Chapter 50

◈ Chapter 50: Anti Magic (2)

Chris finally thought the inevitable had come.

He had proposed a bet with Rudger, deciding which of their students would win in this sparring match, and the loser would give one of their magical research papers to the winner.

It was Chris himself who had suggested this first.

Since he had declared the bet in front of many students, he couldn't deny it now.

Chris tried to say something but glared at Rudger fiercely.

"Did you know... that this commoner student was a half-mage?"

"Yes, I did."

The answer, as if it were the most obvious thing, made Chris burst out.

"Even knowing that, you still went through with this bet!"

"Hmm. I don't understand why you're so angry, Mr. Chris."

"Is that what you call... talking?"

"Mr. Chris, did you not know that Aiden was a half-mage?"

"......"

At that, Chris was speechless.

Rudger was right.

He didn't know that Aiden was a half-mage.

Yes, he didn't know, which is why he had allowed this sparring match.

"Mr. Chris, I heard you're in charge of the first-year students. Didn't you check the new first-year students?"

"......"

"Most importantly, Aiden didn't use any half-magic throughout the sparring. Did you think his half-magic would influence the outcome of the match?"

Chris fell silent.

As Rudger said, Chris had no right to argue about this match.

After all, he was the one who didn't bother to find out, even though he could have.

Because Aiden was a commoner, because he was just a trivial kid, Chris hadn't even cared.

Now, his narrow-minded thoughts had come back to haunt him like a boomerang.

Whose fault was this?

Rudger, who knew but didn't say anything?

Aiden, a commoner who learned half-magic?

No.

The one who was wrong was himself.

He hadn't prepared thoroughly, hadn't even thought to gather information, and had just naively believed he would win.

His arrogance was the cause of his defeat.

"If you had thoroughly checked what special abilities your students possess, this wouldn't have happened today."

"......"

Chris couldn't respond and just bit his lip.

Yes, failing to recognize Aiden as a half-mage was clearly his mistake.

But what hurt his pride even more was that the result of this sparring wasn't decided by Aiden's half-magic.

Aiden hadn't used a single bit of half-magic during the sparring.

He had just used what he had learned and practiced at Seorin to knock Jiban down.

There was no way he could call it unfair or a foul.

If he did, he would truly be the one who lost.

Rudger, seeing Chris trembling and unable to speak, began to speak.

"I remember we bet on a magical research paper as the prize."

"......Yes, that's right. Fine, what do you want me to give you?"

"Nothing."

Chris was bewildered by this.

"What did you just say...?"

"I don't want anything."

"Nothing? Why suddenly...?"

"It's not sudden. I intended this from the beginning."

Chris couldn't understand Rudger's actions.

No, he understood but was close to denying that reality.

"Taking someone else's teachings as a prize is beneath us."

With that, Rudger turned and left.

It seemed he had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Seeing this, Chris was left speechless.

'Beneath us?'

He hadn't been this annoyed when Rudger ignored him or when he lost the bet.

But when Rudger, despite winning the bet, refused to take anything and even said that such a bet was beneath them, Chris felt not just annoyance but also a sense of despair.

That man was like a mirror, reflecting his own ugly face so clearly.

The more he glared at Rudger, the more he saw his own despicable reflection.

'Chris Benimore... beneath us?'

Chris bit his lip. A stream of blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.

He didn't even think to wipe it away, just glaring at Rudger with bloodshot eyes.

'Jiban Chellisi.'

How much more must he trample on my pride before he's satisfied?

I can't forgive him. I can't tolerate him.

Next time, I will definitely return the humiliation I've suffered, doubled.

"Mr. Chris."

Hugo called out to him, but Chris didn't respond.

He didn't want to show his ugly face to anyone, so he hurriedly fled the scene.

Hugo's face twisted at this, and he could only swallow his frustration when he saw the headmaster smiling gently at him.

This day would be remembered as a shameful one for the nobles.

'Jiban Chellisi.'

Thinking of the man responsible for all this, Hugo gritted his teeth in anger.

* * *

Aiden, who was celebrating his victory with his friends, suddenly remembered the promise he had made with Jiban.

His gaze wavered and turned to Jiban, who was getting up from his seat.

The three of them exchanged looks, nodded, and approached Jiban.

"What is it?"

Jiban asked weakly, seeing Aiden and his friends coming towards him.

"Do you still have something to mock me for?"

"Jiban. Don't you remember the promise we made before the sparring?"

At the mention of the promise, Jiban's face crumpled.

He hadn't thought about it, still in shock from his defeat.

"Jiban Felio. Apologize to my friends here, formally."

"Right now, you dare... ask me to apologize?"

"You were the one who proposed the bet and the sparring. Jiban, I'm just asking you to keep your word. Apologize, formally."

"......"

Jiban clenched his fists, but that was all he could do.

He had been completely defeated by Aiden. Even his surprise attack had failed.

It wasn't just a defeat; it was a disgraceful one.

He had no place left to stand in Seorin.

Tears welled up in Jiban's eyes, feeling unjustly wronged.

"Damn it. All of this is because of you! Because of you, I...!"

"Jiban."

"Shut up! Don't call my name! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been humiliated like this in front of everyone! Yes! It's all your fault!"

"......"

Aiden understood. No matter what Tae-shi said, Jiban wouldn't listen.

Aiden had a significant realization from Jiban's actions.

People fight because they don't understand each other, and once they do, things change.

He believed that through conversation, they could understand each other and become friends.

But Aiden couldn't forget the murderous look on Jiban's face.

It made him doubt his own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Jiban screamed even more desperately.

