Alger was prepared to ask the headmaster.
He slowly walked towards the headmaster's room. He froze right before knocking on the door, revising the script he had prepared in his mind.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in!"
Alger slowly opened the door and stepped in.
After glancing at Alger, the headmaster smiled faintly and said, "Ah! Al, I was expecting you!"
I guess my name is Al now. Huh!
After a long pause, he continued, "I'm guessing you're here to discuss the lectures on Aqua Element we will be having."
"Yes," Alger said. "But before that, I wanted to ask you something, Headmaster."
The headmaster made a curious expression and asked,"And what would that be?"
"As you can see, I bought a katana from the city centre." He said with the katana in his hand,"But I have no idea how to use it. That's why I wanted to ask you to teach me katana instead of the Aqua Element." Alger turned left and glanced at the katana resting on the bookshelf."I believe you're letting your hard-earned skills go to waste. But by teaching me, you could sharpen them again. Please consider my request."
The headmaster thought for a second before speaking,
"You really do know how to convince someone, Al."
"We'll start tomorrow morning. Meet me behind the orphanage every day."
And that was how Alger's four-year journey to becoming a Conjuror and a swordsman began.
***
After making the arrangement with the headmaster, Alger's life became far slower and simpler.
For the past four years, Alger had followed a steady routine. He would rise just before dawn for practice. During the first two years, the headmaster only demonstrated basic movements, stances, footwork, grip, and control. Nothing fancy. And told him to repeat them until exhaustion. But once Alger had internalized the fundamentals, the headmaster began sparring with him personally. And to this day, Alger had never managed to land a single blow... even though the headmaster wasn't using his Gate.
The headmaster was no ordinary mage. He was different...
After sword training, Alger would rest. He'd take a bath, eat breakfast, and then prepare to head toward the city centre—or at least, that's what he let everyone believe.
He had told the headmaster that he had found a job near the city centre. A lie. He claimed the katana he purchased from Asper's shop wasn't free; it was a down payment. And ever since that day, he pretended to go to Asper's shop to work.
But in truth, he simply made his way to the lonesome Oak tree he had discovered, the place perfect for his training.
There, he practiced to become a Tempest Conjuror. Usually trying to advance to the next tier, but sometimes trying to incorporate his Element within his fighting style.
He 'worked' until dusk before coming to the orphanage. Usually, he is completely exhausted. He wouldn't even eat dinner and would just collapse on his bed.
On Terra, humans typically sensed their Gates around the age of eleven, then Awakened around fifteen. With discipline and guidance, they could become Conjurors in another four to five years.
Up to that point, the path was relatively straightforward. But after becoming a Conjuror, a wall awaited.
The orphanage's library had many books, but none detailing the process of becoming a Conjuror. That's why Alger had to purchase a book from the city centre. It wasn't cheap... it cost him an entire year's worth of savings.
But the knowledge it offered was worth far more than a few hundred coins.
Becoming a Conjuror was simple in principle. All you had to do was sense your gate... until it became as natural as moving a limb. Alger had first sensed his gate at the age of four... so he had a big advantage.
Only three years after acquiring the book, Alger succeeded. He became a Tempest Conjuror.
That was also the day he announced to everyone that he had supposedly become a Tempest Awakened.
This was exactly one week ago.
Ivory and Dawn had become Awakened a year earlier, when they were only 14. That was impressive, a clear sign they possessed the potential to become powerful mages. Alger, on the other hand, had to endure an entire year of teasing from Ivy, mostly because he had spent so many hours studying Elemental energy, and yet he had failed to awaken before a girl who used to waste her time playing with toddlers.
Ivy had become an Aqua Awakened, and Dawn, a Terra Awakened. From the moment they first sensed their Gates, the headmaster had guided them, which was partially why they had become Awakened before most.
The headmaster didn't offer Alger his help, probably because he was already helping him with the sword. That was the reason Alger supposedly became an Awakened a bit later than Ivy and Dawn. He had to make it look like he had a hard time without help, but becoming an Awakened at 15 without a tutor, all on your own, was still quite impressive.
Alger wasn't particularly close to Dawn, but since they were the same age, they often crossed paths. Alger could tell that Dawn would grow into a formidable mage.
***
After today's morning training, Alger stood in front of the mirror.
He saw a young man with white hair and emerald eyes. He was still lean, but his body had hardened. Defined abs and a layer of muscle had formed over thousands of hours of sword training.
After bathing, he put on slightly more fashionable clothes than usual. He wore a brown shearling leather jacket—the one gifted to him by the headmaster on his fifteenth birthday, which was on the first of March.
He was ready.
He took out three shimmering pounds and a few copper cents from beneath his bed and walked downstairs, heading for the main gate.
He followed the cobbled path towards the iron gates. But instead of walking to the practice ground like he usually does, he stood waiting in front of the gate.
After a short while, a carriage drawn by two elegant white horses arrived.
Alger waved his hand, and the carriage slowly came to a stop. He stepped into the empty cabin, right as a man wearing a pale brown trench coat approached.
"Where to?" asked the conductor.
After handing him two cents, Alger replied:
"Iron Street."