This year, nine-year-old Yuric has three older brothers. Among them, the third brother Luke is treated by adults as a rather useless person, as they put it.
Since he suffered a serious illness in his childhood, his legs grew somewhat deformed, making it a bit difficult for him to move. He could not participate in logging work, which, in this poor rural village, at least allowed someone to earn a decent living. But he couldn’t just stay confined at home doing nothing, so he mainly looked after his younger siblings while taking the cows and goats out into the fields.
However, while he might seem useless in the eyes of adults, to Yuric, Luke was an indispensable presence.
Whatever Yuric asked, Luke knew almost everything. Even if there was something he didn’t know, he would somehow find out and explain it to his younger brother later.
Luke was smaller than his peers, but he always had a smile on his face and was wise and kind beyond his years. Yuric didn’t feel much affection from his parents, who were always filled with complaints. Instead, the family love that overflowed was entirely directed towards Luke and his three-year-younger sister.
Yuric always felt grateful to Luke for teaching him how to draw and sculpt.
Despite spending time in nature and wandering the fields, Luke had to learn those skills by himself due to his circumstances. With no friends, his only sources of enjoyment were drawing and sculpting.
Thus, Yuric would take leftover charcoal from the fireplace every day and use stones and tree bark as his canvas. When he grew a bit tired of drawing, he would carve small sculptures out of pieces of wood using a stone knife. While Luke was better at sculpting, Yuric’s drawing skills were far superior.
The first few years, it was just Yuric and Luke who played, but once their three-year-younger sister learned to walk somewhat, they began to play together as a trio.
Their younger sister was a gentle and curious child, yet she never threw tantrums and followed her brothers’ words well. Of course, she soon became interested in drawing as well.
Although they didn’t have enough to eat, it was still a peaceful time. With no desire for anything more, they simply wished for this humble peace to continue.
Then one day, an accident happened to Yuric.
While climbing a tall tree to pick some fruit, he slipped and fell.
Hitting his head hard on the dirt ground, Yuric felt the distant echoes of his crying younger sister and his brother calling out frantically for her name before he passed out. As he did, old memories came flooding back, and he drifted in the memories of his past life for a long time.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself at home. His brother, who had been nursing their younger sister attentively, said that after a day of fever, he miraculously opened his eyes. Luke’s eyes were puffy from crying, worried about what he would do if Yuric didn’t wake up.
Despite having nearly died, Yuric’s mind was very clear, as if he had just woken from a deep sleep.
“I’m so glad, truly glad, Yuric. I thought I’d lost you… The heavens must have taken care of you.”
After embracing each other and weeping for a while, Yuric noticed that the left side of Luke’s face was swollen and red. Later, their younger sister cheerfully mentioned that Luke had fought back against their father, who said it would be better to let a disabled child die rather than raising him, and got slapped for it. The treatment woman from the lower village had also not come for the same reason.
Anyway, having miraculously come back to life, Yuric began to vaguely realize that he had been reincarnated into this world. However, his past memories were not altogether clear. They remained faint and dreamy, but occasionally the memories and habits of his previous life would pop up as if by reflex.
“Do you think you would believe me if I said I’m from another world?”
When he asked this, Luke stroked Yuric’s head affectionately with a strange smile.
“Then I should be the one to call you brother, right?”
“What about our youngest brother? Is he an angel?”
Their innocent younger sister asked back in surprise. Yuric corrected her, saying that the angel is actually their brother.
Though Yuric didn’t receive special treatment after the accident, he fortunately showed no significant symptoms. Still, Luke seemed to be constantly worried, checking every morning and evening to see if there was anything uncomfortable with Yuric.
Life returned to normal, and Yuric resumed drawing and sculpting as usual. However, he sometimes sketched scenes based on the memories of his past life.
And so a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Although Luke might have been an exception due to his disability, Yuric, with sound limbs, began to feel that it was time to end this way of life. Typically, children around this age would start learning logging work from the adults.
Their father also began to tell Yuric to get ready to learn work, starting to follow in his footsteps.
“To be recognized as an adult, you need to learn to work properly.”
