C159: Children and Adults (1)
'This is difficult.'
What I said made her fall into her imagination, and for a moment, her eyes were looking at something other than me.
Hans is already far away and is looking at me. If it goes on like this, I'll be wasting a lot of time.
"Are you done with your business now?"
When she spoke strongly in a slightly scolding tone, Casey, who had been thinking for a while, came to her senses. She smiled softly and nodded her head without being surprised.
"Yes, I do. I'm sorry I took your time."
"That's all right."
Well, I'd appreciate it if she said she'd step down on her own here. Moreover, Casey's voice did not show any signs of suspicion. It's a relief that he suddenly met her, but she didn't seem to know that he was James Moriarty.
"Wow!"
Just in time, cheers came from afar and the host's voice amplified by the subsequent loudspeaker resonated softly. At the same time, a blonde girl who was as beautiful as a doll ran toward me from afar.
"Casey! What are you doing there? The duel is about to start!"
"Oh, my God, look at me. I asked for directions, but I forgot and got distracted. I'll be on my way."
I nodded and glanced at Betty.
'Automaton Beta made for the same purpose as Arpa. She's been with Casey the whole time.'
Looking at the girl nagging Casey, the two seemed to get along pretty well. Her emotional expression seems much richer than Arpa.
It's a relief though. Thanks to her, I've been able to get away from Casey.
When I was relieved inside, a small drop of water came up in front of my eyes. Soon it burst and turned into a small business card and fell on my hand. My eyes naturally turned to Casey, who was dragged by the girl.
Casey looked back at me as she was being dragged, closed one eye and moved her lips.
-Call me if you need any help.
Then she disappeared out of sight without a moment for me to say anything.
'I can't stop her.'
I analyzed the business card lightly, using my power. Meanwhile, Hans, who had been far away, approached me.
"What happened? What's that blue paper on your hand?"
"Casey business card. She left it at will before she left."
"Business card? Can't you just throw it away?"
"It's not an ordinary business card. Seeing the magic, it's acting as a kind of signal. If I throw it away, she'll notice it right away."
"Huh. Is there such magic?"
"Because the other person is a single attribute element wizard. Unlike conventional magic, there's nothing strange about her magic."
Hans nodded his head, saying that I was right.
"That's true. I think it's possible when I see you."
"Anyway, Casey Selmore doesn't seem to know who I am yet. Giving a business card is a sign of friendship more than doubt. But I'm a little worried that I caught her attention with this identity."
"Did she find something suspicious about you?"
"You don't have to worry about that. Because I erased all the habits I showed her with the identity I used before."
"………Is it possible to erase your habits?"
I shrugged my shoulders at Hans who was screaming.
"It's basic knowledge to erase every little act consciously."
I've been wearing various masks all my life. Of course, the mask that I wore during James Moriarty's time was completely different from the mask I'm wearing now. In other words, I don't have to worry about being discovered by making trivial actions.
But he wasn't without worries because of James Moriarty's appearance.
'I didn't disguise myself back then.'
The actual change was the degree to which the hairstyle was neatly pulled back and the outfit was different. He, who did not have a chiseled face at the time, used light magic to make his impression different. Of course, this alone is bound to change the impression of a person, so not many people will recognize him.
''Still, I thought that someone like Casey Selmore would identify me based on my appearance.'
Judging from her reaction, fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. If even Casey, who has excellent observation skills, didn't recognize him, there would be no need to worry about being caught by anyone else.
"Hans, you should be concerned."
When I pointed it out, Hans opened her eyes and pointed at himself with her index finger.
"Me? What about me?"
"If it was Casey Selmore I knew, she would have specified your outfit or behavior. You'll be in trouble if you come across her later."
"She doesn't know my name and I left right away. Would she remember me?"
"Don't look down on her. She is a woman who reaches the truth with one small clue. She should have seen us talking from afar when she approached me, so she already remembers your characteristics."
"What should I do?"
"First of all, I recommend not wearing those clothes for a while and intentionally carry other props to make it look like you have a different profession."
Casey Selmore doesn't simply remember a person because of its face. The person's voice, tone, step, petty behavior, wink, etc are all pieces of the puzzle. On the contrary, if only a few of these puzzle pieces could be intentionally removed, the suspicion of being the same person could be avoided.
