After the construction of the school was complete, Laigeis frequently visited Cloverland, roaming the streets and taking in orphaned teachers who had nowhere to go. From that point on, people began referring to him as not a wizard but as a philanthropist or a teacher.
Till now, Laigeis’s reputation remains unchanged.
The first thing children learned upon arrival at Laigeis’s school was how to read and count, then they learned history. Since Laigeis wasn’t well educated in every field, he bought many books for the children, so many that the library had to be added as an extension.
In the eyes of the children, Laigeis was an extraordinary person. They would’ve been grateful just for food and clothing, but he also provided a place to stay and an opportunity to study. The children respected and liked Laigeis.
At least, most of them did.
As the children were rushing out of class, the teacher approached Satin.
“You seem to remember all the essentials for your daily life.” Saying this, the teacher patted Satin’s shoulder as if relieved. Satin nodded, smiling politely.
For the past three days, Satin had been attending morning classes that the original Satin wouldn’t have taken. He recited sentences the teacher wrote on the board (sentences like “The bear climbs the tree.”) and watched the child next to him counting on their fingers.
Satin wondered if he should continue attending these classes, but luckily the teacher noticed him first, “Starting tomorrow, you won’t have to come to the morning classes anymore. Feel free to do whatever you want.”
“Do you know what Cain does during this time?” Satin asked.
“Cain?” The teacher tilted his head, puzzled.
Over the course of three days, Cain had not once attended morning classes. Considering he did attend the afternoon sessions, it doesn’t seem like a matter of skipping classes.
“He’s most likely in the library. Come to think of it, you and Cain do share a room. Have you two gotten any closer?”
“Not at all.”
From the start, Satin hadn’t spoken one word to Cain. It wasn’t just because Satin was deliberately avoiding becoming friends, rather it’s because Cain outright disliked him. Is Cain aware of his memory loss? He didn’t seem to socialize with the other kids either.
“Is he usually that shy?”
“He is a bit reserved.”
If the content in Dark Age was truly accurate, Cain attempted to pickpocket someone, not knowing that someone was an evil dark wizard, and got caught in the process.
‘Sixteen is the prime age for mischief afterall.’
Even if the teacher had taken him in with good intentions, it was understandable for Cain to be wary. But considering he had been provided with food, shelter, and education, he should’ve started to let his guard down by now.
Unlike Satin, the teacher didn’t seem particularly concerned about Cain’s attitude.
“But there’s something else.”
“Huh?”
The teacher paused as if contemplating something before raising a hand. As the teacher’s lips moved, his fingertips faintly glowed. Satin watched the light slowly ascend as the teacher murmured, “So you can still see it.”
“Oh, yes. Is that a bad thing?”
“Not really. It’s just that I’ve never met anyone with such an ability…” Although the teacher said this, Satin inwardly thought there’s no harm in it. Since the original Satin is most likely the teacher’s apprentice or perhaps an assistant. Either way, the ability to see magical power would’ve been more of a help than a hindrance.
“Is there anything you’re concerned about?”
“It’s not exactly a concern. Rather it’s just…” The teacher thought for a moment, rubbing his chin, then smiled warmly, “I’m just curious if there’s a spell that could grant such an ability.”
Satin nodded. It seemed to just be a simple academic curiosity. Since there was no reason to linger in the classroom after class had ended, Satin left. Parting ways with the teacher who was heading towards the stairs, he made his way to the library.
As he passed the kitchen and dining hall, Rogers, who had just come out of the library, greeted him, “Here to read some books?”
Like Cain, Rogers didn’t attend morning classes. Given how often he was in the library, he’s most likely pretty proficient in reading. He must’ve been told that he didn’t need to attend the morning classes.
Instead of answering Rogers’s question earlier, Satin asked, “Is anyone else inside?”
“I saw Cain earlier. Not sure if he’s still there, though.”
The library wasn’t particularly large, it’s just that the tall bookshelves made it hard to see if anyone else was around.
After nodding in acknowledgement and was just about to enter the library, Rogers grabbed Satin’s arm. Satin looked down wondering why Rogers grabbed his arm, only to see Rogers rolling his eyes, “Aren’t you helping the teacher with his research these days?”
“Well, not really.”
Why would they call an amnesiac assistant for help? Satin nodded, and Rogers made a “hm” sound before looking away.
“What’s wrong?”
“There are kids who’ve been jealous for a while.”
“Jealous of what?”
“...I guess I have to explain everything since you don’t remember.”
