Edmonte's Story by Kazen II Kad (book recommendations for young adults TXT) 📖

understand the meaning written in the parchment. “Tell the arch mage I’m refusing this offer,” I told as I returned the parchment.

“Then I’ll hire a courier to send the parchment back to Arch mage Hirscher.”

“Excuse me?” I was confused by his reply.

“Arch mage Hirscher gave me an order to stay with you as your bodyguards.”

“What the…Why would he do that?!”

“He told me you’re a great asset for Magus Association.”

“But I’m not even of Magus Association. Besides, don’t you fell awkward guarding a necromancer?”

“Not really.”

“But–!”

“Master Ed, I don’t think he will ever listen to whatever you want to say so I think you should just let him follow us,” Theo advised. I wanted to rebuke Theo’s words but decided against it. I realized that arguing further with a stubborn person would not get me anywhere. The first person to teach me that was the Arch mage of Soparto himself.

“All right, you can stay with us, Sir Bartholomew, but I won’t be paying you for the job,” I finally said.

“Thank you. You don’t have to worry about any payment. The Magus Association is handling that and you can just call me Barth,” the knight mage replied before he called for the waiter to take his meal order.

Having Sir Barth around getting a bit of a used to. I was worried about the public perception towards him; hanging around necromancy practitioners liked us. However, my worries were baseless since he just acted as if he was hanging around normal people. He was also handy in term of fighting of highways men and finding food while we journey – not that I got trouble with those two things since I had Iris and her hordes to be my guardians.

Nevertheless, he did not forget about his obligation to Arch mage Hirscher. Every time we stopped in Bedin, he would ask permission to be gone for a while. I found out from the butterflies that I sent with him that he went to Mecor Headquarter to meet a fellow knight mage to give report on my well-being and to receive funding from his employer, hence I need not pay him for his bodyguard job. He also received letter from Arch mage Hirscher addressed to me, usually just discussing on the matter of magic. Not to mention the letter of offer that I became so familiar with these days.

“Urgh

, can’t he stop sending me this offer letter? I don’t mind being an unofficial advisor to him in necromancy but I will continue to refuse his offer to be a tutor in Magus Association,” I complained to Sir Barth; having received the letter of offer for the fifth times really got on my nerve.

“Is that so?” Sir Barth asked, with a grin on his face. I should be suspicious of that grin but I was so frustrated by the continuous offer letter that I promptly forgotten about that. And the next time we stopped by Bedin City, Sir Barth gave me a letter appointing me as an unofficial advisor of Magus Association, along with a signet and a plaque bearing my official symbol and name.

“You…”

“But you did said it last time,” Sir Barth said innocently.

You reap what you sow

; that saying echoed in my mind. Sighing, I just accepted my past error. “All right, I’ll accept this appointment,” I said.

“Then, I congratulate you on your appointment, Master Ed.”

“Right, right. Now, let’s enjoy the dinner,” I ended the conversation.

My appointment as unofficial advisor to Magus Association did not extremely change my way of living. I still went up and down Estrey Region selling my necromancy skill, and the only time I acted as advisor was when Arch mage Hirscher and any other magic practitioners of magic from the Magus Associate, including the resident necromancers, sent letter to discuss matter of Magus Association and any necromancy stuff. I believed my relationship with Magus Association would not be more than this, yet I underestimate the arch mage’s perseverance again when it come to me, and it seemed that Arch mage Hirscher had more in store for me than I could ever imagine.

It began when the news of Arch mage Hirscher’s death spread across the realm. The Magical Advisor of to three generations of Soparto’s rulers died of old age one winter night. The people of Soparto and those who respected him mourned him for seven days and nights – I also said a silent prayer when I heard of his death. He was one of the few people whom I respected in this life. Inevitably, the countless letters that I received from Magus Association also seemed to cease since his death. Part of me was quite happy that the trails of letter finally end, but a part of me was quite saddened because I enjoyed discussion matter of magic with other mages regardless which magic lore they practiced. Nevertheless, I continued on with my life. While I was ready to leave matters of the Magus Association behind me, agent from the institute came to find me.

My entourage was in Kyrun Port City, after a week journey on the sea from Nyra Town of Estrey Region. I sent Sir Barth, Gaby and Theo to replenish the supply of necromancy spell and other necessary items, while I went to the local cleric centre for exorcism services to drop off wandering spirits that I bound in effigies from the job offers I got – Well, necromancy does not deal with exorcism and the work was better left to the expert with a few coin exchange. When that task was done, I went to wait for the others at the inn where we were staying. Upon arriving at the inn, I chanced upon people whom I had never seen for the passed few years.

