By the time Link and Flamme returned to the Dragon Castle, dusk was gradually falling.
The tiny girl, the moment she stepped into the main hall, seemed to have the last shred of her strength drained away.
Before she even had a chance to get a clear look at her surroundings, she fell fast asleep.
It took a full day of sleep before Flamme woke up completely.
After she had eaten a simple meal, Link said to her, “This is your new home. Go and take a look around.”
Flamme nodded obediently and began exploring the Dragon Castle.
The castle had five floors, each containing dozens of rooms, and behind every door lay an unfamiliar space.
Any random room was larger than the home she used to live in.
Link didn’t tell her which rooms were off-limits.
He knew all too well that for a child like Flamme, telling her not to enter was the single greatest invitation.
Curiosity about the Dragon Castle filled Flamme’s time.
She ran through the empty corridors, lingered in the main hall, and couldn’t help but peek into every corner.
To her, everything here seemed like a creation from another world.
By the time she finished exploring the final floor, night had already fallen.
She made her way to the top floor of the Dragon Castle, gazing out toward the distant horizon.
Unbeknownst to her, Link was already standing by her side.
“Lord Link, what is that standing on your shoulder?”
Link glanced at the tiny bird on his shoulder and replied, “That’s a Stollenwerck.”
“If you want to eat one, there are plenty more in the courtyard.”
Whether Flamme understood or not, the bird evidently did.
With a flap of its wings, it took off decisively, dropping the scroll it held in its beak.
“So fast!” Flamme whispered softly.
“Of course. That’s why I always have them deliver things for me. As messengers, they’re quite qualified.”
Link bent down to pick up the storage scroll and opened it directly.
Inside were a copper alarm clock and a pair of spectacles.
Flamme leaned a little closer, wanting to see them more clearly.
For a girl who had grown up in the village at the foot of the mountain, these were all novel items.
“Human lives are brief and fleeting. Every year and every day is precious, which is why they invented calendars.”
“This little thing only needs to be fed a bit of mana, and you no longer have to check the time against sundials or calendars every day—it will point it right out for you.”
“Plus, it can wake you up and help you start a new day.”
Flamme carefully took it, cradling it in her hands, turning it over and over as she explored it.
“Lord Link, is this magic too?”
“No, this is my experience from dragon life.”
And something that took me far too long to learn.
Hearing this, Flamme nodded in hazy understanding, unable to grasp the meaning of those words for the time being.
Both the alarm clock and the spectacles had been crafted by Link’s dwarf brother on his request—naturally, the previous Hero’s Sword (Fake) had also come from the same person’s hand.
Something felt a bit off.
He remembered that when he discussed the manufacturing details with Magni Bronzebeard, Magni had asked him: “Do you know anything about machining?”
“How would I know anything about that? I don’t even know where the end of the universe is, so how could I know about machining?”
Then Magni Bronzebeard had looked relieved.
Still, seeing how much Flamme liked the alarm clock, the results seemed decent enough.
It was just that putting on these glasses actually made everything look even blurrier.
“You look like a scholar,” Flamme said, looking up at him.
Having such good taste at such a young age put Link in a grand mood, prompting him to abandon any thoughts of finding his dwarf brother to discuss machining further.
Link adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a scholar.”
Then he continued, without a hint of shame: “Though I do possess a fair bit of attainment in the realm of magic.”
Since the topic was brought up, he took the opportunity to follow through: “What I promised you before—do you still remember?”
Flamme nodded.
“Is it Cleaning Magic?”
“No, no, no.”
Link waved his hand.
“It’s another kind of magic.”
“A very fine magic as well—it ranks quite high among all the spells I’ve mastered.”
Flamme waited quietly, not pressing him on what it was.
Under the moonlight, Link squatted down to bring his eyes level with those clear eyes.
In a serious tone, he posed a question to the girl: “Flamme, do you want to become a magical girl?”
Flamme visibly froze for a moment, and then her eyes seemed to light up.
What a pair of eyes they were—like a pure, deep pool, enticing a wise man to impart his wisdom.
“Can I really?!”
The words burst out of her almost instinctively, her voice carrying an irrepressible mixture of surprise and delight.
“However, before you become a magical girl, shouldn’t you show some proper courtesy?”
It seemed wise men didn’t just impart wisdom—they insisted on social pleasantries as well.
Flamme blinked, tilting her head in thought for a moment before saying with a touch of embarrassment, “I only have Magic to Create a Field of Flowers… Will that do?”
It was a gift taught to her by her parents, and it was already the most precious thing she could offer.
Link stood in place, watching her quietly as if genuinely considering the exchange she proposed, before letting out a soft sigh.
“I mean, shouldn’t you respectfully address me as ‘Master’?”
“Master!”
Without the slightest hesitation, Flamme spoke in a voice crisp and brief, as if terrified that being a second late would make her miss out on something.
[Ping!]
[Sequential Task: Passing the Torch]
[Bound Target: Flamme]
[Your mark upon this world, like a flame, has been carried forth once more.]
The red-haired girl before his eyes overlapped with a hazy memory of someone else.
He could no longer clearly remember Chris’s face from her youth, but he knew that certain things would be reignited through this child.
“Good. I accept you as my disciple.”
As he walked, Link continued instructing Flamme: “Since you’re going to learn magic, we start from the basics. For someone your age, the absolute most important thing is the fundamentals.”
“I have a foundation, Master!”
Flamme followed behind him, a hint of pride in her voice.
She perked up instantly at the mention of this.
Link slowed his pace and glanced sideways at her.
“Oh? Has another mage taught you before?”
“No.” Flamme shook her head, her tone growing even more confident.
“I’ve read your Basic Magic Popular Science (Part 1).”
“It’s just a pity I waited a long time and Part 2 never came.”
“Having learned that, my foundation should be just fine, right?”
Link came to a dead stop.
“No, no, no, little Flamme—quite the contrary! Quite the contrary!”
“It would be better to have no foundation at all than that!”
That was close.
Humanity almost lost a Great Mage forever.
To prevent Flamme from continuing down the wrong path, Link decided to pick up his pen once more and write Basic Magic Popular Science (Part 2).
This “writing” would no longer be the wildly fabricated nonsense of last time; he had to produce genuine skill.
“This time, failure is not an option!” Link vowed silently to himself.
“Little Flamme, since things have come to this, let’s eat first.”
It was time to employ his invincible wisdom.
After dinner, Link went to his study and sat at the desk with several blank sheets of paper spread out before him, writing furiously.
Link’s wisdom never disappointed him.
In just the span of a single meal, he had already thought of dozens of must-read books regarding various recipes.
Well then.
Regardless, none of that mattered.
Link had external help.
The world’s premier, most comprehensive, most flawless living grimoire—Serie.
So he changed the paper and lifted his pen once again.
“Serie, my dearest friend.”
“Now, please tell me in the most direct, straightforward, objective, truthful, concise, non-roundabout, and sharpest way possible—”
“What books can allow a completely zero-foundation…”
He paused, thought for a moment, and crossed out the line.
“What books can allow a human child with a completely negative foundation to learn magic?”
“Please, this is very important for the Basic Magic Popular Science (Part 2) I am preparing to write.”