Chapter 353: Arkh Orphanage (1)
After the long yet brief story at Martel, nothing had particularly changed.
Oliver drove the car towards their destination without resting, and Yareli, sitting in the passenger seat, asked him questions here and there.
Questions like, what his childhood was like, what it was like when he was with the Black Magic Family, or what it was like after Merlin took him in.
Each time, Oliver answered by mixing truth and lies in moderation.
For instance, he spoke truthfully about his time at the orphanage and in the mines during his childhood, but embellished a bit when talking about the Black Magic Family and his time as Merlin's disciple.
He hid the fact that he had killed his master, Joseph, and became the head of the family, instead saying that he properly learned magic only after Merlin took him in.
It wasn't a bad time.
The conversation made the time pass faster than expected, and during the process of answering Yareli's questions, Oliver learned something new as well.
For example, it was a bit of a shock to Yareli that the realities of the orphanage and the mining job, which Oliver considered part of his everyday life, were so harsh.
To Oliver, who had grown up with such experiences, Yareli’s reaction was rather fascinating.
Even though they both lived in the same country, their worlds were entirely different. But upon reflection, perhaps it wasn't so strange.
In this era of magic and industry, while every field had made dazzling advancements, the sheer scale and complexity of society made understanding each other all the more difficult.
After all, each person is just an individual. No matter how much one tries to observe their surroundings, the things they can truly know and understand are limited.
Especially when the environments people grow up in are vastly different.
Because of that, Oliver didn't think the time they spent together was too bad.
It allowed him to see things from the perspective of someone who had lived in a completely different world.
‘In some ways, Yareli seems more like a young lady than Miss Jane,’ Oliver thought, watching Yareli's reactions as she expressed surprise at his words.
Although Miss Jane was now a distinguished person of wealth in Landa, her childhood had been quite rough.
Yareli asked another question.
“So, are most of the disciples in the Black Magic Family either sold or picked up as children?”
“Yes... Of course, I haven't been in every Black Magic Family, but at least in the one I belonged to, that was the case.”
Oliver answered, recalling his time in Joseph's Family after a long while. He suddenly wondered if Mari was still there.
“Later, when I asked each of them how they ended up there, they all said they were either picked up by the Master or sold.”
“Oh...”
Yareli responded with a shocked expression, as if it was completely unexpected, and seemed hesitant to speak further.
“Did you know something different, Yareli?”
“Huh? Oh... To be honest, it’s a bit different from what I learned. I thought they all became black magicians out of their own greed and desire.”
“Oh, that’s not entirely wrong either.”
“Pardon?”
“They may have been sold or picked up, but becoming black magicians was their choice. They did it to gain the ability to protect and provide for themselves.”
Oliver answered, recalling Mari, who wanted to become stronger as a black magician, and Peter, who wanted to become wealthy by learning the technique to manufacture filgaret.
Each had their own circumstances, but they all shared the common hope that becoming black magicians was their only chance for survival.
‘Since it was their choice, I suppose… that’s right, isn’t it?’
“But isn’t it dangerous to become a black magician?”
Yareli’s words weren’t entirely wrong either. Black magicians were often persecuted. There were inherent risks in becoming one. Of course, there was something she was overlooking.
“It wouldn’t have mattered much if they hadn’t become black magicians. Most of them were orphans or people who had been sold, so if they hadn’t become black magicians, they would have spent their entire lives as workers in the family. If they didn’t like that, they’d have to run away, but running away was risky too. They had no money, no place to go.”
Oliver recalled the harsh life at the lower levels of the family.
At the time, he hadn’t realized it, but thinking back, it had been quite severe.
Low-level disciples received little to no education and had to work endlessly in a sausage factory. In a year, they could count on one hand the number of lessons they’d receive.
Those who couldn’t improve their skills during those few lessons had to continue working in the sausage factory for free, making sausages for years on end.
Yet, despite this, they didn’t resist or try to escape because they had no other options.
With no money, no shelter, and no way to survive on their own, becoming a black magician was the only path available.
‘Maybe that’s why everyone worked so hard...’
Oliver thought back to the times when everyone was so dedicated, and the people in the family before he left.
“In any case, everyone chose to become a black magician of their own will.”
“I... didn’t know that.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t know there were such reasons for becoming a black magician... It’s a bit shocking.”
Yareli’s expression revealed genuine surprise. It was the kind of shame that comes from ignorance.
“You don’t need to feel too bad about it. There could be exceptions. In my case, I was brought there by the Master, but it was still my choice to become a black magician. Even if my livelihood or safety had been guaranteed, I would have still become one.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve always been interested in black magic itself... What I’m trying to say is, people are all different, so you don’t need to blame yourself too much. Even I had my own prejudices about magicians.”
Yareli showed interest.
“What kind of prejudices?”
“I thought all the magicians from the Tower of Magic were rich, lived leisurely lives, were arrogant, and were obsessed with human experimentation.”
“...Why did you think that?”
