Lando was glad he arrived Sisterreach, not only did he felt very uncomfortable on the carriage after the conversation turned to the topic of toppling nobles and the Underwood empire, but because he was eagerly looking forward to seeing his parents again.
It was 3 pm, as Lando hopped off his ride and his hunger was killing him.
He decided to take a stroll and visit his favorite food stall to appease his grumbling stomach.
The city had remained unchanged since his last visit a year ago. The wooden and stone buildings still stood tall, reminiscent of his childhood memories.
As he traversed through the familiar streets, Lando spotted several faces he recognized, each one met with a subtle smile.
The city may have remained the same, but the people had moved on, grown older, just like him.
Finally arriving at the food stall, he saw the same elderly couple working behind the counter, as they had for years.
The sight brought back memories of his childhood, where he used to play with their grandson, Tommy, on their family farm outside of town.
"Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Dewtree! Long time no see!" Lando greeted them warmly.
Ah, our famous space magician is back in town! You've grown so tall over the last year," the lady behind the counter replied with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm actually graduating in a couple of weeks and thought I should pre-celebrate with your famous grilled and marinated mountain boar chops," Lando replied with a grin.
The old couple chuckled, and Mrs. Dewtree announced, "Haha, nothing better than g’ old chops to celebrate.”
Lando, trying to do some small talk inquired about his sandbox friend, "So, how's Tommy doing these days?"
"Oh, Tommy has even more muscle than you, boy. He helps on the farm most of the day," the woman responded proudly.
"Good for him," Lando replied, a mix of happiness and wistfulness in his voice.
Lando and Tommy had once planned to visit the academy together, but that dream had shattered on Tommy's twelfth birthday.
He had always harbored dreams of awakening an element like Lando, but their family lineage had no magicians diminishing his chances considerably.
As a result, the dreams slowly faded, and Tommy had been groomed to take over the family farm.
Lando’s parents tried to shelter him from the worlds cruelty as much as they could, but as their child asked about his friend’s situation, they had no choice other than to explain their son how things worked out most of the time.
In this world, the awakening of elemental powers was an unpredictable and rare occurrence.
As a result, families with multiple children saw the potential for one of their offspring to possess the magical gift that could lift them out of poverty.
As the lady handed the young Weber his food, he put 6 Copper for the food plus two as a tip on the counter and they said their goodbyes as Lando left in search for a park bench to enjoy his meal.
Observing the people around him, he saw some mothers with two or more little children playing there. Many of them poorly clothed and skinny to the bone.
The words of his mother coming back into Lando’s mind when he asked her why poor families had so many children “That’s a good question Lando. You will visit the academy soon and you will meet many commoners that have awakened their element just like you have. So listen closely.
As you know, the awakening of magic is not guaranteed. But even common people sometimes awaken them. Families often find themselves placing their hopes on this slim chance and staking everything on the possibility that one of their children would become a magician.
Sometimes this works out great, but most of the time not. This often led to a poor outcome, where the families have over ten children, the hope there that one of them would awaken their magic at their 12th birthday.
As it is expensive to feed such a big family, they often drift from being poor to poorer.”
What she did not tell him but learned from his classmates at the academy afterwards, was the desperation those families often felt.
Children over 12 that have not awakened their magic were forced by their parents to work under circumstances not fitted for children that young.
In other cases, those children would even be sold off for next to nothing, but feeding the rest of the family for a short time, nonetheless.
Boys were sold to do manual labor at a noble’s farm or mine, while the girls would be working as seamstresses or something similar.
If they were lucky, they could also be serving the noble directly.
Beautiful girls would be trained to become servants and work in their estates and boys that looked like they could have potential could be drafted and trained in the noble’s personal guard.
This system of servitude allowed the nobles to accumulate even more wealth, as they were able to exploit the labor of impoverished families without paying fair wages or benefits.
This ongoing exploitation was no small part that led to the vast support in the common population for the ongoing revolution.
Savoring the last bite of his grilled chops, his thoughts turned to his own future.
Graduation from the academy was just around the corner and he had to start planning his next steps as a magician.
He had always dreamt of becoming a mage like his parents, harnessing the power of his elements and exploring the vast possibilities that awaited him.
But being a time and space mage presented its own challenges. The scarcity and cost of magical cores for these elements were daunting obstacles to overcome.
Lando knew that as an apprentice mage, he would need to awaken his 217 meridians, connecting him to the magical energies of the world.
This would grant him the ability to not only absorb magic more efficiently but also project and manipulate it. However, the range of his magical influence would still be limited to a sphere of about 10 meters until he formed his elemental core.
