True Magician

Chapter 14

Emiya residence.

The next day.

Well, Issei never woke up, but slept until the next morning. Now he was sitting across from me in the very room I threw him in, eating the breakfast Emiya had prepared.

- "Romani-sensei, why aren't you eating? And where is Archer-sensei?" he asked with his mouth full.

- "I already ate and now you're on me," I said and shrugged, "Also, don't talk with your mouth full, pervert-kun."

After about ten minutes, he finished eating and asked:

- "Well, sensei, how will you train me?"

- "Оh? Can't wait to get started already? How unexpected."

- "I'm willing to do anything to help the President!"

- "Let's check it out," I said and snapped my fingers.

-0-

An unknown location.

A second later, we found ourselves on a small lawn in the middle of the forest.

- "Sensei, where are we?" He asked in a state of bewilderment, looking around.

- "It doesn't matter," I said and after creating a table with a couple of chairs, I invited him to sit down, "Let's talk for a while."

After hovering for a couple moments, he nodded dumbly and sat down at the table, followed by me.

- "Issei, what do you think is the deciding factor in this world?" I started the conversation, crossing my arms in front of me and adopting a business-like attitude.

- "Boo..." he wanted to shriek, but I quickly interrupted him.

- "If you finish that word, you'll lose your lower head."

He perked up, and, calming down, he thought for a while. For a long time. And after a while, having come up with nothing, he sighed tiredly.

- "Power, pervert-kun," I said, to which I received a surprised look from Issei, and then continued, "Especially for the world you've gotten yourself into. The strong takes everything from the weak. And you're the weak one."

- "Sensei?"

- "And the strong will take whatever he wants from you, and no one will bat an eye. Except you, of course."

- "Why are you telling me all this?" he asked with a depressed look.

- "To ask you a question. Do you want to continue on this path? Every moment of it could be your last. And not just for you, but for your friends, acquaintances, even your parents. Are you willing to risk their lives for your dream? A stupid dream, but a dream. I could just take Ddraig away from you and erase this phase of your life, making it nothing more than a dream. And you'll go back to being a normal, know-nothing boy with questionable hobbies. With a regular job. With an ordinary family. With an ordinary worldview. No mystique."

- "But the President..."

- "I know what she said. For her, as for others, it's impossible. But not for me. I can extract your Sacred Gear, keeping you alive and making you human again," I interrupted him, "So. Answer the question. Do you want to continue on this path?"

When he heard my words, he was silent and thoughtful.

Why did I start this conversation? Well, even though I'm annoyed with Issei, he's bound, like Rias, by the world itself. He was just unlucky. His entrance into the hidden world was already a foregone conclusion. He can't get out.