《Grimsly Elegy》 Prologue - Unhallowed ----- Prologue - Unhallowed ----- Igarian Calendar, Year10000 The skies were painted in an ominous azure, emanating gentle hues. There was not a single cloud within the boundless horizons, leaving only the bright red sun to oversee the lands with its piercing radiance. It was an unusual day marking the new millennium on Igarium, the most northern continent within this realm of space. Light rarely saw the lands that far north, even during the summer months. It seemed as if today, however, that the entire continent was forcefully drawing upon all the light in the boundless skies¡­ as if painting a prelude of unprecedented proportions. Annals of Estel ------ Within in a small, unremarkable village at the peninsula of northern Igarium, an equally banal festival was slowly transpiring. The villagers celebrated with an exquisite roast and aged wine, reminiscing of past reveries. It was the mark of the new millennia, which gave excuse for the villagers to splurge the excess wealth they''ve accumulated through the years. It was difficult to accrue much wealth in such barren and isolated lands, however occasional merchants allowed the villagers to mutually profit.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Alcohol was a rather rare commodity in the north, where not even the most tenacious grains could be cultivated - however nothing could quench the thirst of the northerners as they soon discovered an icy wildgrass as a substitute for their ales. Such a unique catalyst gave their alcohol an equally unique taste; a smooth, chilling flavour and an addictive, stinging aftertaste. Accompanied by its steep alcohol content, it soon became the favoured drink of nobles and commoners alike. ¡°Hahahah! Drink my friends, drink til there''s naught. Glory to the holy emperor!¡± yelled a villager. A reverberating chant resounded from the other villagers as they continued dancing with fervorous glee. Echoing beats through a hollowed drum gave to a natural resonance whilst a fiery hearth elicited further fanaticism within the villagers. Some would say drinking was simply a way of borrowing happiness from tomorrow, and with these villagers that would certainly pertain as true. ------ Yet away from all the bustling festivities, a solitary shadow could be seen overlooking the frozen river. Taking a brief respite, the figure gazed up towards the boundless skies, fixating upon a dim star off in the distance. Its wistful, azure radiance was seemingly fading into the darkness of the starry canvas; forever to be forgotten in the vast expansesof the universe. ¡°Hah¡­ my time is up...¡± And as if through providence, the figure ascended upwards and vanished into the moonlight, leaving only the sharp winds to witness this act of god. ------ Chapter 1.0 - Dirge of the Damned ----- Chapter 1.0 - Dirge of the Damned ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10000 It was the day following the new millennium¡­ with everyone still drunk on the splendor of icy rum; a local specialty of sorts. The villagers rarely drink alcohol because of the consequences it carries regarding productivity and crime. A small village like ours can''t afford to support the costs of addictions within our close-knit group. We all rely on each other to just barely get by, that if one of us reneged on their duties, all the villagers would suffer likewise. It was a rather rude awakening when we suddenly discovered that Lily, the village tailor, just mysteriously disappeared, leaving only a crying child behind within a hidden room. Lily was always a bit eccentric, actingquiet and reserved at all times - something we attributed to her shy nature. Lily was apparently a fallen noble, but none of us knew of the specifics regarding it because she rarely socialized with anyone. When shefirst arrived, we were very inclusive of her in all our gatherings and celebrations. However as she disregarded our invitations time after time, we eventually began to just ignore Lily altogether until she essentially disappeared in spirit, and apparently in body as well now. How unfortunate.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. We held a short procession for Lily, though we¡¯re unsure if she''s even alive or not. Using the pyre from yesterday¡¯s festival, we burnt a few offerings to our god Sylphia, the goddess of nature and growth, surrogating them as blessings for the coming year. As for the matter of Lily¡¯s child, we¡¯ve decided that he''ll be taken under my care as the village head temporarily, until we find a couple willing to adopt him that is. Unlikely though, given the stigma that Lily left behind with him. An unfortunate mother has beget an unfortunate child indeed¡­ --- ¡­ ¡­ Lily¡¯s child, or Cael as I call him, seems to be a normal child¡­ yet perhaps cursed by his mother¡¯s misfortunes as well. It was during his second birthday, right before he began to walk, that I learned that Cael was born blind. It was difficult for him to speak similarly, as Cael seemed to exude a natural ambience which other children vehemently disliked. He was always on his own, whether naturally or of his own volition; having only the solitude of the forest to keep him company. Cael¡¯s not a bad kid. He''s always smiling despite all his misfortunes, and speaking with everyone who was willing. He¡¯s recently picked up the hobby of listening to the stories I read to him, and seemingly pondering upon something by the trees near our home. I sincerely pray for his well-being, but it seems time has other plans for me. I hope someone would be willing to foster him after my passing, but such a cruel world would surely not accommodate the weak, and I can only pray that Sylphia would shield this child from the pain and suffering of this brutal world. Entry 1, Unnamed ----- Chapter 1.1 ----- Chapter 1.1 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10008 ¡°Grandpa, grandpa! What¡¯cha have for me today?¡±¡¯ ¡°Oh only the finest for you Cael, a forgotten tale of two heroes deadlocked in a war who end up challenging the gods themselves.¡± ¡°Ooooh, that sounds really cool! Tell it to me now, grandpa!¡± ¡°Ahhh, well I¡¯ll have to make a small trip today to get some medication first so I¡¯ll have someone take you out to play in the meantime.¡± ¡°What about the story?!¡± ¡°Ah, right. Heh,I guess we¡¯ll just have to listen to it after I return. Ohoho, how unfortunate.¡± --- ... ... ¡°Pfft. Where¡¯s the uncle that¡¯s suppose to be taking me out to play? Ugggggh, he¡¯s taking so long! Sol, I guess I¡¯ll just go play on my own then. (Authors Note: ¡®Sol¡¯ is a word within this world intended to be all-purpose. It can be interpreted as a sigh, a pause within a conversation, or as an reactionary word to represent shock just to name a few. It doesn¡¯t have any actual impact on the meaning of the sentence, so don¡¯t worry about not understanding.) ¡°Ladadee¡­ and in we go!¡± Entering through the shrubbery at the bottom of the hill I find my way along a path that I slowly created over the years. Hmph, if grandpa saw this he¡¯d definitely praise me for being so smart, hehehe. Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to map out the entire forest one day. Anyhow, the perky chirping from the birds and the mellow wind always helps me relax. I wouldn¡¯t give up this tranquility for anything in the world¡­ ----- Elsewhere¡­ ¡°Huh, where¡¯s Cael? I thought I told Echrit to have him back before sunset.¡± I hurriedly pace myself towards the house of Echrit, our village blacksmith. ¡°Echrit, where is Cael?!¡± I was met with silence as I continued knocking on his door. ¡°Echrit, where in the gods is Cael?!¡± A small whisper escapes from behind through the door. ¡°Mine¡­¡± ¡°What?! What in Sol are you talking about, Echrit?!¡± The door swings open as a haggard Echrit begins shouting. ¡°It was supposed to be mine, goddamnit! I was next in line to take over the head position! Now you¡¯re gonna give it over to some fuckin¡¯ disabled kid! After all these years, this is how you¡¯re gonna repay me?! ¡°Echrit, you goddamn moron! You¡¯re gonna let some petty rumours impair your rationality?! Are you sick in the head?! Grabbing him by the shoulders I shake him until he falls to the floor. ¡°Where is Cael?!¡± The fucking idiot has gone unresponsive. Wait, why is he frothing at the mouth?It looks like poison, but why would anyone need to do such a thing? Fuck it, I¡¯ll deal with it later, Cael comes first. Running back to my house, I grab a crossbow and a shortsword and head towards the forest. It¡¯s the only place where Cael ever goes besides my house.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ----- Within the forest... Huh this place seems very quiet, maybe a little too quiet. It¡¯s a bit uncomfortable¡­ Maybe I should just head back. I begin walking back along the path I came from only to find that my previous markings have all but disappeared. ¡°Wuaah, what do I do now?! Grandpa!