Shane's Life as a Mage

Shane Dawnblade was a member of the Dawnblade clan, though a rather peripheral one. When he came of age, the clan had sent him to tend a nursery near Sun Sail Harbor, far from Silvermoon City.

The neighbors usually called him Arcane Blaze because residual arcane energy would steam off his head whenever he cast spells, making it look as though his hair were on fire. Though the nickname carried a teasing undertone, Shane had gladly accepted it, since the locals meant no harm.

Ever since coming to this world, the fall of Silvermoon City and the Lich King had become his greatest concerns. Every year, Shane asked around for news of Lordaeron, but that prince had not even been born yet! What about the prince's father? Hmm—could someone tell him what the prince's father was called? Menethil I, or Menethil II? Shane knew absolutely nothing about that old man's situation. His only real impression was of the old man popping up in a cutscene when the prince got killed.

Well, regardless of how much time remained on the timeline, Shane had decided that once the prince was born, he would move to Kul Tiras. Then he would go with Jaina to Kalimdor, and make further plans after surviving the great catastrophe.

After all, he had only been an ordinary mortal in his previous life, and in this one, he was merely an ordinary elf who knew a few spells. Azeroth was also a dangerous world, and Shane was gradually being assimilated by its rules. In the end, he would become a genuine high elf. Of that, he was certain.

Thus, Shane found a justification for his lifestyle. During the day, he basked in the sun and read spellbooks. At night, he continued researching magic before going to sleep. As for the nursery, the captured murloc slaves weeded during the day, while the captured kobold slaves patrolled at night. The day's work was all taken care of.

Once his spellcasting level improved, Shane planned to take a position at Sun Sail Harbor's library, then strive to study further in Dalaran. After that, he would find a female elf he liked, have several children, and move the whole family to Kul Tiras before the great catastrophe began.

He had also brought along a creation called the Eye of Truth when he transmigrated. It had originated in a universe called Faerûn, and for various reasons, it had been exiled from that universe. Then, propelled by inertia, it had passed through countless universes. At the Earth plane, it had somehow carried Shane's soul along with it, eventually arriving at Azeroth, a tiny plane within the boundless darkness.

The arcane energy leaking from his head was a seepage phenomenon caused by the Eye of Truth.

But aside from the moment he had first transmigrated, when the Eye of Truth had still been active, it had fallen silent afterward, as if it had never existed. With time, Shane had stopped caring much about it and simply went about his quiet little life.

But now, his life was like a lake disturbed by a tossed stone: a thief had broken into his nursery. Just as Shane was about to sleep, the alarm ward was triggered.

Were the kobolds slacking off again, or had a lynx come down from the mountain? Shane draped his mage robe over himself and gripped his wand. If it was the former, he would test his new spell on the kobolds—Melf's Acid Arrow.

When he stepped outside, he heard loud chewing. It did not sound like a large animal. What could it be? He silently cast Silence and Night Vision, then carefully approached.

He quickly found the target in the golden ginseng field. This uninvited guest had long ears, golden hair, and a longbow on her back.

Which elf family's been stealing food? Hmm, not one of the nearby neighbors. That makes things easy. Knock her out and hand her over to the sheriff.

Magic missiles leaped from the tip of his wand. The glowing white projectiles struck the uninvited guest with precision, five times in total.

"Ah!" Rather than fainting, the uninvited guest let out a crisp cry.

"A woman!?" Shane got a clear look at her face. If one ignored the dirt around her mouth, she would have been a top beauty even among elves.

"Miss, you need to explain yourself."

"Well, you see! Hahaha! I'm terribly sorry. I got lost while hunting in the mountains and didn't come down until nightfall. I'm very hungry now, and I heard there was a Dawnblade nursery nearby, so I came over to find something to eat."

A woman, a Dawnblade nursery, and those elven ears—Shane caught onto something important.

"Then what is your name?"

"My name is Vereesa. Vereesa Windrunner."

So she really was from that family. After so many years, Shane knew a little about the higher-ups' history: the feud between the Windrunners and the Dawnblades. They were not mortal enemies, but whenever either side had the chance, they would cause trouble for the other. It was simply a clash of pride.

And it was this young lady, no less. What a coincidence.

"If you don't mind, please come inside. There's some apple pie left from dinner. It should fill your stomach."

"Okay. Huh~~~ How could you possibly be so generous? I heard Dawnblade people are all cheapskates and troublemakers. How could you be so reasonable?"

The corner of Shane's eye twitched. He had heard those rumors as well, while the clan described the Windrunners as frivolous, impulsive troublemakers.

"I think it would be best not to argue about our opinions of one another. After all, if the Dawnblades are troublemakers, that means the Windrunners have to be the trouble."

Vereesa obediently shut her mouth.

Once inside, Shane casually lit a magic lamp, took food from the cupboard, and shared it with this lost kitten. According to her, she had encountered a pack of lynxes while practicing archery in the mountains. During the fight, she had strayed too far from the path and gotten lost. She only found her way down at night, and because she was hungry, she had stolen food from the nursery. She had absolutely not deliberately chosen a Dawnblade nursery. Absolutely not.

If he pursued whether she had done it deliberately, it would never end. Shane accepted Vereesa's explanation.

"Oh, right. I saw that your hair seemed to be on fire just now. What was that about?" The little food thief spoke as she ate, curiosity written all over her face.

"My mana control is uneven, so excess mana leaks out," Shane said, half truthfully.

"What a delightful story."

This girl truly was a Windrunner. Shane grumbled inwardly.

After filling her stomach, Vereesa thanked him and vanished into the night.

Shane felt that his life might have been set ablaze. He just did not know whether they would have another chance to meet.

"If the Eye of Truth were active, how would things be different now?" Watching her receding figure, Shane could not help thinking of the device that had brought him to this world.

He had thought their encounter was merely accidental, but the next morning, just as Shane lay back in his recliner to begin his studies, he saw two long white legs swaying above his head.

"You're finally awake." The visitor was none other than Vereesa. "I thought you wouldn't get up until noon~ Catch."

Several apples came flying toward Shane's head, but all stopped in midair a meter above him. Shane used Mage Hand to hold the apples, then moved them beside his chair.

"If you keep lying on my roof, I won't mind casting an updraft." Shane retaliated.