Rey gripped my hand tightly as we waited inside in alley next to the guild.
Until the carriage rolled up.
It was two days after I first met the countess.
She was thrilled when I accepted her proposal, though it was dampened when Rey inserted himself, and insisted he come along.
But she refused to teach me at the training field, and instead she sent this carriage to the adventurer’s guild.
Twice a week, we’d join her at her manor in the capital, and she’d teach me magic for three hours before driving us back to the guild.
Sure enough, a carriage with the countess’s crest was rolling up.
The footman got down and opened the door, scanning for us.
I glanced over at Rey.
“Well?” He continued scanning the area before sighing.
“Okay.
I don’t… see anything wrong.” I grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the alley.
“Then let’s go!” He huffed and let me drag him up to the carriage.
When the footman saw us, he opened the door, stepping aside for us.
I climbed up the slick steps, letting go of Rey’s hand to climb in.
And paused.
An older well-dressed gentleman with a cane was in the carriage.
I recognized him as the older gentleman who had been watching me at the training field a few days ago.
He bowed his head to me.
“Miss Kat, I presume?” Uuuh… I was knocked into from behind and stumbled forward.
“Ack!
Kat, why’d you suddenly stop!” I was forced inside as Rey came up, stilling when he saw the gentleman.
He froze, watching the gentleman like a scared animal that might bolt at any second.
He reached for my hand.
The gentleman tipped his hat to him too.
“And you must be the young lady’s knight.
Very good to meet you both.
I am Devineau, the countess’s warlock.
She sent me to escort you both to the manor.” Rey still looked ready to bolt.
But I tugged on him.
He glanced at me and let out a small sigh, and finished climbing in.
We sat down, across from the warlock.
I’d… never actually met a warlock before.
The door closed and we rolled off, heading for the First District.
The thick silence was so awkward, I decided I had to at least try and fill it.
“Um… I’ve never met a real warlock before.
Is… it true you don’t have innate mana?” He gave me a small smile.
“Yes, it is true.
All of my mana comes from Countess Brighton.” Wow.
So, it was true.
Warlocks were people who got mana from other spellcasters, in exchange for serving them.
Rey shuffled.
“Wait… so he isn’t a spellcaster?” “Uh, he is!
His mana just isn’t innate like other spellcasters.
He needs to get his mana refilled from an outside source.” I nervously glanced at him.
Was it rude to talk about it?
Devineau chuckled.
“It’s alright miss.
Warlocks can never become as powerful as other spellcasters thanks to our mana limitations.
I consider myself to be lucky to be able to use magic at all thanks to the countess.
Still, thanks to our limitations, we become experts in using our mana as efficiently and as effectively as possible.
Similarly to the way you did in the training field.
I originally thought you must be a warlock at first, until I saw you get up after your break and begin training again.
Seeing an innate mana spellcaster utilizing such efficiency is a rare sight.
The countess greatly values such efficiency in spellcasting.
Many spellcasters starting out sacrifice efficiency for power and build bad habits that keep them from ever reaching the highest tiers of magic.
But you never had the opportunity to form such bad habits.
How long have you been practicing magic?” “Um…” Let’s see, I started at the beginning of last summer… “About… seven months now?” His eyes widened.
“Hold on.
You’ve reached the second tier with only seven months of training?
Who taught you?” “Uh, it’s called Beginning Magic: Spellcasting for All Ages.” “A-A book?
You learned everything you know about magic from an old book?” “Is that… bad?” Devineau stroked his beard.
“Not… necessarily.
I’m just readjusting my understanding of talent.
I thought I knew what that word meant, but now I find my definition sorely lacking.” Huh?
What did that mean?
I opened my mouth to ask, but the carriage jolted to a stop.
Devineau brushed aside the curtain.
“We’re here.
Please, allow me to escort you inside.” He got up first and stepped out and down the steps before turning around and offering his hand to help us.
Rey went first, suspiciously scanning the outside before taking his hand and stepping down.
I followed, finally getting a good look at the manor.
It was nice.
A large, three-story house dripping in decorations, and an immaculate yard.
Along the street were other houses that looked similar.
Devineau brought us to the entrance and opened the door for us, and we shuffled inside.
It was warm, and the house was just as nice on the inside as it was on the outside.
I looked up at an immaculate painted suit of armor in admiration.
Meanwhile, Rey got distracted by some unusual masks hung up on the wall.
“Please, come this way children.
The countess is waiting for you in the study.” Devineau began walking upstairs.
The décor only seemed to become more eccentric as we ascended.
Memorabilia I didn’t recognize, or with unusual patterns and styles.
“The countess has accrued many unusual items over the course of her travels.” Devineau stopped in front of an old wooden door, and opened it for us, he bowed, and we reluctantly walked in.
The room was filled with books, and tables with paper, ink, tools I didn’t recognize, and ongoing experiments.
Countess Brighton was holding a clear glass pen that swirled with purple in its center.
She glanced over when we came in.
“Ah, children.
