Chapter 8 - Initiation (2)

We headed towards the Wiesel region. Silveryn said her mansion was located there.

Silveryn occasionally boasted about how peaceful and beautiful Wiesel was.

According to her, Wiesel had transparent valley streams flowing from melting glaciers full of eternal snow and fields filled with flowers.

The forests were rich in rare herbs, and magic creatures were so rare that one might only see one or two in a year across the vast area. Even those were mostly from other regions, she said.

After leaving the uncharted territory, we spent the night at an inn in a small village.

During dinner, we unified our forms of address. She said "professor" or "master" was too stiff, so I should call her "teacher”.

That night, I told Silveryn about some strange things that happened while searching for the star fragment.

When I talked about the dream about ghouls and the hut that appeared at a critical moment, Silveryn listened intently with a serious face.

"That area used to be where the Bonghwarang Observatory was. It was quite a nice place despite being abandoned. But it was all destroyed along with the meteorite."

Silveryn told me to write down any meaningful dreams, just in case. She didn't explain why.

The next day, we had lunch and set off on our journey again.

After a week of travel, we entered the Wiesel region, significantly easing my tension. The fear of magic creatures suddenly lessened, and above all, the mild weather and natural environment helped my state of mind.

Upon arriving at Silveryn's mansion, my eyes widened. It was grand enough to be mistaken for a palace.

"They say a vampire lived in this mansion 100 years ago."

Silveryn said this as if she was proud of the fact.

A childhood memory of hearing rumors about vampires breeding humans like pigs suddenly surfaced.

"...That's not exactly welcoming news."

Seeing my reaction, Silveryn smirked and said:

"If you get the chance, I'll show you the secret underground dungeon too."

"..."

She must be joking, right? An underground dungeon in this fairytale-like mansion?

A butler and maids came out to greet us at the mansion. From the mansion to the maids, nothing was familiar. I had never experienced such an affluent living environment.

Silveryn got off the horse and stretched. I followed her, dismounting and admiring the mansion's scenery.

Silveryn introduced me to the butler, "This is my disciple. He'll be staying here for a long time, so give him a room and take another look at the scar on his side. Provide him with everything he needs."

The butler greeted me politely, "I'm Ezra, the head butler. Feel free to address me by name."

The term "head butler" made me dizzy. That means there are more butlers under him. Ezra was a middle-aged man. Not only was there a big age difference, but I had never been in a position to command others.

I greeted him politely as well, "I'm Damian."

Silveryn had already left everyone behind and was climbing the white entrance stairs of the mansion.

Without looking back, she said, "Have everything ready before dinner!"

Then she vanished into the mansion.

Despite Silveryn's sharp order, a relaxed smile bloomed on the faces of the head butler and maids.

The expressions of those welcoming me were extremely gentle. This was different from formal hospitality, something that couldn't be faked.

They seemed to find joy in the act of welcoming guests.

Suddenly curious, I asked the head butler, "...Do you get many visitors like me?"

"Miss Silveryn doesn't like visitors in general. It's been a really long time since she personally brought a guest."

I could somewhat understand why they were so welcoming to guests.

Head butler Ezra gestured and guided me into the mansion.

"I'll be showing you around."

The head butler led me up the stairs from the central hall to a second-floor room.

"This is the room you'll be using, Mr. Damian."

It looked about five times larger than my room at Loreil Hall. I noticed a white bed large enough for three people to lie side by side and a balcony with plenty of sunlight.

While I hesitated, marveling at the sight, maids carried in my luggage and the clothes I would wear, efficiently organizing them in the storage.

A maid behind me, holding potion bottles on a silver tray, said, "May I check your scar?"

"Ah, yes, go ahead."

The maid led me to an armchair in one corner of the room. As I sat down, the maid said, "Please take off your top."

When I removed my top, the maid carefully examined my upper body. She tilted her head at the strange scars on my abdomen. These were marks from being pierced by the Wraith's hand.

My side was the most grotesquely distorted, probably due to the hasty healing of the potion.

The maid sprayed a transparent liquid on gauze and applied it to my wound area. I could tell by the characteristic tingling herb smell. It was an anesthetic.

"It will be very hot."

Then, the maid put a green liquid in a dropper and dripped it over the anesthetized area.

The pain of searing flesh engulfed me, and the bitter smell of something burning filled my nostrils.

"Aagh!"

A groan burst out without me realizing it. Soon after, the maid completely seared the wound area and thoroughly coated it with a recovery potion.

