Ch. 162 - The Existence of Solare

Glenn gazed somewhere into the distance with a deeply aching expression.

Frankly, I hesitated to probe too deeply into the story of his child's death. However, Glenn saw through my hesitation and slowly began to speak again.

"My son must have been very suitable for the adventuring life. He only came home occasionally... In the end, he passed away before me, in a distant land, leaving behind his wife and child. The adventure seemed to have been extremely harsh. My son's wife, bringing the young Solare with her, reached this city, but she passed away a few years later."

"...I see."

Hearing such a painful past left me at a loss for words. I could only manage a brief, acknowledgment-like reply, and silence settled between us for a moment.

Then, Glenn offered a troubled smile and let out a light sigh.

"That's all in the past now. I heard my son enjoyed his life to the fullest. But the problem is the Solare he left behind."

With that preface, Glenn took a sip of his tea.

"...Solare is a quiet child. Perhaps because he lost his parents early, he developed a timid personality. He can't initiate conversations with others, and even when asked for an opinion, he struggles to reply properly."

"They sound a bit like me."

Hearing about Solare's personality, I felt I understood them well and agreed. However, Glenn looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

"...This hardly seems like the atmosphere for jokes."

"Huh?"

"...No, it's nothing."

As I tilted my head, not understanding his words, Glenn seemed to accept something on his own and returned to the topic.

"Well, Solare is an extremely quiet type of personality, but it's a bit different from yours, Aoi. Perhaps influenced by that personality, he never had many friends. But, like my son, he loved studying magic. I helped Solare with his magic studies, hoping it might foster a more positive personality. I thought if he could gain confidence in himself, his heart would grow stronger too."

Glenn said this, likely speaking from his own experience.

"I see. So, how skilled did Solare become?"

Curious, I asked, and Glenn nodded with a smile.

"He was serious and hardworking. He even advanced to the point of shortening incantations for high-level magic. For intermediate-level magic, he could activate it within two or three short verses. By age fourteen, he reached a level that would place him among the upper ranks of the high school division."

Glenn answered with pride. He looked so happy, with his face that of a grandfather boasting about his grandchild.

"That's wonderful. With that level of skill, I wouldn't think he'd be bullied, but..."

When I said that, Glenn's brow furrowed deeply.

"That's the thing... it didn't work out that way. He certainly started gaining confidence, but each time he moved up from middle school to high school classes, the older students started targeting him... Each time, I kept telling him that if he became better at magic than anyone, everyone would acknowledge him. I kept encouraging him not to lose. But it seems that it only became a burden for Solare..."

Glenn grimaced and looked down, as if holding something back. He hunched his shoulders as if his whole body had shrunk.

"...I personally admonished anyone whose behavior became too severe. I even once sent a letter to the head of a noble family, the parent of one such student. I did everything I could think of to protect Solare. But by then, Solare had already shut himself in his room and stopped coming out."

A deep sense of regret permeated Glenn's words. I nodded in response.

"Solare probably followed the teachings of his only family, his grandfather, and studied magic desperately. Even so, the bullying didn't stop... If he suffered severe bullying from older, more powerful seniors, he must have sustained deep emotional wounds."

"Y-yes... I watched Solare continue his earnest efforts and believed everyone else would be impressed too. I believed it would be alright. But that alone wasn't enough... I'm always making mistakes. For all the years that have passed, I haven't grown at all since the day they exiled me from the Elven kingdom."

Imagining Solare's feelings, Glenn became enveloped in deep sorrow. It seemed Solare's withdrawal had caused Glenn to lose his confidence too. That must be why he couldn't figure out how to save Solare.

"...It's alright, Headmaster Glenn. There's still time."

When I told him that, Glenn opened his eyes and lifted his head.

"R-really? Can we still help Solare?"

I nodded deeply to Glenn, who looked at me with pleading eyes, and spoke.

"Leave it to me. What Solare needed wasn't broad, shallow knowledge of magic. He needed to learn highly offensive magic—the kind that would make any student think twice about laying a hand on him."

"Huh?"

At the answer I gave, Glenn's eyes widened, and he froze. Perhaps he didn't hear me.

"Don't worry. Solare will definitely return to attending the academy like before. I'll see to it."

Declaring this firmly to Glenn, I stood up. I couldn't sit here any longer. I needed to talk to Solare as soon as possible.

"Headmaster. Where is Solare?"

When I asked, Glenn's face turned pale, and he opened and closed his mouth several times.

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