CHAPTER 24 — The mage background (2)
The room was dim.
Only a thin strand of sunlight slipped through the half-open window, cutting across the silence like a blade.Dust motes drifted lazily in the air, undisturbed.
At the center of the room, a figure sat cross-legged. eyes closed and breath steady.
It was Riven.
His chest rose and fell in a slow, controlled rhythm, but his mind was anything but calm.
The memory of the last battle of the competition kept replaying in his mind. The moment when his hand suddenly went numb, the moment of mana rebound.
'I didn't expect he would have a trump card like that.'
The image sharpened in his mind. He still remembered that cresent wind spell.
'That wasn't a pure wind spell. It slightly carried snow with it. It was more like the wind of a snow storm.'
For a long time Riven simply sits there and reflects on yesterday's battle.
Breaking apart every second of that battle every gap, every mistake.
'it's a good thing that I got to know my shortcomings before facing that guy again. Otherwise if those things happened in our rematch then that would have been unbearable.'
Riven takes a deep breath. And slowly opens his eyes.
---
Creak!!
The door opened.
Riven stepped out into the corridor, the wooden floor faintly groaning beneath his steps.
Sigh...
He walked slowly, hands resting at his sides.
Even now, the echoes of that battle lingered.
But unlike before—
His mind felt lighter.
"Ughh... Why is it not working."
A frustrated voice broke through his thoughts. Riven paused and his head turn towards the direction of that voice, he sees two people on training fields.
"Huh...? Leo and that boy Rowan."
"Come on try again." Leonhart exclaimed. "Don't cast your spell right away. The bands are suppressing your ability to gather mana so..."
Leonhart is helping Rowan with prectice. Telling him to focus on gathering mana rather then casting spells.
Rowan stood there, face scrunched in frustration, swinging his axe again and again
And producing nothing.
"…Fire chop…"
Nothing.
"…Fire chop…?"
Still nothing.
"Ugh... Come on! I told you focus on gathering mana rather then casting spells." Leonhart retorted in annoyance.
Riven watched silently for a moment.
Rowan's brows were furrowed, lips pressed tight, stubbornness clear in every failed attempt.
A faint, almost imperceptible breath left Riven.
"…He still needs a lot of training."
Without another word, he turned away and begain walking along the corridor again. He takes a deep breath.
"suuhhhh... It feels good after knowing my shortcomings, My mind feels clear now. Now I know on what I should work on."
"ELDRIC."
Riven flinched hearing the familiar voice. He turned and saw he has came near the Master's office without even realising it.
'Is Master punishing Vice master again?'
---
Inside the office.
"Eldric... Eldric.. ELDRIC!"
"Huh—?!" Eldric snapped back upright.
"sigh... Where was your mind huh. I asked you to bring the boy's mage background certificate. Where have you kept it?" Master Garrick asked in a frustating tone.
Eldric lowered his gaze. Trying to delay or maybe avoid something that was about to come.
"Sigh... Don't tell me you forgot where you kept it. Or did you lost it all along."Master Garrick sighed, rubbing his temple.
Eldric still kept his head lower his eyes on the wooden floor. He knew that he had to tell the truth but no words were coming out of his mouth at the moment, even if he try his best.
He remembers his first meeting with Rowan, the boy who suddenly came to him and asked a naive question like any boy his age.
"I wanna become a mage."
Eldric still remembered Rowan's naiveness, his foolishness, him bringing drinks for Eldric, to learn. Huh what a stupid boy. Eldric had thought at one moment but now he remembers his stubbornness,
The persistence and the determination he had seen on the boy's pupils in the final match of the competition.
A boy who was struggling to maintain fire. A boy who took 5 days to decently learn a basic fire ball spell was fighting and using an unusual but unique spell at the competition.
Eldric broke into a chuckle remembering all those moments. He still remembered that he had told Rowan in their first, No — in their second meeting that he can't teach Rowan but when the drinks came in equation he couldn't refuse.