¡± I call out to the silent forest, yet nothing but the echo of my voice resounds back. ... ... Its been at least a couple hours. I''m scared. Someone please come... My mind soon begins to wander... followed by my body. I¡¯m tired¡­ As I gradually sink into the restless darkness of my consciousness, one flickering thought remains. Save me grandpa¡­ ¡­ ... I¡¯m scared. Why is it so dark here...? ¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m all alone¡­ again. Why doesn¡¯t anyone talk to me... ? ¡­ ¡­ Have I so greatly sinned to deserve this? Has god forsaken me...? ¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m sorry. ¡­ ¡­ Please forgive me. ¡­ ¡­ Sor...ry ----- ... ... ¡°Cael?! Where are you Cael?!¡± I eventually found a path hidden within some bushes. I carefully tread along as I suddenly hear a howl off in the distance. A dangerous scent suddenly envelops me. Blood. My thoughts begin to dissipate as the bloody scent stimulates my instincts into overdrive. I run towards the origin of the howl, pushing my heart and lungs with every step. I gradually approach a small meadow, shadowed by two large wolves. In the corner of my sight, I spot a small figure lying amongst the grass. ¡°CAEL!¡± At my sudden outcry the wolves slowly approach me. It seems they¡¯re both injured from fighting each other. I brandish my shortsword as I walk in a circle, making sure they are a sizeable distance away from Cael. Grrrrr¡­.! At the sudden growl, one of the wolves lunges towards me. I leap backwards whilst quickly firing my crossbow. Rrrarahhhhh! The bolt impales itself into the wolf¡¯s hind leg. The wolf falls down out of pain and exhaustion as the second wolf begins approaching. Graaaahhh¡­! A lamenting wail assaults my ears as the second wolf dashes towards me. The wolf speeds towards my neck and I don¡¯t have enough time to dodge away. I block the incoming bite with my left wrist guard, but its fangs still manage to sink through. ¡°Ahhhhhh! Fuck me!¡± I prepare to swing my sword against its neck as the wolf tries to dodge away. With adrenaline pumping through me, I push through the pain and grab the side of its jaw with my left hand and slash downwards with my sword. A fountain of blood spurts out as I feel the pressure on my left arm gradually release. Blood begins to seep out my arm as I bask in the pain. ¡°Goddamnit!¡± I shout out in frustration. I gradually approach the fallen Cael and pick him up with my right arm. ¡°Cael?!¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­?¡± ¡°Sol, thank gods you¡¯re fine. Do you know how much you worried me, Cael?!¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ grandpa.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ at least you¡¯re fine. You¡¯re not hurt anywhere are you Cael?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so. Just tired¡­¡± ¡°Thank goodness, I swear my heart was about to burst when I saw you lying down motionlessly.¡± ¡°Hehehe, you really care about me don¡¯t you grandpa¡­?¡± ¡°What are you talking about Cael? Of course I do!¡± ¡°Thank¡­ you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome Cael, you¡¯re welcome.¡± I slowly start walking back to village, with Cael in hand. The rush of battle gradually recedes as the stinging pain of running and fighting begin to assault me again. Fuck, I really am getting too old for this. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m worried about just one more thing ¡­ grandpa.¡± ¡°What is it Cael?¡± ¡°When¡­ will we finish that¡­ story you promised me¡­?¡± ¡°Hmmph, that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about? If you have energy to make jokes like that, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ----- Chapter 1.2 ----- Chapter 1.2 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10008 ¡°Why do we have to leave the village, grandpa?¡± ¡°Cause¡¯ it¡¯s unsafe there. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to be able to experience the city life Cael? Now¡¯s the perfect chance.¡± ¡°But¡­ this is a bit too sudden.¡± ¡°Weeeell, grandpa might consider continuing that story if you visit the city with me.¡± ¡°Uuuugh, fine I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Perfect. Well let¡¯s hop along then.¡± As I enter the carriage, I begin to reflect on the previous couple of days... It seems Echrit died by the time I returned with Cael. I have my suspicions of poison, but why would anyone target us? Anyhow it won¡¯t be long before they discover his death, and given the mysterious nature of it, they¡¯ll have their doubts about me; especially since Echrit had rather good relations with the other villagers. I¡¯ve decided to get Cael to a safe place first, then perhaps investigate after tensions have lightened. I¡¯ve left my authority to Vestri for the time being, but I fear for the others¡¯ safety. They¡¯d probably call me crazy in my old age if I tried to explain it so I¡¯ll just leave it up to the gods to decide their fates. I¡¯d rather avoid such a callous decision, but I¡¯ve no choice in the matter¡­ Entry 2, Kalus Ver --- A couple of days later... ¡°Ahhhgh! It¡¯s so much louder than I expected it to be.¡± ¡°Well of course Cael, it¡¯s a city. There¡¯d have to be at least a thousand people bustling about at around this time of the day.¡± ¡°Can we please find some place that¡¯s quiet? I can barely think in all this clamor.¡± ¡°What about a library, Cael?¡± ¡°Oooooooh! That¡¯s sounds like a perfect place! Let¡¯s go!¡± --- ... ... ¡°Once again, this is not *cough* what I had in mind. Why is it so *cough* dusty in here?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s the attic for one Cael, and rarely anyone comes up to the third floor anyways; it¡¯s reserved for mages. Also make yourself at home, cause this is where we¡¯re living for a while.¡± ¡°What?! What do you mean we¡¯re gonna live - wait... what did you say about mages?¡± ¡°Hmmm? This floor that we¡¯re on is exclusively for mages, Cael.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Wait?! So magicians exist?! I thought it was all just made up stories!¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re real. Those stories you read may be a bit exaggerated, but that¡¯s because mages are naturally prideful, perhaps a bit too much so.¡± ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s a school for mages?!¡± ¡°Correct. Though I hear the requirements they have for applicants are rather stringent. It also largely depends on your latent talent, so don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡± ¡°Awwww¡­ but I really want to be a mage grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Well don¡¯t be so sad, just because I said it¡¯s difficult doesn¡¯t mean it''s impossible. If you work hard Cael, you just might be able to make it.¡± ¡°Really?! Then I¡¯ll work super duper hard!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll acknowledge your resolve for now. But don¡¯t go crying to me when it gets too hard, Cael.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m dedicated to becoming the best mage there is!¡± ¡°Hoooo, those are some lofty aspirations Cael. Let¡¯s see if you can match those dreams of yours.¡± ¡°I promise, grandpa. I¡¯ll make my dreams a reality even if it takes me a thousand years!¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ll hold you to that promise, Cael. Anyhow, it¡¯s getting late so let¡¯s hit the hay before Baz invades your dreams.¡± (AN: Baz is known in folklore as a demon that haunts dreams of children who sleep too late.) ¡°Ahh! W-well good night then grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Good night to you too, Cael.¡± --- Regalus Library, Floor 1... ¡°Hey. Thanks for giving me the place on such short notice. It¡¯s nice seeing you again after all these years, Estel.¡± ¡°Hmph. This is the last favour I owe you, Kalus. Don¡¯t get too friendly, I¡¯m still angry at you.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s been more than a decade since then... can¡¯t we just let bygones be bygones and move on?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well I guess there¡¯s no point in arguing so I¡¯ll see you around then.¡± ¡°Wait, Kalus. The kid, he yours?¡± ¡°Of course not, Estel. You don¡¯t think I would give up my courtship of my favourite librarian, do you?¡± ¡°Tch. You and your sly tongue of, it never changes.¡± ¡°Well of course not, how else could I have prevented the Venus of the generation from pursuing anyone.¡± ¡°Pfft. Don¡¯t bring that up. It just happened to that there wasn¡¯t anybody worthy of me.¡± ¡°Hahaha, of course. It¡¯s as you say, princess.¡± ¡°Ugh. Don¡¯t remind of that title again. I¡¯ve been trying to forget about that for years now.¡± ¡°Haaaah. Sorry, sorry. Just reminiscing of good times, Estel.¡± ¡°Hmmph. So what¡¯s the story with the kid then, Kalus?¡± ¡°Cael¡¯s an orphan. His mother just disappeared at the village I was in charge of so I took him because nobody else wanted to burdened by another mouth to feed.¡± ¡°An orphan, huh? How coincidental.¡± ¡°Yes, very. I just can¡¯t forgive people who would just leave their child behind, regardless of the circumstances.¡± ¡°Kalus¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, Estel. I¡¯ve learned of the ways of this world through my life, and I can¡¯t let Cael suffer the same way.¡± ¡°Kalus... I¡¯ll help him too, Cael was it?¡± ¡°Oh no, I couldn¡¯t possibly implore that of you when we¡¯re already living here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my decision Kalus.