"Cain, do you know how to use magic?"
"Huh? Obviously not, why did you ask?"
The tavern was so loud that I almost missed his question. Out of nowhere, Evan invited me out for a drink. There was no reason to refuse, and I didn't want to miss a chance to talk more with him.
Ah, instead of alcohol, I got orange juice, and so did he.
Evan seemed embarrassed to continue.
"Um, so I don't know much about magic, either, but..."
"But?"
"...I think Nina awakened as a mage."
"...To be honest, I have no idea what to comment on about that. I'm just as unaware about magic as you are."
You'd think that working with a mage like Eirlys for so long would make me know a thing or two about them. Unfortunately—I'm not sure if this is just a mage thing, probably not—Eirlys was so self-absorbed that it was impossible to get anything out of her. Even when I asked her directly, all I got were incomprehensible answers, with no regard for the person asking.
"I understand. I was confused at first, too, but I still want to help her somehow. Still, I've been asking around and searching for about a week now. It's much harder than I thought."
"Is there anything I could do to help?"
"Ah! You really don't need to! Asking you to help someone you've never met would be too much..."
"...Right."
Totally forgotten about that. Still, I'm curious about magic too. No reason not to help him.
"I know a few people. We could try asking them."
"Really? Who are they?"
"Do you know Theron?"
"Theron? You mean that well-known Bronze-rank hunter?"
I was surprised. Well-known? I suppose it shouldn't be that surprising, given how capable he is.
"Wow! How do you know Theron?"
"Just a coincidence. I got caught up in something before."
Theron wasn't a mage, obviously. But someone like him might be able to introduce us to one. Proper mages are hard to come by, especially in a remote place like this. Moments like this remind me how fortunate I was to have known Eirlys after all.
***
After that incident, Theron gave me his personal address in case I needed to contact him. It felt a bit wrong to use it for such trivial questions, but it was the best option I could think of.
After squeezing through tight alleyways and climbing what felt like endless stairs, we finally got to Theron's place. It was in a pretty unusual spot, several floors up, but the view was nice.
I knocked on the door slowly, and it opened just a moment later.
"Cain? What do you need?"
Even though he was in his own house, he still wore the same hunter attire. Doesn't he feel uncomfortable wearing that all day?
"Oh, um, my friend Evan here needs some help from a mage, but he hasn't been able to find one. I was wondering if you could introduce us to one."
"...Here, take this."
Theron reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. He scribbled something down, looking visibly annoyed—the first time I'd ever seen him like that. Crap. Should I bow down and apologize right now?
Evan's eyes darted back and forth between Theron and me, unsure of what to do. I looked away, just as unsure as he was. Then, all of a sudden, Theron let out a sigh.
"Ugh, no need to fret over something like that. It's just a small favor to ask."
"...Is that so?"
"Of course. The only troublesome thing is the mage in question herself."
"Ah. I see."
Why does every mage need to have some kind of troublesome personality? Or am I being overly prejudiced here?
"Regardless, she might be able to give you some advice. Just don't think about it too much, or it'll give you a headache."
"I'll remember it."
"Good. Go to the address in this paper and tell her Theron sent you."
Theron handed me the small paper. The handwriting was terrible, but it was legible. The door creaked as it slowly began to close again—then it stopped.
"Wait."
Caught off guard, I turned back.
"Is Mara okay?"
"Huh?"
An unexpected question. I struggled to answer right away. Should I simply dismiss his concerns, or explain further?
"...She's doing fine, though she's having trouble fitting in with her class."
"Right. It would take time for her to fit in."
With that remark, he closed the door. Not that I needed the reminder, but I really should watch over Mara more carefully.
***
After a lot more walking, we arrived at a peculiar house. Vines and various plants grew along its walls. The air smelled faintly of moss, but it was still breathable. Does someone actually live here?
I knocked on the door and waited for a long time, but there was no response.
Evan spoke up uncertainly.
"What should we do now?"
"..."
Should we leave and visit another time? We were not in a rush, so we could always come back another day. That would be the right thing to do now.
"...Let's go in."
"What?"
I turned the doorknob, and it actually opened. Who in their right mind would leave their door unlocked? In a place like this?
I entered the house. One step at a time, in silence. Evan hesitantly followed. He was about to say something, but seemed to swallow it instead.
I led the way, as Evan followed closely behind. Inside, the house looked neglected, as if it had been abandoned for years. But the deeper we went, the cleaner the rooms and hallways became. Vines and plants spread along the walls, with flowers blooming here and there. They were clearly not wildflowers. Someone was definitely living here.
