Category: The Master of Language

It had been three days since the mysterious reconciliation between Master Avana and Speria.

Master Avana said she would call an artificer to make the basic tools for me as a mage.

I believe her name was Dorma.

Dorma was said to be a highly skilled artificer who could make both a staff and a magic book simultaneously.

For this purpose, over the past three days, I had kept my body clean, eaten nothing at all, not even slept, and spent the time just meditating.

It was a very annoying task, but I gritted my teeth and endured it, as I was told that the higher the quantity and quality of meditation, the better tools could be made.

Dorma was a female elf wearing an antler hat, a black bear skin robe, and short pants.

She looked at me with a curious expression, which was rather ironic because she was the unusual one.

“Is this the child? The one you mentioned three days ago? You said he was born with innate magic?”

Master Avana nodded.

“Yes, Dorma. If this goes on, we don’t know where his magic might erupt. We need to hurry and create it.”

The artificer called Dorma kept her eyes fixed on me.

“What type is it?”

“From what we’ve seen, we think it might be the nullification type. But we’re not sure.”

At the mention of nullification type, Dorma’s eyes grew even wider.

“If you’re not certain, we can’t set a specific type for crafting.”

“That’s why I called you. If it were an easy task, I wouldn’t have sought you out. By the way, I was surprised you were available right away.”

“Well, you said he has innate magic. This is a good opportunity for an artificer like me to raise my level too.”

“Ah. So you’re saying you won’t ask for payment?”

Dorma didn’t answer.

She just nodded towards Speria, who was standing next to Master Avana, and said:

“A fire mage. It’s surprising enough to see a fire mage on the new continent, but to see one accompanying Avana is even more unbelievable.”

Speria answered with a bland expression.

“There were circumstances. Anyway, you. Can you draw out the innate magic to make a magic book? Even for me, that’s something I’ve never heard of or seen before.”

At those words, Dorma revealed her yellowed teeth.

“It certainly won’t be an easy task. But it’s not impossible either. I’ve been eagerly waiting to meet someone with innate magic and have collected treasures for just such an occasion. If all goes well, my level will greatly increase today. Hehehe.”

Seeing her laugh so sinisterly makes me feel uneasy.

But the thought that I would now be able to have a staff or a magic book made my heart throb with excitement. It felt like all the hunger and sleepiness from the past three days had flown away.

“Alright. So what do I need to do?”

Dorma shook her head and put her hand inside her robe.

“There’s not much for you to do. Looking at your body’s condition, you’re very clean! You really didn’t drink even a drop of water and didn’t sleep for even a moment. There are hardly any people who can be this perfectly clean.”

I’ve always been good at enduring things.

Especially when it’s for my own benefit.

Dorma pulled her hand out of her robe and handed me a dark, murky sphere.

I received it and asked.

“What is this…?”

Bang!

The sphere exploded right there with a loud noise.

Startled me.

Master Avana and Speria asked simultaneously.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“Are you alright?”

Fortunately, there’s no pain, so it doesn’t seem dangerous.

Dorma narrowed her eyes.

“Hmm. Impressive. Then how about this?”

She once again put her hand into her robe and took out a black sphere. There wasn’t much difference from before, just that the black colour was a bit deeper.

As soon as I held it in my hand, it suddenly started trembling on its own. As everyone watched, it eventually exploded with a bang just like the previous one.

Is something going wrong?

I said in a low voice.

“This one doesn’t seem to work either.”

Dorma tilted her head, then sighed.

“Hmm. This one exploded too?”

Master Avana cautiously asked.

“How many gigas was it?”

Dorma crossed her arms and said.

“100 gigas.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

Not only Master Avana’s but also Speria’s eyes widened.

Dorma slightly lowered her head and muttered incomprehensible words.

“Maybe I need to give 1 tera? Hmm. No way. It’s just one magic, how could it be that much? Maybe just about 300 gigas… No, what if it explodes again? What a waste that would be. Phew. No. Rather than blowing up one after another, it might be better to give something definite. When will I ever get another chance to meet someone with innate magic?”

After contemplating several times, she finally put her hand into her robe. And gave me another black sphere.

It was an extremely black sphere.

No, it was beyond just black.

It was a darkness that seemed to consume even its surroundings, as if a round void had taken its place.

Her face was full of hesitation.

“Here, hold this in your hand.”

Her expression was as if she were giving away her heart.

Is this extremely precious?

I glanced slightly at Master Avana and Speria. They both swallowed dry saliva while looking at Dorma’s black sphere.

It shouldn’t be dangerous, right?

“Alright.”

I grabbed it. And at that moment, the black sphere started trembling rapidly. And it kept trembling more and more as if it was about to burst.

“Please. Please. Please.”

Desperation dripped from Dorma’s voice. I wanted to join in her desperation, but how could I when I didn’t know what was going on?

But the black sphere started trembling even more violently. Dorma’s eyes shook greatly as her voice grew louder.

“Oh, no, no, no, no. N-no way! Bigger than 1 tera! H-how can this be.”

She spoke as if this was the last one.

If this doesn’t work, does it mean she can’t make it?

I looked down at the thing that was shaking so violently that I could no longer call it a sphere, and muttered.

“Come on, please work this time. Okay?”

At that moment, the trembling of the black sphere slowly began to subside.

Dorma clapped her hands together and rejoiced like a child.

“Oh! It worked! It’s stabilizing! Whew. What a relief.”

As time passed, the trembling of the black sphere completely stopped.

There wasn’t any significant change.

I asked.

“So? Is it done now?”

Dorma, with an excited expression, rolled up her sleeves. Then she put both hands into her robe and started taking out various items and placing them on the floor.

They were ingredients of all sorts that words couldn’t fully describe.

“Now we begin! Before coming here, I brought all the treasures of every type I know. Whatever innate magic you possess, we can create any kind of magic book based on it.”

“……”

“Now, we just wait for the color to emerge.”

Dorma stood in front of me like a warrior burning with fighting spirit before a formidable opponent, staring at the black sphere in my hand.

Speria suddenly spoke.

“It’s red. Ran is human, after all. Whatever innate magic Ran has, it can’t overcome that nature.”

At those words, Master Avana chuckled.

“No. Just because someone is human doesn’t mean they’re only fire and iron mages. Do you not know how much influence a mage’s first master has? Who knows. A color we never expected might pop up.”

As Speria was about to say something more, Dorma shouted loudly.

“Now! It’s coming out!”

As soon as her words ended, the black sphere was sucked into its center and disappeared.

“Huh?”

“What’s this?”

“It disappeared?”

The three of them looked at each other in confusion.

I tilted my head.

“Hmm. This is strange. I can still feel it though.”

“What did you say?”

Dorma stretched her neck and brought her face close to my hand. She examined it from various angles, but her frown didn’t disappear.

Her eyes turned to me again.

“You say the sphere is still there?”

I applied a bit of pressure with my fingers. There was definitely resistance.

“Yes. It’s just become completely invisible, not gone.”

At those words, Speria said doubtfully.

“No way. You’re saying it’s so invisible that even my senses can’t detect it?”

Master Avana spoke with a deflated tone.

“invisible, you say. What does this mean, Dorma?”

Dorma’s brows furrowed even more.

She closed her eyes and spoke softly.

“I don’t know. If it were a nullification type, it would have a white glow. Invisible, you say. This is just…”

“……”

“……”

Then suddenly, she clenched her fist and hit her other palm while opening her eyes.

“Ah! That’s right!”

“Wh-what is it?”

Dorma looked at Master Avana and said.

“Was it four years ago? If I remember correctly, around that time… I saw a treasure of this type once.”

“Really? What kind was it?”

“It was an extremely rare item, but since it didn’t have any special effects, I bought it just out of curiosity for research purposes.”

This time, Dorma didn’t put her hand inside her robe but into her left sleeve.

Then she pulled out a transparent crystal shaped like an icicle.

“This. Yes, this is it. Bizarrely transparent, isn’t it?”

Speria’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked at it.

“That’s just transparent, isn’t it? I can see it perfectly well? But the sphere Ran is holding is completely invisible. It’s so transparent that I can’t even sense its presence.”

Dorma shrugged her shoulders.

“This is the only transparent type treasure I have. All the others have some colour to them.”

Master Avana looked at me and spoke gently.

“Then we’ll have to use that one. What else can we do?”

I don’t know what’s going on here.

I sighed.

“Honestly, I’m too hungry and sleepy. Let’s finish this quickly.”

At those words, Dorma said to Master Avana.

“With only this, making a staff will be difficult, but we can barely manage to create a magic book. However, it will be incomplete. Even if we fix it later, we’ll need to fill in the missing parts with other materials for now, don’t you think?”

At those words, both Master Avana and Speria simultaneously took out their own magic books.

“I’ll give mine.”

“I’ll give you mine.”

They glared at each other.

Dorma reached her hand behind her. There were all the materials she had laid out earlier.

“We have plenty of materials though?”

Then both of them spoke simultaneously again.

“Just use mine.”

“Use my book.”

They glared at each other again.

Probably mixing their materials into my magic book would bring them some benefit.

I don’t like feeling uneasy.

I said firmly.

“It’s okay if it’s incomplete. Just make it.”

“Huh?”

“Please make it as it is. We can find and add the missing materials later.”

At those words, both of them became dumbstruck.

Dorma asked in a low voice.

“If you accept their offerings, you can inherit some of their level and magic. You could become powerful in an instant, you know?”

Both of them chimed in.

“That’s right. You’ll be able to learn magic much more easily, Ran.”

“Yeah. This isn’t something we offer to just anyone, you know.”

I shook my head.

“It’s fine. I feel like mixing unnecessary things will just cause more trouble later.”

Easy power always comes with a price, after all.

Dorma glanced at Master Avana and me, then said.

“Mage Ran. If that is truly your wish, I will make it for you, although incomplete. However, if you find more of the same material later, bring it close to the magic book and infuse it with magic power. Then the magic book will absorb it. Of course, if you want to make a matching staff, come and find me.”

“I understand.”

“Good.”

Dorma threw her robe back dramatically. As she did so, all the dozens of materials on the floor were sucked into her robe.

She held out the transparent crystal and said.

“Place the invisible sphere you’re holding on top of this crystal. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Place it on top?

I looked at my hand.

Indeed, I couldn’t see anything.

But I could roughly estimate its size by the feel in my hand.

I carefully moved my hand and placed my invisible sphere on top of the crystal Dorma was holding.

Then the crystal started to melt slowly from its tip.

“Good. It’s a bit annoying that I can’t see it, but… well, it’s not impossible to work with.”

After muttering softly, Dorma manipulated the crystal with both hands. The melted part changed into various shapes under her ten fingers, gradually forming a rectangular shape.

Come to think of it, I can definitely see it. It’s strange that I can see something invisible, but still.

“Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.”

But soon she destroyed the shape and started making the magic book again.

At that moment, Master Avana said to me.

“We don’t know how long this will take. If you’re tired, go inside and rest.”

“Ah, will it take hours?”

Speria chuckled.

Master Avana answered again.

“It might take days, dear.”

But Master Avana’s words were wrong.

It took over two months for my magic book to be made.

“Ran? Why are you taking so long?”

Speria was standing outside the main door.

She seemed quite bold when opening the door, but flinched upon seeing Master Avana.

Her expression briefly soured, as if her pride was hurt by being startled.

However, she quickly recovered and began looking around the house. Her gaze stopped at Psyche, who was holding a flower.

Soon, she pointed at Psyche.

“Oh! It’s you! High Elf!”

At that moment, Psyche stretched her hand forward. A staff that looked like a flower appeared.

It was my first time seeing Psyche’s staff. It was in the shape of six intertwined flower petals, shining like a rainbow from red to indigo, excluding purple.

Master Avana walked towards the dining table, yawning.

“Psyche. It’s okay. Put away your staff.”

“But!”

“She already knew about your existence. And she’s at a similar level to me. Your magic won’t be able to erase her memory.”

Erase memory, huh.

Is that the kind of magic she uses?

Psyche glared at Speria for a moment, then put away her staff and left for the lake.

She must be quite angry.

I asked Master Avana.

“Is it okay for Speria to come in?”

“Oh? You two are already on a first-name basis? You’ve become close quickly. Is it because you’re both human?”

“She agreed to take the herbs as you suggested, so it’ll be safe. Right, Speria?”

Speria was silent for a moment, then sat down boldly next to Master Avana.

“Yeah. Give me the water herbs or whatever. I’ll eat it, no big deal.”

Master Avana looked at her with a strange expression.

“You seem quite nonchalant for someone who could die with a single gesture.”

“Well, it’s that kind of situation anyway.”

They both smiled at each other in the same way.

The house was filled with warm sunlight filtering through the tree trunks, creating a cozy atmosphere.

But why do I feel chills?

I quickly went to the kitchen and asked while selecting herbs.

“Are you feeling okay? You threw up a lot earlier.”

“Rather, that’s why I’m hungry. It’s fine.”

I selected herbs that tasted as good as possible and brought them to the table.

