-14- The Trial

At dusk, a dust-covered Yvette embraced Rosaline as they returned to the manor.

Today's expedition had been quite unlucky. Yvette never imagined that beneath the seemingly peaceful and tranquil factory area, a colossal mechanical aberration lay in ambush.

As she and Rosaline skimmed over the ruins at the edge of a factory building, a giant mechanical turtle, partially covered in red flesh, suddenly burst forth from the rubble, sending a hundred-meter-high cloud of dust into the air. It nearly swallowed the two of them whole.

Fortunately, Yvette’s skateboarding skills were superb. Executing an extreme drift, she narrowly grazed the edge of the turtle’s beak and sped away using her Wind Mastery magic. Otherwise, she would have been reincarnated by now, staring at a new ceiling in the afterlife.

Afterwards, she told Rosaline to take a bath first, while Yvette summoned a simple water spell to clean her face. She silently recalled the mechanical giant turtle’s form and began to form a hypothesis.

It was likely a mechanical beast from a circus or troupe centuries ago, designed to pull a stage through the streets during festivals. When not in use, it was sealed in a warehouse on the outskirts. But when the apocalypse came, it transformed into a regional boss...

How unlucky! Not only was the expedition fraught with peril, but she also lost face in front of the little blonde-haired girl, shattering her image as a formidable expert. Sigh, it must be because she was too eager to show off in front of a child, combined with the recent calmness in her life, making her lose her former caution... She must not be like that anymore. She was far from truly powerful and needed to hold respect for the world.

After deep self-reflection, when Rosaline finished bathing and came out, Yvette immersed herself in a hot bath. Only when her pale skin flushed rose-red did she change into a comfortable white robe and step out.

Upon opening the door, she saw Rosaline standing at the staircase, her little face tense and her gaze solemnly fixed on her.

“Witch sister!” she said earnestly.

“W-what is it…” Yvette instinctively thought of today’s events and felt a bit guilty, suspecting the girl was about to admonish her for recklessness.

But she was proven wrong. Rosaline took a deep breath and spoke the words she had long been nurturing: “I… may I learn magic from you?”

“You want to learn magic?” Yvette asked without surprise.

She had anticipated this request, after all, many times when she dealt with aberrations, Rosaline would watch intently, clearly fascinated by magic.

But since the girl never brought it up herself, Yvette pretended ignorance.

“Yes, I want to learn… but I have nothing to offer. Will you teach me?” Rosaline looked down shyly at her slippers.

Yvette said nothing, quietly observing her. She neither agreed nor refused immediately.

She had pondered this matter long ago. A crucial point was: Why should she take on an apprentice? What benefit would it bring her?

She had already shown kindness by sheltering this little blonde girl, feeding her, protecting her from aberrations, and in return only received some unremarkable otherworldly trivia. That already demonstrated her benevolence.

Taking on an apprentice was another matter altogether. It involved the vast legacy of knowledge from the Origin Civilization in her mind, a priceless treasure not to be casually handed to a stranger from another world.

The ancient master-apprentice relationships, often as close as father and son, were usually investments for old age. Yvette did not need anyone to provide for her in her later years. Moreover, if the Aurora reappeared, the girl would return home, rendering all investment futile, possibly even benefiting other outsiders... And for safety reasons, Yvette had no plans to travel to other worlds for at least several centuries.

In this light, she found no reason to freely give away her mastery of runes.

Just as she had never considered teaching Rosaline the Black Tide language.

In the long silence, Rosaline felt her hope sink like a stone.

As a noble girl with good upbringing, she understood well that nothing is free in this world.

Royal court mages occasionally took on noble children as apprentices but demanded exorbitant fees. The Church offered free training but required lifelong loyalty and membership.

And she, a girl with nothing, on what grounds could she expect a powerful witch, who had lived for who knows how many years, to take her as a student?

How presumptuous of her. How ungrateful to ask for more when she was already under the witch’s protection. Regret slowly surfaced in her heart.

Just as she was about to withdraw her request, Yvette suddenly said, “...It’s not impossible.”

Not impossible? That meant it was possible?

Rosaline looked up in surprise, then heard Yvette continue, “...But you’ll need to pass a test.”

“A test?”

“Yes, a small one,” Yvette said. “Do you know about meditation?”

“No…” Rosaline shook her head. As a count’s daughter, she had once had the chance to study under a royal mage, but there was only one spot, and after consideration, her father gave the opportunity to her elder brother.

She bore no grudge; after all, she was not going to battle, while her brother truly had to fight the demon clans.

“Meditation is the foundation of magic cultivation, the main method to acquire magical power,” Yvette explained. “You will meditate with me for three years. If after three years your total magical power satisfies me, I will formally accept you as my apprentice.”

As someone of average talent, when Yvette first began meditating, her power increased by about two points a year—a very slow pace.

If Rosaline were an extraordinary prodigy, she could grow rapidly and become Yvette’s trusted aide in this dangerous world, enhancing their chances of survival.

This was the reason Yvette found for taking on an apprentice.

Of course, the pupil’s character also mattered... But so far, the girl behaved well, was obedient, knowledgeable, and had just turned ten, her values not yet fixed. If her character ever went awry in the future, the responsibility would lie with the teacher.

“Three years?” Rosaline’s heart skipped a beat, but she did not hesitate. “Okay, Witch sister!” she nodded firmly.

...

After learning the meditation method, Rosaline’s enthusiasm for “adventures” visibly waned over the following days. Most of the time, she obediently stayed in her room on the second floor, diligently practicing meditation.

Yvette’s life became quieter as a result.

In the mornings, she finally had peace to finish reading “Fundamentals of Magical Mechanical Technology.” In the afternoons, she leisurely tended the manor’s garden, trimming flowers and plants. Before dusk, she explored a city park several kilometers away to clear wild growth and considered planting wheat seeds there next spring.

The next morning, seeing the flowerbed she had pruned the day before now in disarray, Yvette’s expression darkened. She realized that wild animals posed a greater threat to farming than aberrations.

Perhaps it was time to unlock the “Electric Grid” technology tree? It would protect the harvest and greatly enhance the manor’s security.

But unlocking the electric grid required more powerful energy storage devices, prompting Yvette to frequently venture out again, scavenging ruins to find specialized books on energy storage...

Thus, amidst this peaceful wasteland pioneering, a year quietly slipped away.