¡± ... ... ... ¡°Thank you¡­ Estel.¡± "Hmmph." ¡°Well... good night then Estel." ... ... ... ¡°Good night¡­ Kalus.¡± ----- Chapter 1.3 ----- Chapter 1.3 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10009 It¡¯s been a year since we moved here to Vorant, the city that never sleeps. It¡¯s still hard to deal with the noise during the day, but I¡¯ve slowly gotten used to it. Finding my way around the city is way harder than it was with the forest cause¡¯ I can¡¯t just leave markings randomly around the city. Most of the time I just go by smell because every district has a rather distinct aroma. If by any chance that I do get lost, most people that I ask are pretty helpful. I recall only one instance of someone rudely rejecting me. I think he was a noble? He reeked of alcohol and all sorts of cheap perfumes. Are all nobles like that? Anyhow, grandpa and grandma have gradually taught me how to read and write this past year. Most books nowadays have defined grooves in its writing, making it pretty easy for someone blind like me to read. And after you learn how to read, learning how to write is a breeze. Though I still have trouble writing in straight lines sometimes, but I promise I¡¯m getting better at it! They also taught me a lot of the fundamentals of being a mage, and my head is going crazy at everything I need to know. I know grandpa said It¡¯ll be hard, but did it have to be this hard? My sense of time is still pretty inaccurate, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m sleeping very late nowadays. Wait. Didn¡¯t grandpa once say that Baz would haunt my dreams if I slept too late? So he was lying all along?! That tricky old man! ¡°Sol! I¡¯ve been standing around for too long and now I¡¯ll be late for my lessons with grandma!¡± --- ... ... ¡°So why are you late again... Cael?¡± ¡°Weeeeeell, I uh¡­ got lost?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that drivel, Cael. You and I both know that you can perfectly manage your way around the city, and you dare say you lost your way?¡± ¡°Uguuuh, I¡¯m sorry grandma. I was caught up thinking about things and one thing lead to another and by the time I noticed it was too late. I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°It. Better. Not. Happen. Again. Cael.¡± ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯ll make sure of it g-grandma.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin Cael. What do you call the essential¡­¡± ... ... Grandma Estel is reaaaally strict, but she¡¯s also very forgiving so I guess it balances out. She treats me very well, as if she¡¯s known me for years. I don¡¯t think we have met before though. What¡¯s her relationship with grandpa? Are they perhaps unrequited lovers, ohoho? Ack, I can feel her glaring me down because I¡¯m smiling, better get back to work.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. --- Later... ¡°So how¡¯s the boy faring, Estel?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s certainly dedicated, but he seems to be taking this a little too lightly.¡± ¡°Go easy on him, he¡¯s just a kid.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ I want to, but he just can¡¯t focus at all during his studies, Kalus.¡± ¡°How about you show him an incantation then? That¡¯ll probably give him some motivation to learn.¡± ¡°Hmmph¡­ I guess that could work.¡± --- The day after¡­ ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this grandma?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pendant, Cael. Specifically one with a spell incantation engraved within it. It''s the easiest type of magic that requires nothing but the induction of mana.¡± ¡°What kind of magic is it grandma?¡± ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t have an official name, but let¡¯s call it ¡®Pulse¡¯. It sends out a very subtle wave outwards in all directions that returns to you when it reaches a physical object. It¡¯s essentially a detection spell that I thought would help you if you ever get lost and nobody¡¯s around to help you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± ¡°No problem, Cael. Now try channeling your mana into it. You have been practicing, haven''t you?¡± ¡°Y-yes! Of course I have!¡± I relax my mind like grandpa always tell me and begin feeling for the spots of energy around me. I can feel myself sweating and a sense of pressure starting to build up. I direct this built up pressure into the amulet and suddenly¡­ a small, horizontal ring of my energy expands outwards. Just like grandma said, parts of the energy ring gradually returns to me, giving a good idea of what¡¯s around me. There¡¯s a table to my left, I think? The ring felt like an extension of me, like as if I simultaneously walked in all directions. That¡¯s so freaking cool! Magic is amazing! ¡°So. How was your first experience with magic?¡± ¡°It was¡­ fantastic! I felt so serene, as if I was back in the silent forest where I used to live.¡± ¡°Well don¡¯t get too excited now, the pendant is doing most of the work for you. But I¡¯m glad you seem to enjoy magic as much as I do. I take it you¡¯ll be able to focus better now that you have a concrete idea of what you¡¯re working for?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll put twice the effort from now on to learn everything about magic!¡± ¡°Good. Alright then, we¡¯re done for today. Oh and go take a shower, you smell like a rabid dog in heat.¡± ¡°In heat? What does that mean grandma?¡± ¡°Ah, that was a slip of the tongue. Nevermind that, it doesn¡¯t mean anything. Just go take a shower.¡± ¡°If you say so, grandma. Oh, one more thing grandma. How much does this amulet cost?¡± ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s yours, don¡¯t worry about the cost.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be like that grandma! I¡¯m already staying at your place and having you teach me. I can¡¯t accept this for free too!¡± ¡°Ugh, fine. How about you treat me to a meal once you get accepted into an academy. I hear they give certain privileges to students if they do well on the entrance exams.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll make sure that happens then!¡± ¡°Haha, let¡¯s not get too ahead of ourselves now. It¡¯ll be a loooong time before you¡¯re ready to do those exams.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry grandma Estel. I¡¯ve hardened my resolve.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll have to test that mettle of yours, Cael.¡± ¡°Bring it on grandma! I¡¯ll never lose!¡± ¡°Heh... I¡¯ll see about that.¡± ----- Chapter 1.4 ----- Chapter 1.4 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10012 Today¡¯s the day! I¡¯m so worried! What if I don¡¯t do well? I think I¡¯m ready, but I¡¯m still so nervous! Hah¡­ deep breaths Cael¡­ deep breaths. You¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ve been preparing for three years now, you¡¯ll be fine. Ahhhhhh! That didn¡¯t help at all! ¡°You alright there Cael? You¡¯re looking a bit nervous. Well actually nervous is an understatement, you¡¯re starting to sweat through your shirt.¡± ¡°Ahhhh, I¡¯m sorry grandpa. I¡¯m just scared that I¡¯ll fail and all that effort would be for nothing.¡± ¡°Hey don¡¯t worry too much, you¡¯re still young Cael. If worst comes to worst, you could always become a gardener like your old man! It pays pretty well nowadays or so I hear.¡± ¡°Auuuugh! That doesn¡¯t calm my nerves at all, grandpa!¡± ¡°Hah¡­ honestly Cael, if you¡¯re this worried before you¡¯ve even entered an academy, you¡¯ll never be able to handle the pressure of being a full fledged mage. I believe in you Cael, I¡¯ve seen you working very hard these past few years. Believe in yourself. Estel and I both know you¡¯re talented, so believe in us if you still can¡¯t find it to believe in yourself. If anything, the only thing I¡¯m worried about is if you¡¯ll get first on the exams.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Thanks for believing in me¡­ grandpa. I feel a bit more confident now.¡± ¡°No problem kiddo. Go knock em out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I got this for sure now!¡± --- Later¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that kid writing over there? Why are his eyes closed?¡± ¡°Ah, he seems to be blind, ser.¡± ¡°Blind, huh? Interesting¡­¡± --- Huh... let¡¯s see. Name. Cael Ver. Grandpa told me to take his family name to make things easier. I don¡¯t understand though, Why would having a last name even matter? Well whatever, let¡¯s take a look at this exam¡­ (AN: Not actually ¡®looking¡¯, obviously.) What are the three basic requirements for a spell? Hmm, this is easy. An incantation, a medium, and an energy source. What is strongest type of magic? Hmm¡­ this a bit more difficult. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. None. All types of magic are equally useful. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s see, this seems to be the last question on the exam. Using my improved sense of time, I believe it¡¯s been approximately an hour. So I have about thirty minutes left. Plenty of time. Well let¡¯s try to finish it off quick. Why do you want to become a mage? Hmm. A subjective question, huh? Well I don¡¯t really know at the moment. Do you really need a definitive reason? ... I don¡¯t really know why I want to become a mage right now. I think learning about magic would help me understand why. Plus I thinkmagic is beautiful and amazing. --- Thirty minutes later¡­ ¡°Alright! Hand in your exams! TIme¡¯s up!