“Here.”

Speria pouted her lips once, then took the herbs without complaint and put them in her mouth.

“It tastes bad.”

Master Avana watched her swallow the herbs with half-closed eyelids and said abruptly.

“The guest is almost here. Would you make some tea?”

Why didn’t she say so earlier?

I went back to the kitchen, took out some cups, added mint, and poured water into them.

Speria, who was watching me, poked her head out and asked.

“Hot water?”

“We don’t use fire here. Want some too?”

“Yeah.”

I asked Master.

“You said a guest is coming, right? How many are coming?”

“One. Four cups of tea will do.”

I made four cups of mint tea and brought them to the table.

Meanwhile, Master snapped her fingers once and rubbed them vigorously. Then, tree roots sprouted from the floor and created another chair to the right of Master Avana’s seat.

I sat down to the left of Master, and Speria sat close to me, using me as a shield to avoid Master Avana’s gaze.

A guest, huh.

Is it a new person? Or…

“Is Count Furst coming?”

Master Abana brought the teacup to her lips.

“Yes. -Yawn- I’m dying of sleepiness. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be this tired.”

Speria glanced at me for a moment, then asked Master.

“My staff. When will you return it? I ate the herbs, didn’t I?”

Master Avana slightly turned her gaze to look at Speria.

Her eyes were certainly cold when looking at an enemy.

“Call your master. Once we talk and settle the matters with him, I’ll return it. Not before then. I’ll keep feeding you herbs too.”

Speria’s face contorted.

“Master Kalasta said that once he leaves, we don’t know when he’ll return. It’s usually at least a year or two, and in extreme cases, it’s taken over ten years.”

“Why make such a fuss over little time like that for a mage?”

“I can’t study during that time! Everyone will catch up and surpass me!”

“Oh? Kalasta must have quite a few disciples then?”

“Hundreds of them.”

Wow.

It must be almost like a school, right?

Master seemed a bit surprised too, her eyebrow slightly raised.

“One of the pinnacles of human mages, they say. Impressive indeed.”

Master Avana ended the conversation there.

It meant she absolutely wouldn’t return it unless Kalasta came in person to directly guarantee our safety.

Speria glared at Master Avana with burning eyes. Her nostrils flared, indicating she was quite angry, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.

After a little while, the front door opened and Count Furst entered with a purple butterfly.

“Hello, Avana. I was worried you might not be here.”

“If I weren’t here, this butterfly wouldn’t have appeared to you, Count. Please, have a seat.”

The purple butterfly soon turned into light and disappeared.

Count Furst sat in the remaining chair, glanced at Speria, and said.

“I didn’t know there was another guest.”

“Don’t mind her. She’s just a new slave I’ve taken in.”

Speria’s face twisted with anger.

“Who are you calling a slave?”

Master without changing her expression said.

“If you interfere more, you’ll have to go out to the clearing.”

“Fine, I’ll leave.”

Speria stood up abruptly and left the cabin.

Bang!

The house might collapse.

“Should I leave too, Master?”

“No, let’s listen together.”

At those words, Count Furst smiled curiously.

“It seems you know why I’ve come, Avana?”

“You’re not the type to come and celebrate yesterday’s victory, and I suppose you’re here to assign another task? Since we won the battle, you’ll want to finish things up.”

Count Furst nodded.

“I plan to completely destroy the Frenche company and occupy the port. If we completely control Marshal Harbor, it will be difficult for Frenche to send more soldiers.”

“Hmm. I see. Anyway, what do you need from me?”

“As you know, most mages in the Yura continent deal with fire and iron magic. That’s why they all hate crossing the sea, but with Frenche’s national power, they might be able to send a few.”

“Oh?”

“Wouldn’t it be easy for Avana the mage, who can handle water, to settle things at sea before they reach land?”

“So, in simple terms, you want me to prevent Franche from sending mages?”

“That’s right. Other than that, there shouldn’t be any variables I can’t handle.”

Master Avana thought for a moment, then glanced at me.

“Alright. I’ll send my disciple.”

Count Furst’s gaze turned to me.

If I could look at myself, I probably would have too.

“Me?”

“You mean Ran?”

When we both asked simultaneously, Master Avana nodded.

“Ran has developed incredibly over the past month. He can move all of nature at will, and even move things beyond that easily. It’s time he uses his magic outside the cabin too.”

“……”

“……”

I silently turned to Master Avana and asked with my eyes.

Really?

I don’t know anything except psychokinesis?

You’re just saying that, right?

Master Avana smiled slightly and patted my head as she continued speaking.

“The Frenche soldiers were defeated yesterday, right? How long do you think it will take for that news to reach the Kingdom of Frenche, for them to decide to send support, and for the soldiers to come back here?”

Count Furst thought for a moment and said.

“The sea journey takes 40 days, and if we assume it takes about 10 days to gather and send soldiers, it would take about 90 days in total.”

Come to think of it, Speria also came more than a month after Kalasta had visited. She came by sea like ordinary people.

It seems only someone like Kalasta can easily cross the sea.

“There’s more time left than I thought. I can prepare him sufficiently before then.”

Master Avana’s words and expression were full of confidence.

Perhaps because of this, Count Furst’s eyes on me began to change.

I wonder if she’ll make me a staff or magic book or something during that time?

I’m looking forward to it.

Count Furst stood up.

“I understand. Please don’t send him too hastily. Well then.”

Master Avana created a purple butterfly from her fingertips.

Count Furst opened the door and followed the butterfly.

But through the crack in the door, Speria’s figure was briefly glimpsed.

She had her hand stretched out, and there was a spark floating there.

Ah.

No way.

Is she trying to escape using my fire?

If something goes wrong, master will kill her.

Master Avana must have sensed something was amiss too, as she frowned and looked outside.

A murderous glint flashed in Master’s eyes.

I need to take the spark away from Speria before Master does something.

I stood up abruptly and stretched out both hands.

“No!”

At that moment, my spark in front of Speria burst into flames and spread to the surrounding trees.

Speria fell on her backside, startled by the sudden event.

The master’s expression turned cold.

“So it’s unavoidable after all.”

Master was holding her staff somehow, and the strange purple light flowing from its tip was unusually dark.

She’s going to kill her.

She’s trying to kill her.

I quickly followed the master outside.

Speria turned to look at us.

“Wait! That wasn’t me just now. I just moved the spark because I had nothing else to do. I didn’t intend to start a fire.”

There was no trace of emotion on Master Avana’s face.

“Nonsense. You expect me to believe that?”

“You saw me eat the water herb yourself, didn’t you? How could I make fire after that?”

“The world is wide and treasures are many.”

The world is wide and treasures are many. This is the first saying of mages in the magical world, meaning anything can happen.

Speria’s eyes wavered. Biting her lips, Speria opened her mouth.

“Are you really going to break the custom of hospitality?”

“You were never a guest. I have no obligation of hospitality to you.”

Speria’s expression twisted.

That’s the truth.

It was she who refused to become a guest.

“If you thought I would disgracefully beg for my life, you’re mistaken.”

“I know you won’t.”

Master Avana extended her staff. The purple light was momentarily tinged with a deep black, then shot forward.

Is Speria going to die like this?

I shouted.

“Don’t kill her!”

At that moment.

The world seemed to stop, becoming silent.

The purple light tinged with black disappeared on the spot.

Master Avana and Speria looked at each other with blank expressions, then turned to me.

“I did it. It was me, Master. I was worried Speria might do something suspicious with the spark. So I put my psychokinesis into it, but it went wrong and the fire grew. She really only moved the spark.”

“……”

“……”

“It’s true, please believe me.”

Master Avana lowered her staff.

“Just now. How did you do that?”

“Huh? I explained, didn’t I?”

This time Speria spoke.

“No. Not the spark. You just made the instant death spell disappear?”

“Me?”

Master Avana and Speria’s expressions changed identically.

Then a fake cough was heard.

When I looked up towards the sound, Count Furst was watching us from the middle of the clearing.

With an indifferent face, as if asking what had happened.

“I should be going now. The butterfly is already far away. It seems there was a misunderstanding between you, I hope it gets resolved well.”

Count Furst’s indifferent tone calmed everyone’s hearts.

Because of this, we could take a moment to think.

After he left, I stood between Master Avana and Speria.

“Anyway, to finish what I was saying, I’m the one who made the fire grow, Master. You misunderstood.”

“……”

“……”

“Although I’m only 14 years old, I’ve seen all sorts of things during my life as a slave. One thing I learned for sure is that killing is the last resort.”

“……”

“……”

“Murder can never be undone. That’s truly crossing a river of no return, Master. It might make things easier right away. Because if you kill, that’s the end of it. But you end up paying a price dozens of times over. Without fail. Especially when you make an enemy of someone strong, you need to be careful.”

“……”

“……”

“Look at how the King of Frenche carelessly killed my mother, and ended up making an enemy of the country. If such consequences arise from killing a child’s mother, what consequences would arise from killing Speria?”

Then Speria put her hand on my shoulder and answered.

“Ran. That’s not what’s important right now. Avana, was it? You saw it too just now, didn’t you?”

Master Avana nodded.

“Yes. Without a staff or a magic book, he made my magic disappear with just a word.”

Their gazes moved simultaneously towards me.

Huh?

What’s with this sudden atmosphere of reconciliation?

Why are they both looking at me like that?

Then they both said at the same time.

“Is it innate magic?”

“It’s innate magic.”

---

TL : I have used the previous translators work from here till chapter 47 so credits to him and I also have added my own edits in the chapters so things are consistent.

Let’s think carefully. Yesterday, I definitely made the fire flare up.

“Blub. Blub. Ugh. Blub.”

I was using psychokinesis, almost like just throwing it out there.

“Ugh. Blub. Blub.”

How did the fire get bigger?

“Ugh. Blub. Blub. Ugh. Blub.”

Ah, I really can’t concentrate like this.

“Hey. Can’t you just give up and come down? You’re too noisy—I can’t focus.”

The red-haired magician struggling inside the water prison shot me a sharp glare even as she struggled.

“I-I absolutely… Blub. Blub. A-a-apprentice ma—Blub. Blub.”

There’s no way I can study psychokinesis with that noise in the background.

I walked into the cabin and threw open my master’s door with a bang.

“Master!”

Lying face down on the bed, my master cracked open one sleepy eye.

“Yaaawn. What is it? So suddenly.”

“Let her go already. She’s too noisy—I can’t focus.”

At that, my master’s eyes widened.

“Oh, right! W-wait, is it morning? She’s not dead, is she?”

If she’s worried about that, then the water prison must be more dangerous than I thought.

“I don’t know. She still looked fine to me.”

My master shot up from bed and hurried outside. I followed right after her.

By the time I opened the front door, my master was already lowering the water prison with her staff.

The water that made up the prison was sucked back into the cabin, leaving only the drenched red-haired magician collapsed on the ground.

“Hack. Cough. Guh.”

She kept vomiting up water.

It must’ve been everything she swallowed while trapped, yet no matter how much she expelled, more kept coming.

Master Avana slowly approached and gave her back a light tap with her staff. Instantly, the magician spewed out an incredible amount of water before going completely limp, as if she’d passed out.

Avana glanced at me, gauging my reaction.

“She’ll be fine, right? It’d be a real pain if she died.”

If she did die, Kalasta—who had at least maintained some facade of formality while retreating—would come back to finish things for good.

I might end up dead too.

“I doubt it. She’s probably fine.”

I stepped closer to the red-haired magician and pressed two fingers against her neck.

Thankfully, she had a pulse.

Then suddenly, her hand shot up and grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t… touch me.”

Her voice was weak and frail, but the will behind it was unwavering.

I pulled my hand back.

“I was just checking if you were alive.”

“Kill… me.”

“……”

“Kill me.”

Her swollen eyes, puffy from expelling so much water, barely stayed open. Even her eyelids seemed too heavy to lift.

Yet the determination in her gaze remained unbroken.

Master Avana spoke.

“If you agree to be my guest, I won’t kill you.”

The red-haired magician clenched her teeth.

“It’s not that you won’t kill me. You can’t. If you do, master will turn you into ashes.”

At this point, ‘pride’ or ‘stubbornness’ didn’t seem like strong enough words to describe her.

Master Avana crouched down, leveling her gaze with the magician’s.

“Sorry, but you attacked my castle first. Even so, I offered you hospitality. You refused. Under these circumstances, killing you wouldn’t be a problem.”

The red-haired magician took several deep breaths before speaking more clearly than before.

“I don’t care. If you kill me, you’ll die too.”

Avana studied her as if trying to read her thoughts, then stood up.

The magician stared at her, unwavering.

Finally, after a long silence, Avana spoke.

“It looks like you’ve already crossed the point of no return. You bear malice toward me and have no intention of letting it go. Either way, I’ll end up making an enemy of Kalasta. In that case, I might as well buy some time to escape.”

She raised her staff. Immediately, I grabbed it with both hands.

“Master Avana, wait.”

“What?”

“Are you really going to kill her?”

Her round eyes held no emotion.

