“But I’m not going to let this slide.”
“How can I trust you on that?”
“I just saw Tim die.”
“And many kids on the streets die like it’s another Monday, even in the winter so many have frozen to death that you can practically trip over one. Death isn’t such a big deal for people like us.”
Satin fell silent at Cain’s indifferent response. Soon, Cain asked, “Anything else?”
“I don’t know much about human morality or anything like that, but I do know one thing for sure. Adults should help kids.”
Satin knew well that this place was entirely different from where he originally lived. He also believed that, over time, he would get used to the norms of this world. But Satin still remembers the only morality he knew. So not yet.
Adults should rescue children. This is the foremost duty that must be upheld in society. Children who have been protected will group up to become adults who know how to protect others. Trust and safety will naturally follow from this.
‘It’s not like the would I came from was particularly great either.’
At least, Satin knew people who upheld this duty. Cain looked at Satin as if he had something absurd, but he had nothing more to say. How could they fully trust each other after only knowing each other for a few days? Cain finally sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll trust you for now.”
Although it’s not the best response, it’s still a positive one. Satin smiled, to which Cain frowned, “Don’t act all buddy-buddy with me.”
“Ah, okay.”
‘So prickly,' Satin thought to himself.
“We should head out. Someone might think it’s strange if we’re gone too long.”
Cain nodded at Satin’s suggestion. He seemed about to leave the bathhouse but then hesitated. Satin stopped as well, “Huh? Is there something else you want to talk about?”
“Find out why that old man keeps me around.”
“You?”
“It seems like he brought me here for a different purpose than the others.”
“Different purpose?”
“I don’t know what it is, but I just feel like I’m different from the other kids.”
Hearing Cain’s words, Satin thought it might be possible and nodded, “Got it.”
The atmosphere among the children has become heavier than usual. maybe it’s due to the fact that one of them disappeared. As Satin pushed a swing, he casually asked, “Do you think Tim ran away too?”
The child on the swing Satin was pushing was Heather. She was absentmindedly swinging while watching the other kids play with stones.
“Probably.” Heather’s voice lacked energy. Earlier she had pretended not to care about the missing Tim, acting cheerfully, but it seemed now she’s actually concerned.
After a short silence, Heather spoke again, “I think I understand.”
“Understand? Understand what?” Satin frowned involuntarily, then quickly put on his usual expression. Fortunately, Heather had her back to him and didn’t see his frown.
But why would someone run away from an environment where there seemed to be no reason to? Satin asked in a casual tone, masking his actual question, “Have you ever wanted to run away too?”
Heather mumbled something under her breath and then planted her feet on the ground, signaling she was done playing with the swing. Realizing this, Satin grabbed the swing’s ropes. Soon, they were sitting side by side in the shade of a tree, while the other children continued playing.
“You don’t get it because you don’t remember.”
“Yeah.”
“Sometimes, I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“You know how the teacher helps poor children, right?”
“That’s right.” Though he thought otherwise, Satin still nodded.
“What will happen when I’m not a child anymore?”
“What do you mean?”
“When I become an adult, he won’t help me anymore. And the thought of what I’m going to do then really scares me, if I have to live on the streets again, I…”
“You’ll find a place, you’ve learned this here after all.”
“You really think so?”
Heather rested her forehead on her knees and sighed. Despite her young age, her worries were quite heavy.
“Sometimes I get scared that I just want to run away. If it’s always going to be hard, at least I won’t have to think about being scared.”
Satin understood the desire of wanting to suddenly run away out of fear that someday we will have to leave. Since living with his sister, he sometimes had similar thoughts. The limitless happiness felt overwhelming, it seemed too good to be true.
And just when he started to get used to that happiness, his sister died. OO Had often imagined what it would’ve been like if he had died before her.
“What if you died instead?” Heather looked up, eyes wide in shock. Satin scratched the back of his neck and asked again, “
“To live nicely like this and then suddenly dying in the end might not sound that bad, it just means that you were happy until the end, right?”
“...That’s not true.” Seeing Heather’s bewildered expression, Satin gave a sheepish laugh.
“Right, of course not.”
