I stood there, staring at the book, then looked up and met Henji's gaze.
Just as I was about to speak,
"Please don't take this lightly. I will give you ample time to think about the question, so don't rush into an answer based on the immediate reward."
Henji cut me off.
But I shook my head.
"I can answer right away."
"ā¦Go ahead."
"I refuse."
Henji's eyes widened, filled with a look that seemed to question my sanity.
Of course, I was in my right mind, so my answer didn't change.
Butā
"Well, if you have something to ask, let's hear it. If it seems doable, I'll do it; if not, I won't."
It seemed there was some situation, and I was willing to hear it out.
"ā¦Even if just listening could put your life in danger? If you refuse after hearing it, I might kill you, Aster."
A cold light flickered in Henji's eyes.
It was a clear threat.
So, his words about possibly killing me were genuine.
That's why my tone became sarcastic.
"Oh, then kill me."
"ā¦."
A moment of silence.
Sssā
The room was suddenly filled with a sticky, murderous aura.
Rustle, rustle.
Hundreds of documents scattered in the air, and a sinister smile appeared on Henji's previously innocent face.
His eyes were different from before, as if he had completely thrown off his mask.
"Haha, interesting. You're a very interesting person, Aster. If you're relying on the young master's influence, you'll deeply regret itā¦"
His eyes scanned my body.
A cold-blooded animal's gaze.
But I didn't back down.
"If I die, I die. What's the big deal?"
"Thinking death is the end is disappointing, Aster. If you come to my private space, I can show you pain far worse than death."
At this point, I thought to myself,
'Madness is hereditary, isn't it?'
Henji's eyes shone with a light that only a madman could produce.
I would have liked to observe Blando's head of the family, Damian's father, but given the current situationā¦
"Once or twice, what's the difference?"
As soon as I said that, I thought, 'Oops.'
'Ah, I die twice, don't I?'
But it was fine.
Honestly, I had expected as much. With a personality like this, I wouldn't live long.
In my previous life, I survived like a goblin in a shallow hill, barely managing to live, but eventually became strong enough to catch a wyvern. But in this life, the water was too deep.
So, what could I do?
I could only do my best.
"Shall I go first?"
"Really, you'll regret itā¦"
ā¦As soon as he said that, I punched him.
At this distance, a punch was better than magic. And my punch wasn't ordinary; it was enhanced with techniques I had researched with my companions in my previous life. Butā¦
'It'll be blocked by his barrier.'
Probably.
But this was just a deterrent, a small pebble to shift the flow of the battle in my favor.
ā¦Or so I thought.
Smack.
"ā¦?"
A clear sound of impact echoed.
Crash!
Henji spun three times in the air and fell to the ground, buried in a pile of documents. His limbs trembled, and he clearly looked shocked.
I was also quite surprised.
'Whyā¦ didn't he block it?'
A magician of Henji's caliber should have been able to block such an attack easily. I was prepared to follow up with a second and third punch.
But it was a golden opportunity!
I quickly ran over and stomped on Henji. Or rather, I tried to.
Flashā
A bright light.
The core vision of the Blando family, the Light of Healing, accompanied this phenomenon.
"Hehe. Aster, you've passed the test. You're a reliable person. By the way, you seem to have a strange visionā¦"
Henji stood up with a kind smile, but his composure was slightly off.
Perhaps it was because his limbs trembled a few times. He no longer had the same aristocratic and elite aura.
Looking at him, I asked,
"By the way, if it was a testā¦?"
I believed him, even though I wouldn't normally.
Because a magician of Henji's caliber wouldn't fail to block an attack.
But I hadn't expected it. He hadn't used magic, and a magician's punch isn't usually that fast or powerful.
Putting aside that minor mistake, Henji answered.
"Hmm, ahem. I'll speak frankly. Actually, I needed a reliable person. But it couldn't be someone from the Blando familyā¦"
Henji returned to his seat.
But, was it just my imagination?
Shiver.
His hand seemed to tremble slightly.
But it wasn't just my imagination, as a faint light flowed around him. Henji had cast the Light of Healing again, and the trembling stopped completely.
After a moment, Henji continued.
* * *
Henji tidied his disheveled hair and sipped his tea.
Fortunately, the tea hadn't spilled during the brief commotion, and Aster also sipped his tea, then put the cup down.
'ā¦'
There was too much dust.
Anyway, this was what Henji said.
"To be honest, I didn't have high expectations. After all, black-and-white zone street urchins are all the same. The young master is so young, he might not have a good eye for people."
So, I didn't pay much attention, but then a rumor started.
"Kamo recommended you for the academyā¦ But do you know? This is something Alfredo would never request."
He judged that you were someone who could be placed by the young master's side.
Henji continued to share his thoughts.
"Kamo's judgment is accurate. His love for the young master is exceptional. It's hard to meet his standards. But to place a black-and-white zone street urchin by his side? I thought there must be something more. And thenā¦"
"Your younger brother came to me with a beatingā¦?"
"ā¦Either use informal or formal speech, Aster."
"Let's use informal."
Aster spoke casually.
Since Henji had suggested it, he chose the more comfortable option. Of course, Henji hadn't explicitly said to be casual, but he had given a choice, so it was natural to pick the more comfortable one.
"Um, hmm. Anyway, it was a convenient excuse. Since my brother was beaten, I could call you for a meeting. It made sense."
"It made senseā¦?"
