Chapter 1

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.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***