Chapter 15
Chapter 15
15: Greatest Talent (2)
On the last day of the ball, dinner was made.
Each noble was greeting the others.
“Brother.”
“Oh, you are here?”
It was the same with the Welton family.
A man with a hawk-like appearance walked over to Count Welton.
The Count greeted the man with a rare smile.
Jamie knew him because he had seen the man a couple of times before.
‘Viscount Valle.’
In the Seldam Kingdom, there were fewer than ten spirit families, and he was one of them. Besides, he was Rebecca and Ash’s father.
Jamie looked around to see if they followed him, but they didn’t seem to come.
“I was supposed to see you yesterday, but I couldn’t because I thought you were upset.”
“It’s okay. This is more than enough. Jamie, come here. Say goodbye to uncle.”
At the Count’s gesture, Jamie went to greet Viscount Balle.
“It has been a long time, uncle.”
“You have grown a lot. Just like Ash.”
Viscount laughed and stroked Jamie’s hair.
He didn’t like it, but he didn’t show.
“I thought of bringing my daughters too. To introduce them.”
The Viscount didn’t seem to know that Jamie had already met them.
Jamie didn’t mention it either. Because then he would be asked bothersome questions.
Those two will let their father know if they want to.
“Haha. Are the children all grown up?”
“Aren’t the kids growing up too quickly?”
“They are.”
“Brother?”
“It’s nothing.”
“I know what you mean.”
Balle looked at Jamie with a bitter smile.
Yesterday’s incident must have led to a large dispute between the adults.
The conflict was instantly solved, but the split between the Simons and the Weltons must have scared everyone.
Fortunately, Sears’ decision resulted in Count Welton deciding to drop the issue. As an apology, Count Simon paid a cart of gold.
“Anyway, yesterday was great. I did hear it from my brother, but to see the great talent with my eyes.”
“It is because of my parents!”
“The boy is so humble.”
At Jamie’s answer, the Viscount patted his head.
“I’ll see you at Haiss soon.”
“Bring your daughters.”
“Alright.”
“And don’t worry.”
Viscount Balle went back.
Jamie brushed his messed up hair and looked at his father.
“When are we heading back?”
“Sometime soon.”
Count Welton smiled and carried his son on his shoulder.
Jamie didn’t like the feeling of being held like that, but he smiled as if it was fun.
He prayed, really prayed that this affection would end as soon as possible.
Jamie was watching the coachman and family attendants loading the carriage.
Finally, everything was done, and they got to go home.
Before he came here, he thought that his home was tiring, but after experiencing the outside, he realised that Sears’s kisses were better.
That didn’t mean he wanted them. Just that he could accept them.
“You look relaxed.”
“Is there anything that a child can do?”
Jamie replied indifferently to the voice which came from the side.
Count Simon grinned as he looked at Jamie.
“It is a pity that we didn’t get to talk.”
“I was looking forward to it.”
“It is possible now too.”
“Right now, I have a strong desire to go home and rest. I am too tired.”
“I guess you do.”
Simon nodded as he understood.
“The magic world has started to watch you.”
“Hmm.”
“You don’t seem shocked?”
“It is something that was going to happen someday.”
Jamie wasn’t the kind of a kid who didn’t recognize his talent. He was the Dark Magician in the past.
There was no way he wouldn’t know his abilities, and there was no way he could stand still unless he was some idiot.
“But. You seem to know yourself well. I would like it if you were my son. How does that sound? To be my son?”
“Why?”
Count Simon’s eyes widened at those words.
Then he laughed.
“Puahahaha!”
Anyone who saw him smile would immediately discard the title of cold-blooded.
“That is right! Count Welton is a great Sword Master, so there is no need for a change in parents.”
It wasn’t the only reason, but Jamie didn’t want to speak and hurt his mouth.
And crucially, Count Simon was wrong.
“I don’t know about the eldest, but the second son is good.”
“Are you talking about Lenon?”
“I punished him.”
“I thought so. He has been acting differently since yesterday.”
“You don’t seem to be angry.”
“He paid the price for his mistake. Why would I be angry?”
This man was definitely not normal.
Jamie continued to walk.
“He’s pretty good at magic, so if you teach him, he’ll be good.”
“I know his talent. It isn’t noticeable.”
“He is suppressing them. Because of that, you don’t see it.”
Yesterday, when he locked Lenon in the abyss, he saw it.
Even if he wasn’t a genius, he would be like his father in the future if he kept practising.
“Are you sure?”
“This is all Count’s fault.”
“My fault?”
