IWMHWD 30

Chapter 30: Rophael Wizard Association

Date: November 30, 2023

As the sound of the door closing echoed, Baron snapped his fingers lightly. In an instant, the shattered dish returned to its original state, and the tomato sauce splattered on his body disappeared without a trace.

“So, you accepted her as your disciple?”

“Well, I did strongly recommend it, yes.”

Baron sighed.

“It may be hard for you to understand now, but once we arrive at Diloana’s territory, your thoughts will become clearer. No matter how you think about it, this is the best path.”

“Hmm.”

“So, Belluche, don’t be so curt and try to treat Lady Cordelia well.”

“I think I’m already treating her quite well.”

“Hah… I suppose expecting more might be too much. I’ll head in first.”

“Hmmm, the smell of the sea!”

“If you fall in, I’m not saving you.”

“That’s fine. Loti will save me instead. Right, Loti?”

Of course, Loti only yawned lazily and didn’t even wag his tail.

Cordelia leaned over the ship’s railing, soaking in the briny sea air. The sharp sea breeze brushing her cheeks was refreshing like nothing else.

Thankfully, the weather was perfect and the ship was large, so the seasickness Cordelia had worried about never came. The sail billowed in the wind, propelling the vessel toward the Willas Archipelago.

“Master, who are those people over there in those fancy robes?”

Cordelia gestured with a side glance toward a group of people wearing extravagant robes. They stood in small groups, chatting, their outfits drawing attention.

“Judging by the robe colors, they’re apprentice mages.”

“So mages have their own dress code?”

“Only when they’re young. Once they reach intermediate rank, those robes are only worn for ceremonies, not everyday.”

“Actually, I meant to ask—how are mages ranked? I heard there are advanced ones?”

“You don’t know?”

“Well, you never explained it to me. You always act like I’m stupid for not knowing things you haven’t taught me!”

Cordelia squinted her eyes into triangles and pouted. Baron, standing nearby, stepped in kindly to explain.

“Until a mage formally undergoes the magical binding ceremony, they’re considered apprentices.”

“Oh, then I’m not an apprentice anymore since I did the ceremony.”

“Correct. Your case is extremely rare, though. Normally, apprentice training lasts about ten years.”

“What? Ten years?! That long?”

“Heh. Ten years is considered short. Most never even make it past apprenticeship and quit before reaching the beginner level.”

“But why quit halfway? Isn’t that a waste?”

“Because they can’t handle mana.”

Leonard chimed in bluntly. Cordelia didn’t quite understand.

After all, the first thing she learned as his student was how to manage mana.

“Why wouldn’t they be able to?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Isn’t it just about using your willpower to move it?”

“Exactly.”

Unusually, Leonard agreed with her quite passionately.

Baron considered explaining that controlling mana was actually extremely difficult—but seeing the two of them, he decided it was pointless. They simply wouldn’t get it.

“Once you complete the ceremony, you become a certified mage and can introduce yourself as a beginner-level mage. That’s when your real magical studies begin.”

“Ah, I see.”

“With some talent and relentless effort, one can reach the intermediate level. But beyond that, effort alone won’t cut it. That’s why most mages never go beyond intermediate and give up.”

“So those who reach the advanced level must be amazing. Master, are you an advanced mage?”

“No.”

Baron beamed, puffing his chest like a proud parent.

“There’s a rank above advanced. The one who governs the stars—Seirius. The Master became the youngest Seirius in history.”

“Wow.”

“Could you try sounding more impressed?”

“Woooow.”

She dragged out the word with the same flat tone as before.

“That’s enough.”

“Even with Baron explaining everything, I still don’t really get it. I guess I’ll just assume Master’s the top of the top, right?”

“The highest of Seirius, really?”

Even Belluche was at a loss for words at her phrasing. Baron began to elaborate on Seirius again, but Cordelia was already distracted by something else.

She was fascinated by the seagulls flying near the bow and amazed that such a massive ship could sail purely on wind.

Leonard spoke from behind her.

“Enough sightseeing. Let’s head in.”

“Just a minute! I want to look around a bit more.”

Cordelia thought of her life as a tangled ball of yarn. From birth, it was a mess, and no matter what she did, she believed she could never unravel it.

When her father’s verbal abuse escalated into beatings, when he sold her off for fifty thousand Linkits—she had known only submission.

Had Craig Abrams not fallen from grace, she might have stayed trapped in that castle forever.

But then Leonard appeared and effortlessly sliced through the knot of her life. He handed her the thread.

Her first thread.

The life she had after meeting Leonard felt completely disconnected from her past. That thread was so precious she couldn’t dare lose it.

And so, Cordelia moved forward, holding it close.

Thanks to the favorable wind, the ship arrived at the Willas Archipelago earlier than expected, just as dawn broke.

Cordelia, rubbing her sleepy eyes, struggled to carry her heavy bag off the ship. Suddenly, someone snatched it away.

Pickpocketed the moment she disembarked?! Willas was a scary place, she thought, suddenly wide awake.

“A thief—oh?”

To her surprise, the “thief” was Belluche. He silently carried her bag ahead.

“…Seriously?”

“Belluche may be lacking in brains, but his heart’s not bad,” Baron said with a cryptic smile, walking behind her.

The dusky sky quickly brightened. Cordelia, now fully awake, busily took in her surroundings.

What caught her eye most was a trio of enormous bronze statues. Each was so tall that her head only reached their toes.

The two men and one woman held a brush, a pen, and a sword, respectively. Up close, they were even more overwhelming.

“Who are they?”

“The founders of the Academy. Great Sage Kent, Ilrak—the divine brush—and Scoptsch, the beginning and end of the sword.”

“Oh, those people.”

“I’d love to explain more, but we’re short on time. Let’s check into the inn first.”

“Okay.”

Cordelia obediently followed. Baron, familiar with the area, navigated straight there without glancing around.

The place they stopped at had an antique exterior. But the most surprising thing was that a rabbit—not a person—stood at the entrance.

In the most natural tone, the rabbit spoke:

“Welcome to Shining Constellation. How many guests?”

“Four.”

“How many rooms?”

“Four.”

“Understood. Please, come inside.”

Cordelia inwardly screamed, It’s a talking rabbit! A talking rabbit!, but kept her face calm.

Four keys floated in midair and landed in Baron’s palm. As he approached the door, it opened automatically.

The group followed him inside. Just as Cordelia and Loti were about to enter, the rabbit said,

“I’m sorry, but animals aren’t allowed inside.”

“Huh? But…”

You’re an animal too, she was about to say, when Baron silently flicked a 10-Linkit coin from his pocket.

The rabbit gulped it down with its mouth wide open, then grinned broadly.

“Please, come in. Shining Constellation also offers cozy mats and special meals for our furry guests!”

Its sudden change of tone left Cordelia speechless. The others seemed used to it and said nothing.

The interior, though fancy, felt ordinary compared to the talking rabbit. They unpacked in their rooms, then gathered again in the first-floor dining room.

“Listen up. Once you’re inside the Rophael Association, avoid chatting with others. Head straight to the lab.”

“Got it.”

“If a bunch of nosy old men start interrogating you, just ignore them.”

“Am I allowed to?”

“My disciple is.”

His advice felt like it could ruin her social life, but Cordelia, unfamiliar with mage society, didn’t argue.

“You’ve got the lab key, right?”

“Yes.”

“And if you meet Maximilian—”

“Should I run?”

“If you’ve already met him, running’s no use. Just don’t die. If you’re alive, we’ll rescue you.”

“…That’s your idea of advice?”