Ian easily passed Eledis's test.
"Come, Ian? What's this?"
"Om. The Cycle's 'Om'."
"Correct! You've learned well!"
Eledis clapped excitedly, moved that her efforts hadn't been wasted.
Seizing the momentum, she added a few more quizzes.
"Karl. The Sky's 'Karl'."
"Ham. The Earth's 'Ham'."
"Uno. The World's 'Uno'."
Clap clap clap!
"Excellent! Our Ian is so clever!"
Eledis jumped for joy, ruthlessly ruffling Ian's hair.
Five consecutive hours of teaching had left her exhilarated, and now her apprentice's flawless performance was the perfect finale.
(That Chronomancer's recommendation—turns out he really is promising!)
(Wow, I'm hooked!)
Eledis was now utterly immersed in the so-called "apprentice addiction."
"See? It's not as hard as you thought, right? Nothing to fear!"
"Mm... yes..."
But Ian's response was lukewarm—he was fully focused on the status bar:
[Maronius Language—1% (In Progress)]
When Eledis questioned him, the status bar emerged, displaying everything she had taught, allowing him to ace the test effortlessly.
"Just as I thought."
Since gaining the ability to see the status bar, he had held a firm belief: he possessed a golden finger, and one day it would awaken!
This conviction, tempered through winter nights, now bloomed like a flower.
A medieval cheat player!
I, Ian, have arrived!
"Hehe..."
Lost in his daze, he suddenly giggled like he'd taken a happy pill.
Eledis was slightly worried about her emotionally volatile apprentice.
But she quickly changed her mind: He aced his first test—it's normal to be happy!
"I'm starving! Ian! Master will cook something delicious tonight!"
"Wow! Delicious!"
Master and apprentice, each joyful for their own reasons, shared a warm evening.
That night, they enjoyed a delightful dinner together.
With his cheat ability awakened, Ian feared nothing. Though mastering 100 characters daily was easy, invoking the status bar was exceptionally draining.
It seemed to draw power from his memory, each summon consuming immense concentration.
Overuse could even leave him exhausted.
So, even with the status bar, Ian wasn't entirely invincible—on off days, he still made minor mistakes.
But Eledis didn't mind at all.
Ian's scores always fluctuated between 90 and 80 points—identical to Eledis's own results when she first learned magic.
'How mysterious.'
Watching Ian sweat through his studies, Eledis felt an inexplicable emotion.
Seeing Ian was like seeing her younger self.
An apprentice resembling their master wasn't rare, but matching childhood scores? That was weird.
If Ian knew her thoughts, he'd be shocked:
Even with cheats, I can only tie with a bare-handed Eledis?
Ian wasn't a fool—he had attended a decent university with a solid major.
But Eledis belonged to a higher tier of "clever."
"How adorable."
Despite her brilliant mind, Eledis's emotional patterns were girlish—she overflowed with maternal affection at the sight of a well-behaved child.
Ian was a flawless apprentice: attentive, diligent, never complaining, and fond of his teacher.
"You've mastered the basics, right? Now we begin the real course."
"Oh my, Ian, you're keeping up?"
"Come, come! Today is adjective marathon! Let's memorize 100 essential adjectives!"
Year one, two, three, four.
Ian studied three textbooks annually.
By year three, it became five books yearly; from year five onward, six books per year.
Ian Eledis Raven was now sixteen.
His pace was now one book every two months.
His workload matched or even surpassed that of a medical student.
From the moment he opened his eyes until he slept at night, Eledis stuck to his side, teaching nonstop—as if it were the most natural thing.
"Master..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm dying..."
Eledis gave him one day off every five, but it was never enough.
"Almost done! Just hang in there a bit longer."
"Really?"
"Yes! Just two more books, and you'll master Maronius language!"
"..."
True. Over the past six years, Ian had learned only one language: Maronius.
[Maronius Language—100% (Perfect)]
[You can now perfectly use the universal arcane language of grand mages]
Ian had forced down this nauseating workload.
