I was now five.
We had a small party to celebrate my birthday. Birthdays weren't an annual celebration in this world. At ages five, ten, and fifteen, it was customary for one's family to give gifts. You were considered an adult at fifteen, so that made a lot of sense.
Paul gifted me with a pair of swords for my birthday. One was a real sword, too long and heavy for a five-year-old to wield; the other was a short practice sword. The real sword had been properly tempered and bore a fine edge. It definitely wasn't something suitable for a little kid.
"Son, a man must always carry a sword within his heart. To protect what's important to you, you..." My father started a long, rambling stream of advice, and I just smiled and nodded. His spiel had a friendly and energetic air to it, but in the end, even Zenith chided him for going on too long. Admonished, he smiled and wrapped up with, "Just remember to keep it put away when you don't need it." The man clearly wanted me to have the self-awareness and preparation to be able to carry a sword around. I was more interested in how to enchant this sword to turn into a dagger when not being used.
Zenith gave me a book. "Because you love books so much," She said as she handed it to me. It was a botanical encyclopedia.
"Oh, wow," I whispered instinctively.
Books in this world were quite expensive. They had the means to make paper but didn't yet have printing, so everything had to be handwritten. The encyclopedia was a thick volume, complete with helpful illustrations and easy-to-understand descriptions. I could only imagine how much it must have cost.
"Thank you, Mother. I wanted something just like this!" With that, Zenith drew me into a tight hug.
Roxy gifted me with a wand. It was a stick, roughly thirty centimeters long, set with a small red stone at the tip. "I crafted it yesterday," Roxy said. "It completely slipped my mind, since you've been using magic this whole time. A master is supposed to create a rod or wand for a pupil who can use elementary magic. My apologies for forgetting."
As much as she didn't like being called "Master," Roxy sure seemed reluctant to buck the traditions of the role.
"Thank you, Master," I said, "I'll take good care of it."
Roxy grimaced.
...
At around midnight, I crawled out of bed like I usually did. The moon was shining bright outside, and the faint sound of crickets was soothing to my ears. It was one of the rare nights where Paul and Zenith didn't do their "night-time activities." I carved a few rune chains onto the ground to light my room. They were easy enough to engrave and dismiss. I looked up at the stars as the crickets sang their songs. With my mystic eye, I knew where every constellation was. Or maybe it was practice-I gazed upon the stars for over thirty years, after all. I was an astromancer-and a pretty damn good one at that. But I preferred simpler magecraft, like elemental or runecraft. They just had more uses. Astromancy was more of a hobby to me than anything else. I glared up at the twinkling balls of plasma. Something was wrong, my Origin told me. And my Origin had never led me astray.
You see, my Origin was best described as "to know what I am not supposed to." To know secrets, the future, those kinds of things. When my Origin manifests, it strengthens my instincts, preventing me from doing acts that would hurt me in any way, or making me do things that will benefit me.
I lightly snapped my fingers, and about twenty stars lit up in the sky. I quickly scanned through them, grimacing as I finished. The stars were moving, and not in a good way. There will soon be a calamity. I don't know when or where this will happen, and I don't know who this will affect. I sighed-star reading was like this. They give me riddles to decipher rather than concrete answers. The only thing I could tell is that it'll happen after my tenth birthday. I waved my hand, and the stars dimmed to their normal luminosity. The only thing I can do is prepare for the worst.
I backed away from the window and made my way toward my closet. Reaching inside, I took out a pure white cloak with intricate gold patterns sewn around the edges. I laid it on my bed and spread it out. It was a large cloak, far too large for a small child like me to wear. But because it was made of silk, it was much thinner than cotton or wool, so I just used magecraft to fold it into a wearable size. The cloak was shaped like the wings of a queen Alexandra birdwing butterfly, with a wingspan of about five meters. Though when it was in its folded form, it looked like any other magician's robe.
This cloak was supposed to support me when I fly-I can harden the wings by reinforcing them with Mana, then use a wind manipulation spell in tandem with my flight spell. The flight spell my father invented was always unstable; even when I improved it, it still had flaws. This cloak should solve all problems, though. Besides that function, I also drew countless magic circles and runes onto the fabric. Ones to strengthen the cloth, ones to make it waterproof, ones to make it fireproof, ones to support my magecraft, etc. Though the magic circle I was most proud of was located right in the center, it contained a fragment of my soul, making the cloak feel like a part of my own body, letting me manipulate and fold it however I wished.
I did have trouble figuring out what color I wanted the cloak to be: I preferred white, but wearing a white cloak while trying to sneak around in the shadows was just screaming to be found. So black was the better option, but I didn't like black. I could have compromised and dyed the cloak grey, but I just had to waste a few hours designing a magic circle that would make the cloak turn whatever color I wanted on command.
