Chapter 19

As all things did, the family trip came to an end. Nick considered it a very positive experience, given that it had not only given him a significant increase in personal power in the form of a level and, more importantly, a new spell that significantly expanded his options. But it had also allowed him to show his parents that he could be trusted with magic.Despite Nick genuinely enjoying training his elemental ability and being fascinated by the possibility of learning local magic, he wouldn't have pursued it so doggedly and openly without an objective. By showing his methodical and careful approach, Nick earned the approval of both his parents and was now allowed to practice without supervision. It was a formality, given that everyone already knew he was doing it, but an important one, as he wouldn't need to waste so much time covering his tracks now. Well, at least when it came to the less worrying magics. Still, Nick appreciated spending time with his family. He might not have been able to share everything with them, but he was their son and brother and loved them all the same. As they neared the outskirts of Floria, the familiar sight of their house, nestled among fields full of golden wheat, came into view. The sun was beginning its descent, and for a moment, everything seemed calm. But Nick noticed his father look up and, following his gaze, caught movement in the sky—a large bird was circling above the house, its wings catching the fading sunlight. "Is that a hawk?" Nick murmured as it began to circle lower. Before anyone could respond, the hawk's wings tucked in and dove straight toward them. Instinct kicked in, and Nick's hand twitched up, preparing a kinetic spell. He was ready to shoot it down when something made him hesitate. The hawk wasn't moving like a predator—it was slowing down, gliding gracefully until it halted right in front of Eugene, who dutifully allowed it to land on his arm. It flapped its wings once, then extended its leg, where a small scroll was tied. Nick blinked in surprise, lowering his hand. Devon, equally curious, stepped closer. "What is that?" He asked, staring at the hawk with awe and confusion. Eugene untied the scroll with practiced ease, his expression unreadable. He unrolled the parchment and skimmed its contents before looking up at his sons. "It's a message from my master," he finally answered. "I asked if he would consider taking Devon on as his apprentice." Devon's eyes widened in shock. "And…?" he prompted, his voice cracking with barely contained excitement. Eugene smiled, folding the scroll and tucking it into his belt. "He's agreed." Devon stood there for a long moment, frozen between disbelief and joy. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Evidently, despite having known this moment would come, the reality of it hadn't fully sunk in. Nick watched as emotions flickered across his brother's face—joy, pride, and then something else: sadness. The realization that this meant leaving home, leaving them behind. "I'm really going…" Devon murmured, his voice softer now, filled with bittersweet understanding. He turned to their parents, searching for reassurance. Elena smiled warmly, stepping forward to pull him into a hug. "It'll be amazing, love," she said softly, her voice filled with pride. "It's hard to leave, but you'll come back stronger. You'll have wonderful experiences, trust me." Eugene nodded, placing a hand on Devon's shoulder. "This is a great opportunity. You'll learn from one of the best knights in the kingdom. You'll be challenged, but you'll grow in ways you can't even imagine yet." Nick stood back, watching the exchange in silence. A strange mix of emotions welled inside him—pride for his brother and a tinge of envy. Devon was about to embark on a journey that would take him away for who knew how long. And though Nick was happy for his brother, his younger part couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. But that's just how things were. Soon enough, it would be his turn to leave, too. Devon pulled back from the hug, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat. "I'll do it. I'll become the best knight in the kingdom," he declared, his voice stronger now. "And when I come back, I'll take over watching the wall. You'll see." Eugene and Elena chuckled at his determined expression, but there was no mistaking the pride in their eyes. Nick couldn't help but smile at his brother's resolve. As much as they teased each other, Devon was serious when it mattered most. Nick knew that he would thrive under this new teacher, too. Still, his thoughts drifted inward as they resumed their walk toward home once the hawk fluttered away. His brother had his path set before him, and now, Nick had to figure out his own. There was still so much to learn, so many skills to master. And if he wanted to reach his goals, he had to work harder than ever. One day soon, it would be his turn to step out into the world. And when that day came, he wanted to be ready. Nick leaned against the courtyard's stone wall, watching his mother and Devon go through their routine. The air was still, except for the sharp sounds of their breathing and the occasional thud of boots against dirt. Elena was guiding Devon through her breathing technique, which she had also tried to teach him, to little success. "It's a matter of class compatibility. Nothing that cannot be worked through, but it will take you some time." She had said, and Nick had taken it to heart. He would learn it someday, even if the martial skill didn't grab his attention like magic. Devon was sweating, red-faced, and deeply concentrated as he tried to match her rhythm, inhaling and exhaling with precise control. Nick watched with a tinge of envy. He knew why Elena was cramming every bit of training into Devon's head. The caravan that'd take him to Alluria would arrive soon, and Devon's time at home was running out. Their mother just wanted to make sure her son was as prepared as possible for