Return of The 8th Class Mage - Chapter 238

Chapter 176 The Last Knot (5)

 

[……?]

 

The boy opened his eyes, and he now faced Ian.

 

[Ah…!]

 

The boy escaped in surprise, but the problem was that there was no place to run away. The boy could only hide behind the pink mucous pillar that had fixated the position.

 

[Go, go away…!]

 

The boy only let his head out behind the pillar, and it was almost embarrassing for Ian since the boy was so wary of him.

 

“You don’t need to be scared. You saw that while I’m not nice, I’m not a bad person.”

 

The souls that are asleep in the mind world see the soul that controls the body they are sleeping in through dreams, and the boy would have seen Ian.

 

[But…you killed people…broke fingers…]

“You liked the breaking fingers part, right?”

[I…I…]

 

‘The boy Ian’ had tried to refute that answer, but it was difficult to do so. He did not know much about what the man was saying…

 

[I might have…]

 

The boy thought he may know about the tingling sensations and the indescribable satisfaction that came after. Was the man talking about that?

 

“Hey, you and I are not that different.”

[……]

“I knew how to look that innocent around your age.”

[……]

“I think I looked better when I was young. I miss that time.”

[……]

 

They were different people, but the same being. Ian Page’s temper would have not gone far, and that meant they shared similar characteristics.

 

“Well, boy. Now’s the time for you to go back to your place. Mother will become healthy soon, so try to live out your life on your own.”

 

It was a good thing that her illness had been cured, as the boy’s expression brightened up at those words even if he had already known.

 

[B, but…]

 

The problem was after that since taking revenge on Lambao was not the end. He was a member of one of the biggest gangs in the city, and since they would gather together for revenge, the boy would not be able to handle the situation alone.

 

“I know what you’re worried about.”

 

Ian spoke as he had to know about that. He only had a good plan.

 

“However, you do not need to do that.”

[Yes…?]

“You do not need to worry.”

 

Ian rumpled the boy’s hair roughly and whispered.

 

“What you have seen up to now will be erased forever in your mind.”

 

He was talking about the things the boy had seen after entering Ian’s mind world.

 

“However…”

 

Ian continued talking since he still had an important thing to tell the boy.

 

[……?]

 

Ian opened his palm and made a blue orb. It was a magic missile, which was one of the basic attack spells.

 

“I will leave this spell in your memory. Then you won’t be beaten by those mere ruffians, and someone from the tower will naturally come to you.”

 

Ian was planning to erase all relevant memories but leave behind the magic missile spell and its activating conditions.

 

“Of course, you’ll be interrogated by magic, but since you don’t have the memories, it won’t work. Just say magic awakened because you were beaten all day, and things will proceed without problems. It’s the truth, anyway.”

 

Ian had already experienced it once and knew mages well. Since they blindly believed in magic, they would not suspect their interrogation magic, like what had happened in Ian’s past life.

 

“You will be hailed as a genius, and they will tire you out. However, it’s better than being beaten, right? You will be able to take better care of Mother.”

[……]

 

The boy had not understood all of what Ian was saying, but he knew somethings. He was satisfied that he would not be beaten and take care of his mother better.

 

[I haven’t understood well, but I’ll do what you say. Actually no, please do so! I ask of you!]

 

Ian felt strange at the young boy who was himself looking up to him as an elder.

“Well, good things are good.”

 

Ian reached out with both hands and started lightly rubbing the boy’s hair. As promised, now was the time to say goodbye.

 

“It’s goodbye, kid.”

[Umm…]

 

The boy hesitated as Ian said goodbye like he wanted to say something.

 

[Hey.]

“Yes?”

[I don’t know yet.]

“What?”

[Whether this is a dream or reality.]

 

It would have been too unreal and vast for a thirteen-year-old kid to accept the situation and would seem like a dream.

 

[However…since this might be real, I thank you for curing mother.]

 

The boy’s tone was sincere, and Ian was being Ian, as they were the same son to their mothers.

 

“It’s enough, you know. Take care of her.”
[Leave it up to me!]

“All right.”

 

It was the real goodbye, as Ian’s spirit form melted, and the pink space became whirling down and disappear. The boy Ian also closed his eyes amidst the chaos, as he was becoming sleepy.

 

“……”

 

How much time had passed? The boy opened his eyes in the wreck his mother stayed at.

 

“Umm…”

 

His head hurt, and he felt confused. However, that had only been a moment, and everything returned to normal with the appropriate memories deleted.

 

“Mother…”

 

Mother was sleeping, and she looked well with her breath stable.

“It’s a relief.”