“Kash! Luciel! Good to see you guys again!” I greeted when I saw them by the reception counter. There were another two men with them, a mage in brown elementalist robe and a knight mage in light armor, but I ignored them for now.

“Good to see you too, kid,” Luciel greeted back.

“How are you?” Kash asked.

“Oh, I’m fine,” I answered simply. “How about you guys?”

“We’re fine as well. I heard from your former master you’re travelling places to sell your necromancy skills and that you’ve gotten yourself apprentices?” Kash asked. Well, I was still in contact with my former training master by sending him news of my well-beings, once or twice a month. The mercenary was the same as usual, though a bit older, with his faithful horned-wolves staying nearby.

“Oh, I’m sending my boys on some errands and we’re just stopping here for a few days before moving on to Bedin,” I informed. “How about you guys?” I asked.

“I’m here to escort an official from Soparto Kingdom to Bedin,” Luciel answered. He waved his hand behind him to indicate the elementalist mage and knight mage I saw earlier.

“Oh, I just happen to meet Luc here and since we’re going to the same place, I thought of sticking around,” Kash said. It seemed like the mercenary had a lot of free time in his hand.

“I see,” I said.

“You want to come along? Since you’ll be heading to Bedin anyway,” Luciel offered.

“Mm…no, thanks. I don’t want to be a hindrance to you,” I rejected politely. I still had the complexity problem of how general people perceived necromancer. I also need to ask member of my entourage whenever there was any change of schedule to be done.

“You won’t be a hindrance,” Luciel said. “Right?” this he asked of the elementalist mage. “By the way, this kid is Ed, a friend. He was my other friend’s, Master Necromancer Raul, apprentice,” the trooper added.

“Former apprentice to Master Necromancer Raul of Estrey…You mean Master Edmonte of Estrey?” the mage said as he looked at me with awe – an expression that was so foreign to someone of my status and station.

“Excuse me, but who are you?” I asked. I knew I sounded rude but I had never seen this mage before. People just did not know my full name and any former Master’s name unless I knew about them and this did not sit well with me.

“Ah, pardon me, Your Excellency. My name’s Zhou Li Men and I served Magus Association as the Head of Elemantalist Department, and this is my travelling companion, Sir Anton,” the mage introduced himself and the knight mage. I instantly recognized the name as one of the few mages who used to send me letters over the course of time I became the unofficial advisor for Magus Association. “Master Edmonte, I’m glad to finally meet you in person,” the mage added, clasping my hands for a firm handshake.

“Ah, Master Zhou, I see. I see,” I said, returning the handshake. “Anyway, can we drop just that thing about ‘Your Excellency’

? I’m just an unofficial advisor to Magus Association so you can just simply call me as Edmonte or Ed.”

“What?” Luciel exclaimed.

“You never told us this,” the mercenary accused.

True. I never told anyone about my appointment as ‘unofficial advisor’

. Not even to Master Raul. The only ones who knew were Sir Barth and my two apprentices. “Well, it’s just an unofficial advisor; nothing grand, and it’s the only position I can compromise with the late Arch mage Hirscher then when he offer me a position as tutor in Magus Association. Being a tutor require me to be in Magus Association most of the time, while being unofficial advisor give me rein to do as I please and go wherever I want,” I explained. “So, what are you doing here so far from the institute, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Actually, I’m here to look for you on behalf of the Magus Association, Your Excellency. Since Sir Barth has not been in contact with us since the late arch mage’s demise, we didn’t know where to find you and thus we wanted to enlist the help of the authority here to find you,” Master Zhou said. Thus explained the need to go to Bedin City where the Authority Body of the region situated.

“I see,” I said simply. I was already aware that Sir Barth had not been in contact with Magus Association since he handed me the notice of Arch mage Hirscher’s death that he received from his contact person. However, they could just send a tracker to track us down; no need to get the Octagon Council of Estrey Region involved. “Well, I’m here now so what can I do for you, Master Zhou?” I asked. With me here, I supposed there would be no need for Sir Zhou to go to Bedin now.

Master Zhou surprised me, and probably the others when he took my right hand and knelt in front of me. “Master Edmonte, please come to Magus Association and assume the chancellor seat,” the elemetalist said before he kissed the signet ring, the symbol of my office and affiliation with the Magus Association.

I was rendered speechless by the announcement and show of fealty. My mind was totally blank. “Let’s