Another night and morning pass for Viran as he stands underneath the shade of a tree almost twenty feet tall. Far away he can see Gregory being taught by his previous swordsman instructor, Viran scoffs at the happy face that the instructor was showing.

‘He never looked that happy to be teaching me…’ Viran could only stifle his thoughts as he began to walk away from the training field that Gregory had already occupied. His time for learning was the opposite of Gregory’s, and Viran would hate to get in the way.

As Viran begins to walk away, he spots an old man sitting alone in the distance also watching the exchange. The old man had a tanned skin and had a body so destitute Viran felt he may collapse at any moment. It was surprising for Viran to suddenly see the man cheer from the sidelines as though he was watching a competition.

"That's weird… I don't recall seeing anyone like that? He seems too enthusiastic…" Viran cocked his head before continuing walking back to his residence.

"Hey Gregory, nice job on your first day." Viran greets the sweaty Gregory while chuckling a bit.

"Heh, that was nothing. Well I suppose it's time for your classes now, see you tomorrow." Gregory glances up at the sky and sees that the sun noticeably descends further.

Viran and Gregory then pass each other as they both go their separate ways. Viran had already finished his lessons on Noble etiquette and his regular studies like math and history. Now it was time for Viran to go greet his new magic instructor who will be replacing Spion.

As Viran's feet eventually stop a foot away from the door he lightly knocks, only walking in after hearing an affirmation. The residence was much smaller compared to Viran's and his Father and seemed to only have three separate rooms, with the doors replaced by curtains and sheets.

As Viran glances around he sees a large pile of books, paper, and ink jars all sitting in the corner next to a small bed. The rest of the house wasn't much better as everything looked to be chaotic.

The only things that were orderly was a large table and chairs in the center of it all. Sitting in a chair was a very tall, but thin, old man with wrinkles developing around his eyes and calluses on his hands. The old man looked to be in his 60's and had a gentle air that could calm anyone, even more so a child.

"Hrm. So you're the rumored Viran." The old man's voice could only be described as ancient and deep.

"Ah, I'm sorry sir but what do you mean by rumored…?" Viran slowly closes the door behind him as he continues to walk in unheeded.

"Hrm. Forget I said anything." The old man waves it off easily. "Let me introduce myself, I am Sir Leonard Whitestag and I will be your tutor from here on out."

"Ah thank you Sir Leonard. I hope you will help me get more familiar with magic." Viran says this with a respectful tone as he then sits down in front of Leonard.

"Hrm. Yes, yes whatever. Since you're a new pupil, I want you to tell me as much about the basics of magic as you can." Sir Leonard flicks his finger towards Viran prompting him to start.

"Ah yes. Kuhum." Viran clears his throat before starting. "Magic is the act of bending Mana to make change in the outside world. Whether it be spells, curses, runes, or something else entirely. Everything in this world is imbued with Mana to some extent, though some more than others. Living beings for example often have more Mana than some rock lying on the road, though there are exceptions to this."

"What kind of exceptions are there, hrm?" Sir Leonard asks with a seemingly bored expression.

"There are some gems and minerals in the Dragonspine Mountains in the West that are imbued with Mana. These gems can be made into tools or runes while the minerals can be made into swords stronger than regular steel." Viran explains.

"Hrm. That's good you know that." Sir Leonard nods his head in acceptance. "Hrm, but why can some beings use magic while others can't?"

"Humans are born with a "Magic Circuit" that allows humans to circulate Mana through their body and then use that Mana to affect the world. When a child reaches five years old, whether or not their Magic Circuit is developed enough will tell if they'll be able to use magic."

"Hrm… Are there differences in people's magic circuits?" Sir Leonard yawns as he leans on one fist.

"Yes. Most people are born with no innate gift while there are some born with an innate gift. An innate gift will allow a person to use magic more effectively and efficiently depending on the gift." Viran slowly begins to continue talking. "There are also two different types of magic users. Augmenters and Mages. Augmenters have a more solid type of Mana which makes it harder for them to use magic outside of their body. Mages on the other hand have a more liquid type of Mana which allows them to easily use magic outside of their body, yet it is hard for them to reinforce their body with magic."

"Hrm. Then can you explain your own abilities completely, Viran?" Sir Leonard nods while asking.

"Well yes I can. I am an augmenter with no innate gift to speak of." Viran takes out a flask of water and drinks

As Viran sighs in relief to the water he looks in front of him and realizes that Sir Leonard’s face is pressed down on the table, dead cold.

"Eh? S-sir Leonard?" Viran reaches over the table to lightly nudge his body, but the body remains stiff nonetheless.

