Accompanied by the red-haired beauty myrtle, Tars stepped down from the beast-carriage with an air of casual ease, showing none of the trepidation typical of someone arriving in a strange land. He looked around; the estate was sprawling, but its simplicity was unexpected. At first glance, there were only vast, unremarkable lawns, devoid of any elaborate ornamentation.

  "Lord Tars, I must leave Kanaya to host you in my stead. I shall return as soon as I have met with my father," Rodrigo said with a smile. Despite his pallor from the long journey, the handsome youth had made a point of stepping down from the carriage, his every movement governed by grace and decorum.

  "Think nothing of it. I am quite relaxed with my friends," Tars replied, turning back from the scenery.

  At the word "friend," the youth's smile widened. Tars watched as he boarded the carriage and vanished into the distance with the troop of knights, then followed Kanaya toward the manor.

  They walked in silence along a corridor formed by the bent branches of unknown trees, their canopy dotted with red fruit. This was the first time Tars had been truly alone with her.

  "Lady Myrtle, is there a secluded spot within the estate? Preferably a standalone house," Tars requested.

  In the distance, servants and a butler approached, but the red-haired woman waved them away. Tars watched with amusement; he saw one servant's eyes widen at his appearance, only to professionally stifle the reaction a moment later.

  After a moment's thought, she led him toward the back of the estate to a two-story cottage. It wasn't opulent, but set against the surrounding trees, it possessed a certain rustic charm.

  "Would this be to your satisfaction? Servants clean it daily, so you may move in immediately," she introduced respectfully.

  "It's perfect," Tars said. She led him inside.

  Tars looked around, measuring the height of the ceilings and calculating whether it would be feasible to release Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum from the Abyssal Bedroom here.

  "Lady Myrtle, are there other wizards in Starry City?" he asked casually while inspecting the rooms.

  "There are. There is one by the Baron's side, though he rarely appears; I've only seen him once," she replied after a pause. "There must be others in the city, but I doubt any are as powerful as you." She looked at him with an expression of profound awe.

  "When I was young, I was tested for wizard aptitude. Although I have a talent for mental energy, it was of the weakest grade. No academy or wizard organization would take someone with my potential." A trace of envy flickered in her eyes.

  "So you became a Gem Summoner?"

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "It was my good fortune. I was lucky these little ones liked me enough to allow me to become a caster," she said with a smile. "I will leave you to your rest, My Lord. I shall instruct the servants—if you need anything, simply pull this cord by the door. A servant will be waiting at all times. Please rest easy; no one will disturb you."

  With a bow, she withdrew. As the door clicked shut, Tars was left alone in a house filled with the fragrance of earth and wood.

  He went to the most spacious room on the second floor and threw himself onto the long-awaited soft bed. For a moment, he felt a sudden impulse to live here forever. He was certain Rodrigo would welcome him as a long-term guest—even decades from now, when Rodrigo was old, his descendants would likely still welcome him.

  But as the world's first kobold wizard apprentice, he couldn't let himself be trapped by a grand estate and a soft bed. He rolled over, enjoyed the comfort for a few heartbeats, then closed his eyes to begin his daily meditation.

  He didn't open his eyes until the night had deepened. Heading downstairs, he gave the cord a gentle pull. A maid in a black dress appeared almost instantly.

  "My Lord, please give your command. I am your personal servant, Daisy," she said with a curtsy.

  "Has Master Rodrigo returned?"

  "In response to your inquiry, My Lord, the Master has not yet returned," Daisy replied respectfully.

  Tars nodded. "Shall I prepare dinner for you?" she asked.

  "Yes. Prepare food for five people and bring it here. I'll leave the menu to you."

  Daisy, tall and slender, looked momentarily confused.

  "Just use the standard for knights who have spent a hard day training," Tars added after a thought.

  "Certainly, My Lord. Please wait a moment." Daisy looked visibly relieved and departed.

  Tars stepped out of the house onto the grass, looking up at the sky of the Cavern City. As night fell, the hallmark of the city—the "stars" for which it was named—began to appear on the dome. It was, he admitted, quite beautiful. He realized that the names of the various Cavern Cities he had heard of were all related to the sky, revealing a deep-seated yearning for the world above. Even the ancient supernatural path of the Knight was formally known as the Astral Knight.

  He watched the false starlight grow clearer, thinking about his future. Beyond becoming a powerful wizard, he added a new goal: to reach the actual surface.

  The reason he hadn't made this a goal before was that he never realized it was difficult. Back when he was a scrawny kobold worrying about food, he thought Aiskin and the others didn't go to the surface simply because they were too dim-witted to find the way. He had even worried he might accidentally stumble onto the surface and get beaten. Only after meeting Karyu and seeing this magnificent city did he realize that reaching the true surface was likely an arduous journey.

  It wasn't as simple as he had originally thought—popping up to sunbathe and coming back in time for dinner.

  No matter how many goals he had, the key was to stay focused on his path as a wizard. He suddenly realized that becoming a powerful wizard seemed to be the answer to every problem. If Rodrigo were a powerful wizard, all his current troubles would likely vanish like smoke.

  He withdrew his gaze from the stars as the servants arrived with dinner. "Leave it here. You may go."

  He returned to the house and stood before the large dining table. Once the servants had retreated, he waved his hand to open the spatial gate. Two tall kobolds stepped out.

  "Brother Tars!" Aiskin, thinking there was a fight, scanned the room alertly. Big Dumb Hum gripped his hammer and let out two grunts.

  "Relax. Let's enjoy a feast together," Tars said with a laugh.

  Before he had even finished speaking, the two kobolds were transfixed by the food. Daisy had followed his instructions well; the meal consisted of the heavy, meat-centric portions favored by knights. The two kobolds began to feast voraciously, but Tars, for some reason, found himself without much of an appetite.