"Decades after the war ended, civilization began to flourish. As the former messengers joined their reconstruction, the knowledge of magic began to spread throughout the world now named by their God. There, practitioners devoted their lives to mastering the [Mana Control] and studying the mysteries behind their origins.

At that time, two magicians forged their names in the early days of peace.

A magician who wanted to master the magic for the benefit of others and a wizard who wanted strength from it.

Both of them were brought in by a wise sage who wanted to pass his knowledge before he departed from the living. He was once a messenger who spent the rest of his years learning and mastering the elements brought by the [Mana] around him. Upon witnessing their magical prowess in their orphanage, he was confident they would bring a new age of with their abilities.

However, they followed two separate paths when they grew older

The oldest of the orphans, who was the slowest to understand the intricate mechanics of magic, traveled around the world helping people not only through his spells but his wits alone. Despite that he spent less time studying, he only mastered magic whenever he helped a poor soul with their needs. He wasn't strong, yet he inherited the sage's kindness and hope for the world.

As for the youngest of the two, he was known to be the smartest and quick-minded of the two apprentices. He mastered all of the elements for five months and created spells that none could the sages come up with. Yet he never studied them for the benefit of others. He only wanted to be strong enough to overpower warriors and hunters through magic alone. The sage grew concerned about his behavior, yet he hoped he could change through the older magician's heart. It wasn't much of a misjudgment on his end. Both apprentices studied together despite their differences and grew up as brothers forged not in blood, but by bond.

But time wasn't very kind to the sage's former apprentices.

The younger magician who became a wizard still sought power. And during his reunion with the oldest, he shared a solution to help him reach his goal.

"Do you remember the Landmarks our master taught us? Why don't we absorb the [Mana] from them and use it for our own gain?"

The older magician was appalled by his suggestion. He knew that the [Mana] the [Mana Landmarks] weren't meant for one living being. There was a chance they couldn't survive that amount and even if they could, the guardians won't allow this travesty to happen. So he rejected that notion and pleaded with him to give up on his search for power.

But to his horror, the wizard stormed into one of the Landmarks and stole most of the [Mana] created from its lines. He used it to defeat its guardian and he would have killed them if it weren't for the magician's intervention.

The two former friends then fought each other. One in an attempt to reach out to his brother and another to eliminate the only person who could stop his goal of power.

The fight grew intense as the tides turned in the older magician's favor. In a last-ditch effort to defeat him, the wizard used all of the stolen Mana to create new magic out of darkness to control the monsters living in the wilds. However, his attempt created a corrosive mana that sapped the life forces of the wilds as well as sacrificing what was left of his humanity and bonds with his past self. With no hope of restoring his old friend, the magician called for the aid of the [Mana Guardian] and together, they defeated the dark wizard and wiped away all of his creations from the Landmark.

Just as the wizard disappeared, he let out one final warning to them.

"All of the mana belongs to us! The day I will return to these lands shall be the day I will reign over God's magic!"

After the fight was over, the older magician was saddened at the loss of his dear "brother". He wished he would have convinced him to turn away from his greed for power. He wondered how their master would feel upon witnessing his fall from grace. In the end, the wizard's greed proved too great to overcome his flaws.

Even as the calamity has passed, remnants of the wizards' creation remained, and wanting to atone for his sin of ignoring his greed for too long, the magician took up his old master's role to prepare the civilizations from his old friend's vengeance. With the Mana Guardians' help, the knowledge of the Landmarks was revealed to his trusted companions and together, they formed circles and guilds to ensure the safety of .

But readers beware... For as the wrath of the wizard was not the only plague spreading the world...

And whatever you do, do not learn the art of magic for your own self-interest."

----------------------------------------

[...And that's the whole story!] Dahlia closes a book she has read out and places it right back on the bookshelf. [What do you guys think?]

We look at each other for a few seconds. Then, Arthur raises his hand and says, "Compared to that Seer story you gave out, it's a bit cl-" Wind quickly smacks his gut before he can finish. "I mean, lighter. A bit lighter."

"Yeah. Besides, does that contradict that story with the wizard one?" Wind asks.

