In a palace that was both majestic and splendid, yet devoid of any garishness, a man's appointment ceremony was about to take place.
The man's name was Keith Blockhound. He was a mage, likely just past thirty.
With black hair and black eyes, he was of average height and build, possessing a face that was painfully ordinary compared to those around him.
But that was to be expected, considering he was surrounded entirely by elves.
This was the small elven nation of Seimrad, located on the western continent—a country for elves, by elves. And here stood a single human man, appointed to the prestigious position of court mage.
To understand how he came to hold such a significant role in this elven land, one would need to turn back the clock about a month.
###
A man was walking alone through the forest. Struggling along an unfamiliar beast path, he was clad entirely in black: black hair, black eyes, black clothing, and even black leather shoes, topped off with a black cloak.
He was dressed in a manner that would have drawn admonitions in any other world, as if he were a teenager who should have known better. This was Keith.
Using a staff made from driftwood, about his own height, to assist his walking, he was drenched in sweat, enduring a forest bath he did not enjoy.
"How pathetic, meow."
A voice called out from somewhere. It was a boyish voice. Looking down, Keith saw a cat walking closely by his feet.
"It's truly pathetic that a former master mage of the 'Dawn of the Undead' society is now being hunted for selling fake talismans, meow!"
"Shut up, you useless cat."
"No, I won't! And the reason you were expelled from that society is even more pathetic! It was for taking secret photos, meow!!"
Keith had once been a legitimate mage belonging to a proper magical society. However, about a year ago, he had been expelled, and now he was a wandering charlatan selling ineffective talismans and potions.
"It can't be helped. I came up with a way to make money, and it's human nature to want to pursue it."
The method he devised involved a combination of spirit photography and automatic writing, essentially drawing embarrassing images of women and selling them.
And it sold. It really sold.
After all, who would have thought that the stern-faced secretary of the grand mage wore such bold underwear… or that the seemingly pure elven girl had been comforting herself every night with her delicate fingers?
Selling such things, it was no wonder they flew off the shelves.
"I've won this time!!" he thought, but it was short-lived, as the whole scheme was quickly uncovered, leading to his dismissal from the society.
The society likely didn't want to make a public spectacle of such a ridiculous incident. They added a line about personal circumstances and refrained from formally expelling him.
Thus, he had drifted into becoming a con artist. It was no laughing matter.
This time, while selling talismans under the pretense of ensuring romantic success, he had been pursued by the Holy Knights and had nearly faced execution.
He had somehow escaped into the forest, wandering for four days already, and was starting to feel like he might genuinely die.
"I'm hungry… my feet hurt… my back hurts… but my heart hurts the most."
"That's what you get for your own actions, meow."
The cat, named Lou, had a haughty expression and was Keith's familiar.
Still a lowly cat fairy, a Kette-Shee, Lou couldn't use magic properly and spoke oddly. However, since he could catch mice, he wasn't hungry like Keith.
"I'll eat you, useless cat."
"I'm not so lowly as to be caught by my master, meow."
That was unfortunately true, so Keith had nothing to say.
As the sun reached its zenith, Keith finally hit his limit and collapsed onto the ground. He hadn't had a drink in three hours.
"I can't take it anymore… I'm really going to die."
"It was a short relationship, wasn't it, master?"
With Lou's paw resting on his shoulder, Keith had no strength left to resist.
"…?"
At that moment, Lou's ears perked up.
"Master, there are people nearby, meow."
Keith raised his face at Lou's words.
"Which way?!"
"This way, meow!"
Desperately chasing after Lou, who took off running, Keith stumbled several times as he dashed through the trees. And indeed, there were people there. Well, to be precise, they were elves.
With golden hair and azure eyes, their white skin and refined features made it clear they were elves. The elven women were screaming and running in panic.
"What's going on?"
As he looked behind them, he saw a large lizard-like monster.
"A basilisk…"
"Wha—?!"
Designated as a dangerous beast, the basilisk was a monster.
It possessed a magical gaze that could turn anyone who met its eyes to stone, and it would slowly devour its petrified prey.
The elven women were fleeing in terror from such a creature.
Keith turned away, seemingly losing interest, and attempted to walk away. Lou, witnessing this, called out in surprise.
"Meow?! Aren't you going to help?"
"Me? Why would I? I'm already hungry enough as it is; I can't waste any more energy."
"Wasteful…"
"Oh, I see. The moment I encountered a basilisk in this lovely forest, it was the end of those elves' lives. I can't take on the burdens of humanity."
"…Meow."
"It's the will of the great ether. May they rest in peace."
As he said this and attempted to leave, Lou muttered softly.
"But if you help them, you might get food, meow."
"…Pik!"
"Since you saved their lives, you might even get paid… probably."
"…To see a duty and not act upon it, what would that be? Let's go, useless cat!"
"I'll stay here and cheer you on, meow."
"Just come on!"
Lou was seized by the scruff of his neck at an alarming speed and began to squirm in resistance.
"No, I don't want to! I don't want to turn to stone!!!"
Keith shouted at Lou, who was putting up a desperate fight.
"Don't worry, if you turn to stone, I'll sell you as a magical item that will accumulate gold at the antique shop!!"
"I absolutely don't want that─────!!"
As Lou's scream echoed, at that very moment, one of the elves fell, and Keith made a dashing appearance, standing in front of the basilisk.
Lou covered his eyes with his paws, saying, "I'm not watching! I'm not watching, meow!!"
Trying to protect himself from the basilisk, Keith closed one eye and reached into the bag he had slung over his shoulder, pulling out a palm-sized bird whistle. He met the basilisk's gaze, feeling only a slight pain, but it had no effect on him.