Finally, skillfully wrapping a bandage around my abdomen, the maid said, "You can remove the bandage tomorrow morning. However, no bathing until then."

Oh no. Taking a bath was the thing I was most looking forward to upon arriving at Silveryn's mansion.

As if she understood my feelings, maids entered my room carrying steaming water buckets and washcloths.

Since I couldn't take a bath, it seemed they were going to wipe my body with washcloths.

The maids tried to undress me. It felt like they were treating me like a small child. With my face burning hot, I removed the maids' hands and said, "I'll do it myself. Please leave, everyone."

Only then did the maids stop and take a step back. Then, after exchanging glances among themselves, they said, "We'll visit again at mealtime."

Only after all the maids had left did I breathe a sigh of relief.

***

When I met Silveryn again in the dining room, she was wearing a thin linen dress that looked comfortable. Her cheeks were flushed as if she had just finished bathing, and her hair, which had been dry from the journey, was lively again.

I nervously sat at the table opposite Silveryn. Soon after, food was served one by one, guided by the maids' hands. I was still not used to this kind of treatment.

Silveryn spoke first, "I heard you had large holes in your stomach. Five of them, no less."

The maid who treated my scars must have told Silveryn.

"Ah, that... Yes, I nearly died."

"Who did that to you?"

"You may not believe this, but it was a Wraith."

Silveryn's eyes sparkled with interest.

"A Wraith? That would be difficult for an ordinary person to find, even if they search their whole lives...? Where did you see it, did you commit some unforgivable sins in your past life?"

"...I saw it in the northeastern uncharted territory."

"Why did you go there?"

It was strangely difficult and embarrassing to speak honestly. I was afraid I might look like a reckless fool without forethought.

"For the same reason as this time."

Silveryn laughed lightly and said, "You're quite a tough one. You nearly died looking for that once, and you went again?"

"Yes, somehow..."

I'm not sure if she’s praising or being sarcastic.

"How did you survive then?"

"I had a companion at that time. That companion saved me."

At the mention of a companion, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"The person who accompanied you must have been a mage, right?"

"Yes."

I tensed up, afraid Silveryn might ask about Lisa.

I didn't trust her enough yet to want to tell her everything.

Contrary to my expectations, Silveryn said in a cool voice, "I see."

Fortunately, she ended it there.

Silveryn, having finished her questions, made an expression with unreadable intentions. 

Did I make a mistake?

She seemed like she wanted to ask something but decided to keep her mouth shut instead. Then, as if feeling frustrated, she suddenly picked up a piece of bread from the table and ate it.

Silveryn seemed to be mulling over our previous conversation while chewing. As if somewhat unsatisfied.

As the atmosphere became slightly awkward, I continued with a question, "Do you live here all by yourself? What about your family?"

"I'm alone. You can just stay comfortable without worrying about others."

"Do they live separately?"

Silveryn spoke in a calm tone of voice, "No. I had a younger sibling who was significantly younger than me, but they died a long time ago."

Oh no. Did I say something I shouldn't have?

She looked at my face blankly and added, "Don't worry about it, it doesn't bother me at all."

Silveryn suddenly seemed to remember something and continued, "Right, don't do anything else tonight and get plenty of rest. Your training starts tomorrow."

So it started in earnest from tomorrow. Excitement and fear intertwined in my heart.

I thought we'd rest for a day or two more, but I guess that was a vain hope. Neither I nor Silveryn would recover from the accumulated travel fatigue with just one night of comfortable sleep.

"Alright."

"If we had met a little earlier, I would have let you train while showing you around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, we don't have time to spare."

I was sitting in a chair on the balcony, staring blankly at the moon.

***

Silveryn's words linger in my mind.

"Three months."

It was the time left until the academy entrance exam. It wasn’t even three full months if one subtracted the time to travel to the academy.

I had lived a life far from the academy until now.

My head was full of questions. Could I gain skills befitting the academy in just three months?

I'd be lucky if I wasn’t ridiculed or mocked.

What did Silveryn see in me to bring me here? Just because of some sword?

Even though we've become master and disciple, I couldn't rely on her for everything. What was easily gained was easily discarded, after all.

It might seem like we were getting along well for now, but who knew if she might throw me out if things went slightly wrong or if I failed to please her?

I took a couple of deep breaths to alleviate the tightness in my chest. There was no point in overthinking.

The important thing is to do what I can.

Don't look too far ahead.

I’ll go as far as I can reach.

I tightly clenched my fist.