—Looks like you picked up a child to raise.
—Have you turned into a mother?
He adjusted the hat on his head, looking at Marcelina with a mischievous smile.
The way he said it made it seem like this was a recurring joke between them.
Marcelina, contrary to what I expected, didn’t explode as usual.
Her attitude changed in a surprising way.
Like a child trying to impress her father, she straightened up and pulled Oliver to her side.
He looked happy, but didn’t dare to utter a word.
She seed almost proud, as if she were presenting the boy like a trophy.
—I’ve already made a contract with him! Now he is my personal apprentice! Hurry! Finish the procedures for him!
She pulled a stack of forms from the heavy bag she carried and handed them to the old man. He looked at the yellow papers and raised an eyebrow.
—A Sun? Well... I expected nothing less.
The old man then took out a pair of gold-rimd glasses and placed them on his nose.
He seed to examine every detail of the parchnt as he asked,
—So, Oliver! Are you willing to beco Marcelina’s personal apprentice?
The boy looked at Marcelina with a mixture of reverence and fear.
—I accept, he replied in a low, almost inaudible voice.
—Good! The old man wrote sothing on the yellow parchnt with a firm gesture, then handed Oliver a set of clothes, so books, and a potion containing a shimring liquid.
—These are yours. Hold them! Marcelina said with an authority that left no room for hesitation. Oliver obeyed silently, holding the items as if they were relics.
After that, Marcelina spoke with the old man about other topics, and then left together with Oliver.
As soon as she disappeared, the old man let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the table.
His eyes turned toward us, and his expression grew more serious.
— Welco to the Sun Mountain Tower.
—This is where you will live for about five years.
—Of course, that ti may vary depending on what happens in the magical community of this world.
He stood up and walked toward one of the shelves filled with books and scrolls.
His fingers slid over the leather spines as he murmured,
—Where is it... as if searching for sothing specific.
Suddenly, he stopped and took a deep breath, as though deciding to change his approach.
Turning partially, he said aloud,
—Umbiril, where is the technological prototype that Mage Miguel designed last week?
—The one used to select teachers for students who still don’t have a registration.
At the ntion of the word technological, I frowned.
That was to be expected.
The mages of this world are like scientists of a higher level.
Although they follow very different paths from those I knew in my previous world, they still share the sa essence of pursuing knowledge, blending it with magic.
Before I could delve deeper into those thoughts, sothing caught my attention.
In the air, a creature began to manifest.
It was a small being that looked like a gno, but it had a peculiar aura.
He wore green clothes, a hat adorned with a four-leaf clover symbol, and a rainbow shone beneath his feet, as if he were stepping on solid light to float.
—Sorry, master, said the sprite in an apologetic tone.
—I was using it to run so tests.
The old man returned to his chair, clasped his hands on the table, and fixed the sprite with a stern gaze.
—Bring it here. I need to choose the teachers for these children.
The sprite nodded obediently and disappeared into the air.
Seconds later, he reappeared with a strange device floating at his side.
The object was a tangle of wires and colored lights, all connected to a glowing triangle that seed to serve as its energy source.
The sprite gently guided the object to float over the old man’s table.
The old man examined it for a mont before lifting his eyes toward us.
—There are two thods for choosing a teacher.
—The first thod is the simplest: this completely random device will, by chance, select the teacher who will be your ntor.
—This thod is absolutely free.
His voice, though calm, carried a hint of provocation, as if he knew the word random would not please most of us.
—Excuse , great mage... a timid voice broke in, trembling.
—Will it depend on my luck? What if I end up with a teacher who doesn’t match or, worse, one who can’t teach ?
The old man smiled slightly, adjusting the hat on his head.
—Ah? he chuckled.
—There is also another thod.
—You may choose your own teachers.
—Here with is a list containing brief profiles of various teachers and their requirents.
—Everything so that you can make your choice.
—Of course, if you choose this thod, you will need to pay with a magic crystal!
Murmurs among us began to grow.
The old man, noticing the discomfort, raised his voice to calm the group.
—No matter which thod you choose, but know this: once you decide who your teacher will be, you will never be able to change!
He cast a firm look at the acolyte who had asked the question earlier.
—Understood?
—Yes, sir! the boy replied quickly, almost stamring.
The mage then declared,
—Next, I will call nas. Each of you will step forward and tell your choice. Understood?
A heavy silence fell.
Wallace, beside , whispered worriedly,
—And now? How should we choose?
I knew Wallace ca from a humble family, but even so, they had managed to gather so resources.
I answered pragmatically.
—Paying is definitely better than not paying! That’s just common sense!
—You still have so magic crystals left, right? I asked, intrigued.
He sighed. — I only have one magic crystal saved.
—My family sacrificed five thousand soldiers just to obtain two magic crystals!
—If I spend this one, I’ll be risking everything.
His words made pause.
My own pockets suddenly felt heavy, though not for the sa reason.
I had obtained a few crystals from Charles by a stroke of luck, but now I understood their true value.
The price of these crystals is far higher than I ever imagined...
That explains why they were so scarce on the useless islands we ca from.
Here, they are worth even more!
I looked at Wallace and shrugged.
—This is a decision only you can make.
He nodded, still reluctant, as the old man called the first na.
—Jas!
With ssy hair, he took a hesitant step forward.
—Which thod do you choose? the old man asked.
— I... I don’t have any magic crystals saved... Can I pay on credit? I’m a fourth-grade acolyte! Jas said, his expression pleading.
The old man raised an eyebrow. — Not a bad aptitude, indeed. A pity, however... rules are rules!
Jas swallowed hard and had no choice.
The old man activated the device before him.
The triangle at its center glowed intensely, sending energy through the wires connected to the apparatus.
A blue magic circle began to form in the air, pulsing like a living heart.
— Jas, step forward!
The boy approached with nervous steps.
— Now, I need a drop of your blood. Raise your arm for .
Jas obeyed, lifting his hand.
The old man touched his palm with a finger, and Jas flinched slightly, as if an ant had bitten his skin.
A drop of blood was drawn and placed at the center of the floating circle.
The blue of the circle glowed, but soon began to shift to red.
Nas started appearing inside the circle, flashing rapidly until the device let out a troubling whistle, as if it were about to fail.
Suddenly, one na stopped spinning and remained fixed at the center.
— Jas! Your ntor will be Gael, the old man announced.
He then handed the boy a set of acolyte robes, an identity badge, a crystalline potion, and a scroll.
— Here are the instructions for your elental ditation technique, your room number, and the key.
—Good luck.
The old man snapped his fingers, and a strong golden light illuminated the room for a mont.
Out of nowhere, a male figure appeared in the air, dressed in an impeccably tailored suit that fit his body perfectly.
He floated a few centiters above the ground, motionless and expressionless.
— Follow this servant of light, said the old man, his voice full of authority. — He will take you to et your ntor.
Jas, with slumped shoulders and a vacant look, followed the floating creature, which moved silently like an illuminated shadow, passing through the great doors.
The old man didn’t even watch Jas leave.
He simply snapped his fingers again and shouted firmly,
— Next! Wallace!
Wallace took a deep breath, clearly nervous.
In a quick motion, he pulled a shimring magic crystal from his robes and extended it to the old man.
— I want to choose my own ntor!
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1509 Words
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