Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

Another day, another time to reflect on my existence. I’ve moved into a university living arrangement that is far more luxurious than my previous house. It should’ve made me enjoy a position of contentment and security more than ever before.

However, supposedly a small black hole in my head, within the depth of my very soul is seeping away tiny bits of that security and contentment. My hope and bright outlook on life are slowly diminishing further and further, staying alone in this wide space makes it even worse. All of this space and luxury that only I could’ve dreamt of back in my previous world should’ve made me happy, but it only amplifies the deep worry in my heart.

At first, I thought it was because I’m anxious about the test result. I remember back then when I applied for the Tokyo University test and sat down doing its entrance exam. How nerve-wracking it was for all of my hard work studying all day long for three years to be tested only in a two or three-hour session. But this might take the cake. I wonder why?

Now I’m just waiting for the test result and the day classes finally start. This period of waiting with nothing much to do is the worst moment. The realization of the vacuum, the nothingness, the absurdness of my second chance of existence. All I can do is just think and think and think. Left alone with nothing but my own thoughts.

Screw this, I’m just going to take a bath and then grab some bites in the lounge. That should occupy some of my time. This reminds me, thank god the nobles here actually take care of hygiene very seriously, and cleaning themselves regularly is shown as a sign of wealth. I wonder if the nobles back on earth think the same way as well? I remember they prefer opting out of baths by using perfumes and aromatic flowers to cover their years of stench. I should’ve learned the middle ages period more back then.

I pull a cord to ring the bell on the first floor that would call this housemaid to prepare my bath. In several minutes, I hear light knocks on the door. I open the door and as I expected, a mature but nevertheless still beautiful maid is at the front of my door. She lifts her skirt up and bows lightly.

「 This maid heard your bell, young lord. Is there anything this maid could do to serve the young lord? 」

「 Prepare my bath immediately. 」

「 Yes young lord. This maid will prepare the young lord’s bath immediately. This maid would also like to notify the young lord there’s a letter both from the Schools of Magic department and the Alderhide household. Would you want this maid to bring it to you young lord? 」

Oh yeah, today is the end of the week huh?

「 Just prepare my bath. I’ll retrieve it myself. 」

「 Understood, young lord. 」

I follow the maid downstairs. She needs to bring the buckets of water back and forth after all; although there’s some sort of plumbing, it’s basically just basic pipes to flow the used water and human waste out. There are no water pumps to bring in clean water, especially in elevated places, therefore to get water there’s still the need to do heavy manual labor. It’s very interesting when you think about it, quite different from the middle ages back on Earth.

When we are in the lounge, the maid heads on her own way while I go to the mailbox. Inside it, there are four envelopes. I can tell from their cover they are two magic proficiency certificates, a letter from the Alderhide household which I’m very sure is from my mother, and the long-waited application status.

I take all of the letters and sit down in one of the coziest chairs in the lounge as I decide to read the magic proficiency certificates first.

I open both at the same time and I must say… It looks very similar to my graduation degree back on earth. The difference is the certificate is much smaller, barely covering my hand. There are my name and my proficiency level — Basic. And also the《Associations of Magicians》logo and several signatures.

There’s some kind of art decoration surrounding the paper on all corners and edges of the certificate, but when looking closely it seems to be some kind of elaborate magic rune. I wonder why? Maybe it’s a magic rune to verify its authenticity? Similar to QR code? I should ask one of the magician professors in the university.

Finished examining the magic certificates, I go over the application status as I become slightly hesitant about opening it. Did I get accepted or did I fail? Please for the love of whoever is holy in this world, especially the goddess Maria to give me the blessing of passing the test. I open the letter — here goes nothing.

 

Dear Renald Alderhide,

We are very sorry to let you know that we are unable to offer you admission at both the《School of Aegis Magic》and the《School of Assault Magic》at Bosarts University. Please know that this decision in no way diminishes your merits. We were humbled by your great talent and achievement.

We appreciate your intention and want to assure you that your candidacy received thorough and serious consideration. All of our admission decisions are made through an exhaustive committee review process alongside with the《Associations of Magicians》. As a result, all decisions are final, and we are unable to consider appeals of any kind.

We are complimented by your interest in both schools of magic. And from your alternative interest, we would love to offer you admission to the《School of Wits Magic》if you agree to proceed. You have our very best wishes in your pursuit of magic mastery.

Sincerely,

Dramon Barner
Dean of the Schools of Magic Department.

 

W-wait wait wait… This can’t be, right? Is there something wrong with the letter? Did they send this to the wrong person? But the first sentence is clearly my name in this world… This must be some kind of a sick joke from the admission committee right? They must’ve made a mistake in writing this. I need to re-read it again. I hastily read it again, not noticing any differences from my first attempt.

FUCK!

Why?! Why?! Why?!

How could this be?! How the heck did I get rejected? Was I not skilled enough?! If they were really humbled by my so-called “great talent and achievement” Why am I not accepted?! AAhhh! If I knew this was going to happen I would’ve studied much harder!

Did that magician instructor set me up?! Maybe it’s that father or elder brother Elric of mine who set me up?! They want me to not get further in life or want me to graduate as soon as possible by not letting me pursue magic mastery to the fullest extent?!

Wait wait… Maybe… Maybe. What if… What if there’s a way for me to retake the test again. There must be! But but… They clearly mention all decisions are final, and I cannot consider appeals of any kind.

Didn’t those rich kids back on earth would donate a fuck ton of money to get into top universities?! What if I do just that?! Wait.. but that means overburdening the Alderhide family and most importantly my mother…

Is this it… All of my suffering for two years was all for nothing. I’ll never get anywhere in this life. If only I worked harder…

「 Are you okay there? 」

I look in the direction of that voice. A person is standing in front of me. He has short brown hair and sharp brown eyes. Beneath his clean clothes, is a wide frame and outlined muscles that couldn’t be hidden. His aura emits full masculinity and sheer confidence, something I wish I could have. Wait, is this person Reinhardt?

「 Yeah I’m fine, thank you. I’ve never seen you before, I’m Renald Alderhide the son of the honorable Earl Falben Alderhide. 」

「 Nice to meet you. I’m Elras Reinhardt, the son of the great Marquis Kainth Reindhardt. Now, back to my question — are you okay? 」

His eyes look through me without flinching as if he’s the embodiment of sheer will. Why do I always experience that kind of gaze?

「 Yeah I’m fine. Thank you for your concern Reinhardt-sama. 」

「 No, you are not. I give you one more chance, are you okay? If not, what happened? 」

Damn, this guy won’t let me off that easily huh… I signal my hand to offer him to take a seat across me and he does so willingly.

「 I received a letter that I got rejected by both the《School of Aegis Magic》and the《School of Assault Magic》」

「 No wonder your expression was like that… My heavy condolences. 」

「 How’s my expression? Was it that obvious? 」

「 You look like you just received very grief news as if your loved ones met with a devastating accident or something equally as bad. 」

「 I see. 」

Looks like I need to learn more on how to hide my emotions and maintain a poker or calm face. That way

「  May I know your magic proficiency level? I know magic skills are very discreet matter so to start with I would like to tell you that I just reached Advanced magic proficiency in the《School of Assault Magic》」

「 Mine is basic in both schools of magic. 」

「 Holy shit, of course, you won’t get accepted with that kind of level. 」

This guy really needs to put salt on my wounds huh…

「 Yeah… I guess you’re right Sir Reinhardt. 」

「 You should’ve mastered only one of them, you would have a better chance with Intermediate level. 」

「 Yeah you’re right. That reminds me, how come you have already achieved Advanced magic mastery? 」

「 You seriously don’t know? 」

He looks at me with a face filled with shock and disbelief. Did I just mistakenly offend him or something? But isn’t achieving advanced magic mastery is terrific and puts you well above the average magician? He sighs as he starts to talk again.

「 I’m a Reinhardt so it’s very well expected of me to be damn good at combat magic. Judging how you didn’t know the significance of the Reinhardt Marquis family then you should know that our territory borders those damn elves northwest on the Veinard kingdom map. The constant skirmishes between those damn elves in my family territory lead us to be solely focused on military merits and ingrained with the kingdom’s military effort. 」

With the way he stresses the word elves, he definitely hates elves to the core. There was a history book that mentioned the rivalry between humans and elves. How elves are warmongers, brutal savages, and barbaric and much more derogatory terms but I thought it was just propaganda, I didn’t know it was this bad. Then again, perhaps this guy’s whole life is spent fighting elves which causes him to think that way.

「 Thank you for your guidance, Sir Reinhardt. I don’t know much in-depth about the outside world, especially regarding the world affair. My mother sheltered me since my childhood and I rarely interact with the noble community. So I really appreciate it when you taught me, even just for a bit. 」

For now, humbling oneself should be the correct course in this conversation. Not knowing anything about the noble community is a very dangerous matter if I want to be perceived well amongst other nobles. Hopefully, Sir Reinhardt will take it lightly.

「 That’s…. Interesting. Say… What was your name again? 」

「 Renald Alderhide, Sir Reinhardt. 」

「 Just call me Elras, Renald. I have a feeling we might be good friends. I will take my leave now. 」

He then goes away and heads to the staircase. Did I make a good first impression on him? From the way he wants me to call him “Elras” it sounds like it. I should also go back to my floor, the maid should already have finished preparing the bath anyway. I clean up the table and gather all of my letters and envelopes, then go up the stairs.

By the time I arrive at my floor the maid bows slightly and immediately leaves my floor. The bath should be ready then. Oh wait, there’s also the unopened letter from my mother right? I should read it first. She does remind me that she will send me a letter very often. I quickly open the letter, much more relaxed compared to last time.

 

My dear lovely boy Renald,

How’s your stay in the Bosarts University student housing? I hope your accommodation is perfect and everything is alright. 

By the time this mail arrives, your classes and your pursuit of high-level education should begin pretty soon. I’ve been there myself and it was a fun experience I want you to enjoy as well. It’s also a great opportunity to meet with wonderful friends and perhaps your potential girlfriend or even wife fufufu… 

I’ve talked extensively with your father about your study and he agreed to give you monthly spending of a gold coin per month. He and I already made a bank account just for you; all you need to do is to retrieve your monthly allowance from the Zempten bank. I’m such a good mother, aren’t I?

Just because you are far away from home doesn’t mean you could lose contact with your mother. I’m expecting you to write back to me every once in a while. Or else, I will heavily consider terminating your bank account. 

I can’t wait to hear back from you in a month my dear boy,

Your sweet mother.

