Chapter 8: The Truth
WINTER came.
Powdery, pure-white snow decorated the tips of the trees, and thanks to Ark, the hearth glowed warm with a roaring fire.
Leo received confirmation that he would be able to take the entrance exam for the academy next year. If he passed the exam, he would reclaim his eligibility to enroll in magic school, and thus Charles was constantly at his side, tutoring him closely. In the meantime, Lille’s magic lessons had been put on hold.
Charles seldom had a moment to spare anymore. When he did, he usually went out, and even his visits to the magic item shop had grown increasingly rare. Lille wanted to sit down and have an actual conversation, but there was just no opportunity to catch him in the midst of his busy schedule.
Ever since the night Lille caught a glimpse of his dream, she had been stumped as to what to do. The chill of the season only intensified as time passed, but Lille was stuck, uncertain how to proceed. Meanwhile, Charles’s complexion grew paler with each passing day, and Lille was absolutely powerless to help. Frustration gnawed at her from the inside out.
The atmosphere of the house became rather strained. Leo was concentrating on his studies, and Ark kept to himself, sensing that no one was in the mood to chat. With the arrival of winter, Lille had experienced all four seasons in her new home. Before long, she would welcome the new year, too.
✦ ✦ ✦
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“THERE’S a letter addressed to you from the Grand Master, Lille. It’s not often he writes to you specifically, huh?”
“Thank you, Ark.” Lille smiled, taking the letter from Ark’s hand.
It had arrived via teleportation in the mailbox just a moment beforehand. Lille’s name was written in August’s orderly script on the front of the envelope. She suppressed the urge to read it immediately, tucking it into the front pocket of her apron.
“No problem. I’ll be doing some dusting if you need me,” Ark informed her.
“That’d be wonderful, thank you,” Lille replied.
She frequently did the housework by herself of late, so Ark had decided to help out more. She wanted the house sparkling clean for the new year, and she had a lot of chores to get through that day. Ark was completing most of his tasks in human form. Usually, Lille enjoyed watching him try to air out the laundry as a bird, but he had decided the scale of their work warranted a larger body. There were a number of bookcases that never got cleaned properly due to their height (and Lille’s lack thereof), making Ark’s help a great asset.
“Now, where’s the letter opener…?” Lille mumbled. It would be more convenient to use magic, but it was still difficult for Lille to adjust her powers to the appropriate degree when she cast such spells. She didn’t want to rip the letter itself, after all.
Using the letter opener to carefully pry the envelope open, she slipped out the sheaves of parchment nestled inside, finding several pages. Cramped lines of August’s handwriting filled each one.
“The snow must be rather heavy where you are by now. Are you all keeping well? I trust that none of you have come down with a cold.”
With a single glance at the first few sentences, Lille could easily imagine August’s tone of voice, and she giggled. It had recently become apparent that August was surprisingly loquacious when it came to writing. He seemed to take pleasure in composing long passages of text.
“Please make sure Charles doesn’t leave his hair wet after taking a bath. Also, please tell him to drink something ginger-infused before bed. Due to his slovenly behavior, he’s always been terribly disposed to catching colds.”
Lille silently pledged to keep an eye on Charles. She knew he hated the taste of medicinal compounds, but perhaps she could convince him to drink some ginger and honey tea. She made a note to herself to brew some, starting that very night.
“I’ll be present at Leo’s entrance examination. I don’t believe he’ll have any trouble passing, but if he does exceptionally well, it may be possible to admit him to Year 3 immediately. So, please do tell him to make an effort.”
If Leo had started magic school back when he was supposed to, he would’ve been a third-year student the following year. If he did well, he would be able to study with children his own age. Lille thought that for the best—then all the time and energy Charles had poured into Leo’s lessons the past two years wouldn’t go to waste.
“Apologies for the long introduction. Now, I’d like to turn my attention to the question you asked in your previous letter. First of all, given that you went out of your way to ask me, I assume Charles has yet to tell you of his own accord. And, I assume you haven’t asked him out of consideration for his feelings. You’re both as bad as the other, I must say. As Charles’s apprentice, you must put to him anything weighing on your mind. A master is obligated to answer any question their apprentice may have. Do you understand? From now on, rather than coming to me, you shall ask Charles directly. He needs to understand his position as a teacher.”
