When he received another notification from the Sacred Spring Trade Guild, Kroya was a little surprised. Were these really mages, who usually took ten days or half a month to get anything done?
Honestly, he had thought he would have to wait a while longer.
Yet word had come back this quickly?
It was a message, a very simple one-
"Reef Mage, please come meet with me. The Mage Lord Alliance awaits your membership."
That was all. The voice sounded aged, its tone remarkably steady, without the slightest fluctuation.
After a brief moment of thought, Kroya gladly accepted the invitation and set off.
Getting this settled quickly was a good thing, of course. The sooner he obtained the spells, the sooner he could study them and imprint more powerful magic on his magical beasts and magic plants.
Once he accepted the invitation, deep blue spring water welled up.
Three or four seconds later, the scenery around him changed abruptly, and he arrived in a snow-covered valley filled with all kinds of towering pines and firs.
At a glance, they seemed to stretch on forever.
Before him stood a wooden cabin with a snow-covered roof. It looked utterly ordinary, with nothing special about it.
After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and knocked.
"Come in."
As the voice rang out, the cabin door creaked open. Beyond it lay complete darkness, making it impossible to see anything inside.
How mysterious. He could not help grumbling to himself.
Honestly, it was a little strange, but the stranger it was, the more curious Kroya became. He immediately stepped inside.
For an instant, everything was dark.
Then a faint, fresh scent of pine reached his nose before a soft glow of firelight filled his vision.
He stood on a soft, comfortable carpet. The room's furnishings