¡± ¡°Auuugh¡­!¡± I hear a collective sigh from everyone as if there wasn¡¯t enough time. Were they stuck on the last question? I believe it was worth the most marks, given the amount of space they left for you to write. ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t that last question really hard? What¡¯d you write for it?¡± ¡°Shucks man. I don¡¯t even know honestly. I just tried extending the page for as long as possible. Hopefully I get in to one of the academies, I crammed all night for this.¡± ¡°I feel you. Just what did the instructors want to see with that last question? Guess we¡¯ll never know.¡± Well¡­ that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable with only writing three sentences. But those were my true feelings. What¡¯s the point in writing rubbish just to extend your thoughts? Ehh... it¡¯s pointless crying over spilt milk, I¡¯ll just wait for the results now... whether they¡¯re good or bad. --- Regalus Library, Floor 1... ¡°So how¡¯d you do Cael?¡± ¡°Uhhhhhhh¡­ I¡¯m not too sure, grandma. The last question was really hard.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine. I¡¯m the one who taught you after all.¡± ¡°Geez, you never miss a chance to praise yourself, do you grandma?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ of course. If I didn¡¯t then who would?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure grandpa would...¡± ¡°Y-you! You little...! ¡°Ack, i''m sorry! It''s as you say, just a slip of the tongue!" ¡°Auugh! Hah¡­ so this is what they mean the student takes after the teacher... ¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m sorry grandma." I¡¯m laughing myself to death as I hear the door open again. ¡°Oh Cael. How were the exams? And why are you laughing so hard?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Well grandpa, it¡¯s beca----mmmmmmmhhmmm.¡± I feel grandma blocking my mouth as she begins to whisper in my ear. ¡°Never speak of this to anyone ever or you¡¯re dead, got it?!¡± I nod my head slowly as I try to hold in my laughter. Grandma releases my mouth after she sees that I¡¯ve calmed down a bit. ¡°Hah... anyways grandpa, it was nothing... I just remembered a really good joke that I read in a book.¡± ¡°Huh, must of been pretty funny to get you rolling on the floor like that. Anyways who¡¯s down for dinner? I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Sure, grandpa.¡± ... ... ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and celebrate for Cael¡¯s success. Oh and Estel, are you drunk already? You¡¯re looking fairly red there.¡± Sol! How could you be this oblivious, grandpa? I couldn¡¯t help but quietly chuckle to myself as he said that. Moments later, I hear a loud smack as grandma Estel pulled me out the door by the hand. ¡°Geez! Someone¡¯s moody today.¡± ¡°Hahhaha! Oh you have no idea, gramps.¡± Before I even realized it, all my worries about exams had disappeared... ----- Chapter 1.5 ----- Chapter 1.5 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10013 ¡°Are you ready Cael? This¡¯ll be your first time studying alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, gramps. I can¡¯t rely on you for the rest of my life, right?¡± ¡°If you say so Cael, I suppose I¡¯ll see you off then.¡± ¡°Alrighty gramps, let¡¯s go!¡± Stepping on the carriage reminds me of the time when we first decided to move here. Hehehe... I was pretty foolish back then, wasn¡¯t I? I purposely endangered myself just to feel some petty sense of superiority over those village kids. Just because they dared me to explore the forest, I almost ended up throwing away my life. Hah¡­ good thing gramps was there to save me. I don¡¯t remember much from that day, but I distinctly recall the blood running down grandpa¡¯s left arm as he carried me. Gramps has done a lot for me, hasn¡¯t he? ¡°Thank you¡­ grandpa.¡± ¡°Hmm? For what?¡± ¡°For taking me in. For rushing to save me that day. For helping me pursue my dreams. For¡­ everything.¡± ¡°Awwww, you¡¯re gonna make me cry. You¡¯re very welcome, Cael. I hope you¡¯ll manage to reach your dreams.¡± ¡°I will grandpa. I will.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be waiting for that day when you return as an accomplished mage.¡± --- ... ... ¡°Well, this is as far as I can go, Cael. The carriage driver will take you the rest of the way. I hope you enjoy your time at the academy.¡± ¡°Thanks grandpa. I¡¯ll be sure to visit on break.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting. Ah, and bring some souvenirs back while you¡¯re at it.¡± The carriage begins to move again as I shout back to the receding figure off in the distance. ¡°Goodbye gramps!¡± ¡°Goodbye Cael!¡± I can feel my eyes getting damp as I say my final farewell. Why must goodbyes be so painful? The new year suddenly seems so far away¡­ Well it¡¯s bad to be sad over things that are out of my control, I¡¯ll just look forward to the day when I can visit them. My thoughts began to wander as I suddenly feel a wave of afternoon tiredness wash over me. I lay myself along the cushioning of the carriage and slowly let my dreams take over. --- ... ... ¡°Excuse me young man, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Ughhh. Ah, t-thank you¡­ I¡¯ll be on my way, just a moment please.¡± ¡°Ah, no worries. Take your time.¡± I check for my pendant and grab my bag that I left in the corner. Rustling through my hair, I try to flatten it best I can to hide the bed head that¡¯s developed while I slept. I slowly exit the carriage and I instantly feel a dense wave of mana flow through me. It feels rather soothing, much more so than the chaotic energies back in the city. This mana seems much more¡­ uniform in its existence. Perhaps it¡¯s somehow controlled by the teachers? Well then, enough of these random thoughts¡­ let¡¯s go experience school life! ¡°Ah before I forget, thank you for your services, mister¡­¡± ¡°Derick, sir. Y-you¡¯re welcome¡­¡± ¡°Well I hope to see you around Derick, you were an excellent driver.¡± ¡°A-ah, thank you sir.¡± I thought noble children were supposed to be stuck up? Yet this young man seems to be rather respectful even towards a lowly driver such as myself. I hope I can be arranged to drive for him again¡­ --- ... ... Huh... my first impressions of the Vorant Academy. Well I don¡¯t know, it smells ok I guess? The air certainly seems to be fresher here. It must be because it''s completely surrounded by trees. I can also faintly hear the sound of a river flowing nearby.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Welcome students¡­ to Vorant Academy!¡± A booming voice greets me as I step into the walls of the academy. I don¡¯t feel her on the ground anywhere... is she levitating? I¡¯ve been practicing ¡®Pulse¡¯ this past year, and I can sense for about ten meters around me. I¡¯ve also learned to reduce it¡¯s mana usage by storing energy within the pendant for repeated use. It eventually became a habit such thatthe pendant was pulsing at all times. So she¡¯s beyond ten meters of me, huh? But I can hear her voice so clearly, as if she was right beside me. ¡°Line up and receive your identification and room key!¡± There seems to be about two hundred students that I can see thus far. That¡¯s a lot people, though not quite as much as in the city. (AN: Just assume that everytime that I use ''see'' it means Cael using ''Pulse''.) --- ¡°Name?¡± ¡°A-ah. Cael Ver.¡± I can feel a slight pause in the man before he hands me a smooth key. He pauses again, and I suddenly feel a subtle energy engraving itself onto my right arm. ¡°That marking will be your identification while you¡¯re here at the academy.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks sir.¡± I can feel the awkward silence take over again so I cordially take my leave. As I¡¯m walking towards my room, I begin to think to myself. Did I do something wrong? Why are my cheeks so hot? Ah, let¡¯s just forget about it. --- Back at the registration line¡­ ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that kid the¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. First on the exams. And judging by that complicated marking, it seems they¡¯re giving him preferential treatment.¡± ¡°Hmph. Pretty good for a commoner.¡± ¡°Tch. Cael Ver, was it?¡± --- ... ... Sol, I wish I asked for a map or something. Why¡¯s the layout of the rooms so complicated?! I walked around aimlessly until I felt the marking on my arm gradually heat up. Thank gods, it seems I¡¯ve reached the right location. As walked along the path, I suddenly feel a presence approach me from the side. ¡°What are you doing here? This place is reserved. Please leave.¡± A silky smooth voice greets me. It seems like it¡¯s another student. Reserved? I¡¯m pretty sure I have the right place though¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure my assigned room is here, though¡­¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s you?! You¡¯re the one who got first on the exams?