[EN] Episode 14 - A Family Encounter

Just as Romulus stiffened completely, Wingester, who had been awkwardly talking with Koch, also froze solid.


Following Romulus's family, Wingester's parents had entered as well.


“F, Father?!”
“Hey! So you were here after all!”
“H, how did you know?!”
“I asked the Magitech Professor, and he said you were here?”


Wingester gritted his teeth inwardly, thinking he'd have to treat the professor to some salted black tea later.
Even so, how could he just give away the location so easily...


Wingester's parents, oblivious to his gnashing teeth, were about to sit down when they suddenly caught the gaze of his family, who had been staring at Romulus.


“…….”
“…….”


They exchanged silent bows and sat down slightly apart, but a peculiar chill hung between the two families.


The two boys felt the chill radiating from each other's families send a shiver down their spines. For the first time, they looked at each other and felt a sense of shared experience.


“Since we're here anyway, why not order something?”


When Romulus's father broke the ice, his spouse finally stopped shooting Romulus daggers from the corner of her eye.
If she scolded Romulus any further, she'd get a lecture from her husband.


Meanwhile, Wingester's parents maintained a consistently warm and friendly atmosphere.


“Berett, isn't it? You were here at this club too!”
“Ah, yes.”
“Come visit again if you can. We really should have a meal with Berett's parents sometime...”
“Ehh... I, I'll mention it to my parents first...”


Soon, the airship began to rise again.
While the family marveled at the unique sensation and admired the outside scenery, Wingester focused intently on cooking.


Koch sat between the two families, conversing with each in turn.
Initially startled by the airship's sensation as it reached its target altitude and slowly halted its ascent, their attention was soon captured by the cloudscapes unfolding outside.


Wingester thought he should join them since his family was present, so he carried the finished dishes out of the kitchen and served alongside Romulus.


“So you're Wingester?”


Surprisingly, it was Romulus's father who spoke to him as he finished serving and was about to return.


“Ah, yes...”
“......”


After silently staring into his eyes, he chuckled as if suddenly understanding something, then crossed his arms.


“I think I know why Romulus lost.”
“What? You mean this boy is...?”
“Yes. ‘That’ Wingester.”
“Oh my, to such a timid-looking boy?”


As his wife started to act silly, he clicked his tongue disapprovingly and gave her a warning look, making her cringe. He then stood up and extended his hand to Wingester, offering a handshake.


“Thanks to you, our Romulus has shed his arrogance. I'm grateful.”
“Ah...!”


Caught off guard, Wingester took the handshake with both hands and bowed his head. Then, something whispered into his ear.


“Of course, that doesn't mean Romulus is inferior to you. Just be prepared, okay?”
“...I have no intention of losing easily either.”


Having made up his mind, Wingester retorted without backing down. Satisfied, Wingester smiled, returned to his seat, and patted Romulus on the shoulder.


“Work harder, kid. You won't surpass that guy with just average determination.”
“I, I know that much!”


Wingester's parents, who had known about Romulus's situation, stiffened slightly at this exchange.


They hadn't expected Wingester to defeat the son of that prestigious family, whose parents were seated right next to them—and whose son was now in the same club Wingester had founded.


As they froze, contemplating how to respond, it was Romulus's father who clarified the situation.


“So you are Wingester's parents.”
“Ah, yes. That, that's correct. Um...”
“The magic duel matter is fine. If something like that were enough to tarnish our family's honor...”
“......?”
“...our noble house's name would have been flushed down the sewer long ago.”


Wingester's father swallowed hard at the remark, which was calm yet unmistakably brimming with defiance.
It was an unapologetic statement, yet simultaneously overflowing with confidence.


Koch, who had been about to step forward if the situation worsened, had awkwardly risen but now sat back down in his chair with relief.
Indeed, the current head of the Seiz family was no ordinary man.


He wasn't exactly unassuming, but he was a solid individual who clearly understood the difference between true honor and mere arrogance.


“Thank you for your generous words, Lord Seiz.”


When Koch stepped forward to offer his respects, Seiz waved him off, looking rather flustered.


“Not at all, Professor Koch. I was skeptical when I heard you were keeping an eye on this student, but this incident has confirmed it.”


Exchanging such polite words, the Seiz family head turned away, etching Wingester's name deep into his heart.


This was the boy who had defeated his son—a future candidate for Grand Mage, one who had inherited more than enough of the noble house's qualities, even if they lacked substance.
He would undoubtedly become a prodigy in the future.


“Romulus.”
“Yes, Father!”
“How about inviting the club children to our mansion during winter break?”
“Eh, what?!”


At this unexpected suggestion, everyone froze in shock. The head of the family chuckled and nodded.