Of course, if the number of encounters increases, the tail will be stepped on, but it will not matter if she passes by lightly like this time.
Hans was shocked, saying, "She just glanced at me once, but should I do this?"
"Hans, you have a habit of slightly frowning your nose, especially when you talk. If it's hard to fix it, purposely shake your mouth or close your eyes. A small habit is like a person's ID, if you can't erase it, you should at least change it."
"……I'd rather sneak around without being caught."
"That wouldn't be bad either."
Hans is sick and tired of it, but what can I do? Still, if I point it out, I don't have to worry anymore because he'll put it in practice right away
"Nari! Look at this!"
I think Seridan finished watching the Golem just in time, so she was running this way. Seeing the bright smile on her face, she seemed to have enjoyed it enough but Seridan wasn't the only one coming.
"Teacher Bryno?"
"Huh? Mr. Rudger Chelici?"
Seridan came with Bryno, the main character of the Golem start-up ceremony. As I thought it was unexpected, Bryno also opened his eyes wide to see that I was here, and soon smiled warmly.
"I was surprised. A child who seemed to like golems came to me and talked to me but was more versed in Golem and mechanical engineering than I thought. So I came wondering who her guardian was, but I didn't expect Mr. Rudger to be here."
"We're a little connected, but we're not exactly guardians because she's a dwarf in the first place."
"Oh, well! No wonder she's so knowledgeable, but if she's a Dwarf, it makes sense."
"Mister! I've been saying this for a while! I'm not a kid."
Seridan must have consistently said that she was not a child. However, on the outside, she looked like a child, so Bryno would have laughed it off, thinking that the child just wanted to pretend to be an adult.
Realizing his mistake, Bryno bowed to Seridan.
"I'm sorry, Miss Seridan. I was rude."
At the sight of Bryno apologizing immediately, Seridan laughed playfully.
"Then, tell me the design of that golem!"
"Well, that's a little……."
"What a shame."
She's still asking for the golem's blueprint. Isn't it the same as asking for a wizard for a spell? But surprisingly Bryno did not get angry?
I apologized to Bryno instead of Seridan.
"I'm sorry, Seridan is not familiar with human etiquette yet."
"Haha, I understand. Dwarves are stubborn. I've met Dwarfs before, but Seridan is rather calm, so I don't care much."
When Bryno said that Seridan was calm Hans looked surprised.
"If that crazy bomber is on the quiet side, how are the other Dwarves?"
Seridan, who heard what he said unknowingly, stabbed her elbow in Hans's abdomen with a smile.
Seridan muttered something to Hans, who bowed his upper body with a chilling look. Given that Hans's face has turned pale, it's probably a threat to test his constitution with the teeth of various animals when they return to the hideout.
"More than that, did Mr. Rudger also watched this start-up ceremony?"
"Yes."
"That's unexpected. I thought you wouldn't be interested in this."
While saying so, teacher Bryno realized his mistake and immediately waved his hand and made an excuse.
"Oh, so I didn't mean it in a bad way. I mean, it's just……."
"I know. Ordinary wizards don't have a good impression about golems."
Besides, he was in charge of teaching the entire manifestation system, which wizards consider to be the most orthodox. From Mr. Bryno's point of view, it was natural to think that way.
"However, I do not discriminate against magic and I'm also quite interested in golems."
"Oh! Is that so?"
Bryno's eyes glistened at my words.
"Could you please tell me what was good at today's start-up ceremony? I want to get advice from a fellow teacher."
"Hmm. First of all, the golem you showed today called DT-3000 is quite interesting. It can change forms compared to a fixed golem and that alone will add an infinite number of uses."
"That's right!"
"I'm concerned that it would be difficult to use the metal used to make the existing golems because the pressure on the seams and joints is strong. A metal with high conductivity that is resistant to heat, pressure and has excellent ductility is needed. Have you created a new alloy?"
"Yeah. I actually experimented and found that ordinary steel was not enough. So…."
"You mixed chrome and tried to reduce the need for maintenance by mixing metal that is good for corrosion resistance."
That's stainless steel.
Bryno nodded his head like a man who had lost his soul.
"As a result, I think it's a great golem."
There was nothing I could point out. Even if I don't point out the problem, Bryno will notice it quickly thanks to his skill. All we have to do is encourage him.
