The thunderous applause from the residents of Telo Village still echoed in the yard of the old house. Keyzier stood rooted to the spot, his chest heaving as he regulated his breathing after performing such a complex magical demonstration.
From the start, he had been too focused on controlling his mana flow. Combining fire and wind elements for the purpose of drying was a high-level technique requiring extraordinary precision. He had to keep the heat stable, hot enough to evaporate the water, but not hot enough to ignite the fabric.
Keyzier wiped the sweat from his temple. He was fully aware of the risk he had just taken. If his focus had slipped for even a second, or if he had visualized the fire's intensity incorrectly, the cotton mattress he was drying would have been reduced to ash in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly.
Seeing the crowd still in awe, Donovan and Novalia immediately took charge of the practical situation. Without saying much, the two of them resumed lifting the heavy furniture. Tables, chairs, wardrobes, and the mattresses now dry and smelling of the sun were carried one by one back into the house, where the floors now sparkled with cleanliness.
The Village Chief, with a wide smile that deepened the wrinkles on his aged face, approached Keyzier. He patted the young man's shoulder with great respect.
"Young man, thank you so much for showing that magic display to everyone! We in this village rarely see magic used so delicately. We feel very entertained, especially the children who may have seen magic firsthand for the very first time."
Keyzier bowed politely, feeling a bit awkward at the praise. "It is nothing, Village Chief. It is I who should apologize. Forgive me for being so lost in my work that I didn't realize so many villagers were watching me clean."
"Ah, it was a delightful disturbance, Young Man! Hahaha." the Chief laughed.
The crowd of villagers slowly began to disperse to return to their farming activities. However, not everyone left. Shortly after, peeking out from behind a mother's back, a small girl with two braided pigtails appeared. She walked shyly toward Keyzier, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously.
"Excuse me, Big Brother..." she called out softly. "Can I... can I ask you to teach me magic like that?"
The child's eyes sparkled with hope. Keyzier smiled gently, crouching down so his height was level with hers. "You want to learn magic?"
"Yes!" she answered firmly.
"Alright. Come back here tomorrow morning. We'll see what element suits you, and if you have the aptitude to control it."
The girl jumped for joy, her face flushed with happiness because Keyzier was willing to teach her. However, the Village Chief, who was still standing there, looked a little worried.
"Oh my, don't do that, Young Man. If you say yes to one child, the others will follow suit and ask to be taught magic too! You came here to rest, not to open a school." the Chief warned with good intentions.
Keyzier shook his head gently while smiling. "It's no problem, Village Chief. I don't mind. Besides, sharing a little knowledge won't drain my energy."
Hearing that, the Village Chief could only shake his head while smiling understandingly, then left Keyzier and his companions to rest.
The next morning, the atmosphere in Telo Village felt very peaceful. Morning sunlight broke through the gaps in the leaves, warming the terrace of the house which was now clean and habitable.
Keyzier, having finished a breakfast of bread and fresh milk given by the villagers, was sitting casually on the terrace, enjoying the fresh air that was far different from the air in Antrows City.
The peace was broken by the sound of small footsteps running closer. Shortly after, the girl who had approached Keyzier yesterday arrived with an expression overflowing with happiness. She was wearing her best clothes, simple but neat, ready to learn.
"Good morning, Big Brother! Are we really going to learn magic today?" she asked enthusiastically, her breath slightly ragged from running.
Keyzier put down his wooden cup and smiled, welcoming the morning spirit. "Good morning! Yes, of course we are. But before that, what is your name? You didn't get a chance to tell me yesterday."
"My name is Elisa! What is your name, Big Brother?"
"My name is Keyzier. Nice to meet you, Elisa!"
"Nice to meet you too, Big Brother Keyzier!" Elisa exclaimed while bowing cute in imitation of an adult's style.
Keyzier then invited Elisa to sit cross-legged on the wooden floor of the terrace. "Now, Elisa. Magic isn't just about chanting spells or shooting fire. The very first and most important step is to recognize the energy inside yourself. We call it mana."
The two of them began basic training. Keyzier explained it in language easy for a nine-year-old to understand.
"Close your eyes, Elisa. Take a deep breath... and exhale. Imagine there is a warm river flowing inside your chest, spreading to your hands and feet."
Keyzier channeled a tiny bit of his own mana, touching his finger to the back of Elisa's hand to trigger a resonance, and asked the girl to feel the existence of mana within her own body.
At first, Elisa struggled. she just frowned, trying to concentrate but feeling nothing but the morning breeze. However, Keyzier guided her patiently, not rushing her. After the tenth attempt, Elisa's eyes suddenly flew open.
