Mad Dog Aaron (2)

Episode 6. Mad Dog Aaron (2)
The next day, in the faculty office at Necropia.
Instructor Dave called Aaron in privately and had him take a seat.
“Cadet Aaron, your final evaluation has placed you at the top of the class, unanimously decided by all instructors, including myself—surpassing Lloyd. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“…That’s all you have to say?”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing important.”
The instructor, puzzled by Aaron’s indifferent attitude, soon shook his head.
Just yesterday, Aaron had completely overwhelmed Lloyd and secured the top spot among the graduates.
Knowing Aaron’s usual personality, the instructor had expected him to mock the other cadets for their weakness.
‘He must’ve been shaken by the letter from his father yesterday.’
Being an instructor, he had already been briefed on the content of the letter sent by the head of the Bayonel family.
No dark mage had volunteered to take Aaron as their disciple, so they were planning to enroll him in Sancternim Academy.
And frankly, the instructor agreed with that decision…
…That is, if Aaron hadn’t defeated Lloyd in the graduation duel and demonstrated mastery of Triple-Class magic.
“Cadet Aaron, have you decided on your future path?”
“Future path… I suppose?”
Aaron began reciting the contents of the letter from his father, word for word.
“……?”
The instructor couldn’t help but be surprised by Aaron’s demeanor.
Even after learning that no dark mage wished to mentor him, the young man conveyed the facts without a hint of emotion or disappointment.
“…And for that reason, my father recommended that I attend Sancternim Academy. I intend to follow his decision.”
“Don’t you feel wronged?”
The head of the Bayonel family didn’t yet know what had happened during the graduation duel.
If he found out, his entire attitude toward Aaron would likely change.
Yet, when asked that question, Aaron merely shrugged.
“Not particularly. In fact, I think it worked out well.”
“Worked out well?”
“I’ve heard Sancternim Academy was established to combat demons and monsters.”
Aaron’s reputation was already in ruins—he was known as “Mad Dog Aaron.”
So he decided to make the most of it.
He let a cold smile touch his lips.
“I’ve always been curious—just how effective is my dark magic against demons and monsters?”
That obsession with dark magic… it used to define who I was.
If I phrase it like this, it’ll keep people from getting suspicious.
“You’re saying you don’t need a mentor to guide you, is that right?”
“That’s correct.”
Mentor? Who needs a damned mentor?
Sure, my body’s not in great shape right now—but when it comes to using dark magic, I’m confident I’m second to none.
He figured this would put an end to any more talk of mentorship.
Until the instructor dropped a bombshell.
“That might be difficult—someone who wants to mentor you is arriving today.”
“…Excuse me?”
Aaron’s faint smile froze on his lips.
“When word spread that you had reached Triple-Class mastery, they said they’d come immediately.”
Hold on—what did you just say, Instructor?
“But… isn’t graduation tomorrow?”
At Necropia, final rankings are announced after the graduation ceremony.
Aaron had thought he had a bit more time.
Oblivious to Aaron’s inner panic, the instructor rubbed the scar across his face with a proud expression.
“Believe it or not, I survived a war. I still have a few good connections from back then.”
How kind of you… but seriously…
Aaron resisted the urge to clutch his forehead.
This instructor was a veteran of the war that happened fifty years ago.
Even after all this time, he kept in touch with an old superior from those days.
The problem? That superior was no ordinary dark mage.
“May I ask the name of the person coming?”
“You’ll be surprised—you know her.”
When Aaron heard the name from the instructor, he sighed inwardly.
“…[Damn it. It is her.]”
That old hag.
Aaron carefully asked the next question.
“This might be a delicate question, but… could you tell me about the Stigma that the Holy Empire keeps classified?”
“What?”
The air turned heavy the moment he brought it up.
“Interesting question. You’ve developed an interest in the Stigma, have you?”
Wow. That look in his eyes could kill.
Some things never change—the Dark Empire and the Holy Empire were still at odds.
“It’s purely out of academic interest.”
“Fair enough. It is classified as top secret, even in the Holy Empire…”
The instructor considered his words.
“Do you understand how holy magic is cast?”
“I’ve heard it requires refining mana from the heart into holy energy.”
“That’s true—for most people. But it’s a different story for someone who possesses the Stigma. The Stigma directly provides the user with pure holy energy.”
“So, that means…”
“They can draw not only on the mana from their heart, but also on the divine energy produced by the Stigma itself. Because of this absurd ability, the Holy Empire refuses to reveal who bears the Stigma. All that’s known is that there’s only one person who has it.”
“I see…”
Having laid some groundwork, Aaron moved to the main point.
“So… what do you think would happen if a Stigma bearer learned dark magic?”
It was a roundabout way of referencing his own situation. The instructor blinked in disbelief.
“Surely that’s impossible… but if such a person did exist, life would be rough, wouldn’t it? The Holy Empire considers dark magic a forbidden art. And holy magic is fundamentally opposed to dark magic.”
The instructor stroked his chin and continued.
“They’d probably be rejected by both the Holy and Dark Empires. In the worst case… their very existence might be erased.”
“Haha. What a pitiful soul.”
Aaron laughed hollowly.
‘…That pitiful soul is me.’
He’d expected this answer, but hearing it still struck a nerve.
No matter what, it seemed he’d have to hide the fact that he bore the Stigma.
‘If anyone finds out, I’m screwed.’
***
After exchanging farewells with the instructor, I walked down the hallway.
The Necropia campus, including the corridor I was walking through, was relatively quiet. Since tomorrow was the graduation ceremony and there were no classes today, most cadets had gone out to have fun.
‘…Up to this point, things are still similar to the past.’