 

A gold per month?! That’s a lot of money for a single person. I might be a noble but I’m also the youngest one in the family. How was she able to convince my father to give me that much money? From my adventuring gear and now to this… My debt towards her increased yet again…

If I remember correctly this world currency conversion coins are,

1 Platinum = 10 Gold = 100 Silver = 1,000 Copper = 10,000 Bronze

But still… three years of monthly one gold coins is thirty-six gold coins in total. That’s a bit more than the cost of instructor Kalish’s plot of retirement after he finished training me.

F-f-fuuck…

How am I supposed to break the news to her that I got rejected?

She already gave me everything…. Especially love. Even though I’ve replaced her own son, she somehow still loves me… I know she still thinks I’m the original Renald. Once in a while, she will unconsciously remind me how different I am from the past Renald, saying things like “Oh I’m sorry, you used to love this before” or “How could you not like this anymore?”. But feeling her motherly love that asks for nothing in return to me even if she mistook me for the original Renald…

Is this what I’ve been missing in my entire life?

No! I cannot take advantage of her kindness anymore. I’m totally fine, I don’t need that kind of love, I’ve survived thirty-four years without it anyway.

It’s precisely because of that I need to repay her… But how am I supposed to return the favor to her…?

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

「 Excuse me Renald-sama, We have arrived in the Veinard’s capital city; Hasten. 」

「 Seems like it. 」

Outside the carriage window, numerous tall buildings side by side is common with almost no greenery left inside this huge city. Its wide and beautifully paved roads are filled with many horse carriages and even more pedestrians. Its scale would make the city where I used to reside, Quondartz, minuscule in comparison.

A year quickly passed by since that forest incident, as if it were a drop in the grand scheme of things. But it felt like a trickle every single day, suffering through the harsh training and countless sleepless nights. According to Instructor Kalish, I should be around Basic proficiency in both schools of magic. I was able to quickly master Aegis magic just in time thanks to taking advantage of how time moves slower in that palace.

「 We should arrive at Bosarts University district quite soon Renald-sama. 」

「 Thank the goddess. I’m sick of sitting in this carriage for such a long time. 」

I really miss modern transportation such as cars and fast trains. I didn’t expect it would take around ten days to go here. My ass hurts all the freaking time from this inhumane commute and this not so comfortable sitting. I still don’t understand how butler Drake never shows any sign of grogginess. Maybe it’s just due to me being used to the comfortability of modern commuting.

「 Renald-sama, I would like to remind you that last year the Bosarts University started being quite selective on which students are offered admission to the《School of Aegis Magic》and the《School of Assault Magic》. Other schools of magic are exempt from taking any sort of test. To gain a chance to get into those schools of magic, they will test your magic capabilities on the prospective schools of magic you want to get admitted to, even if you already obtained a high magic proficiency certificate from the《Associations of Magicians》. 」

「 Yeah, no offense butler Drake, but you’ve been repeating almost the same thing for the past week. Do you seriously think I wouldn’t remember it? 」

「 It is my duty as a butler to make sure my master is well versed in what he is about to do.  I’ve also wanted to remind you that although Bosarts University only accepts nobility, it is mandatory for all of its students to live in its provided house complex. But don’t worry Renald-sama, their living arrangements are spectacular and very fitting for nobles. 」

「 Well this is new, you didn’t tell me about this on our way here. But how come it is mandatory for all students to live in the provided houses? Am I going to live alongside other nobles? 」

「 Yes Renald-sama. Bosarts Kimsten — the founder of the Bosarts University. May the goddess Maria bless his soul — Believes in order to make Veinard become a prosperous kingdom, the nobles ruling parts of the kingdom need to be well-versed. To do so, he created the university to make sure nobles are very well educated. He also believed that in order to unite the nobles, they need to live together during their study. Their time studying together will make sure nobles will bond together with other nobles. He came up with this from when he observed how soldiers bond together over experiencing the same skirmishes. His ideas were accepted by the king of that time, Stenphard Veinard. To commemorate his idea that revolutionized how Veinard nobility society works, a bronze statue of him was made and is displayed in the middle of the campus. 」

「 Well, that’s quite an interesting story. What are we going to do after we arrive at the Bosarts University district? Kiss Bosarts statue’s ass? 」

Butler Drake’s face immediately becomes pale. Eyes widened; as if I killed a baby in front of him.

「 Reinard-sama, please mind your language! This might overstep my boundary as your butler, but why are you so grumpy? 」

「 As I said, I’ve been very, very uncomfortable with this commute. If you didn’t remember, my mind is filled with how my ass stings very hard. 」

「 Haaah… Please be patient, Renald-sama. We are already in close proximity to the Bosarts University district. Oh, look to the left window Renald-sama. It’s the wide-open space garden of the Bosarts University. 」

I look through the left window, and he’s right, the scenery is very beautiful. The garden is filled with tidy bushes, colorful plants, and tall trees that cover parts of the garden with their humongous branches. Its lushness should’ve been mistaken as a forest, yet everything is tidy and organized. Seemingly as if there are order and beauty in its jumbled chaos. I would’ve appreciated it more if it weren’t for the numbness in my ass.

The carriage passes through the garden as huge buildings spread out after one another start to appear.

The buildings are made with pristine white bricks. Showcasing its university pride of cleanliness and high-quality education. It’s following the same classic renaissance aesthetics, but its simplicity and minimalistic design reminded me of modern architecture.

Now that I think about it, isn’t the campus quite similar to that American university I’ve studied in for a year as an exchange student? That place where I found my passion in learning history.

「 Seriously though, what are we going to do soon? I’m pretty sure you have a plan. 」

「 Of course Renald-sama. You will first sign up for their test and partake in it, the test will be done swiftly. After that then we will move into your living arrangements. 」

「 Alright. 」

Nearing the center of the Bosarts University district, the carriage stops in front of a building. The front of the building has several pillars supporting its roof, reminiscing the greek architecture. The carriage door takes forever to finally open.

「 Excuse me young lord, we ha- 」

I dash outside, without any concern for the person opening the carriage. Ahh… My ass is finally free. I start stretching out my stiff body.

「 Oh dear goddess. At the very least please mind your manners in public, Renald-sama. 」

「 Yeah yeah yeah… So I’m guessing the building in front of us is the Schools of Magic department? 」

「 Yes, you are correct. Let’s come inside Renald-sama. 」

He then leads the way going inside the building. Inside the building, there are several other young nobles with a butler or maid accompanying them. All of them seemingly waiting to be tested or to register for the test. I start to become nervous about the test. What if I fail? But that doubt vanished immediately. I used to not be a confident person but I need to change that if I want to succeed in this life. Remember the mantra, “Fake it till you make it”. There’s nothing to be afraid of, after all I’ve worked very hard and Instructor Kalish was impressed with my progress. We walk to a woman with glasses at the reception.

「 Welcome to the Schools of Magic Department building. May I know your name and the purpose of your visit? 」

「 My master, Renald Alderhide wants to partake in the admission test on both the《School of Aegis Magic》and the《School of Assault Magic》 」

「 Great. Could you please show your nobility insignia to prove your identity and status Alderhide-sama? 」

I reach to my pocket and grab my noble family insignia and show it to her. It’s a very well-crafted bronze with gold coating, on it is a picture of alder fruit surrounding a sword as the Alderhide family emblem. It was given by my mother before my departure.

「 This servant has confirmed Alderhide-sama identity. Would you like to partake in the test immediately? And do you have any official magic proficiency certificates? If not, then we can create one from your test result. We will send the bill directly to the Alderhide household.  」

「 Sure. Might as well make the certificate while at it. 」

「 Okay then. Alderhide-sama, please follow this servant to the test room. The butler can wait in this hall. 」

I look back to Butler Drake, he nods and bows fully, must be his sign for me to follow the reception lady and leave him be. By the time I realize it, the counter lady is already out from behind the desk, standing near me, waiting for my permission. I nod to her and she leads the way to the test room.

The test room is quite similar to the gym hall back at school. The walls and floors are very sturdy, and tiny marks of damage and searing are apparent almost everywhere. If magic usage is common in this area then those tiny marks can be seen as a spectacular achievement since they could withstand intense abuse.

「 Excuse me Reina-sama. A student wants to take part in both schools of magic tests. and magic proficiency certificate. 」

The counter lady then greets a woman with your stereotypical magician gear. Long robes, pointy hats, and a wand.

「 I see. And you are? 」

「 Renald Alderhide. 」

「 Alderhide-sama, I’m the magician professor in charge of testing prospective students on both 《School of Aegis Magic》and 《School of Assault Magic》. The test is quite simple, you will demonstrate the spells you are capable of. The test will be graded depending on your performance holistically. If you really want to get into details on how we score our test then I’m sorry but I cannot disclose that. However, it is a mix of the variety of your spells and the quality of your spells.

The quality is determined from various variables that are judged altogether. Some of the variables that I could inform students are the exact details of the entire chanting process, and how strong the spell that is created from it. Do you have any questions? 」

「 That’s a very thorough explanation. Can I start demonstrating my capability now? 」

「 Go ahead, there are several dummy dolls as a target for your Assault magic. 」

Easily enough, I demonstrate my full arsenal of spells. They are:

《Pulso》— A spell that casts a force thrust outwards. Used to knock enemies off.

《Pyre》— A spell that casts a wave of fire. Used to slightly burn multiple enemies.

《Urro》— An inhumane spell that casts a gush of flame similar to the flamethrower. The fire damage it can bring is so horrendously powerful, it should’ve been forbidden to use it.

《Fulmen》— Cast a surge of lightning to a singular enemy. Mostly used to shock an enemy.

《Parma》— A spell that casts a protective shield that covers my front body from physical attacks.

《Sapelo》— A spell that casts a protective shield that covers my front body from magical attacks.

I wish there was a way to compare my ability with others but I’m the only one here besides the magician professor. I just hope for the best in regards to my chance of getting admitted.

「 That’s all of my spell professor. How was it? Did I pass the test? 」

「 From your demonstration, at the very least you are guaranteed to get a basic proficiency certificate on both schools of magic. However I can’t safely say on the admission, we need to compare other students first before we are able to start making decisions. But don’t worry Alderhide-sama, we will send you both the certificate and an application status at the end of this week. If you don’t have any more questions then please leave the room as I need to test other students. 」

「 Okay then. Thank you professor.  」

I leave the room and go back to the hall. Butler Drake is just standing there… With an expressionless face as always, waiting for me.

「 Butler Drake, I’m done with the test. They will send in an application status letter at the end of the week. Let’s go see my living arrangements. 」

「 That’s wonderful, Renald-sama. The carriage is ready. 」

We then hop into the carriage, and in several minutes we are already in the housing complex. The houses are quite small for nobles to live in; yet tall, around four and five stories. Each of them is standing side by side without leaving a gap between them. However, all of them are very colorful and window panels are plentiful. This just shows how luxurious these houses are since colorful bright paints and windows are very expensive. Then the carriage stops in front of a red house. Near its door, there’s a sign with the number “222”.

