Infinite Mage

Chapter 89: Battle of Wits (4)

“When she was young, she had an accident. That’s why her mental age is around 10. I heard she's not even allowed out of her room. How did she end up at the party?”

Alpheas looked back at Erina with mixed feelings. However, she seemed oblivious to the stares of others, cheerfully greeting the young men around her with an innocent smile.

As is often the case at balls, she seemed to be looking for a dance partner, but no one offered her a kind smile. Instead, they awkwardly greeted her once and hastily left. It was only because of the Bastadd family's power that even this minimal interaction was possible.

Alpheas glanced at the family's head sitting across the table. Predictably, the man was red-faced with anger, trying to contain his fury. Finally, he couldn't hold back and shouted at his wife.

“Didn’t I tell you not to bring Erina? Take her away right now!”

“Dear, please be patient. Erina enjoys the party too. It'll only be worse if you force her out and she creates a scene. Leave her be; I’ll discreetly take her away soon.”

“Ugh! It’s so embarrassing. A disgrace to our family, a disgrace!”

Alpheas pursed his lower lip. He understood the sentiment but to call one’s daughter a disgrace seemed too harsh. Of course, he knew well what position a first-class noble family held in society. After all, Alpheas was also born into a first-class family and had even earned the cringe-worthy nickname "The Light of Myrhe."

‘Just like the old fogies at home. Nobles, I tell you.’

Alpheas couldn’t take his eyes off Erina for three songs' duration. He realized she was genuinely enjoying the party, satisfied just with the act of exchanging greetings.

But what kind of people were these mages? Arrogant beings who equate ignorance with evil. Alpheas could see that even while smiling to her face, they mocked the slow-witted Erina behind her back.

“Klumph, hold this for a sec. Actually, you drink it.”

Alpheas handed his drink over and turned towards the ballroom, but Klumph quickly stopped him.

“What are you planning now? Please don’t cause any trouble here.”

“The idiots are rejecting the lady’s kindness just because they’ve learned a few words. As Bashuka’s most popular man, I should raise her status a bit.”

Klumph’s bear-like strength spun Alpheas back around.

“Alpheas. That’s a bad idea. Sympathy for Miss Erina could be construed as mockery. The current situation is enough. Don’t make her feel any more miserable.”

Klumph was serious. His usual goofy eyes were gone, replaced by a burning sense of justice. Alpheas smiled and patted Klumph’s shoulder.

“Always so simple-minded. Do you think I don’t know that? I’ve never deceived any woman in my life. All sins originate from discrimination, didn’t you know? To start pitying her would mean confining her life in a cage. I’ve got a plan, just trust me.”

“Are you serious? You’re really going to do it? Hey, wait!”

As Alpheas crossed the ballroom, he turned back to Klumph, flashing his trademark killer smile.

“Don’t worry. I’m the lover of all.”

When Alpheas reached her, Erina was alone; everyone had subtly cleared the area. To her, this was just another ordinary day, happily munching on an apple.

“Hello? Enjoying the ball, I see.”

Startled, Erina stopped mid-chew and blinked at Alpheas. Just by looking into her eyes, he could tell her intellectual disability.

Yet, there was an innocent purity in her gaze.

She mirrored emotions like a mirror, perhaps the real reason why people avoided her.

“Hi! I’m Erina!”

She greeted him brightly, a contrast to her distant demeanor from afar. However, there was an unmistakable hint of fear.

‘It must be her first time someone has approached her like this.’

Alpheas bowed politely.

“I’m Alpheas from Myrhe, the mage. I was so captivated by your beauty that I only just managed to come and introduce myself. If it's not too much trouble, may I have the honor of being your partner for tonight’s ball?”

Erina gaped, a piece of apple tumbling from her open mouth. She looked completely bewildered by the situation.

Suddenly, she bowed her head and, without a word, turned and walked past Alpheas.

Startled, Alpheas quickly stepped in front of her.

“Wait a moment, please. Was I too forward? I’m sorry. I just wanted to be friends with you, Miss Erina.”josei

Erina remained silent, just looking down, shuffling her feet, seeking an escape.

But Alpheas didn’t give up. He blocked her path, continually trying to engage her in conversation.

“I understand. If you don’t want to dance, let’s just talk. I have many interesting stories. Do you like constellations?”

“I want to go. Back to my room. Mom will scold me.”

“Why would your mom scold you? No one’s going to scold you here. You’re at the party, and I’m asking you to be my partner.”

“They told me not to talk. If someone talks to me, they are bad. I want to go to my room.”

Alpheas felt both frustrated and anxious. His usual charm with women seemed to have vanished; he was desperate just to make eye contact with Erina again.

