“Did everyone have a good vacation?”
“Yes.”
As the first period began, the children looked at the teacher with expectant eyes.
However, the teacher did not provide the answer the children wanted.
“Alright, everyone, open your books.”
“Aaah—.”
The sound came out like a deflated cheer from the children.
One child asked in disbelief.
“Teacher, are we having class today?”
But the teacher was resolute.
“We are. Page 67.”
“Ugh.”
Yet the children had no authority to change the class.
They had to follow the curriculum as the teacher intended to teach.
Indeed, even after a long time away, the academy felt the same.
The flatness of the class was almost boring, with some children whispering and joking discreetly while others focused diligently on the lesson.
In that familiar atmosphere, Luke took out his research notebook instead of a textbook from his bag.
Since Luke didn’t need to participate in the class, using this time for personal research was a more efficient way to spend his time.
The teachers, aware of his situation, didn’t say anything to Luke.
Thanks to this, Luke could delve into his thoughts without much interruption, recalling a conversation he had a few days ago with Gerard.
——–
“Long time no see, Luke! How have you been? You’ve cut your hair, it looks nice.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Gerard. How have you been?”
“Oh, same as always, hahaha.”
That meant he was always just as busy.
Being busy was inevitable, as he was responsible for managing the entire city’s mana supply.
“Well, I can only express my gratitude for your hard work.”
Luke handed Gerard a thermos from his bag.
“Here, you look tired. Drink this. It will help relieve your fatigue.”
“Oh! Thank you so much, I’ve been craving this tea lately.”
Gerard took a sip right away.
Indeed, Luke’s tea had a direct effect; no other tea on the market could compare to this feeling.
“Luke, how do you make this? Can you share the recipe?”
“Hahaha, I can’t. The ingredients are few, but the process is quite complicated. If made incorrectly, it won’t have any effect.”
Luke shook his head.
This recipe, though simple in ingredients, involved a quite complicated and intricate method of combination, making it into bitter water if the ratio was even slightly off.
No matter how much of a mage Gerard was, his alchemy skills were another matter.
In alchemy, practical skill and knowledge about mana reactions were far more important than theoretical knowledge.
There was also a possibility of toxicity depending on the chance of failure.
Since it was impossible to calculate every possible failure, there was no guarantee about the outcome.
Thus, even if he explained it, it wouldn’t be a recipe that Gerard could easily make.
Luke’s recipes generally followed that pattern.
To maximize efficiency, the processes were divided in great detail, requiring either the original creator or someone with sufficient skill to make it correctly.
The recipe for the ‘soul remedy’ Luke had shared with Third was structured that way too; without Third having practiced it in advance with Luke’s own instruction, he wouldn’t even be able to imitate it.
This was a measure Luke had put in place from the beginning.
He intended to have Third handle the production directly.
Naturally, it was even more crucial not to share such knowledge with Gerard, who lacked an alchemical circle.
“Still, really no chance at all? I feel so disappointed.”
“Um… then instead, I’ll share a different recipe. One you can easily make.”
“Really? That would be great.”
Since he had never brewed tea before, a simple method was far better than a complicated one.
Luke seemed to understand that and decided not to share the tedious and complex recipe.
“However, this one will be a bit stronger and more bitter than this tea.”
Well, if he could get a similar effect, it didn’t matter.
Although it was a bit disappointing that it wouldn’t be as smooth and fragrant, with a perfectly balanced flavor.
“Then please commercialize that tea later. I’d like to buy some.”
Gerard said it jokingly.
But Luke thought that idea was quite good.
“Let me think positively about that.”
Considering that Yerna and Dayton were moving and quite a bit of money was needed, making a stable income wouldn’t hurt at all.
After all, he couldn’t always go out to play the cello on the streets, nor could he guarantee high earnings from performances every time.
Also, it wasn’t like he had never made and sold items before.
While other mages generally lacked what was called a ‘sense of money,’ it wasn’t the case for him; he had run a general store selling all sorts of items in the past.
Managing finances had also been a skill cultivated during his time at the academy, where many mages without a ‘sense of money’ collected and amassed materials without considering their price.
Of course, it wasn’t to be compared to a full-fledged merchant…
‘It might be fine to start with the old general store model.’
The difference in selling items and making money wouldn’t be that significant.
“By the way, what brings you here today? You said you came to see me. Did you want to do another facility tour?”
“Oh, Gerard. I changed my contact information.”
