Eric was surprised by his grandfather's words.
"But why? Why can't I become a mage?"
Henry looked at his grandson.
"Because you don't have the aptitude for it. Now excuse me, I have many matters to attend to."
When the mayor left, Eric stood for a moment, staring at the floor and clenching his fists.
"Oh no… I'll become one no matter what."
It was a cloudy day. Eric was doing some exercises in the forest outside the city when Kriro suddenly approached him.
"And what are you doing here all alone?"
"I'm training to become a strong mage and to prove something to my grandfather."
Kriro smiled when he heard that.
"So, this is the grandson of that old fart. I'll help you become a strong mage."
Eric was excited by the news.
"Really?"
Kriro only nodded in response.
"Yes, but in return, one day you'll help me with something. Deal?"
Without thinking, the young boy agreed immediately.
"Of course."
A few months later…
Eric stood over the dead bodies of Kriro's men.
"Looks like killing doesn't bother you anymore," Kriro stated.
"What now?"
"Now I'll grant you a special power."
"A special power?"
"Yes, a special power I developed based on the Shonetsu demons' abilities." Kriro marked Eric with a curse.
When he did, the boy's body became surrounded by a dark, ominous aura, and his pupils disappeared. Eric immediately lunged at his master, but Kriro subdued him effortlessly.
"Of course he won't control this power at the beginning. You've got a long road ahead of you, my boy."
[End of Flashback]
"You know… you gave up by taking shortcuts and choosing the wrong path. A true mage can achieve anything through hard work alone. If you wanted to prove your grandfather wrong, you did it the wrong way. Do it with your own strength, not someone else's."
Derivan's words surprised Eric. Suddenly he saw an image of Matomiro standing next to Derivan.
"You remind me of him…"
Derivan raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter," Eric said before losing consciousness.
Meanwhile, somewhere outside the city, a battle between Kriro and Ronibo was raging.
"What's this? Did that brat lose?" Kriro wondered.
Ronibo took the opportunity and struck Kriro in the face, sending him flying a great distance. "Time to end this."
Ronibo brought his hands together by the wrists, charging lightning. "Lightning Finish!" he shouted, firing a powerful beam of lightning.
"Damn it, I won't dodge in time," Kriro thought.
When the attack hit, it caused a massive explosion that destroyed a large portion of the area.
"I used most of my choki for that attack. Even if he survived, I won't last long in this fight."
Moments later, when the smoke cleared, only torn scraps of Kriro's clothes remained.
"So it worked after all. I should head back to Silono."
Some time later…
The goblins were defeated, and the wounded civilians were transported to the hospital. Afterwards, the burial of the dead began, including Laura.
Derivan stood behind a tree, watching the crying mother and sister. "I need to become stronger, so something like this never happens again," he thought.
Late in the evening, Derivan walked through the city, unable to settle down.
"Oh? What are you doing here?"
"Mr. Ronibo… I have a request. I want you to train me."
Ronibo looked at the teenager in surprise.
"Why do you want to become stronger?"
"During that attack I realized I'm too weak to protect my friends. That's why I have to become stronger," Derivan said with determination in his eyes.
"I'm a rather busy man, but… I'll see what I can do."
"Really?"
"Hey, calm down, don't get your hopes up. I said I'd see what I can do."
"Alright. Thank you anyway."
A few days later…
The Shenoro Academy students were preparing to return home.
"Once again, thank you very much for everything," said the Mayor of Silono.
"No problem, old man," Derivan said with a wide smile and his hands behind his head.
"Derivan, show respect to the mayor," his teacher scolded.
"Hahaha, no need for that. To be honest, I actually like when he talks to me that way."
To everyone's surprise, Eric appeared at the scene.
"You…"
"Eryk and I cleared some things up."
[Flashback]
Eric was lying in the hospital after the fight with Derivan when Henry entered his room.
"Grandpa? What are you doing here?" Eric couldn't hide his surprise.
"I realized I owe you an apology and an explanation for why I didn't let you become a mage."
Eric was startled by his grandfather's words.
"What?"
"After your parents died in the last war, I promised myself I would protect you. I won't let you share their fate," Henry explained, making Eric lower his head.
"You could've told me from the start instead of brushing me off with cheap excuses. Besides… I'm not without fault either. The fight with Derivan made me realize how foolish I've been. That's why I'll keep growing stronger. I'll become such a powerful mage that you won't have to worry about me anymore, Grandpa."
The mayor's eyes widened when he saw a genuine smile on his grandson's face the first in years.
[End of Flashback]
"Thanks to you, Derivan… you helped me open my eyes."
"That's great!"
After saying goodbye, the students returned to the village of Kasegi.
Meanwhile, in a completely different dimension, stood a boy in a purple cloak.
"I sensed the power of Shonetsu coming from planet Earth. Could it be him…? I'd better check."