Chapter 8
After Adam and Lucy left, Josephine turned her head toward the window, listening to the chirping of birds. She soon sighed and muttered to herself.
“Did I bother Mr. Adam?”
Hearing the sadness in her voice, Zandra, who was standing nearby, jumped in surprise and quickly denied it.
“No, that’s not it at all.”
“But he refused to eat and left right away.”
For a moment, Zandra hesitated on how to explain but eventually decided to be honest.
“It’s… probably because of Miss Lucy.”
“Why would it be because of Miss Lucy?”
“Well, it’s not certain, but maybe Miss Lucy… uh, felt jealous seeing you and Mr. Adam having such a pleasant conversation.”
Josephine tilted her head in confusion at Zandra’s words.
She couldn’t understand why Lucy would feel jealous of her when she couldn’t go anywhere alone or even see his face.
“I don’t fully understand, but it seems like I unintentionally disrespected Miss Lucy.”
“It’s not necessarily—”
Unfortunately, Zandra was terrible at this kind of conversation, both in life and as a gacha character.
Though wanting to comfort Josephine, Zandra had no idea how to start. Seeing her friend struggle awkwardly, Josephine gave a weak smile.
“It’s fine. I’ll just apologize next time we meet. Speaking of which, I’m curious—was there really a big gap between the times when you and Mr. Adam were active, Zandra?”
Zandra had mentioned before that she was an adventurer about a hundred years ago.
On the other hand, the name of *Wandering Hero* Adam became famous roughly five hundred years ago, meaning there was about a four-hundred-year gap between them.
Of course, Josephine was well aware of this fact, but her intention with the question wasn’t about the chronological difference between their lifetimes.
“Hmm… though my life back then wasn’t easy either, so I don’t really want to admit it, but even so, the era Mr. Adam lived in was incomparable.”
The world five hundred years ago was truly a chaotic age of warring states.
It was considered one of the worst periods in human history, where wars broke out almost daily, making human lives lighter than feathers. Both young and old died rapidly, resulting in an extremely low average lifespan.
“In such times, countless heroes rose and fell easily. Among them, Mr. Adam wandered the world alone with just a sword. It was madness, but because of that, his name remained legendary even in my time.”
While Josephine had read about these events in books, hearing it directly from someone who experienced it made her breath quicken with excitement.
“But that’s not all, is it?”
“Yes. As Mr. Adam himself once said, after becoming a gacha character, he has been summoned three times, including this one. Every time, he got involved in massive incidents.”
“You mean the Great Beast War and the recent calamity with the ancient dragon. Now I get why his stats listed luck as F.”
In many ways, he was a living witness to history.
“He’s already dead though, isn’t he?”
“Hehe, good point.”
Rarely cracking a joke, Zandra giggled, prompting Josephine to continue with a slightly worried tone.
“But every time he gets summoned, something major happens. If that’s the case again, does it mean something bad is going to happen to our Barfulus Kingdom?”
Of course, Josephine didn’t blame Adam for any of this. She wasn’t foolish enough to confuse cause and effect.
So, this could be considered pure concern. Zandra agreed, saying it was plausible, while also presenting another theory.
“Perhaps he is a countermeasure arranged by the Gacha God for humanity.”
“Oh, so the Gacha God uses Mr. Adam to protect humanity?”
A story Adam himself would’ve scoffed at if he heard it, calling it nonsense, yet Josephine and Zandra discussed it with utmost seriousness.
—
“Ah, Adam! This is super sweet and fluffy—it’s delicious!”
Reflecting on it, the power of sweets was truly great.
At the magic tool shop, Lucy was quite flustered upon hearing that I used to be a mage, but now she’s completely focused on the pancake that came out as a dessert gacha at the café.
Meanwhile, sipping on the coffee I got from the gacha, my mind wasn’t exactly at ease.
Lucy was a mage.
Considering the obsessive bloodline management typical of mage families, there were two likely possibilities:
One: Lucy is the abandoned illegitimate child of nobility or royalty.
Two: A distant ancestor of Lucy’s was a mage, and through an incredibly low probability, those traits manifested in her.
Without a doubt, the former was more realistic.
However, even if she were of royal or noble descent, they would still manage her magical abilities somehow… unless, of course, her parents were utterly incompetent morons.
How should I explain this to Lucy?
After pondering various approaches, I decided hiding it wouldn’t serve any purpose, and revealing the truth later might shock her even more. So, I opted for honesty.
