“Hey! Not cool, man. I didn’t steal your weapon, did I? Taking someone else’s weapon is really poor sportsmanship. Give it back to me right now.”
Sodlan’s gaze darkened. He gripped both ends of the staff and held it horizontally.
“So, it’s this pathetic stick, isn’t it?”
“Yes, yes! Just don’t hold it like that. You’re making me nervous,” the Young Mage said, his voice trembling with guilt.
“Are you? How nervous?”
Sodlan asked, realizing he had caught the boy’s weakness.
“Sir, please give me the Magic Staff… I mean, the wooden stick. Give the stick back to me first.”
In his anxiety, the Young Mage let the truth slip.
“So this pathetic piece of wood is actually a Magic Staff?”
“Uh… I suppose so. Just give it back!” The Young Mage grew frantic and tried to snatch the staff away.
However, Sodlan was not only taller than the Young Mage, but the boy had clearly never undergone any physical training.
His attempt to reclaim the staff only served to irritate Sodlan further.
“Don’t be in such a hurry. So this is how ugly a Magic Staff looks?”
Sodlan toyed with one end of the staff, spinning it in his hand.
“Brother, I am truly begging you. Give it back. I’ll even get on my knees, okay?”
The Young Mage dropped to the ground.
“A man’s knees are worth gold, but I don’t want gold. Your kneeling is useless.”
“Then I’ll call you Dad! Dad, Dad, Dad! I beg you, Dad, give me the stick back!”
Kneeling on the ground, the Young Mage kowtowed and shouted “Dad” repeatedly.
It was a stark contrast to his arrogant attitude from moments before.
“You spineless coward. You’re actually calling me ‘Dad’ over a broken stick. Young Mage, I despise you!”
Sodlan had lost interest in playing around. He gripped the staff horizontally with both hands again.
“No, Dad! I really need it! It’s more important than my life!” the Young Mage shouted, trying to stop him.
“More important than your life?”
Sodlan thought for a moment.
‘You can use magic, right? If I break this stick, will you have to relearn everything?’
“Uh… I, well, maybe, perhaps, probably —”
The Young Mage stammered for a long time, unable to form a single complete sentence.
“You’re a dishonest little person.”
*Crack!*
The moment the words left his mouth, Sodlan snapped the Magic Staff in two.
A plume of blue smoke drifted out from the break, coalescing into the word “LOST” before vanishing into the air.
“No!!!”
The Young Mage collapsed to the ground in agony, his hands trembling as he caught the two broken pieces of the staff.
“All those years of hard work were in here! Now you’ve ruined everything! Pay me back!”
“What hard work? It’s just a stick. How about this? I’ll go to the tree by the road and snap off a branch for you. It’ll even have a few more leaves than this one.”
Sodlan had no intention of coddling him. The best way to deal with such a person was to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Faced with the provocation, the Young Mage wanted to resist.
However, without his Magic Staff, he only had a tiny amount of Magic Power left in his body. He couldn’t even stir up a breeze.
“Come on, son. Let’s go inside and take a look.”
Just then, a dark figure suddenly appeared and blocked Sodlan’s path, placing a hand on his shoulder.
The man wore a long black robe that also concealed his face.
“Sir, I heard you were causing trouble at the entrance of the Mages Association? You even broke my student’s staff. It wouldn’t be right to just walk in like this, would it?”
“And who are you?”
“I am the President of the Human Mage Association, Dinksway.”
“President!” Hearing the President’s voice, the Young Mage immediately became arrogant again.
“The President is here now, and I’m not afraid of anything! If you don’t pay for my staff, don’t even think about leaving!”
“Greetings, President. I am Sodlan of the Human Bernas Family. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Don’t be so pleased yet. What do you intend to do about my student’s situation?”
“It happened like this, President…”
After the brief introductions, Sodlan explained the beginning, middle, and end of the incident.
As he listened, Dinksway’s expression changed.
“So that’s how it was. My apologies, Mr. Sodlan.”
Dinksway kicked the Young Mage in a fit of rage.
“Even though you look pitiful now, you brought this on yourself. Get out!”
“President! Aren’t you here to help me? I’m your student!”
“Student? I have never taught a student as rude as you. This gentleman clearly explained why he came to the association, yet you still tried to make things difficult for him. You’re self-centered and have no manners. I don’t have a student like you. Get out!”
Dinksway kicked him again.
“It’s a good thing you’re the least talented one here. You haven’t even learned Water-type Attack Magic yet. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for even me to settle today’s matter.”
“Get out! I don’t have a student like you! Scram! Didn’t you hear me?”
The Young Mage scrambled up from the ground, still clutching the broken staff.
“You… you’ll regret this!”
After shouting his threat, he stumbled away.
“Alright, Mr. Sodlan. I’ve dealt with the person who offended you. We have things to discuss, so please, come inside.”
Dinksway led Sodlan into the building.
***
The interior was quite spacious. A spiral staircase in the center led to the various floors of the association.
“President, I want to give my son, Sote, a Magic Talent test. Tell me, it isn’t too late for him, is it?”
“It’s not too late. As long as he’s not an adult, it’s never too late.”
Dinksway led the father and son to the top floor of the association.
There stood a Magic Crystal Ball. By placing one’s hand on it, their Magic Talent would be clearly revealed.
“Sote, go ahead and put your hand on it.”
This was Sote’s first time here, and combined with the behavior of the Young Mage at the door, he was a bit nervous.
“O-okay, President.”
After a moment, the crystal ball emitted a bright, deep blue light.
Dinksway looked at Sote with a hint of surprise and nodded with a smile.
“Mr. Sodlan, your son’s Magic Talent is excellent. Have you considered having him study here at our Human Mage Association? We will train him diligently and help him shine in the field he’s best at.”
“Is Sote really capable of that?”
“Truly. Trust me, I am the President of the Human Mage Association, Dinksway.”
Sodlan hesitated for a moment.
“If Sote studies with you, will he be unable to live at home?”
“Most likely. Learning requires a stable environment. We have several other students who live here at the association. We can guarantee all daily necessities, including housing, food, and other basics, entirely free of charge. Please, Mr. Sodlan, trust us.”
With Dinksway’s verbal guarantee, Sodlan’s heart finally settled. Sote’s future path had been found.
“Good. Thank you to the Mages Association for giving Sote this opportunity.”
Sodlan patted Sote’s head.
“Quickly, thank the President.”
“Thank you, President!”
Dinksway gave a slight smile.
“From now on, you should call me Teacher.”