“You’re not talking to a bad person. Look at my face. How could this be the face of a bad person?”

Alpheas grasped her shoulders. Suddenly, Erina started having a fit and screamed.

“Noooo! I don’t like it!”

All the nobles in the hall turned to look at Erina. To any observer, it looked as though Alpheas was up to no good.

“Mom! Help me! Mom!”

“Erina, look at me! I’m not trying to hurt you!”

“Mom! Mom!”

Among the invited mages was Alpheas’ rival, Saroph, who was incredulous at Alpheas’ absurd behavior. He knew Alpheas was a bit off his rocker, but he never imagined him to be this insane.

“From charming all the women in Bashuka to now pestering a mentally challenged girl? He must be desperate for advancement.”

Most nobles shared the same thought. Even if her intelligence was lacking, Erina was still the eldest daughter of the Bastadd family. Winning her over could guarantee a secure future.

The only one who knew Alpheas’ true intentions was Klumph, but even he gave up as the situation escalated.

‘Damn, he’s like a lunatic. He’s made his bed, let him lie in it.’

Erina was having a near-seizure, and a sane person would have let go in front of her family, but Alpheas stubbornly held onto her shoulders.

“Erina, wait. Look at me. Look at me.”

“Mom! I’m scared, Mom!”

As Alpheas shouted, Erina’s movements momentarily froze, but now they were more fearfully tremulous than ever.

“Please, just look at my face once. I’m begging you.”

Slowly, Erina turned her head with a look of terror on her face. Alpheas’ burning eyes met hers. His intense gaze seemed to warm her heart.

“See? Nothing's happened. I’m not a bad person. I won’t do anything you dislike. But it’s a party, don’t you want to dance?”

A hint of excitement flickered across Erina’s face. The crystals refracting light, the musicians’ melody, the buzz of conversation – she just wanted to smile like everyone else.

“Miss Erina. I want to be with you. Will you be my partner tonight?”

There was no verbal response, but Alpheas didn’t wait for one. Taking Erina’s hand, he led her to the center of the hall. She followed him like a toddler taking her first steps, and for the first time, she embraced someone other than her family.

The quick-thinking musicians resumed playing, and Alpheas began to lead Erina in a dance. The nobility looked on in stunned silence, even Erina’s parents lost for words.

Alpheas didn’t care. Erina didn’t care. As if in their own world, they immersed themselves in the music. Their dance was far from graceful, more instinctive and passionate, often losing balance and bumping into others. With each collision, Erina's laughter grew louder. After about ten minutes, Erina became the star of the party.

Playful laughter echoed through the garden. Having almost caused a scene at the party, Alpheas and Erina had fled and were now running through the forest in disarray.

Reaching the top of a hill, Alpheas gasped for breath, his tongue hanging out. Embarrassingly, Erina seemed hardly tired, making Alpheas question his own stamina and consider cutting down on alcohol. He looked up at the night sky, brimming with stars.

Erina was surprisingly quiet, but then, Alpheas was known in Bashuka for his loquaciousness. He kept the conversation going without pause, filling the atmosphere with his chatter.

As time passed, it almost seemed as if Erina was drawing out his stories. She listened silently to every topic, occasionally smiling in understanding, encouraging Alpheas to talk even more.

Eventually, Alpheas began discussing his latest concern – the true nature of photons.

Is light a wave or a particle?

Saroph believed it to be a wave, but Alpheas was convinced otherwise. Yet, he couldn’t fully advocate for particle theory either.

Honestly, he didn't know. He believed that admitting one's ignorance was the first step to understanding.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Light has such unusual properties. In interference experiments, it shows wave-like behavior, but on the other hand…”

Alpheas stopped, realizing he had gotten too engrossed in his own story, forgetting that his listener was Erina. She sat squatting on the grass, gazing down the hill. Yet, her smile remained beautiful.

“Haha! Did I talk too much? It’s the first time I’ve had such a long conversation. Normally, people get bored.”

“You are a good person.”

It was the first sentence Erina had spoken. Alpheas blinked in surprise, feeling his heartbeat quicken inexplicably.

His mind was in turmoil.

Why am I here? What do I expect from this woman?

It was an unknown world, a mixture of wanting to explore and fear, preventing any judgment.

Alpheas chose to ignore it. Continuing his conversation as if he hadn’t heard her.

“Haha! Embarrassing to say, but as a mage, I need to write a thesis, and I don’t know anything. I can’t decide which theory to pursue. What do you think, Miss Erina? Is light a wave or a particle?”

Erina didn’t seem upset by his change in attitude. Standing up, she looked at the stars and said…

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