「 Renald-sama, we have arrived at the house you will be staying in for the duration of your study. 」

I go outside the carriage, mesmerized by the house I’m about to live in for about three years. At first, I thought I’m about to live in some kind of dorm, but turns out I’m living in something similar to a greek house in universities back on earth.

「 Renald-sama, go ahead and enter the house, I believe your room is on the second-highest floor. While this butler will need some time to unload the baggage. 」

I look to my back and I see Butler Drake and the person who helmed the horses, trying to unload the baggage. I leave them to it and proceed to go inside the house and knock on the door.

Knock, Knock…

「 Hello? Excuse me. 」

The door then opens. The person in front of me has an innocent childish face with light blonde hair and dark blue eyes. His frame is quite small, is he younger than me?

「 Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Renald Alderhide, the son of the honorable Earl Falben Alderhide. If my butler is correct I’m supposed to live in this house starting today. 」

「 Hello Alderhide-sama. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Aaron Stager, the son of the Baron Steve Stager. We are expecting you to arrive this day. Your room is on the second-highest floor. Please follow me to your room. 」

「 Sure. 」

He’s very formal with me. If it weren’t for him mentioning his noble status, I would’ve assumed he’s a servant. Is it because my nobility status is higher than his? But this leads to another question. With how nobles always keep an eye out on others’ status, how could they allow students with different nobility status to live in the same house? Is this done intentionally in an attempt to create a sense of unity among the nobility community?

We walk inside the house and it is as luxurious as the outside appearance; much more so than my previous house. The first floor we are traversing seems to be a lounge or living room with tables, chairs, and other fancy furniture being quite common.

「 Who’s staying in this house besides us? 」

「 Elras Reinhardt from the Reinhardt Marquis family is staying on the highest floor; currently, he’s outside the campus. There’s Duncas Syder from the Syder Viscount family staying on the second floor. I greeted him yesterday and I never saw him leave his room till this day. And I’m staying on the third floor. There are four in total including you in this house, Alderhide-sama. 」

「 Will there be maids to clean up the house? I heard we aren’t allowed to bring our own servants during our stay. 」

「 Yes. There will be housemaids. Although the majority will only come in the morning to clean up the house and to restock food and other amenities.  」

Well… That’s as far as I can go in attempting small talk. If each resident or student stays on their own floor then our room is going to be unbelievably large, like a penthouse. What’s the point of living together if we have that much personal space? Might as well stay on our own property then.

We arrive at my floor and oh my god… Is this really a place for students or for a bloody president? My floor has a very spacious bedroom, a study room with gigantic bookshelves covering all walls, quite a spacious bathroom, and even my own wardrobe room. All of these facilities just for my own use. Man, I’m so not used to the amount of luxury these nobles have. I do need to get used to it — women love wealthy men after all.

「 Let’s go downstairs to the lounge and see whats my butler is up to, Uhh….  」

「 You can call me Aaron, Alderhide-sama. 」

Wow, thank god he caught that pretty quickly. I thought I screwed up big time. We then walk downstairs. I should try to keep up with the conversation.

「 Then you can also call me Renald. No need to be so formal about it, we are going to be roommates soon enough. 」

「 Please let me continue calling you Alderhide-sama. I’ve been taught since very young to always be respectful to all kinds of people. It’s a way for me to stay humble and befitting as a prospective goddess Maria servant. 」

「 I see… 」

Is that a common practice among Maria believers? I found their way of being humble a bit off-putting, to say the least. But having a good relationship with one of them is going to be necessary for proving one of my hypotheses.

「 So you want to become the goddess servant? 」

「 Yes, Alderhide-sama. What about you? What do you want to become? If I may ask. 」

「 I’m thinking of becoming a combat magician at both 《School of Aegis Magic》and 《School of Assault Magic》. I just found both of them to be very cool and interesting. 」

「 Why not just specialize in one of them? I heard those schools of magic have a very selective test. By focusing on just one school of magic, you would have a higher chance of getting into one of them. 」

「 I’ve thought about that before, Aaron. But I feel having both of them is crucial in any kind of fight. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re studying at the 《School of Miracle & Blessing Magic》. How’s your proficiency at it? 」

「 I’m around Intermediate. If I were more devoted to the goddess Maria’s guidance, I would’ve reached an advanced level. But asking for more would be too ominous for me. I should be grateful that a lowly one like me was given the blessing to hold an intermediate level of magic. 」

「 That’s alright, just take your time in learning it. No need to be in such a rush. 」

「 Thank you, Alderhide-sama. 」

By the time I realize it, we are already at the lounge again. Butler Drake and that helmsman are carrying my baggage inside. I try helping them carry the baggage however they heavily insist on carrying the baggage themselves. Thanks to Aaron’s persuasion and his help in giving us a hand in moving my numerous baggage. I easily finish moving in. Looks like befriending him is going to be quite easy.

Time slows by, as I wait for the test result that my very future and dream is dependent on.

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

It’s been three days since that horrifying fight with the wolves and goblins in the dark forest. The expression of my mother when finding out about the severity of the situation is quite horrible to say the least, especially the consequences I suffered from it. I was forced to stay inside the house until I’m sent off to the university. And with Instructor Kalish heavily injured, I wasn’t able to make any progress in learning magic.

So to make up with all this free time, I’ve been holding up in the house library. Most of the books here are just fictional tales, none that could help me understand more about this world that I haven’t read already. But I’m not here to read books. I’m here to travel to the sky palace. I lean down on the sofa in the corner of the library, in an attempt to take a nap.

Closing my eyes, I whisper my spell chant.

Drowsiness comes to me as I fall asleep.

 

……

 

I open my eyes, sitting on a throne in the position I left this place in before. I head over to the palace library to summarize the many secrets I have that would’ve appalled most people.

As soon as I’m inside the library, I sit down on the nearest comfortable chair and desk. And start to write notes on one of the many blank books available here, in Japanese to avoid prying eyes in learning its contents. It’s a way for me to consolidate what I’ve discovered and learned about this sky palace and my mysterious summoning ability.

From the magical spell chant alone, “Ruler of the arcane sky palace”; it would seem that I somehow became the ruler of this sky palace. I do, however, believe this notion quite easily. This palace listens to almost every single of my instructions regarding itself. From simple things such as opening a door to heating the water in the bathroom. It could even do something challenging such as replacing the entire garden layout to a completely different theme.

I also did verify whether this palace is a dream or an actual place. One way to do so is by slightly cutting myself in both the palace and where I came from. Unsurprisingly, both of the wound marks transferred in both places.

And after further investigation comparing two different watches, one in the palace and another in the normal world, I found out that time flows much more slowly in the palace. An hour in the normal world is the same as three hours in the palace. This is an amazing and wonderful discovery since I could use the extra time to study magic more.

My research also led to another discovery. If I hold an object and intentionally want to bring that object to the palace, it will teleport it to the palace. When I go back to my original place that object will be gone. This can be a great way for me to store things.

In that magical spell chant, there’s also the sentence, “The master of all things ancient”. It must have come from my ability to summon shadow minions. The shadows do exhibit something mythical and ancient from their aura.

Personally killing monsters and therefore sucking their souls allow me to summon more shadow minions. It just raises the question of whether it will result in the same thing if I kill non-monster beings and I don’t really want to find it out. Now I have six shadow minions in total; three swordsmen and three spearsmen.

From further experimenting with commanding the shadows and trying out to simulate battle operations, I immediately found out that my combat strategy capability is very lacking, causing their operation to be very inefficient. Interestingly, they are able to operate far away from my location. However, they can only act on my direct command and they can receive it only within around a hundred meters away from me. But thankfully I don’t really have to word my command or instructions precisely as if it were a computer to get them to do what I want.

I’m still quite bothered with this power. How and why did I receive this power? Is this a gift from the god itself? If so, then why? Why me instead of other beings? Praying to the goddess Maria to find some answers sounds like a good idea however there are no responses. This makes me question whether the goddess in this world actually exists or just a worship symbol, similar to the religion back on earth.

And there’s also the fact how I never heard of this kind of power. I’m not sure of the origin of this power but it might be best to maintain a high level of secrecy regarding anything related to it. I’d rather be ignorant about this power of mine than risk other people finding it out.

With all that said, there are still several mysteries and unknown matters that have yet to be answered from my investigation.

That purple room comes to mind the most. Unlike the black room which from this henceforward will be termed as “Adsignatos room”, there are no major reactions. I remembered there was a stream of information coming to me as I stumbled upon that cauldron in the Adisgnatos room. Whereas that mysterious purple room gives me a creepy, sultry feeling. There are no further hints or clues on tracking down that voice, I believe this is due to it being in the realm of mysticism.

The only way I could think of that could further my investigation and try to make sense of that room is to start by figuring out its most distinctive features. Which are the white decagram runes and the four angel statues. For now, I come up with three hypotheses on the purpose of that room.

First, it’s a magical ritual to pray to the goddess, Maria. An offering will be set on the altar and a person will stand in the middle of the magical runes to receive her blessings. This kind of ritual to receive Maria’s blessing I believe is quite common amongst the upper-rank priests. If I’m going for this hypothesis it would require me to get along and ask questions with the Miracle and Blessings Magician or pursue that school of magic which I definitely do not want to.

Second, another religion that I’ve never heard from the other side of this world. Not much is known about the other side of the world. With how the transportation and communication technology is not quite advanced enough, distance is still the biggest barrier in getting to know other cultures and would be very difficult for me to do research on this hypothesis. I would need to travel across the ocean and that could only be done after I leave the Alderhide family.

Third, an ancient religion that’s forgotten as time passes. With how both of the rooms have an ancient feel, contrasting with the rest of the palace. Perhaps it’s a ritual related to an old, forgotten religion. All I can hope is that it’s not a ritual to summon a devil or anything. If I’m going for this hypothesis then, learning this world history on a deeper level would be crucial.

All in all, the pursuit of discovering this lies in the need for heavy research at the university in the near future.

I read what I’ve gotten so far in my notes, deleting and modifying some parts I see fit. After being satisfied with the final result, I close the book and return it back to one of the many bookshelves here.

Done with what I need to do for the day, I head back to the throne room and return to the real-world library.

 

….

 

Waking up, I find myself on the sofa at the corner of the house’s library as expected. It should be around the afternoon, so I head over to the kitchen to grab some food.

