…I have witnessed everything — the beginning and the end of existence itself.

Doesn’t that mean my duty has already ended?

I wish I could believe that… yet misfortune continues to find its way to me.

As if you refuse to let me go.

Is that your way of showing affection?

If so… then allow me to reject such a feeling.

Tell me, how long will you keep tormenting me?

Do you take pleasure in my suffering?

Even if I shall never see you again…

For the last time, allow me to strike that head of yours.

Sunlight streamed through the window of my room, illuminating the desk where I was writing my morning report.

Its gentle warmth gave the room a tranquil feeling.

A knock broke the silence. A soft yet clear voice came from outside.

“Sir Varis, I’ve brought a letter for you.”

“Yes, come in.”

A blonde-haired woman entered — her hair neatly tied back, dressed in the formal uniform typical of royal staff.  It gave her a certain elegance, like the lady of the hour.

Her pointed ears twitched slightly with each step.

“Sir Varis, you’ve received a letter from the kingdom.”

I gave her a courteous smile.

“Thank you, Yuvia.”

She bowed politely. “It’s my duty, sir.”

After that, she sat at her desk beside mine and began checking my work report.

Yuvia was an elf who had long served as my personal assistant.

Her beauty was the natural charm of her kind — both men and women among the elves possessed a certain grace unmatched by humans.

Their race was known not only for elegance but also for their remarkably long lives. Furthermore, their proficiency in magic is nothing short of exceptional for a magical being.

As I read the contents of the letter, a faint smile formed on my lips — one I couldn’t quite suppress.

Yuvia, who was seated beside me, glanced at me briefly. “Sir Varis, may I ask why you’re smiling like that?”

“They’re asking me to become a teacher at the Royal Academy,” I replied with a faint grin. “Isn’t that interesting?”

She fell silent for a moment, then quietly returned to her work. The sound of her pen gliding across parchment filled the room.

“…”

My gaze returned to the golden-embossed letter.

The name written on it — Royal Academy of Lumethra.

A name that was constantly spoken among scholars and magi alike.

The academy had been established during the reign of Lumethra’s first king — a prestigious school of magic that was born alongside the kingdom itself.

What made it truly esteemed was the fact that only those who passed a series of grueling tests were allowed to call themselves its students, regardless of their lineage or origin.

“Oh… speaking of the academy, Yuvia. Isn’t your younger sister studying there as well?”

She nodded softly.

Yuvia’s younger sister, Tania, was still young — innocent, and always by her sister’s side.

I once saved the two of them… and ever since that day, they’ve stayed with me. Not out of duty, but from a wordless gratitude that couldn’t be expressed otherwise.

“How about I—”

“Sir Varis.”

Yuvia suddenly stood, her gaze sharp enough to cut through paper.

“There’s an error in this section. Please review it again,” she said while handing me a stack of documents.

All I could do was give a bitter smile.

In the end, my work finished only when the night had already grown deep.

That evening, I decided to visit the tavern I often went to — a small, modest place with creaking wooden floors that echoed with every step.

The dim candlelight gave the room a warm, peaceful atmosphere.

In one corner sat an old man, drinking alone. He raised his glass and waved at me.

“Over here, Varis.”

I walked toward him.

“The night’s just begun, yet you’ve already gone through quite a few glasses, old man?”

He chuckled. “What’s wrong with that?”

That old man was my acquaintance, Julian — a retired mage.

We first met at a magic supply shop, and since then, we often found ourselves talking for hours about the nature of magic itself.

He once said that my way of seeing magic was… unique.

Since then, we’ve spent nearly every evening together in this same tavern.

“Old man,” I said, staring at the glass in my hand, “do you know anything about the Royal Academy?”

Julian raised an eyebrow, took another gulp of his drink, and replied,

“Huh? Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“This morning, I received a letter from the kingdom,” I said quietly.

“They’ve asked me to become a teacher there.”

“Hah! Took them long enough to notice your talent.”

Julian waved toward the tavern keeper.

“Don’t you think so? They’re awfully slow.”

We both laughed.

Our laughter mingled with the clinking of glasses and the faint aroma of ale.

A few patrons glanced our way but soon returned to their own conversations.

The tavern felt livelier than usual that night.

Julian took another sip of his drink while I simply watched the white foam slowly fade atop my glass.

“It’s been a long time,” he said softly, “since I last heard you laugh like that.”

I gave a faint smile.

“Maybe I just forgot how.”

He sighed, gazing at the wooden ceiling above us.

“You think too much, Varis. The world won’t collapse just because you take a short break.”

I didn’t reply. My eyes followed the flickering flame of the candle on our table, swaying gently from the draft seeping through the window.

Moments like these... sometimes they’re enough to make you forget the burdens you carry.

Whether it’s through a simple conversation with a friend, or sitting quietly with family — as long as there’s no judgment, only mutual understanding.

After leaving the tavern, I walked alone beneath a sky full of stars.

The cool night air felt soothing, yet my thoughts kept drifting back to that letter.

The offer from the Royal Academy…

I took a deep breath.

