The Reborn Magus and His Prince

Chapter 1: The Magus Second Life

"Yul!" 

A youthful voice echoed out over a small hill into a wide field of potato crops. A black haired head covered with a tattered straw hat had risen up among a dozens of bowed heads on the field. Agile hands continue to pull the crops from the earth, some looked over the source of the voice but would again continue their tasks.  They all knew the youth and his loud voice was a common occurence to them.

His name was Arthur Wallice, the teenage son of their town chief. Energetic and likes to joke around, everyone enjoys his company. But not today, as the town folks were busy trying to finish the harvest in time for their summer festival which will be held three days from now.

"Yul!" the voice rang out again the moment he saw the black haired stood up. This time he waved his hands crazily, afraid the other would not see him despite his call ringing out miles away.

The black haired youth said something to an elderly man who seems the head of the farmers as he was seen instructing the others. After the elder man nodded to the youth, he took off towards the small hill where the other boy was.

"I know, I know. It's time for my rehearsal," Yulian or Yul for short said to his friend whose grin was wide as the field the moment he came near. "But I already know the dance even with my eyes closed. I do this every single year."

Arthur laughed and swing his hand over his friend shoulder. "Nope! Mum will get cranky if you don't show up at rehearsals. And guess who will take the damage?" 

He pulled his frowning friend. "Come on! Everyone is already getting panic over the decorations in the plaza which is the same every year! So just grit your teeth and come with me."

Yulian sighed. He shooked Arthur off and walked ahead of him. The faster he do this the faster he can get over this.

After the field, they passed several old residential houses and a market which was empty due to the upcoming festival. And few blocks away was the center of the town, the plaza. He saw women busy getting here and there, carrying lanterns for decorations and other garlands. He also saw some youths getting scolded by Mrs. Wallice, Arthur's mother.

"Oh-oh... Mother's at it again," he heard his friend said beside him. "Well, since I already brought you here, I'm gonna go back to the field." 

Arthur turned sneakily and tiptoed his escape but one of the youths saw him and decided to drag him to hell together with them. 

"Look, Mrs. Wallice! Arthur brought Yul!"

Mrs. Wallice saw her son and Yulian.

"Yulian dear!" She walked fast towards the two. Ignoring his son who stopped midway and grabbed Yulian's arm.

"Hello, Mrs. Wallis. Sorry I'm late..." His responsed, getting used to her death like grip on his arm.

"No no, dear. As long you're here. We'll start with the rehearsal right away." 

"And you, Arthur!"

When his named was mentioned, he stood straight and stop his glaring contest to his friend who called him out.

"Go and help the others! We still have so much lantern to hang!"

"Yes, mother~"

He and the other youths saluted to Yulian before they scampered away from them.

And just like her son, Mrs. Wallice began to pull him. "Ladies in charge of Yulian's dress! Attention to me please!" 

A group of women approached them and got transferred from Mrs. Wallice, they pulled him inside a building while measuring his whole body. Honestly, he's amazed how these women do it. 

Their town only hosts over a five hundred population. In order to make it in time for the festival,the chief had seperated different kind of groups of town people. One was in charge of the decorations of plaza which Arthur belonged to, Mrs. Wallice precedes the preparation of the sacrificial ceremony at the start of the festival and end of the festival. While Yulian was the star of the festival as they like to call him. He leads the ceremony. Dressed in their traditional dress, he offers a dance of worship to the gods in hopes that they continue to protect and blessed their small town. 

 But he didn't much had an affection to his role. As the previous generation who presided the tradition were all women so the dance leans towards to feminine moves. However as he did this for three years in a row, he began to be numb to it. Doing his role perfectly, besides this was the least he could do for his home town who took care of him since his parents died in a plague.

 Their town used to be flourishing and full of people but death plague covered the whole town a decade ago. Most of the townsmen were taken by the sickness including his parents, leaving the their loved ones a grief. 

But it was different with Yulian, the town considered him a miracle boy protected by the gods. Not a moment had passed when the sickness took his life away, he opened his eyes much to everyones astonishment. 

All kinds of doctors examined him however they could not pinpoint why he had recovered, only one explanation that they had concluded. His core awakening. The doctors discovered that at the time of his last breath, his core for nurturing fire element had awakened and it was that pulled him from death. 

In their world, each person holds a core, stagnant and sleeping inside them and only a few had been able to awaken them. Once it awakened, a person can have the power to control elements, a healing power, and those that defies the law of the world.

All kinds of names had been branded if a person had even one of those abilities. Some were called elementalist which Yulian categorized to. Priests, those who have the holy light and most have the ability of healing. Necromancers, the power to control the dead, they were mostly scorned by priests. Summoners, Knights and many others but the most famous of all was the magus.

Compared to others, their numbers could only count to fingers and they scattered in any corner of the continent. An elementalist can be a magus if he can master healing, can summon a beast and all kinds of magic that's different from his original core and rare they could be seen in the mundane world.

But one name was if not worship then hatred could be evoked if his name can be heard. 

Yulan, the Great Magus.

He lived fifty years ago, when the world was in chaos, when people would tear at each other with their abilities. Many had challenged him to a duel but everytime he would emerge victorious. He could speak curses that can render an enemy immobile even he was far away, he could command the elements just like an elementalist would and he could even do healing. Among all magi, he stood atop. 

But as the books said, the more power you hold, the evil you are. He began to conquer kingdom after kingdom, flattening those who tried to get in his way.

Thanks to the unification of the four kingdom alliance, they defeated the evil magus and restore peace on the continent.

Yulan, now Yulian could not help but lament how the victors of the war had the right to write history. He knew his sins as well as those so called heroes. However, he had been given a chance to redeem himself, a second life to expel the darkest evil that lurks in their world.

Through the years after his soul went to a lifeless body of a young boy, the god of light, Ignis had been beside him, unseen by anyone. He takes in a form of ball of fire floating around him. Yulian almost could not control his expression the first time he saw him in that form. It had reminded him of a small fae he had the honor to converse once during his travel when he was Yulan. It also due to Ignis that he developed his ability of fire. In a way the people were right, he had been blessed by the gods.

Days passed and the festive air came, lively and colorful streets decorated the town of Ruke. Their chief held the opening ceremony at the blessed hour of nine with a wide grin. Well who wouldn't?

For the past years after the plague, less and less merchants came to their humble town to trade, believing the lingering souls of the dead would clung  and  bring a bad omen to them. But this year will be different, he could already see several merchants had entered their town asides from those few who would be present every year to do a small trade with them. He knew it had someting to do with their certain special visitor today.

"Don't you think your father's smile couln't be more wider than that?"

Yulian asked with a straight face as he and Arthur watched the man along with the crowd giving speech above the podium. The chief's spouting the same thing every year, but his never disappearing grin while talking gave Yulian a chill.

"He's been like that since this morning. Me and mom almost had a fright during breakfast, imagine his face while eating..." Arthur shooked his head as to get the horror like memory out of his brain.

Yulian would not dare think of the scenario, it's enough seeing Mr. Wallice' wide smile from afar. He didn't need to stimulate his brain more. 

Well, to be fair, the chief was not that scary looking. When he's normal, he looked just like an average old man that likes to wear a coat and tie even on a hot weather. Gray hairs already showing and with a small belly due to his old age. And just like his son, he had a sunny personality and a good leadership.