The silence inside the cabin deepened after the master disappeared.
Harvey raised his gaze to me, a sideways smile tugging at his lips.
— "You know, kid… I truly envy you."
I looked at him in surprise.
He chuckled softly, leaning against the table.
— "I mean… to begin your journey with an Eight-Star mage as your master? Many die before they even dream of such a chance."
… If this were a normal world, he would be right. But what if that "background" was the organization? The enemy of the hero. In the stories Min-Su had read, people like me were always crushed. The disciple perishes, the master takes revenge, and in the end… he too is destroyed. That's how villains' tales end.
I gave only a small nod of understanding, no argument.
He shrugged.
— "Anyway… we should leave quickly before the Empire's officials return. I heard you have a mother in this village. Do you want to say goodbye?"
I lowered my eyes slightly.
— "No… just give me paper and a pen. I'll leave her a letter."
He stared at me for a moment before replying:
— "Are you sure? It might be years before you see her again."
I answered slowly:
— "I'm sure. And if you can… give her some money with the letter. Not much, just enough for her to live in peace."
For an instant, hesitation flickered in his eyes, but he didn't press further. He pulled out paper and a pen from his storage ring and placed them before me.
I raised my eyebrows. From Min-Su's memories, I knew this ring was a rare artifact—magical storage itself. I took the tools and began writing in silence.
Harvey whispered as he watched me:
— "Impressive… I didn't expect a boy from some remote village to know how to write."
I didn't answer. I had learned from my father—he dreamed of joining the Academy, of reading every book. A dream that never came true.
Minutes later, I finished the letter and handed it to him.
— "So… ready to leave?"
— "Yes. The officials might return… or the village chief." I replied.
He stepped closer and placed a hand on my shoulder. In an instant, I was standing inside my house.
He tossed the letter onto the table, dropping a few gold coins beside it. Through the window, I saw my foster mother preparing food… perhaps thinking of sending it to me.
Something weighed on my chest, but I showed nothing. A heartbeat later, we were already outside the village.
I glanced around in awe. The forest.
— "Incredible… you possess a spatial element? Now I understand how you entered the cabin unnoticed."
Harvey chuckled softly, pride mingled with bitterness in his tone.
— "Only a small piece of the truth. Entering the cabin was your master's doing, not mine."
My brows rose.
— "So my master's element is space? I thought it was ice… that's why he chose me."
— "Hmph… your master has both. Ice and space. Some are born with dual affinities."
I nodded silently.
We walked deeper into the forest. Harvey looked ahead and spoke:
— "We'll walk until we reach the nearest city… Moon City."
A faint smile touched my lips. I remembered visiting it once with my father. Back then it had seemed massive, radiant. But with Min-Su's memories, it now felt… ordinary.
I hesitated, then asked:
— "Why don't you just teleport us straight to the city? Isn't that what spatial users do?"
He halted for a second, then turned toward me, his face slightly flushed.
— "Idiot! Do you think crossing dozens of kilometers is child's play? Space is one of the most complex elements there is!"
I stifled a laugh and nodded again. That simply meant… he was weak.
— "Come on, we need to reach it before sunset."
I cast one last look back at the village—the place that held my childhood. I whispered a farewell to the woman who raised me… then followed Harvey's steps toward Moon City.