In the eyes of their father, or rather the eyes of the villagers, Luke was not an adult because he could not work. An eternal child. He would probably find it hard to marry and would spend his life doing trivial chores before dying…
However, Luke cheerfully congratulated Yuric, saying it was all for the best.
“You’ll do well at whatever you do! You’ll surely be the best in the village! And since you’re so handsome, who knows, one of the Baron’s daughters might marry you someday!”
Of course, that was highly unlikely, yet Yuric sensed that their parents were secretly hoping for such a thing, albeit subtly. Despite being from a poor rural village, he often heard that he looked quite noble.
In a poor village, being referred to as noble-looking, whether male or female, was a blessing. Even if he was merely a baron in a remote area, forming connections with them was one of the few escape routes from such a poor backwater.
Anyway, after asking his father, Yuric received a brief extension before heading to the hill to draw.
“Do you want me to marry someone high up?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“The truth is, I don’t want that, brother. I just… don’t want to live like this.”
“What do you mean by that?”
His brother looked at him directly, his eyes wide in surprise. Yuric glanced at their sister, who was absorbed in her drawing, then focused back on Luke.
“I want to see the wider world, brother. I don’t want to spend my whole life just cutting wood in a place like this.”
Luke looked as if he had never anticipated Yuric to say something like this. In fact, it was the first time Yuric had expressed these feelings to Luke. But Luke soon comforted his brother with his characteristic smile.
“I see… Yes, you’re right… Our younger brother will become a great person. Yes, great people should go out to the wider world! If that’s what you want, then of course you should! You’re too good for just cutting wood.”
“But I don’t know how. I doubt our father would allow it…”
“Let’s think about it together.”
Just then, their younger sister, who was drawing, suddenly stood up and pointed somewhere, screaming.
“Brother! People have come to the village!”
Both brothers turned their eyes to where she was pointing. As she said, a group of over a dozen was entering along the path leading to the village.
While the merchant group would regularly visit the village to buy timber, they seemed to have neither carts for transporting wood nor a large number of people in their group.
As they descended the hill to hear what the villagers were chattering about, they learned that they were a mercenary group passing through the area. Normally, they wouldn’t need to stop here and would head directly to the Baron’s city, but, as it turned out, the axle of their cart had broken, forcing them to change direction.
Whether by chance or fate, Luke, Yuric, and their sister Yeri were stirred up by the village’s enthusiasm at seeing these guests. Particularly for young children, the sight of weapons, sharp enough to kill rather than just logging axes, was a source of both curiosity and admiration. Oiled leather armor, shoulder pads reinforced with bent iron plates, tall crossbows suited for children, and clubs with iron spikes sticking out.
“Hey! Go away, don’t bother the kids!”
Adults waved their hands to shoo away the throng of children, but they scattered like flies from the cows’ behind, only to regroup.
The moment Yuric saw them, he felt an urgent desire to capture the scene in a drawing. So, he took out a piece of bark from his leather pouch and began to sketch on it with charcoal.
A man with a deep scar on his face, who had been watching him curiously, called him over.
“Hey, you there. Come here. …Can you draw?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then draw me.”
The middle-aged man, who appeared to be the leader of the mercenary group, held out a silver coin to Yuric. It was the first large sum of money he had ever held in his hands.
Bowing deeply, Yuric accepted it respectfully and quickly began to sketch the man in charcoal. In no time, he completed a portrait that looked quite decent. Fortunately, the mercenary seemed very pleased with Yuric’s drawing skills.
“You’re worth the coin. You have decent skills.”
“Thank you!”
As the mercenary showed his portrait to his comrades, the other mercenaries started asking Yuric to draw them as well.
“Yes, I’ll draw everyone.”
The mercenaries planned to stay in this area for about two days. Yuric promised he would draw for them before they left.
Of course, the money he received would all eventually end up in his father’s hands. The money he would earn later would likely follow the same fate.
However, Yuric didn’t care. Right now, money wasn’t important. What he needed were new people, new experiences, and new stimulation.
Luke noticed his younger brother’s excitement and encouraged him. However, he cautioned not to give all the money to their father and to keep a silver coin or two for himself.
