By her estimations, only a week remained when Therese saw a small village in the distance. It came as a relief, as though she managed to avoid the majority of trouble, the unpatrolled lands between Medean and Glaucen were several times more dangerous than within the limits. The settlement marked the boundaries of civilized society. There was also the feeling of relief in knowing her journey would soon come to an end, the long braid she kept her hair in swayed fiercely as she walked, interrupting her rhythm irregularly.

Proceeding, she noticed a large stream, or perhaps an incredibly small river. People lined the banks, fishing with nets, poles, and spears, though the spearfishers were mostly young folk just wasting energy on a whim. Approaching the waterway, she realized the path went through a small ford, and on the other side waited a group of children. A slender, black haired man sat near them. Even from a large distance, she could see a carefree smile, as his gaze alternated between the children and her, as if wondering what would happen.

Therese slowed her steps as she approached. The children glared hungrily towards her, willful and unruly youths, who changed thoughts more than their bedding. What would she say in response the the inevitable questions that they would ask? Therese would not lie, nor could she tell the truth. The Oouei were unforgiving towards those with Will, if not the children then her parents.

Moving ever slower, she almost ground to a halt. Then a yelp stirred her from her thoughts, and she moved to grab her daggers. Using magic as a first resort would not only reveal her more easily, but the wanton use of one’s Will could not be sustained. To her relief it was only one of the children losing their balance and falling into the river.

Getting down to fill her canteen, Therese hoped that by some slim chance they wouldn't ask questions of her. She planned to fill her water, cross the brook and be on her way before she had to speak with them. No such luck, and a boy called out from the far bank.

“Hey, where are you from lady?” Therese felt her mind starting to lock up. If she told them Medean, then if the paladins asked around, they'd be able to track her back. Then there really would be nowhere to run to. Yet she would not lie even in this situation. Another voice interrupted her as she was about to fill up her water.

“Head upstream a little ways before filling your water. This is a fishing village, you’ll catch scales and guts like that.” The young man smiled, as if he’d been waiting for the moment before she dunked her canteen under. At least he had said so before actually doing so, so Therese thanked him somewhat reticently.

Looking upstream, if she quickly crossed and then moved along the brook she wouldn't have to backtrack, meaning less time among the Oouei. About to cross, Therese cast a spell to detect mana potential. It depleted her slightly, but she didn't want to leave a potential wizard among the Oouei; she could rescue them on the way back with Yalla. There was one boy, but his reaction to the spell was low; meaning it would be some time before he Awakened. At least if she didn't return, he would be mature enough to act cautiously by the time he did so.

Treading up the opposite side, the children had her surrounded, but gave her enough room to proceed. Still in a state where she didn't want to give answers, she made sure to only respond to mundane questions, such as those about her hair or clothing. Nothing specific, just about how it was the latest fashion.

Passing by the slender man, he looked like he wanted to appear innocent, but a playfully mischievous smirk edged upon his lips. About to pass him by, he decided to speak up.

“Do you not have a second pair of shoes?” Therese cringed. Why would she have brought a second pair of shoes? Though she knew she wouldn't inherit the business, she still practiced the craft and had faith in her work. Rain and mud were no big deal, but she had absentmindedly stepped through the ankle deep water. The ruffian spoke in an accent, with his hair in a ponytail, and silvery splotches on his hands and cheeks; along with how he was actively trying to humiliate her and chuckling to himself, Therese could tell his character was not good at all.

“Hey Alric! Why don't you fix it?” The boy who first called out to her, then spoke to the mischievous Alric. Therese looked over in surprise, as the young man slapped the boy on the head lightly. Even upset, he clearly didn't take things seriously, but what did the child mean?

With a mumble, she felt her feet suddenly dry. Waving his hands as if it was no big deal, he mentioned registering in Glaucen as a mage, so she didn't need to worry.

“You're a wizard?” Therese felt surprised on many levels. All the magic users she’d known had a Will of some type, while Alric acted meandering. Magic, a tool of demons and devils, reviled by all danced in his hands to entertain the children. So passive and without worry, Therese wondered how he had any mana to begin with. She thought maybe he was some sort of magical savant, a fool in relation to the real world.

He dismissed that notion with the children and began to question her. Patting the ground in an inviting manner, his smile changed from amused to nonthreatening, but Therese couldn't stand people who changed their thoughts so easily. This opinion solidified more after answering his question.

“I’d rather you not use that sort of language around me. I am rather fond of the people here.” He actually went on to defend the Oouei!

Indefensible! So many were abandoned merely for having a true Will, the church would catch wizards and put them on a leash! Therese’s mentor had suffered in this manner, how could she let it go? Yet Alric continued to refute her, blase about the Will within them, or the dangers their fellows within. He even went so far as to turn the tables on her, saying that if she thought the church was so dangerous, why challenge it?

How could such a person begin to understand? Cozily sitting around without a care, were the sky to fall, he would sleep through it. Upon waking to a ruined world he would certainly shrug and dismiss it. Someone with no concept of duty or obligation, how could they understand why someone would face off against the church?

He did have some sort of boundaries, as Therese quickly discovered. The man did not respond pleasantly as she called the Oouei what they were. Untrustworthy, fickle, but the wizard defended them, with her splint armor uncomfortably adjusting to dig into her.