his new life, and having a breathing technique was apparently as vital for any knight-in-training as being able to cast [Minor Elemental Manipulation] was for a mage. Sёarch* The nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Devon's breath hitched, and Elena looked at him patiently. "Steady," she reminded him firmly. "Control your core muscles." Devon nodded, adjusting his stance and finding the rhythm again. He was trying, Nick knew. But it wasn't easy. The Stalking Gait was one of the most fundamental skills their mother had passed down, and though Nick hadn't learned it well enough for the System to recognize, just utilizing its barebones was enough to rejuvenate him. However, Devon was learning it much faster, "on the cusp of achieving the Proficient rank," according to Elena, and his natural aptitude showed through. Nick turned away from the training session, focusing on his own practice. He stretched his hand toward a candle flickering on the ground and called upon the breeze. A soft wind whispered through the courtyard, gentle enough to barely be an annoyance but still noticeable. With a small gesture, he put out the flame he had lit earlier with the same spell. [Minor Elemental Manipulation] was such a broad, all-encompassing spell—capable of summoning any of the basic elements—and it was hard to believe a single piece of magic could be so versatile. He hadn't thought it possible in his previous life, where magic was scarce and certainly not handed out by an invisible force. Yet here, it was available to all with a compatible class, courtesy of the System. Nick crouched down beside the candle, replaying the spell's formula in his mind. There was something fascinating about its design, the way it encompassed each element despite only requiring the use of a couple to learn. Even the schema was so far from what he was used to. On Earth, spells were either meticulously researched in all their facets or so obscure that one had to hope their intent would shine through the murky matrix and accomplish the objective. The System's spells were crafted so differently from anything he knew that Nick had no trouble believing no mortal mind was behind it. And yet, they still allowed for growth since there were three stages. It was impossible for someone to get better at something through simple repetition, even if it would help initially. This meant that to master a spell, one had to experiment and change until it achieved perfection. Nick wouldn't dare think he knew better than the omnipresent force that governed this world, but he had found several redundancies and inefficiencies in [Minor Elemental Manipulation]. He wondered whether that was how most other mages got better. Did they all find a way to change their spells to reflect their understanding? Or did they wait for the System to adjust the spell on its own once they achieved the necessary proficiency? It was like holding a handful of sand; the more he tried to grasp it, the more it slipped through his fingers. That was the caveat. The System had given him access to something powerful, but it appeared rigid and locked in place. Modifying it all at once would be nearly impossible without unraveling the whole thing. He'd have to take it piecemeal. He scribbled down a few notes in his journal, comparing the spell's formula to the complex script he had deciphered from Roberta's diary. Her permanence spell was leagues beyond anything he could touch right now, and though he had managed to derive a decently powerful new spell, which the System recognized as [Structural Weakening], he couldn't hope to cast it anytime soon in a real life-threatening situation. The set up time necessary to make it work was impossible to have with an enemy attacking him. At the moment, it was mostly an interesting bit of magic that allowed him to experiment with Roberta's obscure magic. Still, he couldn't help but feel a nagging desire to decode it further. If he could understand the differences between what he was calling a First-Tier spell like [Minor Elemental Manipulation] and the advanced magic from the diary, maybe—just maybe—he could grasp what made a higher-tier spell so great. Her magic is druidic, which is what let me learn as much as I have. Had it been a different school, I'd have been left holding a useless journal. With a sigh, Nick closed his journal and stood. The sky was bright, and the fields beyond the courtyard swayed in the wind. A walk would help clear his head, and maybe, with some movement, he'd see things more clearly. His mother and brother were too busy to notice him slipping away, so he didn't bother saying anything. As he wandered through the golden wheat fields, he kept trying and failing to see what else he could do beyond rote repetition and using the few insights he had gotten from practicing [Minor Elemental Manipulation] to develop his own single-element spells. He stopped by a lone oak tree, enjoying the cool shade. "I'm being too hurried," he muttered to himself. The gap between what he was capable of and Roberta's magic was too vast. He was better off mastering the basics first, exploring the limits of what he could do with his current abilities before chasing after something he wasn't ready for. Just as he was about to turn back, a rustling sound caught his attention. Before he could react, something soft but solid body barreled into him from the grass, knocking him off balance. Nick tumbled to the ground, the scent of wildflowers and fur filling his nose. "Elia!" he sputtered, laughing as the foxgirl's face appeared inches from his own. Her mischievous grin and gleaming amber eyes sparkled with amusement. "Got you!" Elia declared victoriously as she pinned him down before rolling off him, her tail flicking playfully behind her. "Now you have to tell me what you've been doing, skulking about! I've been super patient, but you never came to explain!" She might have sported a pout, but the glint in her eyes told Nick he wouldn't be getting out of this.