While I’m on my way there, I look outside the windows. The bright sunshine shining on my face gives me great hope for what’s about to unfold in the future; my recently discovered powerful ability drives this even further. In the garden, outside the window, I find my mother relaxing in the white canopy.

Oh, she’s waving at me, being the good boy I am, I also wave back to her. She gestures her hand for me to come to her. I change my course and go to the white canopy.

「 Hello, Renald. 」

「 Hello, Mo… ther…. 」

Unbeknownst to me, across where my mother is sitting is my eldest brother, Elric Alderhide. That’s strange, I wonder why is he here? I sit down beside my mother.

「 Hello, my dear Renald-otouto. How’s your injury? I sincerely hope you will recover soon. 」

His gentle green eyes inherited from his own mother looks to me, sending a warm gaze. But his fake friendly smile blows away his cover.

「 Thank you for your concern, Elric onii-sama. The doctor told me it will take me a day or two for my shoulder to fully recover. 」

「 That’s great. How’s that Rengda instructor? 」

「 I heard from his doctor it would take him at best a week to recover and at worst three weeks. He heavily injured himself, stalling the monster in order to let me retreat for my safety. 」

「 Of course. That’s expected for a lowly Rengda adventurer who has low magic capabilities to have a hard time dealing with few goblin riders.  」

「 Hey, at least that Rengda instructor has the integrity to prioritize my boy’s safety first. 」

To think they openly discriminate against Rengda. Is he doing it simply because he thinks poorly of Rengda or he’s doing it to spit on me?

「 Anyway, going back to where our conversation drifted off. How’s Miss Clara doing?  」

My mother says, seemingly trying to lead the conversation’s direction.

「 She’s doing well in her pregnancy, Lady Heva. We recently found out she’s raising a baby boy in her stomach. 」

「 That’s super wonderful! Have you come up with a name for your son? 」

「 I want to name my son Derreck, but she thinks otherwise, wanting to name him as Brayn. I swear, she’s more stubborn in this matter than about the wedding ceremony back then. 」

「 That’s just how women feel about their firstborn son, Elric. Oh, how I remember how I desperately begged my dear boy here to be named Renald. Danna-sama at first wanted to name him Russal. 」

Mother is happily talking with him without needing me here. I wonder if I can escape from this conversation. As if he is able to read my mind, Elric suddenly directs the conversation towards me.

「 This reminds me, Renald-otouto. After finding out about your encounter with goblin riders, my knights and I investigated deep into the forest again. Turns out, that Rengda did guess correctly that there’s a goblin village deep in the forest and we were met with a surprisingly weak counterforce. 」

「 Isn’t that great Elric onii-sama? Thanks to it you have an easier time exterminating those goblin riders. 」

「 It is. Only four of my men were injured with no deaths in the skirmish. However, the size of the counterforce doesn’t add up with the size of the village. It was quite large you know, encountering goblins instead of wolves. It takes such a short amount of time there’s no need for us to set up camp. So we went back home way earlier than we estimated.

Shockingly while we were on our way back, we found six pairs of goblin and wolf corpses. 」

I totally forgot about that. Is this the reason why he randomly visits my mother and me? I need to remain calm and not raise any suspicion.

「 That’s quite interesting, Elric onii-sama. Your knights didn’t exterminate them? 」

「 They didn’t, Renald-otouto. By the time we found them, the corpses had already started to rot; flies hovering around them. 」

「 That’s quite strange no matter how you look at it. Do you have any clues on this matter, Elric onii-sama? 」

By maintaining a curious and ignorant approach on the matter, hopefully, I can maintain my facade. I shouldn’t worry too much about it anyway. It’s not like the incident would lead him to find out about my summoning ability.

「 If it were those members from the 《Adventurer’s Creed》 then the monster’s right ear would’ve been cut. Yet it was still intact when we investigated them. 」

Dammit, I should’ve cut it. To think that minor detail would raise suspicion. He sips his tea while retaining his suspicious gaze into me. But why would he suspect me?

「 I’m still inexperienced regarding this matter, Elric onii-sama. But perhaps it’s a result of a dispute between monsters? 」

「 Heeeh… I don’t think there are monsters that use such a sharp sword and spears Renald-otoutou. The wounds that were inflicted on the corpses used that kind of weapon. 」

「 Huh… Then I’m clueless in that regard… 」

His suspicious gaze on me starts to become more sinister as silence remains in the garden, crawling through my body, seeking for any opening of my weakness. I swear I notice a very small smirk plastered on his face right now. Did he find out?

「 How did you get that injury on your right shoulder, Renald-otouto? 」

His lips curl up into a smile. But what I sense is a “gotcha” expression.

「 I… I got attacked by a goblin spear when we first encountered the monsters with my instructor. 」

「 That’s strange… That Rengda told me otherwise. He told me you weren’t injured when he was with you. Are you telling the truth Renald-ototou? Something doesn’t add up.」

Did he see through my poker face?

「 What are you doing Elric? You don’t need to interrogate my boy like that. What does he have to do with any of this? 」

「 I’m afraid I can’t do that Lady Heva. This is for the greater good of the land and commoners. Everything about this is very surreal. Defeating six pairs of goblins and wolves is not an easy task. With no magic presence in that area, it takes a very skilled person to deal with them. What’s more, I suspect it’s not just one person. I have a suspicion tha- 」

Out of nowhere, butler Drake dashes into the white canopy. His hand is holding a letter.

「 Excuse me, Elric-sama. Sorry for interrupting your wonderful moment. I have received a letter from Lady Carla to inform you that she expects you to accompany her in her noble gathering tonight. 」

Butler Drake gives the letter with two hands towards Elric. He grabs it in a quick motion and starts scanning the content.

「 Well well well… Looks like I have to leave right now. Renald-otoutou, Lady Heva, it was nice having a relaxing conversation with you all. But I must leave now. Renald boy, I hope your right shoulder will recover soon. 」

He then stands up. His posture filled with confidence as he walks away from the canopy we were sitting at.

「 Are you alright my dear boy? Don’t let him get to you. Elric has always been like that, prying deep into people’s minds. I should’ve warned you beforehand. 」

「 It’s fine, mother. I just didn’t expect Elric onii-sama to be like that. 」

That was nerve-wracking… I was very close to having to reveal what actually happened in the forest. This will be a warning for me to be very careful the next time I’m using my shadow summoning ability…

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

「 For fuck sake, boy! wake up! 」

As soon as I become conscious again, what greeted me is a loud shout right in my ear.

「 Wh-what?! Huh? How long was I asleep, sir? 」

「 Just for a while. Anyway, we got something more important! Goblin riders are coming! They will be right at us any minute now!  」

Just for a while? Wasn’t I in that palace for quite a long time, perhaps an hour or two? Does time flow differently between this place and that dream-like palace?

「 I don’t have time to explain, you need to go back to the nearby vill- 」

「 ARH-WOOOOO!! 」

The sound of wolves howling could be heard, indicating it’s close to us. How could this be? I thought elder brother Elric already cleared them out.

「 Are we going to fight them? 」

「 Shit they’re already at us. Dammit, I can’t believe I was right. Get up kid, you gotta go now! 」

He grabs and pulls my arm. Forcefully making me stand. He then reaches for the gear that is laid down on the ground and brings it to me.

「 Run to the nearby village. I hold off the monsters while you are away. 」

「 B-but sir… 」

「 No buts! Ah, shit here they come. How the hell are there still wolves in this area?! 」

He looks to the left and I follow his gaze. And there they are, four menacing grey wolves almost the same size as Instructor Kalish, around thirty meters away from us. Each of them has a goblin riding on top of them, geared with short spears and a helmet.

They are slowly approaching us, maintaining vigilance on our movements. They then spread out, creating distance between themselves. All of their movement seemingly coordinated, making me realize they must be experienced. One of them found the goblin’s burnt corpse and starts to approach it. The wolf’s snivel could be heard, using its nose to wake the corpse.

The other wolves on the other hand growls, their sharp fangs bared, ready to strike us. The goblin’s faces filled with anger but a wide sneer could be noticed from their lips. My hands start trembling again.

They want revenge for their fallen comrades…

I tighten my grip on my sword, steeling myself for the brutal fight. It is at this moment, I felt a hand on top of my hands, pushing down.

「 I’ve told you, kid, this is my fight. I’ll see you in the village. 」

「 They outnumbered you, sir! You won’t be able to handle all of them! 」

「 While you can’t even handle one of them! If you are so worried about me, give me the vitality potion, just don’t tell Lady Heva-sama about it. 」

Feeling guilty for leaving him behind, I give him my only vitality potion. He reaches for it when suddenly, a wolf dash towards us. He grabs it and he pushes his other hand with hovering magic runes – chanting.

A magic barrier takes shape in front of the wolf, crashing it. The wolf gets knocked, the goblin rider even falls down. That was really close.

「 Now go! 」

I nod to him and then run as fast as I can. Oh god, the monsters noticed I’m making a run, sending one of the wolves to hunt me down.

『 Operam! 』

The wolf that was chasing behind me now didn’t pursue me anymore and rush towards Instructor Kalish. That spell must have diverted the monster’s attention towards him.

I keep up my pace and head to the nearby village where we rest our horses. We traversed this forest for around two hours, so I assume it will take me around an hour of running. This is where I will be put to the test on whether my hellish training was worth it or not. Hopefully, he will be fine and already dealt with those monsters before I’m even halfway to the village.

Thankfully, he taught me how to navigate an unknown environment without a map beforehand on our trip. He even became greatly passionate about it after I talked to him about my slight interest in becoming an adventurer in the future.

The forest scenery changes from time to time. I follow along with the cross marks on the trees we’ve left beforehand to indicate our path. Noticing familiar landmarks like the one I notice just now, a boulder of mossy rocks, reminding me I’m on the right track. I don’t know how long I’ve been running. Perhaps ten or twenty minutes? Not knowing the exact time is making me quite anxious. Having a watch is going to be a priority in the near future.

As I grew tired and out of breath, I finally stumble upon a stream of water, where we last took a break. I stopped on my tracks, sitting near the stream as I try to catch my breath.

While also making sure to rehydrate by drinking the water available. I also took this opportunity to observe my surroundings and plan my next move as I rest.

Reminded that there’s a chance the wolves catching up on me, I stop resting and start making my way across it. Jumping and minding my steps on the big rocks in the stream. Reaching the opposite side of the water stream, I follow the slow-flowing waters going slightly downwards, a stark contrast to my hurry nature.

If I remember correctly, the path went off the stream around here and followed through those bushes. Jogging through the path, I’m sure I should be near the village by now.

However, when I focus on my surroundings again, I’ve noticed something is missing. The cross marks that should’ve existed are never to be found anymore. Am I lost?

