A Busy Day for the Mage's Apprentice
In my childhood (3), the mage's apprentice lived a busy day. I woke early, before dawn had fully broken, pulled the sheets taut and tucked them beneath the bedding, then neatly arranged the blanket and pillow on top. Next, I opened the windows. The weather was pleasant. Soon it would turn cold rather than merely cool, so I needed to ventilate thoroughly while I still could. I opened the windows in every room except my master's. The living room, kitchen, utility room, storeroom… ah, and I flung the workshop windows wide as well. The house felt fresher at once. Happy Mid-land had this advantage. Simply opening a window let in air that, in the modern world, one would have to travel deep into remote mountains to find. I swept and wiped every corner of the house. Once the grime was gone and everything gleamed, the place seemed noticeably brighter. With cleaning finished, it was time to prepare breakfast. I lit the hearth, set the cast-iron pot over the flames, and roughly chopped the beef I had procured the day before, searing its surface. Then I added finely diced onion, carrot, garlic, and turnip, stir-frying them before pouring in enough water to cover everything and tossing in a bay leaf. After seasoning with salt, I covered the pot and adjusted the flame. Two hours of gentle simmering would yield the mage's apprentice's special beef stew. I whispered to myself, "Now, while the stew simmers, I'll properly organize and maintain the workshop. That will complete twenty-five percent of my morning tasks. Being a mage's apprentice really is exhausting."
"You create extra work for yourself even when there's none to be done. Anyone watching would think I ordered you to do it."
Startled by the sudden voice, I turned. Kelton stood there, puffing on his pipe with an incredulous expression.
"You're awake?"
"Old men don't sleep much."
"I don't sleep much even now."
"Then you'll sleep even less when you're old."
Was that so? It seemed plausible. A very reasonable deduction. Impressed by Kelton's insight, I nodded and headed to his room. I opened the window for ventilation, pulled the sheets taut beneath the bedding, then folded the blanket neatly and stacked it with the pillow. Stepping back, I examined the bed. Hmm, the blanket's corners were slightly off. Again.
"You would have done well even if you'd been sold to a noble house."
"Perhaps they would have spared me night duties out of pity for how well I handle housework?"
"Not a chance. They would have tested whether you were equally skilled at night work. Just look at your face."
Well, well. This was why successful people were always tired. I finished cleaning Kelton's bedroom and went to the workshop to tidy it thoroughly. About an hour passed. I added mushrooms to the gently simmering stew, then stirred in flour to give it a thicker consistency. Fifteen more minutes elapsed. When I lifted the lid, a rich aroma filled the kitchen. The beef stew was perfectly complete.
"Kelton, please eat while it's hot."
"Mm."
Kelton rose from the rocking chair in the yard and sat at the table. I ladled the stew into a wooden bowl, set it before him, and poured water into a cup. He took a sip, then narrowed his eyes.
"Herb-infused water."
"It's rosemary."
"You make all sorts of things."
"Honestly, everyone drinks herb water quite normally. You're simply uninterested, Kelton."
In Happy Mid-land, many households grew their own herbs. I wasn't doing anything unusual. Kelton took a spoonful of beef stew and brought it to his mouth. His eyes widened immediately.
"This is…"
"How is it? Delicious, isn't it?"
The savory depth of the beef, the subtle fragrance of mushrooms, the sweetness of the vegetables, and the thick texture from the flour combined into something exceptional.
"It's good."
"Have more."
"You eat too."
"I was planning to."
I served myself a portion and took a large bite. The warmth spread through my body—perfect for an autumn morning. After finishing the meal, I washed the dishes and returned to the workshop. Chores done, it was time for the main task. Fwoosh. A flame bloomed at my fingertip. I stared quietly at the flickering light. It danced, illuminating the workshop. Flame, flame, flame. What was flame? The question summoned words into my mind: expansion, extinction, regeneration, purification, sanctity, transformation, life, foresight, protection, summoning, fusion, resistance, transference, manifestation, enhancement, connection, healing, distortion, memory, guidance, marking— I stopped the flow of thoughts. I already knew the common properties and magical aspects of flame. But knowledge alone offered little help with magic. At least, not in this world. A month had passed since I met Kelton. I was still a rank-zero, rankless mage.
"How's it going?"
"Not at all."
At my answer, Kelton leaned against the workshop wall and drew deeply on his pipe before exhaling. He spoke. "I'm no genius myself, but you seem quite hopeless."
"What's the reason?"
"Is there a particular reason? Your senses are simply dull."
Kelton pushed off the wall and approached. Fwoosh. A flame formed in his hand. "Earlier I said magic is based on understanding, but strictly speaking, that's not accurate."