“You didn’t pay attention to them because they lacked talent, so both of them are at odds. I don’t know about Alf, but Lenon is definitely twisted, so it is a case where his talent is all twisted up.”
“Hmm.”
“You don’t believe it?”
Count Simon looked at Jamie. The eyes of determination.
Even he, who’d reached the 8th class, didn’t recognize the talents of his own child, and despite being so gifted, a 7-year-old could see the talent of others?
‘No. how can he be so sure?’
It was like looking at a Great Magician.
Even though it was a small absurd thought, the Count couldn’t help but admire him.
Jamie gave one more piece of advice.
“Maybe, with the help of your kid, you can break through that limit of yours.”
“…”
“Since this is just a little kid speaking, take it easy.”
Saying that, Jamie smiled like an ignorant side.
“Such a pity we missed talking.”
Count Simon turned around.
And then he disappeared.
An old man fixed his glasses and looked at the stack of papers on his desk.
“I have a lot of dirty things to do.”
“That’s how being an elder in the magic world is.”
“When did you come?”
The grumbling old man, Raymon Flores, looked at the intruder.
“Did I come to a place I am not supposed to?”
The uninvited guest was Marquess Linmel.
“That’s not it. You are the second elder.”
“What is with the 2nd elder? Should I call your 4th elder?”
“Making a fuss about weird things. So, what is going on? You must be very bored to come here.”
Raymon took off his glasses.
“Since when did the magic world in the Seldam kingdom turn so complicated? I just came here, no reason.”
“Since when did your character change?”
“What. It’s nothing. You know about it too.”
“I know?”
Linmel nodded and got closer to the desk.
“Jamie Welton.”
“I guess it is an interesting one.”
It hadn’t even started, but the name itself brought a smile on Raymon’s lips.
“The child brother with great talent?”
“Actually, at the Count’s request, I had gone to make him my disciple.”
“What?!”
Raymon jumped up in surprise.
“Is that true?”
“I can’t deny it.”
For a brief moment, Linmel remembered Jamie as he had seen with his own eyes.
A talent that couldn’t be described with the word greatest.
“The best in the continent. Maybe the world.”
Linmel continued to speak with a confident expression.
“What happened at the eastern nobles’ ball was no exaggeration. I can guarantee that.”
The power that Jamie showed against Alf was something that many nobles had witnessed as they were present at the ball.
There were magicians among the nobles.
The Seldam Kingdom had most wizards in it.
It was natural that news about Jamie would spread that fast. However, most people thought that it was nothing but an exaggeration.
It was bound to be.
There was no way that a 7-year-old kid could do that.
However, he was said to be talented.
And now, the 2nd elder, who was in charge of the whole magic world within the Seldam Kingdom, guaranteed Jamie’s skills.
“Are you serious?”
“Why would I lie?”
“That is true.”
Raymon nodded.
And then a question arose.
He asked Linmel with a frown.
“Why didn’t you take the child as your disciple?”
If Jamie’s skills were true, then it would be best to take him under his wing.
Even Linmel, who wasn’t greedy for disciples compared to other magicians, must have wanted such a talented kid under him.
But Linmel’s answer was shocking.
“Because I couldn’t fulfil the role.”
A firm and confident voice.
“What does that mean?”
“He doesn’t need a teacher. He will grow up on his own. And at a tremendous speed too. What do you think will happen when he grows?”
Raymon didn’t answer.
Because he knew.
If Linmel’s words were true, then if he made Jamie his disciple, he would start going after his teacher at a tremendous speed. And before Linmel would know it, Jamie would go levels higher than his teacher.
Could a teacher really accept that?
“Well, I couldn’t.”
Even if he was talented, the teacher would end up in mental agony if they took such a disciple out of greed.
“Hmm… but the other elders have different opinions.”
“Which is why I am telling you. Do not do it.”
“You were here to tell us.”
“Surely, there will be people who won’t listen. Only 8-year-olds can enter the magic world. It’ll be next year. People will fight to make Jamie their disciple.”
“It’ll be a mess.”
One had to be at least 6th class to become an elder in Seldam.
6th class and higher were treated as high ranking magicians. Their power was classified as a risk.
Those people will start fighting for the genius disciple.
But Linmel smiled.
“Well. Before that, we have to get over a big wall.”
“Wall? Ha-ahaha!”
Raymon, who understood it, laughed out.
“How would one convince the magician’s natural enemy, the monster which stands at the peak? That will be the answer.”
A Sword Master cannot be defeated even by an 8th class magician.
Jamie’s guardian was a superhuman who was among the top of all magicians.
“I look forward to next year.”
“It will be an interesting sight.”
The two old men smiled.