[True. But that one relates to the [Mana Corruption] plague that was first recorded before this one. And again, it's an old folktale. [The False Seer and the Apprentice] depicted the former being the creator of the disease. But it never mentioned how the seer came to be beforehand. Historians theorized that the seer was merely a follower of the dark wizard who fought the magician for the [Mana Landmark's] control.]

"And you think that the seer only improved the corrupted magic the wizard made and spread it throughout the whole [Ancestry], right?" I guess.

[Yep. But there is no concrete evidence to prove its connection. But when that day comes, I'll be sure to record my findings and show them to like-minded mages and researchers.]

"Huh. Sounds like you got a big dream to fulfill," Wind comments. "Well, it's not like we're going to be left behind. Right, Kaz?"

I respond with a smile and nod. "That's why we became adventurers in the first place. We want to travel around and learn the mysteries behind every myth we come across. Of course, that doesn't mean we have to ignore a friend in need, especially when it comes to protecting the Landmarks from evil-doers."

[Right... I guess you did more than expelling the plague from his home.]

DING!

We quickly turn our attention to a strange magical device on Dahlia's table just as we could continue our conversation. Before she told us those old myths, she put the purple sample we gave to her inside through a test tube. Looking closely, it's a mix between an old-fashioned toaster and a rack for test tubes in some kind of a spinning disk that you see in those turntables DJs use in concerts. When it was activated, it spun around inside the device and it was so fast, I gave up watching it and went back to the others. Once I look inside the device after it dings, the disk rack stops spinning and the colors change to some sort of grey-ish color.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

[Speaking of which, looks like results came in.] Dahlia opens the device and removes out the test tube containing the grey liquid. She then casts a spell that envelops the tube with a light blue aura. She does this for a few more seconds until the color of the liquid turns a bit lighter. [Just as I thought. The sample contains corrosive mana and the same properties as the old samples of the last [Mana Corruption] plague 5 years ago. Judging by these results, it's a lot stronger than the ones that almost decimated the villages' crops before the purification.]

"Is it that bad?" Arthur asks.

[You could say that. Although I could compare it to the most recent incident that happened a year ago.]

"Most recent?" All of us repeat in confusion.

[Yeah. But it's classified information and unlike your appointment here, it's much more difficult to gain permission to reveal the full details to you, adventurers. I was impressed with your skills on the field, But no offense, you can't exactly impress anyone with your self-taught fighting style.]

"Are you saying we suck?" Arthur asks in shock. "How could you say that to your savior?!"

Razul groans in frustration. "She meant we're too inexperienced. Does she expect us to investigate a scandal when we just got promoted to [Topaz]?"

[Razul is right. Even in this time of peace, the military of is on high alert and they don't take overconfident adventurers and potential recruits into their fold. While I agree that adventuring and quests are the best places to become a veteran. Proper training is the best way to get to your goals much faster. It's a bit slow, but it should give you new information and skills you never thought to learn before on your own.]

She might have a point. So far, we have learned new skills and spells by leveling up our [Masteries]. But with the release of [Advanced Masteries], I don't know how I’ll learn more spells and new elements alone. I still have the recommendation Annota gave me and I'm free to do anything I want without Wind. But...

"I understand what you're trying to say, Ms. Oztar. But we're adventurers first and fighters and mages second. There's a chance we might lag behind if we take the slow path," Wind says the very thoughts I’d just had. "Plus, me and Wind sometimes act as merchants and crafters for other adventurers as another source of income. I doubt we have enough time to take lessons."

Dahlia sighs. [I thought so. I won't force you to take that route though. It's up to you to decide what to do in life. Whether you planning to join the army or learn the secrets of , you can achieve them as long you have the motivation to do them.]

Huh... Another point for Ms. Oztar. I guess not everyone will go on the same path as us. Heck, not even Wind will try to go to magic school to master his magical skills. The ads for did say we can do whatever we want in this fantasy world. Why wouldn't I hesitate to jump into new discoveries and activities here?

"We'll keep that in mind," I answer. "Besides, we're not in a rush to do anything important after our appointment. Right, guys?"

Wind nods and says, "Yeah. We already got the means to contact Bai Hu from here for the results and we're hoping to stay here for a while to take [Quests] and explore the kingdom."

"I'm with the [Insignis] brothers regarding my plans as well," Razul adds. "I was planning to look around for new guns and someone who knows their way around some [Magic Artilery].]

