Chapter 41: The Price of Fulfilling a Dream
It was a barbaric ritual of the savages.
Under the influence of dark forces, the wounds of the deceased, who had been split in half, were sealed with mud and ash.
No blood dripped down—only half-faces frozen in despair.
One half gazed at the bonfire, while the other half stared into the deep night.
Brown’s sister held his mouth tightly shut as the two of them lay motionless in a muddy swamp.
Thick layers of mud covered their faces, leaving only two small holes for breathing and the tiniest slits to observe the outside world.
They didn’t even dare to shed tears, fearing the moisture would wash away the mud and reveal them.
It was Brown’s eternal nightmare.
He had never imagined he would witness such a scene again.
Years had passed.
He had thought he had forgotten it all.
Shaking uncontrollably, Brown clutched his head, covering his ears and squeezing his eyes shut.
He dared not look at whether those mismatched feet belonged to mutilated bodies split in half.
His right hand still clenched the black cord of the small charm bead, desperately hoping it would dispel this terrifying memory.
"Brown."
Suddenly, a familiar voice whispered in his ear.
"It’s okay now, little brother."
Brown’s trembling halted as he slowly lifted his head.
"Sister…?"
A simple, plain-faced village girl smiled warmly at him.
Seeing her brother’s pale face, she softly reassured him,
"It’s alright now, little brother. They’ve all left."
"Heh… heh… heh…"
But Brown’s teeth chattered violently, and his lips turned bloodless, deathly pale.
"Sister…"
The village girl looked puzzled. She stepped closer and reached out with her mud-stained hand.
"Little brother, what are you afraid of?"
Brown fell back onto the ground. He wanted to retreat, but his limbs were frozen—he couldn’t move even an inch.
How could he not be afraid?
His sister hadn’t survived that massacre.
No.
His sister hadn’t died in that massacre.
She had died by his own hands.
The siblings hidden in the mud had not escaped the keen senses of the barbarians. But before they were discovered, a stroke of luck saved them—a group of wizard apprentices arrived, interrupting the impending slaughter.
They came in horse-drawn carriages from afar.
Upon spotting them, the barbarians panicked and fled in haste, too rushed to even retrieve all their sacrificial "offerings."
Fortunately, none of them escaped judgment.
One of the wizard apprentices suddenly soared into the air in pursuit.
Amid flashes of lightning and rolling thunder, Brown watched as the once-arrogant, grinning, and invincible barbarians were reduced to piles of charred corpses.
His eyes widened, unblinking, even as muddy water stung painfully.
He endured the pain, watching the apprentice fly back to the carriage before slowly approaching him and his sister.
Brown and his sister crawled out of the mud and knelt before the wizard, expressing their deepest gratitude.
But amidst his gratitude, a new and uncontrollable desire began to rise within Brown.
His destiny had changed.
If he could follow this person, wouldn’t he have the chance to become a wizard?
Brown imagined himself soaring through the sky, effortlessly executing his enemies.
Becoming a wizard— that was the life he deserved!
However, his dream was soon shattered.
At his sister’s desperate pleas, the wizard reluctantly agreed to take them back.
But he would only take one of them.
The other would be left behind.
The reason?
There was only room for one more person in the carriage.
Brown couldn’t understand.
There were two carriages—one filled with over a dozen children, and the other, more spacious, carrying only two wizards.
Yet, the carriage with the children was the only one allowed to take an extra person.
The wizards’ carriage was sacred—letting anyone else board it was blasphemy.
The wizard who had wielded lightning turned to his companion and asked, "Let’s take the boy. He looks capable."
But the pale-faced wizard firmly pointed at Brown’s sister.
"No, I want a maid."
The lightning wizard sighed. "Maid work is useless."
The pale wizard was unwavering. "You don’t understand. A maid represents justice."
The lightning wizard shook his head but didn’t argue further. He agreed to the decision.
Brown’s face turned even paler than the pale wizard’s.
He was going to be left behind?
Brown turned desperately to his sister.
Sister, say something! Tell them to take me instead, leave you behind!
Say it! You love me so much—you always gave me the best things!
Say it! Let them take me! I promise, when I become a wizard, I’ll come back for you! I’ll give you a better life!
But the girl, who had always doted on her younger brother, only lowered her head, wringing the hem of her dress.
She was hesitating.
His sister was hesitating!?
Brown was in utter disbelief.
He squatted down, as if resigning himself to despair.
The girl glimpsed her brother’s defeated posture from the corner of her eye and finally made her decision.
She opened her mouth, trembling, her voice thick with reluctance.
"M-Master… please… take my brother instead…"
"Bang!"
Before she could finish, a stone struck the back of her head.
She collapsed.
Brown stared at his sister in shock.
She lay on the ground, clutching her bleeding wound, and turned back to look at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Her shock was rapidly transforming into anger.
She was angry.
Brown had never felt so clear-headed in his life.
His sister was angry.
Which meant—she wouldn’t give him this chance.
Expressionless, he stepped forward.
What strength could a poor boy possibly have?
Brown braced himself, panting, and looked up at the two wizards who had watched the entire event unfold in silence.
"Master, now I’m the only one left."
The pale wizard covered his nose with a finger as if Brown emitted some unbearable stench.
"Hah. Came to recruit apprentices, but found a beast instead."
The lightning wizard said nothing.
Neither wizard stopped Brown as he climbed into the carriage filled with children.
Memories surged back.
His sister, whom he had shattered with his own hands, now stood before him—whole.
"It’s an illusion," Brown told himself. "She can’t be alive. After all these years, not even her ghost should remain."
He was no longer the helpless little boy who had once cowered in his sister’s arms.
A mere illusion? Did it really think it could scare him to death?
Brown lifted his head, stared at his sister’s face, and swung his fist.
A hand caught it—firmly.
Brown looked up.
Sid was standing before him, watching coldly.
So, it was just an illusion!
It must have been Sid’s test! That’s why the charm bead had been useless.
"Master!" Brown grinned widely. "Did I pass your test?"
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