Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

T/N: Re-edited 9/3/24.

A crisp metallic thud echoed. The sound of coins dropping onto coins.

Not just once or twice, but a whopping eight consecutive clinks – the sound of new coins entering my “piggy bank.”

A crude object, just an empty can with a hole precisely the size of a coin, punched in the lid. Once coins were put in, they could never be taken out again…

Or so I said.

In reality, I could take them out anytime if I wanted to.

It’s just a tin can, after all. If I smashed it against a rock, it would easily tear open and spill out the contents.

“I’ve saved up quite a bit.”

I picked up the piggy bank and shook it back and forth. It was heavy, and I could hear the coins sloshing around inside. There was enough money for a month’s worth of meals like today’s.

How often have I felt the urge to break open the piggy bank when starving?

I endured, somehow. 

“Buy just enough food to eat, save the rest” – a philosophy I had kept for five years.

I followed that philosophy again today. Eight shillings saved. Three bread rolls left over. If I’m careful, that can last a week.

“……”

I should have bought one more bread roll.

I suppressed the rising feeling of regret with the savory taste of the fish lingering in my mouth.

All this pointless rigmarole was for one purpose.

The feeling of being full brought on drowsiness. 

“Might as well get some sleep.”

I carefully hid the piggy bank in a rock crevice, put away the remaining bread rolls, and tenderly placed the magic book inside my shirt. I never wanted to let it out of my grasp.

I have a dream.

It takes the form of a book, goes by the name of magic, and…

It’s not here.

There is no magic in the Empire. It exists in a faraway land across the strait – the Frauvian Federation. Like a thirsty man who must dig a well, I have to go there myself if I want to learn magic. 

That’s why I started saving. Over five years, I saved 240 shillings. A total of 12 pounds accumulated in my piggy bank.

My goal is 80 pounds. 

The fare for a ship bound for Frauvia.

Lying on the stone floor wrapped in a blanket, I imagined the brilliant civilization of magic. 

The hours I would spend with fellow students studying spells and conjuring all sorts of figures from thin air.

Luckily, I was blessed with a powerful imagination. That night, the visions that unfolded in my dreams were extremely vivid. 

I didn’t feel the cold.

#December 13th. Rainy.

It’s freezing.

“Ugh. Brrrrrrrrr.”

When I awoke from the uncomfortable bedding, I realized my body had gone stiff like a wooden doll.

This is not the opening line of a literary work enjoyed by the cultured. It’s a crude, real-life story that reeks of this worldly fragrance – I nearly froze to death overnight, not even turning into an insect.

The saying “sleeping in the cold makes your mouth twist” is no longer just an idiom. A living witness is right here. 

The night, rain, and riverside combined could easily drown a person. I had to live. I had to force myself to move, eat something, and generate heat.

I roused my stiff body and took out a rye bread roll.

Crunch.

“Oh no…”

The bread broke my tooth.

What is this? I’m sure I bought bread, not a rock, at the market. 

The overnight rain had ruined everything. Hypothermia, headache, and the bread that got damp then froze solid. I guess there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

“Looks like going out for work is out of the question…”

I gave up quickly. Going out begging… doing business on a day like this would obviously be futile. Even my [Disc] wouldn’t function properly in this downpour.

Better just stay put.

I curled up and covered myself with the blanket. My stiffened body slowly began to loosen up.

Gradually thawing and eating the rye bread made it somewhat edible. 

The shivering subsided little by little.

In sync, the pitter-patter of raindrops grew heavier and heavier. 

Swish!

The river swelled into a violent torrent.

An untimely downpour. A far cry from the usual drizzle that comes to mind for a winter rainy season. Rain always brings gloom, but a downpour? That doubles the misery.

The displaced and Frauvian soldiers alike hunkered down at home with gloomy faces. But my case was different. This is an opportunity.

“Perfect. I can practice as much as I want.”

While staying hidden under the blanket, I took out the magic book. As expected, the jewel-shaped decoration on the cover glowed a deeper blue than ever before. Flipping through the pages made a swishing sound.

The magic book was a so-called magical aid tool, but it was still a book at its core. With each page turn, the densely engraved letters and diagrams greeted me.

The letters emanated a soft blue glow.

Another feature of the magic book—the self-illuminating ink—allowed me to read comfortably even under dark clouds or bridge shadows.

My “objective” had already been set.

The flipping pages abruptly stopped in the first half of the thick book.

Adorning the start of that section were these words: 

『λευιτατιον』  

Yes.

I can’t read it!

I’m not illiterate. But I only know the alphabet, which I painstakingly learned. There’s no way I could read the Frauvian letters with completely different spellings.