Keith put the bird whistle in his mouth and blew with all his might.
"Caw────────!!!"
The whistle reproduced the sound of a rooster. The moment it echoed, the basilisk began to foam at the mouth and fled the scene in a panic.
"Oh, it worked…"
Keith muttered, looking at the bird whistle, while Lou, still clinging to him, repeated, "I'm not watching, meow."
"How long are you going to keep that up, useless cat?"
At his master's words, Lou finally looked around, releasing his paws.
"Master, you're not stone!"
"Of course not. There's no way I would be."
"Magic, meow! As expected of you, master!!"
"Idiot, that's not magic or anything. It's just a simple trick of closing one eye to avoid the magical gaze. It's common knowledge where I come from."
"But, but, you did drive it away with magic, didn't you?"
"This?"
Keith showed Lou the bird whistle in his hand.
"I got it for thirty leagues at a festival stall. I just infused it with magical power. I never thought it would actually work."
"…You tried it for the first time, meow?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised it worked."
What a chilling thing to say. Lou thought, breaking out in a cold sweat.
At that moment, a voice called out to the two of them—one man and one cat.
"Um…"
Turning around, Keith saw four elves staring at him with tearful eyes, repeatedly saying, "Thank you!" But to them, Keith replied,
"…Do you have any food?"
This remark killed the mood.
###
Now, here's where fate takes an interesting turn.
One of the four elven women Keith had saved turned out to be the daughter of a prominent figure in Seimrad. Unbeknownst to Keith, she had apparently fled from the knights and ended up in the elven forest.
She insisted on taking him home, and Keith received lavish hospitality. While he was simply glad to have food, he ended up impressing the girl's father by saying, "I am a wandering mage for reasons of my own, and if I can be of help to others, I have no complaints."
This caught the attention of her father, the elder elf, who declared that he would make Keith a court mage by his own power.
A human becoming the court mage of an elven nation?
Keith, who had never heard of such a dreamlike story, casually responded, "Oh, that would be nice if it could happen."
However, the other elven daughters he saved also had parents who were politicians or military personnel, all of whom were influential figures, and they were all grateful to Keith. Thus, the discussions progressed rapidly, and the unemployed con artist was officially appointed as the court mage of the elven nation.
Lou was proudly proclaiming, "You should be grateful to me, meow."
And before he knew it, the day of the appointment ceremony arrived, with the gazes directed at Keith filled with half expectation and half disdain.
The elven society, which was originally quite insular, typically would not accept outsiders—especially those of different races.
However, the current king, Mashua, and his wife, Mia, were reformists advocating for harmony with humans, and they were deeply moved by Keith's actions in helping the citizens.
Thanks to their voices, about half of the elves present had no choice but to reluctantly acknowledge him.
Feeling the weight of their gazes and the unspoken pressure, Keith found himself questioning, "What am I doing here?"
He acknowledged that this was a significant rise in status. However, the magical power of the elven race far surpassed his own, and they were adept in magic as well. What could he possibly do in a country of such beings? Was he to be a mere jester? Was he a jester? These twisted thoughts raced through his mind.
Yet, compared to being a mere con artist, he would at least have food to eat, and more importantly, a place to sleep—thinking this, he could not even consider declining.
So, when he saw Lou standing proudly and nonchalantly, he felt an overwhelming urge to turn him into a stringed instrument.
The ceremony concluded smoothly, and Keith was officially appointed as the court mage. He was soon summoned by Mashua, standing before him.
Seated on the throne was a beautiful male elf wearing a crown resembling plant vines.
Though he appeared to be in his late twenties, he was said to be over three hundred years old.
"Keith. I expect you to serve our nation and our people with distinction from now on."
His voice resonated solemnly, like the distant sound of the sea on a moonlit night, causing Keith to bow his head and only manage a "Yes."
Mashua continued, "By the way, I have a request for you, right after your appointment…"
"If it is within my capabilities, I will do anything."
"Very well, bring Naia here."
At Mashua's command, an elf girl appeared from the back.
She had a youthful face that still retained a hint of childhood, dressed in a pure white dress, and her features closely resembled those of Queen Mia, who sat beside Mashua.
Her long platinum hair and slender limbs made her prominent chest stand out.
"Father," she said, approaching her father with a smile, looking excitedly at Keith.
"This is my daughter, Naia. She was present at the appointment ceremony."
Keith hadn't noticed her at all, but he didn't let it show on his face.
"Yes, I could never forget such a beautiful sight."
Naia blushed and lowered her face at Keith's overly flattering words.
"Actually, the request is regarding this child."
"About the princess…?"
"Indeed…"
After glancing at Naia, Mashua continued.
"I believe you know that we elves are skilled in magic. Especially regarding elemental magic, we pride ourselves on being superior to other races."
Keith nodded silently in agreement.
"However… it seems my daughter Naia lacks the aptitude for magic…"
Mashua looked at his daughter once more.
Keith didn't understand how embarrassing it was for an elf to struggle with magic. However, seeing Naia looking down and fidgeting with her hands, he could somewhat grasp the situation.
"So, if you would be willing, I would like you to be Naia's magic tutor."
At this moment, Keith understood everything. He realized that he had been hired for this very purpose.
For elves, using magic was as natural as birds flying in the sky or fish swimming in water.
Thus, they likely struggled with teaching others. Therefore, when it came to learning magic, it was easier for them to ask a human for education.
And he just happened to be in the right place at the right time—though this was merely his own assumption, once he thought that, he couldn't help but feel self-deprecating.
"What do you think? Would that be alright?"
"Uh? Oh, of course! I will do my utmost to fulfill this duty."
"Is that true?!"