teacher Kifliy

Personality

Kyphriy is a caring and patient teacher who values the individuality of his students. He is passionate about pedagogy, enthusiastically observes Coco's success in witchcraft and readily answers her questions. His care and attention to the students is shown in the fact that he trusts Egott with the second test and pushes Richa to develop. He protects his female students by fighting the Knights of Moralis and risking his own safety to protect the girls.

However, Kifri's obsession with brimati can lead him to neglect his students. He took Coco as an apprentice to find a leader, and abandoned his apprentices in the Serpent's Spine Cavern to go in search of Brimat Sasaran. It was only when Olrugio reminded him that the students were the most important thing to him that he was able to focus on their well-being.

In this regard, Kifri has a hidden tenacity and readiness to act contrary to the moral foundations of his society.

Cythrais hates water and is afraid of getting wet. According to him, he had mastered water magic so well that he could control the object of his fear.

Kifri (キーフリー, Kifuri) is a sorcerer and Koko's teacher. He runs a workshop and currently has four apprentices. He was previously Beldaruit's apprentice.

Appearance

Kifrey is a young man with white hair and blue eyes. He usually dresses in white robes, fastened with brass ornamentation, and has brass buttons on his collar. He wears black boots and small glasses, glued to his face with natural resin. The left lens is clear, and the right is dark. Underneath, Kifrey wears a black, long-sleeved turtleneck.

His pointed hat is white with a long black ribbon. The bottom of the hat is fastened with a button.

He has poor vision in his left eye, and there's a scar where his right eye used to be, and the right eyeball itself is GONE. So he covers the right side with his bangs, hiding the absence of his right eye and the scar.

Face

He doesn't have the kind of face you'd immediately remember: his features are calm, as if deliberately smoothed so as not to distract from the task at hand. His cheekbones are slightly defined, but not sharply so—rather because he rarely allows himself to relax, even for a moment.

His skin is fair, with a slightly cool pallor, like that of someone who spends most of their time in the shadows of a workshop. On the bridge of his nose are thin glasses with simple frames; one lens is black and opaque: not for beauty, but to detect distortions in the magical lines. When he tilts his head slightly to examine the sigil, this black lens looks especially strange—as if he's looking at the world through shadow, and it's precisely in this shadow that he sees everything best.

His eyebrows are straight, not thick, and he barely moves them: his emotions aren't expressed on his face, but in microscopic shifts—in the way his eyes narrow slightly, the way the corner of his mouth tenses when the line has gone wrong. His smile is rare, brief, almost imperceptible: not to please, but to confirm that the student has finally done it right.

On the right side of his face, closer to his temple, there's a thin scar—barely noticeable, like the mark of a shrapnel shell or a carelessly drawn outline. He never explains where it came from, and if anyone asks, he simply says, "That was a long time ago. And that's not what we're drawing about now." In the place of that scar, there's NO RIGHT EYE.

Body type and clothing
Kifliy isn't large, but there's no fragility about him. His build is that of a man accustomed to long periods of immobility and sharp, precise movements: his shoulders are straight, his posture is even, as if he's always ready to take one short step forward to stop someone else's mistake. His hands are dry, with prominent knuckles and thin but firm fingers—the kind of fingers that can spend hours tracing the smallest curves without losing control. His knuckles are lightly callused from the handles of his hands and from frequently leaning on the edge of the table, checking that the parchment lies level.

He moves without unnecessary fuss: not a single unnecessary turn of the head, not a single sweeping gesture. Even when he reaches for the ink bottle, it seems like a continuation of the line—as if his entire body is tuned to precision.

His attire isn't a mage's costume, but rather a work uniform, elevated to a personal ritual. He most often wears a dark turtleneck: it protects him from accidental ink splashes and drafts, so important in the workshop. Thin belts line the neck and forearms: not for decoration, but to keep things out of the way, snagging, or bunching up when he bends over a drawing. He refastens these belts every day, as if reassembling himself piece by piece.

Over the turtleneck is a simple but sturdy vest, unadorned. The fabric is dark and practical, with pockets that hold tools: a magnifying glass, a thin ruler, a piece of chamois leather for wiping a brush, a small parchment knife. Everything is in its place, and he never searches for anything by touch—because he knows where everything is, even in the dim light.