How is it possible that I’m lost? Where did I go off track? Was it in the stream of water?

There’s no time. I’ll just go back to the stream of water and figure out from the-

「Grrrrr!! 」「Grrrrr!! 」「Grrrrr!! 」

The horrifying sounds of wolves gritting their teeth could be heard from all directions.

Multiple stares piercing through my bones, sending shivers to my very core. I scaredly check all corners. But all I can see are just trees and bushes in this foggy weather.

Wh-where are they?

I could feel my heartbeat… pounding ever more so in my chest. I force myself to not pay any mind to my beating heart as I become highly strung, twitching to any noises. My eyes darted from one place to another, alert for any movements of those monsters.

Branch crackling and bushes swaying noises can be heard from all sides.

They surrounded me…

Then, they appear themselves. I spot three… four… no, six. Six wolves with goblin riders on top of them from all sides. There’s…. So many of them… Can I even fight back…?

Their expression filled with anger and mocking grins. Knowingly that I must be easy prey for them.

Distanced by a mere twenty meters, I’m rather clueless as to why they haven’t attacked me yet. They just stand there, approaching me leisurely – toying me.

Maybe if I distract them with… No that won’t work. C-come on Ryo, think of a fucking way to get out of this situation!

Goddammit, it’s fucking hopeless. My mana reserve is barely enough for one spell. I could drink the mana potion; however, it’s useless since I won’t be able to chant quickly enough for these many monsters.

Is this it? Will they make my death painless? Or will they slowly eat me as I suffer? I was given a second chance in life and soon enough I will waste it just because I’m weak?

How could I defeat them? There are so many of them, it would take an army to beat them. Wait… An army? Wh-what if I summon those shadows?!

I hastily establish a mental or spiritual connection to that mystical palace, where they lie. From there, huge magic runes materialize where I stand. Shining bright lights to me from below. I then finally chant, ²

Two human-like forms wrapped in shadows take shape in front of me. Their posture is ready for combat as they face the monsters in front of me. Strange, I used magic runes to summon them, but it didn’t use any of my mana.

The monsters seem to be startled by this turn of events. Their previous mocking expressions are now replaced with cautiousness and perhaps — horror.

 

---

Exterminate these monsters!

Yes, my lord.

---

 

I command them to immediately attack the monsters now. Striking while the enemies are startled is crucial to get an edge on any fight.

The shadows dash towards the monsters. Their movement can’t be followed by the naked eye. By the time I spot one of them, the spearman; its spear already pierced one of the wolf’s neck from the side. The wolf whimpers as its mouth fill with blood, dropping to the ground, along with its goblin rider.

Chaos fall as screams and the sharp sound of clashing metals rings to this once solemn place.

While they are fighting one after the other, I slowly move further away from the core fighting stage, observing how the shadows fare against the monsters. It’s the perfect moment to test again their combat skills, and more importantly – their loyalty. Everything went quite smoothly, the shadows were not under too much pressure fighting against them.

It was at this moment, one of the goblin riders dash towards me. Moving in a flash. The wolf’s mouth opens, showing its sharp teeth. I jump out the way, barely escaping my demi-

Ah, fuck!

The goblin spear hit my right shoulder! Blood and pain start flowing. I instinctively cover my wound with my hand, trying to stop the bleeding.

Not good. Instructor Kalish was right, I can’t even handle one of them.

The wolf dash towards me again. I drop my sword and prepare my last spell.

Force thrust blows out of my hand, colliding with the wolf dashing momentum. It knocked the wolf but didn’t overthrow its balance. Damn it, I didn’t focus enough on my spell, resulting in a weak spell cast.

 

---

One of you gets over here. I need help.

I’m coming, my lord.

---

 

In a flash, the shadow swordsman sprung out in front of me. Just in the nick of time when the wolf strikes me again.

The shadow swordsman faces the goblin rider. Its spear aimed at him. The shadow swordsman deflects it. As he evades the wolf’s mouth, he moves to the goblin’s back. His black sword, planted in the goblin’s chest.

The goblin falls, as he breathes out his last dying whimpers. The wolf glares at him, filled with anger. I use the opportunity to move to the wolf’s blind spot.

I dash and thrust my sword aiming towards the wolf’s stomach in a quick motion. The sword blade digs deep into the wolf’s stomach. The wolf whimpers as it tries to counter-attack me, moving its body facing me. But that is a fatal mistake.

The shadow swordsman thrust its sword to the wolf’s stomach too. With two blades in its body, the wolf whimpers, accepting its inevitable death. I feel something vaguely creeping up to my very soul again.

Worried about the shadow spearman, I look at him and see whether he needs help. The two wolves near him are still standing, slightly injured. The shadow spearman however is in much worse shape. His left arm is chopped off, and his posture is sluggish.

 

---

Swordsman, help exterminate the monsters and cover the spearman.

Yes, my lord.

---

 

I run towards him. Trying to help ease the pressure on him.

By the time I’m in proximity, the swordsman is already intercepting the monster’s attack. I hastily grab my bag, opening its cover to grab my mana potion. Then, I take three gulps, leaving the potion bottle half empty. That should be enough for one big spell.

While at it, both of the wolves leap towards the swordsman altogether. He dodges to the side. While simultaneously slash towards one of the goblins, chopping its hand, holding a spear.

The goblin screams loudly, as the rest of the monsters’ will seem to wither. Seeing the small window, I focus on myself and prepare a magic spell.

The wave of flames gushes out in front of me. Slight incinerating both of them. They run around blindly, squirming, trying to fan off the flames. Their screams reminded me of that one goblin. The scene is horrifying, but I steel myself to quickly end their misery. I thrust a sword right to each one of their hearts to give them a quick death. And as I expected, I feel something vaguely creeping up to my very soul again.

By the time the shadow swordsman and I were down, I check over to see the shadow spearman’s condition. Surprisingly, he’s kneeling down rigidly, as if his missing arm doesn’t matter.

Between the shadow spearman and I are the wolves and its goblins rider, laying down on the ground, blood seeping out of their bodies, dying the grass red. But their chest is still beating, and their mouth opens gasping for air.

 

---

Why didn’t you end their misery?

It is your right… to harvest… their soul, my lord.

---

 

Harvest their soul? What…?

I have so many questions but ending their misery comes first. I thrust my sword to every single one of them. Their squirms as they let out their last breath is something that I still haven’t gotten used to. I feel something vaguely creeping up to my very soul yet again.

Wait a minute, is that what he meant by harvesting their soul? When I kill monsters, the thing which creeps to my core is actually the soul that I have slain? But why is that? And what does the soul do to my body? Am I cursed?

Then the pain comes out, centering at my right shoulder. The intense adrenaline from the fight must have worn off. Now the pain comes out with full force. It pulls me back to reality as I need to plan out what’s my next move.

Isn’t the shadow spearman in a much worse condition? Is he alright?

 

---

Spearman, are you alright? How do we patch you up?

I don’t know… Looks like this is my last service to you, my lord… Please forgive this foolish minion for ending his servitude to you.

---

 

He falls to the ground. His human-form starts to crumble, turning into black dust. The wind carries away his matter — leaving not a single trace of him.

The once chaotic surrounding becomes solemn once more. I maintain that silence in the honor of the shadow spearman. I didn’t get to know him, yet he sacrifices his life in order to fully follow my command and protect my life. What’s more, he even asked for forgiveness in ending his servitude that I didn’t request from the beginning…

I’m still doubtful and uneasy with their absurd loyalty towards me but his actions deserve my full respect.

I then turn my body facing the shadow swordsman. Noticing my gaze, he kneels down, and his head looking downwards.

 

---

I’m not sure how to say this… But how do you feel about your comrade?

Splendid, my lord. Every minion under you should aspire to be like him.

No… that’s not what I meant, Aren’t you sad or feel anything about the death of your comrade?

…Nothing, my lord…

I see… We’ll end the session now.

Yes, my lord. This minion will await your next command… Always.

---

 

A spinning dark aura starts surrounding the shadow swordsman, after it fully covers him, it puffs out, slowly disappearing. The shadow swordsman is now gone.

The pain comes out once more. I forgot I was quite injured in my right shoulder. Thankfully, the bag also contained some bandages. I apply it to myself and head out to where I left off, leaving this grim place filled with corpses.

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

By the time I open my eyelid, I find myself in a completely different place. In place of mother nature’s backyard, where wildlife reigns supreme and is unneutered to human needs, I’m in what I think is a grand palace; a place catered to what humans deemed as ideal and luxurious. A lavish and over-the-top place made to show enormous power or wealth to those who own it.

The roof soars in the sky. Two rows of magnificent pillars parallel to each other carved from beautiful white marble reach the sky. Between those pillars is a smooth red carpet leading to a gigantic door and up the few steps of stairs to me… Wait a minute, if this follows the conventional palace design then that means…

Instead of when I last remember laying down, I’m somehow leisurely sitting. I stand up and look at the place I’m sitting. It is a huge black throne, with intricate silver ornaments decoration, its back is three times taller than I am. Behind the throne is an opaque victorian style stained glass window letting a bit of white light into this already bright room.

Why am I… or was I… sitting on a throne?

If I’m here at a palace, then what happened to the me that was in a forest? Is me in that place gone? I need to go back to not worry Instructor Kalish. However, I’m clueless in that regard.

Strange, why am I not confused or shocked or anything? I feel calm — as if I knew this place unconsciously. Is this because I’ve already experienced transmigration?

Intrigued by this place with nothing to do, I decide to explore this palace as I walk down the stairs near the throne and traverse the wide-open room.

On top of each pillar, there’s a pole that should’ve held a banner or a flag. But interestingly, there’s no banner attached to it. If this is an aristocracy palace, there should be banners or flags to showcase its kingdom pride. It would seem this palace is empty and nobody resides in it anymore.

Quite a shame, since the most spectacular palace without a banner is like a hollow attractive person.

What if I put a banner? This palace would not be as majestic without a huge banner. It reminds me of modern aristocratic architecture similar back on Earth. However, beneath its modern look, there’s a historical feel to it. Abandoned and forgotten. Time still continues, holding its magnificence even without any owner — its missing banner identity further proves this notion.

It sparks my creativity and I come up with a banner design that would represent this palace feel. The icon, minimalist design of modern art with a skeleton-like frame in a heart shape. Its base background color would be white, while the logo would be a mix of black, to represent authoritative power, and purple to represent magic royalty.

Yeah, as if I could do that. With how tall and numerous these pillars are, it would take ages to place the banner. Don’t even think about creating and sewing the banner itself.

All of a sudden, the very banner I thought of at the top of my head is attached on each pole, swaying back and forth, as it slowly reaches to standing still.

