CHAPTER 18
When on earth is my Seed going to bloom?
It was bitter to still be stuck with the title of Apprentice Holy Mage.
I need to crack this damn Seed for the true power of holy magic to emerge, but it shows no signs of breaking.
Clatter-
Just then, I felt a slight tremor from the carriage.
However, the carriage’s movement was different from a normal one.
It was so comfortable it felt like every other carriage I’d ridden in until now had been a lie.
This feeling was similar to the first time I rode in an electric car.
This carriage had been prepared by Rapiel herself.
Currently, Rapiel was my guardian.
Naturally, I had to inform her I was going to the Star Cluster Assembly.
So, I went to find Rapiel to get her permission.
“You’re going with Aranseol and Sohan? That’s great. Go have fun!”
Rapiel, on the contrary, was overjoyed.
“Is my dear master not fond of seeing her disciple cooped up in the mansion?”
“There you go, talking nonsense again.”
As I feigned sadness, Rapiel looked at me, dumbfounded.
Of course, I knew exactly why she was so happy.
Worried about the sense of loss I felt after Shishiroka’s death, Rapiel had called Aranseol and Sohan over.
She must have thought that since they were around my age, I could become friends with them.
And now, here I was, having befriended them and going to the Star Cluster Assembly together.
For Rapiel, who had arranged all this, it was naturally a happy occasion.
Rapiel beamed.
I suppose it’s a good thing I could bring a smile to her face, a woman constantly buried in work.
“Since you’re going, make sure to let them know you’re my disciple.”
“Should I go around shouting ‘Master Rapiel is the best!’?”
“You’d better be prepared for the consequences if you do.”
Hmm, then why even go?
“I’ll have a carriage prepared for you, so have a good trip. Got it?”
If my master tells me to go, I go.
As a disciple, I couldn’t very well refuse.
A day later, just as she’d promised, Rapiel had a carriage ready.
Furthermore, she had prepared some rather luxurious-looking clothes so that I wouldn't be looked down upon.
From the clothes to the carriage, I felt like a son being doted on before his first day of school.
Does that make Rapiel my mom?
Well, this son won’t be going hungry, at least.
“I’ll be off.”
“Alright, have a safe trip.”
The carriage began to move as Rapiel saw us off.
Come to think of it, this was my first time riding in a carriage.
‘Still, it’s just a carriage made by these savage This-worlders,’ I thought.
I expected my butt to be shattered and crying in pain in no time.
A moment later, I completely retracted that thought.
This carriage.
This was by no means an ordinary carriage.
The wheels rolled smoothly even on unpaved roads, and the interior was stable.
On top of that, the seats were ridiculously plush.
This carriage surpassed every vehicle I had ever ridden in my life.
I was someone who had always suffered from terrible motion sickness.
The fact that I wasn't getting sick now showed just how comfortable this carriage was.
“This has to be made with magic.”
“You say that like you’ve just realized something obvious.”
Aranseol, sitting next to me, responded with a look of disbelief.
These savage This-worlders just don’t understand the sensibilities of a modern person.
Sohan, also in the carriage, was already snoring away again.
Judging by the smell of perfume, he’d spent the night with another woman.
The scent had changed, too.
Meaning the person had changed as well.
What a guy.
Sohan wasn't surprising anymore.
What was more surprising was that magic could create a carriage like this.
As I thought, I should have learned magic.
Not this useless trash holy magic that can’t even save a single person.
My talent as a Grade 1 Holy Mage was just tragic.
Before long, the carriage began to pass through the capital’s outskirts.
It was a city a little ways from Valterion, so to put it in perspective, it was like the Gyeonggi province.
Perhaps because it was a noble’s luxury carriage, gazes followed us the entire way.
The This-worlders stared blankly at our carriage.
‘Savage This-worlders, this is the difference between you and me.’
‘Be sacrificed to my sense of superiority.’
Just then, Aranseol nudged my arm with her shoulder.
“Harua, you have a weird look in your eyes.”
“Ah, This-worlder. This is what you call a superiority complex.”
“You’re talking nonsense again.”
“Look out the window. Everyone’s looking up at me so foolishly.”
“...Aren’t they looking at the carriage, not you?”
“It’s a difference in status.”
“But you’re not a noble, Harua.”
“I am a Transferee, you know.”
Aranseol looked at me with pity as I puffed out my chest.
“For your information, there are Transferees mixed in with the onlookers. Transferees and This-worlders are all the same.”

Aranseol was trying to deceive me with lies.
All I could see were savage This-worlders.
“Look closely. Especially that person. Anyone can tell he’s a Transferee.”
A man in rags was shouting at the top of his lungs at a shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper glared at him with disgust.
That shop was a cheap place, famous for discriminating against Transferees.
