A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 130.1. Atonement And Observation

Clyde, having lost all his strength, collapsed onto the ground. Looking down at him, Hermes glanced at his own right hand.

“………”

What still writhed there was the bat-like creature he had torn from Clyde just moments before. By reproducing Clyde’s magic, Hermes had gained a vague understanding of his emotions.

What the creature conveyed was neither resentment nor anger, but only loyalty to Clyde and sincere concern for him.

“…I’m sorry.”

Fully grasping this, Hermes let go of his right hand, immediately incinerating the bat creature with a powerful, all-purpose spell. Accompanied by an apology, he used the maximum firepower to ensure it wouldn’t suffer.

Though it had been implanted and caused Hermes and the others so much pain, the creature’s actions were undeniably born of loyalty. Recognizing its state of mind, Hermes felt it was only right to show some respect.

It’s ironic, really, that he always ends up feeling more sympathetic toward these monsters, who were supposed to be enemies, than toward humans. Thinking this, Hermes turned back toward Clyde once more.

Clyde’s expression remained blank, but it seemed his awareness was gradually returning. Slowly, the light came back to his eyes, and his gaze began to focus— And then, he saw it.

—The condemning stares of all the academy students, directed at him.

“Hyuh—!”

With Hermes having depleted the stock of monsters, and the few remaining ones already exterminated by Katia and the others, the black walls that had surrounded the academy disappeared. All visible threats were now gone.

With that being the case, it was inevitable that the students’ anger would be directed at the person of clear, immediate fear—Clyde. While their reactions were largely driven by fear of the incomprehensible monster Clyde had become, there was no shortage of hostility toward him. That malice pierced him directly.

For someone who had always craved the approval of others, it was unbearable.

“N-no… stop, stop it, don’t look at me like that…!”

Covering his face with his hands to block out their stares, he scooted backward. Of course, his resistance had no effect, and only made their glares more severe. Realizing this, Clyde lifted his face—his expression desperate—and opened his mouth.

“I-I had no choice! It wasn’t just me, I was tricked by that man! That’s right, even that bat’s betrayal was part of his scheme! I was just dragged into it, I never meant for things to go this far, I just…”

But even Clyde couldn’t continue justifying himself. His actions were too severe. The surrounding gazes grew even harsher. Sweat poured from him like a waterfall as his frantic eyes darted around— And then, they landed on a single girl.

“S-Sara!”

Desperately, he called her name. Without thinking about her response, he began to plead.

“You understand, right? I’m the victim here! Please, you’re so kind-hearted, you’ll forgive someone like me, who was used by an evil man, right?!”

…It was as if he were re-enacting the moment when Aster had clung to her, just before his own ruin.

But unlike then, Sara was not the same. Back then, she had been trembling. She had relied on Katia. —But now, things were different. Her gaze was steady, and she walked toward Clyde by herself. She spoke.

“…Yes. —As long as you do what you must.”

Her first words of affirmation brought a glimmer of hope to Clyde’s eyes, but her next words clouded his face with dread. Sara continued speaking to him.

“What you’ve done is unforgivable.”

“!”

“You tried to trample on the place that’s precious to me… and to all of us. That can’t be forgiven. If it were, something even greater would overflow and be lost. Right now, this is the best I can do.”

Calmly, she explained why forgiveness was impossible, then added:

“…But, deep down, I truly want to give you forgiveness, to save you.”

She expressed the boundary between her ideal and reality.

“That’s why… I want you to atone.”

“!”

“No, you must atone. It may sound arrogant, but if you want my forgiveness, this is non-negotiable. You have to atone in a proper, formal way, one that many people can accept. No matter what the cost, no matter how long it takes.”

“Ah… ah…”

Clyde let out a groan of despair, and Sara smiled gently at him.

“…Once you’ve done that, I’ll forgive you. If it comes to that, I promise to protect you from anything that tries to bring you down. —So please, atone.”

It was a curse disguised as mercy. As long as Clyde sought her… no, even if he didn’t, as long as she was within reach, she would throw those who had sinned into a purgatory from which they couldn’t escape. She wouldn’t allow them to flee, nor permit them to deceive their way out. For those she wished to save, she would, if necessary, force them to endure severe trials.

Ordinarily, anyone who had done something this awful would be abandoned. Left behind and discarded. But she would not do that. She could not do that.

Clyde, finally, fully understood the fear of ‘not being abandoned.’ He realized that the hell known as atonement was something she would most actively push upon him in the name of salvation.

“N-no… no, I don’t want that…!”

“It’s okay. If you get hurt while atoning, I’ll heal you. If you try to run, I’ll hold you back. …Luckily, my magic is well-suited for that.”

“Noooooo!!”

Clyde wanted to flee from his crimes. He wanted to ignore all inconvenient truths and monopolize only the sweet results for himself. For someone like Clyde, Sara must have appeared as an emissary of hell.

“AAAAAAAHHHH!!”

Tears streaming down his face, Clyde shrieked and tried to run. But of course, that wasn’t allowed. Sara’s barrier easily trapped him. The sound of him striking the barrier, his screams—they were all silenced, no longer audible.

And thus. The sinner who had ensnared the academy—was righteously judged by the hand of the saintess.

◆