Of course, Yuric wasn’t naïve enough not to understand what his brother meant.
“Okay, got it.”
The next day, starting at the break of dawn, Yuric went to the neighbors where the mercenaries were staying to draw their portraits. The price was one silver coin per drawing. While a silver coin might not have been much for those who risked their lives on expeditions, for children in this poor village, it was a considerable amount.
After finishing portraits of everyone except one person, Yuric approached the last one, who was sitting in the corner with a deep-hooded cloak.
“Would you like me to draw you, ma’am?”
“I’m good.”
Her voice was incredibly beautiful and enchanting, making Yuric think this must be what a celestial voice sounds like.
Yuric felt an unusual sense of urgency.
“I can really draw well. Just take a look at this!”
He opened his bag and laid out the various drawings he had made so far, as if to show off. The woman carefully observed them for a while.
“…Not bad.”
“Thank you!”
“Alright then, give it a try.”
The mercenaries appeared surprised, not expecting her to consent so readily.
As the woman removed her hood, an astonishingly beautiful face revealed itself. For a moment, Yuric was stunned, unable to move. His gaze, instinctively drawn as if a butterfly were fluttering towards a flower, remained fixed on her face.
Fortunately, he quickly composed himself and took a seat opposite her.
“Then, I’ll begin!”
Yuric picked the finest piece of bark from his bag and started to sketch her with charcoal, observing how she gracefully sat on the chair.
The house, transformed into a makeshift tavern, was incredibly noisy, yet it felt as if he had become deaf, hearing nothing. It was as if only he and she existed in this world.
…!
As Yuric focused on his drawing, he could see her eyes narrow slightly as she watched him.
Yuric poured all his efforts into each stroke as he drew her, and after what felt like a considerable amount of time, he finally finished the portrait and presented it to her.
“Thank you for allowing me to draw you.”
Staring down at the self-portrait on the bark, she remained oddly still for a while. Then, slowly lifting her head, she asked in a deep, neutral voice:
“Will you come with me?”
The noisy living room suddenly fell silent, as if a splash of water had dripped on it.
Of course, Yuric was just as bewildered as everyone else, wide-eyed and silent.
Then she revealed her identity.
“I am a mage. I will teach you magic.”
Ah.
Yuric stiffened like a statue.
“If you don’t want to, I won’t force you. Here’s some money.”
She offered him a gold coin. Yuric trembled in surprise. It wasn’t because he had never seen a gold coin in his life, although that did surprise him a bit; it was because he had never imagined he would be asked to follow a mage.
At that moment, imagining himself leaving the village with her overwhelmed him.
Yuric could hardly respond and quickly dashed away from that place, running straight to the hill where Luke was.
Luke was waiting for his brother, as always, carving something beside their younger sister.
“Yuric, you’re back.”
“Brother, brother! I met a mage!”
Yuric spoke with a trembling voice as if confessing.
“And she said she would teach me magic!”
Luke’s carving knife paused abruptly.
“What’s a mage?”
Yeri, who did not know what a mage was, asked, but Luke seemed not to hear his sister’s question at all.
“So what did she say?”
“I was so surprised that I just ran out. I didn’t even get to take the money. She was even going to give me a gold coin.”
“Brother, brother!”
Yeri whined at the two brothers who were talking only to each other.
“Okay, wait a minute, Yeri. Let us finish talking… So what are you planning to do?”
“I don’t know. It was too sudden. My mind is too confused right now.”
“You didn’t tell Father, did you?”
“No, I came straight here.”
“…Okay, let’s go back for now. It’s getting late.”
The sky was already turning orange as the sun set. If they delayed any longer, they would surely get scolded by their father.
Luke untied the ropes he had tied to the tree and slowly led the cows and goats down the hill. Their sister kept asking about what a mage was. Yuric just vaguely replied that it was a type of mercenary. Luke, however, walked silently, deep in thought, limping.
At dinner, their father ordered Yuric to hand over the money he received that day. Yuric secretly kept two silver coins and gave the rest to his father.
“You need to come with me starting tomorrow. You have to learn to work. A person must work. That way, you can earn money, get married, and have children.”
