“Please answer my question honestly,” the clan leader turned back, obviously hesitating, and with difficulty bent down to look directly into Gerard’s eyes. Each of his syllables carried a heavy weight, striking Gerard’s heart painfully. He asked, “Gerard, are you willing to enter the Sage’s Tower and become a wizard?”
Gerard tried to straighten his thin back, looking back into the elder’s black eyes.
He could see nothing.
“Gerard is willing,” the green-haired, slightly feminine-looking boy answered in a crisp voice, revealing a smile. But this was a coldness not belonging to a child, like icy water flowing from a deep spring carrying dark secrets.
The clan leader’s pupils contracted slightly. He stood up, nodding: “Very good.”
But Gerard could feel the gap between him and the clan leader had deepened, even covered with new frost. In the south of Kalinseia, there was neither frost nor snow – what he had seen was snow created by magic in the cellar. It was fragile and cold, each detail exquisite to the point of losing vitality.
Shortly after, Gerard arrived in the most elegant reception room of the front yard. He showed no nervousness and asked about the mosaic on the corridor floor and its story.
The clan leader told a story he had never heard before.
“This is a myth most people are familiar with,” the clan leader said, with a hint of compassion in his eyes.
Yes, a myth that a seven-year-old child should know, but Gerard had never had the chance to experience it.
The deep lineage of magicians was his reading material.
When he finally reached the door, Gerard felt a sense of dependence on the clan leader. The elder expressed kindness for the first time, patting his shoulder and encouraging, “Go ahead.”
The reception room was empty, and Gerard tried to tread lightly, but his footsteps were still clearly audible. Through the magic curtain woven with spells, Gerard could only vaguely see a figure in a linen-colored robe, unable to distinguish gender.
He recalled the etiquette for meeting the sage, hastily lowering his gaze and lifting his robe to perform the complex ritual.
The person behind the curtain quietly waited for him to complete the formalities, still not speaking.