“An unwillingness to compromise in the face of injustice. A fine attitude for a Transferee.”
“It looks like he’s stealing bread from the store and running away. The Transferee crime rate has risen slightly again.”
“He confronted discrimination head-on. A model Transferee.”
“...Since when did you become such a Transferee supremacist?”
I’m not particularly a Transferee supremacist.
I’m just trying to get one over on this fucking racist, Aranseol.
Aranseol’s gaze became even more pathetic.
Have I finally managed to lower her opinion of me?
However, a moment later, a laugh she could no longer hold back escaped her lips.
“You keep spouting such bizarre things that you’re making me say weird stuff too.”
Despite her words, Aranseol wore a relieved expression.
“Still, it’s nice that I don’t have to hide my true feelings.”
Aranseol still hated Transferees.
But she knew that expressing it wasn’t the right thing to do.
In front of me, however, it was different.
I already despised This-worlders.
So I didn’t particularly care if she showed her dislike for Transferees in front of me.
It was just another This-worlder I hated, discriminating against Transferees as they always do.
Perhaps that’s why.
Aranseol looked comfortable, no longer needing to hide her feelings.
Ironically, it was the same for me.
This was a world where This-worlders far outnumbered Transferees.
If I went around spouting my hatred for This-worlders, I’d be branded as Black Dawn and beaten to a pulp.
So I had always kept it all inside.
My eyes met Aranseol’s.
It struck me anew just how messed up our relationship was.
With Sohan’s snoring as our background music, Aranseol and I bickered until the carriage arrived.
A luxurious building, clearly a world apart from the surrounding structures.
Just a few months ago, I would have been beaten up by the guards for daring to even look at it.
In the large carriage parking lot in front, luxury carriages just like the one I arrived in were lined up.
Over here, these carriages were the equivalent of Ferraris.
It was clear just how elite this Star Cluster Assembly was.
Looking at it again, I had become connected with some incredible people.
I suppose I should be grateful to Bulldog for making this connection possible.
It’s been a while since I last saw that old man.
I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven’t even had a chance to say hello.
He said he’d invite me to his son’s wedding, so I figured I’d get a message through Rapiel soon enough.
“Yaaawn, hmm, have we arrived?”
Just then, Sohan woke up, swallowing a yawn.
He saw Aranseol and me and grinned.
“Good morning.”
“It’s night.”
“Details, details.”
Morning and night were not important to him.
“Lord Harua, Lord Sohan, Lady Aranseol, we have arrived.”
The coachman knocked and opened the door for us.
Thanking him for his hard work, I stepped out of the carriage.
The magnificent exterior of the building became even clearer.
I wonder who owns this place.
Managing it must be a real pain.
Besides, maybe because of the fancy exterior, my petty commoner nature kept surfacing.
Honestly, I felt intimidated to go inside.
I suddenly felt like going home.
Just then, Aranseol grabbed my arm, wrapping hers around it and pulling me along.
A soft sensation enveloped my entire arm, teasing my brain.
Is this some kind of mind magic?
I saw Aranseol’s face.
Her lips were curled into a devilish smile.
“Weren’t you just going on about how superior Transferees are?”
Aranseol had noticed my commoner-like demeanor.
“Let’s go in with our heads held high.”
This fucking racist.
“Harua, what is the meaning of this?”
At that moment, fire ignited in Sohan’s eyes.
He was looking back and forth between me and Aranseol.
Sohan was a man with an overactive libido.
Aranseol didn’t like him, but matters of the heart were another story.
It would be a pain if Sohan got jealous seeing me and Aranseol getting close.
“Sohan.”
Before I could make an excuse, Sohan grabbed my other arm.
“You’re coming with us. Immediately.”
These bastards.
Held captive by Aranseol and Sohan, I was dragged inside.
There was no way I could overpower these two physically fit people.
Well, since it’s come to this, I might as well go in and sing Rapiel’s praises.
Rapiel wouldn’t want me to tarnish her reputation, so that should solve things.
The building’s interior was as luxurious as its exterior.
Every single item looked like it would cost a fortune if I so much as touched it.
My body instinctively tensed up.
‘Calm down, Harua.’
‘You’re not a born commoner.’
You can’t live your life cowering forever.
I straightened my back with confidence.
So what if it’s expensive?
If I happen to break something, my mom Rapiel will pay for it.
My heart felt much lighter now that I’d entrusted the repayment to someone else.
“Welcome to the Star Cluster Assembly.”
As Aranseol and Sohan led me to the entrance, an attendant bowed his head in greeting.
I freed myself from their grasp and straightened my clothes.
“Hmph, thank you.”
The attendant gave me a slightly puzzled look but said nothing more and opened the door.
