How to Live as a Hero in a Magical World (55)
Gretel lost consciousness and fell backward.
Wobble.
Eldarin immediately used levitation magic so she wouldn't hit her head.
Hummm...
Then she cast a weak vitality recovery spell, careful not to put too much strain on Gretel's elderly body.
"Huuuup...!"
Gretel's eyes snapped open almost immediately.
The moment they did...
Two unbelievably beautiful faces filled her vision.
A woman with silver hair and blue eyes.
And a boy with black hair and turquoise eyes.
Gretel glared at the more familiar of the two.
Kaian.
You little...!
If your teacher's mana was this ridiculous, you should've warned me!
Then I could've prayed to the heavens properly!
Prayed for her not to come...!
Unfortunately...
Those weren't things she could say aloud.
Gretel swallowed a long sigh.
When she simply stared without speaking, Kaian began anxiously shifting his feet.
"Granny! Are you okay?"
"Talk! Can you talk?"
"..."
That unexpectedly desperate cry completely drained the irritation from Gretel.
"...I'm fine."
"Haaaah! You scared me!"
Kaian leaned closer.
"You're really okay, right?"
"Breathing! You're still breathing, right?"
He put a finger under Gretel's nose.
"You insolent..."
She wanted to slap the back of his hand.
Unfortunately, her body still wouldn't move.
I probably need to get used to his teacher's mana before I can move again.
Gretel closed her eyes and slowly controlled her breathing.
Then Kaian started whining again.
"Uwaaaah... Granny, don't die..."
"You have to at least see me enter the academy..."
"You brat, stop making such a fuss."
Gretel groaned.
"I was just a little surprised."
In truth...
It hadn't been "a little" at all.
She had been very surprised.
I thought once I reached this age, there'd be nothing left in the world capable of shocking me.
Even across her entire lifetime, there had been very few moments more shocking than this one.
So I lived long enough to experience mana shock.
Mana Shock.
A phenomenon that occurred when the difference between one's own mana and another person's mana was overwhelmingly large.
The body might freeze.
Or consciousness might be lost entirely because it couldn't withstand the gap.
Ironically, it happened more often to high-rank mages who were sensitive enough to accurately perceive another person's mana.
Low-rank mages often couldn't even understand how strong the person standing before them was.
Peace born from ignorance.
That was also why high-rank mages sometimes intentionally revealed their mana.
Once the difference in strength became clear...
Meaningless fights could be avoided.
Gretel knew all of that.
She'd simply never experienced it personally until today.
I was rather proud of my mana.
But I suppose I was still only a frog at the bottom of a well.
Gretel Wiz.
She had once been a fairly famous prophet, supporter, and observer in Silvaris.
Although she possessed only one type of mana, her mana rank had been close to the highest rank.
She had never been inferior even to multi-mana users.
Thanks to the accomplishments she'd made with that power and her prophetic ability...
Even now, past the age of seventy, she served as an unofficial gatekeeper of the Silvaris border.
That pride had been like the final thread holding Gretel together.
Yet she'd lost consciousness simply by standing in Eldarin's presence.
Gretel let out a dry laugh.
Perhaps because that final thread had snapped...
She actually felt strangely relieved.
"It was all meaningless in the end."
Gretel glanced to the side.
"Though perhaps I should call this fortunate..."
Considering the person before her...
She doubted anyone else would've been able to withstand Eldarin either.
Elf-like ears and horns growing from her head...
I can't believe it.
Unless Gretel's knowledge was completely wrong...
Kaian's teacher belonged to an ancient race said to have existed since the Primordial Age.
The Elderkin.
A race skilled in controlling time, space, and weather.
A higher race than elves and spirits.
They were said to have gone completely extinct around fifteen hundred years ago.
So one survived.
Apparently academy education isn't entirely trustworthy either.
Then Eldarin spoke firmly, like a doctor examining a patient.
"Hmm."
"Your lower back is in terrible condition."
"You should leave on a journey tomorrow."
"This place isn't good for you."
"What...?"
Still floating in midair, Gretel rolled only her eyes toward Eldarin.
The ancient woman was studying her body with obvious interest.
"Um... what do you mean?"
Gretel looked genuinely confused.
Eldarin returned an equally confused look.
"You didn't know?"
"Your right eye."
Eldarin pointed toward it.
"That fellow is absolutely overflowing with dissatisfaction."
"My... eye?"
Gretel blinked.
"What does that have to do with my back...?"
"Oh dear."
Eldarin clicked her tongue with sympathy.
"You truly know nothing about it."
She explained,
"Those who possess a five-colored eye are born with a destiny that constantly desires to see an interesting world."
"That desire is so immense that your eye even gained the power to glimpse events before they happen."
Gretel's expression changed.
"Such a..."
It was the first time she'd ever heard anything like this.
She had never met another mage with the same eye.
Nor had she read anything similar in any document.
Then prophecy is merely an additional trait...?
Eldarin spoke sternly.
"Someone born with such an eye has spent all this time shut away in a tiny room."
"Naturally, the eye has become furious."
She gestured toward Kaian.
"Even my disciple becomes unbearably sulky whenever I refuse to let him leave the forest."
"Why are you bringing me into this?"
"That is why, despite my concerns, I allow him to wander outside."
Eldarin sighed.
"And now he says he intends to leave home entirely."
"Why am I part of this example?!"
Eldarin completely ignored Kaian.
"Your eye is much the same."
"It is biting your lower back and demanding that you hurry outside."
Gretel blinked in confusion.
"So my back hurts because of my eye?"
"Not because I'm old?"
"Correct."
Eldarin nodded.
"You can think of it as raising one Kaian inside your right eye."
"It needs regular walks."
"One person."
Kaian immediately protested.
"You count Kaian as one person. Not one animal."
Eldarin ignored him again.
"If you continue like this, it won't stop with your lower back."
"Your joints throughout your body will eventually deteriorate."
She pointed toward the door.
"Go out into the world."
Gretel didn't know how to respond.
She simply blinked.
Then Kaian suddenly puffed out his chest and shouted,
"I knew it!"
"I told you!"
"Granny needs to retire and travel around seeing beautiful places!"
Eldarin nodded.
"I agree."
"Besides, the world will soon become chaotic."
"Historically, times of chaos were when five-colored eyes were happiest."
Gretel's eyes shook.
Chaos?
