Episode 52: Poker Time
“First, let’s discuss our respective ideals.”
That’s Marlene-san, the Legend-san.
State Guest Sorcerer… the foremost of the mages who are, so to speak, “guests of the state.”
A living legend who has served this country for over a century.
I just now realized that she knows I’m a mage.
So, we’re discussing what to do about it.
I’m already considered a dangerous individual for suddenly barging into the Royal Capital’s magicians’ territory without permission or warning, and then getting worked up over a “test” and trying to kill her with a counterattack.
Now that I think about it, the attack magic was indeed only enough to not kill if it hit. Was she planning to gauge my responsiveness by how I defended against it?
Apparently, the way of mages isn’t to beat someone down and make them listen! That’s the way of warriors; magicians are different. They emphasize intellectual sparring and the use of knowledge, above all else.
Well, that’s true. These magicians are like the robed old men living on huge snowy mountains in games. The kind who teach you “Unrelenting Force.”
They don’t get involved in worldly affairs… their way of thinking is different. Like hermits. The State Guest Sorcerers understand politics, but their thinking is basically that of hermits. Rather than fighting for the country, their main job is to advise important people with their wisdom or perform divination.
Magic, as I was gently told just now, isn’t a convenient “tool” or a “weapon” to beat opponents with, but a more fundamental “truth” and “wisdom”? Like, hitting someone over the head with the corner of a book is bad manners.
And… it goes without saying, but just because you have invincible power doesn’t mean you can ignore etiquette or the rules of the community.
I’ve already made a misstep, so how do I respond…?
“From our side, we’re considering options like ‘joining the State Guest Sorcerers,’ ‘granting a noble title,’ ‘becoming a professor at the Royal Academy,’ or ‘accepting marriage with a suitable member of the royal family to become related to the king’s bloodline’?”
I see.
That’s normally something that would make someone want to kill you! But this is a discussion of “ideals.”
If I got angry at every hypothetical, we wouldn’t get anywhere. Let’s accept it for now.
“Then let me state my demands. ‘Please don’t get involved with me’… That’s all.”
“…I see.”
Legend-san accepts my words and pretends to think for a moment. She’s good-looking, so it’s picturesque, but I’m probably just as handsome or more. So, we’re even in terms of charm.
“By the way, why is that?”
“I don’t want to get involved in the world’s pointless conflicts. Political strife, war, diplomacy, domestic affairs—do it yourselves if you want. I just want to spend time with friends I get along with, work under people I trust, and live quietly and prosperously.”
“But if the country falls, your livelihood will be threatened, you know?”
“If enemy forces come right in front of me, then I’ll just use all my firepower to wipe them out.”
“And if you can’t?”
“I’ll just take the few people I want to save and disappear.”
Yeah, really, that’s it.
I don’t want to get involved.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” so I’ll live without using my power as much as possible. That’s my basic policy.
That spider-man who said that line in American comics really works hard.
If you suddenly gain power, it’s cruel to say, “You have power, so fulfill your responsibility!”
Normally, you’d try to escape responsibility like me. I’m not a hero, and I don’t want to be one.
Having power is, of course, simply nice, right?
But I’m not so earnest as to have such enormous responsibilities thrust upon me and silently fulfill them.
In the first place, I use magic, but I don’t lack anything even without it.
I have no trouble eating, I have a place to live, I have a loving family, I’m not chased by work, and I can enjoy my hobbies. I’m even respected by others.
What more do I need? The king’s trust? A blood relation with an important person? Or a grand ambition?
I don’t need any of that. Humans only need enough happiness to hold in their two hands. Any more happiness than that becomes a weight that creaks the framework of their being and eventually breaks it. Too much is as bad as too little.
In the first place, I’m not young enough to want such grand things. Well, my mental age, that is.
“…That’s troubling. I… no, the country can ‘give’ you things, but you want to ‘not be given’ things. Perhaps Changelings don’t have the dreams that people expect them to have.”
“No, it’s not because I’m a Changeling… It’s just that, as a matter of my nature, I don’t want unnecessary power.”
“You think it would be convenient to have it, though?”
“I’m saying that the troubles that come with it outweigh the convenience. People’s entanglements are much scarier than magical power…”
“…I’m at a loss. You’re shrewd. You could even say you’re precocious. You have stronger magical power than anyone else, but you don’t rely on it. That kind of opponent is the most ‘frightening.'”
I guess so. I’d think the same if I were in your position.
“On top of that, even though you say you hate politics, you understand it. You know that the give-and-take between people can’t be solved with simple violence. As an individual, you’ll be caught up in the big currents… So, your decision to ‘keep your distance’ is, regrettably, the smartest and most accurate.”
“So? How are you going to find a compromise? If we break down, please tell me immediately, because I’ll teleport away.”
“Wow, a blatant threat. If you run, you’ll become a potential enemy of this country afterward, right? You’re really troublesome…”
“Threatening also has risks, originally. Relying on execution power so easily is a bad move. But I want you to understand that we’re being driven to the point of making bad moves.”
“Oh, geez… You don’t have a single opening. What to do…”
Legend-san is thinking again.
“…By the way, what about that child over there?”
Hmm? Ah, Rosalinde.
“She’s Count Missgancia’s daughter. Since I’m entrusted to take care of her with Count Missgancia’s trust, I’ll have to fight if you try to do anything to her.”
Rosalinde seems quite frightened, one way or another.
She’s clinging to me, hiding behind me.
She’s always so nonchalant, but magic is still scary, after all.
No matter what you say, magic is a “terrifying thing.”
In a world where superstitions are believed and many people are devout, it’s only natural to be frightened when harmed by the supernatural phenomenon of magic.
Magicians are really treated like “witches” in the Middle Ages.
To put it simply for Japanese people, it’s like a local god. If you give offerings or sacrifices, they’ll cause supernatural phenomena and give you benefits, but if you anger them, they’ll destroy the village! Something like that…?
“No, of course, I’m not thinking of doing anything. I was just wondering if you have any aversion to forming blood ties…”
Ah, I see.
She’s talking about having me marry a relative of the royal family or something, just to create a connection, even if it’s just a formality.
“I’m sorry, but I basically can’t accept nobles. I already have a Mazoku woman as my disciple, and my good Strider friends include tribesman, Easterners, demi-humans, and Elves.”
“Hmm? Elf? Where is that Elf, that Strider friend of yours, from?”
Margot?
Now that I think about it, I’ve heard she’s from a branch of the royal family, but I don’t know the details.
But I’ve heard the name.
“Margot. Margot Tia Albator.”
…Hearing that, Legend-san’s eyes widened, and she smiled slightly.
“Thank you for being friends with my descendant. I’m sorry for the late introduction. My name is Marlaine. Marlaine Tia Albator.”
Ah… I see.
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I’ve been told a lot of things in the comments section, but please rest assured that the protagonist is the one who’s strange.
The magic in this world is more like “the truth of the world” or “the phenomenon itself,” and destructive power is just a byproduct.
Magicians basically understand that preachy magic and continue to explore the path to “truth,” like a Zen koan.
In that Zen koan friends association, suddenly, a guy who knows all the answers to the Zen koans appears and swings the “truth” around to attack them. It’s incredibly rude, or just plain crazy.
By the way, the “test” they throw at you is treated like “So-mo-san” or “Seppa” in Zen koans.
In other words, originally, shouts are more sacred and shouldn’t be treated lightly, but Dragonborn, who can easily learn them, are completely using them conveniently as tools or weapons! That’s the kind of story it is.