloodline magic she had shown earlier─[Hlidskjalf].

"With this, I can use it unconditionally from birth, without any effort. It's certainly amazing. Many people would be satisfied with just this if they were mediocre, that's how powerful it is."

But.

"However, I can't do anything more than this."

"Eh...?"

"Most people, including nobles, misunderstand. Magic isn't a gift from the gods, it's a human achievement built on solid principles and logic. Anyone should be able to handle any magic if they follow the proper steps."

He felt like the world was turning upside down.

"Bloodline magic isn't a 'gift'. It's a 'curse' that restricts you to using only one magic unconditionally from birth, while limiting your use of other magic that you could have learned originally."

Sacrificing potential for unconditional power, is a taboo. That's what Bloodline Magic, the 'curse', is, she explained.

To Hermes, who was shocked by the truth, Rose pointed her finger.

"And you don't have Bloodline Magic."

"!"

Once again, his heart skipped a beat.

But this time, it wasn't just a surprise. It contained a faint but definite hope.

"You understand, right? You weren't chosen by the gods. Rather, if I were to borrow their words──you're the only one not cursed by the gods, a magician with the potential to handle all magic perfectly."

Continuing, Rose unfolded various types of magic around her. Walls of light, balls of flame, blades of wind, all of which had the tremendous power she had demonstrated earlier.

"You have the talent to handle all of these that I just showed you. No, that's not enough. You can use even stronger, cooler, and more beautiful magic than me because you don't have Bloodline Magic restricting you. You can become the freest magician in the world!"

His heartbeat was already pounding painfully.

Abandoned by his family, despairing of his talents.

At the end of his wanderings through the depths of despair, he found the biggest hope of all.

"As I said earlier, I fell in love with your potential. I want to see what kind of magician you'll become. And if possible, I want to be a part of that journey. ...So, um."

Finally, she blushed and smiled shyly like a maiden in love.

"Would you... become my disciple?"

...If you thought about it objectively, it would seem like an incredibly suspicious invitation.

Even though she had helped him in a dangerous situation, it was still a story that completely overturned the common sense he had lived with until now, and the last word was 'become my disciple'.

It would be strange not to suspect something fishy.

However, for some reason, he didn't entertain such thoughts.

Though it would be a lie to say there wasn't a bit of bias due to being rescued and the wonder of magic.

Above all I saw her talk about magic so vividly.

Hermes thought to himself.

Ah, this person loves magic too, huh?

For him, that was a more eloquent persuasion than a thousand words.

So, without a moment's hesitation, Hermes answered.

"─Please, take care of me!"

And thus, the boy who had been cut off from his family became the disciple of the 'Sky Witch' Rose.

Five years later. Having honed his skills under her guidance, Hermes would return to the royal capital.

For him and those involved, the moment when all their destinies would change drastically was approaching with each passing moment.