Seeing Off His Only Friend

Hill advised Alice, "Then go persuade him. He lived too close to the human world. It was only a matter of time before he was driven away. And Alice, if you have any other friends nearby, tell them to move away as soon as possible."

"Did this have something to do with your trip?"

"A little. Something was about to happen in Salar, the human nation nearby. There might be a war." Hill stood and changed into his mage robes. "A new deity has appeared. A God War might break out. There will be more humans around here."

Alice let out several furious meows.

Hill looked at her. So Nature Spirits could curse too. Humans really did communicate too little with such creatures. The innocence, childishness, and cuteness described in legends were all fantasies humans had made up.

However, Nature Spirits had to switch back to their own language when cursing, which Hill found rather amusing.

After cursing for a while, Alice turned to Hill and said, "Can I invite some friends to stay temporarily in Hill's territory?"

"As long as they do not hurt anyone, they can come anytime. But they must make a promise to nature: they cannot hurt anyone within my territory."

"Will Hill no longer invite humans to live here?"

"I will build a small village at the mouth of the valley. Any newcomers will only be received there. My only family is Magus Falan and Adrian. As for the others in the valley, aside from Bourne, no one can harm your friends."

"Alright. Bourne is good too," Alice said simply. "I'll tell them. For long-lived creatures, God Wars are truly disgusting."

She jumped onto the windowsill and turned back to Hill. "I'll go talk to Merkel. He'll make his choice. If he refuses to sign a contract, then he can give up that mine. Can he move here too?"

"As long as he swears an oath."

"Hill is the best, meow~"

Hill called after her, "Go get some food from Liszt. Tell Merkel that the only good thing about humans is that they have lots of food!"

Alice meowed and ran off.

By the time Hill entered the small sitting room, Falan and Adrian were already seated, waiting to have breakfast with him.

Bourne stood by the door, apparently ready to serve them.

Hill glanced at Bourne, then turned to Falan. "Where are Grandfather's attendants? About how long will they take to arrive?"

Falan spoke slowly. "Most of them dispersed. I entered the capital alone back then. The servants were assigned by the palace; since I had left, they naturally returned to the palace. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Many people from my caravan also left. Besides, once we reached the Wilds, there was nowhere for them to trade. There are still a dozen or so left. I told them to come slowly."

Hill could only force himself to ask, "What about the apprentices?"

Falan raised his eyelids. "What are you trying to ask? Don't you know that all my apprentices signed contracts with the Mage Tower?"

"I am a Sorcerer," Hill said quietly. "Although Bourne learned the basics well from me, I don't know how to teach him to advance into the Mage stage."

"You want him to go with me?"

Hill shot Bourne a sidelong glance, signaling him to keep quiet. "Grandfather, you need people by your side to follow and serve you. Uncle Adrian is already an Archmage. It would not be appropriate to have him handle too many trivial matters. Besides, you need someone to attend to you. At the very least, you need someone to cook, right?"

Adrian cut in, "Do you want their whole family to come with us?"

"I hope Aunt Lina can shed her identity as a servant, but they are still very reserved," Hill said. "But if they follow you as an apprentice's family, they will become ordinary commoners."

Hill sounded deeply regretful. "Where you are, living outside the tower means being free citizens. Here, I cannot bear to let them go out and live in a poor farmhouse on their own, even if it would be better for them. Grandfather's palace attendants did not come with us, so no one will treat them as slaves anymore. I hate to part with them too, but I cannot teach Bourne. Dean and Sunny are growing up as well. I do not want them to live the same inferior life Bourne has lived."

Adrian said, "Neither of them has the aptitude to become Mages."

Hill turned to him. "They learned to read and write from a young age, and they know a little about Mages and Knights. If they live alongside the people from Grandfather's merchant association, they can at least become merchants."

Finally, he said heavily, "I do not want Bourne to stay here, living like a servant despite clearly being an apprentice. His brother and sister should marry and have children like ordinary people, not end up choosing spouses from among servants."

He looked pleadingly at Falan. "Grandfather, please help me. Bourne was trained as a steward and can help you with many things. Lina and Locke can also help you train servants."

Falan narrowed his eyes and considered it. "That could work. I still need some apprentices to handle matters. This Bourne of yours has been trained well; his foundation is solid. But whether he can become an Archmage depends on fate. He can manage the apprentices in the meantime."

Hill was overjoyed. "Thank you, Grandfather!"

Bourne could not control his emotions. He turned and walked out, and Hill hurriedly rose to his feet.