Let me put this down, and we can get started on your lesson.” She set the orb in some kind of stand on her bookshelf and came over to us.
She was dressed more casually today, in a purple house dress with fancy boots.
Her brown hair was still done in an updo, but she looked far more relaxed than at the training field.
She picked up another orb, this one black, and came over to me.
“Here, take this.” Uh.
I held out my hands and she plunked it in them.
I looked at it in confusion before looking back up.
The countess seemed thoughtful.
“No leakage, as I suspected.
Now, please push some of your mana into the orb.” Okay… I pushed a piece of my mana into the orb.
Once it formed a connection with my mana though, it stayed connected.
It lit up blue in the center, just a speck at first, but the countess got a pocket watch out, and the orb gradually filled up.
“About… two minutes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Certainly one of the best regeneration rates I’ve ever seen.
Now then.” She took the orb and put it back on the table.
She glanced at Rey, who regarded her with suspicion from his position next to the closed door.
“If, you’re going to be here, you might as well make yourself useful.
Come, stand over here.” She took him by the shoulders and navigated him to in front of the desk.
She then grabbed a wooden board with a target and gave it to him to hold.
“Okay.
Miss Kat, please demonstrate what you are capable of.” She gestured to the target and my eyes widened.
Rey sputtered.
“Y-You want her to shoot at me?” “Nonsense.
I want her to shoot at the target.
The board is enchanted.
So long as her aim is true, there will be no spillover effects on to you.
Unless you’re saying you don’t think she can hit the board from barely ten feet away.” She raised an eyebrow at him.
Rey opened his mouth to shoot back, but I quickly intervened.
“It’s okay Rey.
I promise to be careful.” I’ll just readjust the power of my spells to make them weaker.
That way, even if they do hit him, they won’t do any damage.
I took a deep breath and pulled my wand out of the pocket on the side of my bag.
I pointed at the target, like I have hundreds of times before.
“Mana bolt!” The uncompressed yellow mana shot out and struck the board.
The target glowed a faint blue.
“Mana arrow!” This time, the power was compressed, and it hit the bullseye, still lighting up faintly.
“Here.
Use this for telekinesis.” I looked over to see she had a wooden ball.
Okay… I lifted it up, the ball lighting up a faint blue, and threw it at the target.
The target glowed a faint blue where it hit and the area around it.
The countess hummed.
“I see why you’re having so much trouble with that spell.
But you have very excellent control over your spells’ power as well.
Alright boy, let go of the target.” “Uh…” Rey looked down at the board he was holding and took his hands off it.
It stayed in the air, floating.
Rey came back around behind me.
“Now Kat, I want you to put everything you have into one mana arrow.
Understand?
Pack as much mana into it as you possibly can.” Uh.
I furrowed my brow and looked at the target.
“But…” “Even if you break the target, I won’t be angry.
If anything, I’d be thrilled if you could.” Okay then.
I took another deep breath and readied my spell.
This time, I poured as much mana as I had inside of me into the small tip of my wand.
It began glowing a bright white.
“Mana arrow!” It streaked out like lightning, hitting the square center of the board.
The target lit up white in the center, and three of the five rings around it lit up blue, the fourth ring lit only faintly.
And as the glow faded, I saw there was a fairly sizable dent in the center bullseye.
Countess Brighton whistled.
“Well, you certainly are good with that spell.
And you almost have enough power to make third tier already…” She levitated the target down on to her desk and turned towards me.
“So, that was all so I could evaluate where you are as a mage now.
And I have to say, I’m impressed.
You’ve come a very long way in what I’m assuming is a fairly short time.
You have quite a bit of talent in magic.” “I-I do?” I was surprised to hear that.
That I was good at something.
She nodded.
“Yes, but you’re still rough around the edges.
Take your telekinesis spell for example.
You’re doing it all wrong.” She pointed her finger, and the ball I used to toss at the target turned blue and flew towards us.
It hovered above her fingertip, and she explained.
“You’re using your mana to hold the object.
The way you would if you carried it in your hands.
However, that is an inefficient and outdated method.
Nowadays, mages move their mana into an object, and control it directly that way.
Go ahead, give it a try.” She opened her hand and the glow faded from the ball as it fell into her palm.
She placed in in my hand, and I furrowed my brow looking at it.
“Now, picture your mana going into the ball.
Not around it.
You’ll know you succeeded when it turns blue like it did for me.” Hoo.
Right.
Into the ball.
I stared at the ball as I concentrated.
First it glowed a faint blue.
Then it slowly got brighter… Oh!
It was like I was using the ball as a medium for my magic, like with my wand.
Now that I was thinking of it that way, it flowed in much more easily, and the ball lit up with a blue glow.
“There you go.
Try to move it around.” I slowly nodded, and manipulated the mana inside the ball, picturing sending it up.
Suddenly, it shot out of my palm, and hit the ceiling, my mana bouncing out of it, and it fell back to the ground.
“I’m sorry!” My breath caught and my heart began pounding in fear.
