Back at the cabin, Einar was sitting at the dining table for hours with furrowed brows, trying to find answers in his head, staring blankly at the corner of the room like an idiot. Still puzzled about what kind of force returned him to the past.
"How is this possible?"
Suddenly, he recalled something and sprang up, entered his room, and pulled a coffer underneath his bed. It was heavy, with a black iron frame, and panels made of non-ordinary wood. And a precise gold carving of a tree of life on the lid and dragons on the panels. It also has a complex golden keyhole that requires the correct key to open.
Einar took the coffer and placed it on the dining table. He had never opened it since the day his parents died. With the key in his possession, he opened the coffer that contained the family heirlooms and books he used to read—tons of them; it's all about mana manipulation, curses, and magic. Einar once dreamed of being a mage. Hence, he collects books like a fanatic. Under the pile of books, there are several items strapped with sheaths and a leader tightly.
Einar began to scan the books thoroughly, page by page, finding answers to his regression. But after a long time of reading these books, he still can't find any information or clues regarding his regression. Out of disappointment, he slammed the book against the table and leaned back in the chair.
With a sigh, he starts to ask himself about it.
'How? I don't recall anything that could have caused my regression.'
'But what about Anna?' he suddenly thought about his wife. But he disregarded these thoughts about her. He looks glum at the thought of his wife.
'…No! Anna had divine powers, but not this kind.'
He breathed slowly and tried to clear his mind. Although he is confused about the state of his regression, he set his mind focused on the things he must do first, and that is the preparation steps for vengeance.
'Now that I'm back in the past, I have the chance to change the outcome of my future. I will avenge her death and the agony I went through in that inferno.'
'I must find out why she was killed and who did it; there must be a great reason behind it.' Einar clenched his fist tightly.
'But if I wish to alter my future, I must first figure out how to utilize magic in some way. I need to get stronger.'
Einar was a farmer. He never had any experience when it came to fighting. His life focused on raising crops and taking care of it.
'But how I'm going…'
"Knock, knock, knock!" The sound stopped Einar from his thoughts.
"Einar? Are you there?"
Einar opened the door slowly, trying to peek at the person calling his name. His eyes grew wide, looking at the man in front of him. The person standing outside was a good-looking man with brown hair and light gray eyes. It was Chris, his childhood friend. Barely holding his tears while gazing at him, he never thought of seeing him again. The man just died a week ago before his eyes.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Chris said.
As he saw Chris, something came to his mind. He suddenly grabbed Chris and took him inside.
"What's with the books?" Chris asked with curiosity, gazing at the tons of books on the table.
Einar didn't listen to what his friend just said; he was consumed with the thought he had in mind.
"Right! Chris, I need you."
Chris looks at him with a weird face as he replies.
"Dude, I'm not into men."
"Idiot! It's not like that." Einar talks back with an irritated look on his face.
"Aren't you forgetting something? You were supposed to be harvesting the crops with us today. We will be leaving tomorrow to trade at the City of Grandel." Then Chris turned his back and walked out of the house.
"Hey? Where are you going? We're not done talking here." Einar state.
"Stop mumbling and follow me, we need to finish the harvesting of crops today before the sun goes out. We will talk later." Chris replied.
"Sh*t!"
Einar can't wait to ask Chris about what he had in mind. But there's nothing he can do. Chris never listens to him when his mind is fixed on something that caught his attention.
"Alright! Fine! We will talk about it later."
"Ok!... Just stop talking and follow me. We need to move fast."
Einar just followed Chris and put aside his thoughts and queries. He remembered that it was the first day that he would enter the City of Grandel.
***
It was already dusk when they finished harvesting and loading the crops.
'Huff! huff!'
"This is the last one, right?" Einar asks Chris as he loads the last sack of crops into the wagon.
"Yes! That will be all of it." Chris replied.
The two of them sat down next to the wagon as they caught their breath, exhausted from a long day of labor.
"Well done, guys. We finished the harvesting before nighttime; it was faster than I had expected."
Einar gazed at the man who had just spoken. It was Mr. Silas, Chris's father, and seeing both of them, he was glad and sad at the same time; he remembered a painful memory.
After Einar's parents died, it was Mr. Silas who took him in and treated him as family. The death of his parents brings sorrow to him, but with the help of Mr. Silas and Chris, he tries to live his life again. But his joyful life with the three of them was short-lived. They received word that Chris had perished in the Second Great War. Mr. Silas was heartbroken by the news and eventually lost the will to live and committed suicide.
Chris and Mr. Silas were the only family he had left since his parents passed away. With the death of Chris and Mr. Silas, Einar lived alone again and inherited the farmland until he met Anna.
'No! Chris did not die in the Second Great War, and I don't understand why he hides himself. Many things are vague right now, but I will not let them die this time. I have the chance to save them.'
"Thanks again, Einar, for helping us." Mr. Silas spoke in a grateful tone.
"Einar?" Mr. Silas looked at him with concern when Einar didn't respond. He was lost in his thoughts.
Chris looks at Einar zoning out and taps his shoulder.
"Hey? Are you okay?"
Ah!... Yes! No problem, Mr. Silas. I'm always glad to help.
Mr. Silas smiled after hearing Einar's response.
"You must be tired, you should take a rest. I will check the other stuff that we will bring tomorrow. I'll leave you two then."
Mr. Silas turns his back and walks towards the barn.
'…?' Chris gazes again at Einar.
"Hey, Chris? I have something to ask you. Einar spoke softly."
***
Back at Einar's cabin.
Chris looked at Einar with frowning eyes and spoke.
"Aren't you forgetting something? You can't use mana. How am I going to teach you a thing or two about magic?"
Einar knows that he doesn't have a talent for magic, but he needs to find a way somehow. For starters, mana is everywhere, a life energy. It is a power source of a mage to use magic; however, not all humans have the gift to use magic. To learn magic, mana manipulation is a must first. But since Einar can't sense mana, there is no way for him to learn mana manipulation.
"Maybe you got something that could help me use mana, or a way to awaken me, or something."
"I don't know about that. I never