Yuric, who had left the mansion of the Great Mother, moved along familiar paths to meet his teachers one by one. Of course, on his way, he received various greetings from the witches, causing him to sweat profusely. Despite this, he did not overlook their attention and responded to each one individually. To him, the witches of Arphenheim were like family.
The first place Yuric visited was the research room of Great Witch Ingris, who had taught him circuitry.
In place of the Great Witch, who rarely left her research room once she entered, her apprentice Monica welcomed the guests. Now showing signs of maturity, she ran straight to Yuric as soon as she saw him, hugging him tightly.
“I missed you…”
“I missed you too, Sister.”
“Master has been looking for you a lot. Let’s go in.”
Great Witch Ingris, who was still deeply engrossed in her circuit research, opened her mouth wide in surprise at the unexpected guest. Her eyes then filled with tears.
“Master, have you been well?”
“…Yes, have you been well?”
“Yes, I’ve been well. Seeing you in good health makes me feel relieved.”
Ingris also hugged Yuric tightly, just like her apprentice Monica. The stern appearance of the master was gone.
However, like a witch obsessed with circuits, she boldly skipped the small talk.
“Yuric, it’s good you came. Sit down here.”
Then, she started asking him questions about the improved boundary magic circuit he had designed and the mana blockage disease treatment method he had recently published in a paper.
Of course, being equally obsessed with magic, he answered her questions as if he had prepared for them. His apprentice Monica also sat beside them, completely absorbed in their conversation.
During their discussion, someone visited Ingris’s research room. It was Great Witch Yelni, who had taught Yuric combat skills. The muscular woman laughed loudly when she saw Yuric.
“What, diving straight into research upon arrival? You two really can’t be stopped.”
Yuric warmly embraced Yelni as well. However, due to her strong hug, he almost felt his waist would break.
“Our Yuric has grown into a man!”
Following Yelni, Great Witch Ophelia, who had taught him history, also visited Ingris’s research room.
“I thought you’d be caught by your sister. Yuric, did you know how much Ingris praised you? She said whoever taught you did an excellent job.”
“Hmm, Ophelia…”
The research room quickly became lively. Yuric answered their endless questions with long stories. There were so many events that it seemed unbelievable to have happened over three years.
“Even though I didn’t know anything else, I was truly surprised that you discovered the treatment for mana blockage disease. Thanks to it, the witches suffering from the disease recovered completely.”
“It’s a relief that it helped everyone.”
The great witches all smiled contentedly at Yuric’s warm heart.
After spending time with his three masters, Yuric headed to Adrian’s hut.
He walked slowly along the familiar path, inhaling the forest scent. Memories of those times resurfaced.
Adrian’s hut hadn’t changed much since he left. He approached the hut and knocked on the door loudly.
Soon, the door opened, and Great Witch Adrian appeared. She jumped in shock, thinking Yuric might come, and rushed to him, hugging him tightly and crying.
“Yuric, my student, oh, Yuric…”
Yuric, not expecting such a strong reaction, widened his eyes but then smiled gently, patting her back softly.
“Yes, Master. I’m here.”
Another person came out of the hut. A young girl, presumably another student. It seemed Adrian had taken in another student since then. She, too, looked surprised, as if she couldn’t believe her master’s reaction, and entered the living room.
Adrian slowly stepped away from Yuric after holding him for a while. She seemed a bit embarrassed by her behavior.
“…Ahem. You came. I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
“Yes, have you been well during this time?”
“Yes, and have you been well? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Adrian carefully checked Yuric’s body to see if there were any discomforts.
“Yes, I’ve been healthy. Master, I missed you.”
Adrian’s lips curled up again.
Seeing things calm down, a young somawitch came out from the living room window and greeted Yuric warmly.
“Hello, you must be Senior Yuric. I heard a lot about you from Master. I’m Sharprine.”
“Ah, nice to meet you, Sharprine. I’m Yuric.”