Gathering magical cores was essential for Lando's advancement. These cores were obtained from powerful magical beasts that had reached the mage stage. Typically, mages of other elements could find these beasts in areas dense with their corresponding elemental mana.
However, finding time or space dense zones of mana proved to be a greater challenge for Lando. He was left relying on luck to stumble upon a rare time or space beast, or to compete with the space-time council's monopoly over these cores on the free market.
Lando considered joining the council as an easy way to acquire the resources he needed. But his mother's warning echoed in his mind.
She had advised him to steer clear of the council, although she never fully explained why.
They made a pact that she would reveal the truth on the day he became a mage.
Trusting his mother, he resisted the council's recruitment efforts at the academy, eagerly awaiting the answers he sought.
With 208 meridians awakened, Lando was rapidly approaching the major milestone of forming his elemental core.
He knew his choices would soon shape the path of his future as a maagician. Though he had confidence in his abilities, the scarcity of time and space cores posed a significant hurdle to overcome.
Lando contemplated his options. One avenue was to venture into the world as a mercenary, using his skills as a mage to earn money while also gathering information on time and space related locations.
This path excited him, as he yearned for adventure and exploration.
Another option was to follow in his father's footsteps and open an enchanter workshop.
While this would provide a stable income, it would also require a high mastery of his elements to work with runes effectively.
Lando knew he still had a long way to go before he could fully delve into the intricacies of enchanting.
Both choices had their own challenges and flaws, but Lando was determined to be his own master in this world. He craved the freedom to pursue his own destiny and uncover the secrets of time and space.
As he sat on the park bench, Lando made up his mind. He would embrace the challenges that lay ahead and embark on a journey that would test his skills, resilience, and resourcefulness.
Whether it be as a wandering mercenary or an enchanter with his own workshop, he would strive to become a master of his elements and secure the magical cores he needed.
Lando made his way across the plaza and soon arrived at his father's shop. Through the glass windows, he caught a glimpse of his father's work.
The sign on top of the store read "Weber's Fire-works," indicating his father's expertise in fire enchantments.
Lando wore two of his father's creations: the Blazefirering on his left hand, which was used to start fires, and the Blazeward pendant around his neck, which could form a shield to defend against solid core mages in combat for an attack or two.
As Lando entered the shop, a bell chimed, and he could hear his father's voice call out from the back, saying, "One moment, please, I'll be there shortly."
Patiently waiting, Lando took the opportunity to look around the store and admire his father's craftsmanship. His father, William, was a solid stage mage and had expert mastery over his fire element.
Lando was aware that to form runes and place them on his own work, he would need a level of mastery one stage higher than his current level.
The stages he had learned about were low, medium, high, and expert. The level beyond that was master, although Lando wasn't fully aware of what masters could accomplish, as it wasn't part of the academy's curriculum.
Finally, Lando's father emerged from the workshop at the back, a bright smile forming on his face. With the same brown hair as his son but with a short beard and warm crimson eyes, William embraced Lando in a hug.
"Ah, good to see you, Lando. This is a pleasant surprise," William said, still smiling. "So, you were able to leave early? I hope your magical training has been fruitful. But more importantly, have you finally found the time to get a girlfriend?"
Lando sat down on the sofa, choosing to ignore the teasing comment. "I have opened 208 meridians and have attained medium mastery in both my elements. So, yeah, I've been doing great," he replied.
His father had always known that Lando made rapid progress, but this level of advancement surpassed all expectations. Concern etched on his face, William asked, "Have you encountered any problems? Anything unexpected?"
Lando reassured his father, "Everything's fine." However, he couldn't help but mention the ongoing offers he had received for employment. "The only bothersome things are the constant recruitment offers from nobles and the military. Once, a representative from the space-time council appeared out of nowhere and tried to recruit me, but I declined it, just like the others."
His father's smile vanished as he spoke in a serious tone. "What did they say to you? Do you think he sensed your second element? Was he alone?" William knew that mages of the same element could perceive the mana in the air and even in other people to gauge their strength.
If the magician was from another element, they could just estimate the strength but not the element. If the space mage had a time mage companion, their secrets would be exposed.
Lando put his father's worries to rest. "No need to worry. He was alone, and he was a space mage, just as you and mom predicted." The recruitment for young mages usually involved only one space mage, as high mages were required for long-range teleportation in a group.
While Lando's parents had anticipated this outcome, his father was still glad about the development. The possibility of a high mage conducting the recruitment was low but not impossible.
With a sigh of relief, his father sank back into his chair. "I think your mother would understand if I shared some information about the council with you. After all, you're only a few weeks away from advancing. So, listen carefully."