"Ah! It feels warm! Like something tickling my stomach!" she cried out.
Keyzier smiled with satisfaction. "Good! That's it. You've managed to find it."
Keyzier praised Elisa's success in passing the most crucial initial stage of recognizing magic. Many people gave up at this stage due to a lack of sensitivity, but Elisa had natural talent. Keyzier proved to be very patient and skilled in teaching the nine-year-old, showing a gentle side rarely seen when he was fighting monsters.
"Now that you can feel mana, we will find out the 'color' of your mana. Every mage has an affinity with certain elements." Keyzier explained.
Keyzier then conjured a small ball of fire hovering over his palm. "See this? This is fire. Try to flow that warm feeling to your hand, and imagine fire appearing there."
Elisa nodded firmly. She closed her eyes, her face scrunched in seriousness. She extended her hand, trying with all her might. Elisa tried again and again. However, there were no sparks, no smoke. She couldn't produce fire magic from her hand.
"It's okay, don't be disappointed. That means you aren't a fire user. Let's try another one." Keyzier comforted her.
They continued the test. Keyzier asked her to imagine hard earth, bright light, deep darkness, and flashes of lightning. Just like before, none of those elements reacted. Elisa began to look sad, her shoulders slumped. She was afraid that she might not be able to use magic at all.
"Don't give up. There are still two left." Keyzier said encouragingly. "Try imagining wind. Imagine yourself as light as cotton being blown by the air."
Elisa took a breath, trying to imagine the gentle breeze she often felt in her father's wheat fields. Suddenly, her braided hair moved on its own. A small whirlwind the size of a marble swirled in her palm.
"Whoa!" Elisa yelped, surprised and delighted at the same time.
"Great! Now try water. Imagine a cold, clear river."
Elisa concentrated again. This time, small droplets of water condensed at her fingertips, gathering into a small, unstable but real ball of water.
"Elisa, look!" Keyzier said proudly. "This means the magic that suits you involves the wind and water elements! That is a very good combination for defense and utility."
Elisa was overjoyed to learn she had a talent for magic. Her eyes watered with happiness. Her dream of becoming like the mages in fairy tales was not impossible after all. Moreover, Keyzier was willing to teach her magic without any payment, something that was an unimaginable luxury for ordinary villagers.
Without them realizing it, the teaching session attracted attention again. Other children playing on the village road accidentally saw Keyzier teaching Elisa magic in front of his house. Seeing Elisa successfully produce wind and water, their curiosity and envy exploded.
"Big Brother! I want to try too!"
"Mister Mage! Teach me too!"
Naturally, the five children immediately ran up to them, swarming Keyzier and noisily asking if he would be willing to teach them as well.
With pleasure, Keyzier accepted them all and arranged for the children to sit in a row on the terrace.
Meanwhile, from inside the house, Donovan and Novalia peeked out from behind the window. They could only smile seeing Keyzier, who was usually cold and calculative during missions, now looking very busy and fatherly while teaching the six children.
"He fits being a teacher." Donovan chuckled.
Keyzier performed a mana test on the five new children. However, reality wasn't always sweet. Of the six children, including Elisa, there was one chubby boy who turned out to be unable to use magic at all. He didn't have a sufficient mana vessel to manifest elements. The boy looked very disappointed and was on the verge of tears as his friends began showing off their magical sparks.
Seeing this, Keyzier didn't let him stay sad. He turned toward the window and called his partner. "Novan! Come out for a second!"
Donovan came out with a confused look. "What's up?"
"This kid has no talent for magic, but look at his muscles and skeletal frame. He's strong. Teach him basic swordsmanship," Keyzier requested.
Donovan grinned broadly, patting his broad chest. "Leave it to me!"
Donovan looked at the boy's face. "Hey, Champ, instead of playing with fire, isn't it better to learn to be a knight who protects the mage? Come with Big Brother!"
The boy cheered up immediately and followed Donovan to the wider yard.
Meanwhile, Keyzier found one more child, a quiet girl who had a unique type of mana. Her mana wasn't sharp like fire or lightning elements, but soft and warm.
"Nova!" Keyzier called out.
Novalia came out gracefully. "Yes, Key?"
"This child... her mana is very gentle. I think she is suited for support magic."
Novalia smiled sweetly, approaching the little girl. "Hello, sweetie. Want to learn how to heal wounds and make your friends stronger?"
The girl nodded shyly but agreed to be taught by her.
That morning, Party Noiver's job had transformed into being teachers for the children of Telo Village.