However, to use spells from the book, I need to recite their names correctly.

That’s why I only know three spells so far.

[Disc] and [Move] had simple letters and pronunciations that I quickly grasped.

“Le-” “Leu-” “Las-” “Rina-” “Rai-”

“-teition.”

“Could this be it?”

Brute-forcing it.

An ignorant but sure method. Spew out any syllable, and if the letters glow brightly, it’s a success.

Of course, the emphasis is more on the ignorant than the sure side. If I’m wrong, a good deal of mana gets drained. It took me three years to figure out how to pronounce [Rotation].

I can’t ask a Frauvian, so it’s a relief I succeeded after my soul was crushed by failure.

At least now I know the string of letters ‘τατιον‘ is pronounced ‘teition.’

What’s left is the front part, ‘λευι.’ I should be able to figure it out in a few weeks.

“Bino-” “Riga-” “Luwi-” “Elli-“

“-teition.”

The light on the cover dims and then returns.

The downpour is precious. I can repeat my failures to my heart’s content.

There was a separate reason I was going through this trouble to learn 『λευιτατιον』instead of sticking to the short spells.

The magic book depicts pictures as prominently as the letters and diagrams. Perhaps there’s no better way to guide the imagination. In any case, a sketch was also drawn on the page with『λευιτατιον』 written on it.

    |

  ⍢|

      | |

    /￣|

      ||

      ω

  _____

“……”

To be honest, the picture looks a bit frivolous. 

I can’t help but question the author’s state of mind, but the picture clearly conveys that learning this magic will allow you to fly in the sky.

The cold was gradually forgotten as I devoted myself to the decipherment called reading. And so I spent the whole day with my nose buried in the magic book, muttering to myself.

#December 15th. Partly cloudy.

The weather cleared up.

The chirping of little birds. Glimpses of sunlight peeking through the clouds. The river flowed gently as the water level receded.

It was the refreshing beginning of a new day.

Except for one thing – the bread went stale.

Growlllll.

“Be a little quieter, will you. You’ve had your fill.”

Going hungry is normal. I had to endure it for about three days recently, but I persevered through the ordeal, whatever it was. 

But humans are really sneaky. At the first opportunity, even when I’m used to starving, my stomach stays quiet and starts growling after just one night without food.

It’s probably because I reminisced on eating those two perfectly grilled fish. 

What should I do about this?

Hard times are coming up ahead now.

Since the weather has cleared up, I’ll head to the streets. I’m going out, but I’ll have to be wary of Remy’s gang.

What happened last time again? Because of that magic book, I was beaten all day long, and Remy even pickpocketed me. 

No matter what, Remy must have realized it by now. For one, his coin purse was stolen, and I was up to some mischief.

“He’s probably searching with eyes peeled.”

Remy’s face was nowhere to be seen for the few rainy days.

That’s simply because he doesn’t know where I live.

Today is different. If I get caught by those guys again, I certainly won’t get off with just a beating with a club. Besides the magic book, I also have the pretense of an attempted pickpocketing to worry about.

I have quite a dilemma.

I have to go out on the streets and shout, “Spare a coin, please!” but…

I can’t run into Remy’s gang.

“……”

Of course, there is a way. I could just go to the streets but not run into Remy’s gang; that’s the end. Head to the faraway streets their gang doesn’t frequent.

It’s still risky if I get spotted while traveling, though.

“Can’t be helped.”

I brushed off my knees and stood up.

I had no choice. I’ll keep starving if I don’t go out on the streets.

“I just have to not get spotted. Just don’t get spotted…”

I hid the magic book tightly in my shirt and came out from under the bridge. It would be a success if I got to the next neighborhood without those guys spotting me. A perfect plan.

I didn’t expect the flaw in my plan to be discovered this quickly.

The initial feeling was good. Without drawing attention, yet swiftly, I traveled the streets. Whenever I saw members of the gang, I immediately took a detour.

It was going smoothly.

But. I had forgotten one thing.

I wasn’t just being chased by Remy’s gang.

“…Why is that person there?”

It was the old Frauvian man I had made eye contact with before. My guess is he’s a bounty hunter. 

That old man from before sat on the bench at the entrance to the next neighborhood.

“……” 

He looked sturdier than most young men. The old man leisurely read the newspaper, which seemed almost gentle at first glance. But I can’t be fooled by appearances.

Just keep reading that newspaper.

I went into full acting mode. Now, from this point on, I’m just a passerby who forgot something.

The same ‘Oops!’ expression and gestures. Naturally, I’ll stop my steps. After a slight hesitation, I’ll smoothly turn around.

That was the plan.

“Ah.”

Our eyes met again. 

The old man put down his newspaper.