No anger, no rage—making them all the more resolute.

I knew those eyes well.

Someone who kills out of emotion can be stopped by calming that emotion.

But someone who kills out of reason can only be persuaded with a sound argument.

The latter is always harder.

I glanced back slightly. The red-haired magician, faced with imminent death, shrank back in fear.

Well, she was a teenager with little experience. It would be stranger if she wasn’t afraid of dying.

But even so, she was clinging to her pride. In a way, it was impressive.

Master Avana asked,

“Why? Do you have a better idea?”

I swallowed dryly.

Then I turned back to my master.

“We take her hostage.”

“……”

“Kalasta can cross the ocean in a day, right? No matter how far we run, He will catch up eventually. Given that, it’s better to keep her as leverage.”

“……”

“When Kalasta comes, we explain the situation. Tell them this was the only choice.”

Luckily, my master’s grip on her staff loosened, as if she agreed with my logic.

“Hmm. You have a point. Even if we kill her and run, there’s no guarantee we’ll survive.”

“Exactly. Just keep her hostage. Who knows? Maybe over time, we’ll clear up our misunderstandings.”

Master Avana pondered for a bit longer.

Then, for a moment, something in her gaze shifted.

I wasn’t sure what change had occurred, but it seemed like she was willing to listen.

“Fine. I’ll go with your plan, Ran. But from now on, you’re responsible for looking after her. If you fail, I will kill her. Understood?”

“M-me?”

“You already know about water-related herbs, don’t you? She needs to consume at least half the amount I take daily. Otherwise, the fire magic inside her will revive.”

“……”

“Not that she’ll necessarily agree to eat it.”

With that, Master Avana turned and went back into the cabin.

Just like that, she left it all to me.

Was this really okay?

I turned to face the red-haired magician.

She still glared at me with sharp eyes.

I spoke.

“You heard, right?”

“……”

“Be honest. You don’t really want to die, do you?”

“……”

“I mean, you were in the wrong first. Right? How would you feel if someone burned down your home?”

At that, her tightly shut lips parted.

“…I’m sorry.”

Wait, she apologized? Just like that?

What was with this unpredictable personality?

I sat down, just like my master often did, to meet her at eye level.

She avoided my gaze, staring down at the ground instead.

I asked,

“Why’d you do it? Did Kalasta order you to?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I just wanted to see her face, but she kept ignoring me. That pissed me off, so I burned it down out of spite.”

“We weren’t even inside.”

“I meant the high elf. She knew I was there but refused to come out. That annoyed me.”

Oh, right. She had mentioned something about abandoning an apprentice.

“And for that, you set fire to the place?”

“I told you—I’m sorry.”

“……”

“Why?”

My eyelids folded inward.

The red-haired magician looking up at me was clearly watching my reaction.

“No, I just don’t get it. If you were going to answer so easily, why did you tell me to kill you in the first place?”

The red-haired magician’s face suddenly twisted.

“Because your master treated me like trash.”

“And I didn’t?”

“Do you think I’m stupid? You tried to save me. I’m certain about things like that.”

I was similar in that regard, but not to the extent of being this firm.

“My master was trying to save you too. You were just being stubborn.”

“That was because she was scared of Kalasta. She didn’t mean it.”

“What about me?”

“You? What about you?”

“I could’ve saved you because I was afraid of Senior Kalasta too.”

“Why would you be scared of Kalasta? My master was trying to take you in as a disciple.”

Now I understood.

Since I didn’t have to save her but did anyway, I was being sincere.

Since my master had to save her, she wasn’t sincere.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

“Did Senior Kalasta talk about me a lot?”

“A ton! There was a high elf standing right there, but he just mentioned the high elf for a bit and kept talking about you. So I got curious—what kind of guy could be so impressive that a high elf didn’t even catch his attention? That’s why I secretly came to see for myself.”

“Secretly came? So your master doesn’t know you’re here?”

“Nope, no clue.”

She really was answering every single question.

How could someone be this straightforward?

No.

It’s exactly because she’s this straightforward that she set a house on fire just because she wasn’t welcomed.

Now that I thought about it, she really did look like a drenched rat.

“Are you really okay? Do you want something to eat?”

The red-haired magician shook her head.

“No point eating at my level. A potion would be nice, though.”

Potions were made by refining special ingredients.

If herbs were raw meat, potions were a cooked dish.

I remembered my master once saying that she didn’t know how to make potions, so he had to eat herbs raw, but that they’d be far more effective if consumed as potions.

“I don’t have anything like that.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Does a magician really live here? No potions at all?”

“And sorry, but I can only give you water-based herbs. If you recover your strength, I won’t be able to keep you as a hostage.”

“Then just let me go! Find my staff for me!”

Suddenly, her face was right up in front of mine.

Golden eyes.

Pale skin.

I instinctively averted my gaze and leaned back.

“Try to understand my position too. If I let you go, you’ll try to kill my master.”

“That’s true.”

“……”

She really was something else. In so many ways.

Since I stayed silent, the red-haired magician spoke.

“Don’t look at me like that. You try surviving in a water prison. If you last even thirty minutes, I’ll call you my master!”

“Was it that bad?”

“Worse than all my master’s trials combined. And since I use fire magic, it was pure hell. I’ll never forgive your master.”

Kalasta didn’t seem like the type to teach gently and kindly.

Which meant the water prison must have been just that agonizing, and her grudge against my master must have been just that deep.

Now I understood why my master had just wanted to kill her.

She’d already crossed the point of no return.

That expression fit perfectly.

“Stay put. I’ll go inside and talk to my master.”

“You took my staff. How am I supposed to go anywhere?”

For some reason, she couldn’t leave without her staff.

“Then at least tell me your name. I’m Ran.”

“I already know yours. I’m Speria.”

“Speria? Got it. Just wait here for a bit.”

After giving a nod, I stepped into the cabin.

My master wasn’t there—only Psyche, sipping tea at the table.

“Where’s Master?”

“She went to bed. What did she say?”

“She wants to be released. But anyway, she’s not as bad as I thought. She’ll even drink water-based herbs without a fuss. I don’t think she’ll cause too much trouble as a hostage.”

Psyche’s expression hardened slightly.

“By the way, why did you save her? She set the castle on fire. I was inside too.”

“If I killed her, who knows how Senior Kalasta would react?”

Psyche said nothing more.

But her expression made it clear—she was pissed.

She’d had that same face for the past month.

Right.

I rummaged through my coat.

Then, I pulled out the purple flower I’d found on the cliff yesterday.

Unfortunately, after all the moving around, it had gotten completely bent and crushed.

It didn’t look like a present at all…

“What’s that flower? A gift, maybe?”

Ah.

Psyche had seen my hand.

Now I felt guilty.

“Well, it was supposed to be. But too much happened along the way, and it ended up like this.”

Psyche stared at my hand in silence.

Stop looking at it like that.

It’s not like I wanted to give it in this condition.

“That doesn’t grow around here. Interesting. Where’d you find it?”

At least she recognized it.

“Near a cliff. I’d never seen it before, and it looked pretty. Thought you might like it.”

“……”

“Uh, I know I’ve been too focused on my psychokinesis training lately. Sorry about that.”

At my words, Psyche’s gaze shifted from my hand to my face.

She reached out, took the flower, and turned away.

“Not really. Anyway, thanks.”

Since she wasn’t showing her expression, I couldn’t tell if she’d forgiven me or not.

At that moment, footsteps came from the stairs.

I turned my head to see my master coming down, looking sleepy.

Her brows were deeply furrowed—she was clearly in a terrible mood.

“Didn’t you go to sleep?”

“I forgot we had a guest.”

Just then, the cabin door burst open.

The fire had been moved many times.

But never once had the flames grown.

What on earth was happening?

“Well done!”

When I turned to look at Master Avana, she was already holding a staff in her right hand and a magic book in her left. She quickly recited a spell from the book and stretched out her staff toward the red-haired magician.

A green light flickered within the purple glow, then surged toward the red-haired magician. Or, more precisely, toward the ground beneath her feet. As soon as the green light touched the ground, thorny vines burst up and wrapped around the red-haired magician’s legs.

Whoosh—!

The flames that had enveloped her face flickered and died at their core.

A pale, delicate hand had seized the embers that had fueled the fire.

The red-haired magician, now with an even cleaner face than before, looked down at the embers in her grasp and murmured.

“Oh? This is Master’s flame. But isn’t it better than mine?”

Her silky golden eyebrows twitched.

She shifted her large eyes and glared at me. Her pupils, shining brightly, were also golden.

Golden eyes.

I quickly spoke.

“My psychokinesis was cut off!”

“The initiative was stolen. There’s nothing you can do when the difference in skill is this vast. For now, get inside the castle.”

“But the house—”

“It’s fine. Only the surface is burning.”

Master Avana raised her staff once more.

Again, green light rose from within the purple glow, this time fanning out widely.

As the green light enveloped the clearing, including the wooden hut, the trees that made up the hut regained their vitality and trembled.

Amazingly, the flames burning inside were expelled in all directions. Though the surrounding forest caught fire, the hut’s wooden structure remained lush and green.

What a relief.

Psyche is safe.

“A plant that drains magical energy? I’ve never seen that magic before. But the affinity is poor.”

The red-haired magician mocked, then brought the tip of her staff to her restrained feet.

Yellow flames ignited at the contact point, reducing the restraining plants to ashes.

It seemed that her staff carried her own embers.

“As long as I handle that magician, get inside. Quickly! It’s dangerous out here.”

Her words jolted me back to my senses.

I took a step forward, but when I looked back, Master was preparing another spell.

She was buying me time to escape.

But she was still in danger.

“Don’t be surprised. I’ll carry you.”

“What?”

I lifted her into my arms in an instant.

As expected—light as a feather.

“That magician is casting something, Master.”

Master Avana was momentarily startled but soon hardened her expression and resumed reciting her spell.

At that moment, behind the red-haired magician, a flame of sunset and ash ignited.

The sunset-coloured fire gathered to form a bird, while the ash-coloured flames shaped its beak and talons.

Once fully materialized, it let out an explosive burst—engulfing the surrounding trees in fire.

Fire magic really is spectacular.

As I crossed the threshold into the hut, Master Avana, still on my shoulder, stopped chanting and raised her staff high.

A blue light surged from within the purple glow.

The door of the hut swung open, and a massive torrent of water gushed out.

The water engulfed both the red-haired magician and the blazing bird she had summoned.

Swoooosh—!

The torrent swept over her once before whirling around in a great curve, extinguishing all surrounding flames before retreating back into the hut.

The red-haired magician managed to stay standing despite the torrent, but she was thoroughly soaked.

Her summoned bird had nearly lost its form, reduced to little more than a flickering ember.

She muttered, her voice trembling.

“Th-This isn’t ordinary water?”

Master dismounted from my shoulder and spoke.

“You’re on par with me in skill, but you lack experience. The castle is a mage’s domain. Just fighting near it gives me the advantage. Now that I’m inside, you will never defeat me.”

“……”

Master Avana’s words sounded like a declaration of victory.

The red-haired magician’s pupils trembled, and her legs wobbled.

Just then, the ember she had stolen from me wavered slightly.

It felt as if it were calling me.

I quickly reached out and willed my psychokinesis toward the ember in her grasp.

The ember slipped from her fingers and shot far away.

I had regained control.

The red-haired magician’s golden eyes flared with sudden rage.

“A mere apprentice dares to steal fire from me?!”

“I think you’re mistaken. It was mine to begin with.”

She clenched her teeth and raised her staff high.

At that moment, Master Avana pointed her staff forward and declared.

“Drop the staff. Or I’ll kill your familiar.”

So that blazing bird wasn’t just a simple spell—it was her familiar.

Judging by her twisted expression, that must have struck a nerve.

“Try it if you dare!”

“You saw the water earlier. I’ve nurtured it for over a century, continuously infusing it with magic. Now that I know I can extinguish your flames, it wouldn’t take much to destroy your familiar.”

“……”

“You were sent by Kalasta, weren’t you? I have no desire to offend him. If you put down your staff now, I’ll treat you as a guest.”

At those words, the red-haired magician’s eyes sharpened.

“Don’t use your Master as an excuse!”

She swung her staff fiercely.

The tiny ember behind her ignited violently, reforming into a bird that shot toward Master Avana.

“Foolish.”

Master Avana raised her staff once more.

The hut’s door burst open again, unleashing an even more powerful torrent of water.

The fiery bird flapped its wings desperately within the flood, but in the end, its form collapsed.

It shrank into a small fireball and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Master used psychokinesis to pull it toward her and tucked it inside her robe.

The red-haired magician gulped nervously.

Master Avana looked at her with a cold gaze.

“Drop the staff.”

At those words, the red-haired magician’s golden eyes flashed fiercely.

“Never!”

I respect that.

“She sure has quite the pride.”

The red-haired magician spread her left hand. With a pop sound, a small explosion erupted, and a magic book materialized in her left hand.

Master Avana quickly spoke.

“You don’t even have a familiar. Do you really think I’ll let you cast a spell?”

