“It’s finished, Senior Bali Saihe!”
Mason respectfully returned the heavy sword to the old man—the heavy sword now had an extra gem set into the hilt. The cheapest kind of clear crystal, the worthless kind, could be bought in bulk from the Dwarf Mine in Patagonia—one gold coin could buy a large handful.
The key was the technique of turning decay into magic. The crystal was cut into a perfect circle and then firmly embedded into the hilt. This was the wonderful tool that would be used in the upcoming lessons. The Amenian Stonemason Brotherhood also provided two other items.
One was the carriage Mason had promised, with a canopy and straw, enough for the children to sleep soundly at night. There was only one horse, a gentle brown mare.
“Easy to keep, doesn’t need much feed, it can make do with roadside weeds.”
“I used to command cavalry, I know what feed a good horse should get.”
“Really, it’s not necessary, this little mare is nothing rare… probably not up to General’s standards.”
“That’s not necessary—you’ve done more than enough.”
The other thing was a new walking stick crafted for Bali Saihe, wrapped in iron sheets, with small iron balls at both ends for balance. The original wooden staff… was given to Asuna. Bali Saihe’s thoughts were simple: he had to treat everyone fairly—he couldn’t neglect Asuna’s training just because he was teaching Luo Yi. Luo Yi was a promising candidate for Brave, the one who killed the Manticore.
And Asuna… she… after all, she carried Bali Saihe’s blood, so she couldn’t be mediocre. Neither child could be given up. So the small carriage set off from Grinno City, aiming to reach Privet Town for winter—at the carriage’s speed, they might even make it to Maisolonge Monastery before the first snow of winter. Even if it meant going to see someone Bali Saihe himself was reluctant to meet.
But for Asuna, it was all worth it. The carriage was a precious thing, so the three of them used it carefully, stopping every afternoon to rest and let the horse graze and drink. And the children prepared to receive Bali Saihe’s teachings in an open field.
“Although magic is something the mage robes in big cities master…”
Bali Saihe shrugged,
“But a future Brave should learn a bit—it won’t hurt.”
“Asuna, don’t laugh—your potential is no less than Luo Yi’s, yet you still don’t take it seriously. I am not only your grandfather now, but also your master!”
“Yes…”
Asuna gripped the long wooden staff with both hands, muttering about how heavy it was, as if it held some secret.
Bali Saihe cleared his throat, then began his first lesson with a full, steady voice—
“The core principle of magic lies in Ether, the substance that roams and fills the magical world—it is the origin of all spells…”
“No matter how intricate a spell, in essence, it is the manifestation of Ether in different forms under the influence of mental power. An excellent Brave should learn to perceive and manipulate it…”
“Gems and precious metals have naturally excellent magic affinity, best for attaching Ether… among them, Mithril and Mountain Gold are the best—but we’re short on money, so we’ll make do with cheap crystal balls for now…”
Crystal was, of course, an important medium for casting magic, a clear example being the secondhand Magic Crystal Ball that Ke Lun had. The old man carefully taught the children how to sense Ether and summon it into reality—the link that mages were most proud of, the “spellcasting” step. Asuna learned quickly, but did not gain Bali Saihe’s approval. The little girl with golden curls jumped and cheered:
“Look, Grandpa, flowers!”
Asuna’s first contact with magic naturally summoned the power to make the autumn field bloom with flowers that only blossom in spring. Luo Yi, of course, was jealous… Sister Xue La was amazing—she could cook the most delicious food in the world, had good judgment, and was skilled in dagger tactics. Little sister Asuna was no slouch either. Though a bit mischievous, she was smart and clever, self-taught in various Divine Magic, and now—she was even faster at learning spells than Luo Yi.
“That’s not your own skill, do it again!”
Bali Saihe shook his head.
“What do you mean…”
Asuna pouted,
“Then what about this?”
The flowers on the ground disappeared, replaced by light blooming from the tip of the oak staff in the girl’s hand. Luo Yi’s heart skipped a beat at the sight—what was going on? ‘He wanted to be a Brave, that was true… but the granddaughter of former Brave Bali Saihe seemed to be a formidable competitor for the title of Brave.’ ‘She was amazing…’
Bali Saihe still shook his head:
“Don’t try to pass off Divine Magic as the real thing—that’s a Holy Light Spell. Remember to apologize to the Moon Goddess Lu’anna when you pray later. You shouldn’t misuse the power she granted you!”
Seeing she couldn’t get away with it, Asuna instantly switched to a pitiful, shy, and coquettish demeanor.
“Grandpa, I’m tired! I want to rest…”
Bali Saihe naturally couldn’t resist such an “attack” and instantly softened. He let Luo Yi continue practicing while he coaxed his granddaughter to rest in the carriage… That was fine. Luo Yi could continue trying…
The red-haired boy stared blankly at the occasional sparks that appeared on his sword blade. This was the result of his first contact with spells—a few sparks that couldn’t even light straw. Ether was a power, a force that could be materialized and called forth to change the world. This process was called spellcasting, and those who could complete it were called mages.
Luo Yi recalled his master’s teachings, feeling the energy from another world. Ether was gathering, pulled out by his consciousness, as bloody as if a piece of flesh had been torn off… Then, Luo Yi tentatively concentrated it onto the core of the heavy sword, the newly embedded crystal bead. If he could shape it successfully… The Ether disappeared. Luo Yi failed again.
Bali Saihe settled Asuna down and strode over.
“Don’t be afraid, child. Think about what you want most. Magic means creation and desire!”
‘Desire? Creation?’
Luo Yi was stunned. He had never thought about that—a young man from a farming family, his biggest wish was just to have enough to eat every day. Then after eating, he’d lie down by the wall and bask in the sun—that was the best life he could imagine. But that would make Grandfather Luodelike unhappy. Because that wasn’t what a Brave should do. Luo Yi wasn’t born a commoner—he should be a descendant of respected soldiers, not rot in the mud.
The boy himself wouldn’t deny that: so he was learning, trying to become a Brave—that was his dream. And in the Manticore’s nest, that dream had first taken shape. He couldn’t forget Sister Xue La. ‘He wanted her—he wanted to become a flame, to dispel darkness, to become light.’ ‘Flame, flame, flame.’ This was the starting point of humanity’s conquest of nature. Legend had it that one of the starting points of Great Emperor Frank’s conquest of the Elven Court was to burn down the Tree of Life that the elves revered…
Bali Saihe finally smiled—he couldn’t see it, but he could feel it. A surge of Ether power had finally been summoned. Even from a distance, he felt the wave of heat. Flames surrounded the heavy sword in Luo Yi’s hand, rising up. This kid had graduated.
“Flame attribute spells are excellent… many forest beasts and monsters fear them the most.”
Bali Saihe began, praising.
“The Privet Town we’re about to reach—we’ll pass through a dark forest on the way, we need to be careful. Ten years have passed, I don’t know how many monsters are hiding there…”
At that time, Luo Yi and Bali Saihe didn’t know that the old man’s words would come true. But they would find out sooner or later. Just a few days later, they saw a disheveled man on horseback, fleeing in a panic, galloping toward them. Behind him were several ferocious wolves—not ordinary wolves, but ones with more refined builds and more cunning temperaments… Wargs. The most common allies of the Orc Tribe, the backbone of the Orc Wolf Riders.
“Help!”