After the battle against the Demon race, she returned to the Mage Tower and decided to raise an apprentice upon the advice of a fellow Mage.
She took in her first disciple.
He was a war orphan, a young man who had lost his parents.
After losing his parents to the Demon race, the young man had joined a group of cultist medicine peddlers to do menial labor.
While silently enduring those painful days, he happened to swallow an Artifact Ring that had fallen from a tree where it was caught.
Upon swallowing the ring, a Mana Circle manifested in his heart through sheer talent, even though no one had ever taught him how.
Through talent alone, he had become a 1st Circle Mage. However, the young man’s magic was incomplete.
The Artifact had resonated and fused with his heart, and as a result, he became capable of instantaneous movement, much like in a game.
He became capable of infinite teleportation, regardless of mana consumption.
Teleportation was a spell that belonged to the 5th Circle.
Furthermore, there were not many Mages who could even learn Teleport.
He had obtained incredible magic through an Artifact.
Once the leader of the medicine peddlers discovered this fact, the abuse stopped.
They used him as a sort of sideshow to sell their medicine, and people began buying the medicine in droves after seeing the marvelous sight.
Before long, word of this reached the Mage Tower.
The rumor that a 1st Circle Mage was performing Teleport—a 5th Circle spell—with almost no mana consumption naturally turned the magical academic world upside down. Senior Mages, who were essentially research fanatics, rushed to visit the village to see him.
Among them was Serranos. Possessing great wealth, she purchased the young man for a high price.
He entered the Mage Tower with Serranos. The young man’s dream was to become a magnificent Archmage and help orphans who were in the same situation as he once was.
Rumors circulated that he had received the Artifact as a gift from God because he lived with a kind heart.
He became the most promising prospect in the Mage Tower, possessing both character and ability.
However, once they actually began researching his magic, there was a fatal problem.
Although he could perform near-infinite instantaneous movement due to the fusion with the Artifact, the distance was short.
The range was a radius of 0.6 miles, which converted to 1,407 meters at most.
1,407 was an ambiguous number.
At first, everyone was fascinated and amazed, saying it didn’t matter if Teleport was only 1,407 meters. However, because it was such an awkward distance—one that could be covered by walking, flying, or riding a broom—it was not easy to prove it was a useful spell.
It was impossible to move with other Mages, and even more fatally, once he teleported, the next move would always return him to the spot where he had originally been.
‘It will be different once he reaches the 2nd Circle.’
The Mages of the tower believed that if the young man became a 2nd Circle Mage, he would be able to perform Teleport over a wider range.
However, as a side effect of swallowing the Artifact, his body became unable to engrave a 2nd Circle into his heart.
In short, he could not upgrade.
In a world of Mages where one is recognized by accumulating experience to reach the 2nd Circle and eventually cast spells like Hellfire or Final Strike, he was limited to being a mere 1st Circle Mage.
Actually, there are many good spells even in the 1st Circle: Fire, Ice, Wind, Lightning, and so on.
Though they were all basic elemental magic.
1,407 Teleport, a 5th Circle spell, added to his 1st Circle magic. That was the limit of his power.
Of course, a Mage could be respected even if they were only at the 1st Circle.
The problem, however, was that the place he had gone to was the Mage Tower.
This was a place where even the butlers and servants became 1st Circle Mages after three years of picking up scraps of knowledge.
To think that a top prospect in such a place was a 1st Circle Mage…
There were occasionally Mages in the tower who remained at the 1st Circle.
It was a matter of talent. Such Mages became targets of contempt, being called “low-ability mages.”
And at the center of it all was Serranos’s first disciple.
To prevent his tragedy, Serranos tried to fix the side effects. Many high-ranking Mages she was acquainted with visited, but in the end, he could not become a 2nd Circle Mage.
As a magical prospect, Serranos’s first disciple received massive support and was granted permission to conduct research, but two years later, most people failed to remember him.
Mages were a group of magic geeks.
The burning interest soon grew cold, like a rock at dawn in winter. Eventually, in the cold-hearted world where one is ousted without merit-based results—the White Tower—he was gradually being forgotten.
Some time passed. Two companions who were both part of the 8 Heroes and the Twins of Lightning pointed their swords at each other’s throats.
The war between the Teuton Kingdom and the Jovia Principality had begun.
Serranos was summoned to the royal palace.
“You two were close enough to stand back-to-back and trust each other with your lives!” she shouted at King David Iliad Teuton.
“I am sorry.”
But the only answer that returned was an apology.
“If you love your motherland, please lend us your strength.”
The war between the Teuton Kingdom and the Jovia Principality began.
At first, the Teuton Kingdom’s military strength was far superior.
However, the Jovia Principality was superior in strategy and tactics.
The King of Teuton heard news of defeat more often than news of victory.
Two years after the outbreak of the war, the King of Teuton summoned Serranos to the palace.
She was a 5th Circle Mage. If she joined the kingdom, she would be a great military asset.
Though she initially hesitated to use magic against humans, she could not continue to refuse the King’s request and joined the Sharon Knights.
However, she still insisted on only playing a support role from the rear.
About three years later, an incident occurred where the mage unit of the Sharon Knights was annihilated.
Feeling a sense of responsibility for that event, she changed. The magic she once used to fight the Demon race together now cast flames toward those who were once her allies.