Ignoring those words, the red-haired magician began chanting.

Master Avana swiftly swung her staff upward. In response, thick wooden vines shot up from the ground beneath the red-haired magician, spiraling around her staff.

She had to stop chanting midway and grab her staff tightly with both hands to avoid losing it. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, her magic book vanished.

Looks like I can help too.

I stretched out both hands and used telekinesis to strengthen the grip of the wooden vines.

“Thanks, Ran. That gives me a bit more room to breathe.”

Master Avana made the magic book disappear, then raised her left index finger. Dozens of streams of water split apart, forming a prison-like structure around the red-haired magician and rushing toward her.

“Ahh!”

At that moment, she lost her staff and had no choice but to be trapped in the water prison. Water continuously poured down inside, tormenting her.

“Are you ready to give up now?”

The red-haired magician struggled to speak through the torrent.

“Cough cough N-never. Cough cough”

“You’re really stubborn.”

Shaking her head, Master Avana pulled her left hand back. The water prison floated up and hung itself from one of the branches that formed the hut.

Like some sort of decoration.

“Let me know when you decide to become a guest. I’ll take you down anytime.”

With that, Master Avana opened the hut’s door and stepped inside.

I stared up at the red-haired magician.

Are all magicians this beautiful?

I asked her, “Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Cough A mere. Cough Apprentice. Cough Dares. Cough To—”

Enough.

She wasn’t someone I could hold a conversation with.

After a moment of watching her, I followed Master Avana into the hut.

“Mint?”

Psyche, who was casually pouring water in the kitchen, called out to me.

She seemed completely unharmed.

“You’re okay, right?”

She turned her head away and dropped mint tea leaves into my cup.

No matter how long I waited, she didn’t answer.

Since she was acting normal, she must be fine.

“Have a seat. Judging by that girl’s temperament, it’s going to take a while to break her stubbornness.”

I sat across from Master Avana.

She was holding a small, dark, murky orb in her right hand.

“Is that her familiar?”

Master Avana examined it from different angles before responding.

“Yeah. I really intended to kill it, but it survived. That’s probably why she was bold enough to send it here.”

“That thing’s still alive?”

“It’s an egg. Give it enough flames, and it’ll be reborn.”

Something clicked in my mind.

“A Phoenix?”

Master Avana widened her eyes.

“Oh. I don’t remember teaching you that. How did you know?”

Hmm. Where had I heard about phoenixes before?

I had no idea.

Must’ve picked it up somewhere.

“You know, that undying bird, right? I got it right, didn’t I?”

She studied me for a moment before answering.

“That’s right. It’s an incredibly rare creature. Binding one as a familiar would have been extremely difficult—turns out, she’s quite a talented magician. She just lacks experience and overcomplicates things.”

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say she’s on a similar level to you?”

“Judging by what I sensed, yeah. Pretty impressive for her age.”

I tilted my head.

“But I thought magicians don’t age?”

“They don’t age after they reach full maturity. It doesn’t mean they stop growing. That girl is still in her growth phase, so her appearance is true to her actual age.”

Now that I thought about it, Psyche was the same age as me.

“If she’s at a similar level to you and has such a rare familiar, wouldn’t Kalasta cherish her as a disciple?”

“Probably. Her appearance alone surpasses normal human standards.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve been curious—why are all magicians so beautiful?”

Clink!

I flinched.

Psyche had suddenly slammed my cup onto the table.

She calmly placed a cup in front of Master Avana as well, then sat in the chair between us.

Crossing her legs, she gazed out the window. Despite her rough action, her face remained as expressionless as ever.

“Magical talent, dignity, and authority—all of those come from uniqueness. A beautiful face is the most common form of uniqueness. That’s why it’s so common for magicians to be beautiful. But once you reach a certain level, you’ll realize—there’s another hierarchy even among them.”

The most common form of uniqueness, huh?

Interesting way to put it.

“Do you think Kalasta will let this slide? If she’s his cherished disciple, he won’t be happy about how she was treated.”

“She’s the one who caused trouble in someone else’s domain first. She set fire to my castle. Even Kalasta himself wouldn’t have done that. Honestly, even if I killed her, no one could blame me.”

“……”

“The real question is, why did she come here all of a sudden? Did Kalasta send her?”

I shrugged.

“Doesn’t seem like she’ll answer that easily.”

“Exactly. Still, a fire magician trapped in a water prison… A few hours in there, and she’ll throw away her pride and beg to get out.”

Master Avana lifted her cup and drank the mint tea in one go. Since it was elven tea, it was cold, untouched by fire.

“Anyway, I’m going to rest. Using magic back-to-back is giving me a splitting headache. Psyche, don’t let that girl see you. Ran, either rest or practice your psychokinesis.”

With that, she went up to her room.

Contrary to Master Avana’s expectations, the red-haired magician refused to give in—even by the next morning.

 

“How do you know Count Furst?”

At Avana’s words, the woman’s lips twitched.

“He’s a straightforward man. Told me he’d pay double if I switched sides. I said it was impossible since I was already trading with Frenche, and he said he’d figure it out himself. That was two days ago.”

She spread her arms wide, gesturing to the entire battlefield.

It seemed Count Furst had taken this woman’s tribe from Frenche.

Master must have understood as well, as she nodded.

“I also maintain an friendly relationship with Count Furst.”

“That’s why I knew your name.”

“Then I suppose I should be allowed to know yours as well.”

“My name? Ah, Legless Monkey.”

“Legless Monkey?”

If Master hadn’t asked, I would have.

Legless Monkey, as a name?

“My mother must have had a dream like that. Anyway… hmm, would it be alright if we collected some things? Even military uniforms are valuable to us.”

Avana tilted her head.

“Stealing from the dead? You lot have changed.”

“The times have changed.”

“Well, that’s how you humans are.”

Now that I looked, some of the natives were wearing Yuran-style clothing.

Even the chieftain herself wore tight-fitting pants.

Military uniforms weren’t exactly luxury clothing, but they were far more finely made than the crude garments of people who lived half-wild. To them, they must have been precious.

I couldn’t help but ask.

“Madam Legless Monkey, may I ask something?”

Legless Monkey smiled.

“Madam? I’m an unmarried chieftain. If I ever became someone’s wife, my own people would eat me alive. So don’t say such terrifying things.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant, but since she told me not to call her that, I had no choice.

“Then, Miss Legless Monkey—”

“Pfft!”

“Khuk.”

Master, Legless Monkey, and several of her tribesmen burst into laughter.

I felt a bit bad about it.

“Sorry. Then I’ll just call you Chieftain Legless Monkey.”

“Sure, sure. Anything’s better than ‘Miss Legless Monkey.’”

“So, what kind of goods do you trade with Count Furst?”

Legless Monkey folded her arms, her laughter fading.

“Why? What makes our little disciple so curious all of a sudden?”

“I just thought it would be good to know. I owe Count Furst a debt.”

“Oh? A debt?”

“He bought me when I was a slave and set me free. He’s also the reason I met my master.”

Legless Monkey fell silent for a moment.

Then, she spoke in a low voice.

“White fox fur. The coat you’re wearing probably came from our tribe, kid. No Yuran can get their hands on it without us.”

“Oh, so you have a monopoly on white fox fur. That’s interesting. I doubt other tribes wouldn’t deal in it, though.”

“……”

The smile slowly faded from her face.

I glanced around.

There were at least a hundred people holding torches.

The actual number was likely higher.

“Can I ask just one more thing?”

“Alright. Just one more.”

“You came all the way out here to scavenge from the dead, right? To collect things after the war?”

“Yeah.”

“For that, doesn’t it seem like you brought way too many people?”

“……”

I looked up at Master and spoke.

“I heard the natives don’t know about wheels, and it seems to be true. Since you don’t have carts, you had to bring more people to carry everything?”

Master looked down at me with a soft smile.

“Come now. They’re wearing Yuran clothes. You think they wouldn’t know about carts?”

Avana’s face was full of ease.

That meant it was fine, right?

Feeling more confident, I looked at Legless Monkey and said,

“That’s strange, isn’t it? Why did so many of you come?”

Silence.

The sudden quiet was as cold as the night air.

Of course, they couldn’t exactly say, ‘We were planning to slaughter you all if necessary.’

“Grrrr.”

“Grrrr.”

Only the two wolves behind Legless Monkey growled.

Their bodies flickered faintly with light, like small bolts of lightning crackling over their fur.

They could lunge at any moment, with just a twitch of her finger.

Then, the chieftain’s lips, which I thought would never part, finally opened.

“I noticed earlier that the rain had magic in it.”

Master nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, I did that.”

Legless Monkey lifted the corner of her mouth.

“As expected of an elf. Even for a brief moment, you neutralized muskets with rain. Should I say… it was awe-inspiring? That’s what I felt, anyway. But after using such a powerful spell, I’d say you won’t be able to use any more magic for at least half a month.

“So, if you don’t mind, should we protect you while you rest? Given our connection with Count Furst, we’re practically friends, aren’t we? This area is quite dangerous, you know. There are fierce hawks and wolves that don’t fear humans.”

So this is how you make threats sound entertaining. Good lesson.

Hmm, but wait a second.

I voiced the thought that had just come to me.

“Then, Chieftain Legless Monkey, you were watching the war?”

“Of course. How could I miss it? Watching Yuran bastards fight each other on our land—what better entertainment?”

“Wow! So you brought your whole army out here from the start?”

Legless Monkey’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Did I push too hard?

“Why would you think that? I could’ve been alone.”

I glanced at Master.

She still wore that relaxed expression.

Hmm, I had no idea.

“Oh, come on. Would someone as important as a chieftain come out alone? That doesn’t make sense! If it was just scouting, you could have sent a few quick-footed scouts.”

“……”

“Leading such a large group of people and just watching that battle—wasn’t it hard to endure? Right? Didn’t you want to jump in and fight together? I mean, you just established a deal with Count Furst, so wouldn’t it have been a good chance to build a deeper relationship? There’s nothing like camaraderie for that. One of the fastest ways to grow close, you know?”

“You speak as if you know war.”

“I can read. When I had nicer masters, I managed to slip in some reading time. Among those books, there were quite a few on warfare. Many of them wanted me to handle household affairs because I was smart.”

“A real shame for them. And for you, too, I suppose. If only you hadn’t had a talent for magic, you could have lived a quiet, comfortable life as a normal human. What a pity, truly.”

“Oh, please. My personality isn’t the kind to quietly live under someone else. Even if I hadn’t had magical talent, I doubt I would’ve lived a peaceful life. Besides, I have a goal I must achieve. And it’s not something I can accomplish by living quietly.”

“Oh? And what is it? Revenge?”

Figures.

Not an ordinary person.

That’s why, despite her age—and being a woman—she’s a chieftain.

“You see right through me.”

“Vengeance is hard to hide. I thought you were some kind of monster, but I guess you do act your age after all.”

Strange.

Why does that comment irritate me so much?

Just then, Master Avana spoke.

“If you’ve seen enough, make a decision.”

“A decision about what?”

“Whether to attack or not.”

“What do you mean? I’m just talking—”

“Sorry, but I already healed myself earlier. So, while I don’t know if I’ll make it out of here alive, I can at least take you down with me.”

“…….”

“So, decide. Want to take a gamble or not?”

So it wasn’t an easy victory after all.

If it was, you wouldn’t have held back. So why did you look so relaxed, Master?

“Don’t worry, Ran. Trust me.”

That gentle voice carried a solid strength.

The most important thing for a magician—

Confidence.

Dignity.

Following Master’s teaching, I straightened my posture.

“Don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of fighting, Senior Avana.”

The fact that she called Master ‘senior’ meant they were of a similar level.

But the way she used informal speech suggested that the difference wasn’t overwhelming.

I quickly spoke up.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m not the type to go blabbing. I won’t mention the chieftain’s dark intentions. But if Count Furst asks directly, I won’t lie. Just that much—I can promise you.”

Master Avana chuckled.

The Legless Monkey shrugged.

“Fine. If it’s just that much. Let’s continue on good terms.”

The Legless Monkey waved her hand in the air.

Then, the native warriors surrounding us stepped aside.

Master Avana turned sharply and started walking away with steady steps.

The Legless Monkey kept staring at me until the very end.

I held her gaze for a moment before dashing after Master.

“Will this be okay?”

“Hm? Probably?”

“…….”

At that moment, I felt Master’s hand ruffling my hair.

“Never lose your composure in any situation, Ran. And straighten your shoulders.”

Why does this kid keep hunching?

“It’s not because I lack confidence. It’s a habit. My muscles are just built that way.”

“I know. But if you stay in that posture too long, your mind will shrink along with it. So straighten up.”

I glared at Master and mimicked a confident walk.

As we entered the forest, Master took my hand and walked beside me.

“If things had gone differently, she probably would’ve attacked Count Furst during the day, right? It seemed like she held back only because the fight ended so one-sidedly thanks to you, Master.”

