4.3

“Goodnight brother John,” Meli squeaked underneath her blanket.

“Yeah, try not to stay up too late, Meli. You too, Mera,” John looked to the Mera who had a book in her hands, her fingers still running through the cream pages of a storybook.

“I will. You should rest early too, John. Today must have been tiring for you.”

He gave her a nod and closed the door to their room.

John went towards the living room where Miros and Itzella called for him, claiming that there was someone who requested for his presence.

The moment the modest living room came to view, a man, who was on the leaner side of the spectrum, jumped from a chair flashed a goofy smile as he extended his two arms at John.

“Ah, the person who I came for!”

“Who is this?” ignoring the overly excited and well dressed man, John turned towards the couple who sat across the table.

“John, meet Kaldor, the representative of Moxnet Academy. He is here to enroll you to the empire’s most Prestigious academy that there ever was.”

“Huh? What academy? No one in their right mind would come this late in the night. Miros, are you sure he is even—”

“It is a pleasure too meet you, John Sarvod! Your adoptive father may have mentioned, but my name is Kaldor. On behalf of Dezarith Empire and the Emperor, I would like to extend an invitation for you to cultivate your superior healing magic in Moxnet Academy, the place where experts gather and graduate from,” the man who called himself Kaldor clasped on to his hand and shook it excitedly, shaking it with vigor that rivaled an active volcano.

“!!!” John’s eyes widen as the abrupt action caused his arms to oscillate like noodles, he leaned back cautiously, albeit disgusted by the stranger’s behavior. “Why does he know my name? And healing magic? Miros…”

He looked towards Miros who plastered his arms on the table, while desperately wriggle his hand from Kaldor’s sticky palms.

“He is the real deal, that’s for sure. It seems that he oversaw that incident of you and Meli earlier. He had been asking around for you around the village, even visited some neighbors of ours, that’s how he got to know your name. But as to why he visited this late… I’ll let him explain,” Miros said, taking a sip of the tea in front of him.

Kaldor finally freed John’s hand, adjusted himself and explained.

“It is a priority of the academy to recruit anyone and everyone who possessed talent to our magic school immediately. On behalf of the academy, I wish to extend my invitation to you, John Sarvod, as soon as possible so you would have the opportunity to experience the academy prior to its teaching, which before it officially starts teaching in spring. Hence, you would be able to…”

“No thanks.”

“Wha...what? I...what?” Kaldor was stunned for a moment by John’s refusal. “You don’t want to?”

“First of all, I don’t have that kind of money. Second of all, it’s late in the night! Who in their right minds would think to drop something this crazy on a person? Are you that desperate to milk money from me!?”

“If i-it’s the financial aspect, t-then you have no need to w-worry. E-everything is funded by the empire, we cover for things like these. You will even get a stipend,” Kaldor, who had never seen someone reject a lifetime opportunity, staggered. “And we finally had another hero register to our academy too…”

“John, I don’t think you are being fair to our guest here,” Itzella chimed in. “I understand how taken aback you must feel about Kaldor’s offer. But attending to the academy is equivalent to having a noble title bestowed on you. At the very least, hear him out, would you?”

“…Fine. I’ll hear him out,” John took a seat and folded his arms, his eyes squinted at Kaldor.

“T-thank you! You won’t regret it!” he bowed deeply. “I will answer and tell you everything about Moxnet Academy to the best of my ability.”

“Hmm, then tell me, what will I be doing at this academy of yours?”

“U-unlike noble schools, students in Moxnet academy have a much more different style of teaching,” Kaldor gulped, mindful at the words that left his mouth. “For someone as gifted in healing magic such as you John, you would be presented with the opportunity to use your magic in various of situations.”

