In the dim light, Yuric spoke while holding his breath. The children in front of him swallowed hard.
“Then suddenly, a dragon appeared in the sky.”
“Oh!”
Yuric exaggerated the situation at that time slightly.
“It was really serious. If the wyvern had attacked the village, people would have been seriously hurt.”
“We need to hold on, Mage Sir!”
A young child, deeply engrossed in the story, clenched his fist as if about to shed tears. Yuric smiled warmly and patted the head of the encouraging child.
“Then the Earth Dragon Alaldur shouted, ‘Get lost, young dragon!’ And the bad dragon ran away in surprise.”
“Wow!”
“And our Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps defeated the demons and saved the village.”
The children clapped their hands saying it was good, then boldly declared they would become Dragon Knights.
Just then, Brother Luke softly called out to the children.
“It’s late at night. Shouldn’t everyone go to sleep?”
“…Can we hear just one more story?”
When one child begged so pitifully, Brother Luke said, “Alright, just one more.”
This time, Yuric told the story of the Treasure Mage Dural.
“I’ll find treasures when I grow up too! Then, when I become rich, I can eat fish every day!”
“Me too!”
The children imagined being happy eating fish every day instead of just once a week. Brother Luke gently patted the heads of the children and said, “Now, everyone lie down.”
More than ten children lay down closely in the room. Although the room was somewhat cramped for everyone to live together, it was much cozier than sleeping on the street.
Yuric and Brother Luke went outside after confirming the children were asleep. The cool night air cooled the heated lungs from storytelling.
“How has life been?”
“There’s nothing better. I’m truly happy living with the kids.”
Brother Luke gently patted Yuric’s back with a warm smile.
“How have you been?”
“You might be surprised.”
Yuric talked about what he had experienced over the years to his brother. Brother Luke nodded occasionally, listening intently to his younger brother’s story.
“You really met a dragon.”
“Yeah, I really became a Dragon Knight. The body of the Earth Dragon Alaldur is dead, but its will lives on in my mind.”
“I’m so happy that my little brother has grown up so well.”
“Do you know about Yeri?”
“I heard news from our hometown once. It seems Yeri is doing well. She even had a son.”
“That’s great to hear. I’m glad.”
The two brothers looked up at the night sky simultaneously. Countless stars sparkled in the sky.
As he gazed at the sky for a long time, Brother Luke’s smile deepened.
“I always believed this day would come.”
“What day?”
“The day when I can recall the past and laugh happily.”
Yuric also smiled warmly.
“It’s thanks to you. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”
“It’s because of your relentless efforts.”
“You are the pillar of my heart. No matter how difficult things get or what situation arises, thinking of your mindset helps me overcome anything.”
“…Yes, I’ll be happy if I can help you in any way.”
Yuric felt a lump in his chest due to his brother’s boundless kindness. …His wife must have felt the same way, deeply loving her husband who loved Iphi so much that she even possessed his spirit.
“Now let’s go to sleep. But the bed is a bit tight, right?”
“Even though it looks like this, I can sleep well even on the street.”
The brothers entered the room and lay down in the corner, avoiding the sleeping children.
Yuric listened to the children’s breathing for a long time before slowly falling asleep.
Yuric lived in Grozia for half a month.
During this time, Yuric taught the children writing and drawing. Especially writing, which he wrote on paper and stuck to the walls of the room so they could see and learn even after he left.
“If you study hard, you can become a mage or find treasures!”
The children, filled with hope, studied diligently. Some of the clever ones learned to read quickly within a week. Yuric left two books for the children who studied well; one about the history of the continent and another about the history of magic.
Every evening, Yuric would unpack his story bag, and the children eagerly awaited that moment. For these children who had never left this area, Yuric’s journey was like a fairy tale more magical than any story.
They cheered with joy and shed tears of sadness. Some even vowed to become mages by learning magic. For those children, Yuric left a book on circuitry.
And on the fifteenth day of staying here,
Early in the morning when the children were still sound asleep, Yuric left the room. Brother Luke hugged his departing younger brother tightly, wishing him a bright future.
“Always love you, Yuric. I’ll always pray for you.”
“Take care too. I’ll come back again next time. This time, I’ll bring more stories.”
“Yes, take care. I’ll wait for you.”
Brother Luke saw Yuric off to the station. Yuric boarded the carriage heading to Gaistun. The carriage started with a shout, and as it moved away, Yuric waved to his brother growing smaller in the distance.