"Heh, heh heh. Hearing that from Mr. Rudger makes me embarrassed."
"There is no need to be embarrassed. Because I was just saying it as it is. Mr. Bryno can take pride in his work."
Unlike the source code that was created by following existing knowledge Bryno created a transforming golem purely with his own inspiration.
Unlike me, who followed the path that already existed, he pioneered a new path. The word genius is a word that suits someone like that, not me.
"Oh my gosh. Even the humility of being able to humble yourself so much!"
But why does this person look at me with a more burdensome look when I keep saying he did great?
"It was a fun experience anyway teacher Bryno. People who want to talk to you have been standing there looking around for a while, is it okay?"
I pointed to the students who couldn't get closer and stared anxiously at teacher Bryno. They wanted to ask something they're curious about, but they're nervous because they can't approach him.
Among them, there was a new student who was supported by the Alchemy School, Clara Hanis, who was taking my class.
"Oh, I see. Thank you for your comments today."
"Yes, I enjoyed it, too."
Teacher Bryno headed to the students. I watched the students eagerly asking questions about the golem and teacher Bryno accepting them.
I don't know when, but Seridan was naturally mixed there.
"Brother must be quite a vocation for being a teacher."
"Do I look like that?"
"Of course. The sharpness that used to seem subtle is all gone and you're even pleased to see the children."
I nodded at Hans's words.
"At least this is a different place from the world we lived in. Don't you think so?"
"Well, I won't deny that this place looks peaceful and good but I'm a little uncomfortable here."
I looked back at Hans and he sighed with a complex look.
"We weren't like that back then. No, actually, I couldn't."
"Hans…"
"To be honest I'm jealous of them because I didn't grow up in such a blessed environment."
Having talent and growing up in a good environment without lacking anything. For Hans, that appearance must have been a repulsive sight to the point where hives appeared on his body.
"We are so different."
His voice, which seemed to be somewhat despondent, sounded hollow. Because of his constitution he couldn't live like a human being.
"When I lived on the run, the children here would have enjoyed their youth. They must have been chatting with their roommates in a warm dormitory while I was shivering in the cold during the Lunar New Year. Nevertheless, they complained and were annoyed that it was hard."
He recalled the past when he was angry at the unfairness of the world.
It was a long time ago, but he still remembers that day clearly. He once saw a building so tall that it was going to soar in the sky while he was on a bus to find an academy to study. It was such a high apartment that even if you bent your head for a long time from right below, you couldn't see the rooftop.
To be honest, he was overwhelmed. With everything a person needs to live in, it looked so expensive that he couldn't think that he could live there even if he was reborn.
Then he found a family coming out of the entrance of the apartment. Among them, the most noticeable thing was a 10-year-old boy coming out holding his father's hand.
The child had a father and a good house he could live in. However, the child's face was filled with heartache because he was so dissatisfied and annoyed.
Then he felt a sense of despondency beyond words. Did that child really made an effort to live in a house like that? No, that child was just born from good parents.
He was born with something that others can't reach for life made Hans realize then that the world was an unfair place.
There are still many children who cannot study even if they want to, and who go to the factory area filled with soot every day and suffer from harsh labor but can only watch at the wealthy families children who don't do anything.
The students of Theon work hard too. Exploring magic isn't usually hard but can it really be called the unhappiness of life?
Compared to the suffering experienced by children who are still exploited in labor and do not receive a proper daily wage, the dissatisfaction of students cannot be called dissatisfaction. Yet they do not know how to be grateful.
They are people who can rise to a position of admiration just because they were born with the ability to use magic. That's too much. It's unfair.
Even if he could use magic, he always lived a life of facing death, hiding his identity.
"Hans, to those who have lived like us, most people in the world may seem as peaceful as they are in a flower garden."
Rudger fully understood Hans's mind. Wouldn't he have felt that way?
"Nevertheless, you cannot blame the children."
The reason is simple and insignificant.
– Because the children are innocent.
A child should not be guilty of enjoying something. It is impossible for an adult who couldn't eat anything when he was young to take a candy from a child, saying that he doesn't deserve it.
Isn't that unseemly?
An adult should play his role as an adult no matter what.
"Shouldn't the children laugh?"
Adults just have to make sure that children don't live like them and point them to a better way.