Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

T/N: Edited 10/27/24

“Okay.”

The first thing that came out of Benjamin’s mouth when he abruptly came to the military camp and called for Dorothy was a request to help him find a certain boy.

To summarize his explanation that followed with a generous laugh, it went something like this:

I found a genius.

I want him.

Help me.

And then he looked at her confidently.

“……”

She almost let a curse slip from her mouth without realizing it.

But she quickly regained her composure.

It was nothing new.

Any young man who showed a glimpse of genius would become Benjamin’s target. Such antics from Benjamin were all too familiar to her.

No wonder he was nicknamed the Genius Collector.

“What kind of person is he?”

“A boy around 14 to 16 years old. Gray hair. Probably a beggar or an orphan, something like that.”

“Not his personal details. I’m asking about his intelligence.”

“Ah, that.”

Benjamin replied confidently.

“I saw him using the Type I Magic Spell [Disc], and he was good at it. He even changed the angle back and forth, left and right.”

“You know as well as I do that magic isn’t just about wobbling something mid-air. It needs theory, axioms, and necessity.”

“If it’s a sphere, it’s a sphere. If it’s a disc, it’s a disc. The first step in magic is establishing the necessity for mana to take such a form.”

“That’s why magic is a science.”

“Magic, by its very nature, reconciles theory and imagination, so imagination alone has its limits, and theory alone can become too rigid.”

“But that boy managed to make the two coexist. He’s probably self-taught.”

“It’s the realm of talent and instinct. It’s not something that can be achieved by stacking academic degrees like a tower.”

Dorothy inadvertently asked. 

“What do you intend to do about him then?”

“What if I teach him personally?”

“Well, that kid would be able to imagine the blueprints of a five-story building.”

“So help me find him. I’d appreciate your assistance, but if the military gets involved….”

The war began.

Father stroked my hair and comforted me. 

News arrived. The landing operation itself was successful, but within a month, the supply lines were cut off, half of the troops were wiped out, and the other half surrendered.

Father picked me up and consoled me.

The port was filled with warships. Mana-powered warships surrounded the country, and heavily armed federal troops began their advance.

Father held my hand as we set out on the evacuation route.

Flames rose everywhere my eyes could see. The sound of cannons. The sound of cannons like thunder. Lightning struck in the clear sky, and countless gunshots poured down like a heavy rain.

Father hid me under the bridge. 

*1

“…….”

I opened my eyes.

The nightmare I’ve had countless times. Even though I no longer shed tears, I was still drenched in cold sweat all over my body.

Although the dream is filled with imaginary contents, it always feels so real.

The face of the person called ‘Father’ is always blurry. It was expected. I was an orphan from birth, after all. The contents of the dream were also nothing more than a clever patchwork of events from the past few years.

I was always alone. That’s the kind of guy I am.

Washing your face is the best remedy when you’re in a daze.

I blinked my eyes and tried to get up.

“Not yet.”

Thud.

Someone pushed me, and I plopped back down again.

“Huh?”

“Your wounds haven’t fully healed yet. You need to keep lying down.”

A somewhat familiar voice.

Rough gestures.

Each of those awakened my senses. My instincts told me it was dangerous.

The old bounty hunter was looking down at me.

I abruptly sat up and shouted.

“Y-You, you finally kidnapped me. Were you that desperate for the bounty?!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t try to dodge the question, bounty hunter.”

“Hoh. That’s quite a pleasing title, though.”

Press.

The old man raised his arm and pressed his thumb firmly against my forehead.

Feeling powerless, I fell back without any chance to resist.

And so, I lied on the bed once again.

The old man clicked his tongue.

“A patient shouldn’t be moving around.”

“……”

“I’m not some bounty hunter, so you can relax. Let’s introduce ourselves. What’s your name?”

“…Isn’t it proper to reveal your own name first?”

“You’ve been well-educated, I see.”

The old man chuckled.

The answer didn’t come back immediately. More precisely, it wasn’t in the form of words.

The old man shoved a book in front of my face.

“Here. It’s your grimoire.”

“Give it back!”

No wonder my chest felt empty.

Whether I shouted or not, the old man kept shoving the grimoire in my face.

“I get it. But before that, read the text on the bottom right of the cover. It’s the author’s name.”   

“I can’t read those letters.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m serious.”

The old man’s expression soon turned grave. I had no idea why.

“This exceeds my expectations… Are you saying you mastered the Auchlimé conversion just by looking at my scribbles without even reading the explanation?”

“What? Don’t mumble about things only you know.”

“No? Never mind.”

He shook his head from side to side, then placed the grimoire on my chest with a thud.

The old man chuckled and said:

“Benjamin Oslo. The con artist magic scholar who wrote this grimoire.”

I doubted what I just heard.

“Really?”

“Have you been deceived all your life?”

I’ve been deceived all my life.

