Laurentz Herring was bored with his uneventful school life. He had managed to foster a friendship with Jared Murphy, whom he had arbitrarily considered his rival, but Jared rarely showed up at school, likely too busy pursuing his goal of becoming a Court Mage. Laurentz was technically enrolled but exempt from classes, making his attendance more of a formality. Jared, on the other hand, had already achieved considerable accomplishments as a magician.
If Laurentz wanted to become a scholar or advance to higher education, he should have attended classes. But for his friend, it was different. Jared would undoubtedly choose the path of a Court Mage, fighting for his country and its people. It frustrated Laurentz that he was two, even three steps behind such a friend. As long as they were friends, Laurentz wanted to be his equal. He knew Jared would never look down on him even if he became a Court Mage, but Laurentz himself harbored a slight complex about constantly chasing his friend’s back.
“Jared isn’t here today either, I guess.”
After his morning classes, Laurentz headed to the cafeteria to join his friends for lunch. It wasn’t just his imagination that his friends seemed less energetic than usual with one member missing from their group.
“I wanted to talk to you about something… should I go see you instead of waiting at school?”
Lately, Laurentz had been talking to himself more often, burdened by his worries. Even his friends couldn’t offer solutions, so he wanted to talk to Jared, who wasn’t attending school. No, it was precisely because it was Jared he wanted to talk to. However, he hesitated to bother his busy friend and had intended to speak with him when he next visited the academy. Yet, he hadn’t seen Jared in days.
“…Me, a Court Mage candidate?”
After ensuring he was alone, Laurentz let out a sigh. Laurentz’s predicament was that his name had been mentioned as a candidate for Court Mage. The Mage Association and the Royal Palace were currently in secret discussions to select the next set of Court Mage candidates. The incident where Barnabas Kaif, a former Court Mage candidate seeking revenge, had murdered all the other candidates except Jared, was still fresh in everyone’s memory.
Among the victims was Kevin Harrington, who had been like an older brother to Laurentz, and whom Laurentz respected as if he were his master, though he had never formally become his disciple. In the wake of Kevin’s death, Laurentz, consumed by his own desire for revenge, had foolishly attempted to take on Barnabas alone and lost control. This led to Jared fighting Barnabas and ultimately winning. But Laurentz couldn’t rejoice. It wasn’t because he couldn’t take revenge with his own hands, but because he had made his friend shed blood because of him.
Later, Jared, recognized for stopping Barnabas’s rampage that had even claimed Court Mages, became a formal Court Mage. Laurentz learned that Jared was troubled by having to kill Barnabas, the vengeful magician, even though he had no other choice. This knowledge instilled a sense of guilt in Laurentz. When Laurentz had expressed his gratitude and apologized, Jared had told him not to worry about it, but it wasn’t something Laurentz could easily let go of.
Now that he understood Barnabas’s motives entirely, Laurentz had managed to quell the anger that had smoldered within him. However, the dead would not return. Those left behind could only move forward. It was precisely his battle with Barnabas that had ironically led to Laurentz’s name being put forward as a Court Mage candidate. He hadn’t just gained power equal to a Court Mage; he had shown enough skill to single-handedly defeat Barnabas, a powerful magical beast—a Minotaur—that ruled the labyrinth. Surviving that encounter and even landing effective blows was something the deceased Court Mage candidates had been unable to achieve.
“Tres and Adelina told me I should become a Court Mage. But…”
Following the revenge incident, Laurentz had been mentored by Tres Brauer and Adelina Bischof, Court Mages he had met through Jared. They had lost their own master and now guided him. Their association had grown to such an extent that he could now call them his masters. Perhaps it was an act of atonement for the loss of loved ones caused by their own involvement.
Tres was shocked to learn that his own father had been involved in framing Barnabas, a fact he had been unaware of. He had severed ties with his family, likely unable to forgive his father for ruining another person’s life. Adelina had been coerced into cooperating by Count Brauer, Tres’s father. Although she was now a powerful Court Mage, she had been merely a magician without backing when she was a candidate. Laurentz did not resent either of them, given their backgrounds. There was no point in holding grudges now, and his beloved older brother figure wouldn’t return even if he did.
Laurentz believed his power had grown under the tutelage of the Court Mages. He had even taken on requests from the Mage Association at times. By accumulating achievements, he had strived to become a distinguished magician worthy of Kevin’s memory. It seemed to have paid off: his name was put forward as a Court Mage candidate. Dennis Abott, an acquaintance from the Mage Association, personally visited his mansion to discuss his future with his parents.
“What was strange was why Father and Mother were so surprised when they saw Dennis.”
The reason remained unknown. Perhaps they simply hadn’t believed that their son could actually become a Court Mage candidate. As Jared had once said, Dennis was a good person. Knowing Laurentz was struggling with whether to accept the nomination as a Court Mage candidate, he had offered much advice. While the final decision rested with him, Dennis had encouraged him to make a choice he wouldn’t regret.
His Father urged him to take the challenge if there was even a slight possibility, but his Mother was of a different mind. His overprotective mother worried about a future where her son might face danger and opposed the idea. Laurentz found himself discussing the matter with his parents almost daily, often resulting in his mother becoming angry and leaving the room. However, he couldn’t firmly assert his own will because he knew she was simply worried. The root cause was Laurentz himself, who, despite being a candidate, hadn’t clearly articulated his own desires.
“When Jared was chosen as a Court Mage candidate, was it this difficult for him?”
He imagined his friend’s situation must have been much worse. Jared had become engaged to the eldest daughter of a Ducal Family, and due to malicious rumors, he had been misunderstood by Laurentz and the other students. While now, only the jealous spoke ill of him, at the time, his nomination as a Court Mage candidate was thought to be solely due to the power of the Ducal Family. It was easy to imagine how difficult it must have been for him. Deciding his own situation was more manageable than his friend’s, Laurentz continued towards the cafeteria, where his friends awaited, to reconsider his own desires.