Her heart fell for a moment, and she worried her question had annoyed August, but it seemed he was more concerned about Charles than being pestered.
“In regards to the sorcery war, it happened just as you read in your textbook. You may be disappointed to hear that. As a matter of fact, nobody actually knows exactly how Charles stopped it. At that time, no one was aware a full-out war was in the cards. Of course, everyone knew our country was in a cold war with a neighboring magical nation, but that nation had shown no signs of commencing any physical attacks. In fact, within the nation itself, only a small fraction of the government was even aware escalation was being considered. Somehow, Charles caught wind of those talks, and decided to take it upon himself to discuss the situation with their officials. All by himself.”
At that point, goosebumps formed on Lille’s skin. Charles had done something even more dangerous than she’d envisioned. She was glad that, as a result of his actions, no one had died, but she shuddered to think that Charles himself could have died if he had put even one foot wrong.
“I don’t know what he said, or how he was able to change their minds all by himself. I suppose he vowed not to tell anyone the details of what occurred between them. Thus, all we can be certain of is that—however it happened—Charles stopped a sorcery war before it even began.”
Half of her could accept August’s explanation, but the other half was struggling to come to terms with the difference between her impression of Charles and his past actions. As Lille knew him, he was laid back, and didn’t seem like the type of person to think about wars or politics. Yet, he had noticed the seeds of war being sown before anything came to pass. How? There must have been a reason for why he acted so rashly.
“I regret to say there’s nothing more I can tell you. I do wonder, though, why Charles didn’t tell you that much himself. Either way, he won’t be reading this letter, so there’s little point in lecturing him now. The next time I see him, I’ll ensure he’s very familiar with the roles he must fulfill as your master. Now, as for what you mentioned about Charles’s recent behavior, I admit I am rather worried.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and the paper quivered along with her trembling hands. The information to come was what she’d been waiting for.
“Are you completely certain he claims to visit my house when he goes on these outings? If so, I’m afraid to say he still only ever visits once a month, on the same day you go shopping in the town center. You mentioned that these trips of his are frequent, but I’m quite certain he has not even been in town. If he had, the gossip surrounding his presence would most likely have reached me. You know how he stands out. That means he’s either doing a magnificent job of sneaking around, or he’s visiting another country altogether. If he were normal, I would suspect him of sneaking out to meet a woman, but as he is, the suggestion is preposterous. I can safely say he would never do something so forward in a hundred years.”
Lille was right. He wasn’t visiting August’s house at all. She’d already had an inkling that was the case, but she hadn’t considered the possibility he was meeting with a woman. Even Ark had admirers, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that Charles might, too. He was a wonderful person, after all. If that ever happened, Lille would definitely have some conflicted feelings to sort out, but August’s certainty to the contrary was reassuring.
“Charles has a tendency to be stubborn, so even if you ask him about this matter, I expect he’ll try to dodge the question. Therefore, I will look into it for you. For now, just concentrate on yourself. It’s a master’s duty to worry about their apprentice, not the other way around. Having said that, if he comes home late or doesn’t take care of himself, please do give him a piece of your mind. If he looks unwell, emphasize that it’s inconsiderate to cause you to worry. That should bring him to his senses.”
Lille was reminded of just how well August knew Charles. If Charles realized he was making others worry, he would most likely reassess his behavior. The weight on her shoulders lightened ever so slightly.
“If you’re ever worried about something else, do not hesitate to send me another letter. I’ll come to visit in the new year. I look forward to seeing you all again.
Your grandfather,
August.”
His neat handwriting was just a little shaky where he signed his name.
“Master August…” she murmured, her voice full of emotion. He had probably signed the letter with “grandfather” to cheer her up.
Usually, when they received a letter from August, he addressed it to Charles. He often included a message for Lille, so she always read the letters as well, but this one was different. It was truly only meant for her. In fact, it was the first letter anyone had ever sent her. She planned to keep it somewhere safe, so she could reread it whenever she missed August.
I love you so much, Grandpa. Thank you.
Deep within her heart, she repeated the name she was too scared to call him over and over again.