I Was Called Incompetent ch.40

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Who put this bowl of onion here?

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Episode 40 : Tears

[Used to be… an incompetent?]

What’s the meaning of this…?
Don’t you stay an incompetent for the rest of your life?
No matter how hard I tried, there wasn’t any growth at all.
Then how in the world did this man…?

[I’ll tell you everything; How I finally got here.]

And then, Rhode-san told me about his experience.
How he was also called an incompetent by the townsfolk and the hardships he suffered through.
Yet still suffering after all that.
Even so he still clung to the hope that his magic would work someday.
Until he despaired upon finding out the true nature of the only person who cared for him and thus chose to die.

Tears unknowingly flowed from my eyes.
We had it the same… no, he might’ve suffered far worse more than me.
I had Mom with me.
Not only was Rhode-san here parentless, but he also had to go through all those suffering and betrayal.
If Mom did the same to me… I’d probably choose death as well.
I’m still alive now because I have Mom.
That’s the only reason for me to continue living.

[In the end… I did choose death. But thanks to that, I got to meet Levi. And it’s through Levi’s Appraisal magic that I found out that my magic isn’t actually manipulation magic, but materialization magic instead.]

I have never heard of Appraisal or Materialization magic before.
N, now that he mentioned it, does that mean…?

[Are you saying that my magic is…]

The moment I said that, Rhode-san changed his expression.

[…you want to know? Levi, can you tell us what her magic truly is…?]

[Of course. Her true magic is not telekinesis magic. It is Nature magic… and this is the first time I have ever seen this magic]

[N, Nature magic…? Is that…really my magic?]

[Indeed. This is… a very ridiculous magic if I have to say so myself. It is no exaggeration to say that it is like the power of Gods, just like Rhode-sama’s materialization magic. The method of usage is similar, it is just that the target is different. Instead of objects, you can basically control nature itself. Wind, rain, thunder, clouds… you are free to control these kinds of phenomena.]

I have that kind of power…?
But the priests at the temple said that it’s telekinesis magic…
Did they make a mistake?

[That is…perhaps you need some demonstration to help. Here is how my Materialization magic…ah, we haven’t heard your name yet.]

[Ah, pardon me! My name is Tia. Rhode-san, Levi-san, thank you for your help. Sorry for the late introduction…]

[Nah, don’t worry about it. Alright, as Levi said before, both my and your magic are very close to that of Gods’ power. The temple also mistakenly appraised my magic as something else. Don’t we have a lot in common?]

[True…]

[Back at the temple, I was told “Your magic is manipulation magic. It’s wonderful magic, so please use it well”. What about you, Tia?]

[I-I was told something similar!]

[Rhode-sama, this… This isn’t just some misunderstanding.]

[Yeah. I have my doubts as well. As far as I’m aware, the knowledge of both our magics are non-existent. However, despite how God-like their powers are, the temple still mistook them both for something else… Isn’t that too strange to be just coincidence? Could it be the temple itself…?]

There’s no way that could be true.
I-I don’t know what to believe anymore…

[Actually, Tia. Us…incompetents, I think it’s all just fabricated lies.]

[Fabricated lies…?]

Rhode-san’s story was really hard to believe.
Someone created this concept called incompetent, which did not exist 1000 years ago, and planted deep hatred in the people’s heart for these incompetents.

But there was indeed a time when I felt that way.
The way everyone else treated me was just horrible. I don’t know how many times I thought to myself why.
Although I felt that I didn’t do anything particularly bad. Was it all just because I’m the only incompetent in that mansion…?
Of course I know what an incompetent is, but to do such a horrible thing just for that reason naturally made me wonder.

[I lost count on how many times I wanted to fight back. But the image of my childhood friend would then float in my mind… I didn’t end up doing it because I didn’t want to make her sad. Well, it’s what made it all the more painful in the end though…]

[Rhode-san… Me too… if it wasn’t for my Mom, I would’ve probably chosen to die. Both me and my Mom…]

[I see… Tia has a mother. Now that I think about it, we haven’t heard much about your part yet. Will you tell us your story? What happened to Tia?]

[Yes… I will…]

I told them what I’ve been through so far.
How my Dad died of illness, how I still lived happily with Mom despite that and how I desperately hid the fact that I couldn’t use my magic properly from others.

