Chapter 80
One morning, the Future-Seeing Wizard woke up at home, sprayed his cactus with water, and brushed his teeth in the washroom. After once getting too busy to care for his houseplants and letting them wither, he kept only low-maintenance cacti.
After brushing his teeth, he put on his glasses without changing out of his pajamas, transferred the food in a plastic container to a heat-resistant dish, and warmed it with fire magic. While it heated, he quietly read a gardening book.
Unfortunately, the Future-Seeing Wizard had recently become unable to do without reading glasses.
At the time of the Gremlin disaster, the Future-Seeing Wizard had only just entered his late thirties. Now, he was in his forties.
After running around dealing with more major and difficult incidents than he could bear to count, vomiting blood as he did so, he had continued working himself toward an inevitable death from overwork. As a result, the Future-Seeing Wizard in his forties had aged so badly that he looked like he was in his sixties.
His sense of taste had dulled, his lower back hurt, and his shoulders were terribly stiff. Recently, the Security Corps had been growing stronger thanks to improved equipment and greater magical power, so his opportunities to go to the front lines had sharply decreased.
In particular, after injuring his lower back while exterminating a Class Kō Three creature last month, his secretary had tearfully talked him into swearing that he would not fight unless absolutely necessary. For the past month, he had not gone into battle at all, merely charging the Security Corps' magic scrolls and Monster Tongs with magical power.
Having to use the bathroom more often was another problem, one that forced him to feel his age whether he liked it or not.
His former coworkers were still in the prime of their working lives, and he heard they were worrying about their sons' and daughters' education and careers. But overwork and mental strain had made the Future-Seeing Wizard age prematurely. He had reached the point where it would not be strange for people to mistake him for an elderly man.
After finishing breakfast, the Future-Seeing Wizard changed into a suit, took his briefcase and magic wand, and left for work.
Bunkyo Ward Office, his workplace, was a one-minute walk from his home. The falling leaves from the trees in the park along the way reminded him that autumn had come. The elderly people taking a walk in the park bowed to him with their hands clasped in prayer, and the Future-Seeing Wizard returned their greetings with a slight bow.
He was a simple man, and that alone lifted his spirits a little. Being respected felt good.
When the people of the city flattered him as "Future-Seeing-sama," "Minister-sama," and "Savior-sama," he could not help feeling pleased and thinking, I’m glad all that hard work was worth it!
The Future-Seeing Wizard was immensely popular with people of every age and gender. The elderly worshiped him, young women were attracted to him, and elementary schoolchildren played at seeing the future, shouting, "I can see it, I can see it—the future! I see everything!" Even the Black-Work Transcendent smiled at that. He was working himself to the bone, so he needed that much praise just to keep going. Even the gruff old man who ran his favorite udon shop silently gave him two extra tempura pieces made with delicious seasonal ingredients whenever he placed an order. It was one of the perks.
When the Future-Seeing Wizard gave a slight nod to the guard at the entrance to Bunkyo Ward Office and went inside, the employees all greeted him in unison with a chorus of "Good morning." He responded magnanimously, and his secretary promptly brought him some documents.
Seeing the expression on his secretary's face as she took his briefcase, the Future-Seeing Wizard's faintly pleasant mood vanished, and his expression turned serious.
Days without problems were rarer, but having one first thing in the morning was especially depressing.
"Good morning, Future-Seeing-sama. The Dragon Witch-sama is waiting around back."
"Ah... Right. That woman caused an international incident..."
"I understand your distress. Shall I handle it?"
"No. Izumi-kun would be taken lightly. I'll go."
When he went around back with his secretary, he found a gigantic red-scaled dragon waiting there.
On the dragon's back, a rainbow-haired girl of about three years old was happily jumping around. Her long, brilliantly colored hair glittered like jewels in the sunlight, and the large Gremlin visible at her neckline gave off a complex opal-like radiance.
It was exactly the sort of glittering, sparkling appearance the Dragon Witch would like.
"Drago, zoooom! Vroom, vroom!!"