“That’s likely. But losing a good trading partner like Count Furst wouldn’t be beneficial for her either. Maybe she actually wanted to help Count Furst.”

“If that were the case, she could’ve just said so. She looked flustered when I mentioned watching the battle. And when I said we had ties to Count Furst…”

“She was probably still debating whether to attack or not. Watch your step ahead—there’s a large tree root.”

I looked down and carefully stepped over the root.

“That’s exactly my point. So, what I’m saying is, she doesn’t seem like someone who would bring gains to Count Furst, only harm—Master?”

Master had stopped abruptly.

Her face was frozen.

“Someone set fire to my castle.”

Her pace suddenly quickened, forcing me to hurry my shorter legs to keep up.

Set fire to the castle?

To the hut?

“Could it be… Kalasta-senpai?”

“No. If it were Kalasta, I would’ve sensed his presence.”

We rushed to the hut.

The wooden structure was engulfed in flames, lighting up the surroundings like midday.

And beyond the blaze, at the boundary, stood a girl who looked to be in her late teens.

Her robe was entirely red, darkening to black at the bottom. Her hair, too, burned like fire, and in her right hand, she held a bright golden staff.

She looked like a living flame.

The red-haired magician turned to Master Avana and me, dimples forming as she grinned.

“Oh my? You’re finally here? I thought you abandoned your disciple and ran away? Fufufu.”

My heart lurched.

“Ps-Psyche!”

I couldn’t see Psyche anywhere.

The way she said “abandoned your disciple”—that means she was here.

Which meant—Psyche was inside that burning hut.

Clench.

I gritted my teeth so hard it felt like my jaw might snap, but I felt no pain.

I extended both hands forward.

The ember Kalasta had given me flew from one side.

It responded to my psychokinesis and shot straight at the red-haired magician’s face.

Whoosh!

The moment the ember touched her face, it burst into a massive flame, swallowing her head whole.

“Well, I suppose that’s understandable.”

“Is it because of ethical concerns?”

I wasn’t sure.

It was just that my instincts were telling me no.

“I don’t know. Maybe. Do you not dislike using corpses, Master?”

Avana lifted her hand and gently patted my head.

“Do you know why I like humans?”

“I do. Because of clothing.”

“To be precise, because of leather clothing.”

“……”

She spoke in a dull voice.

“You humans kill animals and use their corpses to make clothes. Is it just animals? Trees are the same. You cut them down, build houses, and live inside them. You raise your children there. And it doesn’t stop there. You eat meat, don’t you? Since eating raw meat can make you sick, you even cook it with fire.”

“Is that the same as using human corpses?”

“To me, an elf, there’s no difference. Humans eat corpses, wear corpses, and live inside corpses. That’s why the rejection I see in your eyes… I find it difficult to understand.”

A corpse is just an object, devoid of life.

I agreed with that idea.

But there was an undeniable certainty within me.

Kalasta had told me once.

Not to be tainted by water and forest.

If I thought about its meaning a little deeper, it was clear that the type of familiar I chose would have a profound impact on my future.

And that meant making a familiar out of a corpse could influence me in ways I couldn’t foresee.

That was why my instincts rejected it.

I spoke firmly.

“I’ll learn necromancy separately. But I won’t use a corpse as my familiar.”

Avana’s voice softened.

“So, there’s another reason. Do you not trust me? Do you still think I’m deceiving you…?”

I shook my head.

“It’s neither of those.”

“Neither?”

“It’s not about ethics or trust. To be honest, those things do play a part. But the reason I won’t accept a corpse as my familiar is…”

“Yes?”

I closed my eyes slightly.

I focused on the emotions welling up from within.

How should I put this into words?

I couldn’t accept something that my very soul rejected.

I spoke as I felt it.

“My soul is telling me not to.”

“……”

“That’s the only way I can describe it. I’m sorry.”

Avana stared at me without blinking, as if her gaze could pierce through my eyes and into my very being.

“If your soul says so, I understand, Ran. I won’t force you any further.”

I had only expressed what I felt, but she accepted it right away.

Did the phrase “my soul says so” have some special meaning?

Her sudden change in attitude made me curious.

“Really?”

Avana nodded.

“But if the prophecy of my people led you to me, then there must be something I’m meant to teach you for Psyche’s sake. I believe that something is necromancy. It’s the greatest knowledge I can offer.”

“I will learn necromancy. As I said, I just don’t want to take a corpse as my familiar.”

Avana gave a faint smile.

“Alright, I understand. Then, just as you moved water and fire with psychokinesis, try moving this energy of the dead… in other words, death itself. When you’re still an apprentice, it’s best to experiment with moving as many things as possible. As before, if someone—no, something—speaks to you, just don’t respond, and you won’t be in any danger. Move it as you did with water and fire. Calmly and quietly, just focus on your psychokinesis.”

Moving death.

It was different from anything I had moved before.

Water, fire, wind.

At least those were physical elements.

But how does one move death?

“Alright, Master. I’ll give it a try.”

Avana touched my head once more with a faint smile.

I took a deep breath.

And then I quietly closed my eyes.

Hoo…

The world behind my closed eyelids was much like reality.

In the faint moonlight, I could only see vague shadows.

I slowly heightened my senses to channel my Psychokinesis.

Then, countless voices began to echo around me.

[Urgh…]

[Hrk… S-Save me.]

[Please! Please! Please!]

Each voice carried a desperate yearning for life.

I looked down.

My body was completely enveloped in darkness.

[You… You! Can you hear me?]

[Wh-What? Why? You…!]

[A living one! A living being!]

The voices grew closer and closer.

And as they did, their forms became clearer—just like when I had seen Undine before.

Creak.

Creak, creak.

A man with his head split open.

Another with severed limbs.

One with a gaping wound in his chest.

The horrors of war were etched into their corpses.

The dead slowly surrounded me.

In this vision, I had no hands or feet.

But for some reason, I felt that I could use my psychokinesis.

A month of practice was finally paying off.

I directed my psychokinesis toward all the corpses around me.

As my power seeped into each of them, they all stood still.

They trembled in fear and stopped speaking.

But their eyes… Their eyes gleamed with anticipation, as if hoping I would form a contract with them.

As if they knew they would live again.

I moved them.

Creak.

Creak, creak.

Their joints groaned as they staggered about. Some collapsed entirely.

And then I realized what it truly meant to move death.

Controlling each joint one by one to make them walk was far too complicated. That was simply moving a corpse.

But moving death… meant using the lingering memories still present in their bodies. If I commanded them to walk, they would recall how to do so on their own. I wouldn’t need to control every muscle or joint.

This is interesting.

It’s different from the mindless elements like fire and water.

But just then—

A massive scythe emerged from somewhere.

Shiiing—!

With a single swift sound, one of the corpses lost its head.

Beyond it, a shadowy figure stood.

From within that darkness, two bony hands extended, gripping the scythe.

[Who dares to defy the countless deaths that have already passed!?]

My heart sank.

Something was wrong.

This place was within my mental realm, yet the dark figure exuded a lifelike presence indistinguishable from reality.

Like an Undine.

Like a Salamander.

If a corpse was considered water, then that dark figure was akin to an Undine. Just as the Undine was a spirit of water, that thing was likely some kind of death spirit.

I withdrew my attention from it and once again attempted to move the corpses using psychokinesis.

But suddenly, the dark figure swung its scythe, cutting down the surrounding corpses.

An Undine had never interfered when I manipulated water.

A Salamander had simply observed when I moved embers.

Yet, this dark figure actively disrupted my practice.

[Hah! You’re just a kid who’s barely stepped into magic! Kahaha!]

The dark figure effortlessly wielded its scythe, decapitating the corpses one by one, as if putting on a show.

When all the corpses had fallen, its gaze turned to me.

It was asking—what will you do now?

At that moment, my master’s words came to mind.

No matter who or what you encounter, do not react.

I closed my eyes.

They were already closed, but in my mind, I shut them once more.

I steadied my breath.

Do not react—focus on psychokinesis.

Resolving myself, I infused the corpses with psychokinetic energy again.

And so, the beheaded corpses rose once more.

Their ability to stand had never depended on their heads being attached. It was solely because of my psychokinesis.

So, losing their heads shouldn’t have stopped them from moving.

[No! How…?]

The dark figure, flustered, hurriedly swung its scythe again, slashing at the corpses I had just raised.

But I paid it no mind. I continued my study of psychokinesis in silence.

I mimicked bodily movements, guiding the corpses while gradually refining my control.

Seeing this, the dark figure, now furious, shouted at me.

[Stop! Stop it! I said stop! Stop right now!]

It gripped its scythe tightly and lunged at me, emanating pure murderous intent.

It was about to attack me.

And then—

The world before me split in two.

From the rift emerged a massive, blood-red eye, like a crimson sun.

The eye locked onto the dark figure.

[Y-You can’t be…!]

The instant a crimson light flared from the eye, the dark figure vanished—

Like dust in the wind.

At that moment, someone tapped my arm in reality.

The mental realm shattered, and I opened my eyes.

“Ugh… M-Master…”

The world spun around me.

Sky, ground—everything blurred together.

I must have overexerted my mind.

“Are you alright? Looks like you pushed yourself to the limit.”

Recognizing the familiar touch, I lifted a hand to my nose.

Warm blood trickled onto my fingers.

It was the sensation of magical exhaustion—one I had felt dozens, if not hundreds of times during my psychokinesis training.

Even staying upright was a struggle.

“I feel so dizzy, Master. Can I rest for a bit?”

Avana shook her head.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury. Your dizziness is from magical depletion, so at least take this.”

She pulled out a small, bean-like object from her pouch and handed it to me.

As soon as I swallowed it, my head cleared, and the dizziness faded.

Only then did I sense the tense atmosphere around us.

As my vision stabilized, my surroundings came into focus.

Dozens of bright torches.

Beneath them, armed warriors wielding lethal weapons.

And at their feet, wolves ready to attack at any moment.

Judging by their attire, they resembled the native people of the New Continent.

“…Are we surrounded?”

Avana shrugged.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Her words were reassuring, but she extended her right hand, summoning her staff.

Immediately, hostility rippled through the ranks of the warriors.

At that moment, a woman stepped forward from the crowd.

Her features were unremarkable, but her attire was anything but ordinary.

She carried a small axe adorned with intricate carvings in one hand and a shield etched with complex patterns in the other. Atop her head sat a feathered crown as large as her upper body.

A red hawk stood on her shoulder, and behind her were two massive wolves.

Stopping about five meters away from us, she spoke.

“I heard there was an elven magician aiding outsiders. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?”

Avana responded in a calm voice.

“Well spotted. That’s me.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Magician Avana. I suppose I’ve met a celebrity today. If I recall correctly, quite a few tribes were wiped out because of you. Is that true?”

“That wasn’t my doing. It was their own foolishness in testing a magician’s power that led to their destruction.”

The woman fell silent, surveying her surroundings.

The warriors spread out around us all looked at her, awaiting her signal.

She must be their chieftain.

Crossing her arms, she gestured toward me with a nod.

“And what about that one? Since when do elves raise humans as their own?”

Avana answered her question with one of her own.

“You’ve surrounded us—should I take that as a sign of hostility?”

“Hardly. We only came to see if any muskets were left behind. But judging from the situation… Hmm, looks like you’ve already taken care of them. As expected, Count Furst is thorough with cleanup.”

She knows Count Furst?

Sensing the gravity of the situation, I turned to Avana.

Her grip tightened around her staff.

It was my first time seeing a drowned corpse.

I had heard stories.

The older slaves liked to scare the younger ones. Because of that, I knew plenty of stories that were a bit too mature for a child, and I was well aware of how grotesque a drowned body could be.

But seeing it with my own eyes was far more horrifying and disgusting than any description I had ever heard.

As the violet energy entered into the corpse, it began to move on its own. Its swollen limbs moved as it swam toward the shore.

“Is this… something you did, Master?”

Avana removed her hand from the water’s surface. Then, as if exhausted, she sat down and murmured,

“This is the first time you’ve seen my magic, isn’t it?”

Calling it my magic meant it was her specialty.

“Don’t tell me… You specialize in manipulating corpses?”

“Mm-hmm. More precisely, I study death. It’s called death magic. Hmm. You look surprised.”

Of course, I was.

I never imagined she could use such a terrifying type of magic.

“I had no idea you could use magic like that. You never gave any hints.”

Avana gave a faint smile.

“Because it’s heavily shunned. The power to manipulate corpses is too dangerous.”

“……”

“That’s why I have to hide it completely. I can’t afford to let even a trace of death magic leak out. If anyone finds out, it’s basically a death sentence. Even factions that have been fighting for centuries would unite against a death mage. I didn’t tell you until now because of the risk.”

And the fact that she was telling me now meant she intended to teach me death magic.

The strongest, yet most forbidden magic…

“Anyway. Since this is a large lake, I figured there would be at least one sunken body. Luckily, I was right. Now, using this thing, Undine, and the properties of the water I’ve gathered so far, I’ll perform the spell. First, we need to head to the Manya Plains. They should be in the middle of preparing for battle. I just hope we’re not too late…”

After taking a few deep breaths, Master rose to her feet and began walking again. I followed silently and asked,

“It’s water magic, right? What kind of spell are you casting?”

