Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 108 (Part 2)

Instead of grand goals, people continuously set small ones, achieve them, and sometimes give up on them. That was how life went.

“Oh! I think I’m getting ahead of myself.”

“People just live. If you give too much meaning to it, life might become more impressive, but it’ll also become much harder, don’t you think?”

“That’s true. If you try to keep up a grand life, it’ll just become exhausting.”

“That’s very much like you, sir, but also unlike you. Don’t rush. You’ve never strayed from the path. If you feel like you’ve stopped, maybe it’s just time to take a look around.”

“Thank you, Margaret. Really, you’ve helped me a lot.”

Rodin bowed deeply in gratitude.

Indeed, intelligence and life experience were two different things. Margaret’s experiences and advice left a profound impression on Rodin’s heart.

“No, it’s nothing. I was just rambling on. You can take it in one ear and let it out the other.”

“No, Margaret. Thank you, truly.”

Rodin clasped Margaret’s hand tightly. Margaret smiled so broadly that her eyes almost disappeared, and she held his hand in return.

—

Rodin’s steps felt lighter as he left Margaret’s quarters. He felt as though a great burden had been lifted from his heart.

As he walked through the garden, he saw Larry still swinging his sword. Sweat dripped from his entire body, yet he showed no signs of stopping.

“Larry, your legs are shaking.”

“Huh? Really? I’ll try again.”

“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately. As a swordsman, your body is crucial. If you exhaust yourself, your training will do more harm than good.”

Lately, Larry seemed like a man who would fall apart if he stopped moving. No matter how much people tried to dissuade him, it was no use. As long as he had the energy, he would come out and swing his sword until he could no longer move and collapsed into sleep.

‘I wasn’t much different. I was impatient too.’

Thanks to Margaret, Rodin had regained his composure. Her words about never having strayed from the path had been a great comfort.

He was already far ahead of others. Instead of constantly searching for shortcuts, it was more important not to lose his way.

“Ha, even knowing that, I still feel anxious. Bianca seems to be so far ahead of me.”

“There’s no need to rush. You’re already walking the right path. After all, the swordsmanship you’ve learned is meant to protect. Bianca is someone you’re meant to protect.”

“Yes, brother. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rodin tried to offer comfort similar to what Margaret had given him, but it didn’t seem to reach Larry. Just as each person had their own personality, the way they found peace varied.

Unfortunately, Rodin didn’t have the perfect words to convince Larry. He could only hope Larry would figure it out on his own or that someone else would help him see it.

“I bet you’re just saying you’ll keep it in mind. Tsk, tonight, go to bed as soon as the sun sets.”

“Huh? But that’s way too early…”

Boom, boom!

“Is anyone here?!”

A sudden unfamiliar voice rang out from the direction of the main gate, and both Rodin and Larry turned their heads.

Matthew, who had been inside, rushed out upon hearing the noise.

These days, Matthew had a lot on his plate.

He helped his mother in the kitchen and was responsible for all the cleaning. He also played the role of gatekeeper and served as Bianca’s playmate. On top of that, as Margaret prepared for her final days, Matthew had been learning to cook.

“Who is it?”

“We’ve come from the Cedria Tower. We’ve heard that a mage resides here.”

“A mage?”

Matthew looked back at Rodin, silently asking if he should open the gate.

Rodin, with his hood pulled low, gave a slight nod, granting permission. Only then did Matthew open the main gate.

As the gate swung open, about ten mages clad in sky-blue robes came into view.

“Excuse us. We are from the Cedria Tower. I am Holton, a 4th Circle mage, and this here is Elder Kendrick of our tower. Are you the master of this house?”

“Yes, I am the owner.”

As they introduced themselves, Rodin felt an unpleasant sensation. One of the mages, the elder they called Kendrick, had already started using a magical circle detector from behind.

‘Such impudence.’

Among mages, the magical circle detector was a sensitive tool that should never be used without permission. Even asking to use it could be seen as offensive, and yet they were trying to measure his circle without so much as asking.

Of course, they couldn’t detect that Rodin was a 6th Circle mage.

Rodin habitually concealed two of his circles, and no 5th Circle mage, no matter what tool they used, could detect the hidden circles of a 6th Circle mage.

“What’s the matter?”

“Holton, step aside. I’ll handle this.”

The 4th Circle mage, Holton, stepped back, and the elder, Kendrick, took the lead. His face was plastered with arrogance.

“Could you get straight to the point?”

“Hahaha, you don’t seem to know how to show proper respect to a senior mage.”

When mages spoke of “seniors,” they weren’t referring to age or experience but only to the number of circles one possessed. A mage with more circles was always the senior.

Kendrick, being a 5th Circle mage, was confident that his rank was higher than Rodin’s.

He had already confirmed it with the magical circle detector, and Rodin’s voice sounded far too young for him to be anything more than a 4th Circle mage at best.

“That doesn’t matter to me. But I do know how to deal with an old man who rudely measures others’ circles without permission.”

“How dare you…”

“How dare I? Do you think that being a 5th Circle mage means you don’t have to follow the proper etiquette among mages? I wasn’t aware that the Cedria Tower was such a place.”

Rodin had initially intended to remain calm and handle the situation quietly.

After all, today was a good day. He had received advice from Margaret, and he felt more at ease. He had no intention of raising his voice.

But the elder’s attitude had crossed the line, far beyond what Rodin could tolerate. No mage should endure such treatment from a lesser circle mage without losing their pride.

Of course, if it had been the monstrous 8th Circle mage he had encountered a few months ago, that would be a different story.

“You insolent…”

“Lower your hand and release the magic you’re gathering. If you cast a spell, I won’t hold back anymore.”

The elder said nothing in return, continuing to chant in a barely audible voice.

But Rodin could already sense what the spell was through the combination and structure of the mana. It was the 5th Circle spell, Firestorm.

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