Chapter 3 – Reunion with Yorha Aizentz

“…I see. So that’s why you looked so depressed, Alec.”

I felt bad for Yorha. We had reunited after so much time, and yet she had to listen to me complain like this. Still, she remained quiet, without ever showing a hint of displeasure. And so I was happy that I told her.
Thanks to talking about it, I felt that some of the pain had lessened.

“…Sorry, Yorha. I wish we could have talked about brighter things. After all, it’s been four years.”
“I see that it hasn’t been easy for you.”
“Well, yes…”

In the first place, most people who had the occupation of Court Magician, were nobles.
On the surface, it was supposed to be the most brilliant magicians in the kingdom that were selected. That was what people thought. But the truth was, unless you were exceptionally gifted, only nobles would get hired.

And even if you managed to get in as an exception, tradition was not easily forgotten, and people were hostile.
They would force you to do all of the troublesome work. Especially the work that had a high likelihood of failure. And then they would use that as an excuse to drive you out.
Such things had happened in the past.

Equality between nobles and common folk.
The King of Gardana had gained much support by declaring such things, but this was the reality of internal affairs.

But if there was one thing that I couldn’t complain about, it was that the pay was good.

“Perhaps I really shouldn’t be saying this, but personally, I think it was for the best.”
“The…best?”

I knew that Yorha was not the kind of person to laugh at the misfortune of others.
And so I found her statement to be a little strange.

“Hey, Alec. Do you remember what I told you 4 years ago?”

She said, and I started to search through my memories of the past.
But before I could reach the answer…

“I said that once we succeed as Adventurers, I’m going to pull you out of this place.”
“…Ah. So you were serious.”
“Of course. Unlike Ornest, I don’t joke about such things.”

Hearing that familiar name made me break into a smile.

Now that I think about it, I wonder how he is these days.

“In fact, the reason that I returned to the capital like this, was to do just that.”

And then I remembered.
While I had made her listen to my complaints, I did not know why she was here. I had been meaning to ask her.

“…Hey, Alec. What do you say to joining us again, and conquering dungeons together?”

Yorha said, as she extended her hand to me.

“We need you, Alec.”

Those words made me genuinely happy.
During these past four years, no one had ever relied on me, like they had back at the magic academy.

…However, I could not easily accept the hand that she offered.

“…You do realize that I’ve become a useless, former Court Magician?”

Are you sure about this? I wanted to ask.
But the answer to the self deprecating words were…a smile that was blindingly bright.

“That doesn’t matter. We need Alec Ugritte, and no one else.”

Yorha went on to say that it didn’t matter if others thought I was useless, or if I was no longer a Court Magician.

And so before I knew it, I had grabbed Yorha’s extended hand.

“We promised that the four of us would reach S-Rank together. And so, our Adventurer Party has stopped at A-Rank, and the three of us have stuck together all of this time.”

One day, we would go and fetch Alec. They had decided this. Of course, if Alec wished to continue to be a Court Magician, they would not force him to become an Adventurer.

Yorha said with an awkward grin.

“Welcome back, Alec. And welcome to our A-Rank party…Lasting Period.”

—

“He was considered one of the most impressive ‘prodigies’ since the founding of the magic academy, and so I wondered what kind of great man would appear, but he turned out to be terribly mediocre. I am being charitable when I say that he is a coward that can only use support magic. “
“The greatest record in the dungeon…the 68th floor. It must have been a tall tale. Still, at least the nuisance is out of the way now. A commoner like that should never have been let into such an honorable institution.”

There was a rule, that the student who graduated at the top from the academy, was given the right to serve the kingdom as a Court Magician.
And so Alec had been allowed to become one. But the majority of Court Magicians in the royal castle were nobles who believed themselves to be the elite.

This was why, as a commoner, Alec was nothing but a target of their contempt.

“From tomorrow, that worthless, lying commoner will be gone, and it will be Lord Vogan, the young and brilliant magician of house Forneus, who will accompany us.”

Soon, we will trample our way through the dungeon at a speed that would be incomparable to before. And all of the world will praise your name, Your Highness.

So said the man and woman, always trying to please Prince Legulus. Yes, that’s right. He would say, and nod with satisfaction.

But they did not know…

4 years ago, the record that had been broken at the magic academy…the 68th floor of the dungeon.
It was all true.
There was no exaggeration. The man, Alec Ugritte, really was the most impressive prodigy to come out of the academy.

Originally, he had the role of an attacker, but had been forced to accompany an over-confident prince, and keep him alive at all cost. And due to this, he had been forced to continue to use support magic, which was not something he was particularly good at.

They did not yet know that the prince would not have even been able to reach the 20th floor, if he relied on his own ability. And the only reason that they were almost at the 30th floor now, was because the prodigy had been with them.

Next Chapter

A Court Magician A Court Magician Who Was Focused On Supportive Magic Because His Allies Were Too Weak Aims To Become The Strongest After Being Banished Aims To Become The Strongest After Being Banished Who Was Focused On Supportive Magic Because His Allies Were Too Weak