Chapter 5 – White Porcelain Pocket Watch

――Ardenfeld Kingdom

Bordering the wilderness where monsters lived, this country was known for having the most advanced magic technology in the western continent.

Its magic academy was also top-class in the world.
Above all, the royal magicians consisting of only geniuses and elites had the narrowest gate[1] in the world.

When I was a kid, I also admired them.
I remembered writing ‘to become a royal magician’ in the elementary school’s anthology.

A first magnitude star that could be seen from far, far away.
I wanted to get closer and touch it.

So looking at the pocket watch that was engraved with my name, I couldn’t help but broke into a smile.

「Amazing! It’s the real thing! It’s the real thing, Luke!」
「Naturally. No one would give you something like a counterfeit.」
「I don’t even know anymore, mou. I’m emotionally moved, emotionally moved!」

The identification paper and the pocket watch that were given were proof of a royal magician.

「It has always been my dream to have this and the day when I can finally have it has come.」

An old dream that I thought I had no choice but to give up.

To think that something like that would become reality…!

To me, who was holding the timepiece in my bosom with great care as one would treat a white porcelain, Luke said,

「It’s almost as if it’s a white porcelain, aren’t you excessively happy?」
「Almost as if it’s a white porcelain, you say… because it is, genius-sama.」
「It’s not a problem of talent but perception. Don’t become complacent just because you’ve succeeded since it’s going to be the real start from here.」
「That may be so but-」

There are ten ranks of royal magician.

First rank – Sacred-treasureMAGUS rank
Second rank – Sacred-goldADAMANTITE rank
Third rank – Sacred-silverMITHRIL rank
Forth rank – Gold rank [2]
Fifth rank – Silver rank
Sixth rank – Bronze rank
Seventh rank – Ruby rank
Eighth rank – Emerald rank
Ninth rank – Obsidian rank
Tenth rank – White-porcelain rank

The higher the rank, the higher the remuneration as well as the position in the organization.

Given that I was at the bottom, what Luke said was certainly correct.
Due to that kind of attitude, he was able to climb up faster than anyone else.

「The youngest sacred-goldADAMANTITE-ranked magician is really amazing, huh.」
「I’ll take the top, too. And of course, I’m planning to set a record.」
「Where does that confidence come from?」
「I’m not confident, I’m just proud. I don’t think I’d lose anymore, like, in terms of ability.」
「If you say so…」

There were only seven sacred-treasureMAGUS-ranked magicians in the kingdom.
Since it was the highest rank in the world of magic in the kingdom, their names were recorded in history.
He was seriously going to struggle to get there.
Once again, I trembled in fear at the my best friends’ figure which had grown bigger. The person in question said with a sweet smile,

「You’re my buddy so you shouldn’t be satisfied with white porcelain. Understood?」

That was right.
I was afraid so but it was decided that I would be working as the partner of sacred-goldADAMANTITE-ranked magician.

「I- I will do my best.」
「Well, I think you’ll be fine, though.」
「I don’t think I’m okay, though.」
「I know you better than yourself.」

He said such a thing.
No, I don’t think you know anything, Luke.

I was a low-class magician, who couldn’t even be of use to a magic item craftsman guild in a countryside.
But I was studying and working more than the others so I think there was also some part which, in and of itself, could be said to have worked out.
Or should I say, that was what I’d like to believe.

「But even I was surprised that you were working in a magic item craftsman guild. Noelle, aren’t you the least proficient in magic power imbuement?」
「Yeah, I’m really bad at it to the extent that there was a time when I even failed the class…」
「Since you poured in too much magic power at once, the magic item broke into small pieces. “God of destruction,” that moniker was feared by the senseis, wasn’t it?」
「I was rather happy to be called as such.」
「I thought as much.」

‘Kusu,’ Luke spilled out chuckle.

「But why then if you’re so bad at it?」
「I would grow more as a magician if I do things I’m bad at, was what I was thinking. For a time, after leaving the prestigious magic academy, I had a big ego. 」

I was fired up thinking that if I do my best I would surely be recognized even if it was the countryside.
To make improvement proposals so that I could contribute to the workplace even a little, I voluntarily took over tasks that were falling behind schedule.

Using things like somewhat smart-sounding technical terms was now a dark past.

「Moreover, I could only craft nothing but crystal balls which I’m bad at. I was always on tenterhooks because it would break if I lose my focus even for a bit. Through lots of practice though, I think I could do it quite well now.」

At my words, Luke put a hand over his mouth and said in a low voice,

「I see. So that magic item craftsman guild have been making great progress recently because of that, huh.」
「Huh? Sorry, I didn’t hear you clearly.」
「It’s nothing. It’s just that I now understand why your magic ability has improved compared to when we were in the academy.」
「Really? I’m glad to hear that.」

Those words were very encouraging because I was quietly doing nothing but tasks I was bad at repeatedly the whole time.
Since the environment was too hectic, I was forced to use auxiliary magic and recovery magic both of which had become better than before.

However, they say people change.
When I first met Luke, he was sharp-tongued and would never praise anyone.

At the moment, he appreciated me almost enough that I felt like it had gone beyond acknowledgement.
There was expectation.

Probably because I got knocked down by the world and lost my confidence, him being concerned about me gave me confidence.

I was grateful for that concern more than anything else.

Me just making an effort was no good.
Being a royal magician was beyond amazing that I might not be able to succeed in it.
Nevertheless, I must not lose in attitude.

Remember the you who was both soaring in the sky and invincible back in the day.

If Luke was going to be the best magician in the kingdom then you must become as strong as him.

Do your best, me.

When I was clenching my small fist in a way that it wasn’t noticeable-

「Oh, I’m looking for you, Luke. Is that the little rookie in the rumors?」

There stood a man with a large build.
Wearing a uniform similar to Luke’s, he swung his pocket watch that was decorated with sacred treasure―SageMAGUS stone―and said,

「I never expect that someone who could break that wall in the entrance exam aside from me to appear. Well, let’s have a talk, jou-chan.」

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[1] Basically it’s the hardest job to get in this world. [<–]

[2] Gold, silver and bronze ranks have furigana over them as well but they are basically the same thing so I didn’t bother to include them. [<–]