At the ti, Yuan was reading the only storybook he had at ho. It was an old book about legendary heroes, but he read it again and again. That was all he could do. He couldn’t play with other children because they didn’t speak the sa language, his father rarely ca ho, and his mother worked from morning to evening in the house of a noble.
So when his mother, unusually frantic, ca to find him and ran with him toward Count Teyyu’s estate, Yuan secretly felt happy. ’Maybe I’m going out with Mom!’ he thought. He would probably get sothing tasty to eat. How wonderful that Mom ca to see during the day!
...And that day, Yyan used strong magic for the first ti in his life. It was a trendous power that split the ground, destroyed buildings, and killed about half the townspeople. His mother, his father, even Count Teyyu were all swept away by the magic, disappearing underground.
Yuan walked alone through the chaos and returned ho. He crouched in front of his ruined house, listening to people screaming and crying.
’We call him Gold Nugget.’
He sat like that until his mother’s voice faded from his mind. During that ti, mountains crumbled, rivers overflowed, and wild animals frightened by the destruction ca down to the village, wreaking further havoc. The carriage of Count Teyyu, who tried to escape, overturned, spilling gold and treasures everywhere.
Yet even amidst all that chaos, Yuan thought steadfastly of his mother and father. Ordinary people’s lives were spent exploited by nobles—stabbed, beaten, or killed at their whim.
Even for those who didn’t work directly in noble households, living under the Teyyu estate ant they were essentially perpetual possessions of the Count and his family. Commoners existed only to pay taxes on ti and bow like subordinates.
But they also had lives. They had emotions and thoughts of their own. His mother, who abandoned her son to save a father she cursed daily; his father, who, bloodied and barely able to breathe, still clutched his mother; the people who helped each other survive amidst villages destroyed by natural-magic disasters; even those who looted others’ hos... All of these people, treated like insects or objects by nobles, were still human.
Why must I live like this?
A rebellious spirit stirred inside Yuan.
Who cares about being a commoner? Why should I be a toy for so noble? I am strong. I am smart and beautiful. I am... alive.
When a certain cleric ca and saw the crouching child, pitying him and asking for his na, Yuan gave himself a na.
’Yuan.’
It was a na worn smooth from being read every day in the storybook he held. The na of a strong and heroic figure.
’Hello, Ewan. I’m Marius. I co from the temple. I... I’ve never seen soone as beautiful and sacred as you in my life. Where are your parents?’
Yuan. Beautiful and sacred. Those words struck a chord deep in the boy’s heart. Entranced, he answered:
’My mom and dad... they’re dead. I’m alone.’
’Oh... may Goddess Letina watch over them. Then, Yuan, would you like to co with ? Let’s go to the temple together. We are all siblings there.’
At those words, Yuan took Marius’ hand and stood. After all, he had nowhere else to go, and Marius treated him kindly. For the first ti, soone called him by his na and treated him as a brother. He even invited him to co along. And so, Yuan followed him.
What happened afterward is well known: it was a ti of horrific torture, confinent, and violence. Marius did not see Yuan as a person. If to his parents, Yuan had been a "Gold Nugget," to Marius, he was a "chunk of sacred power."
Marius firmly believed that Yuan’s innate abilities were sacred power, and he used every ans to draw it out. Whether he wanted to steal that sacred power from Yuan, or to make Yuan the next High Priest, no one could say...
Regardless, Marius left the most terrible marks on Yuan’s life. Even more painful than being abandoned by his parents. It was a scar that could neither be washed away nor erased.
But...
"The Marquis’ chef is quite skilled too, huh? Is the chef a robot as well?"
Gillen asked, savouring his soup. Yuan quietly looked at him and nodded.
"Of course."
"Ha! Truly remarkable. There’s nothing a robot can’t do."
"I made it myself."
"Hahaha! Of course! A genius mage like you made it, so naturally it would be perfect! Ha! Ha! Ha! Honestly, it’s fascinating no matter how many tis I hear it."
The man, tilting his head back and laughing until his chest shook, carried a subtle forest-like scent around him.
’We must help each child find their own path and support them so they can live a life solely by their own will.’
’These are people who care for your life and wellbeing. They’d be glad if you gave them a na.’
