Episode 889: I Have a Plan for Everything (4)
One day, Tina asked Alfoy,
“Mister, are you really a wizard? You told me you were one before.”
“Yes, I am the greatest wizard in the kingdom.”
“Then show me some magic! I’ve never seen one in my life!”
“You seem so petty and insolent!”
Alfoy roared.
In fact, he had never used magic since he came here.
His pride made him believe that the lowly people of the slums didn’t deserve to see his magic.
“But since you gave me bread, I’ll show you a little.”
It was his way of showing his gratitude. ”
Whoosh!”
Alfoy snapped his fingers, and a small fireball burst into the air.
Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten properly lately, even a simple spell made him hungry.
Still, he said with a triumphant expression,
“How is it? Isn’t it amazing? You’ve never seen anything like this before? Aren’t you jealous?”
“Wow! He really was a wizard! Amazing!”
Tina’s eyes sparkled, and she jumped up and down in place.
In this street with nothing to do or see, magic was truly astonishingly impressive.
Alfoy said with a mocking air of pride.
“Don’t tell anyone else. It’s a shame to use magic in such a lowly place. Understood?”
“Yes! But can I teach you magic?”
Alfoy immediately shook his head.
“No. You’re stupid, so you can’t. You can’t even read.”
“…” “….”
“Magic isn’t something anyone can learn. Only geniuses like me can learn it. And if you’re poor, magic is even harder to learn.”
“Yes…”
Tina’s face quickly turned sullen.
Seeing that, Alfoy asked, slightly uncomfortable,
“But what do you do here every day? Don’t you go to school? Don’t you study?”
“I just stay. I don’t go to school.”
“Why? Even lowly kids like you can go to school now?”
Giselle had established a compulsory education system in her territory a long time ago.
It was based on the belief that eating well, learning, and training from a young age would lead to excellent fighting skills.
That belief continued to this day and was spreading throughout the kingdom.
Alfoy asked, puzzled. Tina shook her head.
“I don’t know. I just do what Dad tells me to do at home. I want to go to school, too.”
Alfoy clicked his tongue at that.
It had only been ten years since the reforms began. Most of that time had been spent changing the production system and the direction of development.
As a result, many parents still kept their children busy with chores instead of sending them to school.
Knowing this, the kingdom constantly encouraged them to send their children to school, promising support. If circumstances were truly difficult, the kingdom would even provide support at its own expense.
But even that had to be received properly. No matter how powerful the kingdom’s administration, it couldn’t perfectly care for every child in the slums.
A compulsory education system was planned for the entire kingdom soon, but it would take considerable time to implement the policy nationwide.
No matter how much education was emphasized from above, it was meaningless if parents didn’t pay attention.
Alfoy offered a feeble consolation.
“Well… even if you went to school, it probably wouldn’t have been that fun.”
If you asked for support, you could somehow attend school, but… .
In reality, even if a child from the slums went to school, it would be difficult for them to socialize with their friends.
‘They might hate studying. Everyone hates studying. Yeah, it’s better not to go.’
Alfoy thought to himself.
What good would a child whose parents didn’t care about him do in school? He
probably wouldn’t last long. It might even hurt him more.
If he were to go to the embassy to ask for help, he’d have to go there in such a pitiful state.
His parents might be vehemently opposed.
So he just ignored it.
A slight discomfort lingered, but he rationalized that showing her precious magic was a more valuable experience than school life.
After that, Tina visited Alfoy almost every day.
All she did was share the bread she’d been given and chat.
“…So, when everyone was crying and begging for help, I used my strongest magic to defeat the dragon… Oh, that was really hard. I almost died, too?”
“Wow, is that true?”
“Well, if it weren’t for this body, the world would have ended. So you too must always be grateful to me. Understand?”
“Yes!”
Alfoy boasted of his heroic exploits every day.
Of course, Tina didn’t believe everything he said. But she listened with sparkling eyes.
No adult had ever told such a captivating story.
Unlike Alfoy, Tina’s story was truly trivial.
“I picked up this stick today. If you draw it on the floor like this…”
Alfoy yawned as he listened.
Still, having someone to talk to made him feel less bored than before.
Plus, he even brought him bread, so at least he wasn’t starving. In return, he could listen to his boring stories.
