Clark’s former subordinate’s POV*
When I heard that the place where the saint who had escaped from the temple reappeared was Royal Magician Clark’s shop, I thought what a fearless saint she was.
“Stupid Saint. I’m guessing you’re at Royal Magician Clark’s instead. I don’t know what kind of retaliation you’ll receive.”
The one who said this and laughed was a newbie who had no knowledge of the time when Clark was the Royal Magician. There were plenty of rumors about my senior, Clark, even though it had been over ten years since he left the royal capital. Sometimes I hear rumors that were fabricated later, but I know that some of the scary stories that seem far-fetched are actually true.
And the generation that doesn’t know about Clark the Royal Palace Magician treats it as an urban legend because it’s so outrageous, and laughs at the revenge of Clark the Royal Palace Magician as a joke. …If that person was seriously considering retaliation, I don’t think it would be a laughing matter, but you won’t really understand it unless you actually see it.
“I’ll tell you one thing, the anecdote that Royal Magician Clark once erased the maga is true.”
In order to give a sense of crisis to the newcomers who enjoy gossiping, I decided to tell them a story from the past. It would be nice if they just stayed and had fun and gossip, but if it becomes a test of courage, I would be in trouble if they went to trouble Royal Magician Clark.
“Oh, is that so? But aren’t you making it too scary? He can’t do that since he’s not a saint. The seniors also make jokes like that.”
I shook my head as I looked at the smiling newcomer.
“No. It wasn’t purified. It was erased.”
“…Huh? Did he erase it?”
“This is a story from when Clark, the royal magician, was young. Apparently, the saint was too scared after being attacked by monsters and was useless, so the purification didn’t progress. So, Clark, the royal magician, tried to use a spell to change the terrain, and it disappeared. Along with the land.”
“Hiii.”
When it came to the magic that changed the terrain, the newcomer seemed to understand how dangerous it was, and his face changed. Normally, if someone performed such magic alone, their magical power would run out and they would die.
“But Royal Magician Clark also thought it was bad for the terrain to change and the ecosystem to change, so he warned us juniors not to use the same magic.”
“No. Even if you don’t pay attention, you won’t be able to do it. Even if you want to, you won’t be able to do it.”
The junior shook his head, but I also agree with that.
The only person who can do that and want to try it is Royal Magician Clark.
“Royal Magician Clark was really a terrible person… He’s terrible, but I don’t think there’s anyone more reassuring to have as an ally. Why did he quit being a Royal Magician?”
“Officially, it is said that he returned to the countryside because he was fed up with the way his boss told him to take a second wife, but the real reason is a little different.”
“Not different, just a little bit?”
I nodded at my junior’s words. Even now, Royal Magician Clark is sometimes asked for help in times of emergency. If we were to step on Royal Magician Clark’s tail and no longer be able to ask him for help, the damage would be too great. That’s why I need to make sure that the people who may be involved are aware of Royal Magician Clark’s wrath.
“That’s right. The main reason why Royal Magician Clark returned to the countryside is for his daughter.”
“Why did he go back to the countryside for his daughter? The relationship between the daughter of your first wife and your second wife is often delicate, but is it worth going back to the countryside?”
“The person his boss pushed him to meet was a saint.”
“Eh? That’s amazing. Ah, but. Did he say no?”
Yes. Normally, being able to marry a saint is considered a great honor.
The saint’s partner is often a nobleman, but sometimes a magician or knight is chosen, giving priority to those with superior blood.
“That’s right. On the day Clark was made to meet a saint as a candidate for fiancée, he used magic to shave off his superior’s hair, shaved the hair of the saint in question, and the hair of the priest who was there, and did not injure anyone. Part of the building was partially destroyed without letting anything happen.”
“…What? He’s very skillful without anyone getting hurt at all.”
Royal Magician Clark, who was only harassed by him, showed that he was very skillful and at the same time capable of killing him at any time.