The little girl bounced up and down on the dragon's back, apparently urging the Dragon Witch to take her on a sightseeing flight.
She was supposedly a child kidnapped from America, but she showed no fear whatsoever. If anything, she looked ready to burst with excitement. She was quite a tough little thing.
"Oh, Future-Seeing's here. Her name is Jemmy. I appointed her as my beautiful-hair officer yesterday. I'm leaving the immigration paperwork to you."
"Don't be ridiculous."
The Future-Seeing Wizard felt a headache coming on and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.
The Dragon Witch had been transporting artillery hollyhock seeds to an American mine and had kidnapped an American child on her way home.
Apparently, one of the child's parents was a Transcendent, and she was a child with a Gremlin. Her speech was still immature, so she could not cast spells, but she had a great deal of magical power and seemed able to control it.
The Dragon Witch had only just been beaten black and blue by the Blue Witch for trying to steal Demon King materials, so he had let his guard down, thinking she would behave herself for a while. Who could have imagined she would cause an international abduction scandal?
If not for a secret report from Zaizen, the Dragon Witch's adjutant, it would probably have taken much longer for the matter to come to light.
"You stupid lizard. This is an international incident. Take her back!"
"No! I only rescued her. Her parents were abusing her. This is a well-intentioned protective custody situation!"
"Liar."
"Drago~!"
"Yes, yes, I'll play with you, so be quiet. The adults are talking right now."
The Dragon Witch tossed Jemmy into the air with her tail. The girl let out a tremendous cheer and gleefully begged for more of the sort of toss that sent her at least thirty meters into the air.
Watching this, the Future-Seeing Wizard remained suspicious of the Dragon Witch, but stopped to think.
She had supposedly been kidnapped, and that seemed to be true, but the little girl showed far too little fear for someone who had been abducted. She was at the age when being separated from her parents should have made her cry hysterically.
With a nagging doubt, the Future-Seeing Wizard looked into the future of the little girl, Jemmy.
If, by some tiny chance, she really had been abused, then it would be a problem to let the Dragon Witch take her back as things stood. Of course, kidnapping her was also a problem, even if she had been abused.
After casting his future-seeing magic three times to confirm Jemmy's future, the Future-Seeing Wizard put a hand to his mouth and groaned, unsure what judgment to make.
If Jemmy were returned to her parents, her wizard father would resume his harsh education. Her lessons consisted of studying and exercise, but Jemmy spent the whole time on the verge of tears. Whenever she resisted and tried to run away, she was dragged back and punished.
A three-year-old is at the age when she wants to play. It was common knowledge that cramming education had the opposite effect.
From what he had seen, it could be called abuse, but it could also be called strict gifted education. It was a delicate line. The discipline was harsh, but she was able to sleep properly and had enough to eat. In fact, the food appeared to be extremely good.
When a little girl was crying, it made her parents look as though they were doing something terrible. But children cried even when they were being sternly scolded for essential lessons like "You mustn't steal" and "You mustn't hit your friends." A crying child did not necessarily mean the parents were in the wrong.
"This is... Hmm..."
"You saw the future, right? Then you know I was right. The best possible answer is for her to live in my nest."
"Wooooooo! Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"It's true that she'd probably have more fun with you. But you're not thinking about Jemmy, are you? You just want the child."
"Listen. First, take her back to America. Then tell the proper department that Jemmy is being forced to undergo an extremely harsh education, one bordering on abuse. Actually, the president would work too. You're acquainted with the president, aren't you? Since this concerns the daughter of a wizard—in other words, an important person's daughter—the president would listen. Lead with the position that you couldn't bear to watch the poor child suffer..."
"No! Say it too, Jemmy. You want to stay with me, right? Dragons are love."
"Yeah! Love Drago~!"
The rainbow-haired little girl clung to the dragon's neck, rubbed her cheek against it, and spoke happily.