Therese had her own pride though and did not think of backing down in the argument. Ignoring the man’s false sense of superiority, she continued to unreservedly speak her mind.

“I am still free, there’s no need for me to submit; I will show them no deference. There are things that must be done, and no oouei—eiyy!”

In an instant, and only for an instant, he changed.

Instead of lackadaisical, for a brief moment after saying Oouei for the third time, his eyes deadened, and the weight of a thousand corpses pressed down on her. Struggling to breath, Therese tried letting out a shriek, but only a cold rasp emerged, as if a ghost had become lodged in her throat. A horde of beasts descended on her in unending numbers, wanting nothing other than to end her existence.

Run. Leave. Flee. Hundreds of yowling voices pleaded with her, begging her to escape. Demonic clawing on the inside of her skull, Therese’s body ceased responding as she froze up.

It had been only for the briefest of moments, but it was the purest terror she had ever felt before. Yet as the moment passed, the man once again wore the face of a human. No longer smiling, he looked slightly displeased that she continued to speak of the Oouei as they were.

It only went that far though. He made no further movements against Therese; who, freed from the overbearing fear, spoke out. Where was his conviction in the matter?

“You...A disgrace to the pride of wizards, acting like...they are something worth defending! Persecution ever since birth, how can you go back to those...people?”

“You are most definitely staying for a while. Come; speak of these affairs in more detail.” The man’s voice changed, but not in pitch. A stygian and commanding tone that should not be able to be elicited with his tenor, that brooked no argument. In a moment, he changed from idling to forceful.

Standing up, Alric brushed himself off, looking at her. Then, he started to walk, and all of a sudden Therese felt something that could not be seen begin pushing her along by the shoulder.

He hadn’t made any movements, or said anything at all? How was it possible to cast a spell with such ease? It took vast amounts of concentration to form a spell shape, even when trying to follow the guidance of your subconscious. Neither did it seem like he suffered from a major drain from his mana either.

Stumbling, Therese couldn’t help but follow along. A wizard with great power, yet lived among a small village of oouei. Therese doubted he was simply there to watch over the boy she noticed. As he walked up to a fisherman near a scattering of stones where he gestured for her to sit; Alric’s voice spontaneously changed back. Awkwardly laughing, and making a deferential request to an oouei, going so far as to use magic to produce a chikan, though the fisherman clearly was trying to deny the offer.

Leaving the place; the wizard was satisfied and returned. However even if he kept the smile on his face, there was something incomparably dangerous underneath. A pool of oil sloshing back and forth, just waiting to be ignited and turned into a roaring sea of flames. Sitting down, he waited for the still standing Therese to follow.

She decided to sit near him. No matter how powerful a magic-user was, they were still vulnerable up close. With her daggers…

Drawing her gift from Genry with them almost in hand, Alric’s eyes twinkled in amusement. Somehow he’d seen through her in a moment, as if people had been trying to kill him for decades. Therese’s actions didn’t warrant anything more than a smile. How could he be so confident? Who could he be to recognize malicious intent so easily?

Introducing himself with a false sense of cheer, Therese felt paralyzed by uncertainty. Irking this man might be easily avoided, but on the off chance she did, it would likely be her end. Complying under the danger, she answered his questions.

He wanted her to demonstrate a spell, and acted curious when she did not. It was at that point Therese felt that Alric was merely sitting at a point far beyond all other humans, and just didn’t understand the nature of the conflict between wizards and the oouei. Only around the age of 17, he surely couldn’t have grown his mana reserves greatly, even at the fastest rate from a young age. Yet he cast numerous spells to create lights for children, dried her shoes, used an invisible hand, and now shot a ball of fire. Not a sign of fatigue showed on his face, as if it were a perfectly normal thing to use magic so wantonly.

At 25, perhaps she would be able to do so, but under Joanne’s guidance, her mana increased at an appreciable rate of the years. Therese doubted she could cast the spells so effortlessly, and the magical hand and fireball would definitely have her tired, even if she was familiar with those spell shapes.

That was another thing, how did Alric cast with such variety? While there was no limit technically speaking, the spell shapes formed in the mind were already vague and difficult to understand. It had taken Therese years to develop each spell, and they still required refinement. The mysteries of Reiaest were infinite, just as the other schools were. Stepping outside your affinity meant a process which already took years could take decades!

Therese talked with the archmage, feeling shocked again and again. The oppressive aura came and went, a mountain that could vanish into thin air. It seemed something she said made him content, all the cold left, and he was back to that slightly mischievous young man on the banks.

With a smile, he stunned her and correctly guessed what her mission was, though Therese had tried to avoid saying anything incriminating. He approved of her with a nod, apparently thinking her repayment of the debt, and rescue to be a noble cause. Alric gave her advice for escaping unscathed as if it were a matter he was intimately familiar with. She watched on as he used incomprehensible magic while brewing something.

An alchemist and a mage, how large must one’s memory be to store so much information?

A hair dye was produced, seemingly from nothing. He handed it to her, apologizing for keeping her so long. After which, Therese was sent on her way with a smile.

She blankly walked towards Glaucen, dazed by the overwhelming events. Her whole perception on the personality of magic users had been overturned by one young wizard. For the first time, she began to wonder if Joanne’s teaching about Will were truly accurate.

Whether it was or was not, Therese would still pay her debt to her mentor.

A/N:AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!