"Haha, lady Sierra, you are indeed very talented."
"Indeed. The battle was very close. I almost lost despite being one order higher than you."
On the ground, young apprentice wizards of similar age as Sierra were gathered after the sparring session. All of them were impressed with Sierra.
"Sierra, are you single?" a girl with long red hair curiously asked. Her name was Rika.
Hearing the question, everyone's ears perked up. Especially boys.
"No, no. I have a husband," Sierra said with a smile remembering Arkhen, making everyone a bit dazed. This smile looked very cute and happy, unlike the polite smile she displayed previously.
"Oh? Seeing your reaction, he must be very good, eh?" Rika said with a grin as she softly elbowed Sierra.
"Mhmm… We grew up together," Sierra said with a smile.
…
Several meters away, there was another group of people. They were high-class wizards and teachers of those young apprentices.
"Elora, where did you find this hidden gem?" an old man asked as he caressed his beard. "If she is unmarried, then I top noble houses would be willing to make their son marry her."
"Don't even think about matchmaking my darling. She has a husband, and she loves him dearly," Elora said with a chuckle.
"Haha, that's unfortunate. What does his husband do?"
"Well, both of them grew up together in a normal village," Elora said enough for others to understand.
"Oh, so he must be a regular farmer…" the old man said with a wry smile and shook his head.
…
Five days later, Sierra and Elora returned to their town. While Sierra went to Arkhen to spend her precious time of the month with Arkhen, Elora received a letter.
"A banquet in the royal palace? What's the occasion?" Elora curiously muttered as she opened the letter.
"Oh, so the third prince is getting engaged…" Elora was surprised before she thought of something, 'hmmm…this should be a good idea to introduce Sierra to a higher world. If she can make some connection with the princess and others, she can get a better and safe job after becoming Adept Order Wizard.'
After looking at the date of the banquet, Elora smiled. 'Three days later, eh? I guess Sierra can enjoy her time with Arkhen longer.'
Elora used a magic talisman to inform Sierra that she could stay there for three days this time.
…
"Hahaha, that's great!" Arkhen happily laughed and kissed her. Both of them longed for each other so much as their passionate kiss lasted for several minutes.
"Arkhen, stretch your hand," Sierra said as she grabbed Arkhen's hand and pulled it up toward her chest. "I want to give you something."
"Eh? What?" Arkhen curiously asked.
Sierra took out a magic bracelet and tied it to Arkhen's hand with a smile, "This bracelet. It will protect you in a dangerous situation."
"Oh? Is it a magic bracelet? Haha, thank you so much," Arkhen said with a joyful laugh as he hugged Sierra again before asking, "since it's just noon, how about we eat at some good restaurant in the town? I have saved a lot of money."
"Don't tell me you just saved and didn't buy anything?" Sierra asked with a speechless expression.
"The only thing I require for living is food and you. I can grow food on the farm while I also have you. Hahaha, what do I need more?" Arkhen said with a loving smile as he laughed heartily.
Sierra felt warn in her heart as a sweet smile appeared on her face. Clenching her fist, she said, "I am making big progress. Teacher Elora said I can finish this apprenticeship in the next two years instead of three."
"That's awesome! As expected of my wife, hahaha!"
…
After three days, Elora arrived at Arkhen's house at noon.
In the house, Arkhen, Sierra, and Elora sat at a table since Arkhen and Sierra wanted Elora to eat there.
"Sierra, we are going to a banquet tonight in the royal palace," Elora said the news while eating.
"Eh? Do I really need to go there?" Sierra asked with a pout. "I want to stay here with Arkhen if possible."
Elora wryly smiled and shook her head before saying, "I am taking you there for your own sake. There are big nobles and wizards there. If you can make some connection, you can have an easier life after becoming an Adept Order Wizard."
"Can Arkhen come with us?" Sierra asked.
"Me? I don't even know noble etiquettes and such things, I will just embarrass myself and you," Arkhen said as she repeatedly shook his head. However, his eyes indeed showed a desire to go there. But he knew that someone like him couldn't go there.
"Sorry, dear. Only nobles and wizards can attend that banquet," Elora said with an apologetic smile.
"It's fine, Sierra. You should go there," Arkhen said with a smile.
"But I will return here after the banquet, ok?" Sierra said as she looked at Elora.