Bewilderment comes and goes at the speed of light. With all of the crazy events I’ve experienced so far, it’s better to not question things and just go along with them. But does that mean the palace listens to my thoughts and instructions?

I think of wanting the gigantic door at the end of the red carpet to open. As soon as I finished that thought, the door creaks and opens steadily… I… can’t believe my deduction is proven immediately.

I go outside the throne room, the corridor branches off to left and right. Since I’m alright so far, I choose to go right. The corridor is as magnificent as the throne room. Each and every distance there would be a chandelier, but instead of the usual candles, it was replaced with something similar to a modern lamp.

This world has its own version of the lamp; instead of electricity, they are powered using mana energy, absorbing the energy inside of manaritium. However, in terms of design, the lamp present in this palace is much more similar to lamps back on earth. Strange, am I back on earth?

I walk forward in the corridor. The fine details around this palace resemble modernized renaissance era aesthetics which I heavily appreciate; it reminds me of the reason why I love learning history in the past. From the walls, floor, and even several beautiful potted plants. Finally, I found a big window and look outside.

What greets me is an endless stream of clouds stretching as far as the eyes can see flying almost as low as the ground. What was alarming is the fact that I could not see the ground at all. Gone was the previous depressing afternoon sky, instead; it was replaced by blinding clear rays of sunlight. All traces of the green forestry seemingly disappeared out of sight. Where is this palace?

Moving through the corridor I found a dark purple door with a stone archway on top, its carvings felt so foreign to me. The room emits a magical aura I’ve never felt before as if there are several different kinds of intense energy surging out of it — yet why does it feel very intimate? Why do I feel this way? Why does this room stand out much more compared to the other room that follows the conventional palace aesthetics? I must go inside.

 

『 M̶̛̯̬ȧ̷̰̥̊s̷̬̜̀͠ṫ̵̘͉̔e̵̤̎r̴̗̻̈… 』

 

Did I just hear a ghostly yet sultry voice echoing throughout the room? Is this place cursed?

Inside, there are no windows and no lamps — Sombre aura fills this place. Yet, on the dark cold floor, an engraved magic circle with its core is a white ten-sided star — decagram, radiates specks of white light to this gloomy room going upwards. On each corner of the room, sat hooded angels, kneeling and their hands grouped together — praying. Strangely, each and every one of them faces the entrance, as if they are waiting for their god or creator to return. Their expression is solemn with the face of tranquil.

Before the magic circle, is a marble table supported by two beams, an altar. I go near it, and on top of it were engraved magic chanting words,

Servire et adorare dominum

All of this reminds me of what an occult ritual to summon a devil stage would look like. Seemingly there is nothing more eye-catching findings left and no clues to track that voice, I leave while sincerely hoping that I was only experiencing auditory hallucinations.

 

……

 

I finally start traversing the left branch of the corridor from the throne room. While walking, I contemplate on what I’ve discovered about this place so far, especially the rooms residing on the right branch.

This place has a diverse and wide variety of rooms. Most are what you would expect at a lavish place, others are not so.

Numerous bedrooms filled with luxurious and humongous beds and other fancy furniture such as sofa and wardrobe. Reminding me of a five-star residential suite.

Several bathrooms with some of its bathtub or shower nowhere to be found and instead were replaced with a damn pool, oh and don’t forget some of them even have a freaking bubbling jacuzzi.

Theatre with rows of red cushioned chairs filling the space. Each row going lower and lower until its level parallels to the grand stage with a grand piano in the middle of it.

Few kitchens with modern stovetops and other numerous cooking equipment that I don’t fully understand.

Glassdoor leads to an enclosed, yet open space garden greenhouse, thriving and vibrant plants and colorful flowers filling the greenhouse, giving off a lively and energetic feeling.

Even a library as big as the throne room. Bookshelves that tower similarly to the pillars found back in the throne room, storing an unfathomable amount of books. These books, however — are blank, without a single word or letters.

That mystical purple room straight out of horror movies.

And many more rooms I have yet to explore…

Other than how ridiculously luxurious each of these European-style rooms, one thing they have in common is how neat and tidy they are, without a speck of dust in sight.

This revelation just makes things even more mysterious. Where is the person who owns this palace? How could this place still look proper and new without being maintained by the owner? My desire to investigate this place increases more than ever before, desperate to find answers.

Then, I catch on to something. A pitch-black door with two shiny but dark armors standing beside it. Their posture rigid and powerful, the gloved armors hold their swords between their legs, pointing downwards touching the ground; seemingly guarding the room. All combined should vibrate an eerie vibe. Yet this time, I don’t feel anything. No… I’m unfazed by it. The room is calling me — pulling me. I walk to it, and it opens by itself.

Inside, it is as eerie as its outer appearance. Walls are covered in smooth dark stone bricks, its tough structure starting to erode — as if time still passes, supposedly forgotten. Flickers of light that illuminate this room originate from inside a cauldron almost as tall as I. The light that is shed upon this room is quite bright, yet the other sides of the wall cannot be seen. In front of the cauldron is a small staircase. I climb up the steps and take a look inside the cauldron.

The white gooey matter is slowly spinning inside the cauldron. Only a small quantity fills it, barely a hundredth of the maximum capacity. The matter looks ghastly as if it is a liquidated soul.

Looking at it, a stream of information barges my mind. It seems to be an unfamiliar magical spell. Unconsciously, I chant,

「 As your one and only lord;
Heed upon your creator’s call;
I summon thee!
『 Adsignatos! 』 」

The matter inside the cauldron gushes out, leaving it empty. Creating wind around the room as they flow carelessly in the air. Then suddenly, a white light blinds my eye. I turned my back, trying to shield myself away from it. What the heck was that? Then I slowly open my eyes.

And there they are. Two dark human-like forms appeared in front of me, kneeling — towards me. Shadow aura emitting from within their body, obscuring their physical details. But the weapon they are holding is clear, one is a spear, the other a sword. My body froze but still relaxed as I try to assess the situation.

「 Who are you? 」

Silence remains in this room. Their only response I received is their heads lowered even further.

「 Who am I? 」

Our… our lord and master.

The heck, that’s not my thoughts. Did they just communicate directly to my mind? I prepare my thoughts as I try to ask them again without saying them out loud.

 

---

Why am I your lord and master?

We… Don’t… Know….

Are you human?

We… Don’t… Know….

Can you listen to my thoughts?

Only… when it is your… intention, my lord.

Do you know who you are?

We… Don’t… Know…. My lord.

Do you have any questions about me?

We do not… We just follow… your command.

---

 

Their hazy and unclear thoughts transmitted to me. Is this telepathy? They sound ominous but some part of me tells otherwise — displaying absolute loyalty and obedience.

From my weird transmigration to waking up in an unknown palace, and now to this. What am I supposed to do with them? And they even call me master and lord? Did they mistake me as the owner of this palace?

Not knowing how to deal with them, I leave the room. And they followed after me, walking just behind me. I pretend I don’t notice them and continue walking.

We randomly go to the beautiful courtyard, its size is almost twice the size of a soccer field. This huge empty space will be perfect to check their abilities. Since they have weapons on their hands that means they must know how to fight. Let’s see how they fare in combat and test their loyalty.

 

---

Demonstrate your strength to me by fighting each other.

Yes, my lord.

---

 

I give them space, and they start standing across each other. With a slight nod, they dash to one another and the sound of clashing metal fills this open space. Interesting… do they see my nod, or my thoughts were transmitted to them again? This is quite creepy when you think about it. Do they understand all of my thoughts or they only know the ones I purposefully permit them to receive? I need to understand more about how this mind telepathy communication works. Isn’t this quite similar to the《School of Wits Magic》?

Their movement is agile and their attacks are full of strength, reminding me of Instructor Kalish. But each of their actions seems to be thoughtful, with no waste. The complete opposite of him. He would’ve just brute force any fight and bring down opponents by pure strength.

Then, silence remains, indicating their fight is over. That’s pretty quick I must say.

As expected the spearman won; the tip of the spear touching the swordsman’s highly obscured neck. Supposedly they have the same combat skill, but spears will always have the advantage against swords due to their far reach. It brings me back to how badly I want to learn the art of combat using spears instead of swords due to its upbringing. Sadly, there’s a sentiment or trend in the noble community that “real nobles fight with magic and swords” or whatever. Spears are also cumbersome to carry.

Ahh…

That feeling when I stumble on the cauldron comes to me again. This time, a headache goes along with it. I shut my eyes, grimacing the pain. After it’s over, I somehow “remember” several magic spells. Wait… one of them is a spell to come back from where I was?!

「 Renald, wake up! We got company! 」

I hear Instructor Kalish’s voice within me, shouting, panicking with a sense of extreme urgency. There must be something going on back there.

 

---

We’ll end the session now

Yes, my lord. We await your command… Always.

---

 

Spinning shadowy aura start surrounding them, after it fully covers them it puffs out, slowly disappearing. The shadow is now gone, with no traces of them left.

I got perturbed but I don’t have time to question how they left, I need to go back. I hastily run to the throne room. I choose to go back to the throne room, not wanting to raise any complications on going back.

Sitting down on the mighty throne, I take another look at this vast palace, making sure to remember its jaw-dropping details. I then start my chant as I see big magic runes appear at the bottom of the throne.

「 The master of all things ancient;
Ruler of the arcane sky palace;
『 Palatium 』 」

My consciousness starts to fade away, feeling tired, as I close my eyes.

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

Today, the sky is filled with grey clouds, its haze gives the world a grim reminder of what’s about to come. Yet here we are in the outskirts of the forest, traversing the dense vegetation surroundings; searching for any valuable forages and most importantly, goblins.

Instructor Kalish got us what he deemed to be an easy monster extermination quest from an adventurer guild he’s part in called《Adventurers Creed》, requesting to investigate the outskirt and exterminate any monsters, specifically goblins. They were spotted and even stole livestock from nearby villages.

On our way on horseback, I asked him about his adventurer’s life. He happily talks about the ups and downs of his career. At first, I thought of him as a brutish man who’s a damn sadist with the way he trains. Making me run nine fucking miles, knowing I almost died the day before. But listening to him talking passionately about his adventure on fighting orcs with random strangers or the ridiculous drama that almost disbanded his past adventurer party; I can’t help but like this man.

His rant is numerous and his claims are so unbelievable, a dreamer in denial would think he’s dreaming. I suppose he is still a brutish man first and foremost. However, I was able to find some useful information about the adventurer’s world from his rant. In the Veinard kingdom, there are three major adventurer guilds. Each containing its own policies and specialty.

