MK 16 – A Mage of Petty Little Tricks

[Congratulations on passing your graduation exam, Kunon-sama.] (Genie)

[Thank you so much, Genie-sensei!] (Kunon)

Kunon is having his magic class today.

Gennie, who’s been teaching him magic for two years now, has arrived in the Gurion’s estate to see Kunon.

As usual, they met each other in the garden outside of Kunon’s detached house to conduct their class for today.

‘–Kunon graduated from the aristocratic school without any problems just recently.’ (G)

With this, Kunon was able to satisfy the minimum requirement of what’s expected of a noble.

Kunon doesn’t necessarily care about what will happen in the future, but at the very least, he’s now comfortable that he won’t be bothered by school problems when he decides to make his debut in the noble circles.

And Genie believes the same as she thought to herself while conducting her lecture.

[I guess now’s a great opportunity to tell you the truth.] (G)

[Truth?] (K)

Kunon turns around to face Gennie while asking his question.

Not that it really matters since he can’t see her face but it was an instinctive reaction after he felt the strange weight from Gennie’s words.

Truth.

In other words, he has to brace himself for what’s coming from her.

[Have you prepared yourself? I’m about to tell you something that might be a little shocking, you know?] (G)

[Even if you say that… are you about to tell me that you’re now ready to reveal your identity? As the goddess of the night that’s about to get back to the realm of the deities…?] (K)

[Yes — but as much as I’d like that to be true, it is not… The truth is… I don’t have anything left to teach you, Kunon-sama.] (G)

[…ehhh…] (K)

It is indeed a shocking truth.

[I think I’ve already said a number of times that I’d be quitting this job. I don’t want to just milk this employment anymore. That’s why I want to come clean and reveal the truth. I have nothing else to teach you, Kunon-sama.] (G)

Gennie hasn’t said anything of that sort ever since to protect at least her little pride remaining.

But Gennie had already resolved herself.

[As I have explained before, Kunon-sama’s father forbid that I teach you offensive magic. On that premise, I taught you everything I could with that limitation in mind. Kunon-sama, the way you are right now, you’re more adept in handling mana than myself. With the proficiency and knowledge you have right now, you’ll probably overtake me already once you learn new magic.] (G)

[How could that be!! Do you know how much I enjoy the petty little tricks you pull in desperation to deceive me!? I love them, sensei! Don’t take them away!] (K)

[Oh… so you’ve already noticed my struggle, huh… That would make things easier, then. Because to be frank, I can’t count anymore how many times I racked my brains out trying to warp my teaching methods any further for the past two years. I just feel so tired now.] (G)

[Don’t say that, Sensei! The moments you rack your brains are definitely worth it, you know! It definitely helped me learn more about magic! It’s your petty little tricks with magic that gave me the will to live, Sensei!] (K) *Image 1*

[If you really appreciate it then it would be nice if you won’t keep calling them pretty little tricks… I spent sleepless nights thinking of them, you know. So that kind of stings…] (G)

[Then you could just create more!] (K)

[And what I am trying to say here is that I can’t do it anymore! I’m the one who’s coming up with those methods so if I say no more, then there’s no more! Just what do you know about how I feel, Kunon-sama!? … No, do you even consider how I feel!? You’re so frustrating!!!] (G)

[It’s about the money, is it!? Is this all because of money!?] (K)

[No! It’s actually the other way around! I am getting such a large amount of money when I am not actually doing anything at all! My conscience is haunting me and I can’t bear it anymore!] (G)

[I’ll talk to my father to increase your salary! So don’t talk again about you leaving me!] (K)

[Didn’t you hear me say that it’s because of the high salary that I’m so torn about staying here!?] (G)

Kunon is simply gifted.

Genie, on the other hand, is just pretty average amongst all this kingdom’s mages.

Genie felt like she had nothing left to teach to her student especially when he’s now actually ahead of her.

If perhaps they try to switch places for a day, Genie believes that Kunon would actually have a lot more things that he could teach her.

–In the last two years, Genie was deeply attached to this job that has low working hours but incredible premium pay. However, it’s now come to the point that she feels deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

Genie is pretty average for a magician.

But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t take pride in her craft.

Her magic might not be something to write anything about, but it’s still magic that she still wields with pride.

And it is none other than her pride that is hounding her that she is not capable of being Kunon’s teacher anymore.

…To be accurate, Gennie’s already been saying that she wants to resign from her post but Kunon manages to stop her every single time before. Days just continue to pass by as she’s getting more and more numb about the situation.

After all, it isn’t easy to find such a working environment with pretty good conditions like the Gurion’s household. The job’s pretty simple too. Not to mention, she has and is allowed to use a lot of vacations. There’s also the lovely desserts and snacks to boot.

Being Kunon’s teacher is actually a job that’s really difficult to surrender.

But, certainly, everything has its limits–

[Kunon-sama!]

*Grabs*

Genie shouted at Kunon as she grabbed his shoulders.

[You should be looking for someone who’s more competent, reliable, and capable in teaching you magic rather than someone like me! I can’t teach you anything else any longer! I can’t stretch things too much anymore! …More like, we already went past the Marquis’ limit and I was just stretching it! But you still manage to master them! You really really did well that I can’t be here to guide you anymore!]

This is what burdens Genie the most and is pushing her to leave her job.

She realizes that she’ll only hold Kunon’s talents back as she cannot provide him any guidance anymore.

Genie knows how gifted Kunon is. As she continues to watch him improve, she’s struck upon that realization that the things that she could teach are already at their limits.

That being the case, Genie now wanted someone else to take over her job that could introduce Kunon to another world of magic. The decision isn’t just for herself, but is also for her beloved student.

For lack of a better word, Genie’s presence is just now hindering Kunon’s growth.

