By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter SS

Bonus Short Story: Rosenberg’s Worries

In the evening of the day Ryoma had mastered the general principles of cursed energy cleansing, Rosenberg was delving into the files regarding the lost magic. The stack was too thick for him to read in one night, even if he gave up on sleep for it.

As an expert on hexes, he naturally had the curiosity and drive to learn about a curse-breaking spell lost to time. Regardless, his eyes and muscles demanded some rest.

“Let’s take a breather,” Rosenberg said. Still sitting in his chair, he stretched his arms and took out a bag of dried fruit from his luggage.

Plopping a fruit in his mouth, Rosenberg contemplated his reading so far. I at least have a handle on its concept. It helps that the document is written as well as a thesis. He reached for another piece of fruit. Who was Ryoma’s grandmother, anyway? Everything from her knowledge of magic and hexes, the decoding of ancient languages and references to astronomy suggests the vast depth of her knowledge. She was no ordinary scholar. There can’t be more than a handful of researchers in the royal institution who would come close to her level. Could she have been a famed academic forced into exile? In any case, it’s a good reminder that there are many surprises in this world. Rosenberg was beginning to understand why Ryoma was so favored by the duke. It makes sense, if he was under the tutelage of someone like this. Actually, that’s disregarding Ryoma’s own knowledge and studiousness. He is dedicated to his lessons and takes to my teachings quickly, inadequate as they are. Every skill I teach, he immediately masters. At some point, he had stopped reaching for the fruit.

“What do I teach him from here...?” he asked the ceiling. He has too much talent as a warlock. That much was clear from the moment the duke requested I tutor him. I was shown a document that Ryoma had written that the Jamils believed he had unknowingly cursed. Sure enough, there was a faint trace of a hex on the pamphlet. From that point on, I saw Ryoma not only as my temporary apprentice, but someone I needed to monitor or even detain, if the situation called for it. I had expected him to learn about hexes over time, moving slow and steady to prevent any curses from going out of control. Of course, he’d soon realized his concerns were unfounded. I planned to focus on controlling curses at first and observe how he operated. As it turns out, Ryoma is at least as skilled as a seasoned warlock when it comes to regulating his negative emotions. Not only is he a quick learner, his curses are remarkably stable. No doubt, he has survived terrible environments. Right now, he has a healthy support system—and he is self-aware enough to open up to his friends. Since he can already control hexes and keep his mind calm, there’s little more I can do than offer some advice. 

Rosenberg had always been an active warlock, and teaching wasn’t entirely in his wheelhouse. He knew there were plenty of warlocks better suited for teaching the craft, but had accepted the role because he was concerned that Ryoma’s mental state required urgent attention. Now that he was reassured of Ryoma’s stability, he only felt superfluous.

“I won’t say that the duke was overcautious in assigning me... Would it be in Ryoma’s best interest to find a warlock who specializes in instruction?” Rosenberg wondered aloud. Watching Ryoma dedicate himself to his training and rapidly master skill after skill was rewarding for Rosenberg. On the other hand, he understood how much further Ryoma could improve under the right teacher...which would, in turn, benefit the warlock industry as a whole.

Although he felt a sense of responsibility for accepting the post, he didn’t want to waste Ryoma’s time by continuing with lessons he thought were beneath his apprentice’s talents. And what if—should worse come to worst—Rosenberg squandered Ryoma’s talents? He could never live it down with Ryoma or the duke.

As his personal longing to remain Ryoma’s tutor and his logical decision to step down warred furiously in his mind, Rosenberg returned to the records on the lost curse. For now, he would do everything in his power to help his apprentice grow.