“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.