The trousers are simple, not baggy, not tight: they're comfortable for standing for hours and yet allow for one short step when quickly reaching a student. On her feet are sturdy, flat-soled shoes: quiet enough not to disturb the quiet of the workshop, and stable enough to stand upright even if the floor is slightly inclined.

Sometimes, when the studio gets stuffy, he rolls up his sleeves exactly two turns.

His speech well reflects the image of a gentle but difficult mentor:
Calm and measured. He doesn't shout, doesn't rush, and speaks as if giving his students time to process what he's saying—this highlights his pedagogical side.
Explanatory, "teacher-like." Often formulates things as if they were a lesson: laying things out point by point, clarifying terms, gently correcting errors.
Polite, but not aloof. There's no arrogance in her, but there's a sense of distance, like that of an experienced mage accustomed to being in control.
Restrained and ironic. Sometimes a touch of irony or a dry remark slips in—not to offend, but to encourage independence.
Careful in his wording. Because he conceals much and is cautious with information, his speech can be evasive: he may answer in a way that is simultaneously truthful and yet doesn't reveal the whole truth.
Terminological. Since he teaches magic and crafts, his speech is full of technical jargon and clarifications about spells, materials, and processes—but he tries to explain them in simple terms for his students.

Past and motivation
Little is known about Kifliy's past. At the age of 12, he was found unconscious in the forest, buried alive in a buried coffin. The knights were supposed to erase his memory and release him, but a mage named Beldaruth decided to take him on as an apprentice.

As a child, Kifliy lost his right eye and memories to the Hatters, a group practicing forbidden magic. He conceals this scar and the Silver Tree infection by wearing his hair and glasses.
His motivation is complex: he took Coco as his apprentice not only out of kindness, but also because he hoped she would lead him to the Hatters who stole his memories.

What happened to him in childhood?
As a child, Kifliy fell victim to the Hatters (or Brimmed Hats), forbidden wizards who practiced dark magic. They performed cruel experiments on him: They removed his right eye and implanted a parasitic silverwood tree in its place. This tree has the ability to root itself into the host's body, transforming them into a tree form when they experience peace and comfort; they completely erased his memory—the spell was so powerful that the boy lost not only the memories of the incident but also his basic knowledge of the world. He literally remembered nothing about himself, and afterward, the Hatters buried him alive in a coffin under a tree in Tristas Forest.
The coffin in which Kifliy lay began to fill with rainwater. The boy nearly drowned in his own grave. He was discovered by the Knights Moralis (guardians of the sorcerer's law) along with Beldaruth, one of the Three Wise Men of the wizarding world. At the time of his discovery, Kifliy was about 12 years old, unconscious, missing his right eye, with a scar on his face—and barely alive after nearly choking.
How He Got His Scar: The scar on Kifliy's face is a remnant of the removal of his right eye by the Brimhats during experiments. This is why he wears specially designed glasses: one lens is completely black (with a sigil), concealing the empty socket and the scar, and also protecting his left eye from bright light. His white hair, with bangs covering the right side of his face, serves the same purpose—to hide the scar. Kifliy's scar is thin, straight, and quite neat—it runs vertically along the right side of his face, roughly from his hairline down to his cheekbone (but it's not large, only 3-5 cm). This partially obscures his eye, which is why Kifliy wears bangs—to conceal this detail.
Incidentally, there's another important detail: Kifliy is missing his right eye. The scar is a remnant of the injury that led to the loss of his eye. Therefore, he also wears special glasses: one lens is clear, the other is dark (and bears a sigil, a magical symbol).

Kifliy's glasses conceal a scar and the absence of his right eye. Why this is: As a child, the Brimstone Hats took not only Kifliy's eye but also his memories. It was later revealed that the eye was infected by the Silver Tree. Kifliy wears glasses and hides his eye under his bangs to hide these traces of his past and improve the vision in his left eye. This is part of his attempt to maintain control over the dangerous magic he is associated with. A scar remains where his eye used to be due to the tree being removed, and now there is no eyeball there. There was simply a scar on his eyelid where his eye used to be. (He has one sighted left eye.)

