"Don’t get into any other trouble, okay?"
The annoyed voice of a young but cranky Academy clerk filled the waiting hall as she handed Derek a white and gold slip while grumbling loudly.
"You’re a big boy now. You shouldn’t be causing trouble for others. Right when my shift was about to be over, something annoying had to come my way..."
"Thank you..." Derek suppressed his excitement and genuinely responded while bowing to the frowning woman.
Although she was beautiful, the huge frown distorted her face.
Derek was unnerved by this extreme contrast, also feeling a great deal of guilt, so he bowed yet again. "A-and I’m sorry."
"Hmph! Sorry for yourself!" she replied before glancing at the instructor who quietly stood next to him. "You should be thanking Professor Harvey George. If not for him, I wouldn’t entertain nonsense like this, even if it came from another Instructor."
"Please, Carmen... stop exaggerating."
"It’s the truth, though. I only did this because I owe you so many favors. You should let the brat know so he won’t make the mistake of thinking everything can be resolved this easily."
"I think he already has that part figured out," Harvey chuckled before glancing at Derek. "We’ll be taking our leave now. Thanks once again, Carmen. My regards to your son."
"Yeah, yeah... I’ll tell him you said hello."
"A-ah... yes, thank you once again, Mrs. Carmen..." Derek bowed again, following right behind the instructor.
"Just go!"
Carmen’s scream was the last thing he heard before the door to the Examinee Records Office closed.
Her words still rang in his mind, causing him to shiver ever so slightly.
"Now, you’ll have to return to the gate and show the guards that slip. They still have to record your entry to avoid future complications. I would have come with you, but I need to leave for an important meeting now."
"No, no, this much is plenty!" Derek could only bow to express his immense gratitude. "Thank you so much for your help, sir!"
"Please, just call me Harvey."
"B-but—!"
"Also, I hope you’re not too offended by Carmen’s reaction. She’s actually a sweet lady and isn’t typically like this."
"R-really?" Derek thought back to his brief encounter with the woman and found Harvey’s words somewhat difficult to believe.
"It’s true," he chuckled aloud. "It’s just that support staff like her are very overworked and underpaid in the Academy. It leads to a lot of stress, which is accumulated throughout the day. Nighttime is the only period where they can get some modicum of rest, so being disturbed at such a time would really tick them off."
"I see..."
"Carmen is also a single mum whose husband was an Official Magus I personally knew. He died in a rather tragic incident a few years ago, and she has been trying her best to raise her child on her own. I try to help here and there, especially for the sake of her son, but nothing can replace the warmth of a husband and father."
It made him realize what kind of person this instructor was.
"Do you know why I am telling you all of these things?"
Derek shook his head.
"Because I want you to realize just how vast and complex everyone’s life is. Just as you have likely suffered and have seen a variety of things in life, so also have others. Everyone has their own struggles and aspirations. They all live rich lives with the hope that they will achieve their dreams one day."
"I see..." Derek nodded in acknowledgment as well as enlightenment.
At first, he thought the woman was overly rude to him. After all, it wasn’t as though he intended to stress her out. He was actually the victim in all of this.
However, after hearing her story, he understood her actions some more.
It was all a matter of perspective.
In the end, whether he liked it or not, everyone lived their own lives as the main character of their story.
They had their own worries and problems.
They had their flaws and strengths.
Their good and bad sides.
Even that instructor who chose not to empathize with him and laughed instead, his siblings who schemed against him, the Lewis Estate staff who ignored and resented him, and his father who abandoned him.
They were all humans in the end.
"I’m glad you understand," Harvey sighed before looking into the distance. "It’s quite unfortunate that most people cannot grasp this concept. If they did, the world would surely be a better place."
Derek nodded.
"I agree. If everyone were as understanding of each other as you, perhaps kindness would be a lot more widespread."
"Then it’s up to us to make that a reality."
"W-what?"
"Using our knowledge to spread understanding among people, so we can be better..." Harvey smiled at Derek, his bespectacled eyes twinkling like stars.
"That’s my dream."
Derek’s mouth was wide open.
He felt that Harvey’s dream was even more difficult than his, almost to the point of being impossible.
But then he remembered the instructor’s words. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
"With Magecraft, anything is possible."
Those words resounded in Derek’s mind, causing him to nod energetically while vocalizing his agreement.
"I look forward to it, Harvey!"
"Likewise..." He closed his eyes and nodded. "... I look forward to the fulfilment of your dream."
Derek’s pale face felt warmth at that moment.
His cheeks turned slightly red.
"Pass the exams and make it into the Academy. Show me, no, everyone, just how far you can go to achieve your dreams."
Those words sank into Derek’s heart, filling a void he never knew existed.
For the first time in his life, he found someone who believed in him—a person who actually wanted him to succeed.
Derek clenched his fist and spoke with every ounce of confidence he had.
"I will!"
"Then I’ll be waiting for you..." Harvey’s figure suddenly became vague, almost like a silhouette, before it vanished.
"Until next time, Derek."
.....
Derek returned to the gate and showed the guards his slip.
After they confirmed its authenticity, they identified his serial number and recorded his arrival.
Once this was completed, Derek once again entered the Academy gates.
Almost as soon as he turned away, he felt an odd sensation that drew his attention to his side.
There, he saw a beautiful girl with long, flowing hair that matched the quiet darkness.
It was like an inky black river, cascading down her face and drifting with the gentle winds. Her deep purple eyes quietly observed him when he stared at her with a mix of awe and horror.
’When did she—?!’
Derek was stunned by her sudden presence. He hadn’t even noticed it when she walked up to him.
She must have noticed his shock, since she parted her lips the next moment.
With a voice that seemed far gentler than the late-night breeze and felt far more like a whisper than actual words, she addressed him without a trace of emotion.
"Is anything the matter?"