Bloodlines and Fate
Rowenna led Julian and Sh.e.l.ly to another room. Inside was a man who looked to be about 30 years old, and he bowed respectfully upon seeing Rowenna. He looked at the dwarf curiously.
“Miss Silva, is this your apprentice?”
Rowenna frowned at his question and coldly replied, “No, Mr. Anderson. This is my new teammate. He’s here to prepare our equipment.”
“So that’s it,” Anderson nodded and gave Julian a meaningful look. “In that respect, a dwarf is a genius. I come from a family of blacksmiths myself, but I don’t have much talent for it. Fortunately, I’ve mastered magic instead, ah ha ha!”
Julian’s head hung low. Rowenna’s expression became even more unpleasant at the man’s obnoxious tone of superiority.
“May we come in?”
“Yes, make yourselves at home!” Anderson again bowed respectfully before sitting down and picking up a book.
“What an irritating guy,” Sh.e.l.ly muttered.
“Well, he has magical talent … it’s something to be proud of,” Julian replied, turning to the side and silently picking through the materials.
“But anyone can be talented with this sort of thing, the only difference is that he’s learned how to use it properly,” Sh.e.l.ly declared loudly.
“Ah, no, child,” Anderson laughed. “You see, I have studied here in the Mage’s Academy for many years, and even I have yet to pa.s.s the mid-level mage a.s.sessment. Miss Silva is a half-elf, and much more powerful than any human- and, as everyone knows, dwarves can’t become mages. It’s only their skill in smithing that sets them apart.
“So, it’s important to remember that the difference doesn’t lie in someone’s magical education; the difference is set in stone at birth.”
Julian seemed as though he wanted to say something, but Anderson had already turned back to his book, a history of magical techniques. In the end, he only lowered his head again.
“What do you mean, a dwarf can’t become a mage?”
Rowenna sighed softly and ruffled Sh.e.l.ly’s hair. “I’ll explain it to you later.”
After a while, Julian spoke. “Thank you, Mr. Anderson.”
“Hmm, yes …” Anderson turned a page in his book and absent-mindedly replied. “Hm, the first mage to fully master Chaos magic was … now, who was it again?”
“Lucas. Lucas Moonshadow.” Julian said softly.
“Yes, that’s it … huh?” Anderson looked up in surprise, but the dwarf only picked up a box of materials and walked out the door.
“Come on, Sh.e.l.ly,” Rowenna said, staring after the dwarf.
The distance from the storeroom to the forge wasn’t far, with only a small garden between them. Aside from mage robes with enhanced durability, master-cla.s.s equipment was kept here, so most of the time it was kept locked.
“From now on, you have the right to use this room, Mr. Mageless,” Rowenna handed Julian a key. “If there’s anything you need, please come tell me. I will be in the cla.s.sroom next door.”
“Thank you very much,” he bowed and added, “By the way, please call me Julian.”
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Then, I will see you soon, Julian,” the half-elf nodded and left with Sh.e.l.ly.
Cla.s.srooms in the Mage Academy are different from those in regular schools. This is because the subjects taught in the cla.s.sroom are different, too. In the center of the room is a wide open s.p.a.ce, surrounded by two or three rows of tables and chairs. It was a very large s.p.a.ce so that spells could be demonstrated.
“That guy made Julian look sad,” Sh.e.l.ly spoke up suddenly. “So I hate him.”
“Julian is interested in magic,” Rowenna said. “It’s ironic.”
“What’s ‘ironic’? Cain’s said that before, too.”
Rowenna didn’t answer; instead, she turned to him and said, “Sh.e.l.ly, magical talent is a very fickle thing. Although it may seem common, not everyone has it. Or, at least, not everyone has enough to enter the Mage Academy and learn to refine their abilities. Because someone’s innate magical talent can be measured using an artificial stone, magical ability can be determined from the start. Therefore, only those with sufficient talent are admitted.”(1)
“So what that Anderson guy said was right?” Sh.e.l.ly asked with astonishment.
“There may have been some truth to his words, but I do not agree with him,” Rowenna shook her head. “Anderson and I are both students here at the Mage Academy, and we both underwent a complete examination of our magical talents. If I remember correctly, his results were average. As for me … well, my results were terribly mediocre. I only just met the minimum requirements for admittance. Although I’m a half-elf, I didn’t inherit any magical strength.
And yet, today, I am a high-level mage, and Anderson is still an apprentice mage. Why do you think that is?”
“The difference …” the siren thought for a moment, then smiled. “I think it’s that he claimed that fate was determined by blood, but Raphael told me that you should never throw in the towel before giving it your best effort.”
“Exactly.” The half-elf gazed at him tenderly. “That Raphael you mentioned must have been a good teacher.”
“Then, what Anderson said was wrong. A dwarf can become a mage, right? At least, Julian can; he knows so much about magic already.”
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about a situation like his before,” Rowenna mused. “If that’s his dream …”
Suddenly, she shook her head and looked seriously at Sh.e.l.ly. “That’s a question worth seeking an answer to, but don’t discuss this with Julian for the time being, alright?”
“Well, I know it would probably make him unhappy,” Sh.e.l.ly looked down. “So I won’t say anything.”
The half-elf nodded.
“Alright! Now, cheer up; it’s time for cla.s.s.”
“You got it, teacher!” Sh.e.l.ly grinned.
I … I have no idea what an ‘artifical stone’ is … has a way to measure magic been mentioned before? If it has, I’ll fix it.
I’m really starting to love Rowenna. I can’t wait to learn more about her!
~ ~ ~ Chapter 18 >>