A Fairytale for Wizards

Azriel sagged into an armchair, holding an old book and a pamphlet. They were what Grandpa Warden from the bookstore gave her. She first looked at the pamphlet. It had a simple description of the ruins that was found in Colte and recruitment information on it.

“A stone wall was found in the place where dirt was peeled off and as people dug it out more, they found an entrance— The ruins is assumed to be a facility filling up the inside of the entire mountain—”

The temporary name of the ruins was the Colte Ruins. The purpose of it was unknown as even opening its door had not been successful yet and wizards were still investigating it. It said that they were investigating the area to see if other doors were there around it, and thus, they were recruiting workers to dig up the ground, mercenaries, wizards, ruin specialists.

“It’s completely collapsed and impossible to excavate now.”

The entrance to the ruins was drawn on the pamphlet. The entrance was blocked by a strange, old and dusty door. The huge crystal at the center of the door and the pattern around it were impressive. Azriel put down the pamphlet and picked up the old book.

“Alionov’s Journal of the Ruin, who is Alionov? Is it a person’s name?”

She could find out what it was after reading a little bit of the front part. It was the name of a wizard. A wizard named Alionov Aluka dedicated his whole life exploring the ruins and made a book after organizing the information of all the ruins that he had visited. This was the book.

She turned the pages. The illustrations of the ruins were faded but very detailed and impressive. Azriel, who was skimming through it to get a general idea first and stopped her finger in the middle.

“A door with a huge crystal—”

It was a small drawing in a corner that looked like it was scribbled on. It looked similar to the one in the pamphlet. The wizard who wrote the book drew the pattern around the crystal and attempted to interpret it. All sorts of inferences and an*lyses온 were written on several pages. Azriel skimmed the pattern that was transferred after removing decoratives and written in one row and recognized it right away.

“It’s written in Lemm.”

It was Lemm that was more complicated and different from today’s Lemm in its way of expressions and reading.

“Prove you are a wizard?”

It was close to a code, but it was easy for Azriel who had learned Lemm from Rhema. She put down the book and picked up the pamphlet again. She tried reading it, considering the pattern around the crystal on the picture as a text.

“This is the same phrase. Prove you are a wizard—”

She read the book again. After a long research, the author barely interpreted the phrase that only wizards were allowed to enter. After that, it said that he tried all sorts of attempts, camping out in front of the door for several months. He made incantations at the door, used all sorts of magic, poured his mana into it, and so on. However, the door did not budge whatever he did. So, Alionov Aluka assumed that it was a door that would only open with a key and gave up. 

“…That doesn’t seem right.”

She read the phrase again. It was written ‘wizard,’ not ‘magician.’ She suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Rhema.

“The wizards we call today are mere magicians.”

“By the way Rhema, then why do the wizards today use conjuring and call it magic?”

“It’s because magic has vanished.”

The texts written on the entrance of the ancient ruins would naturally indicate the ‘wizards’ in the ancient standard, not the ‘wizards’ of today. There was no doubt that Alionov could not open it as he would have been a mere magician in the ancient standard.

“It should open with magic,” she said. Azriel only knew conjuring until now, but she would learn magic soon. “Then—”

“Esthera! Esthera! The strange wizard dropped off some people and left! There are more strange people in Brownie’s castle!”

The lump of golden light that flew in like an arrow began chatting, jumping up and down on the book Azriel had left open.

“I was going to chase them away but the strange wizard said they will live here, too! Is that real? Is that really real? Are they our family, too?”

“Who’s here?” she asked.

“Three carrots! A small carrot, smaller carrot, and even smaller carrot! And a big chestnut and small chestnut! Should I chase them? Or not? What should I do?” the spirit asked, making a fuss.

“Carrots and chestnuts? What are you— Oh, are you talking about the color of hair? It’s Maylie’s family. They will be living in the castle, in the outhouse,” she said.

“live here? It’s family? Your family? New family in Brownie’s castle?” Brownie repeated.

“Yes, our family,” closing her book, Azriel nodded. Brownie got excited and began twinkling.

“It’s family! Our new family! We have more family! More people in the castle! Brownie will take care of it well!” he shouted.

“Did only Maylie’s family arrive? Did Rhema and his familiar spirit—”

“More family means a party time! Welcome party! Celebration! Guest party! We should have a welcome party! Brownie does well on its own, right? I’ll prepare it quickly! Party, it’s a party! A fun party!” Brownie talked to himself and flew away making a whizzing sound. Azriel vacantly watched the scattering sparks for a while and shook her head. She had thought inside that Rhema was too cold for not naming his spirit. But now, she could see why he did not.

‘It’s cute, but it’s rowdy—’

Azriel headed to the outhouse to receive Maylie’s family.