"Sure. We will leave tomorrow at noon anyway," Elora said as she took a sip from the soup and glanced at them, "Ahem, stay in control with your night activity. You can get pregnant later but not while you are an Apprentice Wizard."
Sierra and Arkhen's faces turned slightly red.
"We understand," Sierra said with a blush. Both of them were taking precautions since the day Sierra became Elora's apprentice.
…
At night, Sierra and Elora went to the banquet. Since Sierra didn't have appropriate clothes for such an occasion, Elora bought her a beautiful dark pink dress with an exquisite and gorgeous embroidery design, enhancing Sierra's beauty by several points.
Many young men at the banquet were mesmerized by Sierra.
When the dancing part of the banquet arrived, many young men invited Sierra, but she turned down all of them.
"Who is she?"
That was the question lingering in everyone's mind.
'Damn, I want to return home,' Sierra thought as she was bored here.
Elora wryly smiled and approached Sierra before whispering, "Sierra, can't you dance with at least one of them?"
"No. I don't know how to dance, and I don't even want to dance with any other men," Sierra whispered back in a slightly annoyed tone.
Elora understood that Sierra was annoyed by now and shook her head before saying, "come with me. Let me introduce you to the 2nd and 3rd princesses, and other young ladies of the Dukes and other nobles."
After Elora took Sierra to the group of young girls around her age, she introduced Sierra as her apprentice.
Sierra quickly incorporated into the group as the other ladies were also curious about her. Elora was one of the strongest Wizards in the kingdom and she had a good reputation, so all of them were surprised that she took an apprentice.
At first, they thought Sierra was some relative of Elora when they came here together. But turned out that Sierra was Elora's apprentice!
"Sierra, I wonder why did you reject everyone who came to dance with you?" 3rd princess asked curiously. She twenty-one-year-old beauty with lavender wavy hair and looked very beautiful, on par with Sierra.
Sierra awkwardly smiled and said, "I can't dance, and I also have a husband. I don't feel good dancing with another man aside from my husband."
"Woah, you are married?"
Everyone was surprised.
"Yep," Sierra said with a smile.
"Actually, my little brother wanted to dance with you, but since you rejected all the boys, he didn't approach you in fear that you would also reject him," said Mirena with a soft chuckle as she glanced at her brother who was in a nearby group.
Mirena was a lady with long blond hair and a gentle white face. She was the eldest daughter of Duke Eran and was twenty-five years old.
Her brother was nearby with a group of other men. He was twenty-four years old and was sneaking glances at Sierra.
Sierra involuntarily followed Mirena's glance and saw a man with blond hair matching Mirena's hair looking at her. When he suddenly saw Sierra glancing there, he quickly turned his head away and almost drop his wine glass.
The other girls in the group also watched that and chuckled at his awkwardness.
Sierra also chuckled and shook her head as she said, "Well, it's good that he didn't ask. I would reject anyway."
…
After returning from the banquet, Sierra and Arkhen spent their last night of the month together before Sierra left the next day at noon.
Six months passed just like that as the same cycle continued…
Sierra's apprenticeship would be completed in the next one and a half years because of her fast progress.
Alas, something strange happened in the 7th month as a whole month passed, but Sierra didn't return this time. Arkhen thought Sierra would be late, but a complete thirty days passed since she left last time and didn't return.
"What happened? Why is she not here this time? What happened?" Arkhen paced to and fro in the house with an anxious expression.
*knock…knock…*
Hearing the knocking sound, Arkhen went to open the door with excitement as he expected Sierra on the other side of the door.
Alas, he was met with disappointment.
"This letter is from someone called Elora," a man handed a letter to Arkhen in his bag that contained a bunch of other letters and left.
"A letter?" Arkhen muttered as he closed the door and sat at a table. Somehow, he got a bad feeling regarding this letter.
Taking a deep breath, Arkhen tore off the seal and took out the letter from the envelope.
Reading the letter, Arkhen's eyes turned wide before he abruptly stood up.
The real Arkhen watching everything with Velshi wryly smiled as he was observing both situations and knew that Sierra was injured and also awakened another affinity.
'I wonder what will happen now? It feels like the real struggling part of this trial just started.'
[Indeed. I am also curious].
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr𝒆e(w)𝒆bnovel