 

The boy’s prayers seemed to have worked, and while it may be for only a little while, it was infinitely better than her getting worse. A loud bang rang as the boy felt relief, and the worn door broke down due to an outside force.

 

“Who…?”

Even before the boy’s surprised voice finished speaking…

 

“Who do you think it is, you bastard!”

 

The boy heard a rough voice, and he knew who they were since they belonged to the gang members that managed the pub. Lambao, who had beaten up the boy often, came in seething.

 

“You bastard! I’m going to kill you. I’ll rip you and your mother apart and throw you two to the dogs!”

 

One of Lambao’s hands was bandaged, and all of his fingers were in casts.

 

“What…what?”

 

The boy could not understand the current situation. While those gang members were bastards, they had not come to Ian’s house like this and made an uproar before.

 

“Why are you here all of a sudden…”

 

Lambao kicked the boy, and he could not even scream. He could only fall down and writhe while froth came out of his mouth.

 

“Ugh…!”

“Die! Die! Die!”

 

Lambao continued to kick him, and the exit was blocked. The boy had no way to escape, and his world turned black. He even became numb.

 

‘Will I die?’

 

That thought suddenly sprang in the boy’s mind, and he was scared.

 

‘Like this…’

 

The boy felt victimized if he had to die like this.

 

‘Why was I born? To die after being beaten like this every day…?’

 

 

He felt faint, and it seemed like death was near.

 

“Hey, you’re not thinking of dying so soon, right? No. I said at the pub that you still have things left to do.”

Lambao squatted in front of the boy and spoke such nonsense.

 

“Hey! Die later and open your eyes for now. Sit and watch it here. Peekaboo! You can see, right?”

 

Lambao made the boy sit with his back leaning against the wall, and the boy now saw his still sleeping mother.

 

“Your mother sleeps well.”

 

It was strange since the house had been in an uproar, and she had not woken up.

 

“Something is wrong…’

 

The boy raised his head and opened his eyes wide to see his mother’s condition.

 

“Oh, now, you see.”

 

Lambao was staring at the boy as he stood next to the boy’s mother. His voice and eyes were vile and sticky.

 

“Now, you’re going to sell your mother to me. I have a nice deal on hold. Someone is looking for a pretty, white-skinned, large-hipped, quiet, and disposable toy he can play with for a while.”

 

Veins stood out in the boy’s forehead at Lambao’s words.

 

“I immediately thought of your mother at my client’s words. Since she’s going to die and does not do anything but this, won’t you feel unburdened?”

“……”

 

Lambao’s vile voice now became even more distorted, and the boy felt disgusted at the mere tone.

 

“However, an order exists in this world. I had been holding myself back since I might get a disease, but the man gave me ‘holy water’ in my words.’

 

‘Holy water’ was the nickname for an expensive draught made by high-class alchemy. Since Vanessa’s disease was due to a weak constitution, nutrient deficiency, and dirty environment, one bottle would heal her immensely.

 

“Aristocrats have big pockets, and they use so much just to satisfy their dirty desires. Well, they’re precious clients for us.”

 

In other words, the boy had not been able to cure his mother because he could not get a bottle of holy water.

 

“So, we’re going in order because she’s too rare just to sell.”

 

Lambao licked his lips, and the rest followed. They were full of disgusting thoughts and were controlled by them.

 

“Sit there and watch how we play with your mother, and that’s your punishment for breaking my fingers.”

 

The situation was now certain, as the boy knew the evil that had entered the house.

 

“……”

“What?”

“No…”

 

The boy murmured not to do it even as he was almost unconscious.

 

“What do you mean by no?”

“Stop…stop…”

“You damn bastard.”

 

Lambao ignored Ian’s pleas and reached for Vanessa’s sleeping body. It seemed like he was going to make her drink the holy water after making her sit up.

 

“She won’t wake up? Your mother did not die yet, right? She’s breathing…is she about to go? That’s bad…”

 

His evil hands fumbled Vanessa, and Lambao’s smelly breath touched his mother’s face.

 

“Stop…”

“She’s pretty. While whores are nice, a treat like this…”

 

It was at that moment.

 

“That hand!”

 

The boy screamed, and a blue light came out with vibrations between his palms that were diagonally pressed together. It was the magic missile, which was the only memory Ian left behind.

 

“Let go of her!”

 

That memory appeared in action first like instinct or a habit. Livid anger was an appropriate trigger to bring out that memory.

 

“You bastard-!”

 

The boy had thought about why he had been born and why he had to die by being beaten up like this. That question was now resolved. The boy had been born for his mother, Vanessa.

The magic missile went out of the boy’s palm and exploded, and the target of the explosion was Lambao’s head.