At Sarin’s words, Darek stared at him silently.
“……Well, anyway, I have no expectations for the 46th class. I’d rather say the 47th has at least a shred of hope…….”
Darek turned his gaze toward the training ground with a dry, emotionless face.
Among the 46th class, Kainon was the only one who stood out exceptionally.
Except for him, the others didn’t even reach the average level for their age.
That was why Darek considered everyone except Kainon to be good-for-nothing trash.
“Oh, the 47th class students observed our practice the other day.”
“Did you see their faces?”
Darek, who hadn’t been there at the time, asked Sarin.
“Yeah. The two nobles looked like young masters who had just stepped out of a painting, as you’d expect from people of such high birth.”
Sarin recalled the three people he had bumped into as he left the training ground.
He hadn’t seen the face of the one wearing a deep hood, but he could clearly recognize the other two.
Hilde Asta and Lucien Filo.
In terms of their growth trajectory, those two were the most likely to become official disciples.
And he predicted that the small kid sandwiched between them was Anakin Descartes.
Usually, it is natural for nobles to seek high status in safe places without variables—in situations they can control.
However, they had abandoned places where their safety and status were guaranteed and entered this place to risk their lives on an adventure.
A few disciples didn’t view them favorably, but Sarin, at the very least, acknowledged their courage.
“They may look great on the outside, but who knows what they’re like on the inside? Let’s see if these ‘noble’ types are truly special compared to other humans.”
At Darek’s words, Sarin nodded in agreement. Rumors swirled in abundance, but they hadn’t proven anything within Pasadian yet.
“But they were truly beautiful. I can see why slave traders lose their minds whenever they see young nobles like that.”
“Sarin…….”
At those words, Darek watched Sarin’s reaction cautiously.
As the only person who knew of his painful past, Darek couldn’t help but do so.
Even though he looked quite normal now, he hadn’t been right in the head when Darek first met him.
Sarin was from a slave market near the capital.
And he had a younger brother; born to an enslaved mother, Sarin’s brother was, naturally, a slave just like Sarin.
Sarin, whose appearance wasn’t particularly outstanding, was tasked with manual labor.
With a gaunt body that had never once been fed until full, he did grueling work that was difficult for a young child to endure.
Like most slaves, Sarin felt nothing when his mother passed away early on.
Misfortune had been a given since the moment he was born.
He would beg visitors who occasionally came to buy slaves to feed and clothe his brother.
Then, one day, a single mage visited the slave market alone.
He was a man in a blue robe who looked extraordinary even at a glance.
As soon as they saw him, the slave traders, who had been like demons, all bowed their heads.
Hands that had whipped people without blood or tears poured his teacup respectfully, and filthy mouths that always swore flattered him to keep him pleased.
Sarin, who was quick-witted, could tell just by looking at them who was the most powerful person present.
Sarin hid behind a wall alone and watched the mage.
For some reason, he looked different from the pictures in the common magic books scattered around the market.
‘Even when nobles come, they don’t get treated like that. If so, is he a being higher than a noble?’
Born and raised here, Sarin could now tell what visitors wanted just by looking at their eyes.
The mage hadn’t come for the purpose of buying slaves.
That night, after returning from working as usual, Sarin suffered from severe muscle pain.
It was likely no coincidence that the slave trader had made him do even harder work that day.
As always, disasters do not knock before arriving.
While resting in a narrow, cramped space like a stable, Sarin heard his brother’s piercing screams.
It was the first time that had happened, so Sarin searched for his brother desperately.
But his brother was already gone.
Sarin decided to muster the last of his strength.
Barefoot, he scoured every corner of the market like a madman.
Scenes like this were common in the market, so people paid not even the slightest bit of attention to Sarin’s plight.
While frantically looking for his brother, he discovered the market manager and the mage at an outdoor table on a distant hill.
He wanted to run over immediately, grab the manager by the collar, and ask about his brother’s whereabouts, but Sarin couldn’t force his legs to move.
A terror etched into his body gripped his ankles bit by bit.
Even in his deathly pale state, the manager’s agitated voice sounded clear.
〈You…… insolent…….〉
‘To anger the manager.’
Sarin was already terrified and backed away, stumbling.
However, the serene mage didn’t even blink an eye at that and said.
〈I have a strange preference, you see. Wouldn’t you like to become my slave? I’ll pay a high price for you.〉
The moment Sarin heard that, he thought he had misheard.
Because there was no way a sane person would say such a thing to a slave manager.