I took extra time to hide all the unrequired magic circles-the only ones required to be seen were the ones that supported my magecraft. Even when the wings were fully spread and the magic circles were all active, only ten percent of all magic circles and runes were visible. There was also a magic circle I carved on the front of my hood, it looked like a butterfly and worked like the ones inscribed on the windows of my underground bunker in my past life. The hood of my cloak was supposed to cover my eyes, and this magic circle would make the hood invisible to me, letting me still see just fine. Of course, the hood would still be visible to everyone else. This circle also acted as a mystic eye killer and strengthener-when it was gold, it suppressed my eyes, and when it was turquoise, it increased their power. I could finally take off this stupid eye patch I constantly wore.
"This is going to be tiring."
I found where I left off yesterday and began carving more circles and runes onto the fabric. It was almost finished. Just a few more days, and I'll be done. I spent three years making this mystic code, and I'll be damn if it doesn't turn out amazing. As I worked, the only thing accompanying me were the stars in the sky, blinking as they gave warnings to those who knew how to look.
...
...
The following day, I began actually training with the sword, focusing on practice swings and fundamental forms. We had a wooden practice dummy in our yard that I used to practice my forms and strikes. My father helped with my footwork, my balance, and the like.
It felt really good, getting into the real meat and potatoes of swordplay. Knowing how to wield a sword was crucial in this world. Even the heroes who appeared in books mostly used swords. Some used axes or hammers, but they were in a distinct minority. No one used spears because the despised Superds made use of tridents; it was commonly thought that the spear was a weapon of evil. When a spear appeared in a story, it was usually wielded by the wickedest of villains, the kind who would devour friend and foe alike, who would slaughter indiscriminately.
Given that background, the art of the blade was far more advanced in this world than in my old one. A master swordsman could cleave a boulder in a single stroke, or unleash a flash of the blade to strike a distant foe. Such were the wonders of the age of the gods. Paul had enough skill to accomplish the first one. I wanted to know the principles behind it, so he demonstrated it several times while praising and encouraging me.
He probably felt pretty good having his young, advanced-magic-using son clapping and cheering for him. Still, no matter how many times he showed me the trick, I couldn't tell how he did it. So I asked for an explanation.
"Take a step forward, like hngh, and then fwam!"
"Like this?"
"You, you dolt! That was a step forward like hmph, and then a wham! I said hngh and the fwam! Stay lighter on your feet!"
I didn't get it one bit. This was just conjectured on my part, but it seemed to me that, in this world, magic was woven into the art of swordplay. It was visibly different from the flashy magical effects created by spellcraft. Instead, it worked by improving one's physical prowess and strengthening the metal of the sword. It was kind of like reinforcement. How else could one move at such blinding speeds or slice a huge rock in two?
Paul wasn't using magic consciously. That was why he couldn't explain how he did what he did. It meant that once I was able to produce what he did, I'd be able to use magic to give myself a physical boost. I had to stick to it. In the meantime, I'll make do with reinforcing my body and weapons.
...
In this world, there were three primary schools of swordplay. Sword God, Water God, and North God. Together, they were known as the "Three Great Styles." Paul is considered advanced rank in all three. He decided I'll learn both Sword and Water God style. The former to get a handle on offense and the latter for defense.
"But Father," I said, "Based on what you've told me, it sounds like North God is the most balanced of the three."
"Don't be ridiculous. It's not even a style. It's just using a sword to fight."
"Oh, I see." North God was the odd one out, huh?
"You've got a knack for magic, Rudy, but it doesn't hurt to learn the sword as well. You want to be a magician who can fend off an attack from someone using the Sword God style."
"So, you're saying I'd be a mage knight?"
"Hm? No, a mage knight is a swordsman who can also use magic. You're the opposite of that."
I wasn't sure what the difference was. Whether you started with the sword or magic, a mage knight is someone who can do both, right? At any rate, if I worked on my swordplay, I could adapt it to my use of magic.
The issue was that Paul couldn't teach me how to magically boost my physical prowess because he wasn't consciously aware of how he did it. I either needed to acquire the ability myself or attain it via the correct physical training. I needed to figure out the principal at work.
For a moment, Paul was lost in thought, an uneasy expression on his face. "You don't like swordplay, do you?" He finally asked.
Was he saying that because of my aptitude for magic? He must have been worried I didn't want to train in the sword. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind learning sword forms. I just preferred alone time with Roxy and studying magic over getting dirty and sweaty with another guy in the yard. I was an indoors sort of guy. But hey, personal preferences couldn't get in the way of things. I decided to put my best effort into my second life. So it meant trying my best in both swords and magic.
"No," I said, "I want to be as good at swordplay as I am at magic."
Paul flushed with pride and nodded happily. "All right, then. Let's get to it! Come at me!"
He was a simple man.
Swords and sorcery. I didn't know which I preferred more. I was fine with it either way, but it was my duty to establish a good bond with my parents while I was still young.
"All right! Father!" I called out.
