Quit The Hero Party

EP.9 Looking for a New Job (2)

Rosel van Trias.

The Elder of the Ashen Tower and an outstanding professor, Rosel reminisces about an event from long ago. It must have been ten years ago, or maybe even fifteen.

– The Demon Lord’s Army again.
– The relentless disaster.
– Refugees flooding into Lutetia…

An age overflowing with refugees due to disasters. During that chaotic time, Rosel encountered a child. A little boy, no more than ten years old.

Rosel recognized the boy’s talent at first glance. He was a prodigy.

If he walked the path of magic, he would become a great mage remembered throughout history, and if he took up the brush and followed the path of scholarship, he would become an outstanding scholar. Such a talented child.

Rosel saw that talent immediately, but what truly surprised him was that, despite being only ten years old, the boy’s abilities were already honed.

Like a well-sharpened sword, Rosel held his breath.

This was not an unblossomed bud that one could see here and there. It was a flower that had already fully bloomed, just waiting for someone to notice it.

As if spellbound, Rosel asked the boy.

Did you have a mentor?

Has someone taught you magic?

If so, who was it?

– I’ve never learned.

The boy answered the question with another question.

– Will you teach me?

Chuckling at the child’s audacity, Rosel accepted him as his disciple. Since that day, Rosel has never regretted that choice even once in the fifteen years that have passed.

For he was a truly exceptional child.

And a wise one too.

But now.

Rosel’s firm resolve was beginning to waver slightly.

“…Am I understanding this correctly?”

“Yes…”

Feeling dizzy, Rosel rubbed his temples. What on earth did this mean?

‘Even if the world has turned chaotic…’

Rosel gazed down at the girl kneeling before him.

‘How can this be a story that makes sense?’

Her ashen hair hung down to her waist, spread out on the floor as she knelt. Her anxious, bright blue eyes roamed restlessly.

‘Ashen hair and blue eyes.’

Those were the only two things he could find in this girl that reminded him of his disciple.

“I can’t believe it…”

“Indeed.”

“Just stay quiet for a moment.”

Looking at the sulking girl, Rosel let out a long sigh.

“Phew…”

Certainly, the ashen mana the girl displayed a moment ago was indeed Raniel’s. It matched exactly with the mana he had seen for over ten years while teaching that child.

‘Yes, that much is true…’

Rosel narrowed his eyes.

‘Things have changed significantly.’

He was not referring to the girl’s appearance.

Mana.

The mana reflecting in Rosel’s eyes had the same color, but the way it was wielded was worlds apart.

That fact was both a delight and a bitterness to him.

‘You wouldn’t have survived without changing.’

Rosel muttered, keeping his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve already heard rumors… but it feels so strange.”

“Yes?”

“There were whispers all the way to the royal capital that some wizard on the battlefield has completely overturned the fundamentals of combat magic.”

“Really? Who is it?”

She must have met him at least once while on the battlefield.

Looking at the murmuring girl, Rosel smiled bitterly.

‘Still completely oblivious as ever.’

“It’s nothing.”

“Excuse me?”

Rosel lightly swung his staff.

– Thwack!

“Ah!”

“Honestly, what a foolish child.”

A faint smile crossed Rosel’s lips.

Though Raniel might not realize it, Rosel knew very well how his disciple was regarded in the world.

– Redefining the concept of stock magic that had been neglected.
– Establishing a systematic combat magic base using martial arts and spell stocks.
– Examples of exemplary utilization of spells for efficiency on the battlefield.

He had read all the articles about his disciple.

Recalling those articles, Rosel smiled bitterly.

‘Do you know what they call you out there, Raniel?’

The origin of the Battle Mage.

The beacon of wizards.

The greatest mage, and more.

The list went on endlessly.

“Anyway.”

“Ah!”

“This hopeless disciple of mine, really.”

“Ah! Master, wait! Ouch!”

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

The rhythmically swung staff repeatedly thudded against the girl’s head.

‘Is it really true…’

Rosel recalled the past five years.

When they had jumped into the hero party to kill the Demon Lord, he had been worried, but now watching his disciple independently achieve merits was a joyful experience.

He was proud.

When news of cutting off the Four Heavenly Kings’ head and defeating the wicked black dragon Belial hit the royal capital, he straightened his shoulders without thinking.

But this foolish disciple would never know.

How he had always been concerned in the back of his mind.

How worried he had been over those five years, fluctuating between joy and sorrow with each piece of news.

“Anyway, you just keep making excuses for me.”

Thwack!

The feebly swung staff smacked against Raniel’s crown. She cautiously raised her head.

