“Please demonstrate.” Director Cynthia’s eyes grew menacing and the once friendly-looking grandmother now had the air of a veteran killer as she raised her hand, the mana around her fluctuating.

  A vacuum of wind began sucking me toward her, and a visible sphere of wind formed in her other palm.

  This woman…

  I willed water into my right palm and a condensed ball of fire in my left. She wants to see so badly; I’ll just have to show her.

  Combining the opposing magics, I created a massive cloud of steam, completely enshrouding the two of us from everyone else’s sight.

  The cloud of steam didn’t last long against her, but it did give me enough time to create a spear of ice. I threw the spear just as the steam dissipated, then quickly repositioned myself. As I expected, the director easily blocked my ice spear just as I came in range to strike, my fist encased in lightning. But before I could, I was blown away once more by a powerful sound wave. Fortunately, I had reinforced mana over my ears, but there was no way for me to get near her.

  “Whew! I must say, I am thoroughly convinced! You pass, Arthur Leywin.” She clapped her hands, the sharp sound of which was dulled as it washed up against my protected ears.

  Getting back up, I dusted myself off. This demonstration had left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was frustrated that there were combatants I couldn’t even touch, let alone defeat. However, for the first time, I began seriously considering the potential value of learning at Xyrus. If I could have a professor whose strength was even close to Director Goodsky’s level, my magic would grow by leaps and bounds.

  “I’m sorry for hiding this from you,” I said, turning to my parents. I was a bit worried that they might be angry with me for keeping this from them, but fortunately, my father took it pretty well.

  “My son is the first ever quadra-elemental!” He scooped me up by the armpits and swung me around like he had done when I was an infant. Traumatic memories began popping up.

  “Please, Art, no more secrets,” my mother said with a wry smile, concern still etched on her face.

  I couldn’t promise her that. I tried to convince myself it was for her protection, not for my convenience.

  “Forget a quadra-elemental—on this continent, there aren’t even any tri-elementals other than you, Art,” Tabitha chimed in, her voice trailing off into a sigh.

  “Is my brother strong?” my sister chimed in, still clutching Sylvie.

  Patting her on the head, the director nodded. “Your brother has the ability to become very strong indeed, little one.”

  Ellie giggled, a proud look on her face, as if she were the one being complimented.

  Vincent’s face was a picture of disbelief. He was still processing everything. Lilia waved her hand in front of his face, making sure her father was all right before shooting a quick glance in my direction. Her face bore a mixture of astonishment and a little fear.

  I didn’t blame her.

  When my father set me down, I turned to Director Cynthia, giving her a stern gaze, a gaze that I knew didn’t belong on an eight-year-old’s face.

  “Director Goodsky, there’s a reason I didn’t hide my capabilities today.”

  Picking up on the seriousness in my voice, she nodded in understanding. “I had a hunch you weren’t just brazenly showing off, Arthur. You seem too sharp for that.”

  I nodded in agreement and continued. “There are only a few benefits I can reap from attending your school. One is learning how to utilize my lightning and ice elements. However, that is something I can learn on my own in due time. The main reason I would attend your academy, if I choose to do so at all, is for protection. Right now, I’m not strong enough to protect everyone. However, you hold a position of power and influence that can provide safety for my family and me, at least until I develop the strength to protect them myself.”

  “Arthur! You’re being rude to Director Goodsky! How can you⁠—”

  “No, it’s fine, Alice.” The director mumbled a soft chant before speaking again. “Arthur, I believe you hold the ability to make incredible changes in this world. For that reason, if you’re willing to attend Xyrus Academy, become a rightful citizen, and pledge to protect this land, then I will abide by any criteria you set.”

  Director Goodsky’s voice was clear and determined, but I noticed confused looks on the faces all around us, and although I could see my parents’ mouths moving, I couldn’t hear their voices. I could only assume that Director Goodsky had created a bubble of silence around us.

  Turning back to her, I met her gaze solemnly. “Very well. I will study what I feel is valuable from the classes your school offers and will train my own powers. As long as you give me the tools and freedom to do so, and keep my loved ones safe, I will consider you an important benefactor,” I promised.

  Director Goodsky’s lips curved up into a smile, and we shook hands. I was suddenly able to hear everyone else’s voices again. When I looked at the director, she gave me a wink.

  Clarifying for the others, I said loudly, “I will abide by our agreement—when I enroll in your academy.”

  “Oh? Were you not planning on enrolling anytime soon?” The director had a puzzled look on her face, as did the other adults.

  “I don’t plan to enroll in Xyrus Academy until I reach the age at which normal students attend. I’ve decided to enter your academy on my twelfth birthday—a very average age for one to begin. I assume that will not be a problem?” I tilted my head.

  “Goodness! That’s a little more than three years. Arthur, what do you plan to do in the meantime?”

  I had figured Director Goodsky wouldn’t be accepting of my desire to postpone my education for so long.

  I turned to face my parents again, since it would be up to them to allow me or not.

  I looked up at the night sky, at the stars shining brightly. It was so unlike my old world. The lack of bright lights here made the star-glittered night truly beautiful. Turning my gaze back to my family, I answered.