Soon enough, Heather joined the other children, laughing as if she had never felt worried. The children seem close, but they don’t share everything with each other. After all, they had only been together for a few months, maybe a year at most. Each had gone through their own struggles before arriving here. They might look innocent, but they surely had their own depths.
After watching the children play, Satin eventually went inside.He had tried to see if talking about his plans might help the children, but it seemed pointless. Heather didn't entertain thoughts of dying, and likely, and neither did the other children.
The children are already happy with their current situation, they are just worried about the uncertain future. They may call each other friends but are likely harbored some sense of rivalry, in order to maintain their current happiness and comfort.
Satin went upstairs and walked down the west corridor, which was the teacher’s domain. Passing the closed study and laboratory, he reached the teacher’s office. He knocked and asked, “Teacher, are you in there?”
A response came immediately, “Come in.”
Entering the room. Satin found the teacher seated at the desk. Even though it was broad daylight, the curtains were half-drawn, casting a shadow that obscured the teacher’s face. Satin moved closer to the shaded side.
“What brings you here?”
“I have something to ask.”
The teacher smiled kindly and gestured for Satin to continue. Feeling a bit nervous, Satin clasped his hands together and fidgeted before speaking, "I overheard some of the children's conversations."
“What were they talking about?”
“They said I used to help you with your research…”
Gauging the teacher's reaction, Satin noticed no significant change in expression. Swallowing hard, he continued.
“Am I no longer needed?”
The teacher didn't respond immediately, just gazed at Satin thoughtfully before gesturing for him to come closer. Interpreting the gesture as an invitation, Satin walked up to the desk.
The documents on the desk seemed unrelated to magic. They appeared to be papers from dealings and transactions necessary for running the school. Satin avoided observing them too closely, not wanting to seem suspicious.
“Do you want to become a wizard?”
“...Yeah.”
“Do you know what it means to become a wizard?”
"I don't know much, but seeing how the other kids admire it, it must be a good profession, right?"
The teacher chuckled softly. Now that Satin saw him up close, he noticed the teacher's eyes were gray. Combined with his white hair and unweathered pale skin, he looked like a figure out of an old black-and-white photograph.
“Even without your memory, there are still bits of your old self in you.”
“Really?”
“You always looked out for yourself.”
From the tone, Satin inferred that the teacher had a reasonably positive view of his previous self. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept him around as an assistant.
‘But what did Satin do to earn that trust?’
Satin had overheard bits and pieces from the other kids but lacked specific information. He could ask the teacher directly, but now wasn't the right time.
“Are you going to take Cain as your apprentice now that I’ve lost my memory?”
“Cain?” The teacher's eyebrows raised slightly. He didn't seem angry, just a bit puzzled.
Satin clenched and unclenched his fists as he spoke, "The children mentioned that Cain dislikes me. I wondered if it might be out of jealousy. I mean, did you bring Cain here for the same reasons you brought me?"
Satin’s words were a bit jumbled, but Satin didn't try to correct himself. In this situation, it was more natural to appear nervous. He repeatedly licked his lips as he waited for the teacher to respond.
“You seem anxious.”
“Huh?”
“It’s understandable. Even before you lost your memory, you were wary of Cain.”
“...Does that mean Cain is a rival worth worrying about?”
"Not everyone can become a magician, even if they want to. One must have the talent and luck."
Instead of answering directly, the teacher veered off-topic. Satin listened quietly, suspecting there was more to the seemingly unrelated talk.
“Lowly children like you, who came from poor backgrounds, rarely have a chance. Most don’t even realize they have potential and end up dying somewhere. That’s the life of orphans.”
Lowly children.
Satin lowered his head slightly. That didn’t sound like something a benevolent philanthropist would say. But what wouldn’t a deranged wizard who burned a twelve-year-old child to death say?
"I fully understand your desire to become my apprentice."
“Then…”
"Both you and Cain have potential. But I do not need two apprentices."
The teacher stared at Satin intently. Satin clenched his fists tightly. "What should I do?"
Credits:
TL: Sajin
TL comments:
TL: Guess who’s back from exams!!! I’m so sorry it took a while but please enjoy!!
