Chapter 4

EP.4 The Youngest of the Jonathan Family

 

Academy Admission Recommendation Letter

My hands tremble. Finally, finally, it’s in my hands.

The golden key to El Dorado, finally! Finally!

“Everyone, depart by tomorrow noon. We must hurry if we don’t want to be late for admission.”

“Yes, Your Excellency Lord Byun-kyung.”

“I wish I could accompany you, but I’m busy. Please understand.”

With the hope that they become valuable talents of the Empire, Byun-kyung left the room after those words.

Now, only Kyle, Ian, and one woman remained here.

‘Ian was just admitted by chance, and as for Tisha… ‘

To prove the efficacy of sorcery to the world, was it?

Swords and magic, both use mana when reaching a certain level.

Although the processes are different, their roots are the same.

They say knights and magicians always argue about the greatness of swords and magic.

In a way, they both have the same origin.

On the contrary, sorcery does not use mana.

Instead, sorcery utilizes people’s belief as the source of power.

Even the smallest thing believed strongly becomes a great power.

Even an immensely strong power becomes useless if not believed.

Unlike swords or magic, which can do anything once they handle mana.

That belief is not as certain as mana.

Therefore, sorcery has not been valued highly on the continent yet.

‘In such a situation, is the goal to enter the academy to demonstrate the greatness of sorcery?’

Of course, the initial response to sorcery was quite lukewarm.

Hence, the nickname attached was ‘witch’, wasn’t it?

Later on, it might change again, but unfortunately, that’s all I knew.

Kyle discreetly glanced at Tisha.

She was exactly as described in the novel.

Incredibly beautiful, with purple hair that gave off a strange aura.

And those trademark amethyst eyes.

“Nice to meet you both.”

Unlike Kyle, who was observant, or Ian, who seemed disinterested, Tisha greeted them first.

“I’m Tisha. I am somewhat skilled in sorcery. I’ll be going to the academy with you two this time. Please take care of me.”

Tisha was the first to greet them with a crisp tone.

‘Clearly, she’s someone with a strong sense of purpose.’

She was quite different from the gray-haired wandering swordsman beside her.

Ian had no particular goals or desires, unlike Tisha, who was determined to prove the usefulness of sorcery.

It seemed unlikely that these two, who were more mismatched than ever, would become the first couple.

Although the temptation to disrupt the couple was strong, I decided to endure.

“I’m Kyle Jonathan, the son of Baron Jonathan. It seems like we’ll be entering the academy together. I look forward to working with you, Miss Tisha.”

With these words, Kyle cautiously shook Tisha’s outstretched hand.

Wow, how long has it been since I’ve touched a woman’s hand other than my mother’s or sister’s?

Always touching barbells or dumbbells, and now a woman’s hand.

I felt like I was about to shed tears of joy, so I quickly withdrew my hand.

“And you? What’s your name?”

Tisha’s attention remains on Ian.

“…Ian. I handle swords a bit.”

“It seems so. From the sword at your waist to the calluses on your hands.”

She seems to have grasped it all in an instant.

Ian hesitates for a moment at Tisha’s words before speaking.

“You handle sorcery.”

“Yes, albeit a little.”

“I heard that sorcery is a kind of malevolent shamanic ritual.”

“… Yes?”

What? Did I hear it wrong?

Why is this guy starting a provocation out of nowhere from the very beginning?

“What did you just say? Sorcery?”

“Just as I said.”

I urgently rethink my thoughts.

Was Ian and Tisha’s first meeting like this in the original flow?

…Ah, this guy really was like that.

“Hey, Ian? Do you perhaps not know the meaning of sorcery?”

“I do. It’s a mysterious spell.”

“Then why are you saying it like that?”

“Just saying what I heard.”

Ian’s character is originally a bit off.

He talks without thinking, without considering others’ feelings.

Thanks to that, he always ends up picking fights whenever he opens his mouth.

It’s not malicious, but he’s really good at getting on people’s nerves.

Despite this, eventually, he somehow ends up with a girl.

Anyway, it seems like buffing the protagonist is an important part of the plot.

“Are you done talking?”

From the start, it feels like they’re about to exchange blows.

And given Ian’s personality, if provoked, he definitely won’t stay quiet.

We’re not here to fight with swords or go wild with sorcery before even going to the academy, right?

But now, with Ian apologizing, the tension begins to ease.

Things always have to get a little twisted from the start, don’t they?

If only there were some popcorn, I’d sit down and enjoy it right away.

“… What do you think?”

Instead of apologizing as he should, Ian suddenly looks at Kyle and asks.

Thanks to that, Kyle sighs and Tisha gets even angrier.

‘Isn’t it the time to apologize right now?’

