I just woke up. It was past noon. The sunlight streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the floor.
“Mother…?”
“That took you long enough, kidmaru.”
I sat up, startled. “S-shabby mage!? What are you doing here?” I exclaimed, still half-buried in my blanket.
“Mark isn’t as dumb as you think, nor is your mother. Starting today, you’re coming with me.”
Before I could even react, he waved his hand, casting a spell that splashed warm water across my face.
“What the hell-?!” I sputtered, wiping my face in shock.
“That’s a necessary wake-up call.” He said it so casually, like splashing water on people was part of his daily routine.
“Where are you even taking me-?”
He shrugged as he walked toward the kitchen. “Gonna grab something to eat. Duh.”
I blinked. “What the hell is he up to now?”
He rummaged through the pantry, pulling out ingredients. “Your family stocks up decently—neither too much nor too little. Neat.”
“Can you just tell me what you’re doing?”
He ignored me, already placing a pot on the stove. “We’re cooking something.”
It was absurd watching him take control of the kitchen, as if he were a family member. I didn’t care anymore. The pot sizzled, ingredients lined up as if by magic. Since when had he set all this up?
“Tell me something, kid.”
“What?”
“Do you think cooking is magic?”
“No?”
“You’re dumber than I thought.”
“Excuse me?! You’re no less dumb than me!”
“Then answer this: is bread delicious because the chef makes it? Or because it’s bread?”
I blinked again, confused. “You’re not making any sense, you shabby mage.”
He clicked his tongue and held up a loaf. “Here, try this. Is it delicious?”
“Kind of.”
He continued cooking, and before long, the aroma of an elegant meal filled the room.
“So... you’re a chef?”
“This would cost you about 20 esabs. Looks amazing, doesn’t it?”
“I know how much of a glutton you are, plus your shabbiness as a mage.”
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“Does that matter? You do remember what you did yesterday, right?”
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Why did my parents even agree to this?”
“Since you’re so blind, let me explain,” he said, taking a bite of the meal he had just cooked, rudely talking with his mouth full. “This... is not magic.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“It’s cooking! It’s not the food that’s special; it’s the process. That’s the magic.”
“Can you stop being so vague?”
He sighed. “The process is magic, you idiot. The food is the spell, and it defeats the devil called hunger.”
“Please tell me that’s not the end of the lesson.”
“For once, you’re actually right. And yes, that’s all.”
“And now you’re going to dine and dash? You didn’t even make anything for me!”
Without a word, he handed me a blank piece of paper and a lump of coal. “Have fun cooking.”
“Wait, where are you going? HEY!”
He was already gone. I stared at the paper and coal he left behind. What was I supposed to do with this?
I vaguely remembered the sigil he had drawn yesterday. But I had no idea how to replicate it. In fact, I couldn’t even write. Was this his way of mocking me?
I grumbled, “I’ll show him...”
A few minutes later, I had drawn a crude likeness of the shabby mage. It wasn’t great, but it felt satisfying to doodle on his paper. I held it up to admire it in the sunlight, but the moment I gripped it tightly—BANG!—the paper exploded in my face.
----------------------------------------
I woke up to my mother shaking me gently. “Komeharu! Wake up! Thank Solaris, are you okay?”
“Y-yeah...” I mumbled, still dazed.
“What happened here?”
“That shabby mage, James, dined and dashed. Why was he even here?”
Just as I said that, I saw James standing behind her.
“YOU! JAMES! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?”
He raised his hand in a half-hearted wave. “I’ll explain everything.”
My mother knelt beside me, taking my hand. Her face was solemn, and I could see the sadness in her eyes.
“Komeharu, we’re so sorry,” she began, her voice trembling. “You should be like the other children, playing and enjoying life. But your father and I... we’ve been too focused on money. You deserve a proper childhood. That’s why we asked James to help you become a mage... shabby as he is.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and she wiped them away with a trembling hand.
“Mom... you’ve never done anything wrong.”
James, standing nearby, sniffed the air, noticing the smell of burnt coal. “You’d make a terrible painter,” he muttered.
“Shabby mage!” I hissed.
“Let’s save the insults for later, Komeharu,” my mother said, getting up. “How about I prepare dinner while we wait for your father?”
“Yes, mother...”
As she busied herself in the kitchen, I was left alone with James.
“What are you doing here? It’s late.”
“Food, obviously.”
“Is that all you care about?”
“Precisely.”
My frustration bubbled over. “You ruined everything!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I told you to cook.”
“And?”
“You gave me that paper and coal to mock me!”
“No, I gave you a lesson in magic. You didn’t cook.”
“What do you mean?!”
“You focused too much on the result—the food itself. You forgot the process.”
“Okay, fine! I get it! You’re talking about the paper, right?”
“Good. At least you’re starting to catch on.” He crossed his arms, nodding as if he’d won some invisible argument. “If you don’t learn from this, you’ll just repeat your parents’ mistakes.”
“Are you mocking us?” I clenched my fists, ready to yell again.
“No, Komeharu. I’m just saying... you’re weak. And you’re a terrible cook.”
“I KNOW, OKAY?! We’re poor! Hail Solaris, praise this generous lord for letting us live in this cobbled house! You’re the great mage, right? So leave me alone! Leave my family alone!”
James stared at me, unblinking, his expression cold.
“I’m not leaving without a meal. Hunger kills.”
I threw my hands up in frustration. “I don’t care anymore! Just don’t follow me!”
I stormed off to my room, slamming the door behind me. Why were we so poor? Was this really the best life had to offer? I cried myself to sleep, my heart heavy with anger and confusion.
Later that night, my father came in, speaking softly. “Komeharu, if you’re asleep, I won’t disturb you.”
His gentle voice broke through my walls, and I couldn’t ignore him anymore.
“We’re so sorry, son. This is all we can do... for now.”
His words pierced my heart. It wasn’t his fault. None of it was.
“Someday... I hope you can forgive us.”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Father... none of this is your fault. I love you!”
I ran to him, throwing my arms around him in a tight embrace. At that moment, I didn’t care about the shabby mage, or the frustrations of our situation. All I wanted was for us to be together, just the three of us.
CHAPTER 4 END.