Chapter 3: First Friend, First Magic
When I heard my family name for the first time. I had a sense of deja vu with it yet could never put my finger on it, and after six years that fact never changed since and had long but shrugged it off.
My first horrible mistake.
It's been two years since I first started learning to handle magic. Being a toddler, my reserve isn't big and my body couldn't procure ethernano fast enough to be practical 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 decided one magic I'll be focusing on.
By the way, Jura still tutors me from time to time. Mr. Crouch is like an old version of Neville, he has a bad habit of getting into an accident. Heck, yesterday he had miraculously fallen from the second floor toward our fountain so he's now out from a severe cold. Despite, him being... let's just say accident-prone habit, Mr. Crouch is still a competent teacher. So yeah, he may be boring but at least he's thorough in his explanation. I'm not going to give you too much of the theory stuff, you're here for the story, not the lessons, even though there are some interesting kinds of stuff. Most people have the misconception that those who can't do magic don't have ethernano when they, in fact, are incapable to use it no matter how small they have. After all, ethernano is just another form of energy and humans are full of energy, some are just born with more than the others. While people couldn't use it to be like other mages that could summon magic as easy as a wave of their hands, they could access their magic to manipulate the ethernano outside instead of their own through mediums such as staffs, chants, ritual, potions, or the most modern version which is lachrima (the last lachrima I used is apparently designed to draw out magic from kids.)
So to put it simply, the stereotypical mages we find in RPG games are those who couldn't use magic with their own ethernano. Huh, who knew?
Anyway, sorry, got off track again. I was up late and had breakfast in bed, courtesy of Torri being in tune with my low-boiling temper in the morning if I was immediately moved from my bed. God blessed the man for his patience when dealing with my snappish attitude, I could marry him in the future and I wouldn't complain. Setting aside my awesome butler, that day, I knew something was different. While late breakfast wasn't unusual in itself, late breakfast in bed usually meant I'm on a schedule and need to be made presentable in due time. It wasn't long after that I went to find Dad so I could quickly get over with greeting the guest before playing in town. Those plans went over my head at the first sight of the guest that made my whole body stoned shock.
"Ah Roy, good to see you here in time my boy. Please come and greet out guests; This is Jude Heartfilia, founder of Heartfilia Konzern, and his wife and daughter, Layla and Lucy."
It took sheer will to not let my jaw dropped when dad confirms one of my dreads. 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 canon.
Do take note of my sarcasm.
"My son must have been quite pleased to meet, look at him speechless," Dad said in his usual 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 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 an indescribable look but it was intense and my attention went to him once again. I tried to force a smile, as polite as a noble should, before introducing myself in autopilot the way my Etiquette Teacher's teaching had ingrained in my body.
Whatever I said must have gained 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 a 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."
Aaaaaaaaaannnnnd my fate is sealed.
My life can be so troublesome sometimes.
I made a silent sigh and approached Lucy with a bearing that held dignity, offering a hand the followed an open and honest smile. "Again, It's very nice to meet you. Can I ask you to formally introduce yourself?"
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 before deciding it was polite to curtsey, "Likewise, it's an ho...honor t..to...to meet you Roy Junelle."
"You can call me Roy if...if you allow me to be your friend and call you Lucy." God, I'm sweating bullets. Are kids supposed to be this polite? Granted I was taught this way, but I think we can agree that I'm an unusually fast learner.
Lucy's soft smile shifted to a bright grin, "Yes!" she answered so enthusiastically. There was a reproaching gaze shot from her father and she immediately retracted her arm and fixed her pose into what proper rich girl should act, "I...I mean, I am very pleased to be made of your acquaintance." The words she recited, as if it was from a book memorized in her head, almost made me cringed. Then I saw Jude's soft and proud smile and patted her head softly. Turning her stiff smile into a genuine one.
Huh...I supposed he isn't always an asshole.
Without breaking out from my smile, I asked if she wanted to inspect the rose garden that we had, and I watched Lucy visibly containing her excitement as she found my proposal agreeable. Softly, I pulled her out of the room and led her to the Junelle family's love and pride Rose Garden. My mom had personally made and tended the garden, she especially loves the exotics ones and considering the fantasy setting, we have some really weird collections; We have giant rose was big enough to crave a small house inside when it blooms, we have variety of colored-rose including black and blue roses that are naturally groomed or changed from the gold color in dusk to the red color in dawn, there are roses that bloom after pricking your finger to their thorns, and sweet edible roses that has the texture of cotton-candies.
Lucy's proper primmed act broke instantly the moment she laid eyes on our back garden. Ooohing and aaahing as she tried to commit the sight to her memories. Hands gliding through the flower, hesitant to pick one up but wanting to admire one in her hands. I indulge her wished as I picked one particular pink rose and gave it to her. Lucy accepted it gleefully, but then I poke the half-bloomed flower, and the petals dispersed into tens of butterflies flying around us. Lucy squealed at the sight, even though she had a flowerless twig in her hand in the end.
However, my nice act would have to end there.
It was really killing inside me when I look at Lucy's smile as she gazed 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 pushed 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 silence 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 saddened feeling from someone 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, 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 in a huffed and turned 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 pushed 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 my objective here.
After we each had a bath, Dad kept apologizing more times than I could count but Jude brushed it off, telling him it's fine as long as both of them had fun. Lucy gave a cheery wave at me in goodbye, her smile crinkling her eyes into a crescent, and I smiled along and waved back. Hoping that we might be able to see each other agai-then the realization struck me.
Did I just become friends with Lucy Heartfilia through a mud fight?
What has my life become?
It seems my resolve isn't enough to keep away the canons. To top off my idiocy with it, this life will be difficult.
. . .
"Again Young Master" Jura sternly ordered.
I nodded, breathing heavy from the exhausting my magic (Though it's more accurate to say I exhausted my ethernano, it's kind of a mouthful to say), but I was still standing and kicking, so there's no reason to cut my lesson short. After taking a deep breath, I wrote the letters as fast and precise as I could with the light pen. The action was a lot painstaking and exhausting than I would have imagined even with a magic tool to help, but this 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, my 16-year-old tutor then raised his hand and with a pushing motion, a yellow magic circle appeared but crumbled the moment it was invoked. When nothing happened, he rested his hands and nodded with a satisfying smile, "Good work Young Master, once again the spell wonderfully denied my magic within it."
My breath wooshed out in relief, at finally making not only a perfect Runework that doesn't break down but with satisfying execution. "Mind if you tell me why we need to repeat this countless times?" I whipped my hand from the strained muscle I pulled after numerous runes Jura-sensei had pushed me to do. He then explained that doing magic itself 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 thought I'm a battle junkie or something just because I also requested dad for a 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 mugged or faced 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 the 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 loophole or if anyone could rewrite it. For better or worse, Rune Magic isn'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 some time 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 to learn a language I was already vaguely familiar with.
The second reason, with runes you could master all kinds of magic with just the right words. My aim other than mastering Jutsu Shiki would be teleportation because goddammit, 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 vanquished 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.
And the third reason would be to experiment with 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.
These 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?"