My name is William. I live in a high tower in the middle of nowhere. It’s not big or high, but I like it.

Why do I live in a tower? For my research. All my life I've been trying to prove to others, that I am the best mage in this world.

I spend my days on work, and reading. If you want to cast a truly powerful spell, you need to pay the price. Sometimes you need money, and other times you need to pay with something more valuable - time.

I’m now old.

I have paid my price. There is nothing left for me - or so I thought.

“It’s so quiet.” I said to myself, looking around my tower.

It was messy, and you couldn’t see anything because of the books that were scattered around. They were everywhere. In my old, wooden shelf, on my desk - but most of them were just on the ground.

As I picked some of them up, I saw a familiar circle. It was still there, after all this time.

A little damaged, but you still could read some of the letters.

“Why did you even work?” I said, as I wiped it with my sleeve.

I tried to recast the spell. I tried change it. I tried to find a mistake. Finally, I tried to undo it, using the dragon’s heart.

Nothing worked.

Those things - I don’t understand them, and I probably never will.

Maybe God has given me another chance, after seeing that I wasted my life?

Just kidding.

“William! How much time do you need?!” I heard familiar voice from the window. It was a voice of a strange witch.

She was waiting for me near the entrance to my tower. This weird witch.

There is nothing I can do for her, to return the favor. She was helping me from the beginning. Maybe it wasn’t the kind of help that I desired, but I was still thankful to her. She knew everything from the start, and she kept the secret.

And now, when I know that I won’t turn back, she is standing there.

Why?

"101 unsolved problems in magic... “ I read the cover of a book in my hand. After visiting little Rosie, she gave me one copy of the book.

I don’t know if she wanted to make me happy, or if she just thought that I should have it. It doesn’t matter.

“How to make a spell, that doesn’t require mana.” I read the title of one of the chapters.

That should work for now.

“Hey, William!?” I heard Morgana’s voice one more time.

“I’m coming!” I said, as I opened the door, and went downstairs.

When I finally left the tower, I saw her leaning against its wall. The sun was shining on us gently, as we stood on the road leading to my tower.

It was placed in the middle of nowhere, and the only things that you could see from there were trees around us.

“Are you ready?” she asked, looking a little tired.

“Yeah, I took some books, and small mana crystals. It should be enough for now.” I replied, and she approached me.

“Don’t worry about them. Okay?” she asked gently, and stroked my head.

“I-I’m not.” I said, and started walking towards the forest. When I did, she went after me.

Don’t worry about them? It’s easy to say this.

After trying, and failing to use dragon’s heart, I told Vyliana and Arthur the truth. All of it.

At first they didn’t believe me, but after a while they understood that I wasn’t lying.

Then...

Then they left me.

Vyliana just told me, that she needs to think about all of those things, and Arthur just looked at me with sad eyes, as he smiled weakly.

I shouldn’t have lied to them.

“I told to stop worrying. Better tell me, what do you want to do now.” Morgana asked, as we entered the forest.

We were now going to her house, because she wanted to get some things from it. It would be weird for her not to. We were away for a long time.

“I told you before. I want to cast a spell. A spell that doesn’t require mana.” I replied, and she smiled at me.

“Tell me more.” she said, and we started talking.

We talked about many things, that we didn’t talk before. About our lives, dreams, and things we want to do. We talked about our future, and our past.

She wanted to know, what I plan to do now. As if I could answer a question like that. For now I just want to kill some time.

Trying to cast a spell like that should help me in it.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

I need to do something. I need to stop thinking.

“Hey…” I heard Morgana’s voice. She sounded surprised, and for some reason she was looking up.

Did she saw something? Is there something there? As I thought about those things, I looked where she was looking.

When I did, I saw a pair of feminine legs. It seemed that a girl was sitting on a branch of a tree, but I couldn’t see her face, because of the sun that was shining in my eyes.

“Hey master. Did you already forgot about me?” I heard a familiar voice, and the girl jumped down.

When she did I could take a better look at her red hair, and a really revealing armor.

“Why are you so surprised? Did you think, that I will leave you alone?” she asked, and smiled with a cheerful smile.

“Vyliana? I thought that you don’t want to see me…” I said, while looking at her.

When I did that, she looked at the ground bashfully, while playing with her hands. After some time, she started speaking.

“I thought about this for some time. I don’t really know what happened before your change, but I know one thing. Master is my master, and that is all that matters.” she said, and smiled one more time.

I didn’t know how to respond to her words.

“How did you find us?” it seemed that Morgana didn’t had a problem like that.

“I followed master’s scent.”

My scent? She really is a demon.

“Anyway, what do you want to do now master? Can I come with you?” Vyliana asked me, and looked right into my eyes.

Can you come with me?

“I want to cast a spell, and I would be happy to have you with us. If it’s okay with you, of course.” I responded immediately, and she smiled once more.