The black lens in Kiflia's glasses isn't just protection from light or just a style statement. It functions as a special magical tool, tailored to the craft.

It reveals distortions. Its main property is to allow one to see what the naked eye misses: microscopic irregularities in lines, the "shaking" of an outline, weak spots in a sigil. For a master who builds magic on perfect precision, it's like a magnifying glass, only it doesn't magnify, but rather illuminates the essence of the error. When Kifliy tilts his head slightly to examine a drawing, he doesn't simply peer—he allows the black lens to catch the right angle, revealing where the line is lying.

Softens the light. In the studio, the lighting is always even, but even the slightest glint can deceive the eye and cause a tremor. A black lens eliminates this interference: it prevents light from playing on the edges of the parchment and obscuring fine details. For Kifliy, this is critical: he doesn't want students to learn from a "pretty picture," but to see the actual line.

It conceals vulnerability. There's also a quiet, almost unnoticeable side: a black lens rests precisely next to the scar at his temple. It doesn't completely obscure it, but it softens the contrast between light and shadow, so the scar doesn't distract anyone, or even him. This, too, reflects his approach to his craft—no unnecessary emotion, just focus on the work.
This lens isn't just an accessory, but a part of his journey after losing his memory. Perhaps it was created specifically for him by one of the masters (Beldaruth or Olurgyo) to compensate for what he can't see with his normal eyes after encountering the hatters' magic. Or perhaps he chose it himself because it helps him "assemble" the world along neat lines—the same way he's accustomed to keeping order in his workshop.

There's a darker theory: the black lens doesn't just show distortions, it protects him from them. That is, if "malfunctioning" magic appears nearby (like the techniques used by Radical Hatters), the lens absorbs the impact, preventing him from ever losing his memories again or experiencing the emptiness left behind by erasing the past.

Memory loss and the mystery of his origin. Kifliy was found in the forest at the age of approximately 12, with no memory of himself. This is precisely why he is so obsessed with finding the "hatters": he suspects they are somehow connected to his memory being erased. This detail works brilliantly in scenes where he seems to freeze for a second, looking at some trivial detail: a shadow of a memory flashes through his mind, but he immediately hides it behind mundane action.

He began studying water magic because... he didn't want to get wet. It sounds almost comical, but it's the truth: Kifliy hates being wet, and Olurgio once noticed this trait and advised him to master water magic. Thus, he developed his own specialty—and it has a quiet irony: he manipulates water so it doesn't touch him. You could play this up in a scene where he carefully adjusts his cuff to prevent ink from getting on the fabric, or ensures the air in the workshop is just the right humidity.

He likes to cook in the evenings, after the students are asleep. It's his way of taking a breather and regaining control over something simple: while everything is boiling, sizzling, and demanding precise proportions, his thoughts stop racing. In your text, you could convey this through a detail: the scent of spices that sometimes lingers on his clothes, or the way he automatically checks that a pot is level, even if it's not his kitchen.

Belts on clothing aren't just a style, they're a ritual. He wears belts on the neck of his turtleneck and around his legs, which he re-braids every morning. It's a way for him to "get himself together" before the day: while his fingers are busy with small, repetitive movements, he can gather his thoughts. This fits perfectly with your style of "small actions": Kifliy adjusts, re-braids, straightens something—and in doing so, he calms not only the workshop but himself as well.

His connection with Olurgio goes back to childhood. They met when Kifliy was Beldarut's apprentice, and Olurgio literally saved his life (Kifliy nearly drowned). Since then, they've shared a quiet but strong bond: Olurgio was the one who kept him from disappearing into the silence, and Kifliy still repays that loyalty with both silence and action. If you want to add a hint of the past to the text, a single phrase will suffice: "He glanced at the door for a second, as if listening for someone coming, and then immediately returned to the jars, arranging them neatly in a line."

He saved Koko without erasing her memory. According to the laws of the mage world, if an ordinary person learns about magic, their memory is erased. But Kifliy broke the rule and took Koko as his apprentice—because he saw a link to the "Matters" in her story. This makes him not just a kind mentor, but a man who consciously takes risks in search of answers. And that's why he's so calm when his students make mistakes: he knows that mistakes are also a path.

