Chapter 1 Part 8: People Are The Enemy

Bright light seeped through the gaps in the tent set up in a corner of the yard.

I entered the tent.

Various flowers were in full bloom.

I looked up at the ceiling.

The flower buds, which had been tightly closed when I left for work, were now wide open.

Each petal, thin as a dragonfly’s wing, sparkled brilliantly.

I took out my pocket watch.

If the magic was set properly, the light would turn off in three hours.

I lightly pressed the soil in the flowerbed with my finger.

It was damp, just right.

I brushed off the dirt and muttered.

“Will I be able to wake up tomorrow morning?”

Even after work, the worries wouldn’t stop.

My days and nights were reversed, so I had stayed up all night and barely made it to work today.

Staying up another night was absolutely impossible.

A vivid image appeared before my eyes: me falling asleep in the middle of a bloody fight with that child.

After finishing my inspection of the flowerbed, I went inside the house.

It was 7 o’clock now, so I had exactly three hours to read and then go straight to sleep.

And to do that,

“I wish someone would wash me instead.”

I had to wash up and change clothes.

Ideally, I’d like to lie down for just 10 minutes before washing, but I knew myself.

I knew I could never lie down for just 10 minutes.

Accepting the annoyance, I went into the bathroom.

After washing with warm water, I changed into soft pajamas.

The colors and design were childish, the kind a kid would wear, but so what if I wore them at home?

Comfort was all that mattered.

Changed into my pajamas, I dove onto the bed.

I always thought this, but lying down seemed to suit my constitution best.

I wished lying down could be a job.

I was confident I’d work more diligently than anyone else at it.

I rubbed my face against the blanket, then opened the bag.

The books fell onto the bed.

Which one should I read first?

I pondered, then shook my head.

I was going to read both anyway, so what did it matter?

I picked up whichever one my hand touched first and opened it.

“Oh.”

An incomprehensible exclamation escaped my lips.

As soon as I opened the first page, a sentence written in bold letters caught my eye: “Under no circumstances should you shout.”

The book in my hand was the one on child discipline.

I sat up.

‘More and more parents these days shout at their children without thinking when they do something wrong.

They do it because the child, even if just from shock, will quiet down.

But disciplining a child in this way is by no means a good method.’

The image of the mages shouting loud enough to be heard throughout the hallway flashed before my eyes.

I turned another page.

‘You must not see the child as an object to be subdued, but treat them as a person to be guided.

It is only natural that a young child doesn’t know rules or ethics.

Instead of instilling fear of the world through harsh punishment, we must teach children how to live with others.’

It seemed I had chosen the right book after all.

I sat up and read it carefully.

A child was a more sensitive and fragile being than I had ever imagined.

According to the examples in the book, even children who weren’t dragon hybrids existed who ran wild.

Judging by the accounts of them scratching and attacking surrounding adults indiscriminately.

The only difference was that they were weaker and thus easier to subdue.

I closed the book.

Come to think of it, the younger cousins I met before I moved out also threw tantrums when things didn’t go their way.

So why was I so surprised when I saw that child?

Ah, it must be the scale.

No matter how unruly my cousins were, they didn’t strike someone’s abdomen hard enough to send them flying, or injure someone with the force to disable an arm.

“The horns, tail, and arms also played a part.”

I was human too, so seeing something like that was bound to be shocking.

I thought my nerves had thickened from seeing all sorts of crazy things at the Magic Tower, but I was still far from it.

I needed to reflect and train myself further.

I nodded.

Now that I’d finished this one, I should read the other book.

I opened [Taming Wild Animals].

This book also had a cautionary note written in bold letters.

“Never shout.”

Animals and children weren’t that different.

Just as you shouldn’t suppress a child with force, you shouldn’t suppress an animal with force either.

I stroked my chin at the sentence that said animals subdued by force were highly likely to try subduing other animals with force as well.

I think I understood why the Magic Tower people couldn’t get along with the child at all.

I fidgeted with the book cover, then checked the time.

“It’s already time to sleep.”

I twirled my finger.

The lamp went out and the room darkened.

As I pulled up the blanket, I thought.

In the Magic Tower, status didn’t exist.

Only differences in skill mattered.

Take Lady Enencia, for example.

She came from the slums without even a family name.

Even if you were from nobility or royalty, if your skills were poor, you wouldn’t be treated well.

People hell-bent on suppressing others with force to climb up had no reason to be considerate of a child.

How was I going to take care of this child?

The more I worried, the bigger the problem seemed.

Above all,

“I can’t sleep.”

This was bad.