As I climbed the stairs, my eyes widened at the astonishing sight.
"..."
"Wow..."
An expanse of greenery. Fields of flowers stretched before us, their lush scent lingering in the air. And yet this was unmistakably indoors—the wooden walls and roof above made that clear. How was this even possible?
And in front of us stood a lone door. A spotless, sturdy wooden door, distinct from the rest of this absurd scene. The right thing to do now would be to stay away. Stepping into the unknown wouldn't do me any good. I know that.
Yet I felt drawn to it, as if some unseen force were urging me to open it.
I knew what was happening. But by the time I realized it, my hand was already on the doorknob.
-Click
The door opened easily, as if inviting us in. Beyond it lay a wide-open room, like a vast field. A clear roof let sunlight pour in. Strange flowers filled the room, lush and colorful. A thick floral scent hit me immediately. Ugh… this might give me allergies, and I don't even have them.
At the center of it all stood a young woman tending to her garden. Her long, wavy hair gave off a springlike feel, fitting the scene perfectly. Most noticeable was her wide-brimmed hat adorned with flowers—a clear sign she was a mage.
She didn't seem to be alerted by our presence. How long had she been aware of us? Many excuses came to mind.
But instead, I chose to be silent, and so did Evan.
-Rustle… snip
She continued tending to the flowers. For a while, we stood there awkwardly, simply watching her work.
-Scritch… rustle
"It's been a long time since I've had guests. How may I help you?"
At last, she addressed us. Her expression held no displeasure, only calm serenity.
"Uh... um..."
Evan struggled to say his request. Probably puzzled by her friendliness.
"My name is Cain, and this is my friend Evan. A friend of his recently awakened as a mage, so we were hoping you might have some advice, since we're not very familiar with magic."
"Oh? But who told you where to find me? Not many people know about me."
"Ah, Theron gave us your address when we asked him for help."
"...Hm."
A look of remembrance flashed across her face. Or was there? I couldn't really tell.
"Well, since you came all this way to ask for my help, I can't very well turn you away."
"T-Thanks you so much!"
Hearing that, Evan visibly brightened. He spent a lot of time looking for help, after all. Glad for him.
"Hmm… where to begin? Ah—almost forgot. I'm Lila, a four-star mage. Nice to meet you, Evan and Cain. So, what would you like to ask?"
I looked at Evan. He met my gaze and gave a knowing nod. Guess I'll be asking first.
"What are 'stars'? I mean, the ones mages mention when they introduce themselves. Do they represent levels or something?"
"That's a tough question."
Lila glanced away, as if gathering her thoughts.
"Tell me, Cain. How do the stars appear to you in the night sky?"
"Um, they look beautiful?"
"Why do you think so?"
"…Because they light up the night sky."
"That's right. In that sense, a mage is like a constellation. The more stars it has, the brighter it shines in the night sky. Mages are much the same."
"Oh..."
"The night sky is like a vast sea of knowledge. The more you understand the world and yourself, the more stars you gain. Only then can you shine through the dark and leave your mark upon that sky. Power is merely what follows."
"..."
It was a bit hard to process, but I got the gist of it. Evan, on the other hand, looked completely lost.
Lila continued with her explanation.
"That said, may I ask for the awakened mage's name?"
"Oh! It's my childhood friend, Nina."
"Nina… Awakening one's first star means she has gone through her first 'Enlightenment'. It seems she reached it on her own, without a proper mentor. Commendable, really. But it will only get tougher from here. It would be best for her to get admitted to Brecilien, but that would be rather hard..."
Hearing that, Evan fell into deep thought. I'd never seen him this serious before.
He spoke up with great resolve.
"Lila. Can I ask you to be Nina's mentor? Please, I'm willing to do anything in return."
"...Oh?"
Lila looked straight into his eyes, her expression suddenly fierce. Evan didn't look away.
Then Lila lowered her eyes, a gentle smile returning as she spoke.
"Are you really sure you want to entrust your childhood friend to someone you just met today? I'm not exactly a remarkable mage, either…"
"No, not at all! I'll bring Nina here next time. She should have a say in this, too. But… I trust you. I don't know much about magic, but I believe you're a good person. And that's what matters."
I wonder where he got that confidence from. Personally, I also don't think Lila is a bad person. Also, she'd probably make a better mentor than Eirlys… though, to be fair, Eirlys is the only other mage I know.
I'll see how this goes.