Without the status bar cheat, he would have fled long ago.
Really... the mages of this world... are all mad...
If even a cheat user struggled this much, how much effort would an ordinary person need to "initiate" into magic?
Only geniuses or madmen deserved to become mages.
And the truly chilling part—Ian hadn't even touched "magic" yet.
In gaming terms, he had just finished the tutorial.
The Maronius language course wrapped up hastily as Ian turned sixteen and then seventeen.
From the day it ended, Eledis stopped using human language—she now spoke only Maronius with Ian.
"Tezabel, Rus?"
"Gogo. Hina."
Maronius language was the universal arcane tongue created by the grand mage Maronius.
Mastering this single language granted entry to any magic school.
Different schools used different arcane languages—for example, fire magic required the "Language of Fire," which was useless for water magic.
So, to learn multiple schools, one had to master various arcane languages—a lifelong commitment of absurd proportions.
But after Maronius appeared, the magical world underwent a revolution.
Originally disparate schools, under his influence, unified their language. He compiled all languages into books and created his own system—Maronius language.
Of course, deeper studies still required specialized languages, but unifying the basics alone proved Maronius was a mad genius.
"Outstanding."
Ian's command of Maronius was flawless.
Now, he was less likely to err in the presence of magical entities.
"Ian."
"Yes, Master."
"My teaching ends here."
Eledis smiled and closed the book—this was their final lesson.
A mage is one who comprehends independently.
Someone may give a push at initiation, but beyond that, one must walk their own path.
It was cruel, but Eledis wanted to nurture Ian into a true mage—not one who copied others, but one who explored his own magic and mysteries.
"Your own magic, you must find yourself."
"Master..."
"You've worked hard, Ian. From now on, you are a mage."
"Walk your own path."
"You are now an Seeker—take pride in that."
Seeker.
It was an honorific mages used for one another.
Ian finally realized: today was their private graduation ceremony.
"I'll help you initiate into the foundational school, but the rest is up to you."
Ian had perfectly mastered the grand mage's arcane language, but a true mage was one who could wield magic with it.
From now on, Eledis's role would end—she would only assist his initiation.
"Let's go."
Six years, or more precisely, seven years in this old house—it was time to say goodbye.
Ian felt a faint melancholy as he gazed at the old home, quietly imprinting it in his memory.
Every ending brings a new beginning.
Memories would be overwritten by new ones—such was life.
His (born wanderer) master had already stepped forward without nostalgia.
Ian hurried to follow.
"Master, which magic school should I learn?"
They conversed as they walked.
Magic branches were incredibly diverse—dozens just by reputation.
"First, we'll learn..."
"Begin with Aeromancy." Eledis had long planned the curriculum—Aeromancy (air manipulation) and Geomancy (earth control) were chosen for their simplicity.
"After Aeromancy and Geomancy, next Cryomancy, Hydromancy, Pyromancy..." Difficulty would escalate.
A magic novice in both past and present lives, Ian fully accepted his master's judgment.
As they climbed the Golden Mountains—Ian's first ascent in six years—he felt both strain and excitement.
The sea of clouds at the summit stole his breath:
(I wish I could take a photo)
While the boy marveled, Eledis completed her magical preparation.
[Ascend!]
The arcane chant echoed through the skies. The ground trembled as the rock slab beneath Ian shot toward the heavens!
"Ahhh—"
Standing on the rising disk, Ian felt dizzy. Peering down, his master was already ant-sized.
(So this is the world from above... breathtaking)
But weightlessness soon struck—
He began to fall!
[Look!]
[A human!]
[Flying!]
[Like us?]
As he plummeted, familiar language whispered in his ears—Maronius, now as natural as his mother tongue, was emanating from the whirlwinds surrounding him!
The status bar simultaneously appeared:
[New Skill Acquired!]
[Aeromancy: Magic to manipulate airflow]