Chapter 318

Chapter 318

Forerunner. He was a drifter from the 7th black-and-white slum, just like me. Our bond wasn’t deep in my past life, and it wasn’t particularly deep in this one either. But… what did he just say? “Disciple?” My brow furrowed slightly as I looked down at Forerunner, who had thrown himself onto the ground, pleading with me to take him under my wing. It simply didn’t make any sense. “Where is this nonsense about disciples coming from all of a sudden?” “……Excuse me? Didn’t you promise?” I tilted my head at Forerunner’s question. “To you?” When exactly had I promised to make him my disciple? “Yes, well… You said that if we followed you to the Magic Tower, you would teach us magic.” “Oh.” Come to think of it, I really had made that promise. Right… When we were managing the children we rescued from the Troubleshooter training camp, Lortel, myself, and Mr. Mysern had set those conditions.

No one had actually asked me to learn magic until now, so it had completely slipped my mind. I had also been pretty detached mentally.

As soon as that realization hit me, I couldn’t help but glance over at Mr. Mysern, who had an “oh, crap” expression plastered across his face. “Ahem, yes, that was indeed the agreement. Lord of the Tower, you must honor your word.” “You talk as if this has nothing to do with you.” “Well, nobody has requested spiritual arts lessons yet, so…” I thought to myself. If nobody has asked, then just make them do it. I should pick a day to gather all the children who want to learn spiritual arts. Wait, hold on a second. “Now that I think about it, that’s pretty shameless.” What was shameless? Mr. Mysern, of course. He had quietly settled himself into the 2nd black-and-white slum and dumped the kids he was supposed to be looking after right onto me. Perhaps he sensed what I was thinking. Mr. Mysern cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke up. “Ahem, I believe I have more than earned my keep.” Even after adjusting for inflation? “If you dwell too much on those tiny details, you just come across as petty. Let bygones be bygones; what’s good is good.” ……Fine, whatever. That wasn’t the main issue right now anyway. “So.” I set aside my exasperation with Mr. Mysern for the moment and focused my attention back on Forerunner. “You want to learn magic?” “Yes, sir! I want to learn magic.” Well, what should I do now? “I made a promise, so I can’t back out of it.“

That meant I had to find a way to teach him magic. “Let’s see…” First, let’s clarify the situation.

Naturally, I had absolutely no intention of taking Forerunner on as my actual disciple. The situation surrounding the Magic Tower was already complicated enough as it was… “Heh, hehehe.” I hadn’t even taken Lucifer, my chosen successor, as an official disciple. So accepting Forerunner? Ridiculous. “But can I even teach magic in my position…? Well, no, that’s not it either.” Why? Because once the vacation ends, I won’t be permitted to enter the 2 black-and-white slums. It was a supreme directive from the esteemed senior Grand Duke Muspellun, one that I was forced to obey. Not because I was too lazy to teach magic, of course. So, what was the solution? “Mmm.” “Lord of the Tower.” I halted my train of thought and looked down at Forerunner. “…If you accept me as your disciple, I will serve you with absolute loyalty until my bones turn to dust and my body wastes away. I will also study magic with utmost diligence…” He was rubbing his palms together so fiercely he was about to skin them. I wasn’t sure if his bones would turn to dust or if his body would waste away, but his fingerprints were definitely about to disappear. I stared at him intently for a moment before asking. “To be honest, I only need to ensure you are taught magic, right? I don’t actually need to make you my disciple.” “……Yes? Well, being your disciple would be ideal, but…” “Yeah, no.” There was absolutely no reason to take him as a disciple. “Then, will you remain loyal to the very end? Your bones will turn to dust… and what was it about your body?“

“No, you don’t need to push yourself that hard with magic.” If he wanted to learn magic, there was another way.

So, what was that option?

“Are you coming with me right now?” “Yes, sir!” He leaped up instantly and followed closely behind me. He rubbed his palms together three and a half times for every single step he took; he was the consummate sycophant. I glanced back at him and kept walking. Eventually, we arrived at Lucifer’s room. “Lord of the Tower?” Lucifer, roused by the sudden noise, looked up at me sleepily with glazed eyes. I frowned for a moment. “…Has he grown again?” He was already large, but now he seemed even taller, with thicker muscles. At this rate… he would reach the size of his previous life by the end of the year, maybe even surpass it. “Are you… alright?” “As you can see.” I reassured the worried Lucifer and calmly inspected him from head to toe. “This guy… chose the wrong path…” Shouldn’t he be wielding a sword instead? Whatever, that’s not what matters right now. “Introduce yourselves.” I stepped to the side, turning my back to both Lucifer and Forerunner. “This is Lucifer, and this is Forerunner. You know each other, right?” “Yes, I do, but…” “Lord of the Tower?” Both of them tilted their heads, wondering why I was conducting such a sudden introduction. I offered a warm smile in response to their confusion.

