Introduction

As everyone took their places, with the Archduke behind his desk and Rethys and the noble family on either side of the translucent gilded table, they all exchanged awkward and furtive glances among one another.

Rethys warily regarded the nobles around him once he regained his bearings, while the noble family regarded him in turn with curiosity and interest.

With his new senses, he could perceive that they were also attuned to the element of Water and even tell that they shared in his inclination towards frost and ice. A family of ice wielders, just as Sevi had anticipated.

'Those two are very much husband and wife... and yet they look far too similar.' Sevi mused with a concerned tone. 'Could it be...?'

"So, Rethys..." The Archduke began, snapping Rethys out of his contemplation. "Congratulations on unlocking your magic. Your future hereafter is a bright one, gifted as you are."

"Thank you." Rethys briefly replied.

Hearing Rethys' response, the Archduke's smile widened for a moment before his face took on a much calmer countenance.

"Very well then. Now that your due praise is out of the way, it is time to discuss more serious matters. I know that I have said that your future would be bright, but in the end, whether it is or not depends on you, Rethys. Let us address first the mess that you have wrought in Kalantor. After all, none are above the Kingdom's law."

Rethys was confused. Wasn't that matter going to be brushed aside? What with them indulging him ever since he got here.

"In a case as unique as yours, you have two choices." The Archduke continued. "The first would see you attending one of the Kingdom's magic academies and studying there to become a mage of the Kingdom, while the second, in case you do not wish to follow the path of a mage, would see you entering the Kingdom's care. In both cases you would need to receive the training needed to control your magic, so that you may not be a menace to society and to yourself.

"Do you not have family in Kalantor, Rethys? Anyone at all, not even a distant relation?"

Rethys stayed silent for a moment before answering. "None that I know of."

"Then the choice is yours and yours alone." The Archduke carried on. "If you do not wish to walk the path of magic, then you will be taught what you need to carry on with your life without your powers being a threat or a burden to you and those around you. Though the Kingdom would have to keep an eye on you, you see, for matters of security."

The Archduke paused then, letting his words sink in.

'Ah yes...' Sevi sighed in the background. 'The illusion of free choice. I applaud their attempt, at the very least.'

Rethys wanted to ask what she meant, gesture for her to explain, yet the Archduke spoke again.

"But if you wish to embrace your gifts instead, then you will attend one of the Kingdom's magical academies, no doubt the Royal Academy with your talents. There you will be taught and trained in the ways of magic, eventually becoming a full-fledged mage, sharing your power with the Kingdom and being backed by its power in turn.

"Of the two, which do you wish for, Rethys?" He asked.

"I want to become a mage." Rethys answered.

"And why do you want to become a mage, Rethys?" The young nobleman asked with narrowed eyes.

'Make it convincing.' Sevi chimed in.

He quieted for a second, thinking of the most convincing thing he could say.

"Because I like magic." He finally replied.

Hearing his answer, the Archduke's stern expression mellowed into a slight smile.

"Very well then." He nodded. "I see you are not one for embellished words, Rethys, and so I shall cut to the chase. In order to facilitate your induction into magehood and to help with mastering your element, you will be placed under the care of an already established magical bloodline compatible with your powers. You will not be a vassal of theirs, but remain under their supervision and tutorship as an equal.

"Seneton, if you will." He spoke as he gestured for the white-haired Archmage.

"Yes, my lord." The Archmage nodded. "Greetings, Rethys. My name is Seneton Valros, Archmage of the Kingdom and head of the Valros name. With me are my wife Herah and my daughter Ester. Ours is a line of Water mages specializing in the Discipline of frost and ice, and our history traces..."

And then the Archmage went on to detail his family's name as greater nobles, their domain of Valros, one of the southernmost cities of the north, as well as accomplishments, big names of great mages and other nonsense nobles cared about, unaware that he lost Rethys about three seconds into his enthusiastic spiel.

Rethys was confused as to why the nobleman launched into what sounded most like a sales pitch, reminding of those times Fulgrith had to deal with third-rate mages peddling shoddy magical tools at his shop.

'Nobles...' He scoffed inwardly, reverting to his usual, end-all conclusion.

Meanwhile, he took to examining the situation. Being surprised by the Archmage's previous gesture and failing to even use his senses on him was a lapse in judgement that he couldn't repeat again. He wondered if he should extend his senses for just a moment, if only to scan his immediate surroundings and those that occupied them, but then decided against it, remembering his promise to Sevi to get his act together.

Yet beyond it all, he couldn't see himself actually going through with all this. He realized now why everyone here treated him so well, it was because they didn't see him as a street orphan, but rather a future noble, a high ranking one at that, according to Sevi's findings. And it was there that he lost faith in his ability.

