Elder Kalman

Free to do as he wished but at the same time, confined to the grounds of the workshop, Theodore's options were severely limited. The extended building to the workshop wasn't small, possessing a modest living room, a kitchen, and two rooms, one used as storage and the other a bedroom. On the second floor, there was the study, with two sets of stairs that led both into the extended building and the workshop.

Usually, Kalman could be found in the study. Time and time again, Fiana had reminded Theodore that Kalman was not to be disturbed, meaning that the study was practically forbidden to him.

Then, there was the workshop proper. Unlike the extended building that was built with fine wood, it was built with stone bricks. Filled with various alchemical equipment and vials of various chemicals, the workshop was hardly the place to fool around in. Of course, Theodore wasn't one to fool around, but having previously lived in the countryside where he ran around the hills daily, Theodore couldn't deny that he had the urge to move around a little more.

In the end, neither the workshop nor the extended building served as a suitable outlet for Theodore's accumulating frustrations and he was getting antsier by the day. In the mere ten days since he had arrived, thoughts of trying to sneak out were already swimming about in his head.

Wrapping things up upon finishing his daily assignments, Theodore was just about to leave when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was a rare occasion for him to bump into the elder like this, as the man rarely ever showed himself outside of his study. These days, it seemed, the elder barely even used the workshop anymore, leaving much of the equipment to gather dust.

"Elder Kalman, good morning," Theodore greeted.

"Why hello there, Leo-"

"It's Theodore."

"Right, Theodore. You can just call me master, you know. You *are* my student, technically."

"Understood. So what bring you down here today, master?"

"I thought I should do some mixing every now and then. I might know all there is to know about alchemy in my head, by your skill will get rusty if you don't practice," said the elder as he walked down the stairs at a brisk pace, his eyes looking over the equipment. "Speaking of practice, I see you've been doing some mixing yourself."

"I just extracted fluids from some roots. I'm sure it's beneath your consideration, master."

"On the contrary..." Kalman daintily lifted the flask filled with the extracted essence. "I'm quite impressed. There are hardly any impurities in this fluid. You've done well for someone who's been practicing for only ten days. What methods did you use? Pray tell."

"I extracted the impurities directly with my threads," said Theodore, extending threads of Aether from his fingertips as a demonstration.

"Ah, I see," speaking as if he exhaled those very words, the elder began to recall something. "As expected of someone who displayed such skillful healing technique, your precision and control ought to be unmatched amongst your peers."

"Well, it's only natural. Apparently, I'm reincarnated or something."

At those ignorant-sounding words, Kalman let loose a chuckle.

"Still keeping your guard up, I see. I suppose I ought to be flattered that you even bothered in front of a half-senile old man like me."

"I'm not playing dumb," Theodore retorted, lying as he breathed. "And even if I was, I wouldn't underestimate an elder. Annaliese said that you all are supposed to be very incredible mages."

"A very reasonable response. Too reasonable. It is exactly that composure of yours that makes us suspect you, you realize."

"I am just being myself," Theodore said as he shrugged. "Besides, if I couldn't keep my composure, I would never have been able to do what I did with Maria and the hare. I *could* act like what everyone thinks a child should act, but the lie would just unravel itself in due time, making you doubt me even more."

"Maria?"

"She's the clergywoman running the temple that took me in."

"Oh, I see."

"As I was trying to say, I am not pretending."

"So you insist, but whether you are or not is none of my concern. If you're telling the truth, then good, there's no problem. If you're the Demon Lord, even better, perhaps you can help me with my research. In the end, I'll just continue on my way as usual. The world isn't going to stop turning just because of a Demon Lord or two."

"You don't care?" There was a hint of aggression in Theodore's voice. He realized that this was a bad idea, but those last few words irked him enough to throw caution to the wind in the heat of the moment. "What about Fiana? You don't care what happens to her either? If a Demon Lord really showed up here and starts messing everything up, she's going to get caught up in it too."

"She's a sharp girl, she'll be fine. Even if she isn't, well... life is something that can end abruptly, more so for a mage. If she's walking down this path, then she ought to be prepared for it."

Theodore could feel his eyebrows knitting together, his fists clenched, and his teeth grinding. This was one of the reasons why the late Demon Lord despised mages. They're all a bunch of twisted bastards, corrupted in their pursuit of power.

"I think I've talked more than enough for the day," said Kalman as he noted Theodore's worsening mood and realized that continuing this conversation won't be fruitful for either of them. "Leave me be, I have some work to do."

With those cold words, Theodore too, realized that there was no point in talking further. In fact, he felt that if he did, he might find himself saying things he shouldn't have. And so, bottling up his irritations, Theodore left the workshop.

Though he wished that he could go farther away, far enough that he could no longer see the building, he was stuck within the vicinity, unable to leave. Realizing that fact only worsened his mood.

***

End of Chapter 33

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