“So a magic school?” John’s face lit up, all the animosity he had for Kaldor disappeared that instant. “You mean, I’ll be able to learn new magic there?”###

Having access to places like that would allow him to understand what happened to him that fateful day. He could disprove the fact that he was a demon. There was a slight chance that he could still…

“You can say that is how it can be regarded,” Kaldor loosened his stiff shoulders at John’s glee. “Though, magic is not the only thing that is specialized there. There are also combat classes, beast taming, blacksmith specialization and all kinds of experts at one’s disposal. In general, it teaches those who have proficiency in manipulating and using mana to better themselves.

“Interesting… Tell me more.”

With his growing interest, he continued to listen to what Kaldor had to say.

The conversation they had lasted hours with John asking questions and Kaldor answering them. The parting words that Kaldor gave to John were “I’ll be waiting for you!” before he happily embarked on his journey back to Purefold escorted by Miros to the exit, fully expecting a visit from him the next day.

John hung his face upwards, still in the same place that he sat while he talked to Kaldor, unsure what to do with his direction in life, he stared emptily at the white ceiling above him.

A magic school huh?

Magic outside of A’vetheas was contrary to what John knew, not everyone could manipulate mana from the moment they were born, unlike the elves, when one refers themselves to inept at magic, it was in the literal sense, such an individual for the life of them could never come close to drawing out their mana and form them into magic spells.

That was the reason that he got selected to enroll in Moxnet Academy, Let alone his ability to use magic at such a young age, the control that he possessed on his healing magic was a rare occurrence among humans, surpassing most, if not all of Kaldor’s expectations.

Moxnet Academy’s offer to him was extremely tempting.

Everything was provided throughout and after his education, so long he promised to work for the empire once he graduated. The fact that he would be bound to the empire was not a demerit as much it benefited him, John would be given a place to belong alongside with goals in life.

That’s what he thought for the most part.

What enticed him most about the offer was that he would be able to learn more about demons, something to which he avoided like the plague back when he was in A’vetheas. Kaldor assured him that topics such as monsters, angels, gods, and demons, whatever knowledge he wanted would be granted to him as long he was willing to learn.

But there was a slight problem.

He had to leave the Harvest household in four days for what was known as an ‘orientation period’.

Kaldor went the extra mile to extend this offer was so that he wouldn’t miss it.

The orientation period could be classified as the break in period before the teaching were supposed to get intense, this was the time where people first made acquaintances and lifelong friends that followed through until their graduation upon 5 years of being enrolled.

Such a system was in place to aid many of the students who were from commoner backgrounds to get to their feet so that they would not fall behind when the actual teaching starts.

According to Kaldor, John could enroll himself after the orientation period if he wished to, but people who did that in the past often got ostracized and end up dropping out due to the pressure.

Or he could wait another four years to enroll himself into the academy, which was also welcomed.

“Sigh…but this is so sudden… I don’t feel like going just yet.”

Four days, starting from the sunrise in the next morning, he would have only four days to get ready to leave for Moxnet Academy. John had just gotten his first trip to the civilization outside of A’vetheas today, and in four days he would have to depart from this peaceful life that he grew accustomed.

And I just spoke about not leaving anytime soon to Mera today. Oh the irony.

“Here you go.”

Itzella set a cup of warm water she got from the kitchen in front of him, hints of vapor emanated from the top fizzling into the air as John gave her his gratitude.

She pulled a seat next to him and sat there silently while she waited for Miros to come back after sending Kaldor off.

“Ahhhhhh…… What should I do?” John agonized at his indecision.

One hand, he did not want to rush into registering himself with Kaldor that quickly. On the other, he was sure that waiting years for the academy’s next enrollment was something that would eat his sanity away.

Then there was the case of how Meli would react to this news. What if the little girl broke down at his departure? Maybe the emotional trauma that embedded in her was deeper than he thought?

And Mera? He could picture her frown already.

His nostrils whistled as air forcefully expelled from them in a rapid manner.

Itzella who saw his unease regarding the academy enrollment spoke to him, “John, if you don’t mind me intruding on your thoughts, perhaps I can be of assistance, as my opinion as a mother regarding your situation to Moxnet Academy.”

