I was adopted by a Magician

Linda was resting on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She had a day off, the mentor for some reason decided that the girl needed to rest, although she herself did not feel tired. Was Helena tired? I didn't want to talk about the reasons for this decision, and I didn't want to protest either, especially if I could read the books I had been given.

It's been a month since Linda got her powers, but until now, every memory of what she had to go through scared her. If she was faced with a choice: go through all this again or die, she would prefer death. The mentor gave all her strength to save Linda and save her life and sanity. Helena used to have a black streak in her hair above her right temple. But three days later, when Linda got out of bed, she did not see this blackness: the mentor's hair was white as snow.

She felt real power, great energy. Helena conducted a series of experiments, the results of which amazed her.

"You're as strong as I am" She said: "But your recovery ability is much higher, and I don't understand how to explain it. Maybe it's because you came from another world?"

Whether it was due to aliens or something else, but as soon as she completely exhausted her strength in the morning, by the evening they were already recovering. It took two days to fully recover. Over time, the terrible memories began to be perceived more calmly. She stopped waking up screaming at night and didn't change her sweat-soaked shirts. I no longer avoided Helena, as I did in the early days, and my interest in studying faded. Now everything turned out to be easy and natural.

Concentrating, Linda did not take her eyes off the ceiling, and the loud sound of the front door indicated that it had been carefully closed. Yes, it's not just a box of matches anymore! Over the past two weeks, her mentor has improved her knowledge and skills in all aspects of magic, preparing her to master the most difficult side of this art. In recent days, Helena has been teaching Linda how to create a defense that allows her to hide her thoughts and reflect other people's spells.

"I couldn't spend that much time on this before" Helena told Linda: "There's more practice than theory here, and it takes a lot of strength".

She also taught potions lessons.

"I buy most of the herbs" Explained Helena: "They are brought from the far south, and they are rare and of inferior quality here. I'm only saving some of them. This own treasure is kept under a spell so that the herbs do not lose their properties. I have a large supply, enough for ten years".

Yesterday, the hostess gave Linda a piece of paper with a fancy painting and an imprint of the seal of the Aquani family.

"This is my will" She explained: "I declare that from now on you are my adopted daughter and have the right to all my property at the time of my death, as well as my family name and title. To make sure of his reliability, he needs to be assured by some authoritative person from the king's entourage, but even without this, no one will be able to challenge your rights. The servants have already sworn an oath to you. They got a lot of gold, but you don't have to chase them away, they have no other place. They have served all their lives and will quickly die, having lost the meaning of life. But they loved you like their own daughter. If you only knew how much Haya suffered after the last incident.

And Gasd said something that I had never heard him say in all my fifty years of service. Let's put the will on this shelf so you know where it is. I didn't want to upset you with this, but lately I've been losing my strength. We will have to redouble our efforts. I don't want you to study the gate yourself. There are nuances in them that are not written about in books, and ignorance of these moments can cost you your life. I started writing down my notes on the last section of magic in one of your notebooks. These notes are just in case, since I still hope to live to the end of my studies and help you move to the capital or another large city".

"And someone from the king never came" Linda remarked.

"During the rainy season, roads become impassable. By the time we are reported and the news reaches the governor, it will be impossible to move forward. You can only get there in a carriage loaded with two horses, but you can still get stuck. You need to wait for guests in winter, when the roads freeze, or in spring".

"Doesn't it rain in the spring?"

"There are, but there are much fewer of them. Snow does not fall every winter, and it melts quickly, so the spring period, unlike the autumn one, is shorter. It's getting warmer fast and the roads are drying up".

"Rinda, are you here?" Helena's voice sounded from behind the door.

Since Linda had mastered protection, she had constantly used it, and the mentor could not read her thoughts, communicate mentally or find out where she was.

"I'm here, mentor!" The girl answered, getting out of bed: "Has something happened?"

"Yes, we have visitors. I was expecting them later, but they came running when there was mud here. Get yourself cleaned up quickly and come to the refectory. Haya treats them to a hot broth while she cooks dinner. I'll introduce you to each other, and we'll have lunch at the same time. And don't languish there".

There were two men visiting.

"The personal envoy of King Wadish III, Fernand Hasdash, Count of Varna" Introduced Helena to a plump man with intelligent eyes and platinum hair unknown to Linda before: "And this is a friend of the governor in the province of Darikda Aden Varish, Baron Gesal".

