The Dutiful Kid Who Saved the Villainous Family - Chapter 21

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 21

“Greetings.”

Six Purification Mages, including Haroze and Martin, greeted Airi.

Due to frequent business trips outside the Northern Region, the Purification Mages were relatively accustomed to maintaining proper etiquette.

Then, Airi spoke carefully as if offering a bribe.

“I brought delicious drinks for you teachers!”

“Oh. Thank, you, very, much?”

Everyone except Haroze took a sip with suspicious expressions.

Usually when Northern Region children did this, it was to play a prank on them.

But those who took a sip of the drink opened their eyes wide.

“It’s, it’s really just a drink? And it’s even sw, sweet…”

“Yes! How does it taste? The chefs specially made it for my teachers…”

“Huh, huh. That tough-tempered chef?”

“No, no! They’re very, very kind!”

“Yes, yes.”

Then Airi bowed her head with bright, sparkling eyes.

“Then please take good care of me from now on, teachers!”

“Yes, yes. Th, thank you.”

Unlike the Purification Mages who were completely swept up in Airi’s pace, Haroze’s gaze was profound.

“Lady Airi, thank you. Now let’s begin the lesson. Since this is our first class, we’d like to check what kind of teaching method you prefer.”

“Yes!”

Haroze brought out a class schedule.

“Please choose from these five types of classes.”

1. Purification Power through Practical Purification Rituals

2. Applied Purification Power: Hands-on Class Learning by Directly Purifying Magic

3. Principles and Practice of Purification Arts: The Reality of Theory Learned in Practice

4. Encounters with Demons: Detection and Understanding of Magic Learned in Practice

5. Theory and Fundamentals of Purification Learned through Meditation

Except for Martin with his gloomy expression, everyone raised their heads as if expecting to be chosen.

However, Airi couldn’t hear the class explanations the teachers were giving in turn.

Because Cookie was desperately shouting through telepathy from inside Airi’s pocket.

[Purification meditation! Purification meditation! You must choose purification meditation!]

“…?”

[Purification meditation is the best for you! If you learn that meditation, you can draw in surrounding magic! It’s difficult, but if you keep at it steadily, it’s the royal road to absorbing magic!]

Airi said seriously.

“I want to learn the fifth one, purification meditation!”

For a moment, Martin’s gaze wavered. The other Purification Mages also looked flustered and asked.

“Are, are you serious?”

“Yes! And I also like that it says ‘fundamentals’ here!”

The master said so. When taking any class, learn the basics first.

Unlike the flustered Purification Mages, Haroze spoke calmly.

“Then I’ll send the others away. My assistant here, Martin, can teach you about purification meditation, which is the foundation of purification arts.”

“That sounds great!”

After the other Purification Mages left without being able to say a proper word.

Martin reluctantly savored the taste of victory.

But he tried not to get his hopes up and shook his head inwardly.

‘Don’t expect anything, Martin. She’ll get bored and leave while learning.’

Everyone else had been the same.

‘She’ll obviously dislike it as she continues. Just like the other children.’

He had seen many who came to do purification meditation out of curiosity, only to immediately spit and say it was boring.

Martin muttered halfheartedly.

“Lady Airi, the foundation of purification arts is purification meditation. Please sit here first.”

“Oh, yes! I’ll sit!”

“Now close your eyes. And try to perceive the magic floating around you. It will probably be difficult though.”

In Martin’s way, this was giving her an excuse that it was okay to give up since it was difficult.

“Yes!”

“Then, let’s begin now.”

Airi sat down, closed her eyes, and quietly steadied her breathing.

Martin crossed his arms and observed Airi’s movements.

‘Could it be that she’s taking meditation seriously?’

After hastily erasing the faint expectation he had held.

He began slowly counting time in his mind.

In roughly 30 seconds, she would quickly open her eyes and throw a tantrum about being bored.

But it had already been 10 minutes since he thought so cynically.

He couldn’t believe it.

Could a child really be doing meditation properly?

But Martin calmed his surprise and looked again.

‘No, the surrounding magic isn’t moving at all.’

Was she perhaps sleeping with her eyes closed?

‘Still, this is quite noble of her.’