'Maybe I made a mistake.' Eldric thought for a second.'But still... I have still taught him. So I have to take responsibility.'
Eldric clenched his fist and swallowed hard. Then he slowly lifted his head.
"Oh... So have you finally remembered where have you kept it." Master Garrick asked dismissively.
"Go bring it quickly." Master Garrick said taking some papers out of his drawer.
"Master." Master Garrick looked at Eldric. For some reason this time his voice was carrying an unusual weight.
"Yeah..."
"Rowan." Eldric tried to say it even though the words refused to come out his mouth. Still he shook his head and continued.
"Rowan doesn't come from a mage background." Eldric finally said it lifting his head he looked into master's eyes.
Silence, A long silence took place on Master Garrick's office.
Riven who had turned back to leave, had also paused hearing it, his eyes widened.
'What?'
---
Master Garrick sat, eyes widened, shock all over his face.
"Eldric." finally the heavy silence was broken but the voice carried something more heavy then the silence.
"Can you repeat what you just said?"
Eldric took a deep breath again, preparing himself for whatever comes next.
"Rowan doesn't come from a mage background."
"And you took him even after knowing that?"
Eldric nodded without hesitation.
"Why? I'm sure you are aware of the laws set by the mage council. So why?" Master Garrick asked.
Eldric blinked, since he didn't expect such question. Eldric lowered his head and pondered for a second before answering.
"i will tell you the full story. I was drinking in an inn when I met that boy. He had just suddenly came and sat infront of him. And asked me if I'm a mage...."
Eldric continued telling Master Garrick everything sincerely. While telling all this Eldric felt an unusual lightness in his heart like something heavy has been lifted from his heart.
"And... So that's how it came to this. I really didn't expect that the boy will come to the competition and win." Eldric kept his gaze Straight looking at Master Garrick.
"Hah... so that's the case huh..." Master Garrick muttered.
Even though his voice was surprisingly calm for a person who suddenly get to know something like this. Eldric could sense the anger beneath that calm voice.
"Taking drinks for lessons... Eldric, YOU." Master Garrick clenches his fists, genuinely furious because of Eldric but Eldric stood there calmly.
"Sigh... Is there anything else you wanna say?" Master Garrick asked.
Eldric nodded slightly,"I admit that it was wrong of me to do that and I'm ready to take responsibility for it but —"
Eldric shook his head, taking a deep breath he continued.
"At first i thought that this kid also want to become a mage because, like any other kids his age, it's just a fleeting interest for him too."
Eldric clenched and unclenched his fist.
"I thought that this kid would also soon lost interest or give up after realising that magic isn't always fleshy but—"
Eldric remembers how at first Rowan was not good at magic.
"But when I started teaching him. I saw that maybe it's not just a fleeting curiosity but somthing else something more."
Eldric remembers how much days he took to first sense mana then to maintain fire, then to learn fire ball.
How sometimes he would burn his own seelve while casting fire.
"Because even after struggling for so many days and buying drinks with his own money he never left or gave up."
Remembering all those moments Eldric broke into a chuckle and looked at Master Garrick with unwavering eyes.
"That's why I think he deserves it. He deserves to go there, he deserves the recommendation letter."
Riven who was outside, Stood still after hearing everything. His expressions were unreadable.
It wasn't clear what was underneath that expression but there was something that flickered in his eyes. A quiet understanding.
He remembers Rowan's face when he was fighting him. The silent determination in those eyes, Riven turned and stepped closer peeking through the slightly opened door.
---
Inside, Master Garrick's eyes softened, he looked at Eldric's face the face that was ready to face anything. Looking at that face Master Garrick sighs,
"I also think an artist like this shouldn't go to waste."
For a moment A smile formed on Eldric face but it didn't last long,
"But still we can't do anything against the council's law."
Eldric's smile dropped.