Despite what Sevi had reasoned with, he would much rather fight daemons in Yvtar's underground catacombs than wrangle with whatever this would entail. Tolerating noble customs and traditions, living close to and with all sorts of nobles, and even going so far as living like one for the foreseeable and unforeseeable future; it all sounded like a nightmare to him.

He didn't like what the future held for him, and didn't like how he couldn't move past his dislike of it to do right by his agreement with Sevi.

Entirely absorbed in his thinking, Rethys couldn't notice the room quieting around him. The Archmage had evidently gone silent and was looking straight at him. And frantically looking around him, he was overcome with the trepidation of having messed things up.

"I see you that you are thoroughly uninterested in the trappings of nobility." The Archmage chuckled. "And I do not blame you, I did not pause for a second to think of how all this must seem to you..."

Surprised by the older man's candid acknowledgement, Rethys scrambled to respond in any way.

'Gods damn it!' He yelled inwardly.

"No, Sir Val... ros?" He stammered out "It's not..."

'Shit I almost forgot his name!!' He screamed inwardly.

In the back of his mind, he heard the sound of a weary and disappointed sigh. Sevi was evidently not amused.

Meanwhile in the physical world he heard the Archduke of all people stifling a laugh behind his desk.

'Gods damn it...'

"You have... you've seen them too, haven't you, Rethys...?" The Archmage suddenly asked, dropping his formal tone and causing the room to quiet again.

The Archduke ceased his snickering, and everyone in the room converged their gazes upon the white-caped Archmage.

Rethys especially was taken aback by the unexpected inquiry. For as confusing and abrupt as it was, he understood the Archmage's question perfectly, and knew what, or rather who, the word "them" referred to.

But what he didn't know was whether or not he should talk about this.

He looked at the Archmage's deep blue eyes that in turn regarded him with a severe gaze.

"My dear, we spoke of this." His wife chastised him as his daughter looked on with curious eyes. It seemed the two of them had no clue what he was on about.

And it made sense, the visions that Rethys saw could not have been common. For as little as he understood them, the feelings of awe and fear they left in him were anything but mundane.

"Yes." He responded, and that simple answer seemed enough for the Archmage.

"Then I'll simply say this: let's help one another reach into this power, and understand it." He announced. "What do you say?"

When Archmage Valros phrased it that way, the whole ordeal Rethys was going through seemed very different. He wasn't just going to tolerate nobility and their customs, but he was also going to learn from them. And it was different now from before, as he wasn't just stuck with Origin but rather had an element that truly resonated with him.

And this man before him, regardless of his position and upbringing, seemed to have also seen the same sights that Rethys had. It didn't make Rethys instantly trust him, not that he trusted this strange force itself, but he didn't have the same distrust toward it that he did for the Origin element. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Yes." He nodded.

And as the two reached a silent understanding, everyone else regarded them with strange looks, especially the Archmage's wife.

"I suppose that works as well." The Archduke sighed from behind his paper-filled desk. "Very well then! Rethys, you will henceforth be under the Valros family's charge as an aspirant mage of the Kingdom. You will enter the Royal Academy of Naldras under their name and care. Yet remember that just as they are responsible for your well-being and proper development of your magical talents, you are also beholden to them to display excellence in magic, and to not besmirch their name."

'What does "bismersh" even mean?' Rethys wondered with a frown.

'He means to not slack and insult their efforts.' Sevi remarked, as if reading his thoughts, and it was at such times he worried that she truly did.

"I feel there would be no need for worry." Archmage Valros spoke. "Rethys seems sensible beyond his age, and I believe that he will not disappoint."

"In any case." The Archduke announced as he stood. "I declare this meeting concluded. Rethys, the Valros family will now take charge of your initiation into the Royal Academy in the coming weeks."

"Thank you, my lord." The white-mantled Archmage and his family stood and lightly bowed.

Ehriman then motioned to Rethys to also stand, and together, all five filed out of the Archduke's office. They walked through the expansive hallways of the castle, guided by one of the Archduke's scribes toward some distant office.

'That went well.' Sevi commented as Rethys walked behind the noble couple. 'I expected them to placate you, but I did not expect them to accommodate you so much.'

It was true, even he had to admit that the nobles were very liberal with his actions.

He looked around. At first, he followed Ehriman, but at some point, the procession of nobles and attendants took on a certain arrangement, with the highest ranked in the front and the servants in the back.

This left him in the middle, with the nobles' daughter to his right, blue eyes staring intently and uncomfortably at him.

The girl, called Ester, had flowing white hair and stark blue eyes, sharing those features with both her parents strangely enough. Her looks were modest, yet she had a pretty face and gentle features.

She also gave Rethys the air of a warrior, which was the last thing he had expected from a noble daughter. She seemed fit and carried herself with a certain steadiness in her poise. This theory was further supported by the fact that she didn't wear an extravagant noblewoman's dress like her mother, with wide skirts, instead wearing pants.

"What?" He finally voiced.

