The Patient Wizard Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Calculation (3)

Chris glimpsed Mark going out to the yard in the dark dawn before sunrise, then entered the dining hall. Juan was preparing breakfast. Juan had been crying the day Alex felt magic.

Why had he cried?

Thinking about it carefully, Chris felt like he might cry too.

Failing for 35 years would make anyone cry.

He must have been young when he first entered the Lion’s Hall.

He would have been a teenage boy.

How many apprentices had Juan witnessed feeling magic?

Working as a dormitory servant while they grew into wizards, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of self-loathing.

Juan, who had been stirring soup, turned around and said,

“What are you looking at, kid?”

“Senior, I heard you’ve worked at the Lion’s Hall for a long time.”

He hesitated at being called a senior. Few apprentices would have called him that.

“So what?”

His tone was gruff, but his lips softened slightly.

“Is feeling magic within a month of entering the tower considered fast?”

“It’s fast.”

“Am I a genius?”

“Not quite a genius… We’ll have to see. The difficulty jumps significantly at each level. More than calculation, determination is key…”

He suddenly became angry in the middle of speaking.

“You cunning bastard! Trying to butter me up to extract information!”

Chris was dumbfounded as Juan became angry without having been given any information.

“Give me some information before getting angry.”

“Shut up! You brat!”

He flailed around wildly with the ladle. Soup broth splattered everywhere.

“Trying to extract information, I’ve gathered over 36 years of flattery with such shallow tricks! This is outrageous!”

I thought it was 35 years, but it’s 36.

When did I ever try any tricks?

But then—someone stepped into the hallway. A person suddenly appearing out of nowhere startled Chris so much that he let out a scream.

“Ahhh!”

“You’re more timid than you look.”

Hearing the voice, it was Alice.

“That’s because you suddenly appeared in the dark.”

“Did you think I was a ghost?”

“Yes.”

“Why is Juan acting like that?”

Juan was still shouting loudly.

“He’s making that fuss just because I asked a few questions.”

Chris put his finger to his temple and twirled it.

“He’s not right in the head. But what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Here?”

It was difficult to have a conversation because of Juan.

“Let’s go outside.”

They went near the rock where Faye was meditating. Alice climbed onto the rock, sat cross-legged, and said,

“I heard you’re going to do laundry tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“It seemed like Catherine won’t lend you the space bag anymore. Can you carry everything by yourself?”

“Why are you asking?”

“I’ll help you.”

“For free?”

Alice slapped Chris on the shoulder.

“Nothing in this world is free. Just give me one-third.”

Chris looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“Why suddenly… What’s your reason?”

“I’ve lost confidence.”

“What confidence?”

“Confidence in feeling magic.”

She sighed and continued.

“My family is poor.”

“Most slaves are poor. The estate I lived in was like that, but in other estates, wealthy slaves are extremely rare.”

“Slaves entering the Magic Tower are even rarer. When I passed the exam, my whole family was happy.”

“Is that so? I’m envious. I don’t know, since I don’t have any family.”

Alice was upset.

“Why do you talk like that?”

“I say I don’t have family because I don’t have any.”

“Huh, really.”

She sighed.

“Anyway, I have four younger siblings. When I left home, they clung to me and asked me to bring back something delicious when I return.”

“So you’re saying you’re the family’s hope, the promising one, something like that?”

“If I fail… I’d be crushing the family’s hopes. I can’t go back like that.”

“Then don’t go.”

“What?”

“I said don’t go. If you fail and return home, you’ll become a slave again, so why go?”

That’s the contract. The Magic Tower pays the lord three gold coins for each successful candidate they take. But if they fail and return to their estate, their slave status is reinstated. However, if they go elsewhere, they are free. It seemed the contract was designed to discourage failures from returning home.

“I can’t abandon my family.”

“You’d become a slave again?”

“That’s why I need to earn money.”

“Ah, I understand what you mean. You want to save money to free your family, right? If you have extra, you’d buy some farmland and open a small shop to provide for your siblings.”

“Yes.”

Chris spoke with sincerity.

“Your thinking is a loser’s thinking. Don’t be like that. You should think about how to feel magic somehow. Why assume failure? Becoming a wizard is the quickest and easiest path.”

“I keep having pessimistic thoughts.”

“What do you have that’s worse than Catherine?”

“Appearance.”

“Ah, that’s… Somewhat true.”

“Somewhat?”

“…Very much so. But besides appearance, you’re not inferior in anything else.”

“Wealth, family background, status, knowledge, speech, grace, fashion sense, hairstyle, skin…”

Her expression darkened as she continued speaking.

“She’s better than me in everything.”

She concluded with self-deprecation.

Chris, blaming himself for asking an unnecessary question, tried to comfort her.

“No, there must be at least one thing you’re good at.”

“One thing? What is it?”

Chris couldn’t answer.

“What is it, I’m asking?”

Chris carefully said,

“Your wisdom teeth?”

“Wisdom teeth! What kind of thing is that to say!”

“Your personality. Yes, you have a good personality.”

“Tsk.”

She clicked her tongue.

“That’s not comforting at all.”

“Having a good personality is enough.”

“So what about my proposal?”

“I’m sorry, but I refuse. I don’t like others putting their spoons in my rice bowl. Alice, find your rice bowl.”

“Okay.”

She entered the Lion’s Hall with her head down and shoulders slumped. Passing her, Juan came out. Watching Juan’s back as he headed toward the village of losers, Chris recalled his anger.