¡± ¡°First?! I never heard about this?!¡± Did grandpa purposely not tell me how well I did? That shrewd old man! I thought all along that I just barely passed! That¡¯s why grandma Estel was laughing at me when I said I couldn''t treat her to a meal! ¡°Well now you have. Tch, I¡¯d thought you would be more scary looking.¡± ¡­ ... How do I respond to that?! ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t meet your expectations, miss¡­?¡± ¡°Lucia. And drop the formality, we¡¯re gonna be roomies for a loooong time.¡± Roomies? Does she mean roommates? Somehow she reminds me of grandma Estel¡­ ¡°Alright then¡­ Lucia. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Cae¡­¡± ¡°Cael Ver. Everyone knows that name. Nice to meet you too.¡± Ugh, why is talking with her so draining? Can¡¯t I just get a nice and shy girl to be my roommate like in all those novels I¡¯ve read? Hah¡­ whatever, let¡¯s just go check out my room. --- Outside... ¡°Huh¡­ the Ver family. I faintly remember something that dad told me about them. What was it again¡­? Ahhh, I can¡¯t remember anything right now!¡± Ugh, I haven''t even begun and I¡¯m bored of school already. Why do I have to learn with all these kids? I already know the entire curriculum! I guess I¡¯ll just have this little Ver boy entertain me this year, hehehe... --- In Cael¡¯s room... Is this my uniform? It feels really nice. Strapping the robe over me, I suddenly feel the engraving on my right arm heating up again. The natural mana within the academy seems to be attracted to this robe. Well that¡¯s pretty convenient. Let¡¯s check what else we have... Woah. That is one big bed. Why would one ever need one that big? There¡¯s also a personal kitchen and bathroom. This room is almost three times larger than the attic I previously lived in. I guess they treat good students very well¡­ Well, I¡¯m getting hungry and I don¡¯t know how to cook so let¡¯s just go buy some food. --- Outside... ¡°Hey, are you going out to eat?¡± ¡°Ack! Where¡¯d you come from? You scared me.¡± Huh¡­ ¡®Pulse¡¯ doesn¡¯t register her at all. It just goes right through her, I wonder why¡­? ¡°Uh¡­ I came from my room, duh? Well let¡¯s go, I know where all the best food spots are!¡± ¡°Alright¡­ then.¡± Hehehe, little do you know Cael¡­ you¡¯ve already fallen for my trap. --- Hmm. This chicken really is good. How does she know aboout this place already? Isn¡¯t she also a newcomer? ¡°So how is it, Cece?¡± ¡°Cece?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your nickname. C¡¯mon don¡¯t you like the sound of it?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Why are you acting so close to me? I barely know you. I¡¯d be fine if we just kept at a distance¡­¡± ¡°We barely know each other¡­ huh? I got it! We don¡¯t have classes until next week, so I can show you around the academy! How¡¯s that sound? Good right?¡± Ugh¡­ she just ignored everything I suggested. Why¡¯s it so hard to talk with her? This isn¡¯t anything like what I¡¯ve read in novels. Aren¡¯t girls usually supposed to be more reserved? ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Just come with me, you¡¯re curious too aren¡¯t you? About how they manage the mana flowing throughout the academy?¡± ¡°Ughh¡­ fine. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Yay! Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers¡­¡± We clink our glasses of fruit juice as I continue eating. Somehow, this chicken is tasting a lot worse now. I wonder why. My school life is looking a lot more bleak with this overly enthusiastic girl constantly bothering me¡­ ----- Chapter 1.6 ----- Chapter 1.6 - Echoes of the Past ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10013 ¡°Hey, I know you wanted to show me around the academy¡­ but why did we have to leave so early? Huuuuuuah¡­ I¡¯m so tired.¡± ¡°Well if we¡¯re gonna visit the stores Cece, we have to get there before the lines build up¡­ obviously.¡± ¡°Can you please just call me Cael?¡± ¡°Rejected. I like Cece better.¡± ¡°Alright then¡­ Lulu.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You know... Lulu. That¡¯s my nickname for you.¡± ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Huh, why not? If we¡¯re gonna be roomies we should be able to address each other casually¡­ Lulu.¡± ¡°Uuuuuuh, nobody¡¯s ever dared to tease me like this!¡± ¡°Well there¡¯s a first for everything now isn¡¯t there¡­ Lulu?¡± ¡°Tch. Whatever Cece, let¡¯s go.¡± I swear I¡¯ll get you back for this Cael Ver. Nobody gets away with taking advantage of me. Nobody! --- ¡­ ... We¡¯ve just arrived at the marketplace. It¡¯s a bit quieter than I expected it to be, but that¡¯s probably because we¡¯re early. ¡°Hey come on Cece, you¡¯re gonna lag behind if you just stand around thinking!¡± I feel her hand grab my hand as I¡¯m forcefully dragged forwards. Soft¡­ Are girls hands supposed to be this soft? Grandma Estel had a lot of wrinkles on her hands. I never knew they could be this soft. It¡¯s almost like jelly¡­ --- Inside the store... ¡°So which one do you like the most, Cece? Personally, I like the second one the most.¡± Wait. Does she not know that I¡¯m blind? Are you kidding?! How oblivious can you get?! Oh Sol, this is cracking me up! ¡°Hahahahah! There¡¯s no way you couldn¡¯t have noticed by now Lulu.¡± ¡°Huh? Noticed what?¡± ¡°Really?! You really haven¡¯t noticed? You¡¯re almost as oblivious as my grandpa, Lulu! Hahaha¡­!¡± ¡°Grrr, out with it! Just what is it that I haven¡¯t noticed?!¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Newsflash Lulu... I¡¯m blind. So if you¡¯re asking for an objective opinion on the dresses, I¡¯d say they all look equally good on you hahah...!¡± What a blunder. Cael¡¯s blind?! How is that possible?! He can walk around fine and even do so well on the exams that he got first. Wait in the first place how does he even know how to read or write?! ¡°What?! You¡¯re blind?! Then¡­ then how did you get first on the exams?! How could a blind boy¡­ b-beat me?!¡± ¡°Elementary... my dear Lulu. The grooves left by quill writing isn¡¯t particularly difficult to read. And I¡¯ve practiced a looooot. Writing is more of a struggle for me, but I think I¡¯m up to par with it now.¡± ¡°But if you¡¯re blind¡­ then how do you find your way around? You¡¯re not being guided by anyone are you?¡± ¡°Nope. I use this pendant here with a spell engraved into it that I call ¡®Pulse¡¯. It sends out waves constantly, so I can create a general feel for everything around me based on the rebound of the waves. Though the details are pretty fuzzy, It¡¯s sufficient enough for me.¡± ¡°Wait. So you can function just as well even while blind? That¡¯s amazing, Cece! This is the first time I¡¯ve been genuinely impressed in another person.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­ thank you, Lulu.¡± I¡¯m not used to getting compliments when I tell people I¡¯m blind. They usually start talking as if they¡¯re pitying me all of sudden. Lucia¡¯s the first person outside of grandpa and grandma that treated me the same after learning of my blindness. ¡°Seriously! You¡¯ll have to show me how you manage to do everything, Cece!¡± ¡°Alright, alright Lulu. And in return you¡¯ll tell me all this secret knowledge you seem to know about the academy, how¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°Deal!¡± We continued to visit some miscellaneous shops and had lunch at this great noodle shop. I should probably mark its location down. Ah, I should probably ask for a map of the academy first. Anyhow, It¡¯s been surprisingly fun going out with Lulu. I wonder if she feels the same. Can I consider our relationship as being friends? Let¡¯s ask her. ¡°Hey Lulu. I just wanted to ask you a personal question if that¡¯s alright with you.¡± ¡°Hmm? Shoot.¡± Oh Sol, has he already begin to catch on? There¡¯s no way his observation skills could be that good, could it? At this rate I¡¯ll have to transfer again. Just what could his question be? ¡°L-lucia, would you consider us to be friends?¡± Huh? Is he an idiot? Of course we¡¯re friends. Would strangers have nicknames for each other? Or go out together for that matter? ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯ll have to ask you two questions. Do strangers give each other nicknames? Do strangers invite people each other out to have fun?¡± ¡°Well I mean I guess it wouldn''t be comm¡­¡± Hah¡­ this fool just doesn¡¯t get it does he? Guess I¡¯ll have to be blunt. Before he can finish his sentence, I decide to cut him off. ¡°Yes, you dummy. We¡¯re friends, maybe even good friends at this point.¡± ¡°A-ah¡­ thank you Lucia¡­¡± ¡°What are you thanking me for? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re paying to be my friend, we¡¯re equals in this relationship.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Wooo! My first friend! This feeling is so foreign to me, but I don¡¯t dislike it. I bet grandpa and grandma would be proud of me! --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you could show me how they managed the mana around the academy, Lulu?¡± ¡°Oh, I was lying about that. I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be more convinced to go if I mentioned that. Whoopsies!