Chapter 37: Kraft's Departure
"Hmm, not bad! You two are learning quite quickly!"
Kurtz praised Norn and Eric when he saw them successfully condensing orbs of light in their hands. The soft glow flickered between their fingers, unsteady but unmistakably real magic.
He had taught them magic for seven days now. They had progressed from complete novices with no knowledge of magic to grasping its fundamentals, their speed was already considered fast.
The light orbs wavered as the two men concentrated, sweat beading on their foreheads from the mental strain.
At least, that's what Serie said after observing them with her usual critical eye.
"This is too difficult, isn't it?"
Eric wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and dispersed the orb of light in his hand. The magic dissolved like morning mist, leaving only the faint tingle of mana in his palm.
During this time, he had watched Kurtz use magic with such ease, and he thought learning magic wouldn't be difficult. Magic seemed to flow from Kurtz's hands as naturally as breathing, but that assumption had proven painfully naive.
Yet, even a basic Light Arrow attack had taken them a week to learn, and they still hadn't mastered it. Eric flexed his fingers, trying to work out the cramping that came from maintaining such precise control.
If this continued, becoming a powerful mage would take an unknown amount of time.
Compared to the impatient Eric, Norn appeared much more composed. After attempting to extend the orb of light once more, watching it stretch into an elongated shape before losing cohesion, he finally dispersed it with a resigned sigh.
Kurtz watched Norn's methodical approach and nodded in agreement. Although Eric's raw talent was slightly stronger, Norn's patience and discipline would serve him better in the long run.
Norn should learn magic earlier than Eric, despite the other man's natural advantages.
"How is the teaching going?" Serie walked over and asked Kurtz, her eyes taking in the scattered traces of magical energy that lingered in the air.
"To be honest, it's a bit difficult."
Kurtz had initially thought teaching others magic wouldn't be hard, but once he actually started, he realized how incredibly challenging it was.
Every concept that felt intuitive to him required careful explanation, step-by-step breakdowns of processes he performed instinctively.
Mainly, he couldn't treat Norn and Eric the way Serie treated him; he needed to explain things meticulously, patiently guiding them through each fundamental principle.
"I suddenly realise now, am I perhaps very talented in magic?"
"Did you just notice?" Serie rolled her eyes at him, though there was the faintest hint of amusement in her expression.
To replicate the Elves' Light Arrow and even improve upon it just by seeing it once. this kind of talent could no longer be described as merely formidable.
It was the sort of natural gift that appeared perhaps once in a millennium.
"Sigh, this is troublesome. By the way, do you have a better teaching method?"
Kurtz released a small magic circle in his hand as he spoke; while teaching these two, he had also been honing his magical abilities. The circle spun slowly, its runes shifting in complex patterns.
"No, this is my first time teaching someone, too."
Serie directly refused. When she taught Kurtz magic, she would demonstrate it once, then Kurtz would observe and try to replicate it. If it didn't work once, they would do it again, repeating the process until Kurtz understood.
She could describe it as incredibly easy, at least with him.
Serie didn't realize how troublesome teaching magic to normal people was until she saw how Kurtz taught others. His exceptional talent had spoiled her for typical students.
"Yo! You two are learning quite diligently!"
Kraft walked over at some point and patted Norn and Eric on the shoulders. Both men straightened slightly under the warrior's familiar presence.
He did not prevent them from learning magic. For a warrior, learning magic could also better enhance their strength. The combination of martial prowess and magical ability created formidable fighters.
He didn't have much interest in it himself; he preferred the physical training of a warrior over the mental strain that comes with learning magic, so he liked to take it slow when learning any spell for himself.
However, since the two had such great potential, they should make the most of it.
This was also an important reason why he did not stop Kurtz from teaching the Elves' magic to them.
"Mr. Kraft, learning magic is tough!" Eric groaned, rubbing his temples.
"I can certainly relate to that." Kraft nodded knowingly. For him, learning magic had always been a bit difficult, like trying to grasp water with his bare hands.
"But this time, I've come to bid you farewell. The war is about to begin."