Will there be a mage who’d be willing to swallow their pride and stick to such a situation? Genie’s pride won’t allow her to do so.

‘It’s time for us to part ways.’ (G)

So that he’d be able to reach new heights and learn more about the rest of the world and magic.

This farewell is already way past its deadline.

Kunon’s been doing his best to delay it, after all.

So for the past six months, Genie’s just been struggling and trying to bear these thoughts on her own.

[Listen, for the past year, I know myself that I practically didn’t teach you anything. I tried pulling some tricks and stretching the topics a bit further but I’m just like deceiving you already and I’m at my wits end. You should have realized it too, don’t you, Kunon-sama?]

[Then just deceive me!]

[Huh?]

[Deceive me more! Find more ways to stretch things and pull some more little tricks! I am confident that you could do it, Genie-sensei! You could always do better, so trick me more than what I could handle!]

[….]

*Plop*

Genie’s hands let go of Kunon as she takes a little distance away from the boy.

She got a feeling that the conversation right now felt a little bit weird and the young boy in front of her is actually giving her some pressure.

[…Like I’ve said, Kunon-sama… I’m already at my limits…]

Genie then observes her surroundings.

In every direction she sees, an animal made of water is standing on it.

Not just one animal, but of all sorts of species.

There’s about fifty of them and while some are small enough that could be stepped down upon, some are so large you have to stretch your neck to see the top.

All of these creatures are made of water.

Each and every single piece reflects the light of the sun creating a majestic ambiance like they are some piece of artwork.

–It’s the fruit of Kunon’s magic that he polished all this time, his ‘A・ Ori’ (Water ball).

Such mastery and craftsmanship is already way past of the beginner and elementary levels.

Even Gennie knows that she won’t even be able to make one that could stand alongside Kunon’s magic.

Kunon right now appears to be a genius who took a single magic to the extreme and made it unrecognizable from how it was and could practically become its king… that’s how majestic he is.

All of this is because of Genie’s ‘petty little tricks’ she taught Kunon regarding arrangement, changing the magic’s shape, texture, and its other elements.

[…I really, really can’t go any further…] (G)

But to create such scenery out of magic? Genie doesn’t remember teaching him anything that could reach these levels.

If someone else asks Genie to teach them how to create these animals like Kunon did, she won’t be able to teach them. After all, it didn’t even enter Genie’s imagination that something like this could happen once she taught Kunon about originality and arrangements.

All of these are from Kunon, and once that hit, Genie knows that her student left her in the dust long ago without her knowing.

[No!!!! But I love your petty little tricks, sensei!] (K)

[If you really love them then don’t call them petty nor little! No, don’t call them tricks even! Just how many times have I already said this!?] (G)

–With that as the finishing blow, Genie left the Gurion’s estate.

—

[Not like I would just let myself get beaten by my own student.]

Genie’s steps are at full pace as she leaves the gates of the Gurion family.

–Genie had seen a lot of different monsters and geniuses at the Magic Academy that made her feel helpless and lost her passion with magic.

‘I don’t have that kind of talent.’

‘Being able to awaken as a mage would give me good bases already. So let’s leave the top to those monsters and geniuses.’

These are Genie’s thoughts during her stay at the academy.

But after watching Kunon’s growth, something inside her has rekindled.

As hard as it is to admit to herself that what she taught Kunon were indeed petty little tricks, the boy was able to incorporate those things to his arsenal and created a more refined originality of his own magic. In that sense, Genie believes that Kunon might as well be a genius.

However, as she stays by his side, she has seen how much Kunon struggles everyday in refining his magic.

‘Perhaps those geniuses in the magic academy have been working hard as well like him.’

‘They probably didn’t learn everything at first but went through an endless cycle of trials and mistakes.’

When she reached such thoughts, Genie wondered.

‘Did I ever try that hard myself? Did I ever give it my all?’

‘No.’
‘ But I think it’s still too early to say that I’m done and over.’

‘That child called them petty little tricks?’

‘Then be it. I’d refine them more than what he can imagine.’

At the very end of their student-teacher relationship, it is actually Kunon who taught Genie that the little tricks she devised can turn something that could exceed whatever she dreams of.

–From this forth onwards, Genie, who has now decided to devote her life to the abyss of magic, starts the journey of the mage whose name will go down to the annals of history.

Translator’s Notes:

I love this chapter! (I translated this well too, I’m so proud of you, self!) xD
To be honest, I want to end this note with the quote asking the readers the same thing Genie asked herself. ‘Have you given it your all?’, because if you ask me like that, I want to think about first if I have something in my life that I could imagine like their magic.
So, applying it to our world, will college degree count? As for me, did I give it my all? I did my best my 3rd to 4th year in Uni so maybe? Is it already over now since the board examinations are done? Might be so. I passed the boards above average but… But is that how should I define my life? I don’t think so. Definitely no. Because I still have the 3/4 of my life ahead of me. It ain’t over until it’s over. So let’s not give up searching what we will call ‘magic’ in this life. Atleast, that’s what I want to believe.
For readers who were able to find their ‘magic’, I hope when you feel sad, depress and devastated by failures, please do not give them up. You fell in love with that magic because it had something that gives you passion and purpose. Please don’t forget those feelings. And if you think that even so, you can’t handle it anymore, then maybe there’s another path that would allow you to grow. Let’s see, maybe a petty little trick could stir you to a better direction.
Life’s unpredictable. It could be good, it could be bad, but I hope everyone finds it a worth living one.
2-3 chapters tomorrow! Goodnight and Merry Christmas!
Images:
a. Kunon trying to persuade Genie to stay
b. Genie shouting at Kunon
c. Genie reminiscing about Kunon’s hardwork as she leaves the mansion