¡± ¡°Arrrgh! I¡¯ll get you back for this, Lulu!¡± ¡°Awwww, don''t be like that, Cece. How about I treat you to a meal prepared by yours truly as an apology? I¡¯ve been meaning to try out the kitchen in our rooms.¡± ¡°Fine, I Cael will so graciously accept this mortal¡¯s offering of a meal as an apology.¡± ¡°What the heck are you, an old man? Who uses that archaic gibberish nowadays? Let¡¯s just head back before it¡¯s dark, we have a curfew to follow.¡± Does she need to one up me every single time? Can¡¯t she just accept my goodwill? Geez! What a stubborn girl. Hah, let¡¯s just hope her cooking is good. --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ack! This tastes terrible! ¡° Talk about subverting expectations¡­ ¡°What?! This is meal prepared by the O¡¯ mighty Lucia, how could it possibly taste bad?¡± I decide to take a bite of my creation just out of curiosity. Bleugh! Oh Sol, this really is bad. But why¡­? I followed the recipe instructions to a tee, there¡¯s no way it could be this bad. Holding down my urge to vomit, I try to formulate an excuse. ¡°Augh. Well it¡¯s taste is certainly unique, but it¡¯s based on a recipe that¡¯s been proven in countless starred restaurants. It probably just doesn¡¯t match your palate, Cece.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°You said it has a recipe?¡± ¡°Correct, Cece.¡± ¡°Do you happen to have this recipe with you?¡± ¡°Well I do but I don¡¯t see why that would...¡± Taking the recipe from her hands, I decide to read it through. What the heck. These instructions are so simple and the ingredients aren¡¯t too complex either. How in Sol did she manage to screw it up so bad? ¡°Could I borrow some ingredients and your kitchen for a moment?¡± ¡°Huh? Why do you - ¡± I decide to cut her off again to establish dominance to improve our friendship. ¡°I¡¯d like to confirm a suspicion of mine. So do I have your permission, Lulu?¡± ¡°I mean I guess so¡­¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Stepping into her kitchen, I quickly determine where the stove and pots are. I slowly and carefully prepare the vegetables and beef because I''m not used with using a knife. The stovetop is still hot so I quickly heat a pan. I¡¯ll cook it based on sound and smell but the recipe has a estimate time so I¡¯ll try to keep it around there. I briefly sear the vegetables and gradually add warm water to bring it to a gradual simmer. I add the specified spices and wheat flour until the soup is a bit thicker. After ten minutes, a pleasant aroma greets my nose and I know it¡¯s done. I scoop out a small bowl and take over some leftover bread that I found near the fridge. I take a spoonful and slowly taste it. Hmm¡­ this is much better. It¡¯s shocking how Lucia could of messed up so hard using the same recipe. I bring the small bowl and bread sticks out the door and slowly put it down on the table. Not to rub it in or anything, but I can feel a superiority smirk come over me as I wait for her response. After a brief five minutes, we¡¯re still sitting there at the table in complete silence. I finally decide to break it. ¡°So, what do you think of it, Lulu?¡± ¡°H-h-h-h-h¡­¡± ¡°Come on, use your words, Lulu.¡± ¡°H-how is this possible?! I understand for the exams maybe, but how can you be so good at cooking as well?! Why are the gods so unfair?!¡± I can feel my smirk extending as I ready my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯d hate to break it to you, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the first time I ever cooked. I don¡¯t think it''s a matter of talent but rather¡­ you don¡¯t have any affinity for cooking do you Lulu?¡± ¡°W-w-w-w-w¡­¡± Lucia seems to be in shock. Hehehe, this¡¯ll knock her down a peg, surely. ¡°It¡¯s alright Lulu¡­ nobody can be perfect at everything. Not even me.¡± I smirk even wider whilst saying that. ¡°B-but, I¡¯m a girl! I¡¯m supposed to be skilled in housework and artsy stuff. I¡¯ve been taught since young to master all of it! But every time I try¡­ I always fail miserably. Why?! Auuuuuuuwaaa!¡± Huh. I was just joking around but it seems I¡¯ve poked at a sore spot for her. Ah¡­ how should I comfort her? I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m socially inept, but the only interactions I¡¯ve ever had are with grandpa and grandma, so I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m supposed to say here. Arrrgh, let¡¯s just go with my true feelings. ¡°Lucia.¡± ¡°Wuahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Lucia!¡± ¡°Auuuuuh. W-what is i-it¡­? Are y-you gonna make fun of me again?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re friends, and you should know I was just joking with you.¡± ¡°I-I know, but every time I visit home, girls always make fun of me for always failing at housework.¡± ¡°Hmm? So what? Are you friends with any of those girls?¡± ¡°N-no¡­¡± ¡°Then why do you care what they say about you?¡± ¡°B-but they¡­ they always use hurtful words and I can¡¯t just ignore them outright...¡± ¡°Look Lucia. You¡¯re the first friend I¡¯ve had outside my family, and I hate to say it, but it was because of your uncharacteristically bubbly personality for a girl. All the novels I¡¯ve read had girls acting shy and reserved, to which I subconsciously concluded that all girls had to be like that.¡± ¡°B-but why does that mat - ¡° ¡°Just let me finish first, Lucia. I¡¯ve been rejecting people outside my family for a loooong time now. I¡¯ve never told you this, but I was bullied for being blind back at the village where I used to live. However... because of your unconventional personality, it sparked my curiosity in you, and before I realized it, I had opened up to someone. Something that I thought I would never do again. And now I¡¯m telling that very someone my oh so very personal past that I¡¯ve never shared before.¡± ¡°A-ah. Thank you¡­ Cael.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ It looks like you¡¯ve calmed down.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re pretty cheerful for someone who was bawling their eyes out a minute ago.¡± ¡°I was not!¡± ¡°Judging by how wet my shirt is, I¡¯d have to disagree Lulu.¡± ¡°Well you have no evidence. What are you gonna say, that you saw it happen? Nobody will believe you! Bleh!¡± I hear Lucia stick her tongue out at me and finally knew for certain that she was back to her usual self. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s the Lucia I know. The happy go lucky and ever so slightly quirky one.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ve never had a real friend before but I just want you to know that as your friend, I appreciate you for who you are as it is... not what society says you have to be. What I¡¯m trying to say is, I don¡¯t think any less of you for your apparent lack of housework skills, hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m just out of practice, I swear!¡± ¡°Pfft. Whatever you say, Lulu.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ really¡­ thank you. For comforting me¡­ and helping me come to terms for who I am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I had to go through the same thing back when I was young.¡± I suddenly recall the time where I almost got killed. I was angry at myself for being born blind, and at the gods who allowed it to happen. So I foolishly decided to go into uncharted areas of the forest alone, and got lost. In the end grandpa saved me and reminded me that I¡¯m not living only for myself. Gramps cared for me so much that he would risk his own life for mine. My unworthy life which has only burdened him. Hah¡­ thank you grandpa¡­ for everything. ¡°Back when I was young?I¡¯m seriously starting to consider whether you¡¯re an old man in a young kid¡¯s body.¡± Kuh¡­ just when I was reminiscing on good memories. ¡°Pffft. I don¡¯t want to hear that from Miss Second. Lost to me in the exams, and now in cooking? Are you sure you¡¯re not an old man in disguise?¡± ¡°Grrr¡­ don¡¯t get ahead of yourself Cece. You just got lucky, alright?!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ sure, sure. Whatever you say, Lulu. Let¡¯s just finish this meal before it gets cold, alright?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Though this ¡®curry¡¯ is a bit more watery than I remembered. How peculiar, kukuku¡­¡± ¡°Grrrrr! I¡¯ll get you back for this humiliation, Cece!¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be waiting, Miss Second.¡± ¡°Arrrrrrgh! Cael Ver¡­!¡± ----- Chapter 1.7 ----- Chapter 1.7 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10013 ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaah! We¡¯re gonna be late! Hurry it up Lulu!¡± ¡°Just a second! A girl needs to look good on her first day!¡± ¡°Who are you trying to impress?! Nobody would like such a stubborn girl like you anyways!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± I begin running to class as I hear a door slamming behind me. Sol, she really is easy to provoke. We might just make it on time at this rate. --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Hah¡­. huuuh.¡± ¡°Huuuuh¡­ I finally¡­ hah¡­ got you¡­¡± ¡°Haaaaaah¡­ it seems like we¡¯ve made it on time.