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 54. Retribution

Cerberus’s body completely loses strength.

At the same time, the sword that had pierced it disappears as if its role had ended.

(Next time, I want to create a more beautiful magic.)

I want to create a magic of my own.

Joy at having fulfilled that wish, and frustration at having created something so crude.

However, with my magic, I managed to defeat this formidable foe. With a sense of accomplishment, I turn my back on Cerberus and start walking away.

“…Herm.”

On the way, Katia stands up and walks toward me.

“We defeated it…right?”

“Yes, I confirmed that it has indeed perished. ─ This is our victory.”

With his words, relief, and joy finally appeared on her face.

The two of us walked back to the soldiers.

The soldiers still seemed confused, but seeing our expressions and the unmoving Cerberus, they gradually began to realize what had happened.

“We won… we survived…”

“Thank goodness… now I can go back to my family…”

“Those people… no, those heroes defeated it for us… truly…!”

Some collapsed with relief, some wept with joy, and some looked at us with near-worshipful gazes.

But we ignored them and walked towards the other person who deserved praise.

“…Ah…”

Sara, despite her exhaustion, stood up and looked at us.

Katia smiled and said to her,

“Good job, Sara. And thank you ─ we couldn’t have won without you.”

“…~~”

Tears welled up in Sara’s eyes at those words. Overcome with emotion, she hugged Katia.

Since Katia left the academy, the two had constantly missed each other. Now, finally, they could slowly and steadily reconnect as they once did.

Katia hugged Sara back gently and warmly.

A warm atmosphere filled the air. The soldiers around us no longer harbored hostility; all we felt were their gratitude and blessings.

Hermes finally began to feel that the battle was truly over.

“─ Well done, all of you!”

A disruptive voice shattered the peaceful moment.

“…Prince Aster.”

Katia released Sara and directed a cold gaze at Aster. Hermes did the same.

But Aster, as if oblivious to their stares, stood up and approached.

As if he had forgotten that he had been lying down moments ago, he continued,

“Well done defeating that monster. Though it may be because of sheer luck, it’s still commendable.”

It was easy to see that his character hadn’t changed at all.

“Well, yes. There was a lot of luck involved, but we defeated an opponent that even you couldn’t, Prince Aster.”

“Ha, what nonsense! Under the same conditions, I would’ve had no problem. In fact, it was my bold confrontation that paved the way for you to succeed!”

Aster responded, briefly scowling at Hermes’s sarcastic retort.

Then, he turned to Katia.

“Katia, you did well too. I believed in you ─ that no matter how harshly I treated you, you would rise and prove your strength!”

“…Huh?”

Ah, so that’s how he’s playing it. Hermes sighed internally.

Aster never admits his mistakes. He believes only in his purity and integrity.

But this time, someone he called flawed defeated a monster even he couldn’t. His error was unmistakably proven.

Therefore, he’s trying to spin it as if he never truly thought that.

He wants to claim, ‘I was harsh to give you trials, for your own sake’.

Aster continued, trying to convince himself and everyone else that he was still the hero of this story.

“My judgment was correct! You are someone who can think and act correctly, not just blindly accept my words!”

The ‘correct actions’ he spoke of were what suited him best.

“You’ve shown yourself worthy of truly supporting me! Now ─”

“…That’s enough, Your Highness.”

So, of course, she would never accept such nonsense.

Now, with no more reservations, Katia opened her mouth.

“I’ve been here for five years unwillingly, so I know what you’re going to say. You want to take me as your mistress, not your fiancée because it looks bad. And you’re thinking of inviting Herm too, right?”

“Me?”

“What─”

“The phrasing would be the same as earlier, ‘a hero who proved his strength against my trials’, while all the blame goes to the Frembleed family. You’ve always been like this. You forcefully eliminate those you think are superior or take them as your subordinates. You convince yourself that ‘I am better because I have a higher status’. You can’t admit to being inferior. Isn’t that why you made Sara your new fiancée?”

In a single breath, she unleashed all her accumulated grievances.

The look on Aster’s pale face told the whole story.

“Since I’m mostly right, let me respond all at once.

─ I refuse. I have no intention of returning to you, and Herm… is mine. I won’t give him to anyone.”

Though she seemed a bit flustered towards the end, Katia firmly rejected him.

Not expecting to be refused, Aster’s face quickly turned red with anger.

“You insolent! Do you know who you’re talking to!? I am ─”

“Herm, tell him. Who is this person?”

“Uh, well… a self-proclaimed strongest magician who miserably lost to Katia and was instantly defeated by the monster when he charged recklessly?”

“Perfect. Not a single flaw.”

Understanding Katia’s intent, Hermes replied honestly, also venting his accumulated resentment.

Aster’s face reddened further at the perfectly synchronized insults from the two.

“T-that’s ─”

“Whatever excuses you make, the result is everything. And Your Highness… didn’t you clearly say ‘I can’t win’ when Herm saved you?”

Struck by this undeniable fact, Aster fell silent, unable to retort.

Then he shouted.

“─ Sara!”