In my past life, I cut all contact with my parents for over ten years. I still wonder if they're okay now. I hoped the enforcers haven't come for them. I needed to be better to my parents this time around.
...
While I was taking my first steps in sword training, my magical studies were taking on a more technical practical bent.
"What would happen if you cast Waterfall, Heat Island, and Icicle Field in that order?" Roxy asked.
"You'd create mist."
"Correct. And how would you go about clearing up that mist?"
"Umm...cast Heat Island again and heat up the ground?"
"Exactly. Now, please demonstrate, if you would."
By using spells from different schools in succession, it was possible to create other phenomena. This was known as Combined Magic. My textbook had a spell to make rain, but not one that created mist. Therefore, magicians had to use spells from multiple schools in sequence. This allowed for the reproduction of various natural phenomena. This would didn't had microscopes, they probably didn't know of atoms or the different elements. Heck, they didn't even know what germs were. They probably hadn't discovered all the principles that governed the natural world.
Combined Magic contained all the creative genius of the great mages of old. Thanks to my own studies, I knew the periodic table of elements and a few chemical formulas. I wonder if this world's magic was capable of fusing or separating atoms. It would be useful to create Oxygen from carbon dioxide. Well, I didn't need to bother with that kind of nonsense. If I wanted to create a cloud, I'd just use a spell that made rainfall and cast it as close to the ground as possible. The idea of intentionally creating natural phenomena was simple enough to understand. You could do all sorts of cool things with a little out-of-the-box thinking. For me, personally, that was a bit easier said than done.
"Magic can do anything, right?" I asked.
It was literally called Magic-I have the right to hope it was similar to the True Magics of my old life. I already recreated the first, who's to say I can't travel in between worlds or resurrect the dead? Oh. Wait. I already did.
"It can't do anything," Roxy admonished.
Crap. My plans got thrown out the window.
"You mustn't rely on it too much. Just keep a cool, level head and hone your abilities to do what you're able, and what you should."
Despite her words, I was still planning ways to reach the root. It should be easier than my old life since the connection here is much stronger.
"Moreover, if you go around proclaiming how you can do anything, you're going to get hit with something you can't."
"Are you speaking from experience, Miss Roxy?"
"I am, yes."
Well, I'll need to take this lesson to heart then. I didn't want problems I couldn't deal with getting slapped into my lap.
"Do magicians get hit with a lot of problems in their line of work?" I asked.
"Oh, yes. There aren't that many users of advanced magic around, after all."
People said that about one in twenty people could learn how to fight. And to find a magician among them had the same twenty-to-one odds. So, four-hundred-to-one chances of finding a capable magician, then. Magicians themselves weren't particularly rare, though.
"Only one in a hundred magicians can properly learn the art and graduate from magic school, becoming advanced rank magicians," Roxy said.
That meant advanced rank magicians were a one-in-forty-thousand deal. If we included beginner and intermediate spells in the mix, the number of things combined magic could do increased dramatically-which was why it was so popular. To be a magic tutor around these parts, one needed to be at least advanced tier or higher. Steep requirements, but they yielded powerful results.
"So, there are magic schools?" I asked.
"Yes. There are magic schools all over the place in the major kingdoms."
I'd assumed as much, but still-magic school? Should I give that a try? It'll benefit me magic-wise, but it'll be a hindrance to my magecraft studies.
"Though the largest," Roxy continued, "Is the Ranoa University of Magic."
Whoa, they even had universities for that sort of thing?
"Is this university different from the other magic schools?" I asked.
"They have excellent facilities and a faculty to match. You'd have access to more modern and advanced courses there than at other schools."
"Did you go to the University of Magic, too, Miss Roxy?"
"I did. Magic schools have very strict rules and regulations, so the University of Magic was the only school I could get into."
It sounded like these other Ranoan magic schools would allow a child of noble birth like myself to attend, but would deny entry based on someone not being human. Discrimination against demons was lessoning in modern days, but strong prejudices still lingered.
"The Ranoa University of Magic doesn't lean on any strange regulations or misplaced pride. As long as you adhere to proper theory, they won't kick you out for being on the eccentric side, and they accept students of all different races. The different races even carry out individual research on their own particular kind of spellcraft. If you're interested in taking your magical education further, Rudy, I highly recommend the University of Magic."
Way to talk up her own alma mater. I was getting ahead of myself anyway. If I enrolled in university at five, I'd probably get bullied the crap out of me.
"I think it's a little early to make that sort of decision," I murmured.
"Indeed. You could also fulfill Sir Paul's hopes of you becoming a swordsman or a knight. And some Knights have also attended the University of Magic. Don't think your choice is an exclusive one between swords or sorcery. You could always become a mage knight or something, after all."
"Okay."
Well then. It sounded like Roxy felt the opposite of Paul, worried that I didn't like magic enough. Lately, my magical reserves have increased so much that I needed to summon five meteor showers to completely exhaust them. I've also pretty much figured out most of the theories behind the art. As a result, I was frequently restless and distracted during our classes. And besides, I was forced to take lessons from age three. She probably figured I'd grown sick of it already.