I immediately bowed my head in apology to the countess, squeezing my eye shut.
I messed up, she was going to yell at me… “It’s fine.
It’s your first time using this method, so you still have to get used to it.
But did you feel how much more responsive it was to you?
It’s a lot touchier than the method you’ve been using.” Oh.
She… wasn’t mad.
I slowly brought my head back up, unsure.
But she appeared perfectly calm.
“Um… yeah.
As soon as I thought about it going up, it shot up.” She used her telekinesis to snag the ball and floated it back over to us.
“Let’s try again.
This method requires you to develop very fine control over your intentions and mana.
It can help to visualize what exactly you want the ball to do.
Here, I’ll levitate the target again,” She continued, giving me detailed instructions and knowledge not found in my book.
I found my apprehension fading as I learned.
This was a good decision.
By the time we left the city, I just knew I would be a far better mage than before.
The countess sipped her wine and looked over the peaceful street.
The lamplighters were just finishing up, giving the snow a warm glow.
A knock at the door.
“Come in Devineau.” The door opened to show her loyal and snappily dressed warlock.
He gave her a bow, walking in.
“My lady.
I have seen the children back to the southern adventurer’s guild safely.” The countess chuckled.
“Good.
Very good.
What have you learned about them?” “The young lady, Kat.
She only started seven months ago, and learned everything she knows about magic from an old book.
The fact she’s come so far in such a short amount of time…” “As needs must Devineau.
She likely learned magic out of desperation.
She’s a far cry from those pampered noble brats at the academy.
Coupled with her extraordinary mana regeneration, she has the makings of a great spellcaster.
What about the boy?” “Rey seems quite protective of the young miss.
More than just him having a childhood crush would suggest.
And I can tell he is very dedicated to swordplay.
I’ve never seen a child train as those two do.” Evelyn nodded, tipping back her wine and taking a sip.
The lights of the city flicking on, one by one.
“If he is as talented in swordplay as she is with magic, then it seems you’ve found two monstrous prodigies.” “Then, how would you like to proceed my lady?
If you’d like, you could take them in to your house officially.” Devineau came and stood beside his lady, looking over the city view as well.
The countess sighed.
“Regrettably, I fear that is more complicated than you think.
It seems one Katerina Fortunada disappeared some seven months ago.
Her family is a barony, associated with Count Solace.” Devineau was silent for a moment.
“I see.
That is indeed a most convoluted scenario.” Indeed.
If Countess Brighton took in the girl, she could be accused of kidnapping.
The countess sighed, wishing it could be so, but knowing it was not.
She turned back to her desk.
“No, I’m afraid the two of them must remain discreet for their own safety.
After Kat’s tenth birthday, her parents likely tested her mana regeneration.
Once they found out how good it was, they contacted Solace.
As you know, Solace lost his wife in childbirth just last year.” Her retainer’s eyes widened.
“Surely he wouldn’t.” “It’s Solace.
He’s done more disgusting things and uses the second prince as a shield to get away with it all.
All his children are just as disappointing mages as him.
He’s desperate to produce a competent mage to regain his house’s honor.
No, it’s best if Kat and Rey stay out of the spotlight.” The countess sat behind her desk, and picked up a small notebook, opening it up.
It included notes from her lesson with the young mage, she picked up her pen and began planning their next lesson.
“Then… how do you want to proceed?
I know we can’t bring them in, but isn’t it dangerous for the two of them to not have protection?” Devineau, stayed at the window, looking south.
Where he knew the children must be.
“They already have protection.
The goddess Elesia has blessed the two of them.
Any idiot foolhardy enough to try and come between them will soon find divine punishment raining onto their head.” In comparison, a witch’s paltry protection would hardly do anything at all.
Devineau glanced over at his lady.
“Really?
The goddess of love herself?
Why would she bless two children…” Countess Brighton shrugged.
“Well, they are rather cute.
It’s obvious they’d do anything for each other.
And it’s Elesia.
That goddess is unpredictable, even at the best of times… Still, the two of them should be safe enough since the goddess had taken an interest in them.
I believe they’re planning to leave the city come spring.
I’m going to encourage them to get out of the country, and head across the sea to the archipelago.
That way, they’ll be far away when the fighting begins…” Devineau sighed.
“The coming succession war.
My lady, do you still plan to stay neutral?” The countess paused in her writing, giving it a second thought.
And shook her head.
“No.
If things keep going as they are now, I believe it shall lead to an unfavorable outcome for the country.
Please, send a message to Aliana and Ark.
We can’t afford to stand aside as the country we live in falls to such corruption.” Devineau nodded, and briskly walked towards the door.
“Right away my lady.” The countess resumed her lesson planning.
“Oh, and please begin searching for a suitable tutor for Rey.
If he’s going to tag along to every lesson, he may as well learn something while he’s here.” “Of course, my lady.” With that Devineau was gone.
The countess sighed, looking over her plans.
So much to do.
So little time.
She only hoped the children would be spared the violence of the coming years.