Chapter 2: First Friend, First Magic
When I heard my family name for the first time. I had a sense of deja vu with it yet I could never put my finger on it, and after 6 years since that fact never changed I had long but shrug it off.
My first horrible mistake.
It's been 2 years since I first started learning to handle magic. Being a toddler, my reserve isn't big and my body couldn't procure etharno fast enough so we mainly cover meditation and magic theory. Today is one of the days I could rest from my boring teaching. The only exciting thing was Jura's first 3 weeks of showing off his magic and listing all the cool magic that would interest me. Though I've already since long ago already decided one magic I'll be focusing on.
By the way, Jura still tutor me from time to time. Mr. Crouch is like an old version of Neville, he has a bad habit of getting into accident. Heck yesterday he had miraculously fell from the second floor toward our fountain so he's now out from a severe cold.
Anyway, I was up late and had a late breakfast on bed. I went to find my father so I could play or explore in town but found out that he had a guest.
"Ah Roy, good to see you here in time, this is Jude Heartfilia, founder of Heartfilia Konzern and his wife and daughter, Layla and Lucy. They are my guest today"
It took me sheer will to not let my jaw dropped. Even more so when something clicks in my head and a memory of Jude facing Lucy with his back as he tells her she'll be engaged with someone from the Jurenelle family.
...does that mean Lucy will be briefly engaged with either me or my brother?
So much for keeping away from cannon.
Do take note of my sarcasm.
"My son must have been quite please to meet, look at him speachless" dad said in joyful tone.
Considering I was taken aback from double surprises, you have to excuse my expression dad.
Why did I say double? That'd be because other than meeting the mini Lucy whose cuteness make it equal to a deadly weapon. It was the surprise that I found Lucy's mother, Layla, has a strong and bright magic, showing how powerful she was. I'm not too sure if it rivals Ooba babasaama since she's capable of suppressing it because dammed I knew Lucy's mother is strong but after feeling it up close, I know she outclassed regular S-Class mage.
How the hell did she work up her magic like that?
Jude eyed me with a indescribable look but it was intense and my attention went to him once again. I tried to force a smile and as polite as a noble should, introduce myself.
Whatever I said must have gain some kind of approval because he curtly nodded then turn his attention to his daughter then to my dad once more.
"Duke Zafarr, it would be great honor to let my daughter accompany your son while we adults share our own talks"
Seriously Old Man! She's probably five and you're already setting her on an arrange play date?! Don't you dare deny it, I know that opportunity smile when I see one. My dad took one glance at the little blonde girl huddled behind her mother shyly and a knowing glint passed in his eyes.
"Why he would be delighted making new friends, especially to such a cute young lady, Roy my boy, go and give her a tour around the mansion"
And my fate is sealed.
My life is soooo troublesome.
I made a silent sigh and approach Lucy with bearing that held dignity like my etiquette lesson taught me and offer a hand and a smile.
"It's nice to meet you, my name is Roy Jurenelle"
Lucy was still looking at me shyly, but after her mother said a few words, she hesitantly held my hand.
"Lu...Lucy Heartfilia" she said softly.
Without breaking out from my smile, I softly pulled her out of the room and led her to the back garden. Since we have a nice rose garden that my mom personally loves and took care of, I thought it was a good idea to take her there.
However, my nice act would have to end there.
It was really killing inside me when I look at Lucy's smile as she gaze at the garden and admiring it wholeheartedly. I stood on my resolve though and ended up pushing her to the ground. Lucy was surprised at the shove but good thing I didn't push her toward the muddy ground, I'm not that evil. She was looking confuse and probably didn't think I had push her, but I need to be upfront if I don't want her to get close. "Listen here Pipsqueak, you might be more welfare than others, but since I'm a noble, which means I'm richer and better than you so you'll have to listen to me" I said it with my chest puffed and my head held high before her so I wouldn't need to look at her.
This way...this way she wouldn't want anything to do with me in the future and think of me as one of those rich and spoiled brat.
There was silent between us and I felt too guilty to look at her straight in the face. I didn't want to look at her shock face that a person could be mean and her saddened that someone would try being mean to her.
That's why I didn't see her get up and retaliate by pushing me back.
The worst part was I stood just beside the muddy part of the garden so my back was covered fully with mud. I look at her in shock because I never imagine she'd have the nerve to push me back. After all, from what I know she was supposed to be a lonely depressed kid with a mermaid with temper issue as her only friend. On the contrary though, she was looking at me defiantly, her cheeks puffed and her little hands clenched tightly.