“S-sure.”

“As much as I would hate it for a beloved child of mine to leave the household, I would hate myself more than to see them suffer at not being able pursue their desires. Take Miril for example, it does sadden me to know that he will less around the house due to him wanting to become a pharmacist.

“However, it also fills me with great pride to know that I have raised such an ambitious child. His eyes glitters every moment he speaks about something related to his work. It might make me sad but...I cannot help to want support him. Because I know it well, that deep inside me, I truly love him and want him to pursue his happiness.”

“I…”

“Of course, the same goes to you, John. You are part of our family, the very moment that you gave me a second chance my life, you already are. That’s why, I want you to do whatever your heart desires. Don’t stop yourself short because of us, you are given such an opportunity to soar in the skies of prestige, there is no point in wasting it.”

Her ruby eyes glistened as she conveyed herself to him. This time, not referring to him as her savior, benefactor or friend, but as mother who kindly advised her child into doing what was right.

Despite what she felt about him leaving.

That short moment, John felt a hand reached out to him and cradled his empty heart.

Like a child lost in the woods in a pitch black night, those warm words from Itzella served as the lone guiding star in the sky, drawing him towards a safe path.

It was something that he never thought that he would feel.

“Ah?” John placed a hand on his cheek, only to find that they were wet. “What’s this? Hahaha… Why am I crying?” his heartstrings played a tune, long lost to him since childhood, a memory long forgotten by him.

Itzella went forth and hugged John. She ran her hand slowly at the base of his skull, lent him her shoulder for support.

“It’s okay, John. No one is here to force anything on you. You are your own person, Miros and I will support you in what you do. You are just as much a child to us as my three children.”

“I…” his voice fell as his body became vulnerable and John began to let the warm tears flow. The embrace from Itzella had hit a soft spot in him, it reminded him of a familiar warmth of belonging, the feeling of something that he had once lost, restored in this short moment of him weeping.

A voice resounded in his head, one as lovely as the bloom of flowers on the first day of spring.

“Master, please ease your sorrows on this humble maid’s body.”

It was the voice of someone he lost, someone important to him.

Yet, he could not pronounce the name. His mind, could not recall that name.

That name that he swore to never forget.

John’s mind flickered, drawing him to a view of a soft fleshy wall, lined with black and white fabric frills to its edges.

It was the lap that he had gotten used to crying on, a place where he would have his head stroked ever so softly without the fear of being hurt when the everything in the world was against him.

The exhaustion that John kept in his mind ever since his exiled all poured out before he knew it, coming out as small whimpers as he recalled the familiar voice that made him loose his inhibitions over and over again.

What he would give to hear her voice once more...

“John? Are you alright? You’ve become real quiet for a while now,” Itzella’s voice brought him back to reality after what felt like an eternity.

Realizing that he had been coddled like an infant over it’s mother’s shoulder’s, he jolted upright and pulled away from Itzella. Looking at the lingering big red smudge along her neck where his head laid, John blushed.

The living room where they were in had most of it’s candle lights extinguished. Even the black boots that Miros had worn when he sent Kaldor back home were now in their place by the shoe rack.

He leaned onto her so long that he lost track of time.

“I…yeah… That was… Sorry about that.”

“There is no need to be embarrassed with crying over my shoulders.”

“Still, I ended up dozing off midway, that must have been a nuisance.”

“It’s alright, John. Is your mind now clearer?” Itzella gave him a smile.

“Yeah, I have made up my mind, I know what to do now. Thanks...”

He knew it was inevitable the moment Kaldor stepped into door and requested for him. It was something that he should have been doing for the longest time. That fragment of memory only bolstered his determination.

This was the opportunity that he would capitalize on, John would rebuild himself, he would learn about the knowledge that he had put off for all the years living in A’vetheas, he would delve deeper into his own self and unravel everything unknown to him.

“I am going to Moxnet Academy.”