Chapter 7: The Old Priest’s Concerns

Can learning powerful magic protect Sos from being bullied?
Inspired by Veston’s words, Nina tossed and turned in bed, holding a crystal-clear small stone that her brother had found by that lake and given to her. It was warm and special; her brother called it “jade,” a rather tricky name.
“Sos, are you asleep?”
“I am!”
“How can you talk while asleep?”
“…” Come on!
Lying in another bed, Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes. To be honest, he really couldn’t sleep. At first, meeting a great mage had made him very happy, but soon he realized that this respected great mage seemed utterly uninterested in him—not seemingly, but definitely! Jiang Zhe could see the disdain in the mage’s eyes, and suddenly, he lost interest in trying to build a relationship.
So what if it’s a great mage? I’m not going to accept charity! Tch!
“Sos, did you hear what I said?” From her tone, Nina seemed a bit angry.
“What did you say just now?”
“That mage said he wants to take me as an apprentice…” Nina pouted.
“Huh?” Turning over in bed, Jiang Zhe looked at the bed next to him and said, “That’s great! I think that old man might be really powerful!”
“But…” Nina hesitated, looking at Jiang Zhe, “it’s fifteen years…”
Seeming to understand, Jiang Zhe smiled and said, “It’s just fifteen years. If you learn magic, you can teach me, right?”
Nina on the next bed turned around, facing away from Jiang Zhe, and said softly, “Sos, do you want to become a mage too?”
“Of course! Since magic exists in the world, I must learn it. Who knows? Maybe the next Holy Mage will be me?” Seeming to notice Nina’s disappointment, Jiang Zhe tried to comfort her indirectly.
“A Holy Mage?” Nina turned around, her eyes shining brighter in the darkness as she stared at Jiang Zhe. Suddenly, she smiled and said, “Yes, Sos can definitely do it!”
“Then… did you agree?”
Instantly, Nina’s smile froze. She turned around and faced away from Jiang Zhe. It was a long time before her voice was heard again.
“No, I’m worried about you…”
Hah! Being worried about by a twelve-year-old girl—what a tragedy…
With a bitter smile, Jiang Zhe lay back down, but his heart felt warm. It’s not easy to be taken care of by others… When will it be my turn to protect her? Powerful strength…

Lost in his thoughts, Jiang Zhe gradually fell asleep. A sacred mage… perhaps it’s easier to achieve that in dreams… “Roar!” An angry beast’s roar. Suddenly waking up, Jiang Zhe gasped for breath on the bed. “Damn it.” Looking out the attic window, it was already daylight. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he glanced at the bed next to him—the covers were neatly folded: Nina must have gotten up already. Shaking his head, Jiang Zhe casually put on his clothes. Strangely, since arriving in this world, he no longer had those nightmares of “snakes and running.” Instead, a new pattern had emerged: every time he fell deep into sleep, he would hear an angry beast’s roar that woke him up. Vaguely, he could also see a fierce giant beast with a mouth full of fangs… He still had no idea what was going on. Descending the creaking wooden stairs from the attic, Jiang Zhe happened to see Nina coming out of the kitchen with bread and milk. Seeing Jiang Zhe, she stepped forward, touched his forehead, and asked worriedly, “Had another nightmare? Poor Sos…” Then she smiled, holding up the milk and saying cheerfully, “Breakfast is ready!” I hate milk! With a forced smile, Jiang Zhe managed to smirk. “Hey, Old Charles!” “Heh,” the kind-faced old priest walked in from outside the church, stroking Jiang Zhe’s head and saying, “It seems you’re in a bad mood, my child…” Glancing at the milk in front of him, Jiang Zhe leaned his head back and said weakly, “If it weren’t for this milk and those damned dreams, I’d be in a great mood!” The old priest was stunned for a moment, patted Jiang Zhe’s head, and looked at the statue in the church, saying devoutly, “God gives us food; we must be grateful, my child…” Ugh! Jiang Zhe yawned helplessly, looking around but not seeing the great mage or his two attendants. Curiously, he asked, “Old Charles, where are they?” The old priest, who was praying devoutly at the long table, paused, glanced at Jiang Zhe, and said, “Child, you shouldn’t interrupt prayer…” Shrugging, Jiang Zhe said nonchalantly, “I don’t believe in that stuff anyway… Ah!” “Sos, you must not desecrate the gods!” Nina tapped her brother lightly with a silver spoon, somewhat displeased. Seeing Jiang Zhe looking at her gloomily, the old priest finally finished his prayer. Taking the bread from the table and tearing it open, he sighed slightly and said, “That mage had important matters to attend to and left in the middle of the night… Sos, are you disappointed?”

