Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

Surprisingly, Eugene was the first to step outside the front door.

Despite Susan’s advice to speak up if money was tight, he just smiled broadly and didn’t stop walking.

“He never asks for pocket money. If he was working like you, Lena, I’d understand, but Eugene stopped working at the telegraph bureau a long time ago, right? I wonder if he’s eating well at the university.”

Susan muttered worriedly to herself, but in fact, there was something Lena could guess to some extent.

The person who checks the mailbox before anyone else in the Oslo family is Lena.

Because of this, she’s also the first to discover letters with seals from famous families or suspiciously thick envelopes that arrive monthly. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

It had been several months since she started seeing such letters.

Was he unknowingly conducting some kind of business within the Federal University of Magic?

She only speculated but didn’t open her mouth. As long as it wasn’t illegal activity, there was no need to bring up something he was hiding, even from family.

Dismissing such thoughts, Lena answered.

“…Wouldn’t he speak up first if he needed anything?”

“Is that so? Well. Eugene is honest, after all.”

Is Eugene honest?

While Lena was inwardly suppressing the urge to tilt her head, Susan and the twins seemed to have finished preparing to go out.

“Big sis! We’re going first!”

“…Take care.”

Ellie and Sally, heavily armed with hats and gloves, stood at the entrance and greeted Lena, who waved back in response.

Creeak, click.

The door closed.

And so Lena was left alone in the house.

Although she was just late in order, she too planned to go out to buy gifts and ingredients for the New Year’s party.

Slurp. 

After tilting the teacup to swallow the last sip, she headed to her room upstairs.

Getting ready to go out was easy.

The clothes in the wardrobe were neatly organized, and as always, she just had to dress neatly.

Today, though, her body felt unusually sluggish.

She knew the reason best herself. The thought finally escaped her lips.

“This isn’t the time to be like this…”

The piled-up work and studies were no longer an issue. The biggest problem was the worry about ‘what to do for a living after graduation’ that still lingered in her mind.

She should come up with an answer quickly.

As soon as her thoughts progressed that far, Lena shook her head vigorously.

She knows now.

Family is the most important, more than money or work.

Lena clenched her delicate hands and made a resolution.

I’ll buy a gift that will make their jaws drop.

At least in terms of finances, Lena overwhelmingly surpassed the average for her age.

After finishing her preparations, she stepped outside with a firm resolve.

As soon as she opened the door, her firm resolve melted away like snow.

“C-Cold…!”

A biting wind blows. The snowfall was just as fierce.

While Eugene, who secretly enjoys exercise, or the bundle of energy Ellie, might not mind the cold, for Lena, who always avoids exercise and stays cooped up at home or the telegraph bureau, it was somewhat harsh cold.

“Uggghhh…”

She immediately opened the umbrella she had brought, just in case.

Despite being heavily armed with winter clothes, her body shivered.

But having come outside, she had to buy a gift. Otherwise, there would be no point in coming out.

“Well, let’s go.”

She took a step.

Her feet headed towards a shopping district a little away from Kram Street, and among the stores in the shopping district, she entered a general store that was particularly bustling with customers.

Ding-a-ling—

“Welcome!”

As she entered the store, a faint warmth comforted Lena.

Not only was the store heated, but the heat emanating from people who, like her, had come to buy New Year’s gifts seemed considerable.

Cheerful laughter and the sound of gift wrapping were circulating here and there.

Meanwhile, the store owner, recognizing Lena, opened his eyes wide.

“Oh, if it isn’t Miss Lena? Welcome.”

“Hello.”

They were acquainted. She often placed orders at this general store for telegraph bureau work.

The bearded store owner smiled good-naturedly and continued speaking.

“It’s not an order for telegraph parts at this time of year. Let me guess… New Year’s gifts for employees?”

“Ah. I dropped by for gifts for family.”

“Oh my! I was wrong. Take your time looking around and warm up.”

Lena bowed in gratitude for his kindness and slowly began to look around the display stands.

The reason for choosing this store was simple.

From everyday items to high-end gift items and even antiques according to the owner’s hobby…

She thought that in this place with a diverse range of items, even for a general store, she might find something suitable for Eugene.

Thinking she would choose a gift quickly, Lena browsed around the cheerful general store, looking for a gift.

An hour passed.

The store owner spoke to the dumbfounded profile of Lena, as if perplexed.

“You still haven’t chosen?”

“…No.”

Lena slowly nodded.

That’s right.

Despite an hour passing, Lena was still empty-handed.

While there were plenty of items that seemed good under the criteria of ‘good things,’ the moment she applied the criteria for a ‘gift,’ her mind went blank.

Susan had said to think about what would make that person happy to receive, right?

At least for Lena, it wasn’t appropriate advice.

She tried to think about what would make Eugene happy by reflecting on his usual appearance, but the more she thought, the more she realized how little she knew about Eugene.

In fact, she had marked a few items.

Like high-quality leather gloves.

Or a handkerchief with delicate embroidery.

The quality would be good, and she considered several times just gifting such adequate items and being done with it. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

But there were two reasons why she couldn’t do that.

