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Chapter 302 – All-Heaven Festival Contest Final Stage “Demon King Castle Bloody Field” (24) / Foolish Son of Man (Part 2)

302 – All-Heaven Festival Contest Final Stage “Demon King Castle Bloody Field” (24) / Foolish Son of Man (Part 2)

Contrary to my expectations, the child persisted in his training even after a week had passed.

There’s no learning from observation in Black Magic. That’s because Magical Energy is invisible.

Therefore, the way to do this is by showering the student with an increased output of Magical Energy so that their body memorizes it.

But at the same time, this also makes students aware of the absolute difference between their teacher and themselves.

Some people give up just because of this.

But that child was different.

『A-a-amazing! Master’s “Speed Down”… I couldn’t move at all! For a moment I thought I’d been turned to stone! Wow! So this is how amazing Black Magic is? Aren’t you just amazing, Mr. Master? — Aren’t you amaaaazing, Mr. Master?』

His use of honorifics was still appalling, but his motivation wasn’t dwindling. Rather, his interest kept on growing.

More than that, while I had tuned it down just enough for it not to end up killing him, the training I had prepared for him was meant to break his spirit, but the child had never given up.

No matter how many times he would fall, lose consciousness, throw up, or have to start all over again, he never gives up, never sheds tears, and always does what he is told.

Apparently, when it comes to perseverance, he’s completely out of the ordinary.

However, I had no intention of dealing with such a child forever.

So I raised the training’s level and threw the child into the forest, where beasts live.

I gave him a water bottle and a whistle and told him to survive for a few days.

If he blew the whistle, I would go get him out, but he would also be forfeiting our teacher-disciple relationship.

But even against this old man’s unreasonable instructions, the child said, 『Got it!』and gave me a big nod.

Among those who would question every reason behind a training, this child is quite obedient.

Those eyes, which had no suspicion towards their teacher, would change with this.

He was born in a rural area surrounded by forests, so he seems to have some knowledge of edible wild greens and mushrooms.

However, he doesn’t seem to have any cooking skills, so he would just start a fire to roast the mushrooms, and just eat those along with the raw wild greens.

He seemed to have no hesitation in his actions, but he wasn’t exactly calm about his situation.

That night, I looked down on the child from a position where he wouldn’t notice me, and I could hear him sobbing.

But no, the child hadn’t already broken the “no crying” rule.

He bit hard on the sleeve of his clothes, turned his face to the sky, and desperately held back his tears.

『Ugh… Dammit… Don’t give up… Don’t give up… You’re definitely going to have Master teach you all about Black Magic, and you’ll become a hero… Didn’t you make up your mind on that yourself?』

But the next day, the child would blow the whistle.

He had been attacked by a bear.

But that’s not why he asked for my help.

The child had immediately used “Blank” on the bear, and had managed to get some distance from it while the effect lasted.

Furthermore, he followed up by using “Confusion” on the bear as well, causing it to lose its way and rendering it completely unable to reach him.

Yes, forcing someone to do something they cannot do is not training.

By putting all the knowledge and skills that you have acquired so far into motion, you can break through the challenges set by the training by deducing the answer with your own head.

And people don’t forget the solutions they reach through their own effort.

They become their flesh and blood, their strength.

However, there are many people who cannot understand that and end up giving up.

Be that as it may, I honestly did not think that a mere ten-year-old could do this.

At that moment, just as the idea of having to think about his next training was making him feel despondent…

The bear, with his usual awareness still in disarray, slipped and fell down a slope.

『Ah!』

For some reason, the child ran in the direction of the bear.

Looking at it, the bear seemed to have hit its body so badly from the fall that it was convulsing weakly.

It looked like it would die soon.

And so the child blew the whistle.

『Master! Master!!』

『…What?』

『Help that bear!』

It made no sense to me at all.

The panicked child’s explanation didn’t make sense either, but that’s basically what happened.

It’s only natural for bears to hunt prey in their territory. There’s no evil in it.

Human beings also live by taking from living things, so it’s only fair that he would become the hunted instead of the hunter.

But in this case, the child had gone to the forest merely for training, something totally unrelated to the food chain.