’Go... please, no... I don’t want anyone to get hurt.’
Yuan thought this man was a little different. At first, he had been extrely annoying, but the more he t Gillen, the more unexpected sides he saw.
He was kind, just, and upright. Like a flowing river, he was flexible and clear, never hiding his consistent self from the very beginning. Yuan now fully understood why Cecilia, the butler, the robots, even the Emperor, all liked Gillen.
He looked at his wounded palm once more and blew gently over it. The injury healed, and the skin smoothed out.
"Wow... healing magic really is amazing, no matter how many tis I see it."
Even seeing this difficult magic perford right in front of him, Gillen’s reaction was just that. He didn’t flatter Yuan or try to gain anything from him. He simply admired it, purely and sincerely, just as he always had.
"Do you know how difficult this healing magic is? Many mages devote their entire lives just to using it once."
"I know. It’s an incredible magic. I get that."
"Then why aren’t you more impressed?"
Yuan asked, thinking Gillen might react like a normal human—possessively like Marius, covetously like the Tower Master, or opportunistically like the Emperor.
But Gillen only squinted, a slight smile tugging at his lips, as if he fully understood Yuan’s thoughts and found them mildly irritating.
"Ah, yes, yes. Yuan, you truly are the greatest mage. Pride of the Empire, treasure of the continent, no—pride of this world! Absolutely magnificent!"
Gillen clapped and gave two thumbs up, making a scene. He probably assud Yuan had asked about the magic just to hear praise.
’Infuriating... what an idiot,’ Yuan thought.
But despite himself, a faint smile began to form on his lips. Seeing that, Gillen laughed, making little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and nudged Yuan with his elbow.
"You like that, huh? I’ll give you more praise from now on. Now, eat sothing. You must be hungry."
Gillen picked up a spoon from the trolley and handed it to Yuan. Caught off guard, Yuan accepted it.
"Here, eat. Eat."
Though it was both ridiculous and absurd to be offered food like a host, Yuan quietly scooped a spoonful of soup. One, two, three... he ate faster and faster with each spoonful.
"So hungry, huh? Well, you are at the age to eat a lot. Should I put so cheese in your soup? No, you need protein. Wait, I’ll wrap this cheese with prosciutto for you."
Yuan continued eating quietly, eventually lifting the bowl and munching directly from it. The sight was surprisingly cute.
Gillen struggled to hold back his laughter. If Yuan got sulky and refused to eat, it would be a disaster. Cecilia had once gotten annoyed at Gillen for laughing at her cutely, saying, "Don’t tease !" That ti, our Cecil had been so adorable...
Snapping out of his brief nostalgia, Gillen picked up a fork and knife and carefully wrapped a thin slice of prosciutto around a piece of cheese. The Blakes’ genes were tolerant of alcohol, so he had relied on that trait over the past twenty years to drink to his heart’s content. Through this, he had learned which snacks paired best with different drinks.
"This tastes better like this. Eat it like this... here, try a bite of fig."
He portioned so food onto a small plate, and Yuan put down his soup bowl to take it. Surprisingly obedient, he followed Gillen’s instructions without hesitation, but Gillen showed no sign of being surprised.
’Is he hungry after using magic consecutively?’
Thinking that, he felt a little greedy to feed Yuan more. This ti, he placed pâté on bread and added pickles from a small dish.
"Try it like this too. Goes better with white wine... but let’s not trouble anyone—robots included—just eat it with this wine."
"...en, you’re not eating?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
"...Gillen, aren’t you going to eat?"
"Huh...?"
Yuan had just called him "Gillen"...!
Gillen swallowed hard and carefully set down his fork. Making a fuss now would ruin everything. Like a child or a cat, if you overreach when they co close, they run away again. Gillen acted with caution.
"Ah, of course I’ll eat! Seeing you eat so well makes happy, so, ha! Ha! Ha! I’ll eat too. It all looks too delicious, honestly."
He theatrically picked up a slice of orange and popped it into his mouth. Juice burst inside, filling the air with a sweet and tangy aroma.
"This orange slls amazing! Kind of like your pheromone scent, actually. Ha! Ha! Ha... ha..."
"..."
The confident, jovial expression on Gillen’s face suddenly stiffened.
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