All of a sudden, Arthur quickly approaches her with his arm around her shoulders. "Yep, yep! In fact, I'm willing to take a few lessons from the royal knights with a hint of magic, my lady."

Dahlia chuckles. [I'll see what I can do about that. Just know that the commander doesn't take favoritism to [Royal Magicians] very well. Also, don't forget about the [Familiar Tournament]. If you're planning to enter, you have to make sure your bird and wolf [Familiars] are well-trained and prepared.]

"Hehe... Why thank you! I..." Arthur quickly stops mid-sentence just as we realize something was wrong. "Wait, how did you know I have a wolf [Familiar]?"

Dahlia then smirks. [Do you expect me to be a [Royal Magician] without a reliable spirit [Familiar] by my side?] She snaps her fingers and a small pink cloud appears next to her, revealing a pink gummi-like sprite with wings as it bowed to us. [A [Mana Sprite], fairy-type [Familiar]. She can detect some nearby [Familiars] in my vicinity and identify them through our private telepathy. With her ability, I can determine what kind of [Familiars] you and your gunslinger friend have. And yes, that also means she can identify the doppelganger and dragon hiding next to your friends.]

As soon as she says this, Saphi suddenly appears in a puff of smoke, too. It's not only my dragon as I also see Wind's [Familiar] peeking through the shadow underneath him.

"Seriously?" Wind only mutters. "Couldn’t you have warned us about your sprite beforehand?"

[Sorry, it's a bad habit of mine. But I'm not judging your [Familiar] choices. However, you may need a lot more effort to hide them if you want to keep them away from the public eye. There's a chance some experienced [Familiar] holders might be able to detect them in a heartbeat and some of them might not be friendly.]

Whoa... If what Dahlia says is true, then Wind is right about Saphi and Soma's safety. There's no way I can ignore her warning after that. Saphi seems to be panicking at this. He’s tried his best to keep our promise. But since she detected him rather than him being exposed, I guess the promise still stands for now.

"I guess this is our cue to leave. Just let us know if you find anything else about the sample," Wind said as we stood up from our seats.

[I will. But before you all do, I have one last favor and warning.]

We stop at the door just as Dahlia says this. "Is it not to bother the army while Arthur is visiting them?" Razul guesses.

"Hey!"

[It's not that. Regarding my warnings about strangers and [Familiar] holders, the upcoming tournament attracts more than adventurers, holders, and civilians.] Dahlia's expression then turns grim. [Keep your eyes out on suspicious people before and during the tournament. From what I can gather after doing an initial analysis on the sample, I have a feeling this might be the calm before the storm.]

----------------------------------------

After we leave the castle, we walk back to our inn with Arthur and Razul still by our side. But as much as I want to log out for today and take a shower, all of us are still rattled at Dahlia's warnings, especially the part about the suspicious people.

"Calm before the storm..." I repeat. "Does that mean something bad is going to happen during the tournament?"

"I don't know... But we shouldn't think too much of it," Wind answers. "It's only our first day in and it's still too early to determine if it has a dark secret or not."

"But what about the False Seer and the Wizard myths she told us? Is it possible they're signs of a big event coming other than the [Great Familiar Tournament]?"

I sigh. "Like Dahlia said, it's only a theory she had after analyzing the sample. All we can do is to enjoy what the city has to offer and go from there."

"Yep. Which is why we need to focus on getting ahead in time for the tournament," Wind adds. "Starting tomorrow, we'll take up a few [Quests] and go location scouting to set up our shop in the shopping district. Is that okay for you, Kaz?"

I respond with a nod. "It's better than nothing. Besides, I got something to do anyway."

"Sounds good to me. If anyone needs a party member, you know where to call." Arthur then walks off from our group and waves goodbye at us. "See you!"

Razul sighs. "I need to log out for a while to deal with a few chores back home. Don't forget to do the same, guys."

Just like Arthur, he also leaves the group, leaving me and Wind alone in front of the castle. He stretches his arms out and yawns before turning to me. "We should do the same. It's been a long day in here."

I don't want to log out today since it's too soon back in the real world. But I suddenly yawned before I could say anything. It's frustrating, but I don't want to snooze all day tomorrow. "Okay... I'm a bit hungry in real life anyway."

So we head back to our inn, ready to snooze from the fantasy world for now.