Paul saw in me a talent for magic; Roxy saw in me a passion for the sword. With these differing ideas, they were pointing me toward a middle path.
"We're talking about stuff well into the future, right?" I said.
"For you, Rudy, yes." Roxy flashed a forlorn smile. "Pretty soon, however, I'll run out of things I can teach you. Your graduation is coming up very soon, so this sort of conversation isn't too premature."
Wait.
Graduation?
...
...
I had not left home since I'd come to this world. After a point, it became intentional on my part.
I was afraid.
I was able to look out the window, and I was able to step into our yard. But I could not bring myself to go farther. I have agoraphobia, and that alone would be enough to prevent me from leaving. But the universe just decided to play a cruel joke and let me slowly develop the fear of being too strong. I don't know when I developed this fear-it wasn't present when I first reincarnated into this world. I think it was around my fourth birthday-that was when I realized concepts similar to a sealing designate existed in this world.
What if I performed some miracle previously thought impossible in this world, and some organization decided to send the enforcers of this world to capture me? I knew people with similar jobs to enforcers existed in this world, and there was also a concept comparable to a sealing designate. That concept was called a "Miko" or "Blessed Child." These Miko were born with abilities such as fire breathing, teleportation, or a gaze that can freeze anything. An organization similar to the holy church hunts these Miko down and forces them to become the next generation of popes.
This was why my parents kept my powers a secret. In their eyes, I was a Miko who could freeze anything I looked at, can summon shooting stars in the sky, and can see runes-the treasures of ancient gods representing the laws of the world.
When I step into the yard and look at the world beyond, memories come flooding back. I could almost see the outlines of ten enforcers after me, their shadows ever lurking behind my back. I could nearly feel the shots of Gandr impacting my body, giving me weakness and disease. I could practically hear the blaring horn of a barreling truck as it ran me over, squishing me like a bug under its tires.
During the final few years of my previous life, I lost the spark inside me. I couldn't find joy in virtually anything I did. When I was depressed or hopeless, I threw myself into my magecraft studies, using the excuse of reaching the root as a reason to live on. But even then, I couldn't find happiness-I used to love magecraft like a hobby, but now it was nothing more than a tiring chore.
I often had dreams-in my dreams, I was just a normal average magus, not a prodigy or genius. I had a family of my own-a wife and a few kids. I couldn't, or rather, I didn't dare imagine their fictional faces, otherwise the regret would be too great to bear. I would often teach magecraft to my imaginary kids in my dreams, my dreams putting the perfect smiles on their faces as they listened to my lectures. I knew it was a dream-thanks to my Origin, every single dream I had was lucid-I guess this was another cruel joke the universe played on me, taking away the bliss that is obliviousness. When I woke up, I'd just sigh deeply, wondering what could have been. I wonder if that was when I realized my dream was not to reach the root but to have a family of my own. I was a family man through and through, and that's why it hurt me so much when I cut ties with my parents.
I had everything I ever wanted in this world, more than my dreams could ever make up. Loving parents, protection, a caring teacher, talent, powers beyond what others could only dream, and the list goes on and on. It was too good to be true. I even regained the spark of life when I reincarnated. This was no dream-even my Origin screamed at me, "This is not a dream." This is reality, I told myself. I knew it was real, not a dream. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to take one step away from home. No matter how I tried to reassure myself, no matter how much I promised myself aloud, my body wouldn't listen. I wanted to cry.
...
...
The graduation ceremony was to take place outside the village, Roxy informed me.
"Outside?" I protested weakly.
"Yes, just outside the village. I've already got the horse prepared."
"Can't we do it inside the house?"
"No, we can't."
"We can't, huh?" I was at a loss.
Intellectually, I knew that someday I'd need to venture into the world beyond. My body refused to comply, though. I still remember too much from before.
Why? I often wonder.
No one knew of my other-worldly powers in this world-except my parents, but they definitely did not want to see their own child killed. The Clocktower and enforcers of my old world couldn't get to me.
So why?
Why was I afraid of going out? I had spells that could destroy continents up my arsenal, the power to take out dragons and wyrms in flocks. I even had the abilities of flight and teleportation up my sleeve. If any beast or man came for me, I knew I could kill them before they kill me. But instinctual fear is a powerful thing.
"Why, what's the matter?" Roxy asked.
"Um, well, it's just...there might be phan-I mean monsters out there or something."
"Oh, we certainly won't run into any of them around these parts, long as we don't get too close to the forests. Even if we do, they'll be weak enough that I can take care of them. Heck, you could probably handle them yourself." Roxy frowned dubiously at all my hemming and hawing about not wanting to leave. "Ah, that's right. I remember hearing you've never left home, have you, Rudy?"
"Er...no."
