The younger girl she held protectively, with icy-blue hair, was named Bryella. She'd been rescued from bandits halfway through the trip and was believed to be the daughter of a minor noble.
Her entire household had been wiped out, and by the time they found her, Bryella had barely escaped. Drained and traumatized, she collapsed soon after.
Out of compassion, the black-haired girl had decided to take Bryella with her. But before they could reach safety, their caravan was ambushed again, this time by a gang known as the snowfield wolf bandits.
The guards didn't make it, and the rest of the travelers were killed. With no other choice, she grabbed a pack animal loaded with cargo and ran, carrying Bryella on its back. They narrowly escaped, only surviving because Syltra happened to be there.
From what Syltra could tell, judging by their skin tone, speech patterns, and subtle clues, it all checked out. The black-haired girl spoke with a slight accent, and her features didn't match the usual look of people from the Northlands.
It made sense if she had joined the caravan from a different region. As for Bryella, who still hadn't woken up, Syltra hadn't gotten a full look at her face yet. But just from the pale, delicate skin on her hands and feet, it was obvious she had grown up in luxury.
And that unusual icy-blue hair? Well, this was a world full of magic and strange forces. Unusual hair colors weren't exactly rare.
"I'm Elara . After my mother died, my father brought me along. To be honest, I've only met him a few times in my life," the girl said.
Syltra walked ahead, snow crunching beneath her boots as they made their way through a fresh layer. Elara rode the pack beast beside her, chatting softly and sharing bits of her story.
Syltra could understand. She herself had grown up in an orphanage. If someone told her one day that her real parents had passed away, she might just say, "Oh, okay," and move on. If it were strangers? Probably something like, "So what?"
To her, without a real bond, the idea of family didn't mean much. People always said "blood is thicker than water," but for someone like Syltra, that didn't really apply.
"Big sis Syltra, are you a mage? That was incredible, what you did back there..." Elara asked, her voice lighting up with excitement now that her shyness had faded. Her wide dark eyes sparkled.
Syltra gave a small nod. "Yeah, I am. But I'm not that great, don't go overboard."
'No, wait. Flatter me more. Keep going. Say more nice things!'
She kept a straight face, but inside, she was grinning like a fool.
That kind of praise was exactly what she worked so hard for, to stand out, to be admired. Her expression didn't betray her, though. Years of practice.
Too many embarrassing moments in the past had taught her that much. The life of a mage who used to work in an office was finally paying off.
Elara spoke like someone well-educated, polite, composed, the kind of speech that came from private lessons and years of etiquette drills. She clung to Syltra, throwing one question after another at her, explaining how she'd spent her whole life stuck at home studying and never got to see the outside world.
She really did feel like one of those rich girls, sheltered and book-smart, raised with comfort and structure most people could only dream of. And since Elara was kind enough to boost her ego, Syltra returned the favor, answering her questions with a bit of flair and even tossing in a few fun stories from her past.
Eventually, the chat drifted into light complaining, how exhausting fieldwork was, how tough it was to keep up in the competitive mage world. Syltra felt like Elara genuinely understood, like she was actually listening and sympathizing... though maybe she was just imagining it.
But when Syltra casually mentioned the time she saved her mentor from a black dragon and got personally trained afterward, along with the job from a certain eccentric lord, Elara's reaction changed. Her face tensed slightly, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion, as if the pieces of a puzzle had just clicked into place.
Elara seemed quieter after that, a little less talkative. But once the topic turned back to magic, she perked up again. "Big sis Syltra! How does magic really work? What is it?"
"Heh... well, I can't tell you everything, some stuff's complicated, but I'll share some fun and easy parts," Syltra said, puffing up a bit with pride.
That awestruck look in Elara's eyes reminded her of her younger self, back when magic still felt like a dream waiting to come true.
"Magic is how we make sense of the world… I forget who said that, but it's a pretty famous quote."
Syltra raised her staff, the small bell at its tip ringing with a sharp, clear chime. Faint lines of glowing arcane symbols shimmered in the air, shapes of interwoven rectangles and curves that pulsed softly with magic.
"To use magic, the first thing you need is mana," she explained, her tone casual but focused. "That's your power source."
With a flick of her wrist, the glowing runes floated in her palm, spinning gently, perfectly in sync with her will.
"Next is the element. There are six total, the Four Pillars and the Twins. Every type of magic draws from one of them."
As she spoke, the spell shifted again. A small stone took shape, only to melt into water, then surge upward into a blooming ice flower, its petals edged with frost and dancing wind.
"The last thing is mental strength, or rather, soul strength. It's not the same as memory.
Some people are born with more, some with less, but you can train it little by little with practice and meditation. Next page has more exciting stuff, don't miss it!"
"Oh, oh! I've seen things like this before, in books! Or settings, I think," Elara said, eyes wide with wonder as she stared at the spinning symbols and flickering elements.
Syltra chuckled softly. "Then let's keep going. For mages like us, three things matter most: mana, elemental affinity, and soul strength.
Elemental affinity means which element naturally fits with you.
If an element doesn't match you, it'll cost way more mana to cast, and it might not even work right.My strongest elements are earth and ice," she said, conjuring a tiny floating sculpture of herself made from dust and frost.
The detail was surprisingly sharp for a spell cast so casually.
"Mana's pretty straightforward. As for spiritual strength, it's critical, every time you cast a spell or study runes, it drains your spirit.
That's why being able to memorize a spell isn't enough, The way I do magic, it's like carving the spell into your soul. Once it's there, casting it feels like remembering something really familiar."
And also... knowledge is heavy. There are a lot of mages who throw spells around without really understanding how they work. My mentor always said that's the difference between just using magic and actually mastering it."