Sometimes, the child would come in sobbing, telling him about being beaten by his father, scolded, and scolded, but there was nothing Alfoy could do about it.
He didn’t particularly want to meddle in other people’s family affairs, and he wasn’t that type of person.
However, whenever that happened, he would show Tina a little of his precious magic to cheer her up.
And so, over time, the two friendless people became inseparable friends. Since neither of them had any friends to begin with, there was no other option.
Then one day. As they were sharing bread and chatting as usual, a group suddenly appeared in the slums.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The slum dwellers flinched at the sight of the armed knights and soldiers, jumping away.
They could tell from the atmosphere that a high-ranking nobleman had arrived.
Tina, slightly frightened, hid behind Alfoy. The intimidation emanating from those approaching was extraordinary.
Only Alfoy lay on his side, staring indifferently at the approaching group.
He had already confirmed the faces of the men approaching.
“Oh, my, why is that damned master here again? Did he come to tease me?”
Hubert approached, his expression tense. Next to him was Maurice, his expression hard.
Since they all seemed familiar, Alfoy felt completely relaxed. The close relationship between the two was well-known, so it was understandable that they had come together.
Unless Giselle returned alive, there was no one he could be nervous about.
“Do the Marquis Macquarie and your master have a favor to ask of me? Why are they here?”
While Alfoy muttered, two men stood before him.
Hubert wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said in a trembling voice,
“Alfoy, get up. The Marquis is here. And I’m your master, too, so it’s impolite to greet him while lying down.”
“Oh, what? I know I’m rude, but anyway, why are you two here? Are you trying to give me some money?”
“No, that’s because…”
As Hubert fidgeted, Maurice took a step forward.
But Maurice, too, was just moving his mouth, unable to speak.
Alfoy stared at Maurice and then said,
“Why are you doing this when the Marquis is usually so noisy? If you have something to say, say it quickly. Don’t block the sunlight. I don’t wash well, so I need to disinfect it with sunlight.”
Alfoy spoke as he did, secretly hoping that they might offer him some money.
He’d quit gambling, but if he had some money, he’d be willing to indulge himself for a while.
Maurice hesitated for a while, then sighed deeply.
He wasn’t particularly good at beating around the bush. So he spoke bluntly.
“I… am your father.”
“…”
It was a truly shocking statement.
No matter what he’d said, nothing could have been more shocking or out of the blue.
Alfoy stared at Maurice as if he were crazy.
But at the same time, his mind began to race.
“My father?”
The father he’d lost was actually the head of a prestigious marquisate in the kingdom?
In truth, he’d never particularly yearned for or missed his parents. He’d always lived solely for his own desires. And
even now, he felt no particular emotion when he heard he was his father. Perhaps it was because he’d lived without expectations for so long.
No, he couldn’t believe it in the first place. Who would believe someone who suddenly appeared and said something like that?
But who was Alfoy?
He’d been through thick and thin, even taking part in a battle that would determine the fate of the world. In a sense, he was a great man.
There, he enjoyed the high power of the heavens, then experienced a fall again, and gained numerous realizations.
He finished calculating right away.
“Father!”
Alfoy jumped up and hugged Maurice.
Maurice, who hadn’t expected such a reaction, was slightly flustered, but soon his eyes reddened.
“Yes, yes. I finally found you. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t find you back then.”
“I understand! How could you find your lost child so easily!”
Alfoy never asked how he found him, or how he was so sure. All that
mattered was that he was now the son of a marquis. If he argued pointlessly and it turned out to be a misunderstanding, it would only make things worse.
Alfoy hugged Maurice tightly, burying his face in his hands.
To others, it looked like he was crying from overwhelming emotion. But the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. There
was only one thing on his mind :
‘This body is resurrected!’
He finally grasped the rope that would propel him back to the top.
Of course, he wouldn’t act rashly like before. He had learned to be cautious.
Building on his position as the son of a marquis, he would gradually build his reputation and power. He would treat people with dignity and courtesy.
Receiving a suitable fief was a given, and if he did well, he could even become a legitimate successor.
‘This is my last chance. I can’t miss it.’
Alfoy repeated this thought over and over again.