"Is it because you're afraid of the horse?"
"N-no. I'm...not that scared of horses." I muttered.
I didn't like horses-especially not after the time one bit me in my past life-but I wasn't afraid of them either.
"Hehe. Ah, so that's all it is," Roxy giggled, "I guess you do act your age sometimes."
She totally had the wrong idea. But I couldn't tell her I was scared because an organization from another world was currently hunting me down. She would think I was crazy or something. And I still have the pride of a magus, thank you very much. Really, all I wanted was to not have a little girl like her make fun of me.
I still didn't move.
"Guess I don't have any other choice, then," Roxy said. "Hyup!"
With that, she picked me up and slung me right over her shoulder.
"Bwuh?!" I balked.
"Once you get on the horse, your fears will all go away. I promise."
I didn't struggle. Part of me was conflicted about what was happening, but another part felt like I should just accept being bodily whisked away. Roxy hoised me atop the horse and clambered up behind me. She took the reins, tugged them, and the horse cantered off, leaving the house behind. This was the first time I'd gone farther than my own yard. I knew this quaint little village well-my familiar did a good job scouting the area. But seeing it in person felt more...real.
Roxy slowly guided us through the village. From time to time, villagers would shoot unabashed stares in my direction. Please stop. I get nervous when you do that. Please. Stop staring and get back to work. Why are you staring at a kid anyway? Wait...they weren't staring at me. They were staring at Roxy. Some of the townsfolk were even bowing to her.
Right. Roxy had made a name for herself in the village, even with the sizable prejudice against demons in this kingdom. And we were out in the countryside, so those attitudes were even more pronounced. In two years, Roxy had become someone people here were willing to bow to. With that realization, I sensed the trustworthy presence Roxy had become. She knew the way and the people passing by. That served to calm my nerves-enforcers weren't going to kill me, and the Clocktower was not going to lock my brain in a jar and take my crest.
Man, how did the girl who spied on my parents' bedroom antics become someone of such high esteem? The tension ebbed from my body at that thought. I felt safe with her.
"Caravaggio's in a good mood," Roxy said. "He seems happy to have you riding him, Rudy."
Caravaggio was the horse's name. I had no idea how to read a horse's mood, though.
"Oh, okay," I said absentmindedly.
My head rested against Roxy's modest chest. It felt nice. I let my gaze wander. The sky was so blue, and the clouds were so white.
How long has it been since I last went outside? Two decades at least. A few kids were running around in a wheat field, waving a piece of wheat around like a whip. I smiled reminiscently-I missed my old friend. He was always grumpy when he helped me do my runs, complaining I was an idiot and coward. Yet he never stopped helping me.
Why had I been afraid? Why would anyone in this village try and kill me? Roxy's voice broke me out of my headspace.
"Are you still afraid?"
I shook my head. The shadows no longer frightened me at all. "No, I'm okay."
"See? What did I tell you?"
Now that I'd found composure, I could fully take in my surroundings. Fields spread out as far as I could see, and houses dotted here and there. It definitely had the feel of a farming village. Much farther in the distance were quite a few more houses. If they'd been more closely packed together I'd think it was a town. All it needed was a windmill to look like Switzerland or something. Wait, they already had windmills.
Now that I'd relaxed, I noticed how quiet things were. Things were never this quiet when Roxy and I were together. But then, we'd never really been alone like this, either. The silence wasn't bad-it was just a tad awkward.
I tried breaking the silence by asking what they grew in the fields. This would be my final exam-which would mean the end of her role as my tutor. And knowing how impatient Roxy could be, she might leave my home as early as tomorrow. If that was the case, today was our last chance to spend time together. I figured I should talk to her while I still could.
Sadly, I couldn't find the right topic, so I ended up asking more questions about my village. According to Roxy, we lived in Buena Village, located in the Fitton Region. Which was in the northeast of the Asura Kingdom. At present, over thirty households are working the farmland here. My father, Paul, was a knight who had been deployed to the village. His job was to watch over the townsfolk to ensure they carried out their work properly, adjudicate any disputes, and protect the village from monster attacks.
In short, he was basically a publicly sanctioned bodyguard. That being said, the young men in the village also took turns guarding it, so Paul spent most of his afternoons at home after he made his morning rounds. Ours was a pretty peaceful village, leaving him with little work to do.
The wheat fields grew scant as Roxy filled me in on these details. I stopped asking her questions, ad the silence resumed for a while. The rest of our journey would take roughly another hour. Soon, the fields of wheat were completely gone, leaving us to travel through empty grassland.
...
We continued our way across the plains, bound for the flat horizon. No-I could faintly see mountains in the distance. If nothing else, this was something you couldn't see in Japan. It reminded me of a trip my parents took me on.
Now that I somewhat conquered my fear of the outside world, I could focus much better. But what about my fear of being too strong?
"Right here should do nicely," Roxy said, bringing the horse to a stop next to a solitary tree.