The《Adventurers Creed》guild — the largest and most diverse adventurer guild. Giving them a diverse amount of quest or task variety. The barrier of entry is nonexistent and each adventurer is free to choose whatever quest they want, albeit according to their ranking. Sadly, he never went into detail about the ranking system, but he mentioned that he’s ranked C. Well, whatever that is.

The《Maxim’s Fang》guild — similar to《Adventurers Creed》guild, however, they don’t offer quest or tasks; instead, they offer contracts. The guild was built in order for nobles and rich merchants to have a source of reputable and trusted adventurers that are willing to serve under them for a long term. The contract’s duration is quite long, the shortest is around a year. They also do background checks in order to let you in their group. They check your criminal records and even all your skills. Something which is despised by the majority of adventurers since it restricts their freedom. Judging by how Instructor Kalish always badmouths the 《Maxim’s Fang》adventurers in the middle of his rants, it seems that they are not in a good relationship with his guild.

The《Dyron Temperament》guild — based on the founding father of the guild, Dyron. An extraordinary adventurer with unparalleled achievement. His achievement and glory are all thanks to his mastery in the art of Aegis magic, even when he’s just a commoner. After he retired, he founded the guild in the hope of passing down his glory and creating a place for adventurers like him. They have the highest barrier of entry compared to other guilds, to join them one must be a magician with at least proficiency in advanced magic, limiting their human resources. However, thanks to that, they tailor each adventurer’s mission to fit their capabilities. This limits their freedom further but in return are more well-off compared to their rival guilds.

If I do get kicked out of the family, starting an adventurer career as a combat magician by first joining the《Adventurers Creed》guild and then transfer to《Dyron Temperament》guild after reaching advanced magic proficiency sounds like a good idea. But then again, it will all depend on whether I can actually handle violence and gore, something I’m about to experience soon.

I’ve studied this world’s history on a surface level, and it looks grim. Wars are common and fight with monsters or other beings are rampant. Orders are bought and held upon but violence is still rampant. I was quite lucky to be transmigrated to a peaceful noble family, even if I don’t have any chance for inheritance.

Huh, quite ironic when I think about it. Yesterday, I’m confident in killing monsters, paving my way through in becoming a combat magician. Now, I’m chickening out about actually doing the deed.

Will I be able to kill monsters?

Will I be able to make a poor soul bleed off and die?

Will I be able to make it through the fight in one piece?

Will I be able to put aside my morals and be a cold-blooded person?

 

Will I feel love once more?

 

「 Renald, focus. 」

My wandering thoughts vanish instantly, yet anxiety and doubt still linger, as I become more vigilant towards the surroundings.

Towering trees covering the already gloomy sky. Lush bushes can be found around here, hindering vision across distance, only allowing me to see around a quarter of a soccer field.

Chirping birds and the sound of tree branches swaying was the only thing to be heard throughout the forest. Man-made sound is nonexistent. Well, other than the sound of our careful footsteps in this uneven terrain of course.

If what Instructor Kalish deduced from the villagers’ report was right, that means we should be around goblins’ territory right now.

He’s in front of me, leading the way to navigating this forest. On his shoulder is a halberd that is dear to him. A halberd he said is capable and killed many ferocious monsters. It was enchanted by a Magician to increase its effectiveness in slashing and piercing thick monster hide; Though it cost him a fortune.

While on my hands is a two-handed sword gifted by my mother before the departure of this trip. A steel sword with a silver coating. On its sharp and shiny blade, magic runes are engraved using manaritium ore which stores mana energy that I have no way of understanding. Its symbols and patterns are unlike anything I’ve learned so far. The magic runes increase the blemish and pain on a monster. Making them more worn out and the damage I inflicted on them will wreak havoc on their flesh.

Aside from the sword, she gave me a gambeson armor and a sling backpack filled with a variety of potions increasing vitality, mana reserves, and — interestingly — awareness. To think my mother would give such prized items to me. At this point, I don’t know when I will ever fully repay my debts to her.

「 Psst… Renald come over here. 」

Instructor Kalish signals his hand to come to him as he covers himself in the nearby bushes. By peeking his head over the top of the bushes, he’s looking at something. I go to him and did the same.

「 How many goblins do you see? 」

「 I can see four goblins, sir. Some equipped with clubs, others with spiked bats. 」

Seeing those bloodied spikes on that bat already causes me to feel nauseating a bit.

「 You missed one between those two bushes. Can’t blame you though, the shadow hides that bastard really well. But make sure to be more observant next time. You don’t want anybody to do a sneak attack at ya. 」

「 Yes sir. 」

「 This is the real deal boy. Remember your training and you’ll be fine. But never underestimate your opponents, even if they are these puny goblins. I’ll start with attacking the hidden one and then make my way to the other two. I want you to deal with the other two goblins. Understand? 」

「 Understood sir. I will deal with the other two goblins. 」

「 Start the attack with a spell on my mark. 」

「 Yes sir. 」

He then moves away from the bush we were hiding from, moving much slower and more mindful than before. I notice my hands holding the sword are now trembling. I try to calm down by taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. Calm down Ryo, you got this, get your shit together. It will be fine, just remember your training and everything will go smoothly.

I wait and wait. Grasping for his cues as my eyes are split between the goblins out in the open and the one hiding.

A muffled dying voice could be heard. The goblins must have heard it too. Shit, did he screw up?  The goblins that were relaxed pick up their weapons, eyes on the two bushes, walking slowly towards it. I realize he didn’t clearly mention what’s his mark. Perhaps, that was it.

I dismiss my cover and immediately chant a spell,

『 Pulso! 』

All goblins go flying for a few meters except the furthest one. I dash to the nearest knocked one, laying on the ground. I hold my sword up, changing my hand grip, pointing the sword downwards. I can see the goblin’s expression; disbelief, shock — fear. Those emotions hit me, as I thrust my sword downwards to the goblin stomach.

The goblin squirms, His hands on the blade. I felt a bit resistant to it. Blood starts flowing, painting the grass red. His face is full of agony. Tears creeping on his deformed eyes. Now, his eyes are lifeless, and his bloodied hand falls from my sword. I feel something vaguely creeping up to my very soul.

Fuck, no amount of training can prepare me for this…

「 Grrruaa! 」

In a flash, I look to where the growl comes from. A goblin rushes towards me. He swings his spiked bat to my right. In the nick of time, I barely parry it. I swing my sword with brute force. The goblin gets pushed, losing his balance. I put all of my energy and swing the sword again. Damn it, the goblin was able to dodge it.

The goblin somehow comes to my right side. It swings its bat and hits my stomach.

 

*Cough!* *Cough!*

 

Fuck! It hurts so much! What’s more, this is with gambeson armor. This fucking piece of shit goblin, I’ll return the favor a hundred times much worse!  I need to retreat a bit first.

「 Come here you deformed maggot! 」

The goblin stupidly comes at me as I expected. About time this goblin suffers. Fiery red magic runes hover in my left hand, as I push it and shout,

『 URRO! 』

A small but continuous straight stream of fire appears out of my rune. The fire reminds me of flames coming from a flamethrower. That fucker is now on fire. Heh, that’s what you get!

I stop my spell; its drastic mana usage almost depletes my mana reserve.

「 AAHHHHHHHHH!!! 」

Screams of agony fill my eardrum, ruining the mood as I start to shiver. That goblin is running around aimlessly as it tries to wave off the flames on his body. It drops to the ground, wriggling.

Now it’s black as charcoal, and the smell of burnt flesh lingers around in this place. The smell of it is sickening and disgusting.

「 Bbblllaaarrghh!! 」

I vomit, leaning downwards. What’s left from breakfast can be seen in the bile. It is at this moment I feel something vaguely creeping up to my very soul again. But that thought is pushed to the back of my mind.

I look around and see Instructor Kalish decapitating a goblin as he swings his halberd horizontally. Its head landed five meters beside me. Its facial expression as if he wants to transmit his suffering towards me, oozing death. My bowel moves as I cover my mouth with my hand, desperately holding the need to throw up again.

Man, isn’t that way too brutal? But looks like we are done. I lay myself to the ground as a sense of dread creeps up to me.

I still can’t believe that, out of anger, I actually willingly burn somebody alive. Yeah, it’s just a goblin, but surely there are other ways to kill it humanely. That spell is truly powerful and inhumane.

I raise my hand to the sky, still seeing it trembling. I’m already like this when I take out what people say as one of the easiest monsters. Will I actually be able to live in this world filled with violence?

I never thought becoming a combat magician is this hard. Can I really become a combat magician? Is this as far as I can go? Due to my weakness, I’m destined to not feel any real love again? No… No, no! I can’t let this minor setback make me give up.

I can and I will become a combat magician. This is nothing compared to being alone — devoid of love. If this is what it takes then so be it.

「 Looks like you’re not in a good shape huh kid. 」

Instructor Kalish comes to my view, looking down at me.

「 Yes sir… I… I just can’t really take in all the gore and blood sir. 」

「 Relax, I’ve suffered the same fate when I first killed my monster. I threw up and cried a bit, heck I didn’t even manage to fully kill it. Anyway, we should go back soon. You’re in no condition to fight.  」

He says as he averts his eyes. His finger scratching his blushing cheek. I never thought he would make that expression.

「 But sir, how about the quest? We still haven’t really gotten a clue on what makes those goblins steal livestock. 」

「 I already knew there’s gotta be a goblin nest around. Goblins usually steal livestock when there’s a lot of mouths to feed.  Encountering goblins with better gear already proves this.

「 I’ll just report the guild about my findings and hopefully they will give me a decent reward. More importantly, who cares about the quest when you’re like that. 」

「 Thank you, sir. And… Sorry for dragging you down sir. 」

「 Oh goddess, just relax. Do you want to go now or relax for a bit more? 」

「 I’ll relax a bit more, sir. 」

「 Okay then, you may rest. 」

He then went off, presumably looting the goblin corpses. I remember him mentioning beforehand that the guild will need him to show the right ear of every monster he exterminated as proof. That way the guilds can confirm and give him the quest reward.

Feeling so mentally and emotionally exhausted, my eyelid becomes heavy as I try to resist it futilely.

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

CLANG! CLANG!

The sounds of clashing dull blades can be heard throughout the courtyard.

「 Come on Renald. Is that all you got?! 」

I’m in the midst of exhaustion, sweat is sticking on my shirt, gasping for air. Many slight cuts can be felt stinging around my arms and face. I still stand, yet my body felt heavy. I tighten my grip on my sword while pointing it to the instructor. Waiting for his next move.

