A little girl peeked out from behind a tree, her blue eyes wide and her blonde hair tousled. She was wearing thin leather clothes that looked almost like they were shaved, and she appeared to be about eight years old.
"Hm? Who are you, little girl?" Alex asked kindly.
"I saw your eyes turn red and you panting with pain while drenched in sweat. It looked very evil—" the girl began.
"Oh, I am—"
"WHICH I LIKED!!!" The girl jumped out of the tree and approached Alex.
"MISTER, MY NAME IS AURELIA! COULD YOU PLEASE BE MY MASTER?!" Aurelia asked, her eyes shining with eagerness.
"Gmmm..." Alex was taken aback and glanced at Gard.
"I... can't teach you, Aurelia." Alex newbie in this world. he only know two techniques, and one is barely advanced to the next level. he couldn't can't teach a kid
"Oh... I see... then I'm going to tell this to the soldiers..." Aurelia said, looking down as she started to walk away.
"No, no, NO!!!" Both men said simultaneously.
"Hm?" Aurelia turned around.
"Could you please... not tell anyone?" Alex asked.
"Why wouldn't I tell anyone? Maybe I could get something out of it," Aurelia said sweetly, her arms crossed.
"It's just a big secret. Listen, I can give you money, but don't tell anyone, alright? Do we have a deal?" Alex tried to negotiate.
"Hmmm... how much money?" Aurelia asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Hmmm..." Alex looked at Gard.
"Three gold coins, little girl," Gard said.
"Hmph!!! That's it??? Who knows if I could get 10,000 gold coins if I told the soldiers..." Aurelia turned away.
Alex gritted his teeth. "Then what do you want so you won't tell anyone?" He realized he had fallen right into her trap.
"Teach me how to become a Sorceress..." Aurelia's eyes sparkled.
"First, promise me you won't tell anyone," Alex said.
"I promise," Aurelia replied.
"Swear it to Olympus that you won't open your mouth to anyone," Alex insisted.
"I swear to almighty Zeus and all other omniscient gods, I, Aurelia Cotta, will not tell this to anyone under this heaven," Aurelia declared.
Alex was momentarily stunned.
"Alex?" Gard asked.
"Um, could you tell me your name again?" Alex asked, smiling as his hand twitched.
"Aurelia Cotta," Aurelia repeated, confused.
"I really... listen, Aurelia, I agree. (Definitely a coincidence)," Alex grunted, knowing he had no choice.
Gard came closer and suggested, "Alex, we could, you know, threaten her? Find out her relatives and make sure she never says anything?" He mentioned this as a common practice to ensure someone stayed silent without killing them—just controlling them.
"What? No..." Alex rejected the idea outright. Coming from the 21st century, even though he had seen many people lose their souls as a soldier, he couldn't bring himself to do something like this to a child.
Well, if it had been an adult, it might have been a different story, but...
The main thing was that Aurelia was a kid.
"YEEEEESSS!!!" Aurelia jumped with joy, her smile radiant.
"Ugh..." Alex winced. He didn't want to teach anyone, but what else could he do?
"First promise—"
"So when do we start?" Little Aurelia was very persuasive.
"Alright, come to me one week from now. I'll get your techniques ready for you," Alex said, waving his hand.
"YYYYY....YEESSS!!!" Aurelia danced with excitement before heading back.
Alex and Gard stood there for a moment.
--
"What the hell happened to you two?" Everyone woke up and looked at them.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! ALEX GOT A LITTLE GIRL APPRENTICE, MANNNNNNN!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!" Gard laughed uproariously.
"Fuck off," Alex said, smiling.
Zachary, Barot, and Adam raised their eyebrows.
They sat down and explained everything.
"So that's how it went, then..." Zachary stood up and put his hand on Alex's shoulder.
"You've already grown so much..." He shook his head, a few tears escaping his eyes.
"FUCK OFF!!!" Alex pulled his hand away.
"HAHAHAHA!!! Yes, I remember when we were running around in our underwear. Now our boy Alex has become a mage with an apprentice. WE ARE FAILURES!!!" The Soldiers winced, looking pained.
"You..." Alex didn't know what to say.
"HAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Gard continued laughing.
Alex shook his head and smiled.
"By the way, Gard, could you lend me 15 gold coins?" Alex asked.
"Hm, why?" Gard responded.
"I need some techniques to teach Aurelia," Alex explained.
"Hahaha, of course." Gard took out a pouch and handed it to Alex.
Alex thanked him. "Anyway, where can I get the techniques now?"
The next day...
Alex walked through the streets of the capital city, heading towards the library. He admired the white marble houses, fascinated by their grandeur.
"I don't think they did this for earthquake resistance; it's just for show..." he said to himself as he approached a bakery.
"Greetings, five... Macedonian glycismata..." he said, glancing down at the counter where pastries were displayed.
"Here you go, boss. Enjoy," the baker said with a smile as he handed Alex the pastries.
Alex nodded and slipped a few bronze coins into the tip jar.
He continued to explore the library.
"This is my first time exploring the capital city. It's not surprising it's called Athens, though..." Alex remarked, taking in the traditional Greek buildings. He spotted a massive structure to the left, so large that even he could see it clearly.
According to the map he'd received from the army, the capital city was about 2,600 kilometers long, which was enormous. It housed between 300,000 and 500,000 people, making it one of the most populated cities in Greece.
If the capital city didn't have a Pantheon, it would be a shame.
"I need to visit that later. I believe my patron god is Hephaestus... I wonder what that means for me..." Alex mused as he approached the library.
It was a grand building with pillars supporting the entrance. A red carpet stretched across the steps, a display of the empire's power. Red dye was historically difficult to acquire in Greece, and the 30-meter carpet at the entrance seemed to signal the emperor or empress's desire to showcase their authority.
Alex entered the building and gasped in amazement. The interior featured an incredible circular hallway with steps ascending to higher levels. To the left, shelves overflowed with papers, and many people were absorbed in their reading, wearing scholarly robes.
"Holy fucking shit," Alex muttered.
"Yeah, right?" someone nearby echoed.
End of Chapter.