The Bookstore Mage

The rest of the day was spent with Lucien trying to decipher a new spell. So far, he had learned Tadawsa, a minor healing spell that worked surprisingly well. Then there was Imer, a psychic spell that allowed him to move everything with his mind. Lucien had yet to test the limits of Imer, but he had a good feeling about it.

Lastly, there was the first mysterious spell that transported him to that strange space. He didn't try it again after that time. "Perhaps I should visit again?" He mumbled. Moon jumped on top of the desk and laid down on top of the book.

That brought a smile to Lucien's face. He gently scratched her head before grabbing his phone to check on the time. "11 pm. Guess it's about time we call it a night, right?" Moon meowed in affirmation.

Lucien then changed his clothes, brushed his teeth, and quickly jumped on the bed. Moon joined him and settled on top of the book next to him. Turning off the lights, Lucien closed his eyes with a happy sentiment.

*****

The next morning, Lucien woke up relaxed for the first time in a long time. Moon was already up and had moved to stand on top of the desk. When she heard Lucien stir in bed, Moon then jumped out and sat next to the door.

"Morning, sunshine. How did you sleep?" He asked with a yawn before making his way to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Breakfast today, was homemade. He quickly fixed something for Moon as well before he moved to unlock the doors of the bookstore, and turned the sign from closed to open. There was no point in leaving it closed when he was sitting here doing nothing, so why not open it?

Satisfied, Lucien moved to sit behind the counter and began to study the magic book. The new spell he was trying to decipher was an offensive one that summoned a fireball. A classic spell that every mage should know. Simple, but extremely powerful depending on the amount of mana invested in it.

The hand gestures were not too complicated, but the flow of mana inside his body was a little bit tricky, so Lucien was having a hard time memorizing it. It didn't help that he had nowhere to practice. The hours quickly passed by without a single customer. The small bookstore had seen better days.

By the time the clock reached noon, Lucien turned the sign to closed and went upstairs to make himself some food. He tried to cook using Imer, while he studied the flow of mana for the new spell: Tajajiht at the same time. This way he trained his concentration and bettered his control, while constantly improving his mastery over Imer.

After a quick lunch, Lucien came back downstairs and reopened the bookstore. Coincidentally, it was at this time that Anna dropped by once again. She greeted him with a smile and made her way to her favorite section: Mystery novels. Moon on the other hand remained upstairs lazing on top of his bed.

*****

In another unknown location, on the other side of town. A young haughty looking man with flaming red hair and equally red eyes was pacing around inside an extravagant bedroom. His brows were creased as he read the text sent to his phone.

" -Code name: The Bookstore Mage

-Real name?: Lucien Wood. the current owner of the old bookstore on 27th Street. He used to live there with his grandfather, Thomas Wood before moving out six years ago.

-Age: 25?

-Race: Unknown

-Unable to find further information on the grandfather.

-Unable to find further information on the parents.

-Unable to trace Lucien from the time before he came back to the city.

-Recons noted a strange aura looming inside the bookstore, preventing them from using magic.

-Proceed with caution.

-Threat Rank: ??? "

Clicking his tongue, the young man threw his phone on the bed and grumbled in annoyance. "The Council is getting sloppier by the day. What kind of report is this? Could it be that they are withholding information?"

"Ron!"

Following his call, a middle-aged butler with a well-trimmed mustache came into the room. He gave the young man a deep bow and asked:

"You called, young master?"

"Did you see the file on that new mage?" He asked, to which the butler nodded and answered:

"Yes, I did young master. Our man inside managed to get a copy of the file as soon as it came in."

"Then explain to me, what the hell does this Threat Rank mean?"

"I'm afraid the council believes that this person might be a dangerous mage. They are still unable to determine his level of power, so it is advised to avoid interacting with him for the time being."

Shaking his head, the young man clicked his tongue in annoyance and replied:

"I don't care about any of that. All I want to know is, whether he will be useful to the family or not."

The butler seemed to understand his master's wishes, he quickly nodded before answering:

"What type of approach would you like us to take, young master?"

Rubbing his chin, the young man walked around the room for a few seconds before he raised his head to glance at the butler.

"Since the Council is treating this with caution, then we should do the same. There's no point in antagonizing a high-ranking mage. Send someone to offer him a job, and see if he accepts. If he does, then we'll test him with that, and see what level he reached. If he doesn't." A dangerous gleam flashed through his eyes.

The butler nodded and gave a deep bow before he took his leave.

*****

Back in the bookstore, Anna had already left, leaving Lucien behind. He was completely immersed in the new spell. Mana constantly gathered and dispersed around his fingertips, as the hint of a spark kept appearing and disappearing.

"It's not as hard as I expected. The only tricky part Is on controlling the size of it." Saying that Lucien carefully snapped his fingers causing a small flame to appear above his thumb. He smiled in satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment filling him, before he snapped again, causing the flame to disappear.

"And that's another spell in the bag." He mumbled. A yawn suddenly escaped his lips. Standing up, Lucien stretched his limbs and walked to the window next to the door. The evening sun bathed the street in a golden glow, giving off a pleasant vibe.

Standing there while staring at the sky, Lucien found himself hopeful for the future. His heart was finally at ease.

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