"Damn it! Damn it! Because of you dirty commoners, I can't even stay at Seorin anymore! Our Felio family won't be able to hold our heads high anywhere! Because of you! Because of you all!"

Jiban had already forgotten his own foul play and cowardly actions.

He just couldn't bear the injustice and humiliation of his situation.

"Why! Why do you have such abilities? Why don't I have them!"

"Jiban."

"Damn it. Damn it. I just... wanted to raise the status of our family!"

Jiban bowed his head and wailed.

Even if he knew his methods were wrong, he wouldn't have stopped. He had just set that goal for himself.

Seeing Jiban like this, Aiden closed his mouth.

It would be impossible to get an apology from Jiban in this state, let alone have a proper conversation.

Even Tae-shi, who would usually scold him, held her tongue at the sight of Jiban's broken state.

Seeing Jiban act this way to raise his family's status, she felt a constriction in her chest.

'Maybe I could have ended up like this too.'

This thought made her shudder in fear.

At that moment, a cold voice descended upon them.

"The sparring is over. What are you still doing here?"

"Mr. Rudger."

Rudger, dressed entirely in black, exuded an intimidating aura.

He stared at Aiden and his friends, then turned his cold gaze to Jiban, who was sobbing on the ground.

"Jiban Felio. What are you doing, looking so pathetic after losing a sparring match?"

"......"

"Besides losing the fight, you even tried a cowardly surprise attack. What makes you so aggrieved that you cry? Do you even have the right to do so?"

"Mr. Rudger."

No matter how harsh it seemed, Aiden stepped in, but Rudger didn't stop.

"You're pathetic. So incredibly pathetic. Your current state is far worse than the commoners you so despise. You are disqualified as a mage. What makes you a noble, what makes you a mage?"

"......What do you know!"

Finally, unable to hold back, Jiban stood up and glared at Rudger.

"What do you know about how I feel!"

"Do I need to know?"

"......What do you mean?"

"Do I need to know what you're feeling?"

"Y, you...!"

Jiban tried to shout but was silenced by Rudger's gaze.

His burning anger was instantly extinguished, replaced by fear.

Rudger's eyes, that cold, piercing stare.

It was like facing a nightmare in the pitch-black darkness.

"You started the trouble and lost the bet. You even collapsed without accepting your defeat. Now you expect others to understand your feelings. Why should we understand your feelings?"

"That, that's... "

"Do you still think this is your family's domain? Do you think I'm a nanny who will listen to your complaints?"

"I, I... "

"You can't even take care of yourself, yet you scream like a baby about your grievances. You are disqualified as a mage. What makes you a noble, what makes you a mage?"

Jiban couldn't maintain his composure under Rudger's almost violent words.

"I, I... "

"Be quiet. I don't want to hear your excuses. I will report your disgraceful behavior to the disciplinary committee. Now, get out of my sight."

Under Rudger's almost threatening warning, Jiban, his face pale, stumbled backward and eventually fled the arena.

The three of them, who had watched the entire scene in silence, all shared the same thought.

It was certainly a lesson, but wasn't it a bit too harsh?

Especially Aiden's expression was far from good.

"Mr. Aiden."

"Yes, Mr. Rudger."

"You've successfully implemented the kinetic spell. Well done."

"Thank you, Mr. Rudger."

"But you don't look happy about winning."

"That's... "

Aiden couldn't understand why he felt so down.

He had clearly won the sparring match in front of everyone. He should have been happy.

Perhaps it was because of Jiban's anguished cries afterward.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"At first, I did feel vindicated. Jiban had insulted my friends and provoked me. The desire to knock him down was clear. But... what happened after was the problem."

"Were you swayed by his tantrum?"

"Clearly, I didn't need to listen to his words. Yes, I could have just ignored them. But... I couldn't."

Aiden smiled bitterly and spoke honestly.

Rudger looked at him silently.

He had known Aiden was overly righteous and held high moral values, but he hadn't expected him to be so soft-hearted.

Feeling sympathy even for Jiban, who had mocked and belittled him.

But was this a bad thing?

Aiden was young, a student in the brilliant world of Seorin.

As a student, as a young person.

It was understandable. It was acceptable. He couldn't blame Aiden for being naive or frustrating.

This was how the boy viewed the world.

"Mr. Aiden."

"Yes, Mr. Rudger."

"As you live in this world, you will encounter various people."

"Yes?"

"Remember this. Not everyone is like you. Some will hate you, dislike you, and even be hostile. Ultimately, it's because your world and their world are different."

"......I see."

"But it changes based on how you act."

Aiden, Tae-shi, and Leo looked slightly surprised at Rudger.

"Chasing only your own interests isn't bad. Neither is giving up everything. But ultimately, what you need to survive in this world is balance."

"Balance... "

"Half. Aiden. Selfishness and selflessness, both to a half degree. If I take half from someone and give half in return, then we can understand each other to some extent."

Aiden looked at Tae-shi.

He remembered their first meeting wasn't particularly pleasant.

Tae-shi was like a rose with many thorns.

But at some point, the two of them started spending more time together.

"I won't tell you not to give or consider anyone. You know that's impossible. So, I'm saying this. It's okay to be selfish, at least to some degree. But at least half is fine."

Half.

Aiden felt a tingling, almost graspable sensation at these words.

"I've said too much. I'll be going now."

"Mr. Rudger!"

"What is it?"

"......I will take your words to heart."

Rudger glanced at Aiden's determined face and finally nodded lightly before leaving the arena.

The three of them watched Rudger's back silently until he disappeared.