Thanks to Charlotte for editing this chapter!
The Forged Birth Certificate.
Well then, that was how we got through her second birthday, and my daughter grew to the point that one would say she looked like a 12-year-old.
Before long, she reached an age when I hesitated to enter the bath with her.
To add to that, the talent for magic that had just recently blossomed was smoothly growing. Read on Watashi wa Sugoi Desu
Beginning with 《Flight》magic, she was soon able to chant simple magic like《Water Sphere》《Invisibility》《Healing》among others.
“As expected of my niece.” Those were the words of my master, Iris Seymour.
Actually, she had quite a bit of talent for magic therefore, if it continued like this, the talent examination of Leangrad Magic Academy would be a cakewalk for her to pass.
When it came to it, the problem was the written test.
It had been hardly more than two years since Fiona was born into this world.
Even if her figure was that of a young girl, if her mind was still immature, her knowledge would be inferior. And she was overwhelmingly lacking in experience and time.And probably wish me luck for my finals in the comments
However, Fiona easily solved that problem.
She got a perfect score of 100 time and again in the mock entrance test questions of Leangrad Magic Academy I had collected.
Perhaps, the most extraordinary thing in her might be what was contained inside that brain of hers.
Master said, I’ll feel bored if you don’t read on watashiwasugoidesu.wordpress.com
「If it’s about intelligence and intellect, it makes you seem like a monkey when I first met you. Fiona’s wisdom, that is.」
It was so. Cmon, why are you reading on site that steals my TLs AND my views??
Master intended it to be sarcastic, but I didn’t feel hurt.
No, I was rather happy. Parents were creatures whose cheeks would loosen every time, whenever their child was praised. A kite gave birth to a falcon [1]. They were the greatest words of praise.
「But on the other hand, if her magical abilities stand out like mine, I’ll be concerned.」
「That too is right in its own way. You wanted her to become a librarian of a Magic Library, right?」
「Perhaps a research job at a research place might be good too. If it’s my daughter we’re talking about, she might make the old fashioned concept of alchemy obsolete, and might separate alchemy from science and chemistry.」
「You’re talking about that? That philosophy that says that even people without magical power should be able easily reproduce it?」
「Exactly. We should create an era where it’s not only the sorcerers who reap the benefits of magic; the villagers walking on the other side should benefit from magic, too. That is my dream.」
「An era where anyone should be able to easily manipulate fire, and anyone should be easily able to fly? If that day does come, we’ll be left unemployed.」
Master laughed when she said that.
Certainly the world I dreamed of was such a world. Magic not becoming a tool of war, but a symbol of peace.
Perhaps science and chemistry would become obsolete and worthless.
「You mean to say, maybe that daughter will succeed your ideal?」
Master thought of a lot of things as she said that; she didn’t continue speaking any more.
Master and I had our differences regarding this point.
I wished for a world where magic would not be necessary someday.
On the other hand, master wished for a world where people could live in harmony with magic.
However, we found a common ground of thinking about Fiona’s future.
She didn’t extend the debate anymore than that, and pulled out a letter from her cleavage.
「The forged identification papers are finally done .」
Saying so, she handed it over to me.
As I took it, I looked it over at once.
In there was Fiona’s name and her birth certificate.
Nationality was Neue Mirrodin. Descent was commoner.
In the column for mother there was an ×, and in the column for father was my name.
「You have quite the guts to make a forgery.」
「Don’t make light of this Iris Seymour. I’m a court magician holding the title of Great Wiseman. I can forge as many of these mere documents as I want.」
She boasted while puffing out her chest, I pointed out the more grave question.
While pointing at the place on the document where it was written, picked out at her mistake.
「…Um, I think Fiona’s name is fine the way it is, but isn’t it bad for my name to be written as is?」
「What’s wrong?」Liar
「No, you see I’m going to Leangrad in order to escape from the hands of the empire. Wouldn’t it be bad for my name to be as is?」
Incidentally, my name was as is, but my nationality and descent had been changed. My birth year, month, and date had been changed too.
In order to become a teacher at the magic academy, a background that said I was a sorcerer who had graduated from a magic school in a small country had been mentioned.
However, only my name being the same in that was something inconsistent.
When I pointed that out, she said with a clear voice
「What, it’s something like that? Don’t worry, there are dime a dozen Kites in this world. Fortunately, the Thousand Year Wiseman Kite is a hermit sorcerer and more or less doesn’t have any acquaintances. Even in the empire, there might not be anyone who bears a resemblance to that name and face. Much less the neighbouring country you’re going to, Leangrad.」
「Well, certainly.」Boohooo
My introversion was quite severe. Anyhow, I was an out and out person who didn’t meet even his master Iris except for once in a few decades.