'Oh my Gods! Did… He just die?' Viran's heartbeat begins to run laps as Viran is momentarily stunned.

"Hrmm…. Hrmm…. Hrmm…" Light grunts can be heard from Sir Leonard as his chest begins to heave up and down.

"Oh… He's asleep. He's still doing that weird grunt too…" Viran slowly lifts himself up from his seat and begins to stare coldly at his teacher.

Viran walks towards the massive like of books and picks one up at random. Feeling the cover, a smile blooms on his face.

"I remember this book. Maybe I should pick it up from my library…" Viran mutters to himself.

The book had a deep grey leather exterior and was rough to the touch. The pages inside were crisp to the touch and had a faint yellow color emanating from the pages themselves. The lettering of the words were formal and proper and little to no mistakes could be seen throughout the entirety of the page.

Though magic tools had a high rarity and cost much on the market, there were many magic tools that were easily accessible to the public. One of these magic tools made the creation and copying of books easier, making the spread of books easier.

The magic tools that cost much more than simple ones like a heater were ones that could save lives or be used in a battle. The techniques and information regarding how to create a multitude of magic tools were simply lost to the test of time and could only be gathered in the ancient ruins beyond the Human Realm.

Magic tools that could detect poisons, heal wounds, or allow its user to be more agile were only a few examples of magic tools that Nobles and merchants alike would buy at any cost.

As Viran rubs the spine of the book he hears a sigh from the side of the room. Sitting upright now was his teacher that had easily fallen asleep this early in the lesson.

"Hrmm. You've read it before?" The old mage sways up from his seat and stares at the book in Virans hands.

"Y-yeah I read it a long time ago. I have a copy of it in the library that's in my residence." Viran warmly reminscines.

"Hrmm. Well it's good that you read. I've taught too many good for nothing Nobles that didn't realize the importance of literature. That book you're reading there is a good find and I can tell that you have good taste there as it is simply a classic. You may not know this but it was actually made from before the Great Beasttide and not enough people know about it." The aged voice stammers on as Viran continues to stare at the old man grinning and nodding to himself.

'I don't understand what happened. Wasn't he just asleep?' Viran could only make enthused comments so as to not seem disrespectful.

"Hrmm. Hrmm. That’s good you understand something so simple!” The old man's hand shoots up as his firm conviction solidifies.

"Can you shut the fuck up Leonard! Yer givin' me an aneurysm-". A voice raspy and sour sounds off from outside as the door suddenly breaks off of its hinges and lands directly on the table Sir Leonard and Viran had been sitting at moments earlier.

The once excited face of Sir Leonard sours up as a scowl surfaces over him. As Viran follows Sir Leonard's line of sight, the tanned skin of a decrepit figure is in his sights.

'Eh? That's the guy from earlier…' Viran's eyes have a flash of surprise due to the entrance of a new figure.

Viran had been given a shock due to the outburst of the old man. With a bald head, tanned skin, and small figure; this was exactly who Viran had seen just a while ago. The old seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face as he continued to yell at Sir Leonard.

"You see that's your problem! You yell way too much and you don't even realize it! Furthermore, and I know this, but yer gonna get all pissy at me for having a problem huh!" The old man continued.

Unperturbed by Viran's cold gaze both old men quickly begin to yell at each other at the top of their lungs.

"Um… Who is he?" Viran quietly asks.

Still receiving no answer Viran develops a scowl himself as he stares at the both of them still yelling at each other with a cold gaze.

"Can you answer me…" At this point the timid going boy was seeing a truly heated argument for the first time in his life.

Grasping at the seams of the vest Viran becomes uncomfortable. Viran has had little interpersonal connections with people, so seeing two people he had only just met yelling at each other proved to be frightening to Viran immensely.

"Hrmm. Can you stop Renault! You're yelling at me for something so stupid in front of the Lord's son! Do you know that you goddamn idiot?" In the middle of the argument Sir Leonard suddenly points at Viran who is wearing a nervous expression.

Hearing this the expression on the tanned man pauses in shock.

"He's… Oh." Renault's expression was sour. "Hehe. Well enjoy your lesson Lord Viran. I'll see you for your lesson once you're done."

As Renault backs up through the gaping hole in the wall both Viran and Sir Leonard release a collective sigh.

"He's going to teach me swordsmanship?" Viran asks with a pitiful expression.

"Hrmm. Yep." Leonardo cannot give Viran any words of comfort as he goes back to the table that is now littered with pieces of wood. “Now, let’s get back to business.”