Nascent Soul Rebirth: Starting as a Wizard

"It's delicious, thank you, El," she praised sincerely.

Seeing that she liked it, El immediately became happy again, and his eyes were then drawn to the tea and snacks on the table.

"I'm hungry too!"

Without any hesitation, he grabbed a slice of lemon tart, swallowed it in a few bites, and then picked up an almond shortbread.

They ate with crumbs falling everywhere, their eagerness just like when they were fighting for food at the Dawn House.

Phil watched him wolf down his food, a faint, bitter smile playing on his lips.

My older brother is a year older than me, but he often acts like a child who never grows up, and he's even more "childish" than before.

The earlier El could become exceptionally fierce and precocious in order to protect her.

He was beaten and injured for stealing medicine, but he gritted his teeth and endured it without shedding a single tear.

Now he has a relatively stable environment.

The carefree and innocent spirit that belonged to a teenager, suppressed by the hardships of life, was released instead.

"How's training with the Cavaliers going lately? Is it going smoothly?" Phil asked with concern, taking a sip of tea.

She knew that El was aloof and hadn't gotten along well with the newcomers in the Franel community.

"Great! Absolutely great!" Al said excitedly, his mouth full of food.

"Let me tell you, sister, I've found the 'dock'! I've bowed to the boss! It's that young master Solo, Solo Farron!"

You've definitely heard of the one with the black hair! He used to lead a guard around outside the city all the time!

Phil put down his teacup, his slender fingers tracing the rim as he quickly searched his mind for relevant information.

Solo Franz.

Yes, she knew this person.

Viscount Andrei's illegitimate son, but possesses legitimate blood.

There are few rumors about him, and she doesn't seem keen on getting involved in the social interactions of the younger generation within the family.

His only notable achievement was his clean and decisive defeat of a notoriously arrogant collateral descendant, Nielt, on the training field.

In addition, it is said that he is highly regarded by the senior knight instructor Patton.

They even frequently participated in escorting grain and fodder and protecting villagers, which was extremely rare among their peers, the "Fran" and "Franel".

"I didn't expect... he would have fans too," Phil said softly, with a hint of thoughtfulness in his voice.

From her observation, the young master Solo did not seem to be someone who was keen on building his own power.

"Yes! And he's so good to me!"

Al finally swallowed the food in his mouth, took a big gulp of the black tea that Phil pushed towards him, and continued speaking.

"Let me tell you, I never used to be able to eat this kind of food. Back then, at noon in the barracks canteen, Young Master Solo took me directly to the special counter."

Goodness, he ate a whole big bowl of rock horn lamb chops by himself, more than three times the amount I ate!

No wonder he was so strong; when he bumped into me, it felt like being gored by a bison…”

He subconsciously rubbed his chest and then chuckled.

Phil looked at Al's excited, glowing face and listened to his unconscious admiration for Solo in his words, and felt a mix of emotions.

She was happy that her brother had found someone to rely on and that his life had improved, but she also had a slight worry.

Solo was far removed from the aristocracy she knew.

Admittedly, the Fran family had been incredibly kind to her, but she did not unconditionally trust them.

"It's good that you can eat. Cavaliers' training is very demanding, so they need to keep up with their nutrition."

Phil suppressed his doubts and gently gave him his instructions.

"Now that you're following Young Master Solo, you must obey his orders and train diligently. Don't be as willful as before and make him angry."

"Okay, okay!" El readily agreed, then forked another piece of monster meat and stuffed it into his mouth, muttering to himself.

"Young Master Solo is a really good person, although he's a bit ruthless during training... but what he teaches is truly useful!"

Seeing his brother enjoying his meal, Phil remained silent for a moment.

The firelight from the fireplace danced in her deep blue eyes, reflecting a profound contemplation.

She put down her teacup, her voice becoming softer and more earnest:

"El, in a few months, the three of us will probably be heading to Emerald Academy with Young Master Karl and the others."

Upon hearing the words "Emerald Academy," El slowed his chewing, and the excitement on his face faded slightly.

He looked at his sister, his eyes filled with worry.

He had even heard of the terrifying rumors surrounding that academy.

Phil avoided his brother's gaze, looked at the leaping fire, and continued calmly:

"Before that, when do you think it's appropriate to make some arrangements... I'd like to meet with Young Master Solo."

After all, you'll need someone to look after you here after I leave.

Her reasons were reasonable and full of concern for her brother.

Jade Academy.

This name weighed heavily on her heart.

It is a temple of knowledge, and also a place rumored to be fiercely competitive and fraught with danger.

Deep down, she felt a sense of resistance and unease towards that island.

But she had no choice.

Viscount Andrei's kindness, El's future...

In order for El to be able to establish herself here, and also to repay the Viscount for giving her and her brother a second life.

She absolutely had to go to that academy that filled her with a vague sense of fear.

Before leaving, she should at least try her best to clear away some of the fog that might be lurking around her innocent brother.

A few days later, the reply from El was brief: young master Solo gladly agreed to the meeting, which was to be held in his temporary single tent outside the city.

Although his recent guard duty has ended, the young master seems to have grown accustomed to the simple life outside the city.

He did not move back to the Viscount's mansion, but remained in the barracks, occasionally leading his troop of militia and guards.

Perform simple tasks such as patrolling, assisting with logging, or clearing roads.

Accompanied by El, Phil passed through the tall and heavy gates of Wolf City and stepped into the world outside the city.

Compared to the orderly and relatively tidy environment inside the castle, the camp area outside the castle appeared rough and chaotic.

The snow was trampled into a muddy mixture of ice and water, and the air was filled with the smells of cooking fires, livestock manure, and the unique, complex odors of human settlements.

In the distance, rhythmic banging sounds and the muffled thuds of trees falling could be heard.

They found Solo in a clearing in the woods.

He wasn't dressed in fancy clothes, but rather in thick leather armor that allowed for easy movement, covered by an old coat covered in sawdust and cigarette ash.

He was directing a dozen or so strong militiamen and serfs to cut and split the felled spruce and fir trees.

Sweat steamed from their frosty eyebrows and stubble.

"Young Master, Miss Phil has arrived." Al stepped forward quickly and announced in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Solo turned around and saw Phil behind El, handing the wood-chopping axe in his hand to the man next to him.

He dusted the sawdust off his hands and strode over.

His gaze lingered on Phil for a moment—this reclusive future wizard apprentice.

She wore a thick, plush long dress and an exquisite ferret shawl, which were clearly more suitable for the interior of the castle.

It stands out starkly from the surrounding dusty, bustling work scene.

Sparse snowflakes landed on her light golden hair and shawl, like exquisite porcelain pieces that had strayed into the mortal world.