26.
“Oak?!”
Laiya exclaimed in surprise.
“It’s an orc.”
The archmage corrected her politely.
As the novel she now lived in had also been adapted into a webtoon, the orc looked exactly as Laiya remembered from its picture.
“Are you crazy?”
She blurted out, disbelief evident in the shrill shrieks of her voice.
“How can someone summon orcs to a place like this?”
[I strongly protested to the previous master! Look out, master!]
“Uh huh, do you have time to comment about this and that?”
The little girl, feeling something gruesome drawing closer, quickly stepped back, not knowing what kind of spirit she was trying to avoid.
Nervously, glancing behind her, it felt as if Ice was tugging at the hem of her clothes.
There stood a creature in all its glory, it was green-skinned and had a human-like bipedal form.
Its muscular body approached three meters in height, and it sported protruding fangs that glinted over the edge of its mouth.
Fortunately, the orc’s feet were shackled, giving Laiya some breathing room.
“If you want to become this archmage’s disciple, you better be prepared for this. Ahem, is that a problem, little girl?”
The Archmage proudly spoke, he felt chuffed at his idea of a test.
“No, everything is fine.”
The sickly girl replied hesitantly.
“Can you at least give me a weapon?”
“…”
“Let alone magic, which I don’t know how to use even if I was allowed to use it, just hand me something to hit with! There isn’t even a stone to pick up around here, how can I fight this orc off with just myself alone.”
“That little girl making all that noise is a thing of the past I see.”
The archmage remarked casually as they handed her something long.
When she grabbed it and examined it, it turned out to be just a normal stick.
The only thing that seemed special about it was that it was pure white in color.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
Her frustrations soared to new heights. She wasn’t sure she could fight an orc with just a stick.
“No, no, let’s think about it calmly. Why did they give me a stick instead of a hammer or a knife?”
She pondered.
“Is it a magic wand?”
Laiya optimistically felt that her thoughts were heading in the right direction.
The archmage chuckled.
“Does the little girl have such good vision? This Archmage’s magic wand is definitely white, so what do you think this stick is?”
Encouraged, the little girl held onto the cane tightly, preparing herself for whatever lay ahead.
“Okay, well, let me give you a hint before you start. In ten seconds, that guy will be released.”
“That’s not a hint!”
Laiya couldn’t help but protest.
“Tsk, little girl, then you better listen until the end. Here is hint two, I’m not putting you in danger recklessly.”
As the young man spoke, his eyes gleamed mischievously as he looked at the sourly little daughter of BlackWinter.
“Didn’t you just say let’s ‘have a test’? It shouldn’t be dangerous!”
She retorted, wondering what he was up to.
Braham’s words ended there, leaving her slightly puzzled, she furrowed her brow and turned her attention to Ice, reminding herself that the guardian was now under her control.
Perhaps I could use Ice somehow?
But time was running out, with only 10 seconds remaining she had to think fast.
Laiya realized how short that time was while listening to the chains finally coming loose.
“Aaaah!”
She exclaimed in surprise as soon as she saw the giant orc charging toward her.
Frantically, she clenched her eyes shut and gathered her strength, trying to stay focused despite the fear that gripped her.
“You must not avert your gaze!”
Braham’s voice seemed to whisper in her ear.
“In essence, wizards use magic differently depending on their faction. Now, little kid, think about what you’re best at.”
Braham’s steady voice continued to instruct her, providing her with comfort, urging her to reflect.
What am I best at?
Born into this world, I had lived in fear, much like a rat scurrying in the shadows… Hmm… But no, I need to aim higher. Let’s think, what had I excelled at?
“…”
“Sister, thank you for reading the book!”
She remembered a time when she had heard someone compliment her.
“I like it best when my sister reads to me!”
The echoes of joyful voices lingered in her memory.
In a concert hall, with sparkling eyes eagerly waiting on her every word, there had been only one voice resonating—hers, narrating a fairy tale.
From a small welfare center to a grand performance hall, I had brought countless children to tears and laughter with my storytelling.
When Laiya opened her eyes, a large book stood before her.
As she extended her wand and touched the book, it opened wide.
[Guardian power, accessed. Master, check object characteristics]
[A tutorial has opened successfully.]
Laiya BlackWinter felt an overwhelming sense of comfort in her newfound abilities.
“Why? It’s the same. Whenever I get nervous, I struggle to breathe.”
She mused in nostalgia.
The doctor had told her that this was related to a chronic illness, an inconvenience she would have to endure for the rest of her life.
But that wasn’t the only strange thing happening.
“Have your hands gotten bigger, little girl?”
She wondered aloud as she looked at the hand holding the cane.
It did appear to have grown, not that the oak cane had changed in size, but rather, her body had somehow grown larger.
“Once upon a time, there lived a very large ‘snowman’.”
A sonorous voice echoed in her ear.
It sounds like my voice!
Was I saying things while smiling, even though I didn’t intend to?
Her body moved as if on autopilot, like watching a pre-recorded video, it moved on its own predetermined path.
Before she knew it, the book in front of her had transformed into a children’s book she knew all too well.
“Oh my goodness, that snowman could do so many things!”
Was this what it felt like when the Ice expanded?
Laiya turned her gaze and saw the towering form of a colossal snowman blocking her path.
“Sprinkle ice on the world…”
She continued, and ice rain fell from the sky.
“Build an ice wall…”
A sharp wall rose from the floor.
“The just and good snowman defeated the monster that was harassing people with one blow!”
With a resounding crash, the tree branch, resembling Ice’s hand, clenched like a fist and struck down the orc.
It was a truly spectacular sight.
“What’s this…?”