According to the instructor, the Dark Mage who wanted to take me as an apprentice would be visiting Necropia today to see me.
‘I don’t like this. It feels like the past is shifting too much.’
Originally, I had planned to quietly enroll in Sancternim: Santerminum Academy and learn Holy Magic.
Fitting for an academy built to combat demons and monsters, Sancternim had an unusual setup where students from both the Holy Empire and Dark Empire studied in close proximity.
It would’ve been the perfect place for someone like me, who wanted to learn Holy Magic.
‘But would that old hag ever let me go quietly?’
She was definitely going to show up today.
With her personality, there’s no way she would stay still after hearing I displayed Triple-Class magic during the graduation duel.
As I mulled over how to handle the events to come—
I saw a woman approaching from the other end of the hallway.
She wasn’t wearing a cadet uniform, so she clearly wasn’t a student here.
Click, click, click.
Her light and unhesitating footsteps echoed across the corridor.
Silky white hair. Brilliant violet eyes.
At first glance, she looked to be around my age.
…Only at first glance, though.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
I knew exactly who she was.
Lienna Baroness.
‘She got here fast. Damn hag.’
I turned my back.
‘…Just keep walking.’
There was no need to greet her first.
For now, pretending not to know her would make things much easier.
“Aaron Bayonel?”
Damn it.
I was hoping I could quietly pass by without her noticing, but of course, that didn’t happen.
I turned my head toward Lienna.
“Well now, that’s cold of you.”
A sudden gust of wind blew my bangs aside.
And before I realized it, she was standing right in front of me.
…Fast, as expected.
So fast that I couldn’t even track her movements with my current abilities.
“It was only a brief encounter when you were young, but I thought you might remember me.”
“……”
Seeing her face up close, I blinked in a daze—startled at my own reaction.
I couldn’t acknowledge her immediately.
Even though I now knew her well due to my regression, in this current timeline, I had only met her once as a child.
Lienna placed a hand on her chest.
“I’m Lienna Baroness. In the Dark Empire, there isn’t a soul who doesn’t know my name—including you.”
That wasn’t an exaggeration in the slightest.
If it had been another cadet in my place, they would’ve been starstruck just recognizing her—meeting their role model in person.
“I heard you reached the level of Triple-Class, and you seem proficient at handling three types of Dark Magic simultaneously.”
She leaned toward me.
“That’s why I have an interesting proposal for you.”
Her soft violet eyes locked with mine.
“Become my apprentice, Aaron Bayonel.”
She might have a youthful appearance, but that’s deceptive.
She’s the war hero who led the charge during the Argen Rift War fifty years ago.
Despite not being part of one of the Four Great Houses, she achieved Master-Class through her own abilities—one of the greatest Dark Mages alive.
A living legend who formed a contract with an immortal demon and is now, in age alone, over 200 years old.
The woman I called an “old hag” was none other than her.
And she’s the most likely person to discover the fact that I carry a Stigma.
Despite knowing the risk…
“Become my apprentice, Aaron Bayonel.”
“…Ha.”
Hearing the exact same proposal word-for-word from the previous timeline made the corners of my lips curl up unconsciously.
“Really… You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Oh? So you do remember me now? Well, I suppose my face hasn’t aged a day.”
That wasn’t why I smiled, but I nodded anyway.
Let me reintroduce her.
Lienna Baroness.
The woman I used to call a hag—and the person who was once my mentor.
________________________________________
A cold winter breeze swept through the streets near Necropia.
With only one day left until the graduation ceremony, the streets beyond the window were packed with cadets and visitors, visible puffs of breath curling in the chilly air.
Clink.
I sipped the hot cocoa brought out by a shop clerk and glanced between Lienna and the instructor seated across from me.
“It’s amazing. I’ve heard the name Lienna Baroness countless times, but I didn’t expect you to look so young.”
I already knew this, so I wasn’t really surprised. But there was no need to draw suspicion.
“For someone saying that, you seem awfully calm. You only saw me briefly as a child, didn’t you?”
“……”
This is why that hag makes me uncomfortable.
Living over two centuries, she’s practically mastered the art of reading others like an open book.
Of course, I had already come up with a solid excuse to deflect her suspicions—even as someone who had regressed.
I ran a hand down my face.
“Ha-ha, do I really look that calm? I guess I’m a bit mentally drained. My father scolded me in a letter yesterday.”
“Your father… That would be Rondo Bayonel?”
“Yes. He said there weren’t any fitting teachers for Aaron, so he planned to enroll him at Sancternim.”
The instructor answered politely to Lienna’s question.
They were technically close in age if you considered their true years, but it was odd seeing the instructor speaking so formally to someone who looked like a young woman.
“That guy always sends unnecessary letters. Haha, imagine how shocked he’ll be when he finds out his son is graduating top of the class from Necropia—and that he reached Triple-Class.”
“Once Aaron’s graduation duel is revealed after the ceremony, other Dark Mages might attempt to recruit him…”
“Is that even worth discussing?”
Lienna smirked, as if the thought was laughable.
“I haven’t taken on an apprentice in 200 years. And now I offer—me, offering to teach him. No Dark Mage in their right mind would challenge that.”
Watching her and the instructor continue their conversation, I turned my gaze out the window with a blank expression.
‘I’ve already learned everything you could teach me…’
I didn’t need a mentor in Dark Magic—I had learned more than enough before I regressed. More importantly, the risk of her discovering my Stigma was too great.
…No helping it.
Better to fall out of favor now.
Clink.
I set down the teacup.
“I’m sorry, Lady Lienna.”
After a short pause, I continued.
“I have no intention of becoming your apprentice.”