The magical journey of a countryside boy

After a few final details, Mark leaves the house, leaving a heavy, somber atmosphere in his wake. Gretchen stares at William, but before he can speak, Craig and Emma step out of their room. Gretchen immediately turns her back and walks into the kitchen.

​Rob turns to face the children.

​“Who was he?” Craig asks suspiciously, picking up on the tense silence. Emma says nothing, but her wide, expectant gaze stays fixed on her father.

​“You both know William learned how to read and write in Arindale, right?” Rob starts. Craig and Emma offer hesitant nods, glancing briefly at William. “Well, a visiting merchant made him a job offer.”

​“A job where?” Craig asks loudly.

​“In the capital,” Rob replies.

​“Isn't that way too far? And why would someone from the capital hire him? They could easily find a scribe there,” Emma questions, a trace of hidden anger lacing her voice.

​Rob glances at William before delivering the rehearsed lie. ​“The man who just left is the wealthy merchant's son from the capital.He wants to start his own business venture away from his family's shadow So he deliberately avoided hiring anyone from the capital because they could be easily influenced by his father. He wanted an outsider—a literate young lad who wouldn't have any split loyalties.” A skeptical expression settles over both Emma’s and Craig’s faces. However, before either of them can push further, Gretchen’s voice calls out from the kitchen. “Lunch is ready. Emma, come help me serve. Craig, set the plates.”

​As both children move to complete their chores, Rob’s shoulders slump and he lets out a quiet sigh of relief.

​At the table, a heavy silence hangs over the meal. The only sound in the room is the sharp clinking of metal spoons against earthen plates.

​Emma finally breaks the quiet, unable to hold back her frustration. “So... did you tell him no?”

​Rob pauses, setting his spoon down beside his plate. “I didn't give him an answer yet. He’s coming back tomorrow for our decision.”

​“You should have turned him down immediately,” Emma huffs, picking at her food. “How can we even trust a random stranger?”

​William stares down at his bowl, a knot of hesitation tightening in his chest. He chews mechanically, completely failing to taste the meal. I don't want to lie to them, he thinks. ‘But there's no way I can tell them the truth... Maybe I can write to them once I actually reach the academy?’

​Rob lets out a deep, weary sigh, drawing everyone’s eyes back to him. “It’s not that simple, Emma. This is a rare opportunity for William. Besides, we don't know what kind of connections a capital merchant holds—refusing him outright could damage our trade routes. On top of that, he offered to sign an official contract registered with the capital city hall, making him legally responsible for William’s safety.”

Throughout the entire conversation, Gretchen stays silent, quietly picking at her meal without looking up from her plate. Despite her silence, William can sense the deep sadness and helplessness weighing on her.

​The meal ends when Craig finishes his food and stands up from the table. “I was on my way to the river to meet Hans before I ran into William, so I'm leaving,” he says. He turns toward the door, then pauses and looks back. “William, why don't you come with me?”

​William looks up in surprise before glancing at Rob, who gives a silent nod of approval.

​William follows Craig out into the scorching afternoon sun. The streets are empty, the townspeople hiding indoors to escape the oppressive heat. As they step beyond the town limits, however, a cool breeze greets them. Ahead, the river flows quietly through the landscape. Dozens of locals line the banks, enjoying the shade and cold water, while groups of children splash and play in the shallows.

Taken from NovelPhoenix, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

​“Where are we going?” William asks.

​“To a secluded part of the river,” Craig replies without turning back.

​After taking a few turns along the bank, they reach a steep, deep section of the river. An old man stands near the edge of the cliff, staring down at the water.

​Spotting them together, the old man scowls, his voice laced with annoyance. “You're late today. And who's this you brought along? If you're hoping I'll teach him too, you can forget about it this instant.”

​“No, this is my cousin,” Craig replies. “He already works as an apothecary apprentice in Arindale. And I apologize for being late—he came back to visit us today, so I lost track of time.”

​Hearing this, the scowl on the old man's face doesn't soften in the slightest. “Then go and prepare for diving. We have a quota to meet.”

​Craig nods and walks toward the trees. William gives Hans a polite nod, only to be completely ignored, so he hurries after Craig.

​“Who is he, and what are you doing?” William asks, looking around in confusion.

​“That's Hans, a local from town,” Craig says. “He’s gruff, but he’s a good man. As for what I'm doing, I'm learning to be a river diver under him.”

​“A diver?” William repeats. ​“Yeah. This section of the river has a rare underwater herb that nobles and rich folk use for fine fragrances. Hans says you can occasionally find precious stones down there too, though I haven't found any yet.”

​“When did you start doing this?” William asks.

​“About two months ago,” Craig replies. “Plenty of people wanted Hans to teach them, but he turned them all down. He only took me in because he said I have better lung capacity than most and can hold my breath longer.”

​Craig begins removing his outer clothes.

​“Isn't that dangerous?” William asks, concern lacing his voice.

​“Not if you know what you're doing,” Craig says. “Hans is an expert. He watches from above for aggressive fish or dangerous beasts, and he judges the water's current and pressure before letting me go under.”

​Stripping down to his undergarments, Craig turns to William. “You should wait here.”

​With that, Craig runs back toward the steep edge of the riverbank and carefully climbs down into position.

William runs over to the riverbank, stopping right at the edge just in time to see Craig leap into the water. Taking a deep breath at the surface, Craig plunges beneath the current.

​William stares intently at the churning water, searching for any sign of his cousin. Just as worry begins to set in, Craig breaks the surface several yards downstream. In his hand, he clutches a strange aquatic plant unlike anything William has seen before—resembling a dense hybrid of long grass and coarse algae.

​Craig swims back to the bank, tossing the harvested herb onto the stones. Without wasting time, he gulps down another mouthful of air and dives right back under.

After diving continuously for nearly an hour, Craig swims back to the bank, leaning against the stones and mud to catch his breath and rest his weary arms.

​Just as he prepares to dive back under, Hans’s voice cuts through the quiet. “That's enough for today, lad. The light is starting to fade. You won't be able to see a thing down there now—get on out.”

​Craig nods, gathering the bundle of harvested herbs as he hauls himself up the steep riverbank.

​William turns to see Hans pulling a small block of dry wood and wood shavings from his bag. Striking a flint, the old man kindles a small campfire to help Craig warm up after his long dive.

After inspecting the pile of plants Craig harvested, Hans picks out a small herb with a frown. “This one's too young to be of any real use,” he grumbles. “And because you showed up late, the haul is way smaller than usual. We’ll have to start extra early tomorrow.”

​Craig simply nods, quietly drying his skin by the crackling fire.

​William crouches down and carefully picks up the discarded young herb. It leaves a cool, slimy residue on his fingers, which he wipes away against his tunic. Staring at the plant in his hand, a quiet realization settles over him.

​’So I'm not the only one moving forward, he thinks. While I've been chasing magic, everyone else has been pushing forward in their own way, too’