  “I’d like to become an adventurer.”

  Chapter 20

  Everybody Wins

  “No! Absolutely no way! Arthur! Do you know how dangerous it is to become an adventurer? You’ve just returned, after we all thought you were dead, and now you’re saying you want to go get yourself killed out there? No way! Absolutely not.”

  My mother was on the verge of tears—she had never been good at controlling her emotions. Eleanor was beside her, clutching at her leg.

  “Mama, don’t be angry. Brother’s not bad! Mama, don’t cry.”

  Director Goodsky had left the manor after my announcement. I could tell she still had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but we excused ourselves to have a family talk. We were in my parents’ room, with my mother pacing back and forth in front of me, forbidding me to even think about doing anything remotely dangerous.

  Father was a bit more rational. I could tell he didn’t like the idea either, but he couldn’t really see any reason for me not to be an adventurer, other than my age.

  I wasn’t going to debate with my mother. She was saying these things because she was worried, and I could never blame her for that—it was what I had expected. I had wanted to slowly ease her into the idea, but the meeting with Director Goodsky had thrown off the timing of everything.

  My father finally broke his silence and spoke up. “Honey, let’s hear Arthur out, at least. I’m not saying I agree with him becoming an adventurer, but don’t you think we should listen to what he has to say?”

  “How can you still say that, after what happened that day?” my mother yelled, breaking down into a fit of sobs.

  I looked to my father for answers, unable to think of the appropriate words, but he simply shook his head as he pressed my mother’s head against his chest.

  It seemed like a good hour before she had calmed down enough to speak again.

  I grabbed my mother’s hands. “Mom, I wasn’t planning on leaving tomorrow. I’m looking forward to spending a few months here at home with you all.”

  She was still silent, but her face softened a little. I just gave her a warm smile, and Sylvie followed suit and began licking her hand.

  “What I meant by becoming an adventurer was that it would be a good way for me to get some experience. Being in the elf kingdom for three years, I’ve missed the opportunity to learn many little lessons, the things an eight-year-old should know about this world of ours. I just thought that becoming an adventurer would be the best way to gain some practical experience,” I urged, not letting go of Mother’s hands.

  “I understand where you’re coming from, Arthur. Although I was a bit older, I was also itching to get some real-life experience in fighting as soon as I awakened as a mage,” my father reminisced. “But your mother is also right in that it is dangerous, and unpredictable.”

  My mother nodded her head vigorously at this.

  I stayed silent for a little bit while I pondered. Then I said, “Dad. Mom. What if I were to have some sort of guard or supervisor with me? Would that make you feel more at ease with the idea?”

  “Hmm… You know, that’s not a bad idea.” I could almost see the gears in my father’s head turning as he began thinking of potential candidates.

  “But I still wouldn’t be able to see you for three years,” my mother began to protest.

  Shaking my head, I said, “Mom, I’m not going to go on long trips or dangerous missions to faraway places. I’ll try to come back every few months, maybe even more frequently than that, depending on what I do.”

  “Brother, are you leaving?” My sister’s expression was utterly crestfallen.

  I started to panic. “No, not now, Ellie—I’m staying here for a long time. You’ll be sick of me by the time I have to go.”

  Both my mother and father had told Eleanor stories about me and how strong and smart I was. One of Ellie’s favorite bedtime stories was how I saved Mother from a bunch of bad guys on top of a cliff and that I got hurt, so it would take me some time to come back home. Eventually, I had become a hero figure to my sister.

  I looked back at my mother. Her face was considerably more at ease after talking about this. Perhaps she had just jumped to the worst-case scenario and had envisioned me setting off alone to face unspeakable dangers.

  “Why do you want to be an adventurer before going to school anyways? Isn’t it usually the opposite?” my mother asked softly.

  “Dad’s reason was a part of it; I want to test my skills out in real-life situations. Also, Mom, I want to at least try to fit in with everyone when I go to school. It would be a lot harder to fit in if I start school when I’m only eight. I don’t think I’ll be able to make many friends with such a big age difference.”

  It was a pitiful excuse, but, for once, my mother’s look was one of understanding. I guess having her child become a friendless loner is every mother’s worst nightmare. And it wasn’t really a lie either, because I said it thinking of Sylvia’s dying wish. She had wanted me to enjoy myself and have a life—not spend all my time just training. That was a promise I planned to keep, no matter what.

  “Besides,” I continued, “I’m going to be here for a couple of months anyway. Who knows, maybe you’ll get sick of me by then and throw me out before I even get the chance to leave.” I winked at my mother.

  That earned me a thump on the head, but she chuckled as well. “You! You’re just like your father at times. Thank the gods you at least have my intelligence.” She gave me a big hug, and I was filled with a warm feeling that I wasn’t used to.

  “Hey! What about my intelligence? He was gifted with my adept abilities in fire too,” my father protested.

  “Hmph! My son got his deviant powers from me.” Mother turned me away from my father and stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Ellie too! Bleh!” My sister copied my mother, sticking her tongue out at my beleaguered father.

  “No one is ever on my side,” he cried playfully, trying to hug Ellie as we all laughed.