¡± Sol... my body could barely handle that. I really need to go out more. After I take a brief moment to catch my breath I try to prepare myself mentally. I grab the large metal bars and pull the doors wide open. Crrrrrrrrr! The murmurings inside the class suddenly go silent at the sound of the door creaking. Woops. Maybe I pulled a bit too hard¡­ Lucia and I quickly climb the rows of seats to avoid embarrassment. We eventually find two spots in the back that weren¡¯t taken. It seems fairly isolated which is perfect for me. I quickly take out my notebook and prepare my quills, when I overhear some buzzing amongst the other students. ¡°Pssh. Aren¡¯t those two the -¡± ¡°The special kids¡­? Yeah. I hear they get their own rooms. How lucky.¡± ¡°I also heard that one of them is a you know what.¡± ¡°Oh really? I never knew he was a commoner.¡± Did he really have to say that out loud? I can hear the murmurs begin to grow deafening as if they were kindled by the word ¡®commoner¡¯. Hah¡­ why does it matter if I¡¯m a noble or not. All the nobles I¡¯ve met have just been stuck up pricks who don¡¯t seem to care about anyone but themselves. ¡°Ah geez. Those lousy nobles are at it again it seems.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ you have experience with them, Lucia?¡± We tactfully agreed to address each other formally in public locations. ¡°Hah¡­ yes, perhaps too much at this point.¡± It seems Lucia has something she¡¯s holding back from me. Well there¡¯s no need to inquire about it right now. I just hope she can open up to me eventually. My thoughts began to wander when suddenly a familiar booming voice resonates within the classroom. ¡°Quiet down! This is a classroom, not a bar!¡± The entire room suddenly grows silent at the commanding voice. ¡°Good. Looks like you kids do have some manners after all.¡± Is this the voice from registration day? I believe so¡­? ¡°Since this is your first day, I won¡¯t go too harsh on you. But I have to say, judging from most of your entrance exams, most of you likely won¡¯t make it to year¡¯s end. Well, maybe with one or two exceptions.¡± I have a sneaking suspicion she¡¯s talking about us¡­ ¡°Well then. Let¡¯s just cover the basics for today. What do you call the...¡± --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°So what do you think of Miss Besi, Lulu?¡± ¡°Meh. Strict but upright. She¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so too. Anyways, let¡¯s head to our next class. It¡¯s held outside if I remember correctly.¡± ¡°Mmmmph. Physical education, specifically.¡± ¡°Cool. Physi - wait did you say physical education?!¡± ¡°Yes...? What of it?¡± ¡°W-wait¡­ why do we need physical education if we¡¯re gonna be mages?!¡± ¡°Are you going to everything through magic once you learn it? Will it walk and breathe for you? Obviously no, so we have to have some physical training so our body can keep up. Casting spells is pretty draining, y¡¯know?¡± Huh. I never thought about that. Wait why didn¡¯t I ever consider that?! Ahhhhhhhhh! I think a child would have better stamina than me! Dear Sol, please spare me¡­ ¡°Ahhhhhh! It¡¯s over, Lulu! My school¡¯s life already come crashing down!¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Huh? Why? There¡¯s no way you could be that out of shape, is there¡­?¡± ¡°Oh forgive me father for I have sinned. I will offer my meagre days left on this world for the chance of releasing me from this hell. I pray that you would consider helping me out in my time of need. I have prayed for years and years¡­¡± ¡°Relax, Cece. Just like you said, nobody¡¯s good at everything, so don¡¯t stress so hard.¡± ¡°Kuuuuh. You¡¯re probably right, but I just can¡¯t get this bad feeling out of my head.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to see and find out¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess so.¡± --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Listen up, you brats! I don¡¯t have time to deal with your bullshit so you better listen well! I¡¯ll be the instructor in charge of keeping all you lazy kids in shape. Don¡¯t even think about skipping this class because I. Will. Find. You.¡± Oh Sol. It seems like my fears have come true. Of all the things¡­ why physical education¡­? ¡°Alright. Since I¡¯m feeling nice today, we¡¯ll only do five laps then the usual ten. Now get going! You have thirty minutes to finish or you¡¯ll have to attend some remedial classes that I will also graciously host.¡± Nononononono¡­! I force my shabby body forwards as I pace forwards. I can hear people passing me every second and soon I realize... ... ... I¡¯m in last place. H-huh? H-how did this happen? ¡°Hey, silver-haired boy, you might want to hurry it up, you¡¯re not even done your first lap yet! You really do want to attend those remedial classes, don¡¯t you?!¡± Aghhhh¡­ hah¡­ I want to keep going¡­ but my body just¡­ won¡¯t¡­ listen. I feel like my heart will explode! Ahhhhhh! I don¡¯t think my body can¡­ handle¡­ hah¡­ anymore. The last thought I had in my mind was that I probably should of bought kneeguards... ¡°Hey! Get up, brat! I don¡¯t accept no quitters!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sir, he¡¯s fainted.¡± ¡°What?! What do you mean he fainted?! Ah fuck it! Alright everyone! Class is dismissed for now!¡± How the fuck does a kid just pass out from running? He''s in the prime of youth, he should have more stamina. How has he lived till now for her to be this fragile? Ah let¡¯s just get him to the infirmary. As I¡¯m going to pick him up, a young girl approaches me. Ah shit, it¡¯s the little princess from the central continent. What does she want with me? ¡°Are you bringing him to the nurse?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. What does it have to do with you, Miss Lucia?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my friend. Can I come along?¡± What?! Friends? Last time I checked, she could barely approach anyone other than her attendant. When did she get to know this kid? Ah whatever, it doesn¡¯t concern me. ¡°Of course, Miss Lucia.¡± Fuck¡­ why do I have to be so respectful to a little brat? This damned academy! Why did I ever agree to come here anyways?! I swear imma just straight up quit one day! --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Yo, Vera. We got a kid who fainted on the field.¡± ¡°Hmph? Fainted, you say? Why are you here as well, Lucia?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my friend.¡± Friend? Little Lu finally has a friend?! Ah it¡¯s been so long! I¡¯d never thought it¡¯d happen. And with a boy as well?! Maybe we¡¯ll have a scandal afloat, ohohoho¡­! ¡°Ah, I see. Well let¡¯s check up on this little guy.¡± Wait. This is the boy that got first on the exam isn¡¯t it? Silver hair is pretty unique here. Hmm¡­ he seems to be breathing fine¡­ just burnt out it seems. Well then, let¡¯s just give him some relaxants. I apply some medicinal pads to his chest and throat and feel his rapid heartbeat begin to calm. ¡°Alright, he should be alright now, he just needs some rest. You said you were his friend, Lucia? Do you also happen to know where his room is?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re roomi- I mean roommates.¡± ¡°Could you carry him back to his room then?¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± --- As I began to carry Cael to his room I think back to what he told me. I know he told me he wasn¡¯t the most athletically inclined but I didn¡¯t expect him to be this fragile, hahaha. Ehehehe¡­ at least I¡¯ve found one thing that I can beat him in. Take that, Cece! Anyhow we finally arrived back at rooms and I try to scan his arm on the door. Beep! Huh? It¡¯s not working? Let¡¯s try that one more time. Beep! Beep! Well... ain''t this tragic? Hah¡­ I guess he¡¯ll have to rest on my bed for the time being. Wait... on my bed?! Ahhhh! Calm your heart, Lucia! It¡¯s just because he¡¯s injured! There¡¯s no other intention behind it! I quickly lay him on my bed and cover him with a thin blanket. Ah I should prepare some porridge for him¡­ right? Mom says its the cure for all things. I quickly enter the kitchen and begin cooking... --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ahhhhgh¡­ it hurts.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°L-lucia¡­?¡± ¡°Who else would it be, dummy? You sure made quite a demonstration at the field today, ehehe¡­!¡± ¡°The field¡­? Oh¡­ right. I was running¡­ then¡­¡± I felt my lungs were about to burst right through my chest and before I could take another step I just... ¡°You blacked out. The instructor took you to the nurse and I carried you back here from the infirmary.¡± ¡°A-ah. You did? Thank you¡­¡± ¡°No problem. Oh right. Here¡¯s some porridge. I¡¯ll feed it to you. Say ¡®ahhh¡¯.¡± ¡°A-ahhhhh¡­¡± Eugh¡­! She must of made this herself. It doesn¡¯t taste bad¡­ it just has no flavour. This texture as well¡­ it¡¯s too slimy. She¡¯s certainly improved from last time though. ¡°So¡­ how¡¯s the taste?¡± ¡°Kukuku¡­ better than last time.¡± Yes! I knew I couldn¡¯t be that bad at cooking. It seems like there¡¯s some hope left for me. ¡°Hey Lucia¡­¡± ¡°Mmmhm?¡± ¡°You finished those five laps, right?¡± ¡°Yep. With top score as well.¡± ¡°Could you perhaps train me?