Chapter 3: Pulmy En Dynast III
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It was a quiet afternoon, the bustling activity of the Seekers had finally settled down at the Green Eyes Guild. Pulmy stretched her body, feeling the need for a break, and stepped out of her office, contemplating lunch.
“Um, this is my first time here, but—”
At that moment, she noticed a shabby-looking girl speaking to the woman at the counter. Beneath a mage’s hat, the girl’s vibrant crimson hair peeked out.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the Honest Young Lady.”
Pulmy intentionally softened her voice to suppress the rapid beating of her heart as she addressed the girl. The girl’s expression was tinged with a certain weariness.
She must have gone through a lot… Pulmy felt a lump form in her throat.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t come here to be rude.”
She conveyed her words lightly, without a hint of sorrow on her face. Still, the girl wore a puzzled expression.
“Oh, we’ve met a few times in the dining hall, but you don’t remember me?”
From the girl’s expression, Pulmy could sense a hint of suspicion. It was heartbreaking to see such a look on someone so young.
“Did you… know about me?”
“‘Did you know about me?’ What are you talking about? You’re a celebrity. Anyone who has even a passing interest in the world of mages knows who you are. The red-haired girl who once saved the world alongside the Hero. If you don’t know, you must be living under a rock.”
The girl’s sharp gaze seemed to say, “There must be a reason you approached me.”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’ve known about you for a while now. Well, to be precise, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to speak to you since you started working at the dining hall.”
Pulmy unintentionally muttered, “Finally.”
“Forgive me. I am Pulmy En Dynast, the Guild Master overseeing this town.”
“I’m Angelica.”
Just Angelica. She didn’t mention her family name. That felt painful to Pulmy.
“I’m glad I finally got to speak with you. I asked the couple at the dining hall for permission to talk to you multiple times, but they kept saying, ‘Angelica is going to be our daughter-in-law!’ and ‘Forgetting about magic would be better for her!’ It was infuriating.”
As if that could ever be true—just recalling it made Pulmy’s blood boil.
“You would never abandon magic.”
That statement was as obvious to Pulmy as saying, “Humans die if they don’t breathe.”
“Why…?”
The girl in front of her asked in a hoarse voice.
“Because you’re destined to become someone great.”
At Pulmy’s words, Angelica’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I…?”
“Yes, you.”
“Why?”
The girl’s gaze flickered with uncertainty.
“It’s just my intuition.”
Pulmy didn’t claim to know absolute truths. That’s why she cherished her instincts.
“I can’t even use Intermediate Magic; I’m just a—”
Angelica’s voice trailed off, as if she were battling her own diminished self-esteem and the desire to deny it.
“Just a what? Are you going to call yourself a defective product? The ‘Passion Fake’?”
The name “Passion Fake” was a derogatory term used to belittle her. It was laden with various negative emotions, from envy towards the privileged Honest family to resentment for sharing the same red hair as the first generation, and even disdain for being overly confident just because of her high Mana Capacity.
She had no reason to care about such things. Pulmy had spoken with good intentions, but the girl’s expression showed she was hurt.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant!”
Pulmy, flustered, waved her hands in front of her face, trying to convey the truth of Angelica’s identity.
“You possess the Skill of the Wise One and a Mana capacity rivaling that of a Saintess. You are said to have the greatest potential in history. Yet, you continue to train tirelessly without resting on your laurels—”
Training must have been tough. Especially while juggling the demanding work at that dining establishment.
“—But perhaps because of that defect, you were cast out by your family. Even now, you are training relentlessly in this town, far from home.”
Pulmy focused intently. Angelica’s Mana Lines glowed vividly, surpassing anything she had seen on the last day.
“As they say, ‘Mana control is a product of training.’ With enough training, Mana control can become incredibly refined. However, unlike long-lived elves, humans, who have a limited lifespan, tend to stop at a certain level of Mana control. Do you know why?”
“Why is that?”
Angelica asked, her expression one of confusion.
“Because it’s an unbearable ordeal. Those who possess a higher level of control and attempt to push further face excruciating pain and fatigue. Few can endure it.”
Pulmy continued.
“That’s why, under the pretense that intricate control isn’t necessary to use Intermediate Magic, most mages stop training altogether.”
The girl was misjudging herself.
“I once saw you when you were ten years old. When I visited the Honest family, I witnessed the barrage of Basic Magic you executed at the training grounds, and it shook me to my core.”
It was hard to imagine what thoughts ran through the mind of a girl who had been denied everything in her childhood. Even now, as she listened to Pulmy, she was likely belittling herself.
She probably thought, “That’s not a big deal.” Thus, Pulmy felt the need to use even stronger words to make her understand.
“Don’t take this the wrong way. The people of Honest are foolish. How many people in this world can do what you can?”
A faint color seemed to return to the girl’s face.
“I can see it. The exceptionally coordinated Mana Lines running through every corner of your body. Ah, why can’t those fools at Honest see it?”
Pulmy shook her head.
“Only being able to use Basic Magic—this means that’s the only flaw you have. Just that one thing doesn’t tarnish your talent or charm in the slightest.”
Pulmy continued, “But still, I’m just a humble Guild Master. I may not be able to do much, but I can provide you with an environment to help you grow.”
There were words she needed to convey.
“Will you come to me?”
Pulmy sensed the hesitation in the girl. But it was only for a moment; she soon wore a determined expression and firmly grasped Pulmy’s outstretched hand.
“Thank you, I’ll do my best!”
And then, the girl beamed a radiant smile.
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“Ah,”
Pulmy would never forget that day. Indeed, in that moment, the two of them became family.