The viceroy's friend here was the person who replaced him in his absence and carried out important assignments at normal times. Aden Varish was ten centimeters younger than the count, but they turned out to be surprisingly similar. Even their hair was almost the same color, but the Baron's was a little golden.

"This is my adopted daughter" Helena continued: "Rinda Wolf, Baroness Curan. After my death, she will take the family name Aquani and the title of Marquise of Havrem".

The two nobles stood up respectfully, looking at the girl attentively.

"Yes, it's not that easy to fool them!" Linda thought: "They took a closer look and priced it, but the reaction is not at all the same as that baron's".

"I am glad to meet Mrs. Rinda" The Count bowed his head. However, is it reasonable to assign a young woman a title that grants the right to marry a marquis under someone else's control? She could be in trouble. Personally, I wouldn't do that, even just out of fear..."

"Let the new owners of the estate be afraid! Helena replied sharply: "Only my daughter will decide for herself whether she will keep their ancestral estate or seize it by force".

"So, in essence" The Count looked at Linda with even greater interest: "Is the young lady the owner of significant magical abilities?"

"In two months, Milady will become an experienced craftswoman, and you will have to deal with her. For my part, I do not expect a quick recovery, and given this, I do not see much benefit for his Majesty from my stay here. However, my daughter, who is stronger than me, has value. Also, keep in mind that she is communicating with a mighty Beast".

Here both men were struck by real amazement. Both of them, as they say, stared at Linda, who was involuntarily embarrassed and looked down.

"How did you manage to come to terms with this creature, Baroness?" The baron asked the girl.

"It happened by itself" Linda replied modestly: "The Scarecrow himself offered me friendship".

The two high-ranking representatives exchanged glances.

"So, did he get into her?" The Count said mysteriously to his companion: "We managed to successfully complete the visit".

"We haven't finished anything yet!" Helena objected: "And don't try to take advantage of my girl's naivety -nothing good will come of it!"

"Markza, you completely misunderstood us!" The count exclaimed, waving his arms: "No one wants to harm your daughter! If all your information is correct, then the king will pay special attention to it! And believe me, he doesn't look like his father at all, at least not the king you knew. We have suspicions that the old monarch obeyed the priests of their magic. His actions do not coincide in any way with the appearance of an intelligent and prudent ruler, which he certainly was".

"I'm guessing about something like that. And they'll just be forgiven for that?"

"Not all at once, Marchioness" Said the Baron: "His Majesty has inherited a lot of problems, so at the moment it is not worth coming into conflict with the priests, it would be unwise. In the future, when the right moment comes, they will remember everything".

"It's a pity that I won't be able to watch this" Helena sighed: "Well, while dinner is being prepared for us, let's talk about the reason why you set off on such difficult roads".

"Yes, the roads are just terrible now!" The count shrugged his shoulders: "When I think about what has yet to return... But I agree: business is the most important thing. Tell me what you were promised for your service to the Crown, and I will express my wishes in return. I can solve some issues on my own, and the rest will be submitted to the King or the Chancellor for consideration. Let's start by saying that all charges against you will be dropped. The magician-master is paid ten thousand gold as a lump sum, and then one hundred gold every ten days.

If the master does not have a noble rank or his rank is too low, the board may consider this issue, but this does not concern you. You already have a high position. If you abandon your venture with the Marquis, then Lady Rinde could be appointed countess. The position is slightly lower than the marquises, but it is safer. There is no point in multiplying enemies if there is no need. If the master expresses a desire to teach at the Royal School of magic, he will receive additional payments for this. I've told you the main thing, the rest of the details are privileges, which are not so important. Now it's your turn, Marchioness".

"I'm not interested in lump-sum payments" Helena said: "Instead, I want to buy a decent residence in the capital. If the king does not have enough money, I am ready to pay my own. You should understand that I have no relatives or connections there right now. I don't want to do this or put this responsibility on my daughter. If you don't find anything suitable, you'll have to build. We are not going to leave this place until spring. I need to complete Rinda's training, besides, I refuse to travel on bad roads. We also need security guards to protect our property. Don't look so ironic, Count! If you are sitting on an old wooden bench made many years ago, this does not mean that we do not have valuables. And this castle is also our rightful property, for which I have paid a number of significant sums to the royal treasury, so I intend to take care of it. Do you have any objections? No? That's what I thought.