Gloves and handkerchiefs were just “good items,” not gifts chosen that Eugene would be happy to receive.

Also, she knew that Eugene had a personality that cherished gifted items quite dearly.

It was probably around the beginning of this year.

On the way to work at the Eastern Telegraph Bureau, she had casually asked upon seeing Eugene wearing a black scarf that looked worn out in many ways.

Eugene’s answer was concise.

<…Who did you receive it from?>

It turned out to be an item he received as a gift from his sister Dorothy when he was in the Empire.

It’s no wonder it’s worn out after using it for over three years.

With that conversation etched in her memory, Lena found it difficult to choose a gift carelessly.

If she were to see him cherishing a gift she had chosen hastily like that, she might feel troubled instead.

“…Hmm.”

“If you’re having trouble choosing a gift alone, discussing it with someone is one way to decide.”

“Discuss, you say.”

Lena’s ears perked up at the casual suggestion from the store owner.

Discuss.

It wasn’t a bad idea.

Thinking alone, she might never come to an answer.

In her mind, she started narrowing down suitable people to ask for opinions. The family was out, so it had to be someone she was acquainted with, and preferably someone who knew Eugene well.

That left just one person.

Someone who was friends with Eugene and who had once told her to ‘rely on them.’

Lena immediately set off.

“So.”

“…”

“You called out the director, who’s so busy she could use ten bodies, for such a simple reason, our little consultant?”

Whoosh— 

Smoke rises.

In the director’s office of the Eastern Telegraph Bureau…

Director Lily Lovelace, who had come to work alone on a holiday and was buried in paperwork in the empty telegraph bureau, glared at Lena with an expression drenched in fatigue. 

“Hey, Lena. You’re not giving me a gift? I worked really hard this year.”

“Director, you should give gifts to your employees. They’re the ones who truly worked hard and dedicated themselves to the company.”

“That’s harsh.”

Soon, the director continued speaking with her pipe in her mouth.

There was no one watching anyway, so she seemed to have thrown dignity to the dogs, continuously puffing smoke from her mouth and nose.

“So you’re worried about what gift to give Eugene, is that it?”

“Yes.”

“What does Eugene usually do?”

Lena pondered for a moment.

It’s still December. With over two months left until the end of the Federal University of Magic’s winter semester, there was only one thing Eugene was doing currently.

“He studies.”

“And?”

Lena thought a bit more.

Eugene was already the type to live obsessed with studying, but recently, it had gotten even worse to the point where he always carried thick university textbooks under his arm, even at home.

She summarized that in one word and answered.

“He studies.”

“What else?”

Lena fell into even deeper thought.

The answer didn’t change.

“…He studies.”

“…Are you perhaps on bad terms with your brother?”

It wasn’t that, but it wasn’t to the extent that she could vehemently deny it, either.

As she kept her mouth shut and remained still, the director heaved a deep sigh.

The acrid tobacco smoke flowed out like breath, momentarily making her wonder if they were outdoors.

“Lena. He’s family, family. Family is precious. You know?”

“It’s very convincing coming from someone who ran away from home saying they were going to do business.”

“Be quiet.”

Director Lovelace put down her pipe and parted her lips, saying:

“Anyway. What I want to say is, since you and Eugene are family, there’s no need to be too shy.”

“Shy, you say?”

“Hmm? That’s exactly what you look like.”

Lena’s eyes widened, then sank the next moment.

Shyness. Perhaps those words were right.

She thought of Eugene. The image of him moving forward on his path without a hint of hesitation. His thorough effort and the resulting achievements are even beautiful to look at.

On the other hand, what about herself?

Her effort and achievements might not be inferior to Eugene’s. However, unlike him, Lena was full of worries.

Lena smiled dejectedly.

“That might be true. I’m still a child, but Eugene is an adult.”

“…Pfft!”

“?”

Director Lovelace suddenly burst into laughter.

“W-What is it?”

“No, it’s just funny to see two kids talking about being children or adults. Anyway, let’s hurry and decide on a gift.”

Although it was difficult to understand the director’s reaction, Lena agreed to decide on a gift.

Of course, the conclusion didn’t change. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Something that would help with studying. If she gifted that, wouldn’t he like it?

As soon as she reached an answer, Lena returned to the general store and after spending quite some time, succeeded in purchasing a fountain pen and high-quality bookmark set.

Would he be happy? She wasn’t sure.

But since it was a good quality item, Eugene probably wouldn’t be disappointed.

Satisfied with that, she was about to return home carrying various groceries she had bought…

But an ominous sensation circulated through Lena’s entire body.

Then.

“Uh, ah, achoo—“

A sneeze suddenly burst out.

As expected, the weather today had been too cold.

#January 1st. Snow.

The morning of the joyful New Year’s party day dawned.

Sure enough, Lena realized that her whole body was full of weakness, along with cold sweat incomparable to any nightmare.

She painfully lifted her heavy arm and placed it on her forehead.

“…It’s hot.”

She had a cold. There was no room for excuses.