Sarin sensed that after that man was driven out, this place would become a scene of carnage.
‘I have to find my brother quickly……’
All sorts of thoughts were racing through his mind.
The highly agitated manager called for guards.
〈Does he think he’s something just because he’s wearing a robe?〉
Soon after, a man with a sturdy build, known to be the strongest in the vicinity, appeared.
He had quite a high reputation, so no one dared to face him head-on.
However, the mage, who was staring fixedly at him, maintained a relaxed attitude even after seeing the guard.
〈I will kill you if you do not leave immediately.〉
It was a cruel murderous intent for a young Sarin to process.
Suddenly, Sarin’s pants became damp.
As the guard drew the sword at his waist, the mage looked around casually.
And right on cue, he picked up a knife stuck in a loaf of bread.
〈This bAstad…….〉
And that was when it happened.
Thwack.
The sauce-covered knife pierced straight through the guard’s heart.
It was a sight I couldn’t believe even with my eyes wide open.
The guard slowly dropped his head and looked at the handle of the knife stuck in his chest.
Cough!
Blood surged upward like a waterfall.
Exactly 5 seconds later, the man collapsed to the floor powerlessly.
〈Holy shit!〉
Taken aback by the unprecedented situation that had occurred suddenly, the manager stumbled backward and shouted.
〈Everyone, come out!〉
At that, the guards who had been waiting all around quickly popped out.
Sarin ran forward without looking back.
Like a madman, he searched every corner of the market to find his brother.
And Sarin stopped running when he found his brother loaded like baggage into a carriage that was about to depart.
〈Emil! Aaaah!〉
Sarin, howling like a beast, desperately blocked the carriage’s path.
One of the traders who always tormented him got off the carriage with a frown.
〈What is it, is this brat crazy?〉
〈Please…… let go of my brother.〉
He rubbed his palms together and slammed his head against the ground again and again.
Unable to watch, the trader grabbed Sarin’s hair with the brute strength of an adult male.
〈I’ll sell you off soon too, so wait.〉
〈Ugh!〉
It was just as the trader was about to kick Sarin.
BOOM!
A loud explosion came from the direction where the mage had been.
Suddenly, everyone shifted their gaze in that direction. Sarin also stared blankly.
〈What is…… this…….〉
The trader cursed and ran toward the direction where the explosion occurred.
In the meantime, Sarin hugged his brother, who was tied up.
〈Emil…….〉
His brother only groaned and said nothing.
Just as he was trying to hurry and untie him, another massive explosion rang out.
…….
Innumerable fireworks created in the sky were burning the slave market without mercy.
Sarin realized that it was the work of the mage he had seen just a moment ago.
〈Kyaaaaaa!〉
Screams rang out from all sides, and Sarin hurriedly slung his brother over his back.
Unfortunately, the fireworks that had scorched the market flew toward them.
He could feel heat that seemed to burn his skin.
〈Ah…….〉
Sarin sighed.
‘In the end, we’re all going to die because of that mage.’
The moment the fire touched the ground, Sarin lost consciousness.
The point at which Sarin opened his eyes was after the village had already been completely burned down.
Sarin barely blinked as he scanned the surroundings at the corpses piled up in a sickening way. It was to find his brother.
Then, suddenly, his vision darkened due to the shadow of a man wearing a robe.
〈Hey.〉
〈…….〉
As soon as he saw him, Sarin was startled and took a step back.
〈What is your identity?〉
The mage wore an expression as if he couldn’t understand it at all.
Only then did Sarin realize that he was in a relatively unscathed state.
〈Pardon? I, I don’t really…… understand what you’re saying…….〉
I’m not sure if he could hear my mumbling, but fortunately, he seemed to understand.
〈D-did you happen to see my brother? He’s a boy and he’s about this tall…….〉
As Sarin explained desperately, the mage shook his head with an expressionless face.
〈The child you were holding died. I saw you were the only one left with life in you, so I pulled you out separately.〉
The mage shook an empty bottle in his hand.
Sarin dropped his head, his face drained of color.
Even before the thought occurred to him that the mage had saved him, a massive pain surged through one corner of his chest like a tsunami.
〈Aaaah…….〉
‘In the end, I couldn’t protect you.’
The pain in his chest hurt more than any lashing he had experienced until now.
To Sarin, who was weeping silently, the mage asked languidly.
〈Have you ever learned magic?〉
〈…….〉
Sarin shook his head weakly at his question.
Then, the mage said with a puzzled expression.
〈Then how did you cast that shield?〉
