“Now, I’ll start teaching you about the herbs we need to gather one by one.”
“Oh, so we’re here to collect weeds.”
“They’re not weeds, they’re medicinal herbs. More specifically, water-related herbs. First, the ones associated with the moon: jasmine, mugwort, and lilies. Then, those that grow near water: lotus, aloe, cucumber, and willow…”
For some reason, those herbs looked familiar.
“Aren’t those what Master was eating yesterday?”
“Sharp eyes. That’s right.”
“Are they related?”
“Yeah. Master said we’ll need to use powerful water magic soon. That’s why we’re gathering water-related herbs now.”
“Ah, I see.”
“This time, listen while following me. Catnip. This one is chamomile. This is poppy. And this one is belladonna. These help with sleep and brings water-related dreams. And then…”
After that, she listed and explained dozens of herbs.
Sleepiness started creeping in.
“Yawn…“
When I opened my eyes after yawning, Psyche was staring at me with sharp eyes.
“Don’t worry. I can memorize most things after hearing them just once.”
She crossed her arms and said,
“Alright, then let’s test that. Bring me peach blossoms, willow, and jasmine.”
With a smug look, I plucked the herbs she mentioned after taking only a few steps.
Her expression stiffened, but her eyes widened twice their normal size.
She was obviously trying to act calm.
“Here. And if you’re going to make me work, at least give me food first.”
I pointed at the basket Psyche was holding.
She rummaged through it and handed me the fruits and vegetables I had gathered earlier.
I plopped down right there and started eating.
Even dogs don’t get disturbed while eating, and Psyche, too, just crouched down and watched me eat in silence.
“What are you staring at?”
“It’s fascinating.”
“What is?”
“Everything. Your appearance is fascinating. Your weight is fascinating. Your scent is fascinating. Humans really do smell like iron and fire.”
I recalled how Master Avana had said the same thing before, but in a much more unpleasant way.
However, Psyche’s expression was rather bright.
“Do you dislike the smell?”
“No. I like it. I told you, it’s my preference.”
She says such embarrassing things so shamelessly.
But thinking about it, what Master Avana said doesn’t add up.
If she likes it, why was it such a problem for an elf to live with someone who carries the scent of fire and iron?
Something seemed suspicious.
I should ask about familiars as well.
I spoke in a low voice.
“By the way, can I ask you something?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“About the Undine. Why did Master tell me not to react to her?”
The moment I said that, Psyche’s expression stiffened slightly.
She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
“You need to study magic more before dealing with her. Otherwise, it’s dangerous.”
The way she said it was definitely truthful.
But I also had the distinct feeling there was more to it.
Casually, I took another bite of my vegetables and said,
“Really? Honestly, if it weren’t for the Undine, it’d be way easier to move water while sleeping. She’s such a nuisance… Ugh. I just can’t concentrate.”
Psyche hesitated several times.
Then, in a low voice, she finally spoke.
“You’re amazing.”
“Huh?”
“What you’re doing… It’s truly amazing.”
After saying that, she suddenly stood up and walked away.
I could only stare blankly at her retreating figure.
After filling a basket with herbs, we left the clearing and headed back home.
“Ah!”
Psyche suddenly stopped, and I almost bumped into her.
That would’ve caused a commotion for sure.
“Shh, be quiet.”
She wore an expression I had never seen before.
Fear.
Her long ears drooped down to her shoulders as if the bones had melted away.
I whispered to her softly.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Psyche remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“Master is armed. The fortress is also activated.”
I understood the first part, but the second? No clue.
“Fortress? Don’t tell me you’re calling that tiny cabin a fortress?”
Psyche didn’t say anything else. Instead, she quickly raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
So, I stood there like a mute, staring in the same direction she was.
All I saw was the forest.
Then, Psyche started walking again.
“Master says it’s fine to come in. Let’s go.”
Since my questions would be answered soon anyway, I followed without complaint.
Before long, we reached the cabin.
“What… Who’s that?”
Standing in front of the cabin, on the opposite side from where we had arrived, was an old man.
His long black robe reached the ground, Sharply different compared to his long white hair and beard.
In his right hand, he held a thick staff that nearly touched the ground, while his left arm held a book as thick as a forearm.
Behind him, a creature resembling a large lizard flicked its long tongue.
The shocking part? Flames flickered at the tip of its tongue and tail.
Master Avana stood in front of him.
She wore tight leather pants and a white top—similar in style to the clothes she had given me.
In her right hand, she held that same staff that emitted a violet glow.
In her left, a small book wrapped in leaves.
The tension in the air was noticeable, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
Would I get to witness a battle between mages?
Then, the old man’s sharp gaze landed on me.
“Even at a glance, I can tell. This one has incredible potential. Enough to surprise even me.”
Master Avana shook her head slightly.
“I’ve already taken him as my student.”
The old man grinned widely, almost unnervingly so.
“An elf raising a human mage? Impossible. And as a fellow human mage, I can’t allow it. Humans with magical talent are already rare. Do you think we’ll just stand by and watch you take one of ours, elf?”
His tone was that of a high-ranking noble speaking to a lesser one.
Yet, Master Avana remained polite.
“The pact only applies to the Yura continent. It doesn’t concern this place.”
Yura was the name of my homeland.
So, this old man had crossed the sea too?
He tapped his staff against the ground.
“According to the disturbance I sensed a week ago, this child awakened his talent before reaching the frontier. That was before he arrived in the New World, wasn’t it?”
“Regardless, from yesterday onward, he became my student. If you had the ability, you could’ve crossed the continent in a day. But you dawdled, and now it’s too late.”
