The Past & The Future

By dusk, Leus and Blaze returned home ...

As soon as they entered, Viorica got up to greet them and hugged Leus

Her tone was slightly concerned

"You two took so long!"

"Sorry Mom, we were busy"

"I'll prepare something for you to eat, you must be very hungry"

She gave Blaze a quick hug, and then she went to the kitchen

Leus had a warm smile on his face

'Mom's hugs are so refreshing'

He always enjoyed these hugs, they were so warm.

Amethyst and Merlin were eager to hear about everything that happened during their journey, so Leus spoke with them for a while but he quickly wrapped it up

'I'm desperate for a shower'

'I can still smell the blood ...'

'And I need to change my clothes as well'

So he went to take a shower ...

By the time he was done, food was ready and all the family sat together at the table

Viorica asked excitedly

"So how was it?"

Leus replied while checking out the food

"It was good. I met some people at the Guild, and I also discovered something interesting about my affinity"

"Really! That's so nice"

Blaze added

"Yeah, we also took two missions from the Guild and Leus was able to do them."

Viorica felt happy hearing that, while Amethyst and Merlin were eagerly waiting to hear the details, so Leus decided to say a very "refined version" of the events

'I don't think they would like to hear the details about how I disfigured the Rhino's face trying to extract its horn, right?'

After hearing what Leus had to say, Amethyst was awestruck

"You're so strong, Brother!!!!!" She said with gleaming eyes

Merlin, on the other hand, was slightly jealous

He turned to Blaze with a puppy-eyes expression on his face

"Dad, I also want to be as strong as Leus!"

Blaze chuckled

"Sure! We'll start your sword training soon too, but I just need some time.

Until then, focus on learning how to read and write, like Amethyst and Leus, okay?"

Merlin nodded and his eyes sparked with determination

"Fine, I'll study harder"

Viorica looked at Leus and asked

"Now what will you do?"

Everyone followed suit and looked at Leus

'Eh, all the eyes are fixed on me all of a sudden'

He felt tense, but only for a moment

"I'll go to the Library; I want to start my apprenticeship"

Viorica looked at Blaze and he nodded in confirmation, then her tone became more serious

"I'm really happy that you're ready. But I'll miss you A LOT"

Leus furrowed his brows

"Miss me? Why? I won't be far and I'll come back every day"

Blaze shook his head

"No, That's not how it works"

He elaborated

"Arno might send you for missions or ask you to stay in the library until you achieve a specific goal, it might take days or even weeks"

"Really? ... I didn't know about that"

Viorica added

"It's possible that it won't happen, you'll find out when you go, but you must be ready for all situations."

Blaze asked solemnly

"Are you prepared for these things?"

Leus didn't hesitate

"Yes"

Going to the Library was atop Leus' priority list

'It'll be useful if I become a bit more powerful ... '

'Train now and be relieved for life, that kind of thing'

'There are also so many things that I MUST learn, like knowing more about my Affinity and having more experience with my Magic'

'Even if it's troublesome, I'll go.'

He was very determined ...

When Viorica saw his resolution, she went and brought a small pouch from the bedroom and gave it to him

"Keep this on your belt, you'll need it"

Leus took the pouch and opened it

'Silver coins and the house keys ...'

'How many coins are these?'

But before he could count them, Blaze spoke

"Now that you are a member, you'll be able to in the Guild for a bronze coin or so, and you'll also be able to rent rooms for cheap prices. So this amount should be more than enough for you for a couple of weeks or so."

Leus nodded, and Blaze resumed

"I'll give you the two silver coins of the missions the next time we meet. And any time you need money just ask for it."

Leus replied with a genuine smile

"Thank you so much"

'They're always so considerate of me ...'

For a while more, the family continued their conversation, although it became a bit lighter ...

Things took a somewhat dramatic turn because Amethyst and Viorica started getting emotional as if Leus was leaving for some distant lands. But overall, the discussion was entertaining and light-toned.

In the end, it was decided that Leus would leave for the Crimson Library in the morning, and after that, everyone went to sleep ...

Leus entered his room and went to the bed ...

His mind drifted into thinking about what the future might hold

'Finally, I'll get access to more spells ...'

'There's so much that I want to learn'

He tried to create a list of the most important things he wanted to learn

'I want a way to be able to evaluate my opponents properly'

'I want Light and Darkness spells'

'I want to learn more about my affinity'

' ... I guess that's it for now'

After Leus was done thinking about that, he started thinking about all the events that led him up to this point

'It really took me long to reach here huh ...'

'Four years'

He quickly navigated through the memories of those four years

'My meeting with Sal'

'Opening my eyes to see Remedy'

'Trying hard to heal Mom'

'Reading the Archivist's Atlas'

'Learning spells from Arno's book'

A wry smile appeared on his face

' ... Making the Crimson Guards come because of a Fireball'

'Training with Dad'

'Going to the slums'

It all flashed in front of his eyes, making him take a deep breath

'Anything before this life really doesn't concern me, I only care about this life'

'And here, I don't regret most of my choices ...'

'I think I'm doing well'

'Sure, there were mistakes, but I'm working hard to reach my goals and aiming for a good life where I can make my loved ones happy.'

'I think that's pretty good'

'I'm not eager for power, I just want to have enough power to avoid being taken advantage of, and to be able to attain a comfortable life'

'This is my goal'

'I've seen the struggles in the Slums, and I don't want my family to go through that ...'

'It might sound selfish, but I can't save everyone, so I focus on those who matter most—the ones I care about.'

'Tomorrow, a new chapter in my life begins'

'My apprenticeship'

'I hope it helps me to achieve my goal'

His thoughts kept going back and forth, and in the end, he slept ...

At the dawn of the next morning, Leus got up ...

He took his sword, the book Arno had given to him two years ago, and his pouch, and then, he said goodbye to his family before leaving the house.

For the first time in this life, Leus ventured outside on his own ...

His destination was: The Crimson Library ...