¡± ¡°Huh? Train you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ to help me get in shape as you say.¡± ¡°I mean I guess but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll owe you one.¡± ¡°Ah, when you say it like that I just can¡¯t refuse. It¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡­ ¡­ Cael spent another hour stabilizing before returning to his room. Hmm. Training¡­ huh? I¡¯ve never taught anyone before, but I think I can do this. The question is how to train someone as fragile as Cece¡­ oh I got it! Ohohoho¡­ you have no idea what¡¯s in store for you, Cece. ----- Chapter 1.8 ----- Chapter 1.8 ----- Igarian Calendar, Year 10013 ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright... Cece? The nurse said you could take a day off if you wanted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ honestly. I can¡¯t just let myself fall behind now can I?¡± ¡°Mmmmk. But don¡¯t go fainting on me again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t¡­ probably?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very reassuring¡­¡± --- Later¡­ As I sit in my seat I begin to think about my path to becoming a mage. It¡¯s looking pretty hard especially since I¡¯m blind. I wonder if there''s a spell that can substitute for sight? I''ll have to look into that at the library. I can feel my thoughts gradually wander away as the murmurings of the class overwhelms me... ¡°Hah¡­ it¡¯s as loud as always.¡± ¡°Mmph, same as usual Cece.¡± Trying to concentrate, I somehow manage to hear my name being mentioned in the chaos. ¡°That Ver kid is pathetic. Did you see? He could barely finish a lap. What a fuckin¡¯ disgrace.¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯d think that with his silver hair that he¡¯d be hiding some potential. Who does he think he is? A protagonist of a novel?¡± ¡°Oh lower your voice, he¡¯s looking at us. Wait¡­ he¡¯s blindso what does it matter, hahahaha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, kukuku!¡± Tch. They¡¯re just like those village kids. What¡¯s so bad about being a commoner anyways? Are we not of the same flesh and blood? Why am I treated as if I¡¯m an outcast? Hah¡­ it¡¯s pointless thinking about this right now. Let¡¯s just focus on preparing for class. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Imagine a maze with multiple paths stemming from the center. If you try to search all those paths at the same time, you¡¯ll progress very slowly. However if you decide to go down only one path, you¡¯ll miss out on the other paths but you¡¯ll progress much faster. Understand?¡± A wave of mhmms resounds in the classroom. ¡°Good. The same thinking can be applied to learning magic. I know it¡¯s very tempting to try to understand every type of magic, but it¡¯s very inefficient and slow. I don¡¯t want you all to spend years studying only to remain as acolytes. If you look back to all the titled mages of old, they certainly knew parts of every element, but they were famous according to the one they were most proficient with. So in summary, try to focus on the arcane element that suits you most rather than trying to learn everything at once. Understood?¡± Another wave of ¡®yeses¡¯ echoes throughout the hall as a slight ringing reverberates in my ears, marking the end of class. Augh, my hand is sore. I should really learn how to find the important parts within these lectures. I can¡¯t just keep writing everything down¡­ I''m running low on paper and ink already. Why is theory so boring? Not that it¡¯s hard¡­ more so just tedious, if anything. Is there anyway to skip this class? I¡¯m sure I can learn this much faster alone. Hmm¡­ I should probably ask Ms. Besi at some time. Well, I should get going now. Next class is¡­ weapons class? What does it mean by weapon, I wonder¡­? --- ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Alright, brats! Today you will each pick a weapon and familiarize yourself with it.¡± But¡­ we¡¯re gonna be mages¡­ aren¡¯t we? Why would we need a weapon other than a staff? ¡°But¡­ sir. Why would need to have a weapon if we¡¯re fighting mainly through spellcasting?¡± Huh. Luckily another student asked my question for me. ¡°Why¡­ you ask? Cause¡­ of this!¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Arrrrgh!¡± A sharp cry resounds as I hear a loud thud right beside me. ¡°What are you going to do if you¡¯re cornered? You¡¯re going to try for an incantation when the opponent can kill you at any moment?! Pfft!¡± Whew¡­ thank gods I didn¡¯t end up asking Mr. Nev about it. He seems to really hate teaching us for some reason. Hah¡­ let¡¯s just hope he doesn¡¯t make us run laps again. ¡°Alright. Go head and select your weapons! Ah, right. Ver kid¡­ come over here, we need to talk.¡± Oh Sol. Please forgive me. What did I do wrong¡­? I nervously shuffle closer to him¡­ ¡°Why are you so scared? I won¡¯t bite ya¡­ yet.¡± Does that mean he intends to eventually?! Please no¡­ I say to myself as I wait for him to continue. ¡°A silent one, huh? Well I don¡¯t want to be here as much as you do, so I¡¯ll make it quick. I got orders from the shitheads from above, and they told me you can skip this class. Got that?¡± ¡°A-ah. Yes¡­¡± ¡°Your girly friend also has the same exemption or so I¡¯m told. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Tch. Those two just get to leave? What makes them so special? Just because she¡¯s some foreigner¡­¡± ¡°Hey brat! If you energy to talk you have energy to swing! Now get to it!¡± Huh. More kids chose the sword and spear than I expected. Do they think this a game? Close combat is the bane of arcanists. Why would they purposely risk themselves? Do they think just because it¡¯s a flashy weapon means it¡¯s a good weapon? Fools. There¡¯s a reason why spellcasters want to keep at a distance at all times. It¡¯s because if they don¡¯t¡­ they die! Well whatever¡­ it¡¯s not my problem anyways. --- ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m not so sure how we got so lucky¡­ but I guess we have quite a lot of free time now.¡± I can¡¯t tell Cael I used my connections to let us skip class. I just didn¡¯t want to see those lousy northerners making fun of him. ¡°Y-yeah. We¡¯re pretty lucky Cece.¡± ¡°So what should we do now¡­?¡± ¡°How about let¡¯s go weapon hunting for you, Cece. Even though we can skip that class I still think it¡¯s a good idea to be able to defend yourself at the basic level.¡± A weapon, huh? What would be good for me? Swords and spears are out of the question. I¡¯d probably end up hurting myself more than the enemy with those. A bow then? But aiming is a bit difficult... to say the least. So something like a bow but easier to manage. Hmm... I got it! ¡°How about a crossbow? I think it¡¯ll be the easiest for me to use.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ seems acceptable. Let¡¯s go get one then.¡± ¡°B-but I have¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I errr¡­ don¡¯t have any money on me except for food¡­¡± ¡°Huuuuuuh?! Didn¡¯t you get the bonus reward for placing first? I heard it was ten gold? That¡¯s a hefty amount no matter how you look at it.¡± Huh? Ten gold? Why have I not heard of this at all? Damn it grandpa! ¡°Uhhh, I seem to have misplaced it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s ten gold Cael! You could live off of that in luxury for years to come. Hah¡­ whatever. I¡¯ll help you pay for it this time.¡± ¡°A-ah¡­ thank you -¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for free. It¡¯s an investment. I¡¯m expecting returns in the future. Alright?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± --- Elsewhere... Cael Ver. A little sheep that has strayed from his path. So naive yet somehow managing to slither his way into the spotlight. Does he not understand that the tallest tree will catch the most wind? Does he think he can thrive here with no background nor status? History has shown through and through of commoners that have tried to overcome their status, yet almost all have failed. Does this child believe himself to be special? Foolish. A pawn should learn his place¡­ lest he is chosen to be sacrificed next. Arthus --- ¡°Huh, what are you writing over here¡­ Arthus?¡± Ah. The unsavory group of thugs have appeared once again. ¡°None of your business, Vale.¡± ¡°Heh. A mere bastard dare talks back to me? Pin him down!¡± Two of his goons rush up and push me down to the ground. A smirk comes from Vale as he approaches me. Bwak! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna hit me back, Arthus?! What¡¯s the matter? Tch. Maybe this is why your mother offed herself after giving birth to you. Hahaha!¡± Kuh¡­! These fucking bastards! Hold back¡­ Arthus. You need to graduate this school to accomplish your goals. ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°Ignoring us huh¡­Maybe I should give you a quick reminder¡­¡± Buak! Buak! ¡°You¡¯re nothing. Don¡¯t pretend to be like us, it¡¯s disgusting. Learn your place.¡± ... Learn my place¡­ ... Hahahahahah! Learn my place¡­?! ... ¡°Tch. Too afraid to even talk back? Pathetic. Learn my place¡­ Vale?! I¡¯ll fucking show you my place in this world. Hahahahahah! Just you wait. For a refined individual like myself, I prefer my revenge served cold¡­ and bloody. -----