Crossing over 6,000 km of ocean in just one day?
“Oh? So you do understand my capabilities. And yet, you still dare defy me?”
“No matter how powerful you are, you can’t defeat me within my fortress.”
Now that I looked, the old man remained just outside the clearing, never stepping closer to the cabin.
Slowly, he nodded.
“True. But if you step even one foot outside, I can reduce you to ashes. Do you plan to spend the rest of your life trapped here?”
The tips of Master Avana’s ears twitched slightly.
She spoke.
“And while you’re waiting, you’ll suffer major losses too. You’re the only one in your faction who can overpower me. You’ll be stuck here as well. And when it comes to patience, can a human ever outlast an elf?”
“……”
“Also, your concealment magic is terrible. Even my student found you. So ambushing us won’t work either.”
“……”
“I’ll offer you a chance. Dismiss your weapons, and I’ll welcome you as a guest. Surely you’re tired from crossing the ocean?”
The old man gritted his teeth.
Clearly, patience wasn’t his strong suit.
He moved his hands in a strange motion, and in an instant, both his staff and book vanished.
“Elf. Remember this—I will take that child. Humans must be raised by humans. If you use any cheap tricks, be prepared. Your High Elf student will suffer the same fate. And as for you!”
He pointed straight at me.
I answered.
“Yes. Please speak.”
The old man shouted loudly.
“Never forget! Humans are children of fire and iron! Fire gave birth to us, and iron raised us. The reason we are different from all other creatures is because of fire and iron! Through them, we gained knowledge and intelligence. So no matter how much that elf teaches you about water and the forest, you must master fire and iron. That is your fate. Do you understand?”
“……”
When I didn’t respond, the old man turned his body and left me with one last remark.
“I will come to get you. So do not, under any circumstances, form a contract with water or the forest. This is for the sake of your soul—remember it well!”
With that, he suddenly transformed into a stream of fire and vanished on the spot.
“Ugh.”
At that moment, Master Avana staggered and collapsed onto the ground.
“Master!”
Psyche ran toward her.
She tried to help Master Avana up, but the master waved her hand as if to say it was unnecessary.
“I have no strength. I’ll sit here for a while.”
Psyche could only look at her with concern.
If I stepped outside now, could I take that old man as my master?
He seemed stronger than my current teacher.
“I know what you’re thinking, but don’t go, Ran.”
“I’ll decide after listening. Who is that old man?”
She must not have expected me to be so shameless.
Master Avana spoke with disbelief.
“Shouldn’t grace be repaid with grace?”
“That’s why I said I’d listen. If not, I would’ve left right away. Just by looking, he seemed stronger than you.”
“……”
“So, who is he?”
Avana lowered her gaze slightly and answered.
“His name is Kalasta. If you ever make your way into the magical world of the Yura Continent, you’ll hear that name. He is one of the highest figures in Yura’s magic world.”
The magical world of the Yura Continent?
Does that mean there’s a separate magical society in the Yura Continent?
“Hm, I see. Learning magic under him would certainly make me stronger. And he’s human, too.”
Master Avana shook her head. Then, in a chilling voice, she said:
“Absolutely not. You would lose everything you have and fall into misery.”
“……”
“The world of magic is ruthless, Ran. It’s no different from the wild, where the strong dictate the rules, and the weak follow them. Kalasta, in particular, treats his disciples like mere tools.”
“How can I believe that?”
“I’ve told you all I can. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. It’s not like I could force you to stay here anyway. Isn’t that right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I promise you this—I chose you as Psyche’s partner, which is why I am teaching you magic. I will never use you as a tool to elevate my own power. So learn safely under me.”
Good.
With this level of tension, she won’t be able to treat me carelessly.
I shrugged my shoulders once and approached her.
“Alright, I’ll learn from you, Master.”
Only then did Master Avana’s face show relief.
I suddenly lifted her up.
“Ah!”
So she can make weird noises too.
“I’ll take you to your room.”
“……”
As I carried her, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything else.
Psyche, who had been silent all this time, slowly followed behind us.
I opened the door to the hut and stepped inside, heading toward her room.
Her room was surprisingly clean and ordinary.
I had expected it to be cluttered with all sorts of strange items, but it wasn’t.
“Here, rest well. Oh, right—I also picked some herbs that help with sleep. Should I place them here?”
Master Avana silently looked down at me, then gave a slight nod.
I took the herbs from Psyche’s basket and placed them here and there.
Master Avana spoke.
“Thank you, Ran. Go rest as well. Psyche, stay for a moment.”
I left the two of them behind and stepped outside.
Then, I closed the door.
From inside the room, I could hear faint voices exchanging words. But they sounded muffled, as if I were listening from underwater, making it impossible to understand.
I walked out of the hut and stood at the boundary between the clearing and the forest.
“Hm… Alright. Whether I stay or leave, it’s all a gamble.”
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The moment I entered the forest, the air became heavy.
A tingling pressure weighed down on my entire body.
So, he was waiting.
At this rate, it’s dangerous.
My instincts told me so.
I hurriedly tried to move my legs.
But strangely, my body wouldn’t obey.
As if I were paralyzed.
I clenched my teeth.
“Move!”
Then, my foot barely moved.
The moment I crossed the boundary between the clearing and the forest, a human-sized flame flared up before me.
And then, the old man from earlier appeared.
Now that I was in the clearing, the suffocating pressure had completely disappeared.
I bowed respectfully toward the old man.
“Greetings, Elder Kalasta.”
Kalasta’s gaze was fixed at my feet.
More precisely, at the boundary between the forest and the clearing.