Thus, the two brothers parted ways, looking forward to their next reunion. Yuric found something in his bag. It was a sculpture of his brother, depicting him as a mature adult.
His younger brother held it tightly, thinking of his brother. In fact, he had secretly hidden half of his money in a leather pouch in the corner of the room before leaving. He knew his brother would refuse if he just gave it.
“For you and the kids.”
Yuric looked forward to returning after visiting the west. By then, the children would have grown up.
Before long, the city was no longer visible. The mage closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
The carriage arrived at the station as the dense forest came into view. One by one, passengers got off. Yuric was the third to step down.
The witch village, Arphenheim.
Yuric, still familiar with the entrance of the village, slung his bag over his shoulder and slowly walked inside.
The Atelier Street was bustling. It seemed busier than before. Yuric walked slowly, taking in the familiar street.
Naturally, the witches recognized Yuric one by one. Though his body had grown significantly over three years, Yuric’s essence remained unchanged.
“Yuric? Is that you?”
“Oh, Sister, it’s been a long time.”
“Yuric!”
The witches embraced Yuric and kissed his cheeks, causing quite a commotion. Yuric laughed heartily, asking if they had been doing well.
They exclaimed, “Yuric is back!” causing quite a ruckus. Outsiders wondered about the identity of the man receiving so much attention from the beautiful witches.
Hearing the news, witches from the Atelier rushed out one by one. Among them were witches who had spent their Somawitch days with Yuric.
And…
“Yuriik!”
One witch ran towards Yuric, shouting loudly and hugging him tightly.
She was Lilke, a witch who had taught history and was Ophelia’s disciple. She had left the village a year before Yuric’s independence and now operated an Atelier in Arphenheim.
“Idiot! Don’t you know how long I’ve waited for you?!”
Lilke struggled in Yuric’s embrace. Now taller, Yuric looked down at his friend in his arms and smiled warmly, patting her back.
“I’m sorry. Have you been well, Sister?”
“Hmph! Not really!”
The witches teased that they seemed to be in a relationship already. Only then did Lilke realize her behavior and quickly stepped back.
Yuric chatted with the witches and headed toward the Elder’s mansion. Naturally, he would visit the Elder first upon arriving.
The Elder welcomed Yuric warmly with a kind expression.
After traveling across the continent, Yuric finally realized how great a mage the Elder was.
“How many years of knowledge and wisdom have you accumulated?”
The Elder looked at Yuric with a benevolent gaze, yet there was something unusual in her eyes.
“…So much has changed over the years.”
Not only the unique magic residing in the index finger, but the image of a dragon could also faintly be seen in his spirit. Just three years… How much had Yuric experienced during this time?
Yuric already knew he couldn’t deceive the Elder with his eyes. Of course, he had no intention of doing so either.
“Do you know Mage Tition of the Index Finger?”
“Of course. He was a noble mage. You inherited his magic.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“It’s a good thing. But magic is a mysterious thing. If you can’t control it, it will consume you. So you must continuously refine and develop yourself. Especially the mind is important.”
“I’ll remember your words deeply.”
The Elder smiled contentedly and nodded.
“Also… You’ve received the dragon’s choice. That isn’t easy.”
“It happened unexpectedly.”
“It’s chosen by the universe.”
“I’ll strive to become worthy of it.”
“That’s a very good attitude… Come here, child.”
Yuric approached the Elder. She hugged him tightly.
“I’m so grateful that you’ve grown up so well. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
The Elder’s embrace was as warm as a mother’s. Yuric stayed in her embrace for a long time.
Deep in thought, the Elder gently released Yuric and spoke.
“Yuric.”
“Yes, Elder?”
“Since you have embraced the dragon, I want to tell you something. Keep it a secret between us.”
“Yes, please tell me.”
The Elder looked out the window at the dense forest of Eldorver.
“There’s an Earth Dragon in Eldorver. It has been there for a long time.”
“…Is that so?”
That was completely unexpected.
“Of course, there hasn’t been much interaction for a long time. Over two hundred years.”
The Elder gazed wistfully at the distant past.
“Will you visit that dragon later? You should be able to get permission.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Good, thank you.”
“But, are you particularly close to that dragon?”
The Elder smiled faintly with a melancholic expression.
“We were comrades and friends.”
She paused for a moment and added.
“I hope she no longer suffers.”
