Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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Maronius's soul watched Ian and Kira as if entranced.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Like speaking carelessly in front of seniors when first entering university, caught up in excitement.

Or trembling nervously at a boss's casual question on your first day at work, only to think of the perfect answer later.

That's just human nature.

How could anyone be perfect all the time? Even exceptional people make mistakes when coincidences pile up. Being imperfect is what makes us human.

Thanks to invincible superhumans dominating movies, comics, and web novels, such verbal mistakes look like pure stupidity.

But reality isn't fiction.

Everyone makes mistakes.

And everyone lives with regrets about those mistakes.

'Ah...'

Watching that long-ago argument replay before his eyes.

Maronius felt like he couldn't breathe.

'Why did I...'

Young Maronius.

That youth currently being played by Ian...

Even to Maronius himself, looked incredibly foolish.

'Push Liria so hard...'

His foolish, lacking, insufficient younger self.

Maronius just wanted to close his eyes.

Watching someone else act out your part felt completely different from merely remembering painful memories.

"Whether I leave or not, what's it to you?"

"De-Demius, that's not... I mean..."

"Whatever I do, it's my business right? Huh? Do I need your permission for everything!"

"That's not what I'm saying!"

'Stop it, you stupid idiot...!'

Maronius genuinely cursed at his younger self.

Pushing Liria like that. What did he hope to gain?

His pitiful pride?

A desperate message begging her to notice his suffering?

'Stop... just stop!'

His younger self was going off the rails.

Charging straight toward the cliff of destruction.

Finally, young Maronius started 'that statement'.

"You! You go around playing with army officers without saying a word to me!"

"...!"

And just like he'd seen thousands, tens of thousands of times before.

Once again, Liria was wounded by that fool's sharp words.

Eyes wide open, tears falling steadily.

'I'm sorry.'

Maronius's soul swallowed his apology.

It would be a lie to say he didn't regret it.

But what could he do?

She was already gone from this world.

'I'm truly sorry.'

He didn't want to watch their reenactment anymore.

Maronius was about to say that was enough.

But right then.

"If you've got something to say, say it."

'...!'

Maronius was shocked.

In his memories, he hadn't backed down but kept pushing Liria.

But...

This 'Ian' person playing Maronius...

Was taking a step back, trying to have a conversation!

'Ah...'

In that moment, Maronius couldn't stop his body from trembling.

Yes.

That was it.

What I should have done then.

In front of her.

Instead of hurting his beloved Liria, that's what he should have done.

'They're... doing well...!'

He knew this was fake.

He knew this scene recreated by the wizards' acting had nothing to do with the past.

But...

Even knowing it was all fake, Maronius couldn't take his eyes off Ian.

Because this.

This one line was the beginning of what he'd wished for so desperately.

'Yes! Act rationally! Have a calm conversation!'

Maronius's soul forgot even to breathe (though he didn't actually need to), focusing completely on Ian's performance.

"...You saw?"

Liria asked sarcastically.

For a moment, Maronius's soul almost forgot about the acting and nearly rushed onto the stage(?).

[Why would you say 'You saw?' here! You crazy woman!]

"[No, Maronius! Don't lose it!]"

Ian pushed back Maronius's soul and continued acting.

The real Maronius would have found it hard to avoid fighting with Liria, as you can see.

But the man facing Liria now was Ian.

"Yes. I saw you drinking with some man in an alley, walking hand in hand."

"Demius... you followed me?"

[Arghhhh! Not following! I just happened to see it!!!]

"[Shut up.] I never followed you. More importantly Liria, shouldn't you apologize to me first?"

"Apologize..."

Young Maronius - Ian looked straight into Liria's eyes and said:

"What matters isn't that I found out. What matters is that you hid the truth from me, isn't it?"

"..."

"Tell me. I'll listen."

"De-Demius..."

"If you've got nothing to say to me, tell me now. Like I said, I'm leaving to enlist."

Though he'd simply suppressed his anger and tried to have a calm conversation.

The situation was completely different from the real Maronius's time.

'Dialogue begins with listening to the other person.'

Ian thought.

Such a simple fact, yet one so many people easily forget.

Just as hearing the mystery's voice starts magic.