He should praise her when she woke up, he thought, and at that moment,

He felt a very faint magic surrounding them slowly gathering.

No, it wasn’t toward him.

He could see the surrounding magic slowly converging toward Airi.

To Martin, who had learned purification meditation, magic appeared in very vague forms.

‘But… the magic is moving?’

There was really a child who seriously engaged in purification meditation, and thus drew in magic through meditation?

Startled, Martin hastily straightened his posture.

Unaware that Haroze was watching him with a knowing smile, he stared at Airi intently.

Meanwhile, Airi was meditating in lotus position as she had learned during character education time at the taekwondo dojo.

Meditation after such a long time!

‘Right, from now on Martin will be my master!’

It felt like coming to the taekwondo dojo after a long time!

Airi was very excited.

10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes.

She gradually meditated and practiced drawing in the surrounding magic.

‘But it’s still not easy!’

However, around the 30-minute mark.

Airi felt something.

A force that was slowly following her from the surroundings!

And Airi’s eyes snapped open.

The magic brought from the surroundings made one revolution through the purification circuit in her body and became Airi’s purification power!

“Oh, I’m done!”

Intermediate Purification Mage, Martin.

His eyes grew wide.

Black magic had been gathering around Airi, who had nothing around her the entire time, and then suddenly disappeared.

‘Seeing the magic suddenly disappear, the end might have been a failure. But still…’

She had gathered magic through meditation, hadn’t she?

Purification meditation was full of people who dismissed it saying it didn’t improve skills immediately.

But Airi was different.

He approached her education seriously and never dismissed her.

“Th, thank you.”

“Um, how many points did I get today?”

Meditation isn’t graded with scores. It’s an abstract discipline.

But seeing Airi’s attitude, Martin felt he absolutely had to say something.

“A, a hundred points?”

“Wow!”

Martin somehow felt his heart throbbing.

Things might change once the lessons began in earnest.

But those sparkling eyes…

‘They’re genuine.’

“Since you’ve completed today’s test well, let’s wrap up the lesson here for today.”

“Yes!”

Even her voice was spirited.

Haroze, who had been watching this entire situation, spoke dryly.

“Martin, didn’t you say something about your palms getting burned?”

“Ah, they haven’t gotten burned yet.”

Haroze said casually.

“Right, then they’ll probably get burned by the next lesson. We’ll see you again next week, Lady Airi.”

“Yes! I’ll work hard on reviewing meditation in the meantime!”

Looking at the brightly smiling Airi, Martin thought.

What to do.

Such a unicorn-like child.

Will my palms really get burned?

But Martin shook his head inwardly.

‘No, this is just the first time.’

* * *

Meanwhile, inside Declan Ortejo’s office.

A messenger bird had brought mail from the south.

[The moment you lay even a fingertip on Airi, consider it war.

I’ll find a way to come north soon, so be warned.

Melissa Marquess.]

The informal speech from his mother-in-law, Melissa Marquess, was familiar.

Ever since his wife died, she had been particularly hostile toward the north.

“I’ll raise Airi myself. But on the condition that not a speck of wicked magic touches the child!”

So until Airi came, they hadn’t been able to meet.

‘That’s one thing.’

Declan naturally folded the note and put it in his drawer.

“You read it and ignored it…”

Instead, he had work to do.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious that the child suddenly became immune.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

“So we need to look into the circumstances of that examination. How to go about it.”

“What? Go about it?”

“Right. Whether someone interfered when examining my daughter, or if she really suddenly became immune through some miracle.”

“Yes, understood…”

“First, observe the child and request the Imperial Palace to send an ancient stone.”

…If ordered, he had to obey. What choice was there.

‘The Imperial Palace hasn’t been responding well to contacts lately.’

Raspen nodded roughly and changed the subject.

“Ah! Come to think of it, I brought something that might be worth healing for. Purification Mage Haroze mentioned it?”

“Forget about healing and whatever. Go work.”

“Hmm, you’ll regret it if you don’t listen.”

“I won’t regret it.”

Raspen grandly held up a report card.

A report card with the name [Airi] written in crooked letters at the top.

Below it was written the score of 100 points.

“Are you really sure you won’t regret it?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————