2
Chapter 2- The Mage of Arpenheim.
The mercenary company arrived at Baron Grozia's castle after traveling by carriage for half a day.
They had set off at dawn, and by the time they arrived, the sun had already set beyond the horizon, and the stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky.
At first, Yurik felt quite uneasy, but the moment he laid eyes on the new environment, all the worries and anxieties in his heart disappeared, replaced by anticipation and curiosity.
His fingers itched to capture the scenery on canvas.
The mercenaries spent their final evening together at a tavern that also served as an inn.
The bond between the mage and the mercenaries would last only until tonight.
While the mercenaries ate, drank, and made noise in the hall, Yurik went up to the second-floor guest room and drew the night view of the city visible through the window.
He gazed at the moonlight, thinking that his brother must be looking at the same moon.
After a while, the mage returned to the room. Yurik greeted her and attended to her needs.
“Let’s sleep now. We have to leave early tomorrow.”
“Yes, Master.”
He didn’t ask where they were going.
It felt too soon to ask such questions.
The next morning, the two bid farewell to the mercenaries in the hall.
The bonds formed over a month of traveling together were sealed with a handshake.
Such was the nature of fleeting relationships.
A few of the more jovial members ruffled Yurik’s hair roughly, saying, “Take care, kid.”
The master and apprentice left the inn and headed to the carriage station at the eastern gate of the baron’s castle.
There, retired old horses and coachmen lined up, preparing for another exhausting day.
Though it wasn’t particularly special, for Yurik, who had never left his rural village, it was a scene of mystery and wonder.
They found a carriage heading to their destination and boarded it after paying the fare.
There were already two passengers inside, but they had their arms crossed and heads leaning against the wall, already drifting into dreamland.
Though half the seats were empty, the carriage departed without waiting for more passengers.
Thankfully, this spared Yurik the discomfort of being squeezed between people and breathing in their odors.
The journey of the two lasted a full month.
After passing through four villages and two cities, they reached the Earl of Mound’s castle, where they boarded another carriage heading to a nearby floodplain.
Finally, they arrived at the sea of forests,【Eldrover】.
The mage’s sanctuary was located deep within the towering, lush woods.
The cozy yet dreamy cottage, with its well-tended garden and fields, felt like a scene from a painting.
Yurik marveled inwardly at how fitting it was for a mage and felt a strong urge to draw it.
Of course, he would have plenty of opportunities to do so later, so there was no need to rush.
“This is where you’ll live from now on. Stay in that room.”
“Understood, Master.”
Yurik carefully opened the door to the room she pointed to and stepped inside.
It seemed like it hadn’t been used in a long time, as it was empty except for a few items and covered in dust.
Still, after sharing a cramped room with his siblings for so long, having a room all to himself was a luxury he would gladly accept under any conditions.
He drew the curtains and opened the wooden window.
The view of the sunlit garden and forest was quite artistic.
He rummaged through his bag and placed the sculpture on the window.
The carving of Yurik, Luke, and Yeri sitting side by side blended well with the scenery outside.
While Yurik was cleaning and organizing his new room, someone visited the cottage.
When he went out to the living room, he saw a girl standing at the door, talking to his master.
She looked about two or three years older than him, with a cute face.
She seemed utterly shocked to see someone else in the cottage, especially a boy!
The girl stared at Yurik with her mouth agape for a long time.
But the master continued speaking indifferently, ignoring her reaction.
“Is that all you came to say?”
Finally, the girl snapped out of it.
“Ah, yes…”
“Tell her I’ll visit soon.”
“I will. …Then.”
The girl gave a slight nod, glanced at Yurik one last time, and left down the path.
Yurik, who hadn’t expected to meet a girl his age in such a place, asked his master about her identity.
The master simply replied that she was the disciple of a colleague.
“Are you done cleaning your room?”
“Yes, I’m done.”
“Then follow me.”
The master led Yurik to a secluded room in the cottage.
Surprisingly, the room was filled with an enormous number of books tightly packed on shelves.
At a glance, there must have been hundreds of them.
Yurik’s jaw dropped in amazement.
Considering that most households didn’t even own a single book, this place could truly be called an ark of knowledge.
“This is where you’ll study from now on. Of course, practicing magic inside the house is forbidden. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Can you read?”
“A little, yes.”
“A little won’t do. There’s a mountain of things you need to know to learn magic. …The next few years will be incredibly tough. Are you still willing?”
“I am. No matter how long it takes, I’ll definitely do it!”
“Good.”
As the master turned to look for books for him to study, Yurik cautiously spoke up.