The black lens in his glasses is a trace of magic. One of his lenses is completely black: this isn't just a style choice, but the result of working with specific sigils. It helps him see distortions in magical lines that the naked eye misses. This can be used as a detail in the text when he looks at a flawed drawing: "He tilted his head slightly, and the shadow of the line flickered for a moment in the black lens, as if magic itself were whispering to him where the error was hiding."

He can handle alcohol without losing control. He's quite tolerant of it: he gets a little tipsy, but never loses his composure. This underscores his discipline—even when relaxed, he remains focused.

All magic is realized through sigils—special drawings that are activated when their outline is closed. A sigil consists of several parts:

The glyph is the central element that determines the type of effect (fire, water, force, levitation, etc.). The nature of the magic itself depends on the type of glyph.

Pointers are elements around the glyph that control shape, size, and direction of action. They can be used, for example, to make a water stream thin and sharp or wide and soft.

The ring (border) is a closed circle that "starts" the magic. Until the border is completed, the spell is inactive. This allows you to prepare spells in advance and activate them at the right moment by simply drawing the missing piece.

Advanced Techniques:
Linked spells: If you connect two sigils with a line, their effects interact. If the spells are similar, their power increases—this is how you can strengthen your magic by drawing many small, identical sigils and linking them.

Nested glyphs: One sigil can be placed inside another to combine effects or subtly alter the result without a complete redraw.

Reversed signs: If a sign is mirrored, it will have the opposite effect (for example, instead of lifting, there will be attraction).

Social and ethical standards
Division into groups. There are witches (trained and admitted to magic) and "the ignorant" (ordinary people), for whom magic remains a mystery or is accessible only through ready-made devices.

The opposing faction, the Brimmed Cap Witches, violates these rules and experiments with forbidden practices, which is why they are considered heretical.

Forbidden Magic
The witches' society strictly limits what magic can do. Any magic that affects the human body and mind is considered forbidden:
•healing;
•change in age or appearance;
•movement in space;
• impact on feelings and thoughts;
•infliction of wounds.

Using forbidden magic is punishable by expulsion from the community and/or memory erasure. The only exception is the memory erasure spell, which is used on criminals and those forbidden to know about witchcraft.

Social and technical limitations
Magic is a craft, not a gift: it must be studied, and knowledge is deliberately limited to maintain stability in the world. Ordinary people ("the ignorant") do not master magic, but they can use ready-made magical items.

Constructs (artifacts): if a sigil is applied to an object, it becomes a "device" with a permanent effect (for example, flying boots or a self-cooking cauldron). It is through such objects that the ignorant can indirectly use magic.

Precision is critical: the slightest error in form, proportions, or line order can lead to failure or disaster. Therefore, training is built around discipline, drawing, and an understanding of principles, not "willpower."
The only exception is that memory-erasing magic is officially permitted, but is only used in special cases (for example, on criminals or those who are not allowed to know about magic).

Knowledge Control. The Pointed Hat Witches deliberately restrict the dissemination of knowledge about magic: it is not taught to everyone, and training is strictly regulated.

Security through form. The sigil's very structure guarantees control: if the circle isn't closed, the magic won't work, and the detailed design of the pointers and glyphs prevents the effect from becoming chaotic. Errors in the design can lead to unpredictable and dangerous consequences.

What else is strictly prohibited?
Creating or distributing "heretical" sigils. These are any designs that violate the established rules of magical construction: for example, sigils without a closed ring, with chaotic lines, or "self-activating" constructions. Such sigils are considered dangerous and unpredictable, and those who make them are called heretics (like the "Hat with a Brim" group or the "Hatters").

Passing on knowledge of magic to the ignorant is prohibited. Ordinary people should not know how sigils are constructed or how to draw them. Revealing the basics of magic to outsiders is considered a threat to the entire magical order. Only ready-made magical objects (artifacts) with a pre-applied sigil are permitted, as they are safe.

Changing or simplifying the basic principles of sigils for "convenience" is prohibited. For example, attempting to create a "quick" activation method without closing the ring or a "universal" glyph that replaces several effects at once is prohibited. This is considered a distortion of the craft and a violation of the discipline that underlies witchcraft.