“Yes, Father…”
Yuric and Luke briefly exchanged glances.
After finishing their meal, the family went to bed.
Though the household soon descended into silence, Yuric could not sleep, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.
Then, Luke, who was sleeping next to him, lightly nudged his younger brother.
“Yuric, are you asleep?”
“No.”
“Want to follow me for a moment?”
They quietly slipped out of the house and into the barn, where silver moonlight poured in abundantly. A cow, awakening from their presence, let out a small mourn.
“You know those people are leaving tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
“You should go with them.”
“…Huh?”
Luke grabbed Yuric’s shoulder. In his small hand, he was grasping an indescribable force.
“It seems the mage recognized your talent. What a great opportunity, right? It could be the only chance you’ll ever get in your life. So you have to go. You must! She said she would teach you magic! Then, of course, you should learn magic. Go out into the wider world, Yuric. You wanted that, didn’t you?”
“…But what about you?”
Yuric had no choice but to ask this. Luke smiled sadly and gently stroked his brother’s head, as if he were saying, “You are such a good boy.”
“I’ll take care of Yeri. And I’m not able to. So I’ll wait for you at home. When you come back, I’ll welcome you anytime. Got it?”
Yuric felt a lump in his throat. Having regained even just a fragment of his previous life’s memories, he wasn’t naive enough not to know that his brother didn’t want to be a burden to him.
“I don’t want to go. I want to stay next to you.”
“No, you must go! You need to go now! Yuric, this is your last opportunity to leave! Do you want to spend your life cutting wood? Until you die?”
“But then you’ll be left all alone.”
“Yuric—!”
Luke raised his voice, glaring at his brother with a cold expression.
“Are you trying to make me angry? If I get angry, you know it’s terrifying, right?”
“Brother…”
“Go. Leave this narrow rural land. And go out into the wider world, Yuric. You are that kind of person. You must become a great person! You can do it, without a doubt. You’re a smart and kind child. You will become a great adult.”
“Okay… brother. I will see the world. I will return after seeing everything. And I’ll draw lots of pictures of what it’s like, and show them to you!”
“Good, make sure to show me. After you see everything, show me what the world is like.”
Luke wiped away Yuric’s tears. Yet he, too, was smiling while crying.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Luke went into the house alone. He soon emerged from the barn, carrying the leather bag that Yuric always took with him and carrying sleeping Yeri on his back.
“Let’s say goodbye to our pretty youngest.”
Yuric kissed Yeri’s forehead and cheek. She murmured softly in her sleep. Tears flowed endlessly from Yuric’s eyes.
“Alright, now go. And the moment you leave, let go of all your lingering feelings. You need to be resolute, Yuric! When you return, it will be when your work is done. Until then, don’t come back!”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind. Brother, you have to be well. Stay healthy. I promise I will come back! You have to stay healthy, okay?”
Luke waved his hand toward his departing brother. Yuric turned back several times, waving his hand as well.
Thus, Yuric left home and spent the night filled with anticipation and anxiety near the building where the mercenaries were staying. Exhausted, he briefly dozed off and abruptly opened his eyes to the sound of commotion. The dark sky was beginning to illuminate with the light of dawn. The mercenaries were preparing to leave.
He hurriedly packed his bag and joined the ranks of the mercenaries. Then he searched for the mage who had promised to teach him magic yesterday.
“I will go with you, ma’am! Please take me with you!”
The woman, who had been gazing at him, nodded. The mercenaries chuckled, as if they had expected the little boy to come.
“From now on, call me Master.”
“Yes, ma’am… no, Master.”
Then Yuric climbed onto the cart with the repaired axle. It creaked and slowly left the village.
Dawn’s light was rising. That faint ray illuminated his familiar hometown and the hill he had always climbed.
Yuric saw Luke standing on the high rock above the hill.
He stood there until the hill vanished from sight.
After a while, Yuric discovered a sculpture in his bag.
It was a small figurine of Yuric, Luke, and Yeri sitting side by side.
Holding it tightly to his chest, Yuric cried silently.
In autumn, at the age of nine.
Yuric left the village to become the apprentice of a mage.