She dismounted and tied the reins to the trunk. Then, she picked me up and helped me down, putting us face to face.
"I'm going to cast the Water Saint spell Cumulonimbus," she said. "It creates thunder and causes torrential rain in a large area."
"All right."
"Please follow what I do and attempt to cast the spell yourself."
I was going to be using water saint magic. Now I get it. This was my final test. Roxy was going to use the most powerful spell she had in her repertoire, and if I could use it as well, that would mean she'd taught me all she could.
"For demonstration purposes, I'm going to dismiss the spell after a minute. If you can keep the rain falling for at least one hour, I'll consider that a pass."
"Did we come out here because this involves secret teachings?" I asked.
"No, we came here because the spell might hurt people or cause damage to the crops."
Wow. Rain so powerful it could damage crops? This sounded incredible.
"Now then." Roxy pointed her staff toward the sky, "Oh, spirits of the magnificent waters, and imperial prince of lightning who rules the heavens. I beseech thee to grant my wish and bless me thy savagery. Revel thy might to this insignificant servant. Strike awe with the divine hammer on the anvil and cover the land in water. Now come, oh rain. Sweep all else away, in thy flood of destruction!"
She chanted steadily, slowly, and purposefully. It was nothing like my chants-with high-speed incantation, you could barely even make out what words I was saying. I just spoke too fast. It took her over a minute to complete her incantation.
"Cumulonimbus!"
A moment later, our surroundings grew dark. For several seconds, there was nothing-then, a pelting rain began to fall. A terrific wind roared, accompanied by black clouds that flickered with lightning. Amidst the pouring sheets of rain, the sky began to rumble, and purple light shot through the clouds. With each new flash, the lighting increased in power. It was almost as if the light itself was taking on a palpable weight, growing with a swell and ready to come down from the heavens.
The lightning struck the tree next to us. My eardrums rang, and my vision went painfully white. Roxy let out a yelp of alarm at the near miss. A mere moment later, the clouds scattered, the rain and thunder promptly letting up.
"Oh no," Roxy muttered as she rushed over to the tree, her face pale.
When my vision returned, I saw that the horse had collapsed, smoke rising from its body. Roxy set her hands on the horse's body and quickly began chanting.
"Oh, goddess of motherly affection, close up this one's wounds and restore vigor to his body. X-Healing." Roxy's chant had been flustered, but before long, the horse came to.
It couldn't have been that close to death, then. An intermediate healing spell couldn't bring the dead to life. The horse looked alarmed and was shaking, but otherwise, it was fine. Sweat had beaded up on Roxy's forehead.
"Whew! That was a close one!"
Yeah, I'd say it was a close one, all right. That was my family's only horse. Paul dutifully tended to it every day and occasionally would take it out on long rides, a bright smile on his face. It didn't have a particularly impressive pedigree or anything, but Paul and that horse had been through a lot over the years. It wasn't a stretch to say that, after Zenith, Paul loved that horse more than anything. That's how important it was. Of course, having spent the last two years living with us, Roxy was well aware of that. I'd seen her more than once, looking entranced as she spied on Paul and the horse, only to then shrink away.
"Could we, uh...could we please keep this a secret?" Roxy asked with tears in her eyes.
She was a klutz. Near misses and scrapes like this were a common occurrence with her. Still, she gave things her all-unlike me. I knew she stayed up late every night to plan lessons for me, and she tried her hardest to put on an air of dignity so people would write her off for her age. I liked that about her. If it weren't for our age difference, I'd want to marry her.
"You don't need to worry," I said, "I won't tell father."
Her lip quivered. "Please don't."
I mean, I would have liked to be within at least a decade of her, age-wise. Despite being on the edge of tears, Roxy quickly shook her head, slapped her own cheeks, and regained her composure.
"All right. Your turn, Rudy. Go ahead and give it a try. I'll make sure to keep Caravaggio safe."
The horse still looked frightened, ready to bolt at any moment, but Roxy stepped in front of him, blocking his path with her tiny body. She certainly couldn't physically overpower a horse, but bit by bit, the nervous creature grew more docile. Roxy held her position and muttered an incantation under her breath. Both of them were engulfed by a wall of earth. Said wall proceeded to grow into an earthen dome, not unlike an igloo. This was the advanced spell Earth Fortress. That ought to suffice to keep them safe from the thunderstorm.
Yet, I was still nervous. I still had my fear of being too strong. Such fears were irrational-I knew enforcers or assassins won't be coming after me for casting a simple saint-tier spell. I was still hesitant, nonetheless.
Roxy noticed my hesitance. "Go on, Rudy. I promise I can keep us safe."
"Y-yeah. Okay."
I shakily stepped out of the earthen dome and pointed my wand to the sky.
'How did this incantation go again?' I wondered. 'Ah! Yes.'