“The reason I am introducing the two of you is simple. It is to forge a highly valuable bond…“

“Lord of the Tower?“

Lucifer still looked completely lost, his head tilted. Forerunner, however, seemed to realize what was happening and shouted out in panic. ‘Yeah, no. I’m not changing my mind.‘ I ignored Forerunner’s trembling gaze and spoke plainly. “Lucifer, this guy is your disciple from this moment forward.” “…Excuse me?” Lucifer blurted out an incredulous question. He blinked as if he had just heard the most absurd thing imaginable, but this was my brilliant solution. We moved to the training ground, where I had dragged the bewildered pair. Forerunner was still muttering “Uh, uhhh…” as if his very soul had departed his body. ‘Just like Rayleigh.‘ Rayleigh, who now lived a comfortable life as an academy guide and former scout, had reacted the exact same way at first. Muttering repeatedly like a broken toy. Perhaps because I had witnessed it first with Rayleigh. Forerunner’s reaction wasn’t that jarring to me, but the real issue was Lucifer. Lucifer was staring at me intently, his fierce eyes wide open. “Lord of the Tower… I need an explanation.” “It is exactly what it looks like. Forerunner is your disciple now.” “It doesn’t seem like he shares that opinion…” Yes, it was easy to misinterpret. Anyone looking at us could see that Forerunner looked like he had been dragged here entirely against his will. But misunderstandings were made to be cleared up, and as the second-best re-educator of the Eastern Continent, I had a knack for it.

Both of them required communication. So, first…

“Forerunner.” “Y-yes, Lord of the Tower.“

“Did you say you wanted to learn magic? Or did you not?” “Yes, but…” His eyes were practically screaming, “This isn’t what I wanted.” I tightened my fist slightly. “Yes, you did, right?” “…… No, I really did.” “Right?” “Yes……” “You seem down.” “……I am overjoyed.” “Right?” “Yes…” Just as I finished clearing up the misunderstanding with Forerunner, Lucifer spoke up. “Regardless of what Forerunner wants, I lack the necessary qualifications.” “Qualifications?” Lucifer nodded at my question. “I haven’t even discovered my own path yet. How could I possibly guide someone else? It would be like a child trying to raise another child.” “Isn’t that exactly how things work in the black-and-white slums?” Lucifer shot me a cold look. What? Why? It wasn’t just talk; that was exactly how survival worked in the black-and-white slums.

“So, are you saying that makes it acceptable?” “I don’t know if it’s right or wrong.“

“I understand those survival situations. But this? This is different.“

This is wrong. Me teaching magic to Forerunner as a master wouldn’t be good for him or for me. Mmm. At first, I thought he was simply annoyed, but he actually had valid arguments. To summarize Lucifer’s perspective… “Do you believe your skills are still insufficient to teach?” “Yes.” That brought a question to mind. “Then, when do you think you will be ready to take a disciple?” “…… Pardon?” “When your level is high enough to accept one.” “Well…” He fell silent, his lips moving soundlessly as if it were an incredibly difficult question. I watched him in silence, relaxed my fist, and continued in a calm tone. “You don’t know, do you?” “……No, I don’t suppose I do.” “Let’s see. What if you were to achieve transcendence? Do you think you would know enough to teach then? Do you believe you would see your own path with absolute clarity?” “That too… I don’t know.” Yes, he probably wouldn’t. Lucifer had never attained transcendence. But I had, and I knew the answer. “It is the exact same.” “……Pardon?” “The same.” “What do you mean by the same…?“

I looked directly at Lucifer and asked.

“Does that mean even I lack the knowledge required to teach?” “That’s…“

Lucifer’s eyes trembled slightly. He appeared entirely bewildered; I could understand why. According to his own logic, not even I would be qualified to teach anyone. But no, that wasn’t the reason I said it. What I meant was simple. “In my opinion, a great master is not defined by a high level of academic achievement. There is something far more vital.” Of course, greater achievement was preferable. A higher level of mastery meant more knowledge could be passed down. But. After attaining transcendence, I realized the truth. “In the end, both you and I are lost. Ignorance is ignorance, regardless of who happens to know a little bit less. Therefore, mere ‘knowledge’ cannot be the metric for mastery.” So, what is it that truly matters? “First, recognize exactly what it is that you know. Second, maintain the attitude required to identify what you do not know. And third… never lose sight of that.” Why? You can only teach what you consciously know you know. And identifying the unknown is crucial because… That process is the core of learning itself. What matters most is the journey of the process. ‘You don’t even need to pin down every single unknown element.’ Because. What you are teaching isn’t “the things I don’t know,” but rather “how to search for the unknown.” And third. Once you master what you know, cultivate the mindset of chasing the unknown and hold onto it unyieldingly… Your disciple will learn simply by observing that dedication.

That is what it means to be a master. And also…

One day, he will lead the Magic Tower.

…..What I required from Lucifer wasn’t an impossible feat. To instruct Forerunner while constantly reflecting on himself, continuously sharpening his own edge. In that regard, Forerunner was also a teacher to Lucifer… I didn’t know whether Forerunner stayed at the tower after learning magic or if he eventually departed. But of one thing I was absolutely certain. Lucifer’s Magic Tower would turn out entirely different from my own.