So, Haya, has lunch been prepared yet? Great! Let's have lunch, and then my servant will show you to the room he has prepared before. Sorry for the surprise, but we did not expect your arrival so soon. A room has also been allocated for your escort, but they can clean it themselves. They will be fed after our lunch. Our castle is not adapted for receiving guests, but, in fact, it's even better this way. I don't have much time left, and I would like to use it to teach my daughter, not to communicate with you. Please think about everything I have said to you and provide your answer. If it's difficult for you to do it on your own, let the king make the decision. You shouldn't stay at the castle for no particular reason. The road conditions will not improve if you stay here until the frost sets in".

"What do you think they'll decide?" Linda asked when they were sitting in the mentor's living room after lunch: "Will they agree to your terms?"

"You don't even need to think about it" Helena replied: "These questions, of course, could have been solved by the count, and I asked for much less than I could have demanded. An old woman who is on the verge of death could still negotiate with them, but for them you are the greatest value. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the masters at your age, because even gifted people find it difficult to master sufficient strength by the age of twenty, and there are no magicians who have so cruelly mocked themselves as I have mocked you. They will prefer to build up their strength for another five years using the methods adopted by magicians. I've only had this opportunity once, and to be honest, I would never have agreed to it myself.

But, as you already know, every situation has its own circumstances. Besides that, I also meant your faithful Beast. After all, friendship with the essence of another world is both a great risk for a magician, but also an incredible power! Finding a common language with such creatures, getting them interested or even subjugating them is undoubtedly a significant occupation that requires skill. And not everyone is capable of this. But friendship with the Beast opens up extraordinary possibilities, allowing you to use its power without performing complex rituals"

"However, how much can you expect from one Beast?"

"Even one of your creations can make a huge difference. It has extraordinary speed and an almost impenetrable shield against conventional weapons. There are no barriers to it, and not every master will be able to cope with it, at least immediately. In addition, those who offer friendship often do not come to the rescue alone. Do you understand now? There have been many cases of such friendship in the history of the Kains".

"Then why did you talk me out of it?"

"That's why I tried to dissuade you, my dear, because I really appreciate you and wish you to continue living! There are two sides to every coin, and such friendship is a big risk for a magician! I didn't dissuade you, I warned you. You made your own choice".

"Will we start working on the gate tomorrow?"

"Looking forward to it?" Helena laughed: "Of course, we'll start right after them. You've already looked at the books, haven't you? I'll never believe that a curious girl like you didn't look at them with at least one eye. How's that?"

"In my opinion, everything is quite simple there. The most important thing is to find out the coordinates".

"That's why I don't want you to do this alone. High magic is full of nuances. The books only mention some aspects after the spells themselves. The young people are in a hurry and start trying without reading to the end. And they die. You can't find all the details in one book, you have to draw knowledge from different sources. You correctly noted that the most important thing is the coordinates. However, there is a danger of opening the gates to an uninhabitable dimension. A magician can survive many trials, but not all. If you open the gate to the fiery dimension, perhaps you will turn into ashes instantly. I see that you understand. Therefore, it is important to determine whether you can take a risk by sticking your curious nose into the hole that you have created in space. Also, the search for coordinates may vary. I found this world by following the spilled blood, which is dangerous in itself. If someone has recently shed blood, you need to be careful not to become the next victim.

A magician is not omnipotent, and most spells take time to apply. That's where our weakness lies. The main thing is not to break through space, but to make the gate stable. There are worlds that move at tremendous speeds, and if they are not stabilized, they will inevitably collapse. The task is not only to study these globes, but also to create a mechanism that would allow them to be stabilized automatically. And only after that it will be possible to pay attention to the living beings inhabiting these worlds. In your free time, you can already start studying the map of known worlds and study the different types of creatures that inhabit them. Of course, there are not many of them, because getting into other people's worlds is a very dangerous business. Only those who have found promising globes know about them, and I am not going to share this information with anyone. I also recommend that you do not open your world to uninvited guests".

*****

Helena received an answer to her demands during dinner. The Count stated that he had thought everything over and saw no reason for their non-fulfillment.

"If His Majesty agrees with me" Said the Count: "Then you and your daughter will be provided with a mansion by spring. I can even send soldiers here to help you move to the capital. However, Marchioness, I must warn you in advance that your rank will be checked. If it is confirmed, then our agreements will remain in force, and if not..".

"I shouldn't have mentioned it" Helena chuckled: "His Majesty can't afford to do charity work in this situation".

"I'm glad you understood me. I want to express my gratitude for the reception and say goodbye. Tomorrow, before dawn, I will leave your residence with my team in order to reach the desert by nightfall".

