**LIZBETH POV**
Eizan is destined to be an exceptional child, and I'm not saying this just because I'm his mother.
No.
His black hair and sparkling eyes, which almost seem to glow with a hint of blue, combined with his endearing expressions, make him stand out.
No, no, I'm not saying this because I'm a doting mother. I intend to be a strict and fair parent. But despite everything, I still love him dearly.
My son seems to have a keen interest in many things. I can't help but marvel at his head, which appears disproportionately large for his slender body, as it swivels from side to side while he tries to absorb everything around him. He seems particularly fascinated by the practices his father used to engage in.
His father was quite a formidable Knight in his time. Jack Selvish, he was called. He achieved Class A Knight status at the age of twenty and was among the most talented during the Coronation Ceremony, having mastered two powerful elements: Lightning and Fire. It was a rapid ascent. Securing a Class B ranking, which is mid-level, required passing tests to prevent us from sending eager but inexperienced teens to their deaths. As for higher ranks, I've only seen a few Class A Knights over the years, and I haven't encountered a Class S Knight, if they even exist.
Jack worked in the borderlands, maintaining peace in Moljund, the frontier between human and vampire territories. I saw too many eager young knights who, I swore, seemed to have their heads too high up in the clouds.
At least they were ambitious. I recall a time when I was assigned as a supervisor for a basic practice exam, where candidates were supposed to demonstrate fundamental mana manipulation skills. Before the exam even began, one candidate fell flat on his back because the sword he carried was too heavy for him.
Speaking of ambitious individuals, Jack was genuinely a good person. When he saw me at the border, his jaw literally dropped, and he stood there until the line behind him urged him to move. He quickly wiped away his drool and managed to mumble, "…h…hi…can I trade in… items for a mission?" I couldn't help but giggle as he turned bright red with embarrassment.
He eventually mustered the courage to ask me out to dinner, and we hit it off from there. Even now, I can't help but smile when I see his blue eyes looking at me.
Long story short, I married Jack, and it seemed fate immediately blessed us with a child, Eizan, who somehow inherited both of our redeeming qualities, making him even more endearing. You should have seen him when I had to change his diaper. I don't know why, but he would blush and cover his face with his tiny fingers.
By the way, and not because I'm a doting mother, the moment he first said "mama" was unforgettable.
He said "mama"!
I kept asking him to say "mama" again and again, just to make sure I wasn't hearing things. Reynolds sulked all day because Eizan said "mama" before "papa."
The rest of the year passed pleasantly, with my son sticking by me wherever I went and frequently peering out the window to watch his father practice after dinner. I was glad Jack had chosen to remain a Knight rather than take a post as a guard in the royal region.
Then, one day, he was assigned by King Gabriel along with his subordinates to the Moljund border area due to the vampire forces beginning to encroach on the territory.
On Eizan's second birthday, Jack left us in the royal domain, and I had not heard from him since. Although he often went on border assignments, he always managed to send a letter...
But to this day, I haven't received a single letter from him... I waited anxiously, pacing from place to place, consumed by my growing worry.
Then, exactly one year after his departure, I received a letter from a knight sent to my home. The letter detailed the casualties in the battle against the vampires trying to seize the Moljund border.
I couldn't hold back my tears upon reading it. Eizan, who was just three years old then, knew nothing of his father's fate. I, still grieving his loss, decided to leave the city of the capital, taking Eizan with me. For the first time, he said "papa" before calling me...
We left the capital and settled in a rural area called Taeyang, where I raised my son. The following year, I found a crying child alone in the forest named Zayn...
Now, after the Coronation Ceremony, my fifteen-year-old son wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a great knight. As a mother, my heart is filled with worry that he might meet the same fate as his father...
But after witnessing his strength at the ceremony, I saw that he possesses tremendous potential to become the strongest in the continent.
Eizan... I will always worry about you, regardless of what happened to your father twelve years ago. This concern will never fade for you, Eizan...
You are my only child, and I love you dearly. I hope you will be safe at the Academy you're heading to tomorrow.
---
"Hey, Eizan! Hurry up! We're going to be late!" Sophia called out to me this morning.
"Ah, Sophia, wait a minute. I'm still packing the books I plan to study there," I replied.
I packed the books into my bag and hurried outside, where I saw Sophia already with the carriage she borrowed from Uncle Sam. The carriage was covered with a large cloth, like a small tent for resting, and it was stocked with food supplies for the two-day journey.
"You're taking so long, Eizan..." Sophia placed her hands on her hips.
"Ahaha, sorry, Sophia. I have a lot of luggage, so it took me a while," I said.
My mother came out of the house to see us off.
"Are you all ready to leave?" she asked.
"Yes, Auntie. If we don't leave soon, we might encounter bandits on the Aleci Mountain coast if we delay," Sophia explained.
During their conversation, I placed my bags in the carriage that Uncle Sam had prepared for us.
"Then take this, Sophia..." My mother handed Sophia a silver necklace.
"What's this, Auntie?" Sophia asked.
"It's a protective necklace I prepared for your journey. If you're ever attacked, it will activate and form a shield to protect you," my mother explained.
Sophia smiled and accepted the gift.
"Thank you, Auntie. I'll take good care of it..."
My mother simply smiled at the girl's response.
"Alright, I've packed everything. It looks like we're ready to go," I told Sophia.
I walked over to the front seat of the carriage, right behind the horse, to take the reins.
Sophia joined me, sitting beside me...
"…I hope you both succeed in all the tests at the Academy," my mother said, raising her hands in a gesture of blessing.
"Thank you, Mother... Well then, we're off," Sophia and I waved goodbye to my mother.
A book I read came to mind. I remembered reading about a fertile land established by an ancient organization of mages 250 years ago to house the prestigious Mage Academy. A city was built around the academy, named after the leader of the organization, Axeris.
How could such fertile land be maintained for so long without any magical intervention? Was there a hidden enchantment? Did the city always involve magic from its inception?
Anyway!
This journey will be long. Moments like these are what I've been waiting for over the past twelve years. To reach the city, we must pass through one of the Great Gates, relics from the Elven Kingdom. Otherwise, it could take months to traverse the city to reach the actual city gates near the Elven and Dwarf Kingdom borders.
One reason I'm embarking on this journey now is to discover where my father has been all this time. Traveling now with Sophia beside me means we'll have one Mage and one Knight for protection. While the mountainous region lacks mana beasts, there's still potential danger from bandits and wild animals.
As night fell, the mountain range, which had seemed to double in size, loomed before us. I wondered just how grand the Grand Mountain Aleci was as we reached its base. Needless to say, I was eager to leave behind my small hometown of Taeyang.
We finally stopped to set up camp near a cluster of large rocks. It was a good spot, with the rocks blocking most of the wind and plenty of wood from fallen branches for our campfire.
After setting up some tents around the fire, Sophia began conversing with the local wildlife, like birds and deer, in a language I had never heard before.
Not knowing how to respond, I could only watch in confusion.
Sophia approached me and asked what I thought about her speaking to the animals. At this moment, her curious ears perked up as she asked, "Hey Eizan, what do you think about me talking to animals?"
If I could have interrupted her question, I might have said something along the lines of, "Maybe you've hit your head too hard and gone a little crazy talking to animals, Sophia." But I couldn't say that to the beautiful girl who was eagerly showing me her charming face.
"Y-Yeah, it seems like a special skill I don't have, Sophia." Forgive me, Sophia, for lying to you.
"Really! I can talk to animals," she replied, seemingly proud of her ability.