"I don't want to listen to a meanie like you!" she said with a huffed and turns away from me.
Now everything is different but going exactly as I plan, but my pride as a man would not let me sit still after getting push by a girl. Which is why I didn't feel too guilty throwing mud at her head. I did feel bad laughing to her face though, but her gawking expression was too hilarious not to.
I stop laughing when I felt the sticky wet mud hitting at my face. I blinked. Then I saw the cheeky smile Lucy had on her face.
This. Means. War
Five minutes later we have 2 children laughing at each other as we sling mud at each other, 3 adults gawking in surprise at us, and 1 gardener crying at our mess in the garden.
I told you it was war.
The adults were mad and insist on finding out who started it all. The two of us just pointed at each other. I'm not exactly lying though, she's the one who pushed me toward the mud! It's only fair if she gets mud on her too.
Wait...I think I'm forgetting something.
After giving her a bath at our mansion and spare clothes, dad kept apologizing more times that I could count but Jude brushed it of with his wife insistent. Lucy waved at me goodbye with a smile and I couldn't help but smile along and waved back.
"See you again Roy!" She said before entering the carriage.
"See you Lu..." then the realization struck me.
Did I just became friends with Lucy Heartfilia from a mud fight?
It seems my resolve isn't enough to keep away the cannons. To top of my idiocy with it, this life will be difficult.
"Again Young Master" Jura ordered sternly.
I nodded and after taking a deep breath I wrote the letters as fast and precise as I could with the light pen. It was a lot painstaking and exhausting than I would have imagines but the work should be worth it in the future.
"Jutsu Shiki!"
A small barrier was made around Jura in a form of Rune letters. The letters repeated itself to boxed Jura, he then raise his hand and with a pushing motion, a yellow magic circle appeared but crumble the moment it was invoked.
When nothing happened, he rest his hands and nodded with a satisfying smile, "Good work Young Master, once again the spell wonderfully denied my magic within it"
"Mind if you tell me why we need to repeat this countless times?" I pulled my own hand after feeling the strain from numerous times writing. Jura-sensei then explained that doing magic it self would be useless other than as a trap if you focus too much thinking the words and writing it.
As if I intend to fight anyone, that's the work of you mage guild.
Jura-sensei must have think I'm a battle junkie or something just because I also requested dad for martial arts lesson.
It started with me remembering something I heard once in my past life that being obese is genetics, and seeing my dad and brother, I'm beginning to think it's true.
So it helps me stays in shape and fight my own battle. You never really know when you'll get mug or facing a dark mage anyway in this world.
My dad was more hesitant on encouraging my pursuit in hand to hand combat, as if he's afraid I'd be a delinquent or get hurt badly. I only needed to cry once for him to relent.
I can discuss my martial arts at another time. Right now some of you must be curious why of all magic I would choose Rune Magic.
First reason, there are cheat codes in real life. I mean seriously, the show didn't capture the wonders of this magic! It doesn't matter how powerful you are, as long as you could trap someone in, you are as good as dead as long as there's no loop hole or if anyone could rewrite it. For better or worse, Rune Magic aren't very popular since it would need to learn a whole new set of language and letters which took me half a year and that itself was a feat that everyone was praising me a lot.
Surprisingly, though took sometime to realize, but the languages and letters of the runes were actually digitized Japanese letters!
Who knew right? I sure didn't, and being an anime enthusiast, it helps learning a language I was already vaguely familiar with.
Second reason, with rune you could master all kinds of magic with just the right words. My aim other than mastering Jutsu Shiki would be teleportation because god dammit, Mest doesn't master his magic to the fullest. Teleportation is like one of the best ability there is, you could take Minato Namikaze for example for he vanquish a 1000 ninjas alone with that very ability.
Or was it 10000?
Yes, I'm aiming to be the next Yellow Flash, another reason why I wanted to learn martial arts.
Third reason would be to experiment the runes capability. If the power of runes is the power of words then not just people, I can have non-living things do my biding. Like shoes that walk on water, glasses that could do clairvoyance, power-enhance gloves, and with learning the human body I might even re-create a kind of Healing Magic that should have been part of the Lost Magic.
Like I said, runes are cheat codes in life. You just need the imagination to realize it.
This next few years is going to be fun.
"Uhm, Young Master, I know you're happy you perform magic but would you mind releasing me now?"