"I would like to ask for one more favor, Count. Could you personally confirm my will with your name?"

"Of course, Marchioness. I have the seal with me, so give me your documents".

The next morning, when Linda came out of her rooms, the guests were no longer in the castle.

"With your permission, my lady, I will take one of the horses and go to the village" Gasd announced at breakfast: "The horses of the guests have used up all the oats, and it is necessary to replenish the stock".

"I'll let you go" Helena said: "We'll study in the tower until lunch. If anyone has any questions, it's better to ask them now. No? Great. Rinda, rest for half an hour, then I'll come visit you".

All the next two weeks were remembered by Linda for their incredible fascination. Her whole life was filled with various trials leading her to new horizons. Helena, her mentor, put her to the test, testing her knowledge, and immediately demonstrated how it could be put into practice. Together they searched for the coordinates of various corners of the world, and Helena determined their suitability for life, choosing the safest points for a portable gate. Then Linda repeated this procedure.

Helena opened the magical gates to the student seven times, and Linda successfully completed this task three times, including once entering her own world. There were two cases when they had to flee: the first time from certain creatures, and the second from human-like creatures with long legs and two pairs of arms. Despite the fact that these creatures and the aborigines did not pose a serious threat, the mentor did not take any chances and they all quickly retreated.

"It's amazing, but you grasp everything on the fly" Said a satisfied Helena: "It seems that long-term use of the decoction, in addition to harm, can bring great benefits. Many people would envy you a memory like yours. In the future, we will also deal with the gate, if there is time, but for now we will delve into the study of the summoning. It has some similarities with the gate opening process, but there are also many differences. However, we will leave astral beings and demons to the last.

Interacting with them requires similar techniques, and most importantly, you need to determine exactly who you are dealing with and get them interested in something so that they can serve you. Basically, this is what we will focus on when studying. You may need the ability to control the weather, and for this you will have to use their help. Direct control of elemental spirits is madness. Astral beings are usually not dangerous, while demons, on the contrary, can bring madness and death if they make a mistake. However, sometimes it is necessary to contact them. Some creatures can only be forced to serve with the help of demons".

"Does the devil exist?" Linda asked: "In our religion, demons obey the lord of evil. He lives in a place where the souls of criminals go after death. They are being burned and tortured".

"What absurdities!" Helena was surprised: "How can you burn souls? You can only torture the body. As for the demons, they inhabit different worlds and often wage wars with each other. However, we have deviated from the topic a little. Let's start studying demons with the ones that are the most peaceful–the rainbow ones".

It can be assumed that rainbow demons were perhaps the most harmless, but most likely very cunning. Linda had to spend a lot of time and effort to catch them in the enchanted sphere.

"You're doing great!" Praised Helena: "Now we will always have light. And we will hang this sphere in the refectory. The room there is very spacious, and one sphere is not enough".

Participation in demonic rituals required them to prepare theoretically and analyze the cases from Helena's life. They summoned only one of the weakest, with his help they were able to force the spirits of the air to create a strong wind near the castle.

"I don't have anything to offer them" Helena said: "And it's pointless to call them just for the sake of learning. It takes a long time to prepare the bait every time. But you're already familiar with the ritual, so you can do it yourself".

The most difficult task, which requires not only performing a certain sequence of magical actions, but also masterly manipulation of one's own powers and a creative approach, got Linda when working with astral beings. There were more practical exercises here, and the most important thing was not to subdue these disembodied creatures, but to somehow interest and attract them with some kind of task.

In this they were very similar to children. If this enterprise aroused positive emotions, they were happy to take it up, and if not, then it was worth stopping chasing them. Linda was once persistent and as a result she got a severe headache that no magic could remove. She had to endure until the pain went away on its own, and Linda realized that there are no harmless creatures with magical powers.

The autumn season is over, and the local winter has replaced it, quite short and moderately cold. Frost was observed at night, but during the day the ground thawed, turning into mud. Sometimes it snowed a little, but the snowflakes melted, barely touching the ground.

"We have successfully completed all the required tasks" Linda's mentor remarked: "Now you are a master! But don't let pride rule over you, because you don't have enough experience yet. Learn the basic combat spells from our home book, and while you have time, look through all the sections, you may have missed something important. However, always remember that a real magician always continues to study throughout his life. First, we learn knowledge based on other people's experience, and then we accumulate our own experience".