“I’m going to make it rain.”

I thought I misheard.

“R-rain? You’re going to make it rain?”

“Mm-hmm.”

She said it so casually, as if manipulating the weather was no big deal. There was no trace of joke in her expression.

Creating ripples on the water, conjuring fire from her hands, and even raising the dead—those were things I could accept.

But controlling the weather?

Was that really possible?

“Are you serious?”

Avana looked at me with a curious smile on her lips.

“Hmm. Why? Do I finally seem impressive to you?”

“Yes. Truly. Making it rain from a clear sky… That’s practically godlike.”

She reached out and gently ruffled my hair.

“I like that admiration in your eyes, and I’d love to keep it that way. But I’d rather not disappoint you later, so I’ll tell you upfront—yes, I can make it rain, but only for a short time.”

“For how long?”

Avana stroked her chin in thought.

“Hmm… About ten seconds?”

“…Ten seconds? Just ten seconds?”

Was she joking?

She spent over a month preparing just for that?

Avana chuckled.

“Disappointed?”

“N-no, not really. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“How does making it rain for ten seconds help the Count?”

“Ah, right. You haven’t been in the New Continent for long. I suppose you wouldn’t know.”

“……”

“If I told you everything now, it’d be boring, wouldn’t it? Just wait and see how your Master helps Count Furst.”

Judging from her expression, she wasn’t going to tell me anything.

So, I had no choice but to follow in silence.

Aside from the faint stench of rot coming from the walking corpse behind us, it wasn’t a bad hike.

We walked and walked until we reached the edge of a steep cliff.

“Oh? Looks like it’s already started.”

Far in the distance—so far that I had no idea how far—it spread across the open plains. A single blue line and a single red line were drawn across the land.

And at times, flashes of light flickered, followed by the rising black smoke.

“Wow, they’re fighting quite fiercely.”

At the mention of battle, I widened my eyes and took a closer look.

Then, I finally realized that each of those lines was actually a formation of uniformed soldiers.

I could actually see this?

I wasn’t sure if it was because elves naturally had good eyesight, or if becoming a mage somehow improved vision.

“They must be soldiers from Baritone and Frenche. Is it because this is the New Continent? Things are quiet back in the mainland… Ah, so it’s not a war between nations, but a battle between corporations.”

Avana pulled out her staff.

“Well, I don’t know much about that. What I do know is that I need to help the blue side. In other words, I need to make it rain on the red side. Now do you understand?”

Make it rain…

I focused all my attention on the battlefield.

The flashes of light, the rising smoke, and the deafening sound of gunfire—

Of course. They were using gunpowder.

“Ah! Muskets! So that’s why the rain—!”

Avana grinned.

“Now, watch closely.”

She casually waved her left hand. With a pop, a grimoire appeared in midair.

At its center was a massive, two-horned skull. The skull’s ribcage crossed over the front and back covers, locking the book shut.

Didn’t she use a grimoire made of leaves before? Was I imagining things?

She brought her staff close to the skull. Immediately, violet light flowed from the skull’s eyes, and its ribs slowly spread open, one by one, like fingers opening up.

When she tapped it lightly with her staff, the book flipped open, its countless pages trembling.

A shiver ran down my spine.

My instincts told me—

The number of lives sacrificed to create that book must be at least a thousand.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

“…What?”

“If I studied death by killing people myself, why would I live so close to a city? Why would I come to a battlefield? I won’t say I’ve never taken a life… But I’m not some deranged murderer, Ran.”

Did my expression give me away?

Avana raised her staff high and began whispering an incantation as she read from the book.

The violet glow from her staff gradually shifted to blue.

The blue light scattered into the sky but soon gathered into a single direction.

Ssssss…

I turned at the sound.

Smoke was rising from the corpse.

At first, just wisps. Then, the amount increased exponentially. At the same time, the body trembled.

By the time Avana finished her chant and lowered her staff, the corpse had dried up completely.

Nothing but skin and bones remained.

So this is the cost of magic…

Avana suddenly staggered. I quickly supported her and was once again reminded of how unnaturally light elves were.

“Thank you.”

She sat down, exhausted.

I looked up. The blue light had already disappeared into the sky.

“Did it work?”

“Rain will start falling over there soon.”

I shaded my eyes with my hand and gazed out over the Manya Plains.

Though I couldn’t yet see the rain, I could confirm that no more lights flickered from the red-uniformed formation.

At the same time, soldiers in blue uniforms surged forward, emitting even more flashes of light than before.

The sudden downpour had rendered the Frenche soldiers’ muskets useless.

“It’s my homeland, in a way.”

“Oh? I didn’t know that.”

“I don’t really care. I have to kill the king there anyway.”

“Why?”

“It’s a personal grudge.”

My mother only ever told me to repay kindness with kindness.

But I added my own rule—hatred must be repaid with hatred.

I could accept that my father died because he couldn’t keep his lust in check, but executing my innocent mother? That, I could never forgive.

Master Avana asked no further questions.

Perhaps she sensed that I didn’t want to answer.

“Once the battle ends and night falls, we’ll head down. At least a thousand must be dead by now, so you shouldn’t have any trouble creating your familiar. If we’re lucky, we might even gather various materials.”

“……”

Using the corpses from battle to create my familiar?

Surely not.

Master soon entered meditation, while I sat quietly, studying Psychokinesis.

I needed complete focus, but nagging doubts kept creeping in.

A familiar made from corpses.

Was that truly right?

Then, something caught my eye.

“Hm?”

It was a flower that glowed with a deep purple hue, as if mixing red and blue light.

I had memorized every kind of herb that grew around here.

But this purple flower was something different.

“This is… I can’t even tell what species it is. From the roots to the leaves—it’s just too unusual.”

I carefully plucked it and tucked it into my robes.

Would Psyche like it?

After that, I continued my studies, waiting for Master.

Night soon arrived.

The distance from the cliff to Manya Plains was farther than it looked.

It took us an hour to get there on foot.

Scattered all around us were the corpses of soldiers in red uniforms. Beasts with yellow eyes buried their mouth in the flesh, ravenously tearing into the dead.

Tiny birds pecked out eyeballs, and insects of all kinds crawled over the remains.

It wasn’t a pleasant sight, but it wasn’t enough to make me look away.

Just mildly unpleasant.

“You’re surprisingly unfazed.”

“I’ve rowed boats through fields of corpses before. Still, I’ve never seen this many dead at once.”

“The Yura Continent must be quite peaceful, then?”

“Not exactly, but there aren’t any wars. This place is truly lawless.”

As we walked among the bodies, Master Avana came to a stop.

“Hmm. This is the strongest spot.”

“For what?”

“The aura of the dead.”

“The aura of the dead? Like… death itself?”

“Not quite. It’s the desperate will to survive in the face of nearing death. Even after a person dies, not every part of them perishes instantly. The parts that don’t yet realize they’re dead still struggle to live. Those forces. That will. That magic. This place is their core.”

“……”

Master had never spoken in such a chilling tone before.

Every word felt like it could pierce bone.

“Now then, let’s use this aura of the dead to create your familiar, Ran. I can hardly wait.”

So it was true.

I had to ask.

“Master Avana, does that mean my familiar will be made from a corpse?”

Her expression hardened.

Perhaps she sensed the emotion in my voice.

“Technically, we call them undead. What, do you dislike the idea?”

I sighed. The stench of gunpowder and rotting flesh was overwhelming.

“I’d rather contract with an Undine or a Salamander instead of using a corpse.”

“……”

“I do have a choice, don’t I?”

Master Avana crouched down.

Meeting my gaze directly, she spoke.

“Necromancy is powerful. So powerful that all other magicians shun it.”

“……”

“Don’t you want to be strong? There are countless mages with familiars like Undines or Salamanders. But if you take a familiar here, every necromantic spell you learn will become vastly more powerful.”

I could understand now.

Necromancy was immensely strong.

By killing enemies and turning their corpses into servants, I could wield their power as my own.

If I raised the dead and commanded them, I would be an army unto myself.

But.

Something deep within me whispered.

No—whisper wasn’t the right word.

It was a strange sensation.

Now was not the time.

Not as a familiar.

It was as if my very soul was gently warning me.

I met Master Avana’s gaze and firmly declared,

“Master, I appreciate the offer, but making a familiar from a corpse doesn’t feel right. I’m sorry.”

Master Avana’s eyes slowly softened.

Master Avana crossed her legs and spoke.

“Alright. Please, go ahead.”

Count Furst took out a piece of paper from his coat and spread it on the table.

It was a map of the frontier around the New Continent.

“This is the Manya Plains. We will be facing the enemy—us from the east, them from the west. The battle is scheduled for noon today. That leaves us about four hours.”

Master Avana’s gaze narrowed.

“This must be the Grim Mountains… and this, the Grim Lake.”

“Yes. Will it be possible?”

Master Avana paused for a moment before replying.

“If we start preparing right now, we should just make it in time.”

“That’s a relief. If it wasn’t possible, the soldiers would have suffered great losses.”

Count Furst’s expression brightened.

Whatever it was, it seemed that Master Avana’s role was crucial.

Now that I think about it, I should have asked what kind of magic she was preparing. I had been too absorbed in studying Psychokinesis.

Master Avana moved her hand slightly, and a violet butterfly emerged from her palm.

“Then, I’ll see you later. Follow the butterfly, and it will lead you out.”

The butterfly fluttered and passed through the wall of the cabin.

Count Furst gave a brief nod and stepped outside.

“I’ll walk him out.”

I followed after him.

Noticing my presence, Count Furst turned his head.

“Ran?”

“I feel like I never properly thanked you.”

“Really? I recall you doing so quite thoroughly.”

“I don’t remember much about my mother, but there are a few things she said that I remember vividly. One of them was that gratitude should be expressed with both words and actions.”

Count Furst looked down at me with a faint smile.

“Returning kindness with kindness… I suppose that’s one of them too?”

That week on the ship’s infirmary bed had felt incredibly long.

I must have said all sorts of things.

“That’s right. It’s one of my life’s principles.”

“So? What is it that you wanted to give me?”

“I can’t give it to you yet. I don’t have anything right now. But I wanted to tell you again, properly—I won’t forget your kindness.”

I stopped at the boundary between the clearing and the forest.

Count Furst also stopped, though he hesitated for a moment as the violet butterfly did not wait for him and continued to flutter away.

If he lost sight of that butterfly, he would never be able to make it back to Marshall Harbor through the dense forest.

He spoke briefly.

“Understood. If I ever need your help, I’ll ask.”

“Before that happens, I’ll figure out what you need and come to help first. Just like you did.”

Count Furst raised a hand and ruffled my hair once before turning to follow the violet butterfly.

He might have taken my words as the naive determination of a child.

But to me, a life-saving grace was something that had to be repaid—no matter what.

“Ran!”

I turned at the sound of my name.

Psyche stood there with an unreadable expression.

“Yeah?”

“Master is calling you. Come to the lake.”

With that, she disappeared inside.

Since that day, she had been devoid of emotion.

Not once had she smiled.

I walked back into the cabin and made my way to the lake.

Master Avana was standing by the shore, her right hand extended over the water.

Gentle ripples spread across the surface—it looked like she was practicing Psychokinesis.

“Master?”

She gestured toward the lake with her eyes.

“Raise your hand as well.”

What’s gotten into her, practicing Psychokinesis all of a sudden?

I rolled up my sleeves and stretched my arms over the water.

“Should I create ripples?”

“Rather, I want you to summon Undine.”

“Wouldn’t she come after I create ripples?”

“Then do that.”

I tilted my head in confusion, but Master’s deep gaze was firm and unyielding.

She hadn’t been like this at all for the past month.

Still, I had decided to trust her.

Unless she deceived me first, I would believe in her.

“Alright. How should I respond?”

“Speak to her with your mind, just like before. She’ll understand.”

I closed my eyes.

Then, I focused on the image forming in my mind.

The lake, the water’s surface, and Undine beneath it.

The image was blurry. Almost colourless, its shapes blurry.

Except for Undine.

She was as clear as day.

More vivid than reality itself.

The moment I looked straight at her, her eyes widened.

[What? Huh? What the hell? Are you looking at me?]

She was practically bursting with excitement.

What should I say?

[Hey there.]

Her face lit up like nothing I had ever seen before.

She swam toward me in a frenzy, her hand breaking through the water’s surface to reach for me.

The water swelled unnaturally where her fingers emerged.

[Hold my hand.]

I hesitated for a moment before interlocking my fingers with hers.

At that instant, someone grabbed my wrist.

The sudden disturbance broke my concentration, and I opened my eyes.

“Master?”

Master Avana had seized my wrist and pulled it upward.

As she did, the watery figure of a young girl was dragged out of the lake.

Immediately, Master Avana swung her staff.

A violet light poured from its tip, wrapping around the figure.

Splat.