“That person understood that if he lost his temper, people could die. That’s why he always spoke calmly. That’s why his boss misunderstood that he would do whatever he said. In fact, he was found it troublesome and did most of the impossible tasks. Yes, I heard that.”
“What exactly did they say to make someone like that so mad?”
I remembered the dark eyes of my senior when he told me about it, and I sighed.
“The Saint said she would marry him and asked him to put his daughter in the orphanage.”
“Eh?”
The subordinate who looked blank-faced thought what would normally happen. You would have thought that they should have at least left the child with its parents first, but instead, they told him to make it an orphan.
“…Huh? Why did they make such a terrible proposal? Did they try to get him to refuse?”
“No. It seems that the Saint did not think that she would be rejected at all and said it with good intentions. The daughter of Royal Magician Clark was a promising child with many attributes and magical powers. So if she became an orphan, someone would have adopted her. There’s no conflict, and if she wanted to become a magician, she could go to school with special benefits. She also said with a smile that if you have that many attributes, there are nobles who want to be your parent.”
“Huh?! Wow. Huh? That last bit was particularly gross. Isn’t it crazy to think that was out of kindness?”
Impossible. The newcomer is screaming that it’s disgusting. Actually, I thought so too, so I nodded deeply.
“I think it’s crazy, too. But if you don’t have good intentions, you would normally hide such intentions. But the saint didn’t hide it. She believed that it was happiness. …In fact, a saint’s marriage is meant to give birth to the next generation of saints. She grew up being taught that it’s an honor to be wanted by a noble. At this time, a story arose about a noble who wanted the daughter of the Royal Magician who was only six years old.
The nobleman had the saint say this in order to buy his daughter as an orphan.
“…If you love your daughter, then of course you’ll go back to the countryside. At six years old, it’s scary to be kidnapped.”
“Ah. Also, the fact that Royal Magician Clark’s wife died in the line of duty while protecting a saint may have something to do with it. In any case, the reason why he broke off the engagement proposal so flamboyantly is probably because he couldn’t take it anymore.”
He didn’t tell me the details, but the look in his eyes when he roughly told me the details of what had happened before he went back to the countryside was amazing.
“Then, I guess he shaved everyone’s hair equally so that no one would apply again. And now he has opened a material shop that is indispensable in the royal capital, and has distanced himself from the temple. Well, as for the material shop, originally… It seems like it’s something he wanted to do for fun.”
“Isn’t the reason he wanted to open a material shop so that his daughter doesn’t get upset? After all, the story you just talked about was the reason why he quit being a royal magician, right?”
“No. That’s not a lie. To begin with, Royal Magician Clark actually wanted to be an alchemist. However, his grandfather was against it, so he practically ran away from home and came to the royal capital, where he enrolled in a magician’s school that offered special scholarships. It seems that the reason Royal Magician Clark aimed for the royal capital was because he learned a lot from a man who collected materials in the mountains. So, he’s having fun, so don’t feel sorry for him. Also, it’s strictly forbidden to make fun of alchemy. Even if he comes to help, if you treat someone like that, he’ll return to the countryside straight away. But as long as you follow these rules, Royal Magician Clark is a nice person, so he’ll help you in many ways, and he’s got a lot of knowledge so he’ll teach you.”
It is these accumulated achievements that make Royal Magician Clark so beloved today.
Those who had been helped by him grew fond of him and wanted to repay him for his kindness. So when Royal Magician Clark’s daughter enrolled in the school, everyone quietly watched over her, hoping that nothing would happen to her.
I was one of them, and she would talk to me because I was his former subordinate.
Well, I never thought she’d be dumped by her boyfriend just a week before the graduation ceremony… The next time Royal Magician Clark comes to the royal capital, he’ll likely be in a really bad mood.
“Umm. So basically, Royal Magician Clark hates saints and priests and likes alchemists, so I just need to be careful about what I say.”
“Also, add that he dislikes nobles.”
This is even more scary because he is a person who has very clear likes and dislikes.
I pray that the saint in question will not incur the wrath of Royal Magician Clark.
So the father also has a personal grudge.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!
