Seven months later, springtime.
Three days from now marks the registration day to enter the magic academy in the capital. Zerenia has decided that Rozer will be accompanied by Tania during his six-year education, while Zerenia will escort Rozer until the test is over, then return home to guard the Demon Gate.
In their preparation, Rozer and Tania packed their personal belongings into backpacks for their new home in the city. Meanwhile, Zerenia created a magical circle for teleportation using charcoal.
While writing five magic symbols on the living room floor, Zerenia reminded Rozer, "Remember these symbols. You can come home anytime by replacing this symbol with the Boszeven Forest symbol," pointing to the symbol of the Bajalekat kingdom.
The symbols include the Sun, the symbol of Bajalekat kingdom, thunder, the flow of magic, and a tower. After memorizing them, Rozer said, "Alright, I remember."
Tania asked, "Is anything left behind?"
"No, Mother?" Rozer replied.
"Let's go," said Zerenia.
The three of them gathered in the magic circle and looked towards Staal, who was sitting in a chair.
"Farewell, Uncle Staal," Rozer waved.
"Please take care of this place," Zerenia said.
Staal smiled, "Take care, Rozer. Don't reveal your powers too much."
Tania bowed her head towards Staal as a sign of respect.
In an instant, the magic circle above the floor burned, emitting a bright red light that illuminated the entire room. It dazzled their sight. A few seconds later, the light disappeared along with those within the circle.
***
For a while, their vision was blanketed by white light. Then gradually, it recovered, revealing a new place that Rozer had never seen before.
They had teleported to the center of the Bajalekat kingdom, a city called Laatsefort, more commonly known as Fort.
They now stood in front of a teleportation monument, made of rectangular vertical stone, containing ancient magical inscriptions listing the descendants authorized to use the monument.
The townspeople passing by stopped momentarily to see who was behind the flashing light. They were surprised to see Zerenia's face.
"Lord Zerenia is here!" shouted a citizen.
The words of the townsfolk caught the attention of others, and they flocked to greet or just to catch a glimpse of their elderly hero.
"It's an honor to meet you."
"Lord Zerenia!"
"He is our hero!"
"Please visit my house!"
Zerenia smiled warmly, then passed by them with Tania and Rozer.
As they walked towards their new home, the patrolling soldiers paused briefly to pay their respects to Zerenia. They tapped their iron chests respectfully and bowed their heads as a gesture of appreciation. Meanwhile, the surrounding residents approached, bringing goods as a thank-you for Zerenia's protection of the kingdom, some just to shake hands with gratitude.
"Father is very famous, huh," Rozer remarked.
"Indeed, Rozer, your father is renowned for his greatness," Tania said with a smile.
Zerenia smiled, then stopped in front of the house gate, "We have arrived."
"Is this our new home? It's huge," Rozer exclaimed in awe as he looked at their new house.
They entered and were awaited by servants ready to receive them.
The two-story house stood majestically in the middle of the stone city. Its walls were built with sturdy stones, exuding a sense of elegance. The first floor housed a warm living room with a fireplace casting light into the dark corners. Meanwhile, the second floor held secrets behind sturdy wooden doors, revealing a mysterious bedroom and small windows allowing sunlight to sneak in.
The servants bowed, showing respect with their right hands on their chests, "Welcome, Lord Zerenia, Lady Tania, Master Rozer," they greeted politely.
"Master Rozer?" Rozer mumbled, feeling odd about the title.
Three out of the thirteen servants introduced themselves.
"I am the head servant, Lakei," said an adult man with brown eyes and short mustache, wearing a servant's uniform.
"I am the head female servant, Sirvin," said an adult woman with green eyes, shoulder-length brown hair, also in a servant's uniform.
"I am the head cook, Koken," said an adult man with blue eyes and white hair, wearing a chef's uniform.
"If you need anything, please just let us know," Lakei said.
Rozer looked at them with surprise, "What is all this?"
"So, this is the house prepared by Sierra decades ago," Zerenia said.
"This is too much," Tania remarked.
Zerenia patted Rozer's shoulder, "Put down all your belongings. Let your mother and me take care of everything. How about you explore the city?" he suggested.
"Alright," Rozer agreed.
"It's Rozer's first time in this city. What if he gets lost?" Tania worried.
"It's okay, Mother, I've memorized it," Rozer commented.
Following his father's advice, Rozer wandered through the colorful city, where shops lined the streets and residents and knights moved about. With wide-eyed amazement, he observed every detail, thinking, 'This place is truly different from the village.'
Magnificent buildings, shop banners that caught the eye, tall towers with bells, teleportation monuments, big castle in the middle of the city, and sturdy houses fascinated Rozer with the city's charm.
Unlike the forest where he encountered many trees observing him, in this city, Rozer felt like he was an object of human attention amid the buildings. The comparison slipped into his mind as his steps came to a halt.
However, he realized that he wasn't as resilient as a tree, remaining upright when bumped into. Rozer nearly stumbled after being collided with from behind by someone who seemed to be in a hurry.
"Hey, can't you move?" shouted the person who collided with Rozer.