After leading all the battles in the Three Valleys Battle to victory, she became a 6th Circle Mage and a war hero.
Thanks to the achievements in those great victories, the two countries were able to maintain equal national power thereafter.
However, killing the comrades she had fought alongside against the Demon race remained a great trauma for her.
She grew increasingly frail and took to her bed.
Perhaps due to the influence of magic, she looked twenty years older than her actual age.
For her contributions in the war, she received the title of Count and was able to ascend to the position of Tower Master.
At least within the Teuton Kingdom, she was an Archmage and a hero recognized by everyone.
Once she confirmed that the war had entered a lull, she hurried back to the Mage Tower.
However, her first disciple had already been kicked out of the tower.
Using her authority as the Tower Master, she found her first disciple and learned that he was living with other low-level Mages who had been ousted from the tower.
Serranos was a good teacher to her first disciple.
The teacher, who was sometimes like a mother, comforted him by saying, ‘Once a member of the Mage Tower, always a member, even if you are ousted,’ and gave him the authority to enter the tower at any time.
She told him to come visit whenever he missed his teacher… but the distance was roughly where the teleportation ended.
It was a distance he could reach via Teleport.
However, during the war, she frequently had to be called to the palace, and in the meantime, she gained a second disciple.
As time passed, the contact between the master and disciple became infrequent.
***
Serranos told me the details of the mission.
“I’m not moving all my belongings, but the amount of essential items is quite substantial. Could you move the luggage via horse-drawn carriage?”
Serranos pointed to the luggage beside her. Then, she handed me the five gold coins she had left.
“I would like you to use what is necessary for expenses and deliver the remaining amount to my disciple. Please, take the expenses as generously as possible.”
It was a gold coin mission. I had to accept this no matter what.
“Yes, Lady Serranos. I will use the expenses and deliver the remaining amount safely to your disciple.”
“It would be good if Pie went along to help organize the luggage first.”
“Master, I’ll go with you…”
Serranos stopped Pie from speaking.
“It’s just going a little bit earlier. It’s because I have a secret matter to discuss with an old colleague I’m meeting briefly. This old body is struggling, so I would like you to go ahead and organize the luggage. It will probably take about one week.”
Pie bit her lip silently. Then, she spoke in a small voice.
“I understand, Master. But you have to come quickly.”
The master looked at Pie with benevolent eyes. Those eyes looked warm.
“By the way, where does that person live?”
I had suddenly become a moving center. I felt like more tiring things would happen if I stayed, so I should deliver it and return quickly.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t even mentioned the destination yet. That disciple’s name is Brutus. He is currently operating a place called the ‘House of Angels’ in Mistrail Village.”
“Who?”
“His name is Brutus. If you aren’t sure, asking anyone in Mistrail for the person running the Care Home will lead you to him.”
How could I not know? We were just with him yesterday…
Slot, Hyde, and I whispered amongst ourselves in the back.
“Hey William, if it’s Brutus, isn’t that the chef who made that… no, that tasteless food?”
“Captain, the name of the Care Home is the same, so I think it’s him.”
I had a feeling our connection wouldn’t be short. Our fate continues like this.
“By the way, he was a Mage?”
“I think he’s someone we’ve met before. Though we didn’t know he was a Mage.”
“You’ve met that child?”
Serranos seemed a bit surprised at the mention that we knew her first disciple.
I briefly explained our meeting with him.
Lady Serranos smiled.
“So that’s what happened. To think he was running a restaurant… was it really that tasteless?”
“Fortunately, it has become edible now.”
“That is a relief.”
As they say, even a mother hedgehog thinks her own pups are smooth. No matter how much it tasted like garbage, I couldn’t join in on badmouthing him.
“Since we know the location, we just need to deliver the luggage.”
The mission had become a bit easier. I was thinking of stopping by on my way anyway, so it’s even better to get paid for it.
Serranos smiled benevolently. Then she looked at Pie and spoke.
“Pie, why don’t you go outside and see if there’s anything else to load onto the carriage?”
“What? Master, is there more for us to load?”
“Just check if there’s anything else worth taking along.”
“Okay.”
Pie seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she went outside.
Serranos watched Pie’s retreating figure with a gentle expression.
“She is a good child.”
‘All of a sudden? She seemed a bit rude though…’
“I wasn’t able to teach her much about character or etiquette, so please understand if her way of speaking is a bit rough at times.”
What? Does she read minds because she’s a Mage?
I guess that kid is a hedgehog’s pup to Lady Serranos too. I should watch my words.
“I had three disciples. My first disciple, Brutus, is a truly kind-hearted child, as you might know from meeting him.”
He seemed a bit too old to be called a child, but I didn’t argue.
“My second disciple… was foolish. Perhaps because he suffered so much pain at a young age, he was unable to overcome his wounds in the end.”
“And Pie… I haven’t been able to teach her anything besides magic. But I often hoped her heart would come to resemble Brutus’s.”
I had only seen him briefly, but Brutus did seem to have a kind heart.
It seemed Lady Serranos hoped for Pie to grow up to be good.
Serranos pulled a letter from her robe.
“Could you deliver this letter to my first disciple? I said I would go in a week, but there is a high probability I won’t be able to. In truth, moving the luggage is just an excuse; I intend to entrust that precious child to Brutus. *Cough, cough!*”
Lady Serranos coughed several times as if she couldn’t help it.