To my dearest Father, Mother, and my little sister, Marie,
How are you all doing? I am currently in the royal capital of Ulm. I figured you would be worried about me since I haven't returned home, so I'm writing this letter.
To get straight to the point, I have advanced to the third exam of the Court Mage Selection Exam. I know Father and Mother never intended for things to turn out like this, but this is all thanks to the two of you giving me travel money and sending me on my way. Thank you so much.
I didn't know this myself at first, but it seems there are five stages in total, so I might have to stay in Ulm for a little while longer. Fortunately, I received something called a royal grant from His Majesty the King, so please don't worry about my travel expenses.
Also, by making it to the third exam, I was told that I am at least guaranteed the post of "court-appointed mage." Even if I were to fail the third stage or beyond, I haven't decided yet whether I will stay in Ulm to take up that job or return home.
Personally, I've taken a liking to Ulm, so I wouldn't mind working as a court-appointed mage. However, I don't think this is a choice I should make on my own, so please let me know your thoughts whenever you can. I'll be waiting.
And to my dear Marie: I'm going to ask a traveler to deliver some hair ornaments I found in a shop here in the royal capital. I'm sending both one chosen by the innkeeper's daughter and one I picked myself, so please wear whichever one you like better.
Lastly, there is something I wanted to ask. Who did those books in the barn belong to? When I mentioned our family's collection to a friend I made here in the capital, they found it very strange. I'd really appreciate it if you could shed some light on that.
The fee will start climbing if I write any more, so I'll leave it at that. Please take care of yourselves, everyone. Until next time.
From Keegan Bauer
"...Will that be all for the message?"
"Yes. How much will it be?"
"Exactly ten thousand belgs."
"Here you go, then."
When I placed the gold coins on the reception counter, the clerk took them and set his pen to the parchment. This was a communication station in the royal capital of Ulm. Apparently, they would transmit the message to another station near my village using communication magic, and from there, a courier would deliver the words to my home. They said it would be relayed verbally, so even my family, who couldn't read, would have no trouble understanding it.
Still, I had no idea such an advanced messaging system existed in the world. Couriers had occasionally come to our village to deliver news, but... to think that communication magic was behind it all.
"Very well, we'll have it delivered. It should take about two days."
"Thank you. That's a huge help."
Honestly, I was amazed it would arrive in just two days. Walking the distance took a solid two weeks, so the sheer power of magic was nothing short of extraordinary.
"Hey! Is the next dispatch ready yet?!"
"Ah, my apologies!"
The clerk turned around to face a sullen-looking man in his fifties who had just emerged from the back. He wore practical, loose-fitting clothes, making him the likely technician who actually used magic to transmit the messages.
"Good grief, I'm swamped back there. Hurry it up and bring it over..."
"I'm sorry. Here is the text, and the destination is..."
As the clerk offered an apologetic explanation, the man listened with clear irritation. Come to think of it, this communication station was run by the kingdom. If he could use magic, that meant he was a mage too, but...
"Hey, kid. Are you taking the mage examination?"
"Huh?"
While I was lost in thought, the man addressed me directly. Pushing past the clerk, he leaned across the counter toward me.
"Sorry 'bout that. I know it's bad manners to read someone's message, but... I just couldn't help being curious."
"No, not at all. I don't mind."
"Oho, so you really do have a number on your left wrist. Times sure have changed since my day."
"Y-Yeah..."
The man eyed my left wrist with keen interest. Times had changed since his day, which meant...?
"Well, you see, I took the mage examination way back when, too. Failed and ended up a technician at a communication station."
"Does that mean you're a 'court-appointed mage'?"
"That's right. Though getting transferred to a podunk place like this is pretty rare."
That made sense. Even if they took in just under fifty people every three years, there was no way they'd have enough manpower to staff every minor communication station. He was likely stationed here by pure chance. A twist of fate, perhaps.
"Well, give it your best shot. Make sure you become a proper court mage, got it?"
"Ah, thank you very much."
"See ya. I'll make sure to pump plenty of mana into sending your message."
As the man walked away, the stern line of his mouth seemed to soften just a fraction.
Even if a message could be sent by magic, getting actual goods delivered meant relying on someone traveling by foot. It would be ideal if I happened upon someone heading toward my village, but tracking a person down on my own would be a massive headache. In that case... it made the most sense to ask someone who dealt with travelers all day long.
"It should be right around here..."
I made my way to the city gate on the outer edge of Ulm. This was the exact spot I had passed through on my very first day arriving from the countryside—the place where the guard had stopped me and sent me into a panic.
"Um, excuse me."
"Hm? You're... ah, the kid from the other day!"
When I called out to the guard, he raised his voice in surprise. It turned out to be the exact same guard from before. With parts of his face concealed by armor, it had been hard for me to tell.
"Hey, that mark on your left wrist... did you actually pass the exam?! That's incredible!"
"Ah, thank you very much."
"I never thought you'd pull it off... Good thing I didn't haul you away back then."
Indeed, if this guard had detained me that day, everything would have turned out very differently.
"So, what can I do for you?"
"I have a favor to ask. I was hoping you could hand this box to a traveler heading toward this region."
I showed the guard a slip of paper with my village's name written on it, along with the box containing the hair ornaments. Since he dealt with so many travelers every day, he was bound to meet someone heading in that direction. Asking him was clearly my best option.
"I also have ten thousand belgs in gold here. If someone is willing to take the job, could you hand this over to them as payment?"
"I see. Normally, we aren't supposed to take on personal favors like this, but... an examinee's request is a special case. Leave it to me."
"Thank you so much. Um, please take something for yourself as well..."
"No need, no need! That'd just get me chewed out by the higher-ups. Don't worry about it."
The guard chuckled good-naturedly. I had worried this might interfere with his duties and was fully prepared to back off if he refused, but this was a massive relief. It felt like the authority carried by this mark on my left wrist had truly proven its worth today.
"I really appreciate it. Thank you for your help."
"Yeah, sure thing. When's your next exam?"
"The third exam is in ten days."
"Is that so? Hurry up and become a court mage before my pockets run dry, will ya?"
"Yes, I'll do my absolute best."
Waving goodbye to the guard, I headed back toward the heart of Ulm. If I actually managed to become a court mage, I'd have to make raising the city guards' wages my very first priority... or so I told myself with a wry smile.
Filled with gratitude toward my family back in the countryside and the people I had met in the capital, I brought my day to a close.
At the time, I still had no idea.
I didn't yet understand the true meaning behind the saying: "Monsters lurk within the exams."