Aranseol and Sohan looked disappointed, but I ignored them and strode forward confidently.
The ceiling of the Star Cluster Assembly party hall was made of glass.
It was designed to look up at the sky, and it seemed the roof could be covered as well.
Inside, most of the people were around my age or younger.
Well, it was a gathering of disciples from all over.
The average age would be those who had just become adults or younger, rather than full-grown adults.
“Oh, Aranseol.”
“Aranseol, long time no see!”
As soon as Aranseol entered, many disciples greeted her warmly.
Aranseol smiled naturally at them.
That smile, it was the business smile she often used in front of Rapiel and Soun.
“It has been. It’s good to see you all.”
Aranseol skillfully received their greetings.
Sohan discreetly scanned the hall.
“Hoh.”
His face lit up.
It looked like he’d found a pretty girl.
He really is obsessed with women.
This must be why Aranseol dislikes him even more.
More than that, I could feel that the gazes directed our way were not friendly.
The kids welcomed Aranseol, but they didn't seem to welcome Sohan.
I soon found out why.
“A new Transferee?”
“It seems someone else has taken up a strange hobby.”
I felt them whispering as they looked at me.
Most of the people here were savage This-worlders.
Perhaps that’s why Sohan and I, both Transferees, stood out so much.
Apparently, it was rare for a This-worlder to take a Transferee as a disciple.
Well, this was a world rampant with hatred for Transferees.
At a gathering like this, most of them were probably children of some noble.
It would be unusual for them to take an ordinary Transferee as a direct disciple.
Rapiel and Soun just happened to have very peculiar tastes.
I was thinking of trying to build some connections, but…
This is going to be difficult.
“I don’t see many familiar faces.”
Just then, Sohan spoke nonchalantly.
“Sohan, familiar faces?”
“It’s not like we Transferees are completely absent. I thought those guys would be here this time, but it seems they didn’t come today.”
So that’s how it was.
It seems the information Aranseol wanted me to find was related to the other Transferees.
I could see Aranseol diligently gathering information.
I guess I can leave the information gathering to her.
I cleanly gave up on mingling with the other disciples.
You can build goodwill from zero.
Building it up from a negative is next to impossible.
Especially in a closed-off space like this, there was bound to be a wall between Transferees and This-worlders.
I didn’t have the power to break it down.
Aranseol didn't seem to be oblivious to that either, as she shot me an apologetic look in the middle of her conversation.
I waved my hand, telling her not to worry about it.
It wasn't something I hadn't expected.
“Harua, did you see the lady who was serving food a moment ago?”
Just then, Sohan sidled up to me and spoke quietly.
Sohan’s face was practically glowing.
The unmistakable look of an incarnation of lust.
Was there a waitress more beautiful than the disciples?
“Go on.”
“Good luck.”
He gave me a thumbs-up and left.
In the meantime, I found a spot in a corner, avoiding people’s eyes.
Fortunately, the food table wasn’t far, so I could grab a plate and help myself.
I let the chatter of the kids go in one ear and out the other.
“Hello.”

Just as I was excitedly choosing from the high-class food, someone spoke to me.
I turned my gaze to find a pretty-looking girl.
She wasn't on Aranseol's level, but her looks seemed to stand out among the disciples.
The girl, who had tied up her red hair with a pin decorated with a bird, appeared to be human.

She smiled brightly as she looked at me.
“You’re Lord Rapiel’s disciple, aren’t you?”
I never thought a This-worlder would approach me first.
“Ah, yes.”
“I heard about it. The news that you rescued Lady Aranseol and the people on the airship. The Star Cluster Assembly is buzzing about it today.”
No wonder there were so many people around Aranseol.
It seemed they had all flocked to her, wanting to talk about that incident.
“So I wanted to come and talk to the other hero. Everyone else is still a bit hesitant since it’s their first time meeting you.”
She covered her mouth and giggled softly.
Anyone could see they weren’t coming over because they didn’t like Transferees, but she framed it as them being ‘hesitant.’
Her head must be full of flowers.
“Ah, your name is…”
“It’s Harua.”
“So you’re Lord Harua. This girl is Babiyen Asteria.”
She has a family name.
A noble.
“I heard you recently became Lord Rapiel’s new disciple. You’ve achieved something truly great.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not at all! There are even rumors that the cause of the airship crash was one of the Deadly Sins!”
So the news had spread that far.
The power of rumors is strong indeed.
“It’s truly amazing. I heard Lord Rapiel’s previous disciple was someone who was quite lacking. Lord Rapiel must be so relieved now!”
Babiyen smiled radiantly.
What the fuck did that bitch just say?

Author's Note
All illustrations are being uploaded to the ‘Muhwa Kkotran’ SNS.
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