Introduction: Sirius was living a quiet life in a forest near the Rivervale, a small village on the edge of the Kingdom. He was studying magic under his master, when on one fateful night, everything changed. His talent has become the bane of his existence, making him a target of the religious Silver Order. Driven by his insatiable curiosity fueled by his talent, Sirius learns secrets about magic, the church didn't want him to know. This sends him on an adventure across the whole continent in an attempt to return stronger and uproot the Order's oppression! He just needs to become stronger... And for that he needs knowledge, and lots of it. But if it is so hard to come by, how can one persevere in this cruel world? The question should be, what price is one willing to pay for the knowledge.What to expect:- Western-style fantasy- No cultivation/Wuxia/Xianxia- Not LitRPG- No (or little to no) romance, hence no harem- Hard magic, knowledge and techniques make the mage powerful, not itemsI try to release Mon-Thu on 8:05 UTC (03:05 EST). Chapters are short at start, but now I strive for ~1300-1500 words.NOTICE: temporarily going to post only on MondaysFor those who crave more - please check out my collection of short stories, happening after the end of this plot, titled Tales of Riftingale.Take a glimpse at what comes after, and guess what had to take place for the world to change so much! The story ain't over!...