He had truly learned a great deal from his past mistakes.
Maurice gazed at Alfoy’s face with admiration and said,
“You little brat! My little brat! Let’s go back. Let’s go and catch up on what’s been going on. But first, you need to wash up… You smell awful.”
“Hahaha, of course. I want to go ‘home’ quickly.”
“Yes, yes. Let’s go home.”
Maurice and Alfoy laughed cheerfully and turned around. Hubert followed with an awkward smile.
Then a small voice came from behind.
“Mister…”
Alfoy turned his head without realizing it.
Tina stood there with a blank expression. Then, her lips trembled and she began to cry.
The boy instinctively knew that his only friend was leaving.
Maurice glanced at Tina and asked,
“Hmm? What’s wrong? Do you have any business with her?”
For a split second, Alfoy’s eyes met Tina’s.
But he spoke nonchalantly.
“No, no. What business would I have with a child like that? I don’t know him.”
Alfoy bit his lip and turned his head coldly.
He wasn’t like those slum dwellers.
He was a hero who had saved the world, a great wizard. He had even gained a new identity as a descendant of a noble family.
How could he possibly be friends with such a child?
And not a child of a prestigious noble family, but a dirty, lowly child from the slums.
He had only played with her for a moment, out of boredom. No, he couldn’t let it be known that he had played with her.
If anyone knew how he had been with that child, they would surely laugh at him behind his back.
So it was right to end this trivial relationship here.
Alfoy didn’t look back.
And with that, he left the slums, leaving Tina alone.
* * *
Tina grieved for several days.
There were few children in the slum.
Even those who were a little older kept to themselves, and the younger ones were too young to leave the house.
Tina had no one her age. Alfoy was the only friend she had.
So she didn’t mind giving him the precious bread. She could endure hunger.
But when Alfoy left, Tina was alone again.
Still, every day, Tina visited the place where Alfoy had stayed. She squatted on the ground, drawing with a stick.
The drawings were of her smiling face and Alfoy’s somewhat sullen expression.
“He was truly a star,”
Tina muttered as she drew.
Wonderful knights, soldiers, and nobles came and took him in. Just as she’d first perceived, he truly shined, unlike the adults in the slum.
She even wondered if perhaps his boasts were true.
Truthfully, he had left her in the end, pretending not to notice, and she had been deeply saddened… …but she understood.
“Because you’re a star.”
Stars are supposed to always float in the sky. You can never reach what’s on the ground.
Even a child instinctively knew that much.
“Can I ever leave here?”
There was no way.
Dad and the other adults lived here every day.
They said they didn’t starve thanks to the Queen. I’d been told that was enough to be thankful.
But Tina pouted.
“I want to leave too…”
The slums, filled with the stench of alcohol and garbage, swearing and fighting.
She wanted to leave that place and go to a brighter, cleaner place. She wanted to meet other friends and play.
But she also knew it wouldn’t be easy. If leaving were easy, no one would be living here.
From that day on, Tina spent her days alone, singing and doodling.
It was lonely, but that was all she had to do.
She couldn’t learn anything she wanted. No, the concept of learning didn’t even exist here.
Tina had no choice but to live amid the adults’ indifference and neglect.
On the streets overflowing with trash, buried in the garbage.
And then one day.
A long shadow fell before Tina, who was always doodling in the same spot.
Sensing a presence, Tina raised her head and turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise.
Pure white robes, ornate jewelry.
And a man riding a dazzling white horse.
The man raised his head, his expression arrogant.
“Mister!”
Tina called out, her expression bright. Alfoy
tilted his head crookedly and snorted.
“Hey, you poor, insignificant child.”
“Yes!”
Alfoy chuckled at Tina, who still answered forcefully.
Then, with a gentle expression, he continued,
“Let’s go to school.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t just doodling here alone. You should make friends, learn to read, and see the world.”
Tina stared blankly up at him.
Alfoy looked away for a moment, then spoke again.
“You should go to school too. I’ll send you to the best academy in the capital. The headmaster there is a friend of mine. You can even learn magic if you want.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s the price of bread. It’s a priceless favor to bestow upon this body.”
Alfoy smiled.
Of all the smiles he’d ever given in his life…
it was the warmest, most radiant.