“I will go everywhere with you.” Vyliana said, and approached me.

“I’m glad to have you with me once again.”

“Me too, master.” she responded, and we continued our walk.

Once again, we were talking while walking among the trees. The sun was warming us up, and I couldn’t hold back my smile.

I was happy.

I was happy because my friend was with me.

When I thought about those things, I remembered Arthur. Where was he right now? Does he hate me?

My good mood suddenly became bad.

“What are you thinking about master?” Vyliana asked me, when she noticed that I looked a little sad.

She was a very perceptive girl.

“I’m thinking about Arthur. I haven’t seen him, since we left the capital city.” I responded, and Vyliana looked at me surprised.

“Arthur? I think I saw him, near the house in the middle of this forest.” she responded.

What?!

“A lolicon is standing near my house?” I heard Morgana’s voice, but I didn’t care.

Arthur was here? But why would he come to this place. I thought about all the possibilities.

M-Maybe he wants to travel with me once again…

Or maybe he wants to tell me, that he hates me, and he doesn’t want to see me anymore.

I was scared, because I didn’t know why he came here. I didn’t know that, but I knew that I need to meet him.

“I will go ahead!” I said, and started running towards the middle of the forest.

Both Morgana, and Vyliana just looked at me, and nodded.

I needed to talk with Arthur. I needed to know why he came here. Even if he just wants to tell me, that he hates me.

It didn’t matter.

As I thought about those things, I was getting closer to the Morgana’s house. It took me maybe another five minutes, and I saw it.

A cute wooden house in the middle of the forest. A little small, but it looked comfortable. With a small door, and knight standing near it. He had a short dark hair, and big blue eyes. His white armor had some scratches, but it looked beautiful. At the waist he had a sword.

“A… Ar… Arthur… Arthur!” I started shouting, but I was out of breath after running to this place.

“You finally came.” he responded.

After that I approached him, and he looked at me with remorse in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” he said, and bowed a little.

Wait, what?!

“W-What are you talking about!? I s-should be the one to apologise!” I said, still trying to calm my breathing.

“Of course, the thing you have done was awful…”

Ouch.

“But I did something stupid too. We were friends, and we traveled together for so long. People have secrets, it’s normal. What isn’t normal is leaving somebody you are friends with, without saying anything to him…”

No, you are wrong! I’m the stupid one! A stupid old man, that was too scared to tell you the truth. It’s so stupid, that it’s almost funny!

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry Arthur! Please forgive me!” I started shouting, and he looked at me surprised.

I was wrong. I did the stupid thing. It was only normal that he left me.

I said those things, knowing it.

“Oh, look at that. The lolicon has come back.” I heard a familiar voice behind me. It seemed that Morgana and Vyliana catched up to me.

For some reason Arthur blushed a little.

“Did you find us because of the scent too? Because of the scent of a little girl?” Morgana said, and started laughing. It seemed that her own joke amused her.

“S-Shut up!” Arthur just replied, and looked at me.

“I don’t know. I don’t know who should apologise, and for what. I just know that I want to spend my time with you, and the rest of the group. So, if it’s okay with you...”

If it’s okay with me?

“Of course! I’m so sorry Arthur!” I said one more time, and he finally smiled.

“Don’t apologise.” he replied.

After that Morgana went to her house, to take some things needed for an adventure. I told her, that I want to cast a spell. A spell that doesn’t require mana.

I also told her, that I can’t do it here. That’s why we will need to travel. It seemed that she got used to adventuring with me. It’s not like it makes me sad.

It got used to it too.

“Are you done talking? I have everything I needed.” Morgana finally said, when she left her house. She had a small bag in her hands, with few alchemy tools in it.

“Yeah!” Vyliana replied, and Arthur just nodded.

“Well, William. I know that I told you, that I will go with you, but where do you want to go? Why can’t you do it here?” Morgana asked me, and I smiled.

I smiled, because I knew where we were going to go.

“I want to go to the homeland of elves - to the forests of Asevale.”

When I said that, all of them looked at me surprised.

“To the forests of Asevale? But why?” Arthur asked me, and I responded immediately.

“To find the biggest library in the world.”

My name is William. I travel with my friends.

Why do I travel? For my research. All my life I've been trying to prove to others, that I am the best mage in this world. Now I know it was a stupid thing to do.

The best thing you can do with your life, is to enjoy it.

I didn’t cast a spell of eternal youth. I will age, just like a normal person.

To tell you the truth, I don’t really know what I did at that day.

I didn’t try to recast the spell, and I didn’t talk about it with many people. Even if it didn’t work, I kept it for myself.

I don’t know why I turned into a young person. Sometimes I think that God has given me another chance, after seeing that I wasted my life.

Just kidding. Things like this just don’t happen.

FIN