Even going downtown for shopping and publishing the results of my research was something I usually left to Chloe, and in reality the number of people whose face and name resembled mine were not more than could be counted on a single hand.
「Here, instead of forcibly taking a false name and confusing Fiona, continuing on with that name would not rouse suspicion. I thought so too.」
「Certainly that conclusion might be correct.」
「The witch of fresh blood always makes the correct choices.」
She replied cheerfully and closed the question on identity, and resolutely said some outrageous words.
「Ah, incidentally, I disposed of the mansion you were living in. Iris Seymour’s disciple died in an explosion during research. His research failed and he died in a bomb explosion, and brought a full stop to that shitty long life. Because I sent such a report to the Sorcerers Society.」
Incidentally, the problem was with what she said after these words.
The words after I said 「Thank you for your efforts.」
「Ah, it was hard work. Actually, the mansion had been blown to smithereens, and I had to find corpses like that, that’s why even making the forgery was not at all fun.」
She said that. Are you still not reading on my site?
Hearing those words I unconsciously shouted.
「Wh- The mansion was blown to smithereens!? And on top of that you even prepared corpses?」
「Actually, if it hadn’t been blown to smithereens, it would not have been possible to have you be dead on paper. You’ll be taken as missing if a corpse isn’t found.」
「However, morally……」
「Rest easy. It was the corpse of a criminal who had been executed. One without relatives too. I respectfully collected and buried the exploded corpse.」
Incidentally, it seems the funeral money [2] I got from the sorcerers and master’s disciples was just a drop in the bucket.
「It can’t be helped. You were bad at socialising with sorcerers.」
She laughed but I didn’t.
What’s wrong, why are you making such a face?, master asked.
「I’m just making a face that a pitiful disciple whose mansion has been blown up without any permission of any sort, his research results, and invaluable books have been burnt to ashes, would make. It’s quite an ordinary and natural expression.」
Even regarding that, she insisted that it couldn’t be helped.
She said, actually, if she hadn’t blown up the mansion and also blown up the research results, the investigation officials who came to investigate the mansion should have had suspicions.
「…………」
It was a sound argument and thus I wasn’t able to show a protesting long face anymore, anyhow, with this I was officially penniless.
Regarding that, my master said.
「Isn’t it great? You became a father. From a near-jobless research freak, you changed jobs to a teacher at a prestigious magic school. You should be thankful, there’s no reason to criticise.」
She said so, but still, when I thought of the mansion I had lived in for many long years, and of the library collection I had collected over close to a thousand years, it felt painful.
Seriously, I have an outrageous master.
I thought so, but when I accepted the documents, I held out my hand to her for a handshake.
Master, upon seeing the gesture, made a doubtful face.
「What’s with that hand?」
The witch expressed what she thought frankly.
「It’s a parting greeting. Now that I’m going to Leangrad, it’ll be difficult to meet you freely like this.」
「I see, certainly. Moreover, your introversion is dyed in the wool. The last time you showed your face before this was a few decades ago.」
「I won’t take such a long time this time. But still, I can’t meet you everyday like I’ve been doing up until now.」
「You’re right. Leangrad is far. There is no reason not to use Transfer Magic, but I’m busy. Even if I don’t have anything to do, I won’t be able to meet easily.」
「But, an aunt should get to see her niece’s face once in a while.」
When I insisted so, she once again said 「That’s right.」and gave a self-mocking smile.
「However, a saying goes, children are ties, my niece too is a tie. I used to think that children were only noisy creatures, but for this past year, living with Fiona, I began thinking. Children aren’t as bad as I thought.」
The words were unbecoming of her, but even I agreed with her.
She who was feared by the world as the witch of fresh blood, her appearance reading Fiona a picture book, telling her stories, teaching her studies, said a lot about the great influence Fiona had over others.
In reality, the thing that changed my mind, the me who had been completely submerged in a pessimistic mood, and had been a hermit for many centuries, was my daughter’s smile.
In order to protect that smile, I tightly grasped the documents that master had arranged, and turned towards Leangrad.
T/N & E/N –
Just like our elders used to say,
“Children are our greatest treasure”.
Good luck for your finals
I love this novel, even though it’s still going nowhere.
Thank you for translating this series.