"I've heard that countless times already. Is this a review?"
"How does understanding usually work?"
"With the mind."
Most understanding happened in the head—analyzing mechanisms, logically grasping processes and outcomes. "But that's not how magical understanding works."
Magical understanding was closer to instinct. The body, mind, and soul intuitively grasped the essence. That was what mages in this world meant by understanding. "So in some ways, mages are physical types. Sensation matters more than anything."
"No place for intellectuals, then."
"Accumulating knowledge does make grasping the essence relatively easier. You shouldn't neglect study either."
Running toward a known destination versus an unknown one naturally differed in difficulty. Still, this was a world where talent and sensation were everything; without even that, there was no answer. I emptied my mind completely and gazed at the flame. Flame. Hot. Flickering. Burning. "If it seems impossible, giving up in moderation is also an option." Kelton suddenly spoke. When I met his eyes, he continued slowly. "Sitting in a corner like that is the perfect way to lose your mind. That's why I compromised and reached the rank my talent allowed."
"Fourth rank?"
"In truth, reaching fourth rank is something a mage can achieve through effort. Unique magic, however, belongs to the realm of talent."
"Then I should push myself to fourth rank as well?"
"I said it can be reached through effort, not that it's easy. With your talent, it might take a lifetime. I only barely reached fourth rank at my age."
Hoo. Exhaling smoke, Kelton muttered quietly, "If you keep ramming your head against something impossible, you'll end up crushed against a thick wall and driven mad."
"Have you seen many such mages?"
"Why else would mages be the most unwelcome companions? Even with the power of magic, if people still avoid you, that says enough."
I understood Kelton's words. I understood what he was worried about. However— "Living as a low-rank mage is inconvenient."
"Why? Are you envious of a high-rank mage's status?"
To Kelton's question, I voiced the thought I had always carried. "Dying without having used every magic in the world would be far too unfair."
"……"
"Ah, is it possible to offer a price and use high-rank magic? I just want to try using it. Depending on the case, I'd even offer my lifespan. If my lifespan shortens, I'll have fewer chances to encounter other magic, so I won't overuse it. That way, living as a low-rank mage wouldn't be a problem—"
Tap. Kelton tapped his pipe, cutting me off. Then, staring directly into my eyes, he answered. "I've changed my mind. You will either go mad and die ramming against a wall, or become an archmage."
"Die?"
"I said one of the two."
"But the probability seems higher for the former?"
"If you know that, then act accordingly."
"That's impossible."
If it were possible, I wouldn't have reincarnated in the first place. Kelton sighed and left the workshop. He was attending to personal matters, so I saw him off and turned back to the flame. It rippled atop my finger. I had observed it for an entire month, yet no sensation came. I knew what the sensation should feel like from the first time I had sensed an element, but there was no sign of that sharp, instinctive clarity. Mm. This wouldn't do. At this rate, a thousand years would pass unchanged. Sorry, Kelton, but from now on I'll follow my own curriculum. I enlarged the flame burning on my finger, then placed it in my mouth and swallowed. Gulp. The flame slid down my esophagus and into my stomach. My control had improved over the past month, so the flame didn't attack my body, but it was extremely precarious. It felt as though control might slip at any moment. Still, I focused entirely on the flame without concern. Its shape, its temperature, its movement—I felt them all clearly. The flame danced inside my body. When I reached out my hand, the flame reached back. ———. In that instant, lightning struck my mind. I extinguished the flame in my stomach and conjured a new one in my palm. A perfect sphere of flame. I shouted, "It's magic!"
"So you've finally reached first rank."
"Kelton? Weren't you going out?"
"I came back to warn you against doing anything strange, but it seems I was too late."
"Thanks to that, I reached first rank, didn't I?"
Kelton chuckled and asked, "What characteristic of flame did you discover?"
"'Fairness.'"
"Fairness?"
"Because I resolved myself to swallow it, the flame granted me enlightenment. That's fairness. Is it strange?"
"It's not common."
"Then is it good?"
"As I said with elemental attributes, such things don't exist. In the end, what matters is how thoroughly a mage polishes what they've found."
At Kelton's words, I played with the sphere of flame for a moment before speaking. "Still, this much isn't bad, right?"
"To be honest, it is bad. Most people reach first rank within a week at the latest. That's why rankless mages are classified as rank zero rather than first rank. It's merely a passing stage, so it's practically excluded from classification."
"The difference is that significant?"
So that was why they judged lack of talent after one week—everyone else had already become first-rank mages by then. My knowledge had increased. Well, it was fine. I dismissed the sphere of flame resting on my hand. It had been a pleasant day, so I decided to be satisfied with this much.