"O-oh, sp-spirits of the m-magnificent waters, and imperial p-prince of lightning who rules the heavens. I beseech thee to grant my wish and bless me thy savagery."
I felt the Mana build up inside of me, pulses of power shook my bones as the words flowed from my mouth. This feeling felt different than magecraft. Rather than the burning pain of unnatural circuits, I felt like I was enclosed in a warm blanket, shielding me from the frigid drops of water as they rained down upon my skin. It felt...right. Not unnatural. Like I was supposed to use this magic core inside my body. Dark clouds gathered above, replacing the once clear sky.
"Revel thy might to this insignificant servant. Strike awe with the divine hammer on the anvil and cover the land in water."
The pulses of power swelled as they shook my flesh, bones, and soul itself. Why had I been so afraid, anyway? I had power. Unimaginable power from an alternative universe. No one in this world could stop me if I went all out. No. This was a dangerous way of thinking. There are people much stronger than me. I guess the power's getting to my head, making me think I could do anything in the universe. Though, is confidence really a bad thing?
"Now come, oh rain. Sweep all else away, in thy flood of destruction!"
I was no longer afraid. If anyone tried to kill me, I would just kill them first. To be a magus is to walk with death. I had to accept this fact. I was the only magus on this planet, the only one who knew of thaumaturgical foundations and how to establish new ones. I held magics either forbidden, forgotten, or didn't exist in this world. Teleportation, dark arts, curses, necromancy, astromancy, runes, elemental magecraft, projection, and reinforcement magecraft... The list goes on and on. I took lessons in every single kind of magecraft during my younger days at the Clocktower. I was only a master in astromancy and runes, but I knew the basics of every kind of magecraft taught at the Clocktower and more.
"Cumulonimbus!"
I now understood the nature of the Cumulonimbus spell. In addition to conjuring clouds overhead, you simultaneously had to handle a complex series of motions to turn them into thunderclouds-or something to that effect. You had to continually funnel Mana into the spell, or the clouds would stop moving and dissipate. Leaving the magic aside, it was going to suck having to stand here with both hands raised for over an hour.
Wait, no. Hold on. Mages were creative. They wouldn't need to hold a pose like this for an hour to pull things off. I had to remember: This was a test. I wasn't supposed to stand still for an hour. I needed to use some form of Combined Magic to keep the spell maintained after forming the clouds. This was the moment of truth. I needed to call upon what I'd learned.
"Okay. What was that lesson in science class again?"
Some of the clouds Roxy created still lingered. If I remember right, I could conjure a horizontal whirlwind and warm the air beneath it to create an updraft. And then, if I cooled the air above the updraft, it would pick up speed and... In doing all that, I wound up burning through one-eighth of my magical reserves. This may not seem like much, but believe me, it was a lot.
I could have achieved the same effect much easier with magecraft, but I wanted to challenge myself for once. My fear of being too strong was gone. In its place was the pride of accomplishing something grand.
Satisfied, I headed back to the dome Roxy had created, rain pouring down on me as thunder rumbled in the skies above. Roxy sat against one side of the dome, the horse's reins clutched in her hands.
Upon seeing me, she gave a little nod. "This dome will disappear in about an hour," She said, "So we'll be fine, assuming it doesn't go away before then."
"Okay."
"Don't worry. Caravaggio will be fine."
"Okay."
"Well, if everything's 'okay' then get back out there. You need to control those thunderclouds for another hour, remember."
Huh? "Control them?"
Did the mages of this world not discover what I'd just done already? I guess this world was lacking in science.
"Hmm? Yes. What's so strange about that?" Roxy asked.
"Just... I need to control them."
"Of course. This is a water saint spell. Your clouds will dissipate if you don't keep your spell fueled with magic."
"But I already took steps to make sure they wouldn't," I said.
"Huh? Oh!"
Roxy began rushing out of the dome as if she suddenly realized something. At this, the dome began to crumble. I sent a burst of Mana to keep the spell alive.
'Hey now, remember to control your magic or you'll bury the horse alive.'
"Whoops!"
Roxy hurriedly regained control of her spell, then stepped outside. She looked into the sky, astonished.
"I see! You created a diagonal whirlwind to push the clouds up!"
The thunderclouds I created were still growing seemingly without limit. Not bad, if I said so myself. I studied the creation of thunderclouds when I was learning wind and water magic.
"Rudy," Roxy said, "You pass."
"Huh? But it hasn't even been an hour yet."
"There's no need. If you can do this, you're more than competent enough," she replied. "Now then, can you make it go away?"
"Er, sure. It'll take a little while, though."
I muttered a magecraft spell under my breath-it only took five seconds or so-and used water and wind manipulation to scatter and evaporate the clouds. Once I was done, Roxy and I stood there, the two of us drenched to the bone.
"Congratulations," Roxy turned to me, "You're now a Water Saint."