The mass of water hit the ground, shifting erratically between the shape of a girl and a formless puddle.

A sphere of violet light hovered around it, vibrating as if it was struggling to break free.

“Did you just… capture Undine?”

Master wiped sweat from her forehead.

“I may be an elf of water and forests, but water magic isn’t my specialty. The spell I’m about to use would be impossible without Undine’s help.”

For the past month, she had eaten nothing but water-attributed herbs and had dreamt only of water.

And now, she needed Undine as well.

I stared at the puddle of water writhing on the ground.

It almost felt like she was resenting me.

“Honestly, I feel a little bad for her.”

“There’s nothing to feel bad about. Undine isn’t truly real.”

“What?”

Master Avana stood up.

“Come on. We need to move quickly if we want to reach Grim Lake in time.”

She quickly walked toward the cabin.

The violet prison floated in the air, carrying Undine behind her.

I followed.

When we entered the cabin, Master was nowhere in sight, but the front door was open.

Psyche sat on one side, setting down her teacup as she pointed toward the entrance.

“She already left.”

“…….”

“The way you were obsessed with Psychokinesis, I didn’t think you’d take an interest in anything else.”

“Huh?”

I asked back, but Psyche turned her head away, avoiding my gaze.

“An interest in something else,” huh?

That sounded like a pointed remark.

I decided to set it aside for now and quickly stepped outside.

Master Avana was already standing at the edge of the boundary.

“Don’t dawdle. Come quickly and take my hand—we’ll have to walk through the forest.”

I sprinted toward my master and took her hand.

Without hesitation, Master Avana plunged into the forest, and I hurried to follow. She no longer had the patience she’d shown before—this was her serious pace.

So this is what walking in earnest looks like.

I should learn from this while I can.

“Don’t feel guilty for deceiving Undine. It wasn’t like that.”

Hearing that only made me feel guiltier.

“She got so excited when I responded… I did feel a little bad.”

“Familiars may seem alive, but in truth, it’s your Psychokinesis that breathes intelligence into them. If Undine strays too far or your mana runs out, she’ll simply turn back into ordinary water.”

That can’t be right.

No matter how skilled I was with psychokinesis, I could barely stir the water to create ripples, let alone shape it into a human form.

“Is that really true?”

Master Avana glanced at me.

“You’ve mastered psychokinesis well enough now. Today, you’ll gain a familiar. So don’t hold too much attachment to Undine.”

That was good news.

So this was why she had always told me not to respond.

“All right, Master.”

“Psychokinesis isn’t just raw power—it carries your will. And when that will accumulates, it forms an intelligence of its own. That’s what a familiar is—an extension of the magician.”

So that rough, foul-mouthed way of speaking… that came from me?

Of course, I never used foul language.

But growing up as a slave, I constantly heard it.

Had it subconsciously influenced her speech?

I turned to glare at the floating mass of water beside Master Avana.

Undine, still half-formed, was glaring right back at me.

No matter what she said, she looked like a living being to me.

After a long walk, we finally arrived.

“We’re here. This is Grimm Lake.”

Master Avana stepped toward the lakeshore. Then, with a flick of her hand, the violet prison burst apart with a pop, spilling Undine back into the water.

I looked up at the clear sky.

“If we stay out here too long, won’t Senior Kalasta come after us?”

Still kneeling with one hand extended over the water, Master Avana replied without opening her eyes.

“If he was coming, he’d already be here. And I would have noticed. He doesn’t bother to conceal his presence—he radiates it even from hundreds of kilometers away.”

“Why?”

“You’ve met him. Isn’t it obvious? That’s just the way he is. No, it’s a choice. His self-assurance is a weapon in itself. He can likely wield magic far more easily than others—because the world listens to him.”

If you gain something, you lose something.

Master Avana had always emphasized that this was the foundation of magic.

Kalasta had forsaken secrecy, choosing grandeur instead.

He must be terrifying to the weak, but vulnerable to the strong.

“Then—”

Master Avana cut me off.

“I’m sorry, Ran. Right now, I’m attempting a spell beyond my level. And it’s not even my specialty. Only the fact that I’m an elf makes it possible at all. I need to concentrate.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

“Just watch quietly. You’ll learn something.”

With that, Master Avana went still.

Come to think of it, I didn’t actually know what her specialty was.

I’d never even seen her familiar.

The only clue I had about her magic was the violet light emanating from her staff.

Well, I had spent every waking moment studying psychokinesis.

Maybe I had been too detached.

Ah.

Was that why Psyche was so cold earlier?

It was then—

Creak.

A tiny noise sent a chill racing down my spine.

Creak, creak.

I didn’t know what it was, but I never wanted to hear it again.

And yet, my ears focused in on it even more.

My head turned slowly on its own.

And then, I saw something rising from the lake.

“…A corpse?”

In the center of the lake, a bloated, pale body was floating—so swollen it looked ready to burst at any moment.

“It depends on your answer, Master.”

Master Avana’s gaze sank even lower.

Yes, those eyes.

The kind that made me question the kindness she occasionally showed me.

So I had no choice but to stay on guard.

Just then, Psyche rushed out from behind her.

“Master! You shouldn’t be moving yet!”

She grabbed onto Master Avana’s waist, trying to guide her back inside. But Master Avana stood her ground as if she had taken root, staring daggers at me.

The veins on the hand gripping her staff stood out.

She looked ready to attack me at any moment.

I raised my right hand, and embers floated into the air.

Master Avana’s eyes widened.

“You’ve already learned to control fire?”

“Fire suits me better than water. If you intend to harm me, I’ll draw this flame inward. Who knows what might happen then?”

Master Avana spoke calmly.

“Perhaps nothing will happen.”

A subtle pressure weighed down on me.

But so what?

I’m a desirable talent that every magician would want to claim. No need to be scared.

I flashed her a grin.

“Exactly. That’s why I said no one knows. Maybe nothing happens, or maybe Kalasta appears. Maybe this fire suddenly flares up and consumes everything. Like I said, no one knows.”

At those words, she drained her strength from the staff she was gripping.

She must have heard my murmuring earlier.

That’s why I said it.

She let go, and her staff disappeared into her robes as if being absorbed.

“I didn’t take out my staff to attack you. I was wary of Kalasta. So lower the flames. Let’s talk first.”

“That’s what I wanted.”

I lowered my hand slightly, guiding the ember down.

It slowly descended to the ground.

Forget comparing it to moving my hands and feet.

It’s even easier than that.

Psyche looked back and forth between me and Master Avana.

“So? What answer are you expecting from me?”

“The truth.”

“The truth?”

“First, tell me why you took me as your disciple.”

Master Avana’s expression darkened.

“I told you. To be Psyche’s mate—”

“Got it. I’ll leave.”

I turned around.

Thirty degrees.

Hmm.

Ninety degrees.

Not yet?

One hundred twenty degrees.

She should be speaking by now.

One hundred sixty degrees.

I’m sure I read this right.

One hundred eighty degrees.

I can’t just stop now.

“Wait!”

There it is.

I turned my head as slowly as possible, just enough to glance at Master Avana.

Her expression was urgent.

“Yes, I’m listening.”

The tips of her ears trembled slightly.

“It’s true that I chose you as Psyche’s mate. But there’s great danger in that. I never told you that part.”

I folded my arms.

Just like Kalasta.

“Fine. I had a feeling there was something shady. Tell me exactly what it is.”

Master Avana glanced at Psyche with an anxious expression.

Psyche hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly.

Why does she need Psyche’s permission?

Master Avana finally spoke.

“Psyche is a High Elf.”

“……”

“She has the purest elven blood. Among humans, she’d be akin to royalty.”

Similar to what Kalasta said.

“Alright. And?”

“One defining trait of High Elves is their beauty. Extreme beauty. And that makes them dangerously sought after.”

I looked at Psyche.

She certainly was beautiful.

“Dangerous because she’s beautiful? That sounds like a fairy tale.”

“It’s not a story. It’s reality. As a High Elf’s magical level rises, they regain more of their natural form. They become even more beautiful. And as that happens, magicians—whose hearts grow emptier over time—start to covet them.”

I tilted my head.

“I don’t quite understand.”

“You’ll naturally come to understand as you progress in magic. The stronger a magician becomes, the more special they perceive themselves to be. In other words, everything else starts to seem worthless. Like how an adult loses interest in a child’s toys. That’s why they seek rarer, more precious things—to obtain, to own.”

“……”

“When Psyche was born over a decade ago, our tribe sought a way to protect her. A High Elf born after centuries. Every seer capable of foresight magic was summoned.”

“Foresight magic?”

“The ability to predict the future. Their prophecy foretold that around this time, a young male human magician would emerge in the Marshall Empire. And that only by forging a deep bond with him would Psyche survive. I believe that magician is you.”

“……”

“Only you can protect our Psyche. You alone have the strength, the wisdom, and…”

“And?”

Master Avana hesitated.

Then, lowering her gaze, she continued.

“I apologize for not telling you all this earlier. I thought it was something I could reveal gradually. That’s all. I never intended to deceive you.”

This could still be a lie.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Then, Master. Why did you tell me not to make a contract with Undine?”

Master Avana answered without hesitation.

“I told you—it’s dangerous. You can’t even control telekinesis properly yet. You can barely move objects, so how could you manage an intelligent familiar? It could be catastrophic.”

Kalasta said it was because Master Avana feared my growth.

It’s still unclear who’s telling the truth.

She could still be deceiving me now.

Then, Psyche suddenly started walking toward me.

She had shed her usual cuteness and now radiated an alluring intensity.

She must be seriously angry.

“If you come any closer, I’m leaving.”

“Leave, then. Idiot.”

She stomped toward me without hesitation.

Ah.

I should leave.

But my feet wouldn’t move.

She was right in front of me, grabbing my collar.

Setting everything else aside, she was just too beautiful.

I had even moved under Kalasta’s overwhelming presence.

“Why can’t you just believe us? Huh? Why do you have to question everything, suspect everything, challenge everything? Why can’t you just trust us?”

“Why?” A cold voice slipped from my lips before I realized it. “Try living like me, Psyche.”

She wouldn’t understand.

She was probably some kind of elven princess.

“How could you, who have never been a slave, possibly comprehend my life? Maybe if you had been born a slave, you would. But I wasn’t just born into it—I was born a noble. Can you even imagine that?”

Her ears drooped.

Tears welled up in her large eyes.

“You think my life was easy? You think I wanted to be a High Elf?”

“……”

“I knew. The moment I smelled the scent of fire and iron on you, I knew. You’re my mate. You’re the one who will protect me for the rest of my life. Otherwise, how could I possibly like that smell? Why would an elf love the scent of fire and iron?”

“You said it was just a preference.”

“That’s right!”

She yelled, then wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks.

I didn’t understand.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I pity you.”

“For what?”

“For you. Because you’re pitiful.”

“……”

“Even when fortune finds you, you can’t bring yourself to believe in it. That’s so pitiful it makes me want to cry. Why?”

“Shut up. I’ll be the one to decide whether it’s fortune or not.”

“Then, is this not fortune? Just what kind of life have you lived that you can’t even believe in luck? Hm?”

“…….”

“Did you have to grip onto that ember so tightly just to be able to ask? Could you only open your heart once you were prepared to leave at any moment? Did you have to secure the upper hand just to be able to reveal your true feelings?”

Psyche, shedding tears, was neither adorable nor enchanting.

She was simply, purely beautiful.

“I don’t know. Maybe that’s just the kind of person I am.”

Suddenly, Psyche lunged forward.

Her head was next to my face, and her arms wrapped around my back.

The last time I had embraced someone…

I couldn’t remember.

Still, the warmth of another’s embrace was undeniable.

It felt sleepy, like sinking into a warm bath.

“Don’t go anywhere. Stay with us. Stop doubting everything! Okay? Just stop doubting. Stay with us. Okay? Don’t doubt anymore. Stay with us. Stay, Ran.”

She whispered the same words over and over.

Like a spell, they seeped deep into my heart.

If I only considered the sincerity in her voice, it felt like I could believe her completely.

But belief wasn’t just a feeling.

Without time to support it, true trust couldn’t exist.

Of course, there had to be a beginning.

I gently pulled away from her embrace.

Then, I looked straight at Psyche’s tear running face.

Ah.

So this is what it means when they say your mind goes blank.

It really does go white.

“Alright. I’ll believe you. For now, Psyche.”

At that moment, her face lit up like the rising sun.

Her tearful smile was something beyond mere beauty.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

She threw herself at me again, pulling me into another embrace.

Seriously.

Elves are so light.

---

A little over a month had passed since that hug with Psyche.

Master Avana continued teaching me psychokinesis, while Psyche became even colder toward me than before. She brushed off that day as nothing more than an act of pity.

I didn’t think too much of it and kept studying psychokinesis. It was so fascinating that I devoted all my time to it, aside from eating and sleeping.

After learning to control fire, moving water became easier, so Master Avana instructed me to keep focusing on fire-based psychokinesis.