"But there are academies who take students from non mage background and those students takes the Grand Aetherion entrance exam." Eldric argued.
"Yeah! But our dojo doesn't have licence to take non mage students. And even if we send the boy there by hiding his background. If we get caught, then he would be expaled and not only that in worse case scenario our dojo might get shut down." Master Garrick reasoned.
Eldric lowered his head,"So there really isn't any way."
Knock... knock... knock...
The sound of door knocking was heard.
"Master, it's me." Riven exclaimed.
"Huh."Master Garrick pause for a second. "Come in."
Riven opened the door and entered. After entering the first thing he did was bowing his head.
"I'm sorry... I heard everything."
Eldric's eyes widened, he quickly looked at Master Garrick but master remained calm.
"Hmm... So is there anything you wanna say?"
Riven stood calm, it was hard to tell what's going on his mind and this calmness and quietness, was making sweat coming down Eldric's temple like a waterfall.
Finally Riven nodded his head after a long consideration.
"I belive, Rowan has won fair and square so as per the protocol he should get the recommendation letter."
Finally, Eldric exhaled deeply, the relief washing over him. He looked at master Garrick again.
'If it's Riven then master would definitely—'
"I also want to give that boy his recommendation letter. But you know, He is from a non mage background. I can't take the risk right now, and even if we apply for the licence to take non mage students, it's not clear how long it will take." Master Garrick said with soft eyes.
It was reasonable he has a responsibility for this dojo and he can't risk it for one student.
Eldric lowered his head exhaling deeply,"So in the end it all comes down to his background."
Eldric, Riven and Master Garrick both sighed in usion, lowering there head as they started thinking about ways to handle this situation.
Riven closed his eyes pondering for a while, the office became quiet again like a dead land.
Suddenly Riven's eyebrows twitch and eyes flickered, like a light bulb getting lighten up.
"I think..." Riven exclaimed. "There is a way."
"Really! What is it?" Eldric quickly asked.
Riven looked at Eldric then at master Garrick as he continued.
"The law states that only those from a mage background can be accepted in academies and dojos."
Master Garrick and Eldric both nods simulationly.
"It doesn't say that ones parents should be mages, it says background."
"Yeah! So?" Eldric asked.
Riven countinues,"It's simple, if an already active mage takes Rowan as his Direct disciple then Rowan would get a mage background."
Eldric eyes flicked,"Is it possible master?" He turned his head towards Master Garrick.
Master Garrick rubbed his chin thinking about Riven's statement.
"Some independent mages have already used this method, when they take a disciple even if that disciple is from a non mage background. After registrating as an official disciple of that mage. He is considered from that mage's lineage." Riven stepped forward.
Master Garrick shook his head,"Yeah it's possible, though it's not very common, i think this is our only option."
A bright smile spread across Eldric's face as he sighs deeply."So that dolt can go to Grand Aetherion huh."
He shook his head,"but.. who's gonna even take that dolt as a direct disciple." Eldric raised an important question.
But when he raised his head, he saw both Riven and master Garrick staring at him.
"What?"
"...."
"Huh." understanding the implication Eldric pointed towards himself.
"Me? No, no and taking that dolt as a direct disciple, you can't be serious. Master why not you— ." Eldric looked at master Garrick.
Master Garrick looks at Eldric with narrow eyes.
"I already have a direct disciple."
Eldric steps forward pleading.
"Then why not just take another —"
"It's always a hassle to manage one not to forget the said disciple is an irresponsible drunkard." Master Garrick cut him off calmly.
Eldric's face went blank.
Meanwhile Riven stood still indifferently.
"You were the one who took him right." Master Garrick glared at Eldric with a piercing gaze like shooting daggers.
"And that too... for drinks."
Eldric stood with the universal face of someone who is about to face a disaster.
"Now it's time to pay for those drinks."
with that Master Garrick hammered the final nail in the coffin.
---
Chapter ends