"Thank you for helping me!" Linda said, walking up to Helena. She hugged her mentor and kissed her on the cheek: "You've made a real magician out of me!"

"Don't be silly!" Helena reluctantly pulled away from the girl and wiped her tears: "You became a magician thanks to your perseverance and diligence, I only helped. Look, you're already on an equal footing with me. How are you doing with your dresses?"

"I can hardly get dressed" Linda admitted: "The buttons are very tight, and dresses with lacing can be worn, but you need help tying them".

"We still haven't hired a maid for you. We need to do this when we go through the Dirt".

"Or maybe it's better to do it upon arrival in the capital?"

"Who will help on the way? And it is more profitable to do it in the provinces. Not because of the payment, although it is lower there than in the capital. However, I do not recommend saving on the services of servants - they will be more reliable. The main factor is that in the capital, the girl will be completely dependent on you, and if you manage to win her favor, then you can count on her loyalty. In the future, remember to check on your servants from time to time. Also, it is worth making an amulet for her. By the way, this could be an interesting activity for you. We didn't do much with amulets, so take the book, read it again and make a few pieces. As a base, you can use rings with simple stones that are stored in a casket".

The snow has not fallen all winter, and the frosts ended early. The weather was sunny, and it was getting warmer every day.

"We need to get ready to move" Helena said: In two weeks the roads will dry up and the promised soldiers will arrive. You don't have to worry about the gold, the servants will be taken care of, but you and I need to put up lighthouses".

"Why do we need lighthouses?" The girl was surprised.

"This is an example of how powerful magicians use their art to improve their lives and make it safer. I haven't told you about this before, but I've written it all down in my notebook. There's no danger in them, so you could study them yourself. If you can open the gates to another world, then why not do it in your own life? It's easier and requires less effort. There is no need to define the conditions, although some still have doubts".

"Why all this if the world remains the same?"

"You leave your house, and it's on fire, the roof collapses on your head. This is just a precaution, but careful people live longer. There is no need to stabilize the gate. Instead of coordinates, we use images of places, which is much easier and faster. To install a lighthouse, ordinary stones are enough, on which spells are applied. If we place such beacons inside or near the castle, we can always return here from the capital or from any other location. We will be able to look after our property, rest or temporarily take shelter in case of a threat. And lighthouses will greatly simplify and speed up the process of opening the gates".

"Wonderful! That way we can go mushroom picking!"

"Who cares, but this one should go for mushrooms!" Helena was joking.

"Better run to the ruined part of the castle and pick up stones of approximately the right size" Helena said: "We will need three stones for one lighthouse. We will put one lighthouse in each of our rooms and two in the forest, not far from the castle. I think that will be enough".

We quickly completed the task of collecting stones for lighthouses. Then Linda decided to check if the stones would discharge over time: "Won't the stones discharge?" She asked Helena.

Helena confirmed: "They will definitely discharge. But this will only happen if we don't use beacons for a long time. Every time we use the lighthouse, the stones are charged from our gate. Therefore, it is advisable to go around your lighthouses at least two or three times a year to charge them".

"The events of this day turned out to be especially significant for Linda. Shortly before noon, Gasd appeared with a big smile on his face and invited her into the dining room, where Haya and Helena were already there, and the table itself was decorated in an impressive way.

"Happy birthday!" Helena said solemnly, putting a gold tiara decorated with rubies on Linda's head: "Today you are not only a year older, but you have also reached the age of majority for a noblewoman. We congratulate you on this achievement!"

"Let me wish you happiness, dear madam" Said Haya, expressing respect to her: "If possible, numerous offspring and a caring husband! I would like to give you something decent, but instead I tried to at least set the table for you in a festive style. Bon appetit!"

"And I would like to present this blade to you" Gasd said, handing Linda a short and elegant sword, placed in a luxurious scabbard: "It is very light, but made of fine steel. He will not let you down in battle and will not break. I took it from one of the murdered priests of Mashun when we were on the run. Before that, we only dealt with the dagger, but now we will switch to the sword. Perhaps it will be useful to you when you serve in the royal service".

"With thanks!" A very excited girl whispered, hugging and kissing each of the three: "Before I was desperate, I thought I was never destined to have a family, and now I am completely sure of the opposite!"

"Let's sit down at the table" Helena said hurriedly, wiping away her tears: "There are visitors coming to us again, probably the soldiers of the king. But you and I still have an hour left, so let's have lunch, and after that we'll meet them".