The Future-Seeing Wizard forcefully swallowed a whole string of words: 'Just take her back first,' 'If you want to help the child, follow the proper procedures,' and 'Don't make me clean up your mess.' Toying with a young child for the sake of adult convenience was morally wrong.
The Future-Seeing Wizard looked into the future three more times, confirmed that this would not trigger a war or worsen international relations, and then sent the Dragon Witch home.
After watching the dragon take off in a gust of wind and disappear into the distance amid the happy laughter of the little girl, the Future-Seeing Wizard accepted eye drops from his secretary and put them in his eyes.
Until recently, the Future-Seeing Wizard had been concerned mainly about the damage future-seeing magic did to his brain. But ever since signs of presbyopia had appeared, its accuracy had begun to decline slightly, and his eyes had started to tire.
Even if healing magic temporarily relieved his fatigue, it could not repair the damage his body had accumulated from years of overwork. Healing magic was not a rejuvenation spell.
"Phew... Izumi-kun, change my morning schedule. I'm going to meet the American ambassador to Japan in Minato Ward. I'll meet the ambassador directly, explain the circumstances, and say that we took custody of a child who was being abused. Whatever the reason, the end result is not entirely wrong. If we push that angle..."
"Future-Seeing-sama, though this concerns an earlier era, America had child abuse prevention laws. There were cases where police units stormed homes suspected of child abuse, restrained the parents, and protected the children. If the laws and values have not changed, the crime of abduction may be partially offset by the merit of protecting an abused child. I don't know what America's current laws are, however..."
"That's good information. Yes, if there are precedents like that... Wait. Should I ask the Blue Witch to explain things to the ambassador? If the Blue Witch contacts Conrad, and Conrad speaks to the president, would that make the best impression? No, the Blue Witch hates that sort of political maneuvering. It might have the opposite effect."
After that, the Future-Seeing Wizard consulted with his secretary. In the end, they spent the entire morning visiting the ambassador to Japan, explaining the situation, and bowing their heads.
Fortunately, the ambassador to Japan expressed sympathy for Jemmy and understanding of Japan's decision. Taking the matter seriously, the ambassador sent a wizard diplomat with return magic to the mainland. The president would soon be informed about the safety of an important person's family and the family's domestic problems.
To be safe, he looked one month into the future, but it seemed the matter of Jemmy's custody would proceed through calm discussions.
He handed the remaining work over to the diplomatic officials in Minato Ward. After enduring enough mental strain to make him fear he would go bald, the Future-Seeing Wizard returned to the ward office utterly exhausted.
He did not even have the energy to go out for lunch. As he slumped heavily into his office chair and gazed blankly at the ceiling, his secretary brought him tea and a warm light meal.
"Ah... Thank you. You should take a break too, Izumi-kun."
"Yes. May I have lunch here with you?"
When the Future-Seeing Wizard nodded, his secretary smiled brightly, opened an adorable lunch box, and began eating beside him.
The Future-Seeing Wizard also picked up his chopsticks and tried the lunch his secretary had apparently made herself. Vegetables, fish, rice—it was a perfectly balanced meal, easy to eat, and seasoned exactly to his taste.
As the Future-Seeing Wizard quietly ate with her, he suddenly noticed the wrinkles on the hand holding his chopsticks. He had never paid attention to them before, but his skin had completely lost its firmness, and wrinkles had begun to appear that showed he was entering old age.
The reality of aging piling up in his own body caused an idea that had lingered in the corner of his mind to swell larger and larger.
The Arataki Group was dealt with.
The Demon King was dealt with.
The citizens' levels of technology, culture, and military strength rose every month. In the past month alone, public order had been maintained without the Future-Seeing Wizard going to the front lines even once.
The training of diplomats was progressing as well.
The Future-Seeing Wizard's dream was early retirement followed by a slow life in the countryside.
But the Gremlin disaster had shattered that dream, and he had worked doggedly ever since.
His hard work had paid off. Though problems arose every day, Tokyo was generally peaceful. There were no dark shadows in the future—at least, none on the scale of the major incidents that had occurred before.