“Because in Landa, everyone says magicians are all arrogant, wealthy, and conduct human experiments. But after working in the Tower, I learned that’s not entirely true.”
In truth, from the outside, magicians did seem arrogant, but they also carried deep insecurities and had little leisure.
Given that the Tower confined students to a limited space and pitted them against each other in fierce competition, it made sense.
In the Tower’s environment of constant rivalry, only a select few enjoyed any real leisure, while the rest lived under considerable pressure.
Yet, to outsiders, this arrogance was merely a defense mechanism or compensation for their struggles.
Moreover, while it was true that some magicians came from wealthy backgrounds, there were also many who weren’t so fortunate. It was only natural—just because Landa was the wealthiest city in the world didn’t mean it had no poor people. In fact, it had quite a few.
“Also, I thought everyone was deeply involved in human experimentation, but that doesn’t seem to be entirely the case either.”
Oliver glanced at Yareli as he spoke. She responded.
“There are voices of caution even within the Tower, urging moderation.”
“Yes, exactly. That was my misconception and ignorance. I learned that thanks to my job there. It’s interesting.”
Yareli looked at Oliver in genuine wonder.
“You’re quite impressive.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have a strong mindset. I’ve rarely met someone as positive and mentally resilient as you, like Zenon.”
“That’s funny. I felt something similar about you, Yareli.”
"...?"
“I heard about what happened between Professor Kevin and your father.”
“You mean when Professor Kevin dueled my father to gain entrance into the Tower?”
“Yes. I also heard how it ended.”
Oliver spoke cautiously, worried Yareli might get upset. Fortunately, she didn’t. She just wore a bitter expression.
“I never had a father, so I don’t really know, but I learned that such things can be quite sad and difficult... But even so, you still applied for Professor Kevin’s class.”
"..."
“May I ask why you did, if it’s not too personal? It must be an uncomfortable relationship for you.”
Yareli remained silent for a moment, staring intently at Oliver’s face.
“...Can I ask why you’re asking such a question?”
“I’m just curious.”
After hearing his answer, Yareli turned to face forward, thinking again, and then, as if making up her mind, she spoke.
“...Because he’s skilled.”
“Pardon?”
“Professor Kevin... He’s an outstanding magician who rose to the rank of Master purely through skill, despite being of low status. Everyone pretends not to notice, but he’s a formal disciple of the Archive. I thought there was much I could learn from him, so I applied for his class.”
Yareli’s words were sincere.
Although she didn’t harbor no feelings at all towards Kevin, she still recognized his abilities, which had allowed him to survive in the Tower despite the odds.
“And while it’s said that my father was expelled after losing to Professor Kevin, that’s not the whole reason. It was the decisive factor, yes, but long before that, he had already fallen out of favor with the One Master... my grandmother.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My father had talent and, thanks to the training he received from the family, he was a skilled magician. But despite that, he couldn’t control himself. He was arrogant and conservative, yet his personal life was very liberal, and he wielded power beyond his authority. This caused increasing conflicts with my grandmother. Then Professor Kevin appeared, defeated my father and the magicians close to him, and stripped them of their power.”
“Was it a political move?”
“I don’t know. I was too young back then... In any case, what happened to my father was partly his own fault. That’s why I try not to hold any personal grudges against Professor Kevin. I applied for his class because I believed there was something I could learn from him. For myself, for my family, and for the Skadi Sub-School.”
Yareli spoke with firm resolve and sincerity.
She truly intended to set aside the past and focus on her future, as well as the future of her family and the Skadi Sub-School.
Seeing the determination in her, Oliver spoke.
“Yareli, you’re beautiful.”
...
Suddenly, the car was filled with silence.
As soon as Oliver said that Yareli’s resolve was beautiful, her eyes widened like coins behind her glasses, filled with confusion, and she abruptly closed her mouth.
Oliver wanted to ask why she reacted that way, but sensing a hint of embarrassment and displeasure in her emotions, he decided to keep quiet.
With Yareli remaining silent, Oliver also stayed quiet as he drove, and after several hours of silence, they finally arrived at the Arkh Region, where a vast green meadow stretched before them.
Gallos was said to have many expansive plains, and upon arriving, Oliver could see why.
Unlike the limited view during their journey through dense forests and mountains, Gallos was so open that it was hard to know where to rest one’s eyes.
“It’s really vast.”
Oliver spoke like a child seeing a foreign country for the first time.
“Gallos is full of plains without mountains, so this is a common sight here.”
“Oh, you know a lot.”
“They don’t just teach magic at the Tower. Sometimes we visit Gallos as part of exchanges. It’s quite an impressive country, though not as much as our kingdom.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it has a large landmass, a large population, and fertile soil. It’s truly a land blessed by the gods.”
“Oh, that’s fascinating. I read that line in a book too. A land blessed by the gods, brimming with all the world’s riches and wonders.”
“...Which book was that?”
“A humor book. It said the gods, to maintain balance, filled this great land with the people of Gallos... I thought it was a funny joke.”
Yareli looked at Oliver without saying a word.