Chapter 77: The Boy from Another World

Words : 1013 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 77: The Boy from Another World Quintus let out a deep sigh—for the fifth time. In the office of the Supreme Commander of the Military, located in the west wing of the royal palace, the head of the Central Magic Association, Vundo, had barged in without notice. The man was seventy-two years old, with white hair and a body so thin he looked like a dried branch—but somehow, he was still bursting with energy, as if he could survive anything. Even though Quintus was already stressed out over the unpredictable actions of the Dalmasca Kingdom, the old man showed no concern for that. He was entirely consumed by his own obsession and wouldn’t leave, no matter how many times Quintus told him to come back later. Was this what happened to people as they got old? Did they all become this stubborn and hard to deal with? Quintus was exhausted just listening—or pretending to listen—to this old man’s endless rambling. "You’ve seen it too, haven’t you, Quintus?" Vundo insisted. "That boy, Shiao Yi, he’s not normal boy. He made a huge box float in the air without touching it, and then he vanished from sight! I even saw him suddenly appear with Aaron out of nowhere. I swear it’s true. I’ve said it again and again—I saw it with my own eyes!" Vundo slammed his hand on the desk in frustration. Apparently, the age also made people more short-tempered. Getting old really wasn’t something to look forward to. Quintus ran his fingers through his reddish-brown hair. It was thick, hard to manage, and full of waves, so he usually just pushed it back out of the way. People often said it looked like a lion’s mane. "I questioned Aaron too," Vundo went on. "But for some reason, the bastard was very tight-lipped. He just wouldn’t speak no matter how much I ask him. However, when I pressed him about the strange symbols he had written down on a scrap of paper, he finally gave in. He admitted that those symbols were taught to him by that boy named Shiao Yi. He said they were called ’chemical formulas’ and it was used in that boy world." "Vundo... surely you’re not trying to say that boy came from another world?" Quintus asked, frowning. The old man’s words hinted at something completely outrageous. Quintus couldn’t help but grimace. Had Vundo finally begun to lose his mind? The incident a few days ago had been truly shocking. Maybe that was the cause. Quintus had heard that when elderly people experienced a strong shock, it could make them suddenly age faster—or even make signs of dementia worse. "I didn’t believe it at first either," the old man admitted. "Just looking at him, it was clear the boy wasn’t from this country. I thought he must come from some unfamiliar land, a place even we didn’t know well. That would explain the unusual magic he used, or so I believed. But then, yesterday, Gaius came to visit. You’ve heard of him, yes? He’s a well-known historian—very famous. He used to be one of my students, and he worked for many years as a professor at the Royal Capital Academy. He also once taught Dominic." That name made Quintus sit up and pay attention. "Professor Gaius? Of course I know him. He was my mentor as well," Quintus replied, his voice softening with respect. "It seems that Gaius is now teaching the boy under Dominic’ request," Vundo continued. "He said he was shocked by how fast the boy learns and how intelligent he is—but that’s not what he really came to talk about. He said that, more and more, he’s noticing strange things in the way the boy speaks and acts. The boy probably isn’t doing it on purpose, but his words and way of thinking often contain ideas that shouldn’t exist in this world. On top of that, he’s completely unaware of basic, everyday things. Things someone as smart as him should definitely know—and not just smart people, even children know these things. But he doesn’t. Gaius started observing him very carefully because of that, and eventually, he came to report it to me. He believes that Shiao Yi isn’t someone from this world." "Professor Gaius said that..." Quintus muttered, deep in thought. Professor Gaius, who had once been his own mentor, was someone known for being extremely cautious. Even when he was sure of something, he would test and confirm it again and again before saying a word. If he had come forward to say something this serious, then it wasn’t something he had taken lightly. "I did think something was odd when I first met him," Vundo added. "I couldn’t sense any magic power from him at all, which struck me as strange. I’ve wanted to investigate him more thoroughly. But Dominic keeps turning me down—even though I was once his teacher. He’s made it clear I won’t get access to the boy. However... if you, Your Excellency, gave a single order, you could have Shiao Yi sent to the Association for proper examination, couldn’t you?" "I’m not eager to get on Dominic’ bad side either," Quintus said with a dry laugh. "I’ve seen that glare of his, and I’d rather avoid it if I can. After everything that happened recently, it’s pretty clear how much that boy means to him. That boy is someone special to him." Quintus’s face twisted like he had bitten into something bitter. Even now, he still couldn’t believe what he had seen with his own eyes—surrounded by countless soldiers, the man known as the Iron Knight had embraced the boy and kissed him. It would’ve been more believable if someone had told him it was all a daydream. "I want to examine him," Vundo said firmly. "I want to study those strange powers of his as well. After hearing Gaius’s report, I couldn’t sit still. So, I had to come here. Quintus, can’t you do something?" Quintus stared at the old man in discomfort, unsure of how to respond.

Chapter 77: The Boy from Another World

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