The Future-Seeing Wizard thought:
Wouldn't it be all right now?
Hadn't he done enough?
How long could he keep up this excessive overwork? Could he even continue?
Wasn't he allowed to think about himself for a change?
He had surely worked more than enough.
If he waited until his aging had progressed to the point where he could no longer manage farm work, forgot how to fish, and no longer knew when to plant crops, then retired and began his slow life, it would be too late.
He wanted to begin a leisurely, carefree second life while his body was still healthy.
He wanted to become an energetic old man in the countryside who had once worked hard in the city but now lived a relaxed life of farming in fine weather and reading in the rain.
Once the idea began to grow, it filled the Future-Seeing Wizard's mind with an irresistible allure.
This was not a fleeting desire. He had been planning it and dreaming of it ever since his days as a company employee.
The Future-Seeing Wizard closed his eyes and thought it over carefully one more time.
Would everything really be all right?
Would Tokyo be all right if he left and withdrew to the countryside?
...The answer was "No, it wouldn't."
Most likely, all sorts of problems he had always dealt with in advance would surface. Responses to unforeseen problems would also be delayed.
But even so, Tokyo had grown. It had overcome countless hardships and grown stronger.
Japan had never been all right even once since its founding. It had always been plagued by problems. Even so, it had maintained the state of the nation while carrying that sense of "not being all right" on its shoulders.
That was true of every country, not just Japan.
If he disappeared, Tokyo's problems would increase.
But he did not want to spend eternity dealing with problems that would never disappear, then grow old, wither away, and die without ever reaching his dream.
The people's praise felt good. But serving the public until he died wasn't right either.
Now that the major problems had been resolved and peace had arrived, it had to be the right time to move on.
The Future-Seeing Wizard steeled his resolve, opened his eyes, and spoke to his secretary.
"Izumi-kun."
"Yes, Future-Seeing-sama."
"You may oppose this, but..."
"?"
"...I think I'm going to retire from work. In other words, I think I'm going to withdraw to the countryside."
"Future-Seeing-sama, you mean..."
"No! Of course, I don't mean immediately. I'll make sure to complete the handover properly. Let's make it April next year, at the start of the new fiscal year. Next April, I'll retire and move to the countryside."
As the Future-Seeing Wizard braced himself for whatever words might come from the secretary he trusted, she asked hesitantly:
"...Future-Seeing-sama?"
"Yes?"
"May I come with you?"
"...Hmm?"
"If Future-Seeing-sama moves to the countryside, I would like to accompany you. I want to support Future-Seeing-sama, wherever you go and for as long as you live."
The secretary spoke with her cheeks faintly flushed.
The Future-Seeing Wizard scratched his cheek.
His secretary was fifteen years younger than the Future-Seeing Wizard. She was far too young to withdraw to the countryside and begin a second life.
However, he understood well enough that this was not what she meant.
From the day he had taken her on as his secretary, her feelings had always been obvious.
Until now, he had turned her down by saying, "I can't make you my highest priority." When he weighed Tokyo against one woman, his duty had required him to choose Tokyo.
But if he quit his job, things would be different. She surely wouldn't let their age difference stop her.
The Future-Seeing Wizard smiled, took his secretary's hand, kissed the back of it, and said:
"Izumi-kun. Will you find us a country house where the two of us can live?"
"!!! Yes, Future-Seeing-sama! I've been waiting and waiting for this day to come!"
"Yes. Living together is much better than living alone."
"Actually, I've already thought about where we should retire. There's a place I've had my eye on for a long time. You see, Blue Witch-sama has secured Okutama as her summer retreat every year. She keeps it covered in a disorienting mist, so I'm sure we could live peacefully, far from the noise of the city."
"Okutama, huh? Not bad."
"Right? I haven't brought it up with Blue Witch-sama yet, but it's for Future-Seeing-sama's retirement home. I'm sure she'll agree."
After that, they lost track of time and talked about their future together until sunset, well past the end of their lunch break.
Their second life together in the countryside was sure to be wonderful.