“…”

Rosel’s slightly tired face.

Seeing that face, Raniel lowered her head again.

“I’m… sorry.”

“You foolish child.”

Rosel reached out and ruffled Raniel’s hair.

“Get up. There’s a lot to do.”

“…Yes, Master.”

Their room had been left empty for five years. As he opened the door, Rosel said.

“Move quickly, you foolish disciple.”

2.

A member of the hero party.

News of Raniel, the Ashen Mage’s retirement, hit the royal capital like a thunderbolt. The impact of his retirement was as monumental as his reputation.

Knights Order Leader Heinkel expressed regret over Raniel’s retirement, petitioning that he receive the honor and rewards he rightly deserved.

The king gladly accepted Heinkel’s petition.

The badge signifying “Royal Mage” that had been given to Raniel long ago was adorned with three stars.

One star denoted a knight who achieved great feats on the battlefield.

Two stars indicated a mage who dedicated himself to the nation.

Three stars showed that he was a mage who further dedicated himself to humanity.

Raniel was recognized as the first mage to have three stars. Presently, due to Raniel’s absence, the badge was handed over to his mentor, Rosel.

Naturally, the repercussions did not end there.

– Master of the Red Tower, Hamanu, expressed his wish to confer the position of Red Tower Master to Raniel…
– The Blue, Green, White, and Black Towers promised Rosel the position of Elder in honor of the ‘Ashen Mage’ Raniel.
– Mages of the Knights Order recommended Raniel for the officer position.

Once his retirement announcement came to light, numerous places eagerly sought to recruit Raniel.

And naturally, the Magic Academy of Apuria was no exception.

The most prestigious academy in the kingdom.

A place where countless young mages dreamed of going.

Although only four years had passed since its establishment, its reputation soared thanks to the achievements of its first graduating class.

“…”

In this esteemed Apuria Academy, the academy head, Aaron, looked at the pile of letters stacked before him with an expression of icy despair.

A tower of paper that seemed it would crumble with the slightest touch.

Realizing that all of them were petitions from students and professors made Aaron’s vision blur.

– “Please make the Ashen Mage Raniel a professor at the academy.”
– “No one is more suited than him to teach the Battle Mage class…”
– “We must recruit him for an exorbitant sum.”
– “I wish I could attend just one of his classes…”

A passionate plea.

Even graduates were responding with letters.

‘Of course, I understand…’

Aaron knew well what the Ashen Mage Raniel represented to today’s mages. There was even a class modeled after him in the academy, so there was no need to say more.

‘I want to recruit him too.’

For there was no one of his caliber.

However, the problem was that this was nearly impossible.

It had been ten days since Raniel’s retirement announcement, yet not a single piece of news had come through. Despite the various towers’ attempts at wooing him, the mage remained utterly silent.

Was he vacationing in the Great Elven Forest?

Or had he been summoned by the noble ancient dragon mage?

Those were merely rumors floating around.

There was no reliable information anywhere.

‘Even the Tower Masters couldn’t figure out where Raniel is.’

No matter how prestigious the Apuria Academy was, Aaron was nothing but a mere headmaster.

How could he achieve what the Tower Masters could not?

“Phew…”

Aaron sighed deeply.

He really needed to replenish the professors. This year, some remarkable talents had expressed their intention to enroll.

‘I never imagined those kids would perform so well…’

When the first graduates were produced, Aaron had never imagined that the students being too capable would be a problem.

The accomplishments of those kids reached his ears almost daily. Consequently, the academy’s reputation skyrocketed compared to its size.

‘How am I supposed to handle such talent?’

Aaron sighed as he skimmed through the list of new students placed in the center of his desk.

– Lac, the only son of the Northern Duke, a Battle Mage with innate combat sense.

– Resti, the next Master of the Ashen Tower, a Summoner commanding numerous familiars.

– Belnoa, a Battle Mage and Shaman who singlehandedly annihilated the “Gloom” that had ruled the slums.

All of them were individuals born with talents that could dominate the era. Each one of them would be difficult for the current faculty to handle…

– The Fourth Princess Ayla.

– Stella, the girl loved by the stars.

At the mention of the noble name at the end, Aaron slapped his forehead.

“This is maddening, truly.”

With the current faculty, there was no way to handle them. Where could they find a talented professor just dropping from the sky?

“Phew…”

Aaron let out a long sigh.

3.

“Raniel.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Have you thought about attending the academy?”

“Me? At my age?”

There would definitely be a gap of at least seven or eight years.

“No, I’m talking about as a professor, not as a student.”

“Hm…”

I nodded.

“It doesn’t sound bad, does it?”