A Time For Learning (3)

The next day dawned bright and clear, the sun shone down upon the land like a benevolent god – no, who am I kidding. The air was crisp and fresh, and the smell of fresh air wafted through the streets of Lumen. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, and birds sang their songs in the distance. All seemed right with the world.

Darian stretched out his arms and legs, relieving the stiffness of his body. Getting up from bed and walking over to the window in his room, he looked outside at the beautiful scenery.

"Ah…" He sighed. "Nothing beats waking up to a nice view."

Or so he thought. As Darian looked out of his window, expective to look upon a breathtaking panorama, he was met with a sight that left him utterly bewildered. There, right in front of him, was…Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was as if a cosmic prankster had decided to erase the view and replace it with…Nothing.

Darian rubbed his eyes and blinked repeatedly, hoping that this bizarre illusion would vanish. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, the lack of scenery persisted. 

He couldn't help but chuckle at his own silliness, there obviously never was a view to begin with since he lived in a humble home on the outskirts of town

"Hahaha…Well, isn't this the most impressive view I've ever seen." He declared sarcastically. "I never knew nothing could be so captivating!" He continued to joke with himself. If anyone were to watch the scene unfold before them, they'd think the boy had gone mad, but such was his mood this morning.

Darian was in high spirits, leaving the events of yesterday behind. He had something to look forward to today, his second lesson with Lady Emily.

Shaking off the disappointment of the view, or rather the complete lack of it, Darian decided to head outside of his room, where he found his parents having breakfast. 

The moment he stepped outside of his room, the aroma of his mother's famous pancakes drifted through the air, guiding him towards the source of deliciousness.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Diana greeted her son with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?" 

"Morning, Mom," Darian replied, taking a seat at the table. "As well as one can with such a view, I suppose."

"Huh?" She tilted her head in confusion.

Renbrandt chuckled. "Ahaha, the famous view at the back of the house eh? Always keeps us on our toes, doesn't it?"

Darian rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, nothing is the new everything."

As Diana placed a plate stacked high with fluffy pancakes in front of him, Darian's stomach grumbled in anticipation. He couldn't resist the mouthwatering breakfast, but he also wanted to share the details of his first lesson.

Renbrandt observed his son closely and couldn't help but smile. He knew how much Darian had longed for the opportunity to learn magic, he'd always been very careful and observant of his own son, providing him with everything he ever needed even if he couldn't always be there.

"Well, Darian," Renbrandt began, setting his coffee aside. "You seem really happy this morning, I take it your first lesson went well?"

Darian's face lit up as he eagerly nodded, barely able to contain his enthusiasm. "Yeah, it was really good! She made me go over the first beginner's book on magic which I finished within a day!"

"That's wonderful, boy!" Renbrandt chuckled. "You can do anything you put your mind to, keep working hard as you always have." He said, patting Darian's head.

Darian felt a tingling in his heart when his father patted him on the head, his parents had always given him a lot of love and so did his only two friends – if he could still call them friends – but, the constant love and tenderness from people around him served as a reminder to him of how much he had to protect.

Darian took a quick bite of the fluffy pancake, savouring the sweet taste. Between mouthfuls, he continued excitedly. "And Dad, I think she thinks I have great potential. Can you imagine?"

Renbrandt took a sip of his coffee, savouring it before responding. "That's really good, I'm proud of you. To have Lady Emily recognise your potential is a great thing."

A few minutes later, Darian left for Lady Emily's clinic.

***

Sat at his desk once again, Lady Emily placed the same books of yesterday on top of it. "These are the books from yesterday. I want you to read the book on basic mana channelling, and once you're finished let me know."

Darian picked up the second book which was bound in leather, however he knew he wouldn't have to spend too long on it since he already knew how to channel mana on his own. So, out of curiosity he asked his master a question.

"Master, do you happen to have any books on history, or on the land we're in?" 

"History books?" Emily asked with an air of perplexion. "What for?"

"It's just…I don't know much about the world except for our town Lumen and tidbits on magic creatures from reading at the Guild Hall…"

Emily smiled warmly. "Well, I do understand where you're coming from…" She said, pondering for a moment. "Alright, well since you finished the first book so quickly and answered my questions yesterday then I'll allow it."

Leaving the room for a moment, Emily returned with small books on the history of the country they were in and its history with other nations. "This is a book called 'The History of the Kingdom of Lusaria'."

"Thank you, Master." Darian said in earnest. "Can I really read it?"

"Of course, but make sure to finish with the task I gave you by the end of today."

And so, Darian started with reading the book on the human Kingdom's history.

***