The casual words hit the group like a physical blow. The atmosphere shifted instantly, the peaceful afternoon taking on a heavier quality.
"War?" Serie asked, her voice sharpening. "What war?"
Kraft's expression grew more serious. "The Three-Race Alliance has already begun to move. Skywing Clan scouts have discovered Demon armies gathering in the north."
The north, where the Elf Forest was located. Kurtz felt his stomach tighten at the implications.
Although the Elf Kingdom and the Elf Forest had separated, the latter was the ancestral land of all Elves, and furthermore, the two sides had only separated due to different choices; no deep-seated hatred existed between them.
Facing the Demon Clan's gathering, which threatened the Elf Forest, the Alliance had also launched its actions.
Kurtz's movements paused, and the magic circle dissipated accordingly. "Is the scale very large?"
"Yes, Comparable to the wars recorded in history," Kraft's voice dropped to something almost reverent. "So, I must return as quickly as possible."
Serie's eyes narrowed slightly, calculation flickering behind her ancient gaze. Norn and Eric exchanged worried glances.
Even though Kraft spoke matter-of-factly, they could both sense that this would be an unprecedented, earth-shattering conflict.
"Mr. Kraft, we…" Norn hesitated, the words catching in his throat.
Part of him wanted to participate in this war, despite knowing the dangers. Although he understood he would be merely an insignificant pawn in such a massive conflict, Norn had his own reasons for considering it.
If they had just stayed in the village, they would never truly solve humanity's current predicament. Before Kurtz appeared, Norn thought that for humans to become stronger, they could only become mighty warriors like the Dwarf Clan.
But Kurtz's appearance had brought another possibility, one that might change everything.
As if reading his thoughts, Kraft placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"You two stay here and continue learning magic. This war is not something ordinary people can participate in."
Norn blinked in surprise and looked at Kurtz. "Aren't you leaving?"
He had assumed Kurtz and his companions would depart with Kraft, which was part of why he'd wanted to volunteer.
Kurtz shook his head, first glancing at Serie. After seeing her subtle nod of confirmation, he spoke.
"We have another destination, and it's even more dangerous than the war Kraft is participating in."
After all, their targets were the Dwarf Kingdom ruins and the Godfall Land, already notorious as forbidden zones where few who entered ever returned.
Norn felt a mixture of relief and disappointment wash over him. Since that was the case, he could wait until he had mastered magic entirely before venturing out into the wider world.
However, Kraft seemed to have other ideas brewing behind his weathered features.
"Kurtz, I have an impolite request."
"What?"
"Could you take the two of them on the adventure with you?" Kraft asked directly.
Kurtz was taken aback. He hadn't seriously considered taking the two of them on such a perilous journey, especially since he was counting on them to pass on the magical knowledge to future generations.
"May I ask why? You should know how dangerous Serie's and my destination is, right?"
To be honest, Kurtz even felt a little guilty about Somo. After hearing about his and Serie's planned destination, Somo had shown no hesitation whatsoever, patting his chest and declaring his intention to come along.
Moreover, after observing the dwarf during their time together, Kurtz had realised that Somo genuinely wanted to adventure with them.
Somo was proving to be a reliable companion, despite the risks ahead.
"The two of them are strong, but not strong enough. If they want to achieve anything significant, they need proper tempering first."
Kraft's words seemed to echo something deeper, a wisdom born from years of combat and hardship.
His statement stirred something profound in Norn's chest, a recognition of truth he'd been avoiding.
"This should not be for you or me to decide; we need to ask for their own opinions first."
Kraft nodded, agreeing with Kurtz's measured approach.
"I have no objections." Norn's answer came quicker than he'd expected, surprising even himself.
He found himself genuinely looking forward to adventuring alongside a fellow human like Kurtz. Perhaps after hearing about his dreams for humanity's future, the other man would offer his support.
"Me too!"
Seeing that Norn, who was usually so cautious and deliberate, had agreed so readily, Eric naturally followed suit without hesitation. If his friend was willing to take such a risk, then he would stand by his side.
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