Using magic to circumvent natural laws on a large scale is prohibited. For example, it's forbidden to forcibly change the weather over a large area, stop a river's flow, or artificially accelerate the growth of entire forests. Small, everyday effects (such as drying wet clothes or lighting a road) are permissible, but large-scale interventions are considered dangerous.

Making sigils that function uncontrollably or "forever" is prohibited. The spell must be predictable and have clear boundaries: duration, radius, and termination conditions. Sigils that expand on their own, change their effect over time, or have no clear end are prohibited as potentially catastrophic.

Copying or forging official seals and marks of masters. In the world of the Atelier, recognized mages possess special marks granting access to archives, laboratories, and teaching materials. Forging them is not just deception, but a crime that undermines the entire system of control over magic.

Relationship
Coco
Kithrei first met Coco when she ran outside after seeing a carriage with a pegasus on it, with Kithrei standing at their front door to place an order. He seemed to be interested in her fascination with magic, but he didn't pay much attention to her until he realized that she might be the key to solving the mystery of wide-brimmed hats. His intentions to take Coco as an apprentice were questionable, but he confirmed that he may have once thought she was only a clue, but these days he values her as a student. He genuinely cares about Coco, as he does about all of his students.

Agatha
One of Kifri's students. Kifri and Agot often argue over Agotte's stubbornness and Kifri's desire to ensure her safety in the first place, such as when Kifri tells Agotte that she can't participate in the real case, even though she ends up giving in. Despite this, Agotte is a loyal and devoted student, and Kifri cares a lot about her, as he does for all of his students.

One of Kifri's students. Tetia is the most cheerful of Kifri's students. She trusts him very much, as evidenced by the fact that she first runs to Kifri for help when she thinks Koko is in trouble. Of all the students, she is the least arguing with Kifri and trusting his judgment. He sincerely cares about her, as well as about all his students.

Riche
: One of Kifri's students. She is not as sullen as Agotte, but she is just as stubborn and constantly quarrels with Kifri because of this. She gets very angry at Kifri when he forces her to pass the second test, and she doesn't care that Kifri thinks it's for her own good. She insists that Kifri promised to never force her to do anything she doesn't want to do under his guidance. Despite the disagreements, Riche eventually changes his attitude towards Kifri and begins to trust him again after the events of the second trial. It is revealed that Riche did not always learn from Kifri, but moved to his atelier after he and Olruggio saw her crying over verbal abuse from her former mentor,

It is revealed that Riche did not always study with Kiefri, but moved to his atelier after he and Olruggio saw her crying over verbal abuse from her former mentor and asked to be transferred to another location. Kifri cares a lot about her, as he does about all of his students.

Olruggio

A childhood friend of Kyfrei and a vigilant guardian of the atelier. The two have a close relationship, as Olrugio was Kyfrei's first and perhaps only friend when he became a witch's apprentice. It was thanks to Olrugio that Kyphrei decided to specialize in water magic, despite his fear of it. Olruggio advised him to learn to control what frightens him. [2] It is implied that before meeting Coco, Kithrei was actively involved in the selection of students, so he was shocked to find Coco without warning. Olrugio insists that his job is to keep Kifrei out of trouble and that he wants to help him in all dangerous situations, though Kifrei seems to prefer to keep Olrugio in the dark for his own safety.

Rain Slicing Magic Items

: Kifri has a unique magical sword that is engraved with many tiny seals on its surface, allowing him to cut through water with a single blow.
Palm Dragon Cup: Cifreus invented the Palm Dragon Cup, which later came to Beldaruit.
Notepad: Kifri has a notebook with shrinking magic on a clasp that makes it fit in his pocket. If you unfasten the clasp, the notebook will return to its usual size. Additional seals inside the book can enlarge it to gigantic sizes.

Other interesting things:
Teleport carpet - for instant movement.
Compass sphere - helps navigate magical currents or find hidden places.
True Appearance Medallion - reveals the true nature of the one who wears it.
Augmentation Lens - enhances any magical properties or abilities.
Linked phials are used for complex rituals that link different magical effects.
A house-in-a-vase is a compact magical object that can serve as a home or storage space.