Rogers scratched his head, glanced around, and whispered, “Everyone’s grateful towards the teacher, but they’re all jealous of you.”
“But why are they jealous?”
“Because you get to go into the teacher’s lab.”
“Ah.”
In most fantasy novels, wizards are usually high in status. Not just anyone could become one, since it requires innate talent. Satin guessed it was the same here. Even in Dark Age, there weren’t many wizards.
“Although the teacher may call us his students, we know it’s not true in a way.”
“You mean not being a wizard’s apprentice?”
“Mhm. I’ve been here for over a year, but I’ve never been inside the teacher’s lab.”
Listening to Roger’s slightly disheartened words made Satin curious, “When did I come here?”
“I’m not sure, but it can’t be longer than two years. The teacher only came to Cloverland two years ago.”
“Cloverland?”
Cloverland was the place where the protagonist was from the start of Dark Age. Satin knew this, but Rogers, thinking he didn’t, explained, “Oh, Cloverland is the closest city here.”
“I see.”
“All the kids here are from Cloverland.”
“Me too?”
“Yep.”
Satin nodded, pretending not to know. Rogers continued, “The kids think that perhaps now they could become the teacher’s new apprentice.”
What would happen then? If someone other than Satin became the teacher’s apprentice, would that change who Cain and his allies confront later on?
It would be interesting but Satin has no desire to experiment. The butterfly effect is no joke afterall, and he had no desire to have his sister’s masterpiece take a completely different turn.
“Do you think so too?”
Rogers looked slightly surprised at Satin’s question, then smiled, “No, if I had any talent, the teacher would have told me by now. The fact that he hasn’t said anything means I don’t have any.”
“You can’t be sure of that. If I disappear, maybe then he’ll tell you.”
“What do you mean by disappear?”
“I mean if I were gone, dead or you know, if someone killed me.”
“Oh, no, I don’t want that to happen at all…”
Rogers trailed off, looking uneasy. An awkward silence fell between them. Soon, Rogers turned to leave, saying he had to go. Satin waved and entered the library.
‘Did I say something weird?’
Although Rogers’s expression bothered him, something else soon caught his attention. Coincidentally, Cain was standing not far from the door. He appeared to be selecting a book from the shelves.
Satin considered starting a conversation but decided against it. He aimed for a different section of the shelves and started walking when Cain suddenly spoke from behind, “Is it true that you’ve lost your memory?”
Apparently, Cain had overheard the conversation with Rogers outside the door. Having no reason to hide it from Cain, Satin turned around slowly, smiling with an awkward expression, “It just happened somehow. If I’ve done anything wrong, I apologize.”
Regretting his words immediately, Satin wondered if he should have responded more harshly. But Cain’s still a kid, and it should be natural to treat kids kindly, right?
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Cain didn’t take Satin’s words kindly at all. Frowning, he muttered, “...You’ve lost your mind.”
Taken aback by the sudden insult, Satin blinked. Cain repeated his harsh words, “Looking at that dumbfounded face of yours completely disgusts me.”
“Why do you have to talk like that?”
“Did you really expect me to worry about you?”
“Not exactly.” Satin remained calm, as he thought it through. If Cain disliked the original Satin, there was no reason for him to like the current one either. The other kids didn’t seem to hate the original Satin, so they naturally accepted the new one.
“You don’t actually think that crazy old man took you in as his apprentice, do you?”
Despite the sarcastic tone, Satin didn’t feel particularly offended. He was just curious, “Why would you think otherwise?”
“Not one person in this world is kind without a motive.”
“That’s not true. Some people are just kind with no reason at all.”
“How can you say that so confidently when you don’t even have your own memories?”
With that retort, Satin had nothing more to say, so he scratched his cheek. He couldn’t just tell Cain here and now, but his sister definitely existed. She lived and died as the kindest person.
She was not a robot, she was a person with a heart. Yet, she was always good. She knew how to distinguish between like and dislike, right and wrong.
Some people are inherently evil. Similarly, some people are also inherently good. Anyone can encounter unfairness, just as they can receive unexpected kindness.
“You say that now, but someday…”
“Someday what?”
“When you’re in pitch darkness, someone might find and save you. For no reason at all.”
Credits:
TL: Sajin
PR: Norangie
Double PR: Sajin
TL comments:
TL: BABE WAKE UP NEW CHAPTER WITH SATIN JUST DROPPED AND ITS SO CUTE OMG ROGERS IS SO BABY.
PR: Deep down I know Cain really cares ;)
TL: WHY IS CAIN SO MEAN THO