She muttered, bewildered.
The ice wall that rose in front of her was so transparent that she could clearly see her reflection.
But it isn’t just me; it was a larger version of me.
“And the nice, big snowman lived happily ever after.”
The story concluded.
I must look around sixteen years old, I have grown up quite a bit.
She smiled brightly when suddenly…
[Tutorial ends. The owner’s future tense experience has been completed!]
…All the strength drained from her body.
“Haha…!”
Laiya chuckled nervously.
The hand that had been trembling on the floor suddenly shrank back to its normal size, and Ice returned to its original state, flying back toward the little girl.
However, the fallen orc remained unchanged.
“How…?”
She began to question.
“Did you see that, kid?”
A white shoe landed in front of her, and she soon spotted Braham’s face peering down at her from beneath the hem of his white clothes.
“This is what it will look like in the future when you can truly harness your power.”
“True power…?”
She was quick to regain her composure.
“Alright. Didn’t you say we were going to measure my skills?”
Braham chuckled, resting his chin on his hand.
It was a smile that didn’t quite suit the young man’s face.
“Is this really a kid who scores the winning goals? The path ahead is clear, little girl. You’ve passed.”
“It’s been a challenging journey.”
Laiya replied with a cough, feeling a chill in the air due to the pervasive ice.
However, something warm suddenly touched her head, and she instantly felt warmth spreading through her entire body.
The little girl looked up and saw Braham gently stroking her head, which was an unfamiliar gesture to her in this reborn world.
“This is the path to becoming a great wizard in the future.”
He declared righteously, leaving her in astonishment with her mouth agape.
* * *
It took her quite some time to calm down.
She was struggling to catch her breath as her vision was left spinning.
Braham explained that this was a result of magical power depletion.
The daughter of BlackWinter was feeling dizzy because she had used up all her stored energy at once.
After a while, as she finally began to regain her composure, Laiya mustered the courage to ask some questions.
“Hey, Archmage, what on earth was that…?”
“It’s what your future looks like. I saw how you would use your magic in the future. The magic circle you entered earlier is designed for that purpose. This body was created for this power. No one can tamper with time! Oh, that’s right!”
“Wait… Are you saying that was really my future self?”
Laiya asked, seeking confirmation.
The eccentric archmage, who had unceremoniously thrown her in front of the orcs earlier, nodded obediently.
Hope swelled up in her heart.
“Then, are there others who use magic like me?”
Braham pondered for a moment before responding honestly.
“At least I’ve never seen anyone like you before, which makes you quite remarkable.”
“What does that mean?”
She was curious about the nature of magic in this world.
“The wizards in this world don’t use magic like you do. They either inscribe magic all over their bodies with special ink so they can use it at any time, or they memorize the amount of magic they’ll need for the day in advance each morning. Alternatively, they can draw a magic circle and use it.”
Braham then pointed his index finger at himself and gestured, making a picture of himself, before doing the same for the little girl.
“If you call the person who follows the established path a genius…”
His hand rested gently on her head.
“Then the one who forges their own path becomes a legend, like me.”
His playful yet earnest eyes seemed to convey a single, heartfelt message.
I could become like that in the future too.
Laiya realized that what she had experienced a little while ago was indeed a “storytelling fairy tale.”
My voice had been vivid as I narrated the fairy tale.
She couldn’t help but feel a newfound sense of purpose.
Furthermore, the image of Ice effortlessly toppling a towering orc with a single blow remained vivid in her mind.
Did this mean that my approach to magic would be distinctive from now on?
It certainly seemed that way.
With newfound confidence, she gazed into the eyes of the archmage, who was smiling at her, expectantly.
“If what I saw a little while ago represents my future, what should I do from this point onward?”
She eager for guidance.
“I suppose you should start training.”
Braham replied, his tone light and amused, though his eyes remained serious.
“From now on, you will address me as ‘Master’ first. You shall be my ‘Disciple’.”
Braham declared his status proudly as the little girl naively nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, Master!”
However, she hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Master, until now, I’ve grown up hearing people call me a ‘half-pun’ because I couldn’t wield a sword in my family.”
She remained silent, allowing her master to share his thoughts.
“But now, your Master, has opened up a new world for you.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought them back.
He doesn’t care what others have said about me.
Why cry over something so positive?
Laiya reminded herself that she would grow stronger in the future.
“I’ve made my decision. I’ve contemplated many things to survive, but now I’ve chosen my top priority.”
She declared with determination.
“It’s like this, Master. I’ve pondered countless ways to survive, and now I’ve chosen one path to focus on. I’ll make a name for myself in BlackWinter as a ‘magic’ user.”
Someday, when the time came, I would ensure that I, Laiya, the person everyone had previously overlooked, would never be ignored again.
Braham, now her Master, gazed at her and burst into hearty laughter.
“I’ve found myself quite an interesting student.”
* * *
Today’s class came to an end, and although a considerable amount of time had not passed, Laiya wasn’t feeling so good.
So, she made the decision to head off and take a rest for now.
Her Master had mentioned that the more she learned about magic, the more it could benefit her frail body.
This was certainly welcome news.
From her Master’s perspective, the way she would use magic in the future seemed rather unique, so Laiya resolved to delve into some research on it today.
A single day was sufficient for this brilliant archmage to comprehend how to guide me going forward… Heheheh.
With that settled, Laiya left with Ice.
“I suppose you’ll still be with me in the future, Ice. That’s reassuring.”
Laiya mumbled as she made her way to the library.
Ice clung to her as if it had been eagerly awaiting her return to begin her magic mastery journey.
Oooo I like where this is going!!! Thank you for translating! 💕