Leaving the forest, Tris returned home after a long, exhilarating day.
The house was a two-story building of nearly 100 square meters, located on the western edge of the village. His mother had passed away shortly after he was born. The house now only housed him and his father, making it feel especially spacious.
By this time, the sun had begun to sink toward the horizon, its light fading as the sky darkened. In the glow of the sunset, smoke rose from the chimneys of the houses, giving the village an oddly peaceful atmosphere.
"Master, you're home. Dinner is ready."
Upon arriving, Maren greeted him. She was a middle-aged woman in her forties, hired by his father to help with household chores such as cooking, washing dishes, and laundry.
She didn't live with them; instead, she remained in her own home with her family, traveling daily between the two households to help.
Her job wasn't particularly strenuous despite the house's size, as the most time-consuming tasks—cleaning—were easily handled by magic by Tris and his father.
"Thank you," He replied, heading to the dining room.
Inside, his father was already seated and eating.
"Father." - He greeted.
"You're back? Sit and eat."
"Yes, father."
They shared the meal in the usual quiet manner.
Tris and his father rarely spoke much—not because they disliked each other, but because his father was a naturally reserved man.
Tris himself was quite introverted. On ordinary days, he hardly interacted with anyone unless necessary, living a rather secluded life.
A typical child clings to their parents—crying, seeking attention, and in doing so, fostering closeness between them.
However, due to his unusually—or perhaps abnormally—accelerated growth and maturity, this didn't happen in their family.
Imagine Tris suddenly clinging to his father, whining for candy or something. The most frightened person would be his father.
Just picturing it would make anyone who knew Tris shudder.
"Tris, were you training in the forest again?" - His father asked suddenly.
"Yes, father."
"Be careful. Danger isn't always from magical beasts."
"I know. I'll be careful."
'Was that just a coincidence… or…?' Tris pondered his father's words.
After dinner, Tris spent time reading and studying magic for a while.
Then he bathed, soaking in the tub.
As a Mage, preparing water and heating it was simple and time-saving.
Magic could really improve daily life in many ways.
Relaxing in a bath heated to the perfect temperature, he let out a contented sigh.
The warm water helped soothe his muscles after a long day of training.
Closing his eyes, he simultaneously observed several locations around the village in real time.
Currently, four "Feathers" have been deployed for monitoring purposes.
His goal was to check for any suspicious activity in the village—like someone secretly investigating or attempting to contact the four others.
He wanted to anticipate threats, see if anyone was working with them, and prepare an appropriate response.
Tris couldn't allow any potential danger near his home to go unnoticed.
He carried on with his daily routine, keeping part of his mind on surveillance.
He monitored the village until dawn and found nothing unusual.
Not surprising. He cleaned up his puppets and prepared to catch up on sleep after a sleepless night.
All the children in the village attended school for free. His father had told him this was a rare privilege.
In other territories, only children from wealthy families could go to school. Ordinary families often taught their children themselves.
For poor families, it wasn't uncommon for children to remain mostly uneducated, knowing only basic arithmetic and survival skills.
Moreover, this village didn't just teach basic knowledge; elder Mages taught children magic.
By age eleven, after learning foundational subjects like reading, numbers, geography, and history, the children were assessed for magical aptitude.
From there, they were divided into two advanced classes.
The few with potential to become Mages attended special magic classes.
Most learned to harness their spiritual energy, strengthen their bodies, and practice combat techniques, etc.
They could become Warriors, take on guard duty, participate in hunts, or simply develop strong bodies for everyday tasks like farming, blacksmithing, or construction.
This educational system has contributed greatly to the village's prosperity and growth.
Tris himself had completed the basic class and was fast-tracked into the advanced course, teaching young Mages magic.
That very morning, he had conducted a lesson on controlling magical puppets.
As always, Tris skipped class, and neither the old teacher nor the other children found it surprising
Or rather, they assumed his absence was perfectly normal. His showing up would have been disruptive.
After all, the old teacher couldn't teach him anything about puppet control—Tris's skills far surpassed his.
Yawning from exhaustion, Tris lay down in his bed, ready for sleep.
Curiously, beside his pillow were blank sheets and a pen, reinforcing the image of a studious child always with books at hand.
For most people, sleep was a time to rest the mind. For Tris, it wasn't just rest—it was time for his special lectures.
'What will today's lesson be?' he wondered as he drifted off into slumber.