“I thought they’d leave me alone after I graduated,” I muttered bitterly. “Seems I was wrong.”

I never had any ambition to become someone of high standing.

Everything they strive for… I’ve already experienced.

Titles, praise, recognition from the High Council of Magic — all of it now feels hollow.

Back when I was still a student at Lumethra Academy, many called me the prodigy of that generation.

Some of my research is still discussed to this day, though few know who wrote it.

Ironically, those achievements were what made me distance myself from the world of magic.

The higher I climbed, the clearer it became — how meaningless recognition was in the face of time.

I looked up at the sky — the stars gleaming faintly above, as if reminding me that there are things in this world beyond logic’s reach.

The Royal Academy — the place where the finest aspiring mages were forged — stood proudly at the heart of the capital.

Every year, this prestigious institution produced exceptional magicians whose names echoed throughout the realm.

Graduates of the academy were not only known for their formidable magical power but also for their intellect and sharpness of mind that far surpassed most others.

“It’s still the same as before.”

I stood before the academy’s main gate.

Massive stone walls surrounded the central building like a fortress.

Towering spires rose high enough to pierce the clouds, while the kingdom’s proud emblem — a colossal dragon statue — loomed before the grand hall, symbolizing the glory and magical might of Lumethra.

The courtyard stretched wide, adorned with perfectly arranged gardens and fountains that shimmered faintly with protective enchantments.

Every corner radiated majesty and history, as if the world itself bowed in reverence to this place.

As I stepped inside, someone suddenly bumped into me from behind.

Instinctively, I chanted a minor barrier spell to keep myself from stumbling forward.

“M—my apologies!”

A young girl with silvery-white hair stood before me, bowing deeply.

Her hair reflected the morning sunlight, glimmering like snow in midwinter.

Judging from her uniform, she was clearly a student here.

“It’s fine. Just be more careful next time,” I said with a small smile.

“Th-thank you… then, please excuse me!”

She bowed once more before hurrying past me, her footsteps light yet slightly hurried — as if she feared being late, or perhaps… meeting my gaze for too long.

I watched her as she disappeared into the building. For some reason, she felt oddly familiar — not in a bad way, but as though I had seen her somewhere before… perhaps in a past long forgotten.

After a while, I reached the headmaster’s office.

I still remembered — the previous headmaster never showed himself in public.

Even during orientation, he used a puppet as his representative.

“Was he… shy?” I murmured.

A sharp voice rang from behind the door.

“I can hear you, you know.”

When I stepped inside, a wave of magical energy instantly brushed against me — strong enough to tell me that the person here wasn’t ordinary.

A young girl dressed in a white gown adorned with ornate patterns sat behind the desk, her gaze sharp and composed.

Her blue hair glistened under the sunlight pouring from the window behind her, giving her an almost divine presence.

“You are… the headmaster?”

The girl rose gracefully from her seat and walked toward me.

“That’s right. Welcome to the Royal Academy, Varis.”

I hadn’t expected this. The mage famed for her genius — often hailed as a living legend — was right before my eyes, sipping tea as if all the stories about her were nothing of importance.

“Oh, and for your first day, I won’t allow you to teach a class,” she said calmly. “Instead, you’ll personally mentor a single student.”

She handed me a sheet of paper. As I read it, my expression stiffened slightly.

“Her name is Lisena. You must have heard of her, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

Lisena de Lumethra — the third princess of the Lumethra Kingdom.

Renowned for her prodigious talent, she had earned that title by developing her own spell at an age most children could barely grasp basic incantations.

Her abilities had even been recognized by the High Council of Magic.

I had met her once before, during a royal banquet.

“You’ve surely heard of her genius, haven’t you? Every instructor here claims they’re unworthy of teaching her. So… are you interested?” she asked, her gaze piercing, as if she wanted to see what choice I would make.

“…Very well. I’ll accept the offer.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips — a look that carried a meaning I couldn’t quite read.

“I’m expecting great things from you.”

After finishing my meeting with the headmaster, I headed to the room prepared for the academy’s instructors — their personal offices.

As I rested, I began reading through the information file on Lisena.

“Besides her talent, she possesses a rare gift — dual elements. Could that be why none of the instructors managed to guide her properly?”

I recalled a scholarly work titled Elemental Magic, written by Edward Magus — the leader of one of the Magic Towers.

In that book, he explained that elements are divided into six types: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, and Darkness.

Each element has its own strengths and weaknesses, each countering another.

Fire overcomes Wind, Wind overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, and Water suppresses Fire.

Meanwhile, Light and Darkness stand opposite — capable of nullifying each other entirely.

It was also written that those who possess two elements within their bodies are exceedingly rare — almost unheard of.

“I’m growing even more curious about her,” I murmured, a faintly cynical smile forming on my face.

Still within the same building, in a quiet classroom...

A young girl sat alone by the window, her golden-silver hair swaying softly with the breeze that flowed through the open panes.

“So… they really sent me a new teacher? I just hope he won’t disappoint me…”