I wonder why he’s making such a fuss, claiming I extracted information.

It’s still ridiculous to think about.

Then, suddenly he remembered that he had learned one thing. The next level after Conscious Perception is called Phenomenon Perception.

*    *    *

Chris entered Stan’s General Store with bundles of laundry on his back, in both hands, and balanced on his head.

Scott, who was watching the counter, smiled and said,

“Are you evacuating?”

“I don’t have a space bag.”

Chris put the bundles on the counter.

“As you can see, there’s less than last time.”

Scott defensively leaned back.

“So what?”

“Give me a discount on the laundry fee.”

“This guy is practically a robber, just without a knife.”

“The amount has decreased. Naturally, it will use less detergent, less water, and less labor.”

Scott maintained a stubborn attitude.

“I can’t give a discount.”

“You shouldn’t be so ungenerous in our relationship.”

“What kind of relationship do we have? Man, we’ve only met twice.”

“Business is about looking to the future.”

“What future?”

“Think about when I become a wizard. Consider it an investment for the future and give me a discount.”

“There’s no guarantee you’ll become a wizard.”

“If you keep being difficult, I’ll go somewhere else.”

“Where else?”

His eyes conveyed the meaning, where could you possibly go?

Smith jutted his chin out slightly.

“Brian’s Magic Store.”

Scott jumped.

“Not there.”

“Why not?”

“That place is a den of swindlers. Before you know it, they’ll pluck out your eyes and cut off your nose.”

“The grandmother seemed kind.”

“Why do people get scammed by swindlers? It’s not because they’re stupid. It’s because the swindlers appear pure, good-natured, have kind eyes, and seem nice, that’s why they get scammed.”

“I trust my eyes.”

“No, don’t trust them. Your eyes are wrong.”

“Wrong? That’s a bit harsh.”

“I’m concerned for you. Truly concerned. Brian’s gang are definitely swindlers.”

“How about one and a half?”

“I can’t. The master will scold me.”

“I think you’ll get scolded more if you lose a customer by being greedy.”

Chris gathered the bundles, preparing to leave.

“Wait.”

Scott grabbed his wrist.

“It’s better for me to be scolded by the master than for a child to be deceived. Alright, I’ll do it for one and a half.”

Chris smiled brightly.

“Thank you, mister. I thought from the first time I met you that you were as big-hearted as your size.”

Scott pushed the pile of laundry behind the counter.

“Isn’t dormitory life inconvenient? Our store has everything, so tell me if you need anything.”

He seemed to want to make up for today’s loss by selling something.

“I’ll do that next time, next time.”

Chris received the receipt and left the store. Then he immediately entered Brian’s Magic Store.

Ding.

The bell hanging on the door rang. Donna, who had been dozing with her head on the counter, looked up. She removed the eye crust, yawned, and looked at Chris.

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

“The laundry?”

“…”

“You entrusted it to those robbers again.”

“I heard the grandmother here is a swindler.”

“That’s quite rich coming from you.”

Donna sniffed and blew her nose.

“I can breathe because I have two nostrils. If I had only one, I would have died from nasal congestion.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

Donna’s expression became serious.

“It’s absolutely not an exaggeration. Be careful of Stan’s gang. They’re like bandits. They’ll strip you naked, take everything you have, and sell you as a slave.”

“I’m being careful.”

Chris was proud of having gotten a discount on the laundry fee.

“Excuse me, grandmother, about that thing.”

Donna pretended not to know.

“What thing?”

“The magic helmet.”

“Ah, that.”

“Has it been sold?”

“Not yet.”

Chris’s expression brightened.

“It’s not selling because it’s too expensive.”

“Are you asking for a discount?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“If it’s about 10 coins, I could pay for it after saving diligently for 7 or 8 years.”

Donna waved her hands.

“I can’t discount it that much. Besides, you’re not buying it right now, but in 7 years? That won’t work.”

“It’s not selling anyway.”

“It will sell.”

“Who would buy that?”

Donna leaned forward and whispered.

“Someone desperate.”

Chris said with the feeling of a fox looking at grapes,

“I’m going to feel magic through my own power. So I don’t need that kind of tool.”

“Juan used to say the same thing long ago.”

Donna put her hand above her eyebrow.

“But what happened? Oh my, 36 years have already flown by.”

“Juan isn’t normal. You shouldn’t use him as an example.”

“What’s wrong with Juan?”

“He laughs and suddenly gets angry, speaks calmly and then goes wild. His mind fluctuates.”

“You would also find it difficult to maintain your sanity if you lived as a loser for 36 years. In that sense, I’ll tell you a way to raise money.”

Chris was intrigued.

“Is there a way?”

“You remember that large building you saw when you first entered the Micclonia Magic Tower?”

“The Micc Tower?”

“Yes. Wizards have their research labs there. Among them, there’s a lab researching organ transplantation and organ replication. Go there and sell your kidneys and eyes.”

Chris doubted his ears. For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

“Excuse me? Sell what?”

“People have two kidneys. Living without one doesn’t cause any problems. It’s the same with eyes. You can still see with just one. If that’s not enough, you can also sell part of your liver.”

“But there’s only one liver?”

“The liver has good regenerative abilities. Taking out about half should be fine.”

Chris’s eyes narrowed.

“You want me to sell my kidneys, eyes, and liver to buy your helmet?”

“Yes.”

“You said Stan’s General Store was full of robbers, but the real robber is right here. Forget it.”

Chris grumbled as he left Brian’s Magic Store.