Of course, just in case, I never brought Kalasta’s ember inside the clearing.

The scope of my abilities gradually expanded. I moved wind. Then stone. Then wood. The range widened until, eventually, I could move almost anything in the world.

This morning, like always, I was practicing in the open. With my left hand, I controlled the wind, while my right hand guided the water.

Manipulating gas and liquid required entirely different approaches, making it incredibly difficult to handle them simultaneously.

But after consistent practice, I managed to control them separately with each hand.

Lowering my hands, I muttered to myself.

“Whew. I’d like to be able to do it with just one hand, but that’s still too difficult, huh?”

Psychokinesis was ultimately about visualization.

Just because I was controlling two objects didn’t mean I needed two hands.

Or rather, hands weren’t necessary at all.

To truly move things with only my mind, I needed to study even more.

As I was lost in thought, something caught my eye at the edge of my vision.

“Huh? Count Furst?”

Emerging from the forest, Count Furst stepped into view. A single purple butterfly before him flickered out, vanishing in a burst of light—he must have followed its guidance.

Noticing my psychokinesis training, he wore a look of surprise.

It made sense. In just a little over a month, I was already controlling both wind and water.

He spoke.

“Ran, it’s been a while.”

I greeted him in return.

“Hello, Count. What brings you all the way here?”

He nodded.

“I have a request for your master.”

At that moment, the door to the cabin swung open, and Master Avana stepped out. She was dressed in human attire.

“Welcome, Count. Come inside. Ran, would you like to join us? You’ve been so absorbed in psychokinesis lately that you must be getting bored. It wouldn’t hurt to see what real magic looks like for once. Think of it as a little change of pace.”

Bored, huh?

That’s a little unfair.

But watching Master perform magic did sound interesting.

Real magic.

The way she said it made it seem like something incredible.

Considering she had spent over a month preparing, it was bound to be impressive.

I nodded eagerly.

“Alright!”

The two of them entered the cabin, and I followed after them.

Naturally, I was about to head toward the lake, but Master Avana sat at a small table instead. So, both Count Furst and I took seats there as well.

“Tea? What would you like?”

Count Furst waved a hand dismissively.

“I won’t be staying long. We’re in the midst of battle preparations.”

Only then did I notice the faint scent of gunpowder clinging to him.

“If there were eyes capable of killing a person, they would probably look just like those.”

Kalasta gritted his teeth.

“You dare move in the presence of my majesty? A mere apprentice without even a staff?”

Majesty, huh.

So that’s what was keeping me from moving.

I vaguely recalled my master calling it confidence. It must be something similar.

I stretched my arms upward.

Then to the sides. And finally, stood at attention.

Chest out, stomach in.

I spoke confidently.

“I came out just in case, and sure enough, you were waiting for me.”

Kalasta slowly raised his gaze to meet mine.

His eyes were ablaze.

“No. I had already set off, but I felt your presence and immediately turned back. More importantly, how did you move in my presence? You could barely breathe… Did Avana give you some kind of protective treasure?”

“I sensed danger for a moment. I moved with all my might and managed to get inside. Earlier, I noticed that you couldn’t exert your power inside Master’s castle.”

“Hmph. As far as I know, you’ve only been her disciple for about a day, yet you’ve learned quite a lot in that time.”

“…….”

Or perhaps I simply realized it on my own.

When I didn’t respond, he crossed his arms.

They looked like dried-up branches.

“So? Just by looking at me, you could tell I was more skilled than your master, right? And I’m human, too. Of course, anyone would want to be under me. But hmm… judging by your eyes, you don’t seem too eager. Interesting. You’re probably in your mid-teens, yet more than half of your thoughts remain unreadable.”

I straightened my shoulders and said,

“That’s right. I wanted to meet you—”

“I take back what I said earlier. It seems that elf woman hasn’t taught you properly. Since you’re just an apprentice new to the magic world, I’ll educate you. Anyone stronger than you is your senior. No other titles.”

I swallowed dryly and spoke again.

“I wanted to meet you, Senior, because I have a few questions.”

One of Kalasta’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“You really don’t intend to become my disciple?”

Lying would be meaningless.

I nodded.

“Regrettably, for now, I wish to stay under Master Avana.”

“Why? You came to see me because something felt off, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And yet?”

“I don’t know exactly what that off feeling is, so I can’t make a hasty decision.”

Kalasta grinned, gritting his teeth.

He unfolded his arms and spread both hands wide.

Behind him, a massive burst of flames surged up, and from within, an enormous red lizard suddenly emerged. The lizard spewed fire from its mouth.

It was a dazzling sight.

So much so that I almost blurted out that I wanted to be his disciple.

He stood atop the lizard’s back and spoke.

“Explain what it is that felt off to you. Why did you feel that way?”

I searched my memory and answered.

“In exchange for teaching me magic, she wants me to become her disciple Psyche’s partner. That arrangement is far too beneficial for me alone—”

Kalasta cut me off once again.

“Kaha. Kahaha. So even though it felt off, you still stayed by her side? That high elf must be quite the beauty, huh? Well, of course. High elves are bound to be.”

“…….”

Just as Master said, he really was lacking in patience.

His eyes gleamed with a wicked smile.

“Did you know? The higher a magician’s level, the more developed their senses become. They start perceiving things they never could before. Beauty no longer seems beautiful. Hahaha. That’s what makes high elves all the more valuable.”

Hmm.

Sorry, but I’ll have to put off becoming your disciple.

If that manner of speaking is a habit, it’s obvious what kind of teacher you’d be.

“What do you think my master’s true intentions are? Could you tell me?”

Kalasta only smiled with his eyes.

Then, in a dull voice, he said,

“I’ve seen thousands of magicians in my life. I can say with certainty that your talent is at the absolute peak. It’s written all over your face. Of course, there would be magicians eager to take you as a disciple, but in this ruthless world of magic, most would only seek to exploit you.”

“How?”

“Hmm. They could turn you into a puppet and control you. Extract your soul and seal it in a treasure. Carve a slave mark on you and use you. Drain a portion of your talent for themselves. There are plenty of methods.”

“…….”

“The same goes for that elf. She probably wants to obtain fire and iron magic through you, something she lacks. Kaha. The moment you reach a certain level, she’ll consume you whole.”

“I see.”

Kalasta stared intently at me.

“If you join me, I’ll make you my chief disciple. You’ll advance at a speed beyond imagination. Even as an apprentice, you moved in my presence. I’ve never seen anyone like you before, regardless of talent.”

Judging by his expression, he was almost ready to adopt me as his own son.

I suppose walking under that pressure really was an impressive feat.

“Am I really that talented?”

“Even Avana is likely wary of you. She’s probably afraid you’ll grow beyond her control.”

Now that I thought about it, Master had warned me against forming a contract with Undine.

And Psyche seemed to be hiding something as well. Kalasta’s words might be right.

“Then I should contract with Undine. In case they try to suppress me—”

“No!”

The world shook as flames erupted from Kalasta’s entire body.

For the first time, his normal relaxed expression showed urgency.

“…….”

As I silently stared at him, his face immediately hardened.

“You must not form a contract with Undine. I will not allow you to be tainted by water and forests.”

Both Master Avana and Kalasta told me not to do it.

Now I wanted to all the more.

I crossed my arms.

“Why does it matter if I become tainted?”

He licked his lips briefly before answering in a softer voice.

“For a magician, a familiar is like an extension of themselves. The type of familiar they have can change their entire fate. It alters the very foundation of their magic. If you take a water spirit as your familiar, you’ll never be able to use fire magic again.”

He really was desperate.

His skinny hands gestured wildly in the air as he spoke.

I replied nonchalantly.

“Hmm… I don’t know. But having a familiar would make me stronger, wouldn’t it?”

Kalasta’s eyes briefly flicked downward before rising again.

Then he reached out his hand. The lizard took a glance at it before flicking its tongue to lick it.

And in the palm of his hand, a small ember ignited.

“Here, a gift.”

Kalasta let out a wicked smile and extended his hand.

He wanted me to step forward and accept it?

Like hell I would, unless I had lost my mind.

“If you leave it there, I’ll take it, senior.”

“Oh-ho? Cautious, aren’t you? Good, good. I like that. In the world of magic, one must be cautious—no, extremely cautious.”

He flicked his hand. The flame floated slowly through the air and landed precisely at the boundary between the forest and the clearing.

Despite the grass surrounding it, the fire burned alone, consuming nothing.

I had expected something grand, but all I got was a mere ember?

As my expression hardened, Kalasta explained further.

“As an apprentice, you’re probably in the middle of learning telekinesis. If my guess is right, you’re wasting time trying to move the surface of water. But that’s meaningless for a human magician. It doesn’t even work well to begin with.”

“Then what should I be doing?”

“Why do you think I gave you that ember? Use it to study. Try moving it with telekinesis. It has no mass, so it should be easy. And sometimes, try making it grow. Sooner or later, you’ll realize for yourself just how useless moving water is.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“But wouldn’t it be faster to just accept a familiar instead of practicing with that?”

Kalasta stepped off the lizard’s back, taking a step forward and cutting me off.

“I said no! Ah, you impatient brat, I wasn’t finished yet! That ember isn’t just any ordinary fire. It’s an egg, personally created from my own power—my familiar’s egg! My abilities are imbued within it. If you study with it, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of fire. And if you perform the right ritual, you could even form a contract with a fire spirit! What do you need a water spirit for? Fire is the answer. Fire! Just try moving that ember, even a little, and you’ll see for yourself.”

“……”

“I’m not telling you to come under me right now. You don’t have to decide this instant. You’re a wise kid—you’ll realize on your own that being under me is the better choice. Whenever you choose to come, I’ll personally take you as my first disciple. Understood? But a water spirit is absolutely out of the question!”

I silently stared at the ember he had thrown.

Was he really someone I could trust?

My answer? Who knew.

I didn’t trust Master Avana completely, but Kalasta was even less trustworthy.

When I looked at him again, I saw the traces of impatience in his expression.

For now, I lowered my head slightly.

“Understood.”

He nodded deeply before speaking in a low voice.

“When humans were nothing more than animals, it was fire that gave us intelligence. To all other creatures, fire was merely a source of fear, but we overcame that fear and rose above. Later, we refined metal with fire, elevating ourselves once again. Never forget this—fire is humanity’s true nature. As long as you were born with a human soul, you can never change that.”

“……”

As I remained silent, his once passionate face slowly turned cold.

Then, in a dull voice, he muttered.

“You… don’t tell me?”

In that brief moment, he seemed to have caught on to my thoughts.

Before he could say anything more, I spoke first.

I could afford to steal the upper hand, just this once.

“You’re right, Kalasta. I never intended to contract with Undine in the first place.”

His lips curled into a grin, revealing his teeth.

“Kaha! Were you testing me? Good, good. I like it. I don’t even remember the last time someone fooled me, even for a fraction of a second. This is truly refreshing.”

“……”

His smile faded, and he gave a small nod.

“I’ll leave the ember with you. Try studying fire. I know you’re not planning to come to me just yet. But when your mind changes, be sure to seek me out. No—sooner or later, you will seek me out.”

In an instant, Kalasta turned into flames.

He burned fiercely in midair before vanishing completely.

The tension drained from my body, and I immediately slumped onto the ground.

Now I understood.

I understood why Master Avana had been so utterly drained.

Just talking to him, just meeting his gaze, was enough to drain all my strength.

And if they had exchanged sharp words before a fight?

“I probably would’ve collapsed and been bedridden for three days.”

A magician.

Someone who could cross an ocean in a single day.

Someone whose mere presence could paralyze others.

This was a level of power beyond my imagination—on a completely different scale.

If I went under him, I might be able to become like that, too.

“Think rationally. Stay calm. Master Avana and Kalasta—I’ve only just met them. I could trust either of them, or neither. I have to make an objective decision.”

One thing was certain—both of them wanted me.

Whether it was as a disciple or as a tool, I still didn’t know.

Which meant I had to trust only part of what they said and discard the rest.

Straightening my shoulders, I sat up properly.

Then, I faced the ember Kalasta had left behind.

First, I needed to try moving it.

If I did nothing, Kalasta might give up on me entirely.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the ember’s energy.

The world turned black, and a single flame flickered into existence.

It was identical to the ember in reality.

I willed it to move to the side.

Immediately, the ember shifted.

I tried lifting it upward.

Once again, it obeyed.

It was way easier than moving the surface of water.

It felt like I had been wearing ill-fitting clothes all this time, and now, I had finally put on something that fit perfectly.

So humans were truly children of fire.

“It’s like moving my own hands and feet. But I can’t bring this ember inside the house. Who knows what kind of magic he might have hidden within it?”

The fire should stay outside the house.

I would hide it well and practice alone whenever I had the chance.

With this ember, I could grow just a little faster.

Just then, the cabin door creaked open.

I turned around—standing there was Master Avana.

Her face was pale, but her gaze was chillingly cold.

In her hand, she held her staff.

“So? Are you planning to leave?”

She had been listening all along.

Slowly, I rose to my feet and answered.