[When I was 15 years old, my mom got sick… A doctor named Horus-san gave her medicines for free. But a year after I got my magic, Mom became bedridden… I managed to make a living by working at home. One day, I told my mom that I was incompetent. But Mom… Mom… despite being sick… despite being in pain… still desperately encouraged me! Uuuu… It’s alright… it’ll be okay…! ]

The tears won’t stop…
Both Rhode-san and Levi-san listened to my story seriously.
I need to tell them… I need to let them know…
So I wiped my tears and took a deep breath.

[One day, Horus-san visited me…telling me that Mom wouldn’t recover at this rate, and the medication would need a lot of money. Oh, my mom is… sniff… huk… I don’t want her to die! So I said that I would do anything for that…! Then Horus-san told me to be his plaything… I thought he was a kind person so I was very confused… Horus-san, he knew that I’m an incompetent, so he took advantage of that…! My heart hurts… I’m scared… I’m scared… but I have to choose! To save my mom or being revealed as incompetent, which I thought would end up killing both of us eventually…so I became Horus-san’s plaything to help my mom. After that, he used me for… drug experiments I don’t want to talk about… I don’t want to… uh… it’s…!]

At that point, Rhode-san held my hand.
I was surprised because it’s too sudden, but it’s not unpleasant.
Rather, I felt at ease…this act alone could give me that kind of feeling.
And Rhode-san gave me a gentle look with his reddened eyes.
Levi-san also held my hand tightly.
She was in the same state as Rhode-san.

This warmth… it’s like when I was with my mom… it’s soothing…
It’s warm… Mom…!

[Uh… uh… uuaaaaaaaaAAAAAA!]

[It’s alright… everything is alright now…]

Hugged by both Rhode-san and Levi-san, I cried like a kid.

=====

[I have calmed down a little… it’s fine…]

[Un. I was the same. To have someone willing to listen to me… I was really happy]

Crown-san… I may not be able to be like you. But I’ll still do my best.
Please watch me from your resting place…

By the way, how come Tia’s mother was not swallowed by hatred towards the incompetents?
Was it because she wholeheartedly trusts her daughter?
She kept believing that her daughter was not truly an incompetent… so she continued to love Tia without being consumed by the anomaly of the world.
Truly a profound love…

If my parents were still alive… No, I’m fine the way I am now.
More than that, Tia’s mom should be my top priority now.

[Does that mean Tia’s mom is still being treated in this Horus’ mansion? Can you tell me what her sickness is?]

[Of course… she’s suffering from Dausara Syndrome…]

[I’ve never heard of that sickness before… what about you, Levi?]

[Neither do I… what were the symptoms?]

[I don’t know much about it as well. Anyways, she’s been feeling unwell… lethargic and dispirited all the time. Speaking of which, Mom said that Dad also had the same symptoms before he passed away…]

Her father too…
What is this… something didn’t feel right.

[The doctor who treated you father was…]

[Also Horus-san. Mom and Horus-san seemed to share a long standing friendship. Mom also said that he’s good at what he does.]

The same doctor and the same symptoms.
No no… Maybe I’m thinking too much.
More importantly…

[How did this Horus find out that Tia was an incompetent…?]

[Ah, that’s because… he saw me when I was practicing telekinesis magic. Me not making any progress at all and how I made a living by working a job that does not require magic, seemed to be what convinced him. Ah… speaking of which, back then… he told me that he should’ve noticed this sooner…]

[Hold it right there. Did this Horus only notice after a long time?]

[Y-yes… maybe…]

In other words, he didn’t know that Tia was an incompetent at first.
But what if he already noticed far earlier than that?
The result might be different no matter how I think about it…

If he noticed sooner, he wouldn’t be acting kind to Tia, would he?
But it contradicts the fact that he threatened to let Tia’s Mom die from sickness.
Tia’s mom shouldn’t be an incompetent, so he shouldn’t be able to throw such a threat so off-handedly.
Is it possible that her entire family consisted of incompetents…?

Or taking it from another perspective, he could’ve made Tia his plaything even sooner if only he noticed much earlier… didn’t he say that?
First, attack them with illness, corroding them financially, then Tia would have no choice but to submit to him eventually.
But she turned out to be an incompetent so he found a reason to force his will upon Tia…
So owning Tia was his real goal from the beginning, regardless of her being an incompetent?
If so… then her mother’s sickness was…

[….in any case, we need to take Tia’s mother out from that mansion.]

[B-but her sickness…]

[Regarding that, I… no, a friend of mine will do something about it.]