It’s not right to let a bear, who had been working so hard to live, die under the influence of magic as it casually entered its dwelling.

『The food chain is a thing of nature. You don’t intend to place blame on the bear for acting in accordance with that, and instead want to do anything that can be done to avoid its death since it would go against the natural order of things?』

『Anything you can do is fine, so heal him! Please!』

There were still some things I wanted to ask, but I still use White Magic to heal the bear.

As soon as the bear got up and saw the Majin standing next to the child, it ran away as if frightened.

『Amazing! You can do anything, Master!』

After saying that, the boy’s face darkened.

『Ah… But I guess I can’t call you Master anymore…』

That’s right. The moment you blow that whistle, our teacher-disciple relationship would be finished.

『If you knew that, why did you blow the whistle? Didn’t you want to become a hero no matter what?』

『I want to be a hero! I’m definitely sure that I want to be a hero!』

『Then why?』

If you want to become stronger, you should focus only on that goal.

『The hero I want to be won’t abandon living creatures dying in front of him.』

『–』

And in that moment, I understood it.

I understood the weight of the word “Hero” that comes out of this child’s mouth every day.

He doesn’t live with the goal of becoming a hero one day.

Instead, he continues to practice the way of being a hero.

『I hate not being able to be Master’s disciple anymore, but I’d hate even more having to let that bear die just to keep being your disciple.』

Yes, this child has no talent.

But talent is the only thing he’s missing.

Other than his sheer bad luck, there’s no reason why he can’t become a hero.

The invisible pressure of what we call destiny can easily bind people’s lives.

Most people come to understand that they can’t fight it. And so they give up.

They live by persuading themselves that they ought to live a life that corresponds with their resourcefulness.

That is the wise way of living. I’d say it’s very close to the path to happiness.

However, there are very few people in this world who conquer the thorny path.

There are people who put everything they have on the line for one thing, and won’t stop working for the sake of the future they desire.

I’ve seen a lot of idiots who are just like that, but I’ve never seen someone this young with such an obsession… with such passion.

『…You, what was your name?』

『Huh? …It’s Lem, but why so suddenly…?』

『I see, so it’s Lem. You pass today’s training.』

『Eeh!? 』

『I told you that if you call me to come help you, you’d fail. But to help who was it that you called me?』

『T-the bear… Ah, so I’m good?』

『Has today made you want to stop doing this?』

『Nuh-uh! I’ll do it! Yaaay! 』

— One day, I asked him directly.

Why don’t you give up?

Then I got this answer from him:

Because that’s not cool.

A fool who puts his life on the line for just that reason.

This kid has no talent.

But talent is the only thing he’s missing.

Other than his sheer bad luck, there’s no reason why he can’t become a hero.

— What if he could have what he’s missing?

What if this kid had the strength to fight?

A child at the age of ten with the heart of a hero.

How will this person’s life change by slightly bending the sheer bad luck imposed on him by the Heavens?

Would it be possible for the life of a child who is only missing talent to lean toward happiness?

That’s the only reason I gave him the horn.

How far can such a foolish disciple reach in this absurd world?

It’s not bad to watch the fate of those who have a strong will.

I just had that thought.

That’s all.

That’s all there was to it.

◇

Ah, but I have to admit one mistake.

This person has no talent. That much is true.

But he was never unfortunate.

No, even that statement wouldn’t be accurate.

There was certainly a misfortune etched into him by the Heavens.

But because he grew up with that as his source of encouragement, he obtained something beyond the good luck that he was denied.

It is a power that no one, no matter how lucky or strong, can acquire with either of those alone.

The relationships with those who would come to his aid without question whenever he is in trouble.

The connection with those who believe in his own victory and success and entrust everything to him.

— Lem, my only disciple in my entire life…

— Your charisma is so radiant that it can even touch a Demon King.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a human or Demi-Human.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a Hero or a Demon King.

None of them will ever hesitate to stake everything on your victory.

The faith of such people is the fruit of your life.

You gathered everything which I deem worthless and made your blade reach me.

Be proud.

You, all of you, are strong.

Moreover–,

「Know that it won’t reach me.」