Chapter 52 - Side Story Just like her

Today, I was riding a carriage to a certain place. A person with pink hair sat in front of me; her name was Mary Faustina. She’s my childhood friend and comrade. The two of us serve the same master. Our master is the reason why everyone in our families stopped insulting us. Even though our master couldn’t cast a spell beyond the basic tier, she refused to accept that reality and sacrificed her childhood to find a way to overcome the wall. After five years, she discovered a new magic system.

What’s more, she even shared it with us and ended our days of despair. I, along with my five friends, am indebted to her for giving us that power. As such, we wanted to serve her until the day we draw our last breath. It was the least I could do to repay her.

I closed my eyes and remembered how I became her servant.

In the past, our families belonged to different factions, and like me, she was a reject of our households. We were scorned by our servants and relatives because we couldn’t fulfill their expectations of serving the heirs of the four families.

The two of us met at Farlingstad Magic Academy. There, we experienced discrimination from those who were blessed. However, we also found friendship with people who experienced almost the same things as we did.

The first one I met was a girl with two vertical rolls and Mary, who now sat in front of me. Next, I met three boys who, like us, had experienced unfortunate events in their respective households. The six of us shared our experiences and strengthened our friendship. We held no secrets from one another and helped our fellow classmates.

One day, my friend with vertical rolls met up with us with a really bright aura. She began to tell us about someone she came to admire. The things she shared were quite far-fetched and filled with her delusions.

As she continued to speak, I turned my gaze toward that person and observed her. Her back was covered by her silky black hair. She sat with her back straight, writing something even though class hadn’t started. The aura she exuded intimidated anyone who sat near her, and when someone bumped into her while she was writing, she would glare at them with a fierce gaze.

I wondered what my friend saw in her, so I decided to observe her.

The results of my observation were quite shocking. Throughout the morning, she neither listened to nor looked at our teacher as he taught the day’s lesson. Even when a classmate sitting beside her struggled with a question from the teacher, she ignored her and continued writing in her notebook.

I concluded that she didn’t consider the class or her classmates’ problems interesting. So, I decided to keep observing her.

In our fifth year, my friend, who had blonde hair tied into twin corkscrews, barged into my room with a radiant expression. I asked her why she came, and she answered that the person she admired wanted us to gather in the school field.

I thought for a while and accepted her invitation, as I didn’t have much else to do besides staying in my room. Normally, at this time, we should have been in our classroom. However, we now had only one teacher because the others had been forced out by the new principal.

When we arrived in the field, I was surprised to see the entire primary division gathered. Moreover, when I looked to the back, I saw our only teacher observing us. As we waited for the arrival of that person, question marks filled my mind.

Why does she want us to gather in the school field at this time? Is she planning something? What’s going to happen?

In the end, I resigned myself and thought: Well, no matter what she’s going to do, it still won’t change anything. I’ll still be a useless reject who can’t even be useful to her family.

The moment she stepped onto the stage, she made an incomprehensible announcement. She said that the school was going to be destroyed. After her announcement, she had her servant cast magic in front of us.

At first, I doubted whether the magic she was going to teach us was real. I had already given up on becoming a great magician. However, when I observed her servant, I discovered that she was also a general student and, moreover, only a commoner. Yet, she was able to use magic that went beyond basic spells.

Is this for real?

She discovered a new magic system that doesn’t rely on our internal mana. What’s more, she’s going to teach us how to use it!

She’s been writing something in a notebook every day. And if my information is correct, she started doing that from the first day she enrolled in this school.

Don’t tell me… she hadn’t given up on becoming a magician and had been continuously researching how to achieve that since then!?

She even sacrificed her chance to make friends just for that!

The moment I realized this, she suddenly became very bright. I felt deeply ashamed of myself.

Unlike me, who had given up on achieving anything, she had persevered. Unlike me, who became depressed because I couldn’t live up to my family’s expectations, she didn’t give up. Unlike me, who caved in to the jeers of those around me, she held her head high.

It was then that I understood why my friend admired that person. She was a role model, someone who wouldn’t give up even if ridiculed for her incompetence.

As she stood before us, announcing that she was going to teach us the magic she discovered, I tightly clenched my fists and made a resolve.

I… I want to become like her!

First, I’m going to change myself. I’ll stop thinking of giving up just because I’m incompetent.

I then noticed that my friends around me were walking towards her. The eyes that were once filled with self-loathing now burned fiercely. I could tell that even if their families disowned them for serving an unknown individual, it wouldn’t matter to them.

Besides, no one but our parents recognized us in our own households. So even if they disowned us, we would still live on. As long as we don’t give up hope, we can still find a way to become great.

Just like her.

And thus, I offered my undying loyalty to her. My master and role model… Lumina-sama.

“It seems like we have arrived.”

As I recounted our school life while we traveled in the carriage, the person sitting in front of me pulled me back.

“Yes. It seems like we have arrived at Lumina-sama’s home.”

I answered her with a wry smile.

“Then are you going to show her the results of your research?”

“Yes, she gave us the chance to become mages. So, I really want to improve this for her and for our sakes.”

As I replied to her, I fixed my beret and materialized a comb to brush my hair.

“Then, let us surprise her with the things you have developed.”

She opened the carriage door and got out.

“Oi! Long time no see!”

From outside, I heard the voice of one of my friends. She had a big smile as she waved her hand at us. Because she was waving energetically, her vertical rolls swayed along with her chest. Beside her, I saw a girl with black hair wearing a dark-blue gothic lolita dress, sitting on a chair and sipping tea.

Seeing her again, my excitement and impatience reached a critical point. But not wanting to embarrass myself, I calmed my emotions and headed towards her.

“We have arrived, Lumina-sama.”

“Un, it’s been a while, you two. Let’s talk about what happened in your homes over a cup of tea.”

““ Yes!””