***
When Ghieuspe first realized that he was a mage, he felt like an extraordinary person.
His family, who had no connection to magic, praised him, claiming that a great person had emerged from the Ascary Duchy.
Although his peers were envious of Ghieuspe, it was easy to sense that their feelings also held admiration.
At that time, he had two options.
If he went to the Magic Tower, he would be able to enjoy honor under the title of a mage from the tower.
If he studied at home, he could freely accept missions and earn a substantial amount of money.
The Ascary Duchy already possessed sufficient wealth, so Ghieuspe chose the former. The true mage must study at the Magic Tower — this was the common belief.
There were rumors that studying at the Magic Tower was incredibly difficult, but Ghieuspe did not take them seriously.
He trusted his own abilities and was conceited, believing he was different from others. No matter how hard it was, he could endure it.
Thus, he confidently told his family to trust him, and when he arrived at the Magic Tower, it was indeed a dreadful place — in a completely unexpected way.
At first, it wasn’t so bad.
However, as Ghieuspe’s overwhelming magical power and exceptional quick-wittedness became more evident through his research, the Tower Master began to take a ‘deeper’ interest in him.
And from the moment the Tower Master placed Ghieuspe in the ‘special completion category,’ the nightmare began.
Someone once told him that he should either become a complete saint or a villain, or if he couldn’t be anything, he should just remain silent without making excuses.
Following that advice, Ghieuspe stayed silent. He endured and endured again.
But one day, Ghieuspe realized something was wrong with him.
“………”
Who had he spoken to today, aside from the Tower Master?
He couldn’t remember.
What about yesterday?
A week ago?
As conversations with people became fewer, Ghieuspe forgot how to converse with others entirely.
He could barely recall how to speak with anyone other than the Tower Master.
He had become completely dependent on the Tower Master for all decisions.
“Ah, can I ask for the opinion of the Ascary mage from the Tower?”
“Uh, I… uh…”
Even when guests from the outside came, he would only show such a dazed appearance.
Unable to bear it anymore, he just decided to keep his mouth shut. Everything became easier that way.
At first, it was because he had forgotten how to converse with others that he forcibly shut himself off. But this habit continued even when he became the second most recognized mage after the Tower Master and left the Magic Tower.
“My son, you’ve finally returned!”
“…Yes.”
“Do you have anything you’d like to say?”
“……….”
It was better to become a silent person than to appear foolish in front of others.
Thus, Ghieuspe stopped speaking and instead focused on reading others’ expressions. The longer he remained silent, the more his ability to read people improved.
Eventually, he reached a point where life wasn’t uncomfortable even without speaking, and Ghieuspe only spoke when it was absolutely necessary.
Becoming friends with Raffaelo, Simone, and Arkhangelo was nothing short of a miracle.
Normally, people would find Ghieuspe’s silence boring, but they were able to perceive the subtle emotions Ghieuspe expressed in his own way.
Aurora, in particular, was a very meaningful friend to Ghieuspe.
She was one of the few who could draw words out of him.
When he began tracking Aurora with Seraphina, it was quite enjoyable. A lot of fun things happened during their adventure.
Seraphina was also peculiar and amusing; observing her blatant emotional shifts was rather entertaining.
Life seemed like it would continue on this calm path.
Then he met Elisabetta Scilla, the Tower Master, again.
He realized that this person, who once seemed so immense, could be defeated if he and his friends worked together.
More importantly, her beliefs were entirely wrong.
Now, Ghieuspe decided he would no longer remain silent.
“I no longer have anything to fear. I have overcome my greatest fear.”
“That’s truly wonderful. That’s how people grow, after all. I’m glad Ghieuspe is feeling a bit better. Most of all, the fact that you overcame it yourself is something to celebrate.”
“Thank you. I plan to try my best from now on.”
Ghieuspe hesitated before continuing.
“If I hadn’t made these friends, I’d probably still be afraid of the Tower Master. So from now on, I’ll make an effort to communicate more. I won’t stay silent anymore.”
“Yes, if you find anything difficult, speak up anytime.”
“And… I want to become the next Tower Master.”
His solemn declaration left me wide-eyed.
“I will drive Elisabetta out and reform the tower. I will train hard to become a mage capable of defeating her alone.”
“So, you don’t dislike magic itself.”
“No, I don’t hate magic.”
I looked at Ghieuspe with astonished eyes.
Perhaps, like me, Ghieuspe had adapted to reality. He chose to stay silent rather than resist the Magic Tower.
But seeing him overcome his trauma and decide to move forward left me feeling strange.
Well, I felt a bit like I was being left behind.
At the same time, Ghieuspe seemed truly impressive.
“…That’s great. I support your dream, Ghieuspe.”
It was a bit sudden, but Ghieuspe making such a decision was undoubtedly a good thing. Since we didn’t know much about Princess Eva’s existence yet, having another strong person in our group was definitely a good thing.
I held out my pinky finger to Ghieuspe.
“It’s a promise to help each other when we need it. What do you say?”
“Alright.”
Ghieuspe hooked his pinky with mine, and I smiled broadly.
“All the storms we’ve been through signal that calm weather and good things are on the horizon.”*
*Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
“What a wonderful phrase.”
The original story didn’t go into detail about Ghieuspe’s experience in the Magic Tower, but it did briefly mention that Aurora helped heal the wounds he carried. That was why Ghieuspe clung to Aurora after she ran away from him.
But now, rather than depending on others to heal his wounds, Ghieuspe overcoming his trauma on his own seemed much better.
He would become a strong individual on his own.
“…It seems we’ve become friends.”
“Of course, we’re friends.”
When I said that, Ghieuspe’s expression brightened, though you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.
“Alright, then shall we set off again?”
“…Let’s.”
Ghieuspe, who had been smiling, suddenly looked off into the distance.
“There are still some things left unresolved.”
Giuseppe 🥺♥️