「 Remember what you’ve learned, kid! 」

He dashes towards me. A heavy slash to my right. Same old trick huh. I parry it. The force knocks me back a bit. Balance is thrown out of the window. I plant my left foot behind me, somehow maintaining my already sluggish posture. He jumps back, creating distance. He readies his sword; a mocking smirk plastered on his face. Damn it, he’s going easy on me.

I took a deep breath, and release it slowly. Remembering what I’ve learned, I start feeling my mana — calling it to surge throughout my body. Channeling it to my left hand. As I concentrate on the magic runes for my spell. Small detailed red runes start hovering in front of my palm. I push my gesturing left hand forward and chant,

『 Pyre! 』

Gush of flames flows out of my hand. He protects himself as expected. Crossing arms; covering his head. Slightly burnt marks can be seen all around his light armor. My mana reserve is now quite depleted; only enough for one more spell. It’s all or nothing.

I prepared and concentrated on a completely different magic rune. Mana surges throughout my body, as I direct it to my left hand again. White blue-ish runes start hove-

「 HAAAAA!!! 」

Shit, he unexpectedly jumps at me. Sword and arms up his head. Desperate to deal the final blow. Out of panic but with a tinge of calmness, I finished my rune image and shout,

『 Pulso! 』

Force thrust blows outwards of my hand. Knocking him back, throwing him off balance. He’s trying to balance himself. His legs appear to be jelly. Now is my chance. I close the distance. My sword thrusting to his personal space. With the tip of my dull blade near his neck.

「 Nice one, kid. I yield. 」

At last, I was able to come out victorious…

I fall down to the ground. Legs and arms widespread in the dirt. Having the time to rest and catch up with my breath.

As soon as I calm down, my heartbeat slowly yet surely increases. I desperately place my hand on my heart. Each beat, becoming heavier and louder, until it was the only thing I could hear. Agony starts spreading as each beat increases.

My lungs that have already been out of breath, tightened, making it harder to breathe. I’m being hanged again, but this time without the painful sensation around my neck.

「 Hrrrk… 」

「 Kid, are you okay? Oh shit, hang in there! 」

The once clear blue sky somehow becomes blurry and foggy. Time seems to slow to a trickle; I don’t know how long I have been laying in the dirt. Seconds feel like minutes as my heart throbs heavily as if it wants to break out.

Am I going to die again?

Something unknowingly flows to my lips as I unconsciously swallow it. It was very sour and thick. My throat starts to warm up and itches. So I cough and cough, feeling the water overflow around my face. But some still manage to pass through my throat.

As the unknown substance went inside my stomach, the heat gradually stirred around my throat and stomach. As if campfire charcoal was placed inside. It was mind-numbing, all of my senses could only feel the heat. Ironically, it was a great way to diverge my attention from the horrible agony.

When the heat becomes unbearably uncomfortable, it immediately cools down. As it cools down the pain subsides, my heartbeat slows down, and breathing becomes easier. Until it, all went back to normal.

 

*GASP*!

 

I got up and tried sitting on the ground. I looked at the instructor that was beside me. Mentally exhausted from all of the pain I experienced.

「 What… happened to me, sir? 」

「 Your mana got depleted. How many times do I have to tell you to not empty your mana reserves?! 」

「 Sorry, sir. But thank you for the mana potion, sir. 」

「 Since you are so sorry, tomorrow we’ll run an extra three miles! 」

「 Yes sir… 」

I won the battle, yet I lost the war. I must get a good night’s sleep today…

My vision goes to a daze, looking to the trees until Instructor Kalish stood in front of me and his hand reached out towards me. Guess I have to stand up now. I reached his hand and got up. He offers his water canteen. I gladly receive it and jug down on it like a stranded man, desperate for water.

「 To think you can chant two spells consecutively in just a year since we first started. Not bad for a mama’s boy. 」

I almost choked when I heard that. I would’ve been ashamed if I didn’t progress quickly, since magic so far is actually quite easy. Is it because I’m used to abstract and complex concepts? I finish drinking and begrudgingly respond.

「 Yes, sir. 」

「 You did pretty well this time. Unlike last time where you depend too much on how your opponent’s next move is, you quickly react to unexpected moves. Do you remember why?  」

「 Because if I anticipate too much on the opponent’s move, I will be really startled if it didn’t go as I expected, sir. 」

「 Not bad. 」

But I must say, although learning magic theory is easy, applying it and using it in the middle of combat is the opposite. It’s so hard since you have to be mindful of your opponents while simultaneously preparing and envisioning your spell cast to the exact detail. Maybe I should practice chanting more at midnight.

「 Next time we meet, we will start learning Aegis magic. Make sure to get a head start by reading basic Aegis magic books. Try to learn the spell《Parma》. It’s a spell that casts a protective shield from physical attacks in front of you. 」

「 Finally! Yes, sir! 」

「 But remember before we start learning, we’ll run six miles! Not including the extra three miles! 」

「 Yes sir… 」

「 Any questions before we are finished with our training session? 」

「 Since I’m already quite proficient in basic Assault magic. Can I start experiencing real combat experience from monsters? 」

It’s about time I start finding out what it feels like to take out monsters. My body is still quite young and inexperienced, I need to get used to killing monsters as soon as possible. The instructor gazed at me with a grin. His gaze was piercing; sending goosebumps all over. Seemingly checking whether I’m ready for it.

「 Huh… Sure, I guess… But, only with Lady Heva-sama permission. Let me know if you have her permission by tomorrow, and on the day after tomorrow, we’ll head out to the southwest forest. 」

「 Thank you, sir! 」

「 Then, if there’s nothing else, the training session is over. 」

「 Alright. Thank you for your instructions as always! 」

I bowed slightly. It was only until Instructor Kalish’s silhouette was gone that I moved my head up.

Both my body and mind are fully exhausted. Damn it, I should’ve been more careful on managing my mana reserve. I forced myself to go inside the house, I was on my way to my room. Since it’s still around evening, I came up with a plan to try my hardest to review the magic I’ve learned so far and to learn the new spell.

「 Ara ara~ My boy is injured again as always. 」

And there she was at the front of my room, my mother in her blue gown. On top of her head sat a black pillbox hat with a veil covering her face. With how spectacular she is right now, she must have gone out somewhere and arrived back home recently.

「 Hi mother… Did you know that I finally bested instructor Kalish in a duel? 」

「 Oh my, is that why you got heavily injured huh sweetie? 」

My mother walks right at me and starts hugging me.

「 Yes mother. M-mother, I’m sweaty right now! It will ruin your dress! 」

「 That’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it. What’s more important right now is to get you treated right away. Most noble girls like their boyfriend gentle without battle scars, you know. 」

「 M-mother! 」

Seemingly not noticing my puffed red cheeks, she pulls away and grabs my hand as we come inside the room. Nearing the bed, she points to it, indicating I should lay down on it. She took off her hat as I lay down and sat near the edge of the bed beside me. She closes her eyes, looking like she’s concentrating on a spell. Magic runes appear as her cold hand touches the shirt on top of my chest.

「 Our dear goddess which art in heaven…
Our dear goddess, Maria…
Bless this soul your healing gift…
Heal our beloved ones;
『 Sano! 』 」

Small blobs of light start flickering around me. I can feel my wounds closing up, albeit the very few bigger ones are only partially healed. This is the power of the《School of Miracle & Blessing Magic》.

「 I went to meet with your father today. He said that he’s quite proud of your progress and will admit you to the Bosarts University after you turn sixteen. 」

Bullshit. That father of mine deliberately says that only to make you happy, mother. I’ll bet he’s only admitting me to that university just so he won’t lose face from the noble community and spend more time with you. Last time I met him a few months ago on Ryden’s birthday — the second oldest son in the Alderhide family. He praises older siblings more than I. When we are talking and my mother is around he glimpsed over to her constantly, thinking I wouldn’t catch that. But most importantly, he only acted politely towards me, as if I was a stranger and not a son to him. Can’t really blame him though, since compared to my older siblings’ skills and achievement, mine is minuscule.

That reminds me, apparently, my mother isn’t the only wife he has. There are two other wives, with my mother being the youngest of them all. From my observation that day, that father of mine treats my mother better compared to his other wives. And from how I was basically treated like air by the other relatives in this family, I’m truly at the bottom of the barrel.

「 Now take a rest. I know you want to study, dear. But some of your wounds have not been fully healed yet. 」

「 But I still have so many things to learn! 」

「 No buts, Renald. 」

「 Fine… But then… at least allow me to go into the southwest forest with Instructor Kalish. 」

Her eyes widen, grabbing both of my hands with hers as she squeezes them.

「 What?! Why do you want to go to such a dangerous place?! 」

Her painful expression is quite worrying and a bit of guilt rises inside me. I avert my gaze away from her and say,

「 Mother, you are over exaggerating things. Eldest brother Elric has already swept out most hostile monsters in the forest. What’s left is just weak monsters and the wild hunt. With the guidance and protection from Instructor Kalish, I’ll be fine.  」

「 For goodness sake, Elric is a noble adult! It’s expected for him to kill monsters to protect the land and commoners, while you’re still a noble boy! Please tell me why… Why do you want to go there? 」

「 Because… I want to get stronger and to experience real combat, instead of spending all of my time training in the courtyard. 」

「 I just don’t understand… Why do you want to become stronger so bad? Is there something bugging you, Renald? 」

「 No, no, no! I’m fine, mother. 」

「 I don’t think so Renald. It seems as if you are in such a hurry to get stronger. Every day you train and learn magic non-stop. A stepback such as mana going out of hand, or difficult concepts seems to never stop your amazing progress.

But from these past few months, I’ve observed you, it looks like you are doing all this to run away from something. Call it a mother’s intuition.  」

What? I’m just studying hard and preparing myself for the future. How could that be considered as running away from something? Am I missing something?

Silence remains in this room…

「 If you’re still not ready to share it with me then it’s alright. Your lovely mother can wait, just for you. Just promise me you will always be careful and prioritize safety first. I’ll also make sure to tell Butler Drake to give you some options for your trip. 」

「 Huh… Oh, really mother?! Thank you so much, mother! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to prioritize my safety first. 」

「 But you must take a rest today okay? No more studying for the day. 」

「 Okay mother. 」

「 Bye sweetie. Remember, no studying today. 」

She pecks a kiss on my forehead and then leaves the room. The slight moisture on my forehead and sharp steps fading away are what’s left of her.

My mind is still worn out, but that’s not an excuse to not study more. After making sure time has flown away for a bit, I get off the bed and make my way to the desk. I open the book about Aegis beginner magic and start reading the content. While reading, I rest my hand on top of my head, trying to massage away the headache — a normal occurrence for me.

Ah.

Drops of blood start dripping out of my nose – another normal occurrence for me.

 

Previous Chapter — Next Chapter