He saw how the noble couple walked quite the distance ahead of them, and tried purposefully to sound a bit rude. Yet his attempts fell flat, partly due to the girl disregarding his tone but mostly due to his own stature and high voice making him seem more childish than intimidating. He didn't appreciate how short he was now.

"What was it that you and father talked about?" She asked in a low voice; her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "He always speaks this cryptic thing no one understood, no one but you."

"You wouldn't get it." He answered. He wasn't lying either, as he found it hard to explain the experience.

'His family must not have affinities as high as his...' He thought to himself.

"My word..." The girl gasped. "That's exactly what he always said. 'You would not understand, Ester' he would repeat whenever I asked him... come on, can't you tell me something? Anything?"

He looked at the girl looking back at him with a pleading expression and wondered why she wouldn't just keep to herself.

"It's about ice..." He said. "And magic."

He frowned, exerting his brain in an effort to squeeze the words out of his throat. It felt that the expressions escaped him whenever he tried to describe things, or even try to put them into words in his mind. He remembered everything, yet couldn't quite put his finger on any of it. It was a very odd feeling.

"You don't say." Ester chuckled. "Well, I see that you can't talk about it either. Oh well. I'm Ester, by the way. I'm fifteen. How old are you Reth? Oh, can I call you Reth?"

"Do whatever you want." He shrugged. "I don't know how old I am."

"Oh." The girl paused for a moment. "Wait, they must've told you when they appraised your affinities no?"

"They did?" He froze.

He remembered that during his stay in that guest chamber, Ehriman brought an appraisal device and measured his affinities. Rethys saw nothing new during the process, aside from the different instruments, so he never bothered to pay attention.

'I really need to get my act together.' He thought.

'If you need a reminder.' Sevi interrupted his thoughts. 'The appraisers estimated your age at thirteen using their instruments.'

"Yes, they did. They said I'm thirteen." He revealed.

"Oh, but why are you so small-" She said before seemingly remembering his background. "Oh, never mind!"

Evidently perturbed by the reminder of whence he came, Ester grew silent. Yet that silence did not last long before she returned to bombarding him with questions, queries and just general small talk, much to his chagrin.

She tried to spark conversation many times yet was often cut by Rethys' brief responses, lack of knowledge, and just the general disinterest he radiated. And though he truly would have rather she didn't talk to him; he still couldn't help but appreciate her attempts at getting him to talk. If anything, it was a tad heartwarming.

He knew that the only reason he tolerated her was that they shared the same magical element, and that she was possibly subject to some similar effect, yet he didn't let that knowledge cloud his judgement.

Eventually the castle attendants led the whole procession toward some offices where they legitimized and finalized the documents pertaining to Valros family's endorsement and charge over Rethys, and throughout it all, Archmage Seneton, as he insisted be called, took to explaining to him how things would now go.

He explained in a brief, yet also very comprehensible manner that pleased Rethys immensely. He didn't try to push Rethys' buttons like Ester did, instead being very accommodating and understanding towards him. His tranquil and refined attitude would have normally rubbed the young man the wrong way, but it was also combined with genuine competence and a discernible love for magic, and Rethys couldn't help but get the same feel from him as he did from his previous mentor.

The Archmage's wife Herah, meanwhile, kept to herself and didn't go out of her way to talk to him. Yet that in and of itself, combined with her calm and gentle air, still gave him a decent impression of her.

It was strange, since at some point, Rethys forgot he was among nobles.

Eventually the procedures were finished and the group of four was led to a drawing room while they waited for a teleporter to be ready to transport them back to the Valros estate.

And while Ester and her mother indulged themselves in food brought in by the attendants, sweets from the looks of it, the Archmage took the time to further explain to Rethys the processes of things in the Royal Academy while poring over some official documents.

"...and so lessons pertaining to your element will be attended by special professors supervising students from the relevant Discipline and regardless of their academic year. I suppose that will be the only time you would see Ester during active hours, except maybe for..."

Archmage Seneton spoke in great detail while referring to the documents in his hands, and though Rethys himself understood little of what the man cited and explained, he still made sure to pay full attention, since Sevi was invested in absorbing his teachings and also because he didn't want to repay his honest efforts with disregard.

The academy year was going to start in a month, with the arrival of early spring. When the time comes, he'd head with Ester towards the capital and stay there for the whole eight months of the academic year. Ester herself was a second year, and though Rethys tried, he couldn't get a clear answer on how many years he would stay there before earning the title of Mage.

'I could already tell that we would have a fantastic time in the academy Rethys!' Sevi almost shouted in glee. 'Just imagine it! A whole Kingdom's catalogue of magic and arcana, so readily available... I simply cannot wait!'

At least he could rest easy knowing that she was enjoying herself, seeing as the two had little to no opportunity to talk between each other, surrounded as they were.

Eventually Ehriman and a few attendants arrived again, announcing that the teleporter to take them back the Valros territory was ready.