She looked stunning, her hand brushing aside her set bangs, an all-too-rare grin on her face. I hadn't pushed myself to my limit for a long time. The sense of pride swelled in my gut even further. For the first time since coming to this world, I felt like I'd truly taken my first step.
...
The following day, Roxy stood in the entryway to our house in her traveling gear, the spitting image of the person who had arrived two years prior. My mother and father didn't look much different, either. About the only thing that changed was that I was taller.
"Roxy," Zenith said, "You're more than welcome to stay. I still have plenty of recipes that I could teach you."
Paul followed up. "Right. Your role as a home tutor may have come to an end, but we're in your dept for your help with the drought last year. I'm sure the villagers would be happy to have you stick around."
Here were my parents, trying to keep Roxy from leaving. Unbeknownst to me, they'd become good friends. That made sense; her afternoons had been a huge swath of free time, and I guess she'd spend it broadening her social circle.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I can't accept," Roxy replied. "Teaching your son made me realize how powerless I truly am. So I'm going to head out and travel the world for a while to hone my magic. Thanks to Rudy, I also became a druid. I want to see if there are mentions of runes in ancient ruins or labyrinths."
She had to be a little shocked that I'd reached the same rank as her. And she'd said previously that having a pupil who exceeded her skills made her uncomfortable.
"I see," Paul said, "I suppose it is what it is. I'm sorry that our son made you lose confidence in yourself."
'Hey! You didn't have to put it like that, Dad!'
"Oh, no," Roxy said, "I'm grateful to be shown how conceited I've become."
"I'd hardly call you conceited when you're able to use water saint magic." Paul corrected.
"Even if I couldn't, your son's ingenuity had shown me that I can be capable of even stronger magic."
With a small grimace, Roxy put her hand on my head. "Rudy, I wanted to do my best for you, but I didn't have what it takes to teach you."
"That isn't true. You taught me all sorts of things, Miss Roxy."
"I'm happy to hear that," Roxy said. "Oh, and that reminds me!"
She reached into the folds of her roe, fumbled around, and pulled out a pendant strung with a leather cord. It was made of a metal that shone with a green luster, fashioned in the shape of three interlocking spears.
"This is to commemorate your graduation. I didn't have much time to prepare it, but hopefully, this will suffice."
"What is it?" "It's a Migurd amulet. If you happen to run into any demons who give you a hard time, show them this and mention my name, and they should ease up on you a bit...probably."
"I'll be sure to take good care of it."
"Remember, it's not a guarantee, Don't be overconfident."
Then, at the very, very end, Roxy flashed a little smile and departed.
Before I knew it, I was crying.
She really had given me so much. Wisdom, experience, technique... Hell, if I hadn't met her, I probably would still be fumbling through "A Textbook of Magic." More than anything, though, she took me outside. If I'd never met her, I wonder if I would have had the courage to even step one foot out of my house. She took me outside. That was it. Such a simple yet significant thing. It cured both my agoraphobia and fear of being too strong.
It was Roxy who'd done that for me. And that meant something.
Roxy, who's come to this village not even two years ago.
Roxy, who looked like someone who'd never get along with strangers.
Roxy, a demon whom the villager should have considered beneath their notice.
No Paul. Not Zenith. Roxy was the one who took me to the outside world, and that meant something.
I say that she took me to the outside world when really, all she did was take me across town. Still, the prospect of leaving home had definitely been traumatic for me, and she'd cured me of that just by taking me through the village. That had been enough to lift my spirits. She hadn't been trying to rehabilitate me, but I'd still had a breakthrough because of her.
Yesterday, after we'd gotten back home, soaking wet, I'd turned to look at the front gate and taken just one step beyond it. And right there was the ground. Just the ground, and nothing more. My anxieties had left me.
Now, I was capable of walking outside on my own. She'd managed to do something for me that no one else ever had. Not even anyone in my past life. She was the one who'd done it for me. I'd been given a responsible sense of courage.
That hadn't been her aim-I knew that. She'd done it for herself, and I knew that, too. But I respected her. Young as she was, I respected her.
I promised myself I would not look away until Roxy disappeared from view. In my hands, I clutched the wand and the pendant she'd given me. I still had all the things she'd taught me.
Then I realized: Up in my room I still had a pair of her used panties that I'd stolen a few months ago.
Sorry about that, Roxy.
….
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NOTES
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F*ck school.
I understand if you like school, I'm not in a place to judge. However, have you ever gone to bed at twelve AM because you have too much homework on the second f*cking day of school? Have you ever woken up at Five-fifty in the morning after going to bed at twelve? Have you ever gone to school at Six-forty and come home at Eight-f*cking-PM?! I only got to write this chapter because a typhoon hit and canceled school.
Sorry. I'm rambling. I'm here to write fanfics, not complain about my school life. But WOW it felt good to vent out my frustrations.
Anyways, Please like, share, follow, and comment.
As always, good luck with your game of life.
I hope you all don't go insane like me.
Hahahahaha.