It’s only natural that studying isn’t fun.
However, it’s also true that you need to do it to make a living.
“Not fun.”
“Is that so?”
“All I do is read book after book. I haven’t even tried using magic yet.”
“That’s a basic textbook. You need to understand it to even begin magic. You said you wanted to unlock the shackles yourself, right?”
“…”
The Little One’s eyes turned to the book.
I’m not sure if my words motivated her, but it’s fine.
She understands quickly because she’s smart, even if she doesn’t look it.
“How many books have you read so far?”
“It’s the seventh one.”
“You read fast. Read ten books today and then read more tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I need to read them again.”
“Human memory isn’t as great as you think.”
Maybe because she’s never studied her whole life.
She tends to underestimate the difficulty of learning.
I need to thoroughly teach her how hard it is to learn.
I also thought like that once.
“Mister! Is this magic?”
It was just two days ago that the Little One started reading the basic magic textbook. She successfully cast the basic spell, [Ignition].
“How did you do it?”
Her eyes were wide open.
To be honest, I thought it would take her a very long time to use magic.
Because the Little One’s rough mana wouldn’t easily follow her will.
Even a genius would have a hard time starting under such poor conditions.
“I just did it.”
The Little One smiled brightly.
Realizing she had talent, she even manipulated the [Ignition] spell to create a round sphere.
‘Wow.’
I nearly let my mouth hang open. I thought I would rarely see a genius like ‘that person’ again in my life. The world is vast and full of geniuses.
“Mister, look at this.”
The Little One showed me the fire she had shaped.
It was molded into the form of a person.
‘This is crazy.’
Elemental shaping is an advanced theory not even fully described in books. Yet she grasped it with minimal information and intuition. I’m beyond astonished.
“Well done.”
Praising the Little One, I glanced at the books she had been reading. I wanted to see if there was any book that could have enlightened her.
“…”
Soon, I shook my head.
Although the books were carefully selected, they shouldn’t have made such impossible feats achievable.
Thus, the conclusion was clear.
‘The Little One has completely grasped the contents of the books.’
Understanding. Memorizing. Applying.
The Little One literally understood the principles of magic. How it starts, progresses, and ends.
She comprehended in two days what a mage reaching the Archmage level barely realizes.
“There’s nothing more to do today. Let’s go to the lake.”
“Okay!”
*****
The Magician’s Lake is a famous tourist spot with many attractions.
Restaurants, general stores, ice cream shops, and so on.
“Do you like the clothes?”
“Yes. They’re prettier than I expected.”
The Little One seemed to like the clothes I chose for her.
“From now on, wear those. You look better.”
“What did I look like before?”
“Just a beggar. It was hard to even talk to you out of pity.”
Now she’s gained weight and looks healthier, so she looks like a noble lady when dressed well.
“And you seem to have grown a bit taller.”
“I’m filled with energy.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just something like that.”
The Little One sometimes says things that are hard to understand.
I suspect it’s related to her past, which she doesn’t like to talk about, but I’m still curious.
What kind of life has the she lived until now?
*****
The ice cream in hand.
The coldness felt on my tongue from the vanilla cream like a cloud.
But it doesn’t feel unpleasant.
‘Tasty.’
Though it’s my first time eating it, it suits my taste.
As if someone who knew my exact taste made it.
The beautiful scenery laid out before my eyes is a bonus.
The breeze blowing and the waves of the lake.
Even being outside the house is enough to relieve my frustration, and the Magician’s Lake even clears my chest.
So it was.
That I uttered these unnecessary words.
“Mister, I have something I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you so nice to me?”
It had always been a question.
Why he had been so kind to me from the beginning.
There was no reason for him to go through the trouble of making me live as a person.
“Self-satisfaction after retirement.”
“Then, if there’s another kid like me, would you take them in and raise them too?”
“Maybe.”
I see.
Mister is a good person.
As if to counter my thoughts, Mister said.
“But don’t misunderstand. I’m not a good person.”
“Then why did you help me?”
“Because I wasn’t a good person.”
He was a very bad person until just a few days ago.
Mister’s expression was calm as he said this, as if he was merely stating an objective fact.
“Even now, I think if I do good deeds, I might go to heaven. That’s what I think.”
Mister’s dream was to open an orphanage.