  The next day was a rest day, meaning my father had the day off. The Leywin and Helstea families were dining together for breakfast. “Did you decide what to do about Arthur?” Vincent asked around his mouthful of omelet.

  Tabitha shook her head. “I swear. I have such a hard time believing you’re a noble sometimes, dear, with your horrible dining habits.”

  “Don’t worry,” my mother sighed. “At least your husband’s better than mine. Remember that dinner party when Rey laughed so hard, he spat his food across the table? I had to use Ellie as an excuse to leave the table because I was so embarrassed.”

  “Anyway!” My father blushed slightly and tried to change the topic. “Yes, Vince. After talking about it last night, we have agreed to let him become an adventurer—under some conditions.”

  “Oh? What conditions?” Tabitha asked curiously, cutting Lilia’s omelet into smaller pieces.

  “He’s not going to become an adventurer until after his birthday, which is in three months. He’s also going to have a guard with him on his missions. Aside from that, I think he’ll be smart enough to manage on his own. And the last condition, of course, is that he’ll be visiting as often as possible,” my father finished, working on the rest of his roast beef.

  “Do you have anyone in mind for his guard? Is there even a guard who’s capable of the job? I feel like Arthur would be the one protecting the guard.” Vince chuckled at the ridiculous idea of an eight-year-old protecting a grown, veteran adventurer.

  My mother answered him, looking at my father. “Rey and I thought we could use one of the Helstea Auction House guards, but we haven’t come up with anyone who meets the criteria yet.”

  “Can I have more omelet, please?” my sister chimed in, her fork raised in the air.

  “I got it!” My father’s sudden revelation made him jump up, and I almost choked on my mouthful of meat.

  “The Twin Horns will be coming back from a dungeon expedition. I received a letter from the Adventurers Guild Hall that says they should be back in about two months. It’s perfect! Why did it take me so long to think of that? We can just have one of the Twin Horns look after you, Arthur. You still remember them, right?” My father’s eyes were shining with excitement.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” my mother said, her voice implying the rarity of my father having a good idea.

  I fed a morsel of meat to Sylvie, who was perched on my lap with her two front paws on the table. “Of course I remember them,” I said. “That sounds like a great idea, Dad. Do they know I’m back?”

  “No—unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to send a message to them yet. I was planning to do that today.” My father sat back down, scratching his head, then went back to his roast beef.

  Having finished off his breakfast, Vincent joined in the conversation. “Arthur, you mentioned something to Director Cynthia yesterday about not showing your powers to anyone until you enroll into Xyrus Academy. How do you plan to manage that while you’re an adventurer?”

  “Ah, yes. I’ve been meaning to get to that,” I said, spearing a strawberry with my fork. “I planned on keeping my identity hidden. I’ve read that many members of the Adventurers Guild go by aliases, not revealing their identities to the public.” Unfortunately, there was no way to mask Sylvie’s appearance, so I would just have to do a good job of hiding her. Thankfully, she was small enough to fit inside a cloak, if the pocket was big enough.

  Vincent turned to my father. “That reminds me of Lawrence. Rey, do you remember him?”

  My father succumbed to a fit of strained laughter, nearly choking on his mouthful of food. Finally, he managed to swallow it. “You mean that oaf who got beaten with a ladle by his wife in the middle of the escort mission, after she found out that he was taking advantage of his hidden identity to fool around with other women? Man, the whole town got a good laugh out of that.”

  “Good times,” Vincent sighed, still chuckling nostalgically.

  I snickered as well, imagining the comedic scene, while Tabitha and my mother berated their husbands and warned me not to be as foolish as Lawrence.

  After breakfast, Father went to the Guild Hall to send a message to his old party members, and my mother and Tabitha went shopping, taking Ellie and Lilia along with them. They asked me to come as well, but I politely declined their offer to endure the suffering they considered a pastime.

  I washed up and headed toward the right wing of the manor, where Vincent’s office was, and knocked on his door.

  “Yes?”

  “It’s Arthur,” I said.

  The door opened to reveal Vincent with a curious look on his face. “Ah, come in! What brings you to my office, Arthur?”

  “Ah yes,” I said, looking around at the piles of documents on the floor and on his desk. “There is a certain matter I wish to talk to you about today, which is why I visited.”

  VINCENT HELSTEA

  Is this child really only eight years old?

  Shivers ran down my spine at his tone of voice. Why was I so nervous at the mention of a “certain matter” he wanted to discuss?

  “What is it?” I asked, my face turning a bit more serious.

  “I would like your help in obtaining a few items that might be hard to find elsewhere.” He sat down and continued, looking straight at me. “I need a sturdy, hooded cloak or robe and a mask that can cover my entire face. It’s imperative that the mask has the added function of changing my voice.”

  It wasn’t hard to figure out why he wanted these items. And as owner of the Helstea Auction House, which attracted the highest of nobles and even the royal family, it wouldn’t be too hard for me to obtain them. The mask might be a little tricky because a sound elemental artificer would need to make it, but it could be done.

  But why was there such a heavy feeling in this room?

  I couldn’t quite place my finger on it…