Noticing the 17-year-old approaching, drenched in sweat but with a wide grin on his face, the macabre conversation between the two women of celestial beauty halted immediately. Their wicked smiles vanished, taking with them the barrier that cloaked them, transforming them back into the elegant and beautiful women they were.
As Erik drew closer to his masters, who looked at him with tenderness, he used a small trick they had taught him, managing to clean the sweat off his body using his mana. Though it wasn't as effective as a real bath, it at least eliminated any strange odors.
Upon reaching Sigrún and Eleonora, Erik sat in the only free chair at the table, upon which a plate full of cookies immediately appeared. This made the star-haired young man's eyes sparkle, and he began to eat them with delight, like a mouse.
"Masters, I think I'm about to reach the ascended level," Erik commented enthusiastically after savoring the exquisite cookies.
"That's great, Erik, but it's better to wait a bit and not advance yet," Sigrún said gently, stroking Erik's starry hair.
"Why?"
Erik asked his master, a bit confused. However, it was Eleonora who responded, giving him a special cookie that she had made herself, much more delicious than the regular cookies, which were Erik's and the wolves' favorites.
"Because starting today, your magic classes will begin."
"..."
Erik opened his eyes in surprise, which made him look a bit funny since he was about to bite the cookie, while ignoring his wolves who were 'crying sadly' near him, in their one-meter size, all the while looking at the cookie in his hand with longing.
"Fufufu."
Amused, Eleonora put a big smile on her face and gave him 5 more cookies, so Erik quickly shared two with his wolves and kept the rest, while responding with a big smile.
"That's awesome, I can't wait to learn. What will I do first?"
"In your new schedule, you'll learn the aegis system with me on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on Fridays, you'll help me as an assistant in the alchemy lab," Sigrún said warmly, though a hint of envy could be seen in the corner of her eyes as she looked at Eleonora.
"What are the rules for my work as an assistant, Master?"
With Erik's question, Sigrún and Eleonora sensed a moment of sadness in the young star-haired boy's eyes, which nearly triggered their murderous intentions, but they quickly calmed themselves, gritting their teeth.
Filled with complex emotions, Sigrún hugged Erik tightly and spoke to him in a soft, tender voice, lovingly caressing his head.
"The only rule is to attend. You can even destroy the lab if you want; you're my first disciple, and you're the most important thing to me. Nothing else matters."
"I won't destroy the lab, master. I just wanted to know if there was anything I should know before starting," Erik replied calmly, returning his master's hug.
Over the past two years, Sigrún and Eleonora have felt increasingly close to their shared disciple. Everything about him seemed endearing to them: his serious expression in class, his constant effort to learn, how he played like a little child with his wolves, how he argued with the assistants who tried to enter his room to clean it, his addiction to cookies. He could eat them like a mouse all day without tiring. And how he always greeted them with that huge smile, which, to them, was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.
The impact was especially strong for Eleonora, as she already had two disciples, one of whom she had been teaching for over four centuries. But the love she felt for Erik was incomparable to that for her other disciples.
Although it wasn't that she didn't love them, it was just that Erik was somehow special. Around him, she felt calm and at peace, and it was a delight for her to see the sincerity with which he treated them. He rarely lied, and when he did, it was usually about things that only made them feel affectionate towards him.
For example, once Erik arrived late to a class with Eleonora and lied, saying he had overslept. Curious, the two masters investigated a bit, only to find out that Erik had actually been taking care of Kaiser, who had gotten injured playing in the forest.
But if they had to point out what they enjoyed most about interacting with Erik, it would undoubtedly be his attitude. Despite having great respect for both of them, he didn't treat them like goddesses, terrifying beings, or mere objects of desire or admiration, as they were accustomed to being treated.
Whenever he interacted with them, he treated them like people. He might have been slightly more respectful than with others, but he was not rigid or servile. He was more like a younger brother, a very sweet and obedient one.
"You don't need to worry about that. You're my disciple; you can do whatever you want. Just don't sell what you create. You need a license for that, so if your monthly allowance isn't enough, let me know, and I'll increase it," Sigrún said warmly, trying to conceal the anger eating away at her.
"Hehehe, thank you, master, and don't worry, I won't sell anything. After all, I still don't know what to spend my monthly allowance on. I don't lack anything."
Erik spoke with some embarrassment since they had so many mana crystals, the currency used in the galaxy, that they formed a small mountain. He hadn't worked for any of them; his masters gifted them to him every month and never asked for anything in return, which was quite frustrating for someone as independent and used to earning his keep as he was.
Although at first Erik tried to refuse to receive them, as he really didn't need them, they said they were good for training and half-forced him to accept them. So, to this day, he kept accumulating them in his storage ring and didn't even use them for training because they weren't as effective as his own exercise routine or, well, bio-mystic technique.
As she continued to lovingly hug Erik, Sigrún noticed him glancing at his cookies now and then, probably worried his wolves might steal them. So, with a smile, she released him, and he resumed eating happily.
She really hated the fact that despite being an incredible alchemist, she was a terrible cook. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bake a cookie that didn't burn, which meant the cookie territory was entirely dominated by Eleonora, who was slowly stealing her precious disciple away.
"As for my classes, from now on, you'll learn sacred geometry on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Plus, on Saturdays, you'll be my assistant in my workshop."
"Really?!" Erik looked at Eleonora excitedly, causing the beautiful and elegant woman to hug him as well.
"Of course, you're my disciple too. So try to learn as much as you can. When you get better at the magical systems, we'll properly teach you how to be an alchemist and an artificer."
"That's awesome, master. You really are the best," Erik said, returning Eleonora's hug with enthusiasm, melting her heart with his words.
The most beautiful thing for Eleonora and Sigrún was hearing his completely sincere and unselfish words of affection. He genuinely loved them and considered them his family, filling them with tenderness and happiness. Receiving such pure love was something they had always needed, but never realized until Erik came into their lives.
"Well, Erik, go take a bath. We have class," Sigrún said in a neutral voice, but she was giving Eleonora venomous looks, to which Eleonora only smiled smugly.
"Alright, master."
Erik let go of Eleonora, who gave him one last tight hug. Then he quickly grabbed his remaining special cookies and ran to his room, with his wolves chasing him at full speed, barking happily.
"Jealousy is an ugly thing, Sig, fufufu."
"Hmph."
...
…
…
A couple of hours later, Erik arrived at the place where he always had his classes—a beautiful study with warm reddish wooden walls and tall ebony bookshelves filled with books and scrolls. They have titles shone with golden letters under the warm glow of the floating mystic fire lamps.
In the center of the magical study was a large mahogany desk carved with intricate runes, where Sigrún and Erik usually worked side by side during language classes. But now, it was filled with all sorts of spread-out scrolls.
"Well, Erik, today will officially be your first magic lesson," Sigrún said cheerfully, watching the excited boy sit beside her with his notebooks and pens.
"Yes, master, I am very excited," Erik nodded several times as he spoke, clearly struggling to contain his excitement.
"Well, how about we start with something simple? What do you think magic is?"
At Sigrún's question, Erik's excitement seemed to fade as he thoughtfully placed a hand on his chin. After a moment, he responded, though his tone indicated he wasn't entirely sure of his answer.
"Could it be the ability to affect reality?"
Sigrún smiled, satisfied with her disciple's response, and nodded before explaining in a clear and calm voice.
"Hehehe, that's correct, but to be more precise, magic is the ability to understand, manipulate, and harmonize with the fundamental forces and energies of the universe to create specific, desired changes in reality. It's not just about releasing fire or lightning, but also about deeply understanding how the universe works and our connection to it."