Past – Shadow Wolf Guild.
‘Here, for your hard efforts.’ Kalak, the traditional mage, with a mocking laugh, threw three coins to the ground.
Cirrus, Scarlet’s little brother, knelt to pick the coins. Those would be a total of 3 krestling: an amount of money that would vanish after a day for food, a payment which was hardly fair. He hated Kalak for paying him so low.
‘What’s with that stare, boy?’ Kalak noticed. ‘I don’t like that. Not one bit.’
Being only 10 years old, Cirrus couldn’t register as a mage for a guild without a certificate—something that was impossible to get without money. Because of that, along with the laws that prevented child labor by banning trade for children, Cirrus couldn’t sell the herbs he had collected for its rightful price. Buying from him would be a crime and not many would risk that. Kalak didn’t care about the risk, which made him his only buyer. A buyer who severely underpaid him.
‘Someone needs to teach you a lesson for giving me that look, boy. I suppose I’ll have to step up and take that role myself—’
‘Kalak,’ Trisha, the guild receptionist for Shadow Wolf guild, called. Her miraculous timing defused the tension that was about to break. ‘Would you please check the mana measuring tool?’
‘Bah! Why should I?’
‘Because it doesn’t seem to be working.’
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Kalak stared back and forth between Cirrus and Trisha, torn about which obligation he should attend. Then, with a groan, ‘Fine, I’ll look at the mana measuring tool.’
‘Please follow me.’
As Trisha led the way, she glanced over her shoulder toward Cirrus. Pointed two fingers at her eyes, then at Cirrus: I saw you.
Cirrus shook his head: Can we pretend I wasn’t here? Please?
She looked away: No.
Cirrus could only worry about what Trisha had in store for him, for she could be strict with him. Last time, she had scolded him while he had to sit with his legs folded under—for two hours straight. Her scolding was how he knew about the laws regarding child labor.
‘Meow.’ Noir, the black cat rested on his head, gave Cirrus a poke with her soft paw.
‘Yeah, we better run.’ He appreciated her warning. ‘Who knows how long Trisha will scold us this time. Let’s go home. Oh, when we get back, don’t tell sis that we went to the forest, okay? It’s our secret. Shh.’
‘Meow,’ Noir agreed.
‘Good. Alright, let’s go home.’
His sale today made him feel bitter. Truth be told, even without the threat of Trisha’s scolding, Cirrus wanted to leave regardless. He hated how he was treated, hated how the world was unfair. There’s hardly anything I can do to change that…
‘And who decided that?’
Cirrus heard a protest, sharp and clear. The protest resonated with him, stopped him on his track. He glanced toward the voice and saw a young lady confronting Kalak. She wasn’t reserved about voicing her thoughts and wasn’t one to back down from where she stood.
‘I won’t let such insignificant standards define me.’
Seeing her, Cirrus couldn’t help but wish that he could be like her. Someone who could fight for oneself.
Soon after, a blinding clash of fireballs occurred. Once his eyes adjusted, he could see her standing tall.
‘I’ll rise to the top from nothing and become the greatest mage of all existence!’
This was Cirrus’s first encounter with Latla; already, she had gained his admiration.