An important clarification: Often, the object itself is merely a base. Its "magical power" is revealed only when the magician complements it with their sigil: inscribing the necessary glyphs (symbols of the elements, power, and direction), defining the shape with pointers, and closing the circle. Therefore, the same tool can be used differently by different magicians.

Magic ink
Ink is made from the processed root of "silver trees." It can be mixed with various additives to impart special properties: making a spell invisible, prolonging its duration, adding waterproofing, and so on. It is often applied with special markers, which magicians themselves call "magic wands."

Flight shoes
On the sole of each shoe or boot of a magician is a half-magic circle (sigil) for flight. When the magician brings their feet together, the two halves connect, the circle closes, and the person gains the ability to fly.

Shape-Stealing Cloak
This item allows the owner to change their appearance - to disguise themselves as another person or take on a different appearance.

The "Matters" ("Witches in Wide-Brimmed Hats") in the "Atelier of Witch Hats" are a group of witches and magicians who defy the laws enacted on Pact Day and openly practice forbidden magic. They are easily identified by their wide-brimmed hats (or other decorations) that obscure their faces—a contrast to the "pointed hats" of ordinary witches, whose brims are raised.

Main goals and philosophy
The Hatters believe that banning magic that affects living beings and changes the world suppresses the true potential of magic. They believe that healing, shapeshifting, time magic, and other powerful techniques should not be abandoned simply out of fear of abuse. They want to restore freedom of choice to mages and often act as revolutionaries, undermining the existing order.

What they do and how they operate
They practice forbidden spells, from body-altering to time-magic tattoos (as in the case of Dagda, who was restored to life); they recruit and test new allies: the Hatters seek out those capable of more than the system allows and try to sway them to their side (Coco is a prime example); they create magical artifacts and tattoos: their signature method is to apply glyphs directly to the skin to circumvent the limitations of conventional magic.
They operate covertly but boldly: they do not seek open conflict with the Knights of Moralis, but regularly defy the law, staging provocations and rescuing those the system considers "lost."

Kifliy teaches not through strict lectures, but through practice and analysis of mistakes – and at the same time he tries to remain a gentle and attentive mentor.

The students (especially Coco) learn by trying out magic right away: drawing magic circles, working with ink, and solving specific problems. The theory is taught just enough to allow them to take the next step.
Error analysis instead of blame. If something goes wrong, Kifliy calmly explains where and why it occurred and shows how to fix it. He doesn't pressure or humiliate, but helps you understand the mechanics of magic.

Kifliy's lessons are nothing like the usual classroom sessions—everything revolves around hands-on practice. The training takes place right in the studio on the Zoza Peninsula: in spacious workrooms, where tools are laid out on tables, jars of ink stand, and sheets of paper for magic circles lie, and the scent of herbs and dyes hangs in the air. Sometimes, the lesson smoothly transitions into a trip to the city's shops to find the necessary materials, or even goes beyond the studio: to the river, the forest, or the rain, where magic must work not in ideal conditions, but in the real world.

The day begins not with a lecture, but with a specific assignment. Kifliy wastes little time on lengthy explanations: he picks up an ink stick, demonstrates one precise gesture—how to draw a line, at what angle to place the hand, how thick the stroke should be—and immediately asks the student to imitate. While Koko or another student draws the stick across the paper, he stands nearby, carefully watching every movement and gently correcting: press a little harder here, move a little slower there. For him, magic is a craft where details matter: one too-thin line can misdirect the energy flow, and the spell won't work, or won't work correctly.

If the circle doesn't close or the ink runs, Kifliy doesn't scold. Instead, he peers at the drawing with the student, looking for the error, and calmly explains what went wrong. The analysis happens right there, on the spot, without interrupting the student—this way, the error becomes part of the learning process, not a failure. And almost always, it's immediately followed by an attempt to correct it: not getting bogged down in theory, but picking up the pen again and drawing the line, now knowing what to look for.

At the same time, the students don't just train in the dark. They're included in real studio assignments: some are tasked with preparing ink, others with applying a simple glyph to an object, and still others with more complex work.