Adrian stroked Sharprine’s head and said,
“She’s the child I took in two years ago. She shows great talent in alchemy.”
“That’s great. It’s comforting to have a good successor.”
“Come in. Have you eaten?”
“I’m fine. Could I have some tea, please?”
Yuric sat in the living room and had tea with Adrian and Sharprine. Adrian expressed great surprise at the medicine Yuric had developed for treating mana blockage disease.
“Your combination is truly excellent. Handling dragon scale powder must have been difficult.”
“It was thanks to the compendium you gave me. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to make the medicine… Oh, and this too…”
Yuric handed Adrian a dragon scale he had kept. Sharprine, seeing a dragon scale for the first time, found it very interesting.
Adrian initially refused, but Yuric insisted, saying he had more. Eventually, she accepted it. For an alchemist, dragon scales were truly a precious material.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
Although Adrian had some dragon scale powder, she had used it all up recently to make the treatment for mana blockage disease. She could now refill the empty container.
“I want to hear your story, but it’s getting dark. Hene is waiting for me. I should go.”
“Yes, Master. Then I’ll come again tomorrow.”
“Alright, let’s have a long meal and talk tomorrow.”
Yuric bid farewell to Adrian and Sharprine and went to Hene’s hut.
The evening in the forest was dreamy and quiet.
Upon arriving at the hut where he spent his childhood, Yuric stood momentarily in the garden, gazing at the scene.
Soon, the door creaked open, and Hene came out. The two, who had met at the mage tower, didn’t have as intense a reunion as before, but it was still deeply moving.
“How have you been?”
“Yes, Master.”
Hene and Yuric had a happy dinner together. It was a warm and relaxed time.
After dinner, they talked until midnight. Finally, Yuric went to his own bedroom after a long time.
‘I’m back…’
Even though he had lived in Schliffenberg for a long time, Yuric couldn’t shake the feeling of being a wanderer wherever he was.
The only place where he felt truly at home was here.
Yuric sprawled on the thick, soft mat. However, he surprisingly couldn’t fall asleep.
Lying on his back with his head in his hands, staring at the dim ceiling for a long time, he finally got up and cautiously left the hut. He slowly strolled through the forest bathed in silvery moonlight.
Yuric took off his shoes and felt the earth beneath his feet. The cool night air, the strong smell of grass and soil, cleansed his entire body.
Reaching an open space in the forest, he sat down on the bare ground. Gradually, something approached him.
Surprisingly, it was a spirit.
A blue squirrel-shaped spirit approached Yuric as if sniffing the air. This was something he had never experienced while living here.
But the approaching spirits were not alone. A deer-shaped spirit, a worm-shaped spirit, a snake-shaped spirit, and even a human-shaped spirit gathered around Yuric.
The spirits, curious like children, watched Yuric with fascination. They pulled his hair, touched his skin, fiddled with his clothes, peered into his ears and nose, examined his lips and teeth. Some spirits even mimicked him comically, causing them to collapse and laugh loudly.
Amidst the many spirits, Yuric felt a strange sensation and turned his gaze toward them.
A huge spirit resembling a tree approached Yuric at a slow pace. Unlike the other spirits, this one had overwhelming mana.
The tree spirit approached Yuric, moving its branches like hands, examining him. Surprisingly, the tree spirit spoke in a rumbling voice.
– Human who helped the spirits, I express my gratitude.
It was surprising that the spirit could communicate and knew that Yuric had helped them.
“How did you know?”
– I saw the orb you swallowed. Your love was there. The love of the spirits was there too.
Ah.
Yuric had once dreamed of swallowing the orb given to him by a spirit. The tree spirit was referring to that.
– You are our friend.
Squirrel spirits jumped up and down on Yuric’s head and shoulders.
Many spirits circled around Yuric.
Yuric watched the spirits with a broad smile. They were incredibly endearing.
In the deep of the night, in the forest,
Yuric shared a profound connection with the spirits.
It was truly an incredible experience.
