Sir Amic Shuliphen, hearing the circumstances from Teacher Yuric, became genuinely regretful. He had been looking forward to spending a day fishing alone with his teacher at the lake for the first time in a while…! This news was like a bolt out of the blue for him.
“Yes… um, so it’s settled…”
Of course, Teacher Yuric knew how Sir Amic felt. He had talked about going fishing together at the lake every time he visited the office!
“Still, there is plenty of time to go fishing with Lord Master. I will wait until then.”
“I’m fine. If Teacher is busy, how could I keep you?”
“No, really, I am fine.”
“Well, if that’s what Teacher wants… Then I’ll finish my work quickly!”
And so, Sir Amic Shuliphen finished his work as quickly as possible and set off with Teacher Yuric to the lake, which was half a day’s journey from Noblevento Fortress.
Of course, he would have preferred to move only with him, but due to the current dangerous times, he had no choice but to bring at least a minimal escort.
There were quite a few people at the lake who had come to relax. Sir Amic Shuliphen led Teacher Yuric to his own spot, where he skillfully set up a tent and prepared for fishing under a large tree.
“I came here once with my daughter before, but she didn’t find it very interesting.”
“I love fishing.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Teacher Yuric had also fished in ditches with his brother when he was young. They would tie homemade lines made from grass and twigs to catch crayfish or small fish. The ditch was near the forest where the village elders worked, so they couldn’t visit often. They only went when the elders were resting. However, the memory of waiting and chatting with his brother, drawing pictures and carving, and then winding the line up when it tightened still lingered vividly. The taste of cooking the caught fish over the fire was still vivid in his mouth.
-Yuric, isn’t it delicious?
-Yes, brother!
The two brothers smiled brightly at each other, their faces blackened by charcoal.
Yuric smiled, recalling those bittersweet moments.
“Teacher, please sit here.”
Yuric sat in the seat made by Sir Amic Shuliphen, cast his line, and chatted with him about life while waiting for the fish to come and wet themselves.
The first fish was caught by Sir Amic Shuliphen. It was a trout. He said that it tasted good when sprinkled with salt and grilled over charcoal.
The two of them caught fish effortlessly. Sir Amic Shuliphen always said that the first customer brought good luck for fishing.
They fished until late at night, grilled the fish, and continued talking. Of course, they spent the night in the tent. Although it was midsummer, the breeze by the lake made it cool and perfect for sleeping.
After enjoying their fishing vacation, Sir Amic Shuliphen returned, receiving an early morning drawing of the lake from Yuric, which he framed and hung in his office.
“It was truly enjoyable. Let’s go again next time.”
“Of course, Lord Master.”
“Oh, did you choose the escort?”
“No, I plan to go alone.”
Sir Amic Shuliphen jumped at this. Even though Yuric tried to persuade him, he insisted that he could not leave Teacher alone and called someone.
A short while later, Captain Cecilia of the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps visited Sir Amic Shuliphen’s office.
“Yes, Mr. Shuliphen. What is the matter?”
“Teacher Yuric is going to Ronadium. I hope the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps will take on the task of ensuring his safe return.”
Captain Cecilia wondered what this meant. She found out that Yuric was scheduled to go to Ronadium upon invitation from the Mage Tower. Due to the current dangerous times, she had been called to ensure his safety.
She was inwardly surprised but maintained a calm demeanor outwardly.
“If entrusted to me, I will make sure he returns safely.”
Since it had progressed this far, Yuric could not back out anymore. He sent a thank you to Sir Amic Shuliphen and left the office alone, as it would be inappropriate to witness the contract negotiations.
While Yuric was sitting on a bench in the garden, Cecilia finished the contract and went to find him.
“Why are you going to the Mage Tower? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Yuric explained the situation carefully. Cecilia felt relieved listening to his story. She had almost thought she would be separated from him for months. She silently thanked Sir Amic Shuliphen for hiring her as his escort.
“I worry about being a burden.”
“Yuric, your skills are known, but moving alone is dangerous. Naturally, there should be an escort. I fully understand Sir Amic Shuliphen’s feelings.”
Frankly, Yuric was concerned about the cost. He knew the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps charged high fees. Given that Sir Amic Shuliphen was willing to bear this cost, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
Cecilia, of course, understood his concerns.
“Don’t worry too much about the costs. We have negotiated to a reasonable extent. If we’re heading in the same direction, we can also provide convoy protection.”
“That’s a relief. Thank you.”
“When do you plan to depart?”
“I intended to leave tomorrow, but the mercenary corps needs time to prepare, right?”
“No, let’s depart early tomorrow. We’ll be fine as long as we have our bodies.”
Thus, Yuric and Cecilia decided to depart from the north gate early the next morning.