Aster's eyes narrowed.
As the deputy head of the Magic Academy, he could meet the young master's guests, regardless of their status. Of course, it would depend on the guest's status, but if he wanted to see or call someone, he could create a reason.
'Butā¦'
Why use his foolish brother as an excuse?
'If he said it was convenient, it might just mean the timing was rightā¦ But the nuanceā¦'
Why did it feel like he was reluctant to take the initiative?
Henji smiled and looked at Aster.
"You're right, Aster."
"Do you know what I was thinking?"
"ā¦"
Henji tightly closed his mouth. A vein bulged on his forehead, but only for a moment.
"ā¦To be precise, I couldn't take the initiative. It's not a conflict within the family. The Blando family is very united."
Aster nodded.
Despite being a large family, there were some conflicts, but the Blando family's cohesion was above any other noble family.
The conflicts were not for personal gain but due to different methods or attitudes in supporting the family.
"Actually, I'm being watched."
"Being watchedā¦?"
"Have you heard of the Deculan family?"
Henji asked and observed Aster.
'He probably knowsā¦'
But he might not.
Aster, though not lacking in common knowledge or manners, was still a black-and-white zone street urchin. In a place where survival was a struggle, how could he care about the continent's politics? Thugs in the alley were more terrifying than distant noble families.
But then,
"Deculanā¦ I've heard of them."
Henji felt a strange sensation at that moment.
'ā¦?'
Aster casually said he knew them, but his eyes seemed to darken.
There was nothing particularly special. No hostility, just a bland change in his gaze. But it was odd.
Just hearing the name shouldn't have caused such a reaction. It wasn't as if he had a grudge or ill will, but it was too calm.
'I can't figure it out.'
Henji gave up trying to understand.
But one thing was clear.
The meaning of his gaze was unclear, but the emotions behind it were chaotic.
It felt like he was suppressing and entangling a bundle of emotions, preventing even himself from understanding them.
Likeā¦ yes.
Like himself, a decade ago.
"But why?"
Henji snapped out of his thoughts at Aster's voice.
And with the same innocent smile, he continued.
"I'm being watched by the Deculan family."
"ā¦?"
"Blando seems to have planted a spy somewhere, but I can't find them. So, I couldn't act first."
Aster stared at Henji.
'Whatā¦'
Was he crazy?
He calmly spoke about things others would laugh off. It felt like he was saying, "It rained yesterday."
Of course, that wasn't the important part.
"Why?"
"Ah, the reason?"
Henji smiled.
"Well, since you said you don't mind dying, I'll speak frankly. Of course, it's fine if you don't agree to my request. I don't intend to harm you. At least, I don't."
The implication that someone else might still kill him.
But Aster's eyes were indifferent.
Henji found it easier to speak freely with those indifferent eyes.
"Actually, Iā¦."
"Say it all at once, please."
"Ah, sorry. Actually, I'm researching the Deculan family's basic technique, the Thousand Origin Technique. It seems to have been discovered. Do you know the Thousand Origin Technique? It's a vision that only the Deculan family's bloodline can master. I obtained it through a fortunate opportunity. Butā¦."
"Wait."
Aster interrupted Henji.
There were a few things that didn't add up.
"What did you research?"
"The Thousand Origin Technique."
"ā¦The acquisition method?"
"I can only say it was a fortunate opportunity. It's not a bigger secret, but it's not just my own business."
Aster stared at Henji.
He thought,
"Why is someone who should be dead still alive? If Blando had researched it, they would have naturally researched the countermeasureā¦."
"Haha, you know? The Deculan family is a bit disorganized. If they had only researched the countermeasure, they would have tried to kill me, even as the deputy head of Blando."
"Butā¦?"
Henji smiled.
He looked at Aster with a knowing gaze, as if challenging him.
Aster met that gaze calmly. His mind was racing, and a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"You didn't just research the countermeasure?"
"Yes, that's right. At first, I only wanted to research the countermeasure, butā¦ what can I say?"
Henji's eyes seemed to lose focus as he gazed into the air.
He seemed to be recalling the past, and his voice sounded entranced.
"The Thousand Origin Technique, the root of all Deculan visions. A perfect vision that has remained unchanged throughout its long history. But I saw it."
Henji's focus snapped back.
"The method to improve it."
"ā¦."
"I knew I should stop, but I couldn't. Anyone would have felt the same. If there's a path, how can you not take it?"
He looked at Aster.
"So, I took it. Aster, you can understand my feelings, right?"
"ā¦."
Aster looked at Henji with hollow eyes.
How could he understand the mind of a madman? Only another madman could understand it.
Especially Henji, who was not just a little crazy. To understand him, one would have to be as crazy, but how many such people were there in the world?
'I won't try to understand.'
He felt he was starting to understand, so he deliberately cleared his mind.
Butā
'Obsessive illnessā¦.'
It felt strange.
'The Deculan family destroyed Blando. Honestly, I didn't understand. The Light of Healing? Healing vision? If that's what they wanted, they would have attacked long ago.'
Even if they wanted the vast territory Blando controlled, it didn't make sense.
Though the Deculan family won the war, they also lost a lot.
But aside from that, there was no reason for the warā¦
'I thought I understood it that way.'
Now, it made sense.
The method to improve the Thousand Origin Technique.
If it was in Blandoā¦ it would be more surprising if the Deculan family didn't start a war.