“If Father approves...”
“What do you think, dear?”
“I...”


She couldn't bring herself to approve of her son mingling with such half-baked kids, but she couldn't rashly oppose her husband's decision.


He was a stubborn man who never changed his mind once he'd made a decision.


“Since Romulus has finally found his direction, it would also serve as a celebration of that.”
“If you say so...”
“Mr. Wingester. I'd really like you to come too. I want to talk with you about this and that.”
“Me...?”
“Yes.”


It was a precious opportunity, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the mansion of a noble family.


“If you'd invite me, I'd be grateful to accept.”
“In that case, I'll have to arrange my vacation to coincide with Romulus's break season.”
“You! Is it really okay for you to just take off like that?”
“What's the big deal? I need a break sometimes too. Besides, it's about our youngest finally settling down.”


After finishing dessert, the lord who had arranged the winter vacation schedule spent a long time looking around the interior of the airship, observing it with interest.


He had never imagined such possibilities existed in Magitech, so he hadn't expected something this substantial to be created.


“Romulus. What power source drives this colossus? I sense a strong mana reaction below, but...”
“It's a Golem Heart, Father.”
“A Golem Heart? Huh... That must have been hard to procure. You managed to get one.”
“Wingester's house is a magic goods shop, so I refurbished an old model left in the warehouse and installed it.”
“So that's why there's a magic goods sales counter over there.”


He, who led the Magic Guard Corps, was also a pragmatist.
If it aided combat, he was willing to adopt Magitech—something ordinary mages looked down upon—without hesitation.


Approaching the counter, he meticulously examined the magic tools and accessories berett explained, picking them apart here and there. After a thorough look, he promptly bought several items and returned to his seat.


“I just don't understand why this stuff has been looked down upon all this time...”
“There are unavoidable aspects to it.”
“Professor Koch.”


While Koch stood beside the head of the household, who had briefly expressed doubt, discussing matters concerning the kingdom, Romulus was sweating bullets trying to stop his sister from going to Wingester.


“Sis, it's fine...!”
“Whyyy? I just find it fascinating that a boy strong enough to overpower Romulus works in the kitchen.”
“That guy isn't someone to be underestimated, even if he seems easygoing...!”


Amidst their squabbling, the airship, having completed its scheduled time, slowly began its descent to the ground.
Witnessing this scene, Koch and the family rose from their seats, gathered at the window to watch, lost in thought.


“Thank you for your patronage! If you enjoyed your experience, we'd be delighted to serve you again tomorrow!”


Watching the family exit the door with Zessler's farewell announcement, Romulus wore a complex expression.


*


The airship successfully became a highlight of the academy festival.
Despite limited seating, lines formed and it was a huge success.


“You all did an excellent job!”


Receiving praise from the Professor of Magitech, the group gathered at a restaurant for an after-party, at Romulus' suggestion.


“Are you sure it was okay to come to such a fancy place?”


As Zessler looked around anxiously, Romulus silently gave a sly smile.
Perhaps his family had pulled some strings.
Except for them, the entire floor was completely empty.


“Wasting money on useless things again...”


Wingester muttered disdainfully, shaking his index finger from side to side as if finding it laughable.


“You commoners might call it wasteful, but for someone of noble birth like me, this is only natural. Spending money to receive treatment befitting one's status isn't a bad thing.”
“What….”
“It's because people like us spend money like this that the staff here earn their wages. Understand?”
“…….”


Wingester froze, not expecting such a counterattack. Romulus smiled smugly and called the waiter over.


“Order whatever you want, as much as you want. Today, I'm treating you properly.”
“Are you sure it's okay?”
“Yes. I even got my parents' permission. While I'm confident in my knowledge and talent as a high-ranking battle mage, I'm not exceptionally skilled in any specific field of Magitech like you guys are. So, since I'll be learning a lot from you in the future, I'm just trying to score some points up front.”


The group finally seemed to relax, settling into slightly more comfortable positions.
Places like this were usually off-limits to penniless nobodies like them.


As each chose their desired menu and ate their fill, Romulus was lost in thought.
About what kind of mage he wanted to become.


At first, he only thought of becoming a combat mage like his eldest brother.
Because that was the only path he knew.


Suddenly, he turned his head slightly to the side. The man who had shattered his values and shown him a new world was chewing on pudding, looking over at him as if asking what was wrong.


“...?”
“Nothing.”


Watching Wingester, he realized the path of a mage wasn't singular.
So, prepared to face his parents' scolding, he joined the Magitech Club.


The ambition to fuse Magitech with his own magic and forge an entirely new path for mages was quietly burning within the heart of this talented young mage.


-To be continued-