Before leaving, Yuric had dinner with Sir Amic Shuliphen. He thanked the lord repeatedly. Sir Amic Shuliphen laughed warmly and said:
“Consider this payment for all the paintings you’ve done for me. And I can look at the painting of the lake anytime. Come back with more beautiful paintings. That will be enough.”
“Of course, Lord Master.”
The two men ended their meal with a warm handshake and farewell.
The next morning.
Yuric, having made all preparations, left his accommodation and headed for the north gate of the fortress. There, he joined forces with the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps and boarded two wagons.
Yuric planned to visit Bemberg first. He had someone he needed to meet there.
The distance from Noblevento Fortress to Bemberg wasn’t far. It took about a month by carriage. There were three villages to pass through before reaching the Magic City.
The specialized magic city, Bemberg.
The dense mana rising from the lake gave him a peculiar sense of peace.
Yuric led the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps to the lakeside inn and suggested they use the hot springs if they had the chance.
Of course, most of the mercenaries lacked artistic sensitivity, so they just said, “It’s just red water,” when they saw the sunset over the lake.
Yuric thought Cecilia must have visited Bemberg frequently, but surprisingly, she had only been here three times including this visit. This place seemed to be less favored by mercenaries.
“Still, I really like the hot springs here.”
Yuric walked across the grand bridge with Cecilia. As darkness fell, the lights on the buildings gradually turned on.
The two walked for a long time under the dreamy lighting, shoulder to shoulder, in silence.
After sleeping well at the lakeside inn, Yuric got dressed in clean clothes and headed for the Magic Academy. At the entrance, he mentioned the name of Grand Mage Droghman. A familiar figure came out to greet him.
“Miss Rochelina!”
Of course, Rochelina was still stiff today. But there was a slight hint of joy on her face.
“I’ve been waiting for Master to arrive.”
She led him to Droghman’s workshop. Droghman, having heard the news, was ready to greet him.
“Who’s this! Isn’t this our Dawn Society’s most popular person!”
“Haha, don’t overdo it.”
“Overdo it? Really. Everyone praises your Mana Blockage Disease treatment method. And you even declared information openness.”
“Anyone would have done it.”
“You wouldn’t have. Anyway, let’s put that aside for now…”
Grand Mage Droghman delivered some good news.
“Your compilation has been thoroughly reviewed and verified. A copy has been placed in the library.”
“Thank you.”
“The board praised your research. And here, take this.”
He handed him a badge. It was a special magic-processed badge of the Dawn Society.
“With this, you can enter and exit the Magic Academy anytime.”
This was the badge every student at the Magic Academy aspired to have. Only about ten people received it each year. Considering that thousands of people applied, it was quite valuable.
Especially, to receive it without taking the test, the entire board had to agree. This meant Yuric was a talent recognized by the board.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you. Considering what you’ve accomplished, this is nothing.”
Droghman asked if Yuric could meet with the board members if he had time. Yuric enjoyed meeting new people; it meant he had many opportunities to learn new things.
“Of course.”
Droghman immediately convened the board. The reason was simple: the visit of Mage Yuric.
All the board members currently staying in Bemberg gathered in the board room. They were all eager to see the genius mage.
“Nice to meet you. I am Yuric.”
They politely requested explanations of the circuits. Although they had read the contents of the compilation, hearing directly from the source was different.
Yuric started explaining with a smile. The atmosphere instantly turned into a lecture.
Whenever they had questions, they would ask. The questions from the Dawn Society’s board members were sharp. However, Yuric answered each one clearly.
Surprisingly, even the smallest detail in these complex circuits reflected his intentions. After the compilation was released, numerous questions piled up, and even parts considered mistakes were intentional by Yuric. Some were even linked to unexpected circuits.
“See! I told you! It wasn’t just added randomly!”
“You didn’t know exactly either.”
“The flow was good, wasn’t it? So it can’t be a mistake.”
The lecture didn’t last long. Most of the content had already been explained in the compilation, so they focused on unexplained or difficult parts. There were additional Q&A sessions.
After the lecture, Yuric shook hands warmly with the board members. They already treated him as an expert in this field. Thus, they unanimously presented him with badges.
Receiving a badge meant he qualified for a research room at the Magic Academy. Although board member reviews were necessary, it had already passed unanimously. Clearly, they hoped his research would continue here.
Grand Mage Droghman personally led Yuric to his newly assigned research room. Yuric felt unexpectedly happy.
The appropriately sized research room was conveniently located. Beautiful views of the lake could be seen through the window.
“Thank you very much. I will use it well.”
The two men returned to the workshop office. Yuric had something to ask Droghman.
“What is it?”
In fact, Yuric wanted to meet another person besides Droghman.
“Do you happen to know a mage named Adele Reigenstein?”
A specialist in dragon knights.
Yuric was determined to meet this person.