To take in, feed, and shelter children suffering because of the war. That’s what he wanted to do after retirement.
“And you were the start of that.”
It was a strange feeling.
That the reason someone helps others is for atonement. I wondered what kind of sin Mister had committed.
At that moment, a voice interrupted.
“Excuse me… Would you like to have your fortune told?”
*****
The shops around the Magician’s Lake change daily.
The old-established shops have monopolized the customers for a long time.
Many shops close because the demand can’t keep up with the supply.
So, this happens sometimes.
“Thank you! I really thought I wouldn’t get a single customer today…!”
A shopkeeper directly seeking out customers.
“What kind of fortune do you want to know? Love, marriage, future, we can see it all!”
Fortune-telling, huh.
I’m not one to believe in a predetermined future.
Nor do I prefer playful folk beliefs.
But.
“I’ll go with a marriage fortune.”
I have nothing else to do anyway.
“Mister, are you planning to get married?”
“If I get the chance, I should.”
“With whom?”
“Since there’s no one, I’m having my fortune told. What about you? What kind of fortune do you want to know?”
“Hmm….”
Leaving the Little One, who was contemplating, behind, I started my fortune telling.
“Let’s begin. Please hold the crystal ball with your palm.”
As I did as the fortune teller instructed, the crystal ball glowed bright yellow.
“Oh my. This is a unique case.”
“A unique case?”
“It means you may or may not get married.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“It’s a bit different. The word ‘marriage’ is ambiguous.”
Normally, it would split into red or blue indicating true or false results.
Meeting a compatible partner and getting married would show blue, while not meeting anyone and not marrying would show red.
Yellow indicates something in between.
“In this case, there are two possible scenarios. You meet a compatible partner but cannot legally marry, or you enter into a loveless arranged marriage. Which fate do you think you’ll encounter?”
“I believe the heart is important, so let’s go with the first scenario.”
“Understood.”
The fortune teller took out dozens of cards.
“Pick three cards from these and flip them over.”
Following her instructions, I flipped over three cards.
Each card had a different picture.
A pair of men and women having a wedding ceremony.
A woman crawling on the dirt ground.
The last one depicted a man trapped in a cage with a woman looking at him.
“Well… in this case… your hearts will match. If you’re very lucky, you might even get married.”
The fortune teller paused briefly before continuing.
“But the process will be very difficult and full of hardships. For both of you, especially the woman.”
“Are you saying I’ll bring suffering to my partner?”
“Yes. Because of this, you might end up living a life where you’re completely stuck. In the worst case, this could affect both your body and mind.”
“That sounds quite frightening.”
Though I haven’t met her yet, I hope I don’t meet a woman like that.
It was a lighthearted thought.
“I can give you a more detailed reading, would you like to try again?”
“Yes, I would.”
The fortune teller laid out ten more cards and asked me to pick three.
“Oh, I should mention, this draw is connected to the previous one.”
“What do you mean?”
“The future isn’t made up of multiple paths, but one straight line. If the previous reading pointed out your destiny, this reading will help you understand the nature of your partner.”
“I see.”
I didn’t fully understand, but I got that it was related to the previous reading.
Following her instructions, I picked three cards, revealing completely different pictures this time.
The first card depicted a thief.
The second card showed a dragon.
The third card had a blazing fire on it.
“First, the thief card. This means there is a significant age difference between you and your partner. It could be older or younger.”
“Hmm.”
“The second card, with the dragon, indicates your partner will have a domineering, arrogant, and greedy personality. They won’t let you go easily.”
“Hmm.”
“The third card, the flame, signifies passionate love. Your partner will love you intensely. In one way or another.”
The fortune teller finished her explanation.
“This doesn’t seem right.”
“Remember, the future is something no one can know for sure. Perhaps the woman near you could be your partner.”
“That’s definitely not the case.”
If such a woman were around me, I would have drawn a clear line already.
No matter how much someone loves me, I can’t handle a possessive personality that would drive me mad.
“Right, kid?”
“How would I know if there’s someone like that around you?”
That’s true.
After all, the Little One and I have only known each other for a few days.
“But it would be scary if such a person were around you, Mister.”
“Oh?”
“They could bring trouble to me as well.”
“Damn it.”
I thought I might be touched, but no, it’s just the usual.
But this proves it.
Fortune telling is not something to be trusted.