“Regret?” Looking at the cloudy milk in his cup, Jiang Zhe swallowed hard. Unperturbed, he pushed the cup away, chewing on his bread as he said indifferently, “I don’t really feel any regret…”
“Hm?” The old priest’s gray eyebrows twitched. “Weren’t you always hoping to learn powerful magic? That man from yesterday was a respected great mage…”
“Heh!” Jiang Zhe chuckled lightly, continuing to chew his bread carelessly.
Perhaps sensing something, the old priest fell silent.
After breakfast, taking advantage of the moment when Nina was clearing the table, the old priest took Jiang Zhe to the flower bed outside the church.
“Don’t you really feel regret about that great mage’s departure, my child?”
“What’s there to regret?” Sitting on the steps, Jiang Zhe rested his chin in his hand and gazed into the distance nonchalantly. “There’s not just one way to learn magic. I can go to Sassen!”
“You’re right… But if you become an apprentice to a great mage, you’ll learn far more than at a magic academy…”
“Some things aren’t up to me to decide,” Jiang Zhe said, turning to look at the old priest with a hint of sarcasm. “From the start, that great mage never even gave me a proper look…”
“It’s because he didn’t notice your talent!” The old priest sighed inwardly and forced a smile. “Even if you can’t become his apprentice, don’t you want to learn some magic?”
“Ask him for it? I certainly don’t want to!” Jiang Zhe tilted his head in confusion.
“Is it because he looks down on you?”
“…” Stunned, Jiang Zhe stared at the old priest. “Old Charles, what’s wrong with you today? Weren’t you always against me touching magic?”
The old priest shook his head with a wry smile, patted Jiang Zhe’s head, and said earnestly, “Child, I never meant to stop you from touching magic. I’m just telling you that magic doesn’t bring happiness, and happiness lies in holding onto what you cherish…” With that, he glanced inside the church.
Jiang Zhe immediately understood what the old priest meant and nodded seriously. “Of course!”
Looking at the smile on the child’s face, Old Charles sighed inwardly. This is what I’m most worried about…
After over two years of interaction, Old Charles had come to understand the character of this little boy… Kind, gentle, polite—even when bullied by the townsfolk, he never got angry. In the eyes of both the townspeople and Nina, he was a kind child who never fought back.

Yet in Old Charles’s eyes, though this little guy was kind, that was by no means weakness! Politeness, the deliberate keeping of distance—those were signs of aloofness and wariness. Not fighting back could be understood as him disdaining to do so. From the very beginning, this little guy had positioned himself differently from those mischievous, ignorant children in the town… He would surely become a powerful magician! What Old Charles worried about the most was the character of this child named Thors… Over time, Old Charles had gradually come to understand the personalities of the siblings. The sister was cheerful and lively, enjoying many of the things that her peers liked; even a small gift could make her happy for days. She didn’t hide her joys or sorrows. But the brother was different—introverted, quiet, lacking interest in things, yet with a strong sense of independence. It was hard for outsiders to change his views on matters… The smarter and more independent a child is, the easier it is for them to get lost in the pursuit of power… Add to that the burdens this child carried… All of this filled the old priest with concern. “Huh,” Jiang Zhe yawned and stood up. “I’m going for a walk by the lake, Old Charles…” Looking up at the clear sky, the old priest nodded kindly and said, “The weather is nice—time to go out more. Be careful… Go, my child…” “Okay, I’m off!” Watching the little guy fade into the distance, the old priest slowly stood up and sighed softly on the steps. “May God bless you, child…”