Forget about apologizing; he’s suddenly asking for Kyle’s opinion.

Because of that, Tisha becomes even more agitated.

Should I watch the situation a bit more? I thought.

But Kyle, who is still aware of Byun-kyung’s authority, steps forward.

“Now, now! Why are you both like this? Whether you like it or not, we have to go to the academy together.”

“That guy started talking nonsense first!”

“…”

Luckily, it seems like he knows he’s in the wrong.

Ian quietly turns his body and slips away.

From his perspective, he’s admitting his mistake and leaving.

But to the victim, it looks like he’s picking a fight and running away.

“That guy! Hey! What did you just say? Sorcery?! Can’t keep your mouth shut? Huh? Say it again!”

If Byun-kyung saw this scene, would he laugh and find it amusing?

Nonsense. This is ridiculous; even confiscating the recommendation letter wouldn’t be enough.

We need to intervene before the situation gets any worse.

“Miss Tisha. Miss Tisha? Calm down, please calm down!”

There was no intention to intervene between this couple.

Even if it’s not Tisha, even if it’s not another female lead, there are plenty of options.

What reason is there to disrupt the original flow?

Kyle sighs and decides to intervene for now.

“Ian probably didn’t mean to promote sorcery.”

“Then what was he trying to do, huh?”

“He might have just said, ‘sorcery is a branch of magic. Isn’t that possible?”

“Who knows. He might really think that sorcery is shamanic ritual.”

Unlike magic, which has firmly established itself as a scholarly discipline, sorcery is not well-regarded.

There are certainly sorcerers scattered throughout the continent, but they’re not treated well.

I vaguely remember that someone in Tisha’s family was a sorcerer.

“…Kyle, what about you?”

“Yes?”

“Do you also think that sorcery is shamanic ritual?”

Why is she suddenly aiming the gun at me?

Kyle bites his lip and quickly shakes his head.

The quick-witted number one jerk who brought up this topic quickly backs off.

The only ones left are me, who doesn’t care, and Tisha, who values sorcery.

If I answer incorrectly here, Ian might get blamed too.

Being unfairly blamed is absolutely unacceptable, so Kyle makes a decision.

“I heard that the power of sorcery comes from people’s beliefs.”

“You know it well.”

“Although it can’t be directly proven like the flow of mana, it’s not pleasant to lightly judge people’s beliefs.”

It’s important to calm down Tisha’s anger right now.

Especially since she has pride in herself and sorcery.

We need to calm her down first, and then maybe Ian can speak again.

“Ian probably has similar thoughts. He just happened to say those harsh words unconsciously because he’s been wandering around here and there. It’s probably not what he really thinks.”

Why do I have to play the role of mediator for these two couples?

It’s annoying, but it’s unavoidable.

For now, they need to go to the academy together so at least the minimum flow can be followed.

Part of me just wants to watch them fight it out until they explode.

I want to put the proverb ‘couples must be separated’ into practice myself.

But isn’t Kyle ultimately going to the academy to escape being single?

As Kyle reaches this thought, he decides to play the role of mediator.

“Is there a law that says you can talk recklessly just because you’ve been wandering around?”

“He might have that kind of personality. Please understand, Miss Tisha.”

“Understanding is something you do for someone who knows basic manners. What can you expect from someone who doesn’t even have that?”

It seems like she’s still not fully cooled down.

Hoping for understanding at times like this might just lead to both of us being cursed at.

It seems like a topic change is inevitable.

“There was a sorcerer who helped me when I was sick before.”

“A sorcerer?”

“Yes. I used to have frequent illnesses compared to other families. But after receiving the sorcerer’s spell, I stopped getting sick.”

It’s true that I used to get sick often, and it’s true that I received sorcery.

But what really stopped the illnesses was the love that began in earnest among the family members.

They said if I stayed healthy without even a chance of getting sick, everything would be solved.

It was the beginning of a Hell’s training regimen worse than hell itself.

But there’s no need to mention that fact.

Just saying I received help from sorcery was enough.

“There was a reason for such a reaction to sorcery.”

“Those who witnessed its effects know the power of belief.”

Tisha takes pride in sorcery quite a bit.

And if you play along with that part, you’ll become friends quickly.

But if you attack sorcery, you’ll immediately become enemies.

Ian, on the other hand, was a case of suddenly becoming friends after arguing.

It was possible thanks to the protagonist’s buff, of course.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone positive about sorcery.”

“I’m glad to see a sorcerer after a long time.”

They exchange another handshake with polite smiles.

Tisha’s smile as she holds Kyle’s hand was slightly worrying.

But in the end, Kyle’s inner thought was that she would find her own match eventually.