Falan picked up his knife and fork. "Breakfast is half an hour. We leave immediately afterward."

Hill grabbed the sandwich from his plate and ran after him.

As expected, Bourne was waiting outside. He asked Hill emotionally why Hill insisted on sending him away to Falan.

Hill pulled him back into his bedroom and shut the door tightly. "What I said earlier was not the whole truth, but the reasons were more or less the same. Most importantly, it is for your sake, and for Dean and Sunny's. Lina and Locke are already getting old. They truly should not have to keep working so hard as servants!"

Bourne asked, "Then what other reason is there? Those things are not important! And Father and Mother do not think it is hard work either."

Hill said, "Yes, there is another, more important reason. I cannot ruin your future. There are many things I never anticipated. Becoming a Sorcerer changed too much. All my past plans were based on the perspective of a Mage. You have not noticed it yet because the earth, wood, and Water Law elements are very beneficial to ordinary people. At the very least, they can keep people healthy."

But for your path as a Mage, they were an obstacle. I could not use Fire-Element Law spells at all, and the earth, wood, and Water Law Elemental Sprites would continue to grow and be summoned. All of that would drive fire elements out of the territory.

But your entire family has Fire-Element Law aptitude. If you stay with Falan, you might still become an Archmage. If you stay with me, you will not even be able to become a Mage.

And for Dean and Sunny, since they have no Mage aptitude, a Knight's awakening can only rely on their physical qualities. In a place without fire elements, they have no possibility of awakening at all."

Bourne murmured, "But I am your steward! Let them go. Father and Mother can accompany them! I'll stay."

Hill said decisively, "What do you think my grandfather is? A philanthropist? If you were not useful, he would never take in Dean and the others. And Bourne, you should know that I will always put you first."

He wolfed down the sandwich and continued, "Grandfather and Adrian realized long ago that my territory was unsuitable for Mages. That was why they were in such a hurry to build a Mage Tower. I only understood after thinking about it for half the night yesterday.

If I do not place you with them now, once Adrian has straightened everything out, you will no longer be needed. An Alchemy Grandmaster like Grandfather uses Alchemical Golems for daily matters. You have seen it yourself—Liszt basically only needs maids to wash clothes and cook. Grandfather's Tower Spirit will only be stronger.

Bourne, I want you to have a bright future. If I meant for you to serve me for the rest of your life, why would I have taught you so much?"

He stopped Bourne before he could argue. "I will never allow you to waste your future. The position Grandfather is offering you now was exactly what I had planned for you before. But I can no longer take apprentices. If you stay with me, you will only be lost. Bourne, you are already twenty years old. Think more about yourself!"

Bourne lowered his head and refused to speak.

Hill looked at him sadly. Bourne had followed him since childhood, and Hill was his faith. But he could not keep Bourne here any longer.

Hill knew that once Bourne's family left, only loneliness would remain for him. Though they would not be far away, Falan's Mage Tower would not be as relaxed as this place. Bourne would no longer have leisurely days.

Nor could Hill visit him often. Under Falan's watchful eye, the more indifferent Hill acted, the better. Besides, he did not want his frequent visits to affect Adrian.

The reason he had given Falan was ordinary enough to pass muster, but he absolutely could not say that his identity as a Sorcerer would hinder Bourne. Since his nanny's family had served him faithfully and had become of little use after he came of age, a softhearted person would grant them freedom and find them a better path. That was perfectly normal among noble children. But if he freed them because serving him would hinder their future, then servants who affected their master would never meet a good end.

Falan and Adrian were both traditional nobles. Hill had long noticed that Adrian had been watching Lina closely. In the end, Adrian decided Hill was merely softhearted and paid no more attention to it. But Hill's feelings for Lina were not that deep. Lina loved Melanie most, and the love she gave was for Melanie's child. If Hill had merely been an ordinary child, he might not have sensed such complicated feelings. Unfortunately, Hill had already been in his forties in his previous life. He had experienced the sincerest parental love and could tell the difference.

Only Bourne had aspired to follow Hill since childhood and thought of Hill at every moment. He had even hidden things about his own parents for Hill's sake. He was Hill's most important childhood companion. Bourne's devotion was the only wholehearted affection Hill had received in more than ten years in this world.

Adrian always thought Hill had taught Bourne magic because of Lina. But Hill had grown up in modern society, where his likes and dislikes were clear, and he had long been used to giving back as much as he received. If it had only been Lina's family, he would have arranged for them in Salar rather than bringing them all along.