Hearing the other person's voice starts dialogue.

"..."

After silently looking up at Maronius for a while, Liria-

"Hic... sob... sniff...!"

Started crying out loud.

'Her acting is really good.'

Ian admired Kira's performance.

Actually, this 'play' had many advantages for Ian.

If Ian had been the protagonist of a girlfriend-NTR situation, could he have acted this calmly? Well, who knows.

Because it was someone else's story, Maronius's past memories, he could act confidently.

Thanks to that, Ian could easily pick out all the 'right answers'.

"Don't cry. Tell me slowly."

"Demius...! I, I really...! I just met a friend!"

Had the 'real' Liria really just met a simple friend?

That too was unknown.

However, Kira believed Liria had such circumstances, and acted accordingly.

Ian spoke impassively.

"Okay. I understand."

"..."

"I've been too busy lately. I should have paid more attention to you. I'm sorry."

"Demius...!"

"Just like you didn't mean to deceive me, I didn't mean to get angry at you."

Ian.

No, Maronius spoke in a calm voice.

"I like you. I don't want to hurt you."

At that moment.

Liria suddenly hugged Maronius tight.

She sobbed and spoke in an anguished voice.

"I like you too! Demius! Really! But I didn't know my actions would hurt you!"

"Liria..."

"The man I met was from my mother's homeland. A native, what they call a foreigner."

The Empire had waged many conquest wars, mixing countless peoples together.

Red hair like Liria's was originally unseen in the imperial capital.

Having foreign blood, she was treated as half an outsider.

"Far away on some island, they say there are people with red hair and blue eyes living together. Demius, I just... wanted to hear about those people. Stories about my mother's homeland... that's why I went drinking."

"I see."

"But you've been looking so tired lately... and I thought if I told you about going to such places, you wouldn't let me go..."

Still hugging Maronius with all her might, Liria cried out:

"I'm sorry! Demius! And I love you! I'll never hurt you again!"

Ian gently stroked Kira's hair and said:

"I love you too, Liria."

Right then, the surrounding scenery started melting like paint.

Maronius's soul had stopped playing the memory.

"[How was it, Maronius.]"

[...]

"[Maronius?]"

Maronius's soul couldn't answer right away.

He was crying.

[...Lies.]

After sobbing for a while, Maronius's soul shouted.

[Don't lie...!]

"[...]"

[If it could be solved so easily...!]

He couldn't continue speaking.

Ian gently asked:

"[Then. Do you think it was more complicated?]"

[...]

"[I suppose my preparation was lacking. I should have found more active ways to convince Liria...]"

Maronius's soul sighed and said:

[...No, rookie.]

Watching Ian and Kira's 'play', he'd deeply reflected.

And realized.

...Maronius and Liria.

Their relationship could have resolved its misunderstandings this easily.

Yet they'd worsened things because they were young, foolish, and proud.

"[Hmm. Then you think Liria was really cheating? Not just a simple misunderstanding?]"

[That's... not it either...]

Maronius's soul hung his head.

He just hadn't wanted to admit it.

The fact that if he'd had an honest conversation with Liria then, things wouldn't have ended up like this.

[I got angry... because the answer was ridiculously simple...]

Maronius's soul couldn't continue speaking.

Ian gently addressed the Archwizard's memory fragment:

"[That's right. The mistake you made was simple enough for anyone to fix.]"

[...]

"[Maronius. Don't you want to fix other memories too?]"

[Other... memories?]

"[They don't have to be minor mistakes. For example, we could imagine a future where you and Liria became a married couple.]"

If he accepted Ian's proposal, he would become a 'key' to viewing Maronius's other memories.

Ian thought he would accept the proposal.

[I'll... think about it.]

"[Take all the time you need.]"

Ian stepped aside to let the Archwizard's soul consider thoroughly.

[Ending memory playback.]

[The novice necromancer calls your soul.]

"Are you awake?"

Ian opened his eyes.

And immediately met Kira's gaze.

"..."

"..."

After a moment of silence.

Ian spoke first.

"You really are good at acting, Kira."

"Ah, yes... thanks... you too, Ian."

Ian and Kira couldn't quite look each other in the eye.

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