However, judging by the old man’s tone, it seemed to be the truth.

I opened my mouth with a half-dazed face.

“…Eugene.”

“Yeah. Eugene. Nice to meet you.”

The old man forcibly grabbed my hand and shook it violently, pretending to shake hands.

Only then did I realize…

“Argh―!”

…that the wound near my shoulder was much more severe than I had anticipated.

#December 20th. Rain.

“Become my disciple.”

“I refuse.”

It took two days for me to get out of bed.

By then, I had roughly grasped this space. A duplex house where the old man, Benjamin, and his daughter live alone.

When I found out that his daughter, Dorothy Oslo, was a federal army officer, I immediately considered breaking the window and running away.

However, after hearing that she was the one who took care of me while I was unconscious, I gave up on the idea of escaping.

Above all, it was Dorothy who diligently delivered food to me at every meal. She seemed to know how to persuade people better than the eccentric old man Benjamin.

And now, two days later, I was about to leave this house after expressing my gratitude at a 90-degree bow.

But then…

“What do you mean by becoming your disciple?”

I was caught right in front of the front door.

The old man, who had blocked the door with his body, folded his arms and said:

“I saw you using magic.”

“…Is this a threat? I thought you said you weren’t a bounty hunter.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then what is it?”

“You were using magic well.”

“Huh.”

I made a strange sound out of absurdity.

I protested sincerely.

“If you really are the author of this book and a renowned wizard, I would gratefully accept that offer. But I can’t trust you yet.”

In the end, Benjamin is an eccentric old man with a daughter who is an officer in the Federal Army. Even now, it was difficult for me to erase the thought that this was all a trap.

Above all…

“I will go to the Federation someday.”

“To Frauvia?”

“Yes. I’m going to learn directly from them. That’s my dream, and I’m saving up for the boat fare for that purpose. I can’t waste time living as your disciple or whatever.”

‘Boat fare, huh.’ 

The old man sighed.

“Eugene. You’re not talking about 80 pounds, are you?”

“…That’s right, but.”

“……”

Benjamin was silent for a while and then slowly continued.

“You won’t be able to ride the boat. They only accept citizens of the Frauvian Federation.”

I already knew that much.

I countered confidently.

“I heard the Eddington takes Imperial citizens too. I’m planning to take that.”

However, Benjamin’s expression did not change a bit.

Rather, it became more serious.

“A free trade permit issued before the war. An ID with the seal of a military officer of the rank of colonel or higher, a university professor, or a high-ranking official of the Federation. Or money that would make even the esteemed James Eddington blink. If you have any one of these things, you’re right.”

“……”

“If not, listen to me. Sir Eddington is just lenient to free trade merchants. There are quite a few ships that don’t even allow that.”

The rumors must have been distorted. The old man shook his head and sighed.

Is it the truth?

“I don’t lie.”

As if he had seen through my thoughts, Benjamin added a word.

But it wasn’t of much help.

Because I could tell from his tone that it was the truth.

Thud. 

The strength in my arms drained away.

Five years.

Five years.

I had stubbornly saved for five years—all to cover the boat fare to Frauvia.

How many days had I starved? How miserable was each day? How much had I been beaten?

And yet, how hopeful were those days?

“……”

All of that was meaningless.

I slowly sat down on the floor. It was because the dream I had endured for five years began to crumble.

How cruel is this world?

A part of my heart was about to collapse.

“You look pathetic.”

“…!”

“Did my words go in one ear and out the other? HAHAHAHAHA!”

Benjamin laughed heartily and pointed at himself.

“I, Benjamin Oslo, am a former tenured professor pathetically fired from the Federal University of Magic and a washed-up theoretical magic scholar.”

Then, he stretched out his arm and pointed at me.

“And you are the worthless beggar, Eugene. I already said I would take you as my disciple and teach you magic.”

“……”

“Don’t slouch just because you can’t take a measly boat. You’re not going to live your life sitting down, are you?”

Benjamin grabbed my shoulders with both hands and lifted me up. He was so strong that he straightened my body in an instant.

“You’re skinny as a stick. How old are you?”

“16….”

No. It seemed that my being light also played a part.

I carefully parted my lips.

“Are you really… going to teach me?”

“Do you finally believe what I’m saying? You’re quite quick.”

Benjamin patted my shoulder—on the uninjured side.

“You have talent. No doubt about it.”

“…!”

“But you’re still just a diamond in the rough. I will polish you and make you into a jewel that even the Frauvians won’t dare to look down upon.”

The old man’s eyes sparkled.

“I’ll ask you one last time.”

It was passion.

An immense passion of will that had not yet fully died down, even at the age of over 60.

That fierce flame seemed to ignite and cross over to me, using his gaze as a fuse.

Benjamin reached out his hand.

“Will you become my disciple?”

T/N

This is the onomatopoeia for what seems to be a Korean War Drum.