At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to go to work tomorrow.

To be able to go to work, I had to sleep now no matter what.

My eyes were way too wide awake.

Just a few days ago, I’d fall asleep at sunrise and wake up at moonrise.

Trying to suddenly change my lifestyle, my body wasn’t following.

I shouldn’t have lived so recklessly after quitting.

I should have at least kept a regular sleep schedule.

The future looked bleak.

I rubbed my face dryly, brainstorming ways to fall asleep.

1. Drink warm soup.

No. Making the soup would make me even more alert.

2. Count sheep.

No. Last time I counted up to 3,000 and still couldn’t sleep.

3. Listen to a lullaby.

No. I lived alone, there was no one to sing me a lullaby.

4. Take a light walk.

No. The cold weather would wake me up immediately.

I didn’t have the courage to get out from under the blanket.

I felt a sense of self-loathing and sadness, wondering if I became a mage for this.

I thought I could solve most things with magic, but something like this I couldn’t solve…

Huh?

Wait, magic?

I clapped my hands together.

“Ah!”

Why didn’t I think of this?

Casting a sleep spell on myself, the kind used for intruders, I managed to fall asleep safely.

It was really a good thing I learned magic.

Never had I been so proud of being a mage as I was today.

***

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Alice!”

Thanks to sleeping soundly without dreaming, I felt refreshed.

From now on, if I couldn’t sleep, I’d use this method.

Whoosh, Mr. Pierrot popped out from the air.

Fortunately, I had developed some resistance in the meantime, so it wasn’t as scary as yesterday.

Mr. Pierrot, hanging upside down from a golden rope, took out a card.

So he was in charge of my inspection again today.

I bit down on the ball Mr. Pierrot held out.

On the front and back of the card, my name, face, and affiliation were embossed in gold leaf.

“Confirmed.”

After a butterfly flew off into the sky, Mr. Pierrot hung back on the rope.

My refreshed mood suddenly plummeted.

I could go into the Magic Tower now, but my feet wouldn’t move.

I already didn’t want to go.

I hadn’t even gone inside yet, and I already wanted to go home.

Was this normal?

I was just staring at the door when,

“Oh, right, Alice.”

Mr. Pierrot, whom I thought would have disappeared immediately, was still there.

What was it?

I looked at him with curious eyes.

“I thought you were a newbie like me, but I heard you used to be affiliated with the Magic Tower?”

“Yes, I quit and then came back.”

“The other guards told me.

They said you’re the first person to leave on their own and then come back.

Why didn’t you tell me sooner?

Do you know how happy I was the moment I heard that news?”

“Why are you happy?”

“I told you.”

Mr. Pierrot repeated what he had just said.

“That you’re the first person to leave on their own and then come back.”

I still didn’t understand.

I was troubled.

I tried desperately to understand Mr. Pierrot’s words, but I couldn’t at all.

“No, I mean, why is that…”

I trailed off, looking at Mr. Pierrot.

The mask gleamed eerily.

Somehow, today, the painted mouth on the mask seemed to be grinning even wider.

Pierrot started throwing cards everywhere.

“I just love the word ‘first’!

The reason I entered here in the first place was because of Lady Enencia!

I heard she was the first person in history with magical power as strong as hers!

Accomplishing something no one else has done, where else can you find something as thrilling and amazing as that?”

I turned serious and immediately denied it.

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t find it thrilling or amazing at all.”

I just got re-employed because of money.

I dodged the dozens of cards and slowly backed away, but Mr. Pierrot’s excitement didn’t subside one bit.

“But still, you’re the first in Magic Tower history!

Please give me your autograph!

Your autograph!”

Cards were piling up at my feet.

From the context, it seemed he wanted me to sign these.

I wasn’t famous enough to give autographs, nor was I confident I could sign this many cards one by one.

Even though there was a considerable distance between us now, I kept backing away.

“Please forgive the number of cards!

The other guards asked me to get theirs too, if possible, so I wanted to bring as many as I could!”

I shook my head wildly.

“I’ve been saying this all along, but I’m not famous enough to be giving out autographs.”

“Huh?

What do you mean, Alice?”

Mr. Pierrot was startled and waved his hands.

Another handful of cards rustled down from his sleeves.

“You are famous!

The Magic Tower has been buzzing so much because of you!”

I felt it from the first time we met, but this person was also not normal.

Not that the other guards were normal either.

Once a sufficient distance was between Mr. Pierrot and me, I stopped backing away.

And then,

“Where are you going!

I said give me an autograph!”

I started running, half-crying.

I really wanted to quit…!