“Um…”
“What?”
“Well… since I’ve become your disciple, shouldn’t there be some kind of ceremony…?”
The master stared intently at Yurik, who was looking up at her, then slightly raised the corner of her mouth.
If an ordinary person had done it, it might have looked like a smirk, but on a stunning beauty like her, it was a captivating and enchanting smile.
Yurik wondered how many men had fallen for that smile.
She reached out and placed her hand on his head. Then she declared:
“I, Hene, solemnly declare before mana that I take Yurik as my disciple.”
Though it wasn’t a formal ceremony, it was a meaningful moment for Yurik.
He had truly become her disciple.
“Thank you, Master. I will strive to be a disciple worthy of your expectations.”
“Good, that’s the right attitude. I don’t want to hear that Hene’s disciple is a slacker. So, remember your position and work yourself to death.”
Then she skimmed the bookshelf and pulled out two thin books, handing them to him.
“This one is the common language, and this one is runic. These are the basics every mage must master. There’s no magic theory until you’ve perfectly learned these. You have one month. And get used to life here in the meantime.”
“Understood.”
“Once you’ve become somewhat proficient with household chores, I’ll leave them to you. There won’t be too much to do.”
“Yes, I’ll learn quickly.”
Yurik was prepared for even harder labor, considering he was being taught magic without any cost.
“Then study for now. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, take care.”
Hene left the cottage and headed straight to the village of 【Arpenheim】 located in Eldrover.
She was the disciple of the Grand Matron who ruled Arpenheim.
The mages roaming the streets recognized her and bowed their heads first.
Hene entered the largest and most ornate building in the village.
A sharp surge of mana swept over her entire body, as if inspecting her.
A mage in the lobby recognized her and gave a mischievous smile.
“I heard you’ve arrived. And brought something interesting with you.”
Hene thought to herself, how fast the news travels, and responded nonchalantly.
“I’ve taken a disciple.”
“You? ……What’s gotten into you?”
The mage looked utterly shocked, as if she had never expected Hene to take a disciple.
“I guess I’ve grown whimsical with age.”
“And it’s a boy, I hear! Hene, do you know what that means?”
“What does gender matter in magic?”
“This is Arpenheim!”
“There’s no rule against it, and the Grand Matron will judge for herself.”
“You’re really……, I’ve never been able to predict you for a long time.”
As the mage shook her head in exasperation, Hene smiled softly
“Sometimes even I can’t understand myself.”
“Anyway. She’s waiting. Go on in.”
Hene gave a small nod and entered the Grand Matron’s room.
The woman was sitting at a table by the window, savoring her tea.
At first glance, she didn’t seem much older than Hene, but she had ruled Arpenheim for hundreds of years.
The Grand Matron.
Known simply as the Grand Matron, she exuded an indescribable aura of depth.
Even Hene felt small in her presence.
With her long, glossy black hair and elegant attire, the Grand Matron gestured for Hene to approach with a benevolent smile.
“Master.”
Hene addressed her as ‘Master’ in private, though in formal settings, she used ‘Grand Matron’.
“I hear you’ve brought a boy.”
“Yes, my disciple.”
The Grand Matron’s smile deepened.
“How unexpected. I thought you’d live alone forever.”
“I didn’t choose him. He chose me.”
Hene took something out from her robe and handed it to the Grand Matron.
It was the portrait of Hene that Yurik had drawn on tree bark. The Grand Matron’s eyes gleamed strangely as she examined it.
“Did the boy draw this?”
“Yes. He knew nothing of magic. Yet, his drawing is imbued with mana. It even drew me in. …I couldn’t comprehend it with my common sense.”
“You were enchanted.”
“…Perhaps.”
Hmm. The Grand Matron stroked her chin as she looked at the drawing.
“……Perhaps this is…….”
Though she maintained a calm exterior, the Grand Matron felt a bit troubled inside.
Who was Hene? The most talented among the Grand Matron’s disciples.
And yet, she had been completely captivated by a drawing from a boy who knew nothing of magic.
Enough to whimsically take him as her disciple.
As she continued to examine the portrait, the Grand Matron felt a strange premonition.
After living for hundreds of years immersed in mana, her premonitions were as good as prophecies.
This boy will one day wield great influence over Arpenheim. …Perhaps even greater than the Grand Matron herself.
Hene and countless other mages will be filled with worry and anxiety because of this boy.
Emotions will run high. …They will feel love and jealousy!
Joyful, yet sorrowful.
The Grand Matron handed the portrait back to Hene.
“Raising a disciple is no easy task. Raise him well.”