“Huh? Really? What’s the number? I had no idea.”
Luke told Gerard his new number and continued.
“So, I was wondering if I might not have received your messages because I changed my contact. By the way, do you have any information about ‘Ere’?”
“Oh, you didn’t receive that text? I tried to call, but since I’m overseas, I sent it by text.”
At those words, Luke nodded, realizing it made sense.
“Um… to be honest, I don’t check my texts well. I get a lot of strange messages.”
Whenever he checked to see what messages there were, they were always full of odd things like loan offers or weird subscription prompts.
Even when he asked Yerna about it, she just said to ignore it, expressing doubt about what idle person would send such things to a ten-year-old’s phone number.
Maybe Gerard’s text also got lost among those messages.
“Anyway, if you found out anything about Ere, could you let me know now?”
“Of course! Just a moment. Let me find that email… where did I put it…”
As Gerard operated his computer, Luke admired him slightly.
“Oh, you can send letters with a computer! I didn’t know that at all.”
“You’ve never written an email before? Do you have a computer at home?”
“I do have a computer at home… but how do you write an email?”
“You just have to create an account here and send it to the recipient’s email address.”
Luke was quite fascinated by the concept of an address in the virtual space of a computer.
Location of something that doesn’t physically exist.
Wasn’t that quite paradoxical?
As a mage, it was an expression he found very appealing.
“Um… I understand now. I know a child who can do ‘membership registration,’ so I can just ask that child to help me later.”
“That works too. Anyway, let’s see…”
Finishing the conversation, Gerard rubbed the crystal ball a few times with his fingers and then pointed to the screen.
“Here, this is the email I received from a friend who writes fairy tales. Take a look. Is this what you were looking for?”
“Alright, let’s take a look…”
Luke sat where Gerard had moved aside and began to check the screen.
– It’s been a while since I sent an email, Gerard.
– I tried calling or texting, but since I’m in Beriton instead of Aires, it incurs extra charges, so I had to send it by email.
– I came on a short trip to write a novel. By the way, you know the elves make fantastic alcohol, right? If you happen to come to Beriton later, you must try the local fruit wine.
Oh, fruit wine, indeed. It’s true that elves make amazing fruit wine.
While he didn’t particularly enjoy other alcoholic beverages, the elf’s fruit wine was sweet and didn’t have a strong aftereffect, so it tasted quite good.
Thinking back to the taste of the fruit wine he was served in the old Drenor area, his mouth watered.
Back then, he had drunk with Kail and Renie, but he couldn’t do that now.
‘If the opportunity arises, I’d love to drink together again.’
Recalling a slightly nostalgic memory, Luke began reading the next line.
– Anyway, do you remember what you told me a few weeks ago during that drinking session? You asked about ‘Ere’, right?
– I thought about it for a long time, but I just couldn’t remember, which is why I didn’t contact you until now. However, when I got to Beriton, I remembered. It was something I overheard from a senile old elf who was about 300 years old during my travel. I wonder if he’s still alive. Anyway, I heard it was an extremely old saying. I’m really curious about where he picked up the word Ere. I’m not sure if this is correct, but this is what I know, so please pass it on.
“Beriton? What a coincidence. I was in Beriton at that time…”
Feeling as though something was connected, Luke moved the crystal ball to the next page.
– Ere isn’t a name for a ‘person’. It refers to an ancient word meaning ‘a person treasured like a clone.’
– It’s not a term for a specific person; it’s a title that a mother may use for her daughter, or vice versa. It has quite a broad meaning. So long as they resemble each other, it can apply without regard for age.
– Are you curious how I found this out?
– That’s because the senile old elf over 300 years old called me ‘Ere.’
– Hey, do I look that old? And how much did that old man see me to call me that?
“What…”
Luke froze, staring at the screen.
His focus was locked on a single sentence amidst Gerard’s continued complaints.
‘Someone treasured like a clone.’
Hearing that brought to mind.
The one who told him those words was none other than Renie.
“Ere…!”
That was also the origin of Renie’s name!
Having been born as a saint, she was truly ‘Ere’ to the goddess!
My goodness, how could I have forgotten this?
Luke stood up abruptly and shouted.
“Who sent this email? Can I meet them?”
“Huh? U-uh, well, it’s not impossible, but…”
Gerard was quite taken aback by Luke’s intense reaction.
Was the meaning of Ere that shocking to Luke?