Upon happily leaving the café and returning home, I sat across from Lucy at the kitchen table and finally spoke up.
“Do you remember what I said earlier at the magic tools shop?”
“That I was a mage?”
“Yeah, that.”
I began by explaining the characteristics of mage families: how magical talent is inherited and is exclusive to royalty or nobility.
By this point, Lucy seemed to grasp what I was getting at.
“So… there’s a possibility I have royal or noble bloodlines?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why was I born and raised in the slums?”
“Either your parents had unavoidable circumstances… or…”
They were complete idiots beyond comprehension.
“I can’t quite wrap my head around it.”
“For now, that’s understandable. But if things go well, we might be able to find your parents, Lucy.”
“Ah, no need for that. As long as I have Adam, nothing else matters to me.”
True, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t want to find parents who abandoned me in the slums either.
“Alright, let’s set that aside for now. Moving forward, I think you should consider attending a magic academy.”
“A magic academy?”
“As the name suggests, it’s a place where mages gather to study or practice magic.”
Most countries, unless exceedingly small, usually have at least one magic academy. And if my memory serves correctly, the capital of Barfulus also had one.
“Uh, do I have to be separated from Adam to attend the magic academy? If so, I’d rather not go.”
“You won’t have to separate. If it’s in the capital, commuting will be possible, and you won’t need to stay in a dormitory.”
Besides, I wasn’t pushing her to start immediately. We could think about her future after confirming her magical talents properly.
“Are we going tomorrow?”
“I’ll visit Duke Buelwerke first. Once I explain the situation, he’ll likely provide a letter of introduction or convey the message directly.”
It’d be easier than barging in unannounced.
The next day, after informing Duke Buelwerke about Lucy being a mage, I witnessed him reacting exactly as expected.
“This is a matter concerning the honor of all Barfulus nobility! Whoever did this, I shall track them down and punish them!”
“Much appreciated, but please don’t bother searching. Lucy doesn’t wish to meet her parents. All we need is for you to introduce us to the magic academy.”
Duke Buelwerke wanted to personally escort us, but unfortunately, he had other commitments. Instead, he swiftly provided an introduction letter bearing his family seal.
The effect of the letter was impressive. The lethargic gatekeepers guarding the entrance to the magic academy sprang into action the moment they saw the seal.
A few minutes later, a young woman in a white robe ran towards us, panting heavily as she greeted us.
“(Huff)… (huff)… Welcome… (huh)… (huh)… to Barbulus… Magic Academy…(cough)…(cough).”
“It’s not urgent, so please calm down and speak.”
“Thank… you…”
A few minutes later, the woman finally regained her composure and introduced herself.
“Phew. Sorry for the display. I’m Professor Miriam Chanelle. Nice to meet you, Wandering Hero Adam, and his owner, Miss Lucy.”
They all seem to refer to Lucy as an afterthought.
Normally, I’d overlook it since there’s no ill intent, but today’s different.
We’re here for Lucy’s sake, not mine.
“The talented one is not me but my owner. Please keep that in mind.”
“Ah, y-yes! My apologies!”
Following Professor Chanelle, who quickly caught on and apologized, we entered the school.
“Normally, the headmaster should greet you, but unfortunately, he’s currently absent…”
“No problem. Just confirming Lucy’s magical talent and evaluating her potential will suffice.”
Crossing the courtyard, we entered the main building and were guided to Professor Chanelle’s personal study.
Upon arrival, she quickly rummaged through something and pulled out a transparent crystal orb from a shelf, placing it in front of Lucy.
“Just place your hand on this. If you have magical talent, it will glow, and the color will indicate your potential.”
Same as a gacha system.
“Alright, Lucy, place your hand on it.”
“Yes…”
Tense, perhaps, Lucy cautiously placed her hand on the orb, and it began to emit light.
No doubt remains now. Lucy is definitely a mage.
But that’s not the end of it.
The light kept changing.
First, it was colorless.
Then it turned blue.
Next, gold.
Finally, as a rainbow hue appeared, cracks formed on the orb, causing it to shatter.
“Impossible…”
Judging from the lights we just saw and the professor’s stunned expression, there was no need to ask, but I pretended ignorance anyway.
“What do you think, Professor? What about my owner’s potential?”
“…What do you mean, what? Are you blind? This is unparalleled talent! Even without full awakening, her latent magical power is at least A-class, possibly S-class or higher!”
Yeah, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.
—