To divert attention, he spoke to a girl who seemed relatively easy to deal with.

“You should understand, right? What these guys are saying is all nonsense, and I’m the right one! You, more than anyone, should be able to see the truth!”

Sara, suddenly addressed, shuddered, perhaps from past experiences.

Katia gently placed a hand on her, concerned. But Sara softly pushed it away, nodding to show she was fine.

“N-no, Your Highness.”

Still showing a hint of fear, she looked up and declared with a resolved expression.

“Y-Your Highness is wrong. The only one not realizing it is you… No, everyone noticed it, but the only one still not admitting it is you.”

“What?”

“I was too scared to say it before. I thought someone else would correct you. Even though you’ve gone too far, I believe you’ll become a prince worthy of respect one day. But now, I’ve realized.”

And she, with the insight that ironically aligned with Aster’s words, declared.

“Your words don’t reach anyone anymore. And ─ your words will not reach anyone ever again.”

“What?”

Aster looked around.

Naturally, Hermes and Katia had always shown him contempt, but even Sara, who had been obedient until now, looked at him with a sorrowful gaze ─ as if she pitied him, but had definitively given up on him.

Even the soldiers around him ─ were looking at him with suspicion, distrust, and disappointment.

“What is with those eyes!? You soldiers, looking at me like that──”

“Your Highness. You have always been forgiven, no matter how arrogant or self-righteous your actions were.”

Katia’s voice rang out, cutting off Aster’s shout.

“And why? Because you were strong. Your magic was the strongest, and you could eliminate the greatest threats to the kingdom. Therefore, you were granted excessive privileges. I never thought it was right, though.”

One-sided assumptions. Self-righteous thoughts. Excessive pride and aggressive malice.

Aster had covered up all these immature traits with his position and, above all, his power.

“Everyone saw you. Running away disgracefully after being defeated. Everyone heard you. Utter words unfit for a ruler, unbearable to listen to.”

Then, once the facade was stripped away.

What remained was the sight of a man who had grown up still a child, ugly and petty.

“And everyone understood. The one who surpassed you, who defeated the monster you couldn’t, and who protected the people better than you. It’s us, and more than anyone ─ Hermes, who stands here, who you exiled out of jealousy.”

“What, that──”

“It was obvious. The first thing you said to me as your fiancée was ‘Forget Hermes’, and you kept bringing him up to disparage him. Honestly, I felt like killing you at those times.”

Aster stared at Hermes in shock.

Katia proudly placed a hand on his shoulder. Sara, though timidly, looked at him with certain admiration.

And the surrounding soldiers, without exception, directed unwavering respect and gratitude toward him.

(Why…)

Respected by everyone. Trusted by the two beautiful girls who were once his fiancées.

That scene, that place, was supposed to be his privilege.

At that moment, black emotions surged within Aster.

That guy stole it.

He incited his people against him and seduced his women.

He must defeat that demon.

This is not jealousy.

It’s all that guy’s fault.

He must be right.

He must be.

“You bastard!!!”

Blinded by self-righteous anger, hatred, and delusion ─ driven by emotions even he couldn’t understand.

“You are the cause of all this!!”

Aster lunged at Hermes.

Without magic, he used his fists.

But it didn’t matter. Hermes was the same.

And Hermes had never faced Aster directly before.

Surely, he had avoided him out of fear, so there was no way he could lose.

With that baseless confidence, Aster swung his fist.

In contrast, Hermes, with cold, unemotional eyes.

“I really don’t want to fight you.”

“Ha! Are you scared of me!!”

Aster interpreted the muttered words to suit himself and thrust his fist at Hermes’ face.

“That’s not it.”

Hermes dodged with a slight movement of his neck.

He then grabbed Aster’s arm, slid into his guard, and using Aster’s arm as a pivot, spun him around and slammed him to the ground.

“Gah.”

But it didn’t end there.

Using the rebound, Aster momentarily lifted off the ground, and Hermes seized his arm again, flinging him upwards.

“Why?”

With a perfectly aimed elbow to the solar plexus, he drove in all his weight.

“After having a satisfying fight with a strong opponent.”

As Aster staggered, Hermes delivered a vertical kick to his chin.

“Why do I have to deal with scum like you?”

He swept Aster’s legs out from under him, causing him to fall backward.

“…It’s absurd──”

Raising his right leg high, Hermes brought it down with full force onto Aster’s face.

There was no scream.

Even Katia, who had expected Aster to be beaten, turned pale at the excessive yet elegant and powerful technique.

“…I see, this must be how my master felt when we first met.”

Hermes muttered, looking down expressionlessly at the unconscious Aster.

Then, noticing something, he turned to Katia and the others.

“…Ah. S-sorry, I went too far. I got a bit more irritated than I thought.”

“N-no, you did well, Hermes. I didn’t know you could do that.”

The impact was clear.

Both Sara and the soldiers watched in stunned silence. Having faced Aster directly and overwhelmed him not with magic but with skill.

Aster’s head was embedded in the ground, and Hermes stood over him, unfeeling.

It was a clear symbol of Aster’s defeat and end.