The Elestar: Zero

After finishing my daily run, I opened the door to the cabin. It was incredibly quiet inside. The only sound came from the crackling firewood in the hearth. Master Valorant sat in front of the fire, warming himself, reading a letter in his hand.

He looked unusually serious, and I became curious about what he was reading.

"What are you reading?"

"Get your things. We'll be heading out on a journey."

"A journey? Again?"

"Duke Alaris is summoning me. I must go."

"Why are they calling you? You're retired… or did you steal something before leaving the army? Ha-ha-ha!" I joked, trying to lighten his mood.

"Hilarious. Get your things quickly—we leave right now."

"If they're calling a retired man like you, this must be serious."

"Yes, it is. I'll explain the details on the way. We need to hurry, or the snowfall will get worse."

After hearing his words, I began packing. I dressed in warm clothes, wrapped a scarf around my face, and covered myself with the cloak Master had given me.

Once ready, we left the cabin. To keep warm in the freezing cold, we activated our Flame Mana and started running.

Master ran ahead of me. He looked tense, as if something was bothering him. I couldn't stop thinking about the letter he'd received.

[Why would someone summon a retired man? And if it's Duke Alaris doing the summoning, it must be serious. I should ask Master directly.]

"Master Valorant!"

"Yes, I hear you."

"You said you'd tell me why we're going. What's going on?"

"Duke Alaris wouldn't summon me without reason. I believe there's some issue with the elves."

"Issue with the elves?"

"The Flame Kingdom shares a border and an alliance with the Elven Kingdom of Yggdrasil. If there's trouble there, the elves may have asked for help—or perhaps I'm being called to assist with something related to them."

"What kind of help would they need?"

"I don't know yet. Elves don't trust easily. They only rely on people they consider worthy."

"Are you one of those people?"

"Yes. I've built strong ties with them over the years… and a few… memories. That's why they trust me."

"What do we do once we leave the forest?"

"According to the letter, a carriage should be waiting for us at the forest's edge."

It took us quite some time to reach the forest's outskirts. With Flame Mana activated, we moved much faster than on foot.

Since it was winter, the air was bitterly cold. Snow fell heavily, reducing visibility. Despite that, we made it out quickly—and just as the letter said, a carriage was waiting for us.

Master saw it first and walked toward it. I followed closely behind. As we neared the carriage, someone stepped down from the front and started walking toward us.

"Greetings. My name is Scott. I'm one of the Seven Sages. Lord Valorant, Duke Alaris sent me to escort you."

[One of the Seven Sages? Why would someone like that come to fetch Master himself?]

"Hello. It's been a while since anyone addressed me like that. Just call me Valorant."

"Then I'll call you Master Valorant. I thought you'd be alone. Who's this boy?"

"He's my apprentice."

"Hello. My name is Attu. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I didn't know you had taken on a student."

"Hopefully, he won't be a problem."

"Not at all. The Duke only instructed me to bring you. The rest doesn't matter. Please, feel free to board the carriage. If you're ready, we'll depart."

"Let's go, then."

Master and I boarded the carriage and took our seats. Once inside, I realized something: this wasn't an ordinary carriage. It was ornately decorated, with golden trim and intricate designs—clearly belonging to nobility.

As we settled into our seats, I decided to ask what Scott meant by calling Master one of the "Seven Sages."

"Master Valorant?"

"Yes?"

"He called you one of the Seven Sages. Why?"

"There's a reason. I am one of the Seven Sages of this world."

"Who are the Seven Sages?"

"Among Elestars and even among all mages, some are known as Sages. They're given that title because of their deep knowledge, experience, and mastery over not only their own element but others as well."

"So if I study a lot and become as strong as you, will I be called a Sage too?"

"No. Knowledge and power alone aren't enough. People must recognize you. If you accomplish something truly great, then you'll be acknowledged as a Sage."

"Sounds difficult…"

"There's nothing easy in this world. So don't be surprised."

"I'll try to learn who the Sages are, then."

"If you ever go to the Chronos Mage Academy, you'll find plenty about mages—and perhaps even about me."

"You said Mage Academy?"

"Yes. Just like I taught you magic and swordplay, they teach other young mages there. Would you like to study with others your age?"

"Yeah! That sounds like fun."

"Indeed. I studied there too. I think you'll like it."

"Where is it?"

"In the Wind Kingdom, on the floating island of Chronos. The island and the academy were named after the great mage Chronos—who once lifted the island into the sky and defeated the Demon King single-handedly."

"He defeated the Demon King alone?"

"Yes. He mastered one of the Three Supreme Magics."

"Three Supreme Magics?"

"They're based on the very foundations of this world."

"What are they?"

"The first is Elemental Magic—the five core elements you see around you. The second is Time Magic—which no one has been able to master since Chronos. The third is Space or Dimensional Magic. Anyone who possesses even one of these can rival the power of a Demon King."

"Is it possible to gain those powers?"

"Everyone is born with certain potentials. What elements you can control are mostly determined at birth. If you can use fire magic, that means you have the potential to be a mage. But even if you have mana, you might not be able to do anything with it. It depends not just on luck, but effort. Hard work can make you a great mage too.

That's why you must train constantly. The more you try, the better you'll become—but the results will only be a fraction of the effort you put in. To reach your goals, you'll need to work ten times harder. Which means… your future is in your hands."

[Master told me all this to motivate me. If I train hard and never give up, maybe I too can become a Supreme Mage. But I must devote myself completely to training.]

After that, silence filled the carriage for a while. Master's words made me realize that with enough effort, I could reach any level I desired. I looked out the window, taking in the scenery.

Snow was falling gently, covering everything in white. Visibility began to drop.

Outside, Scott was sitting at the front of the carriage, squinting as the snowfall made it harder to see. He struggled to spot anything far ahead.

Then, in the distance, he noticed something lying in the middle of the road. A red stain had begun spreading around it.

As Scott steered the carriage closer, he realized what it was—a dead animal, surrounded by blood. This was a bad sign. That beast hadn't died here naturally.

Scott grew anxious and stopped the carriage before they got too close. He sensed danger nearby and turned toward Valorant.

His voice trembled as he called out:

"Master Valorant!"

"What is it? Is everything alright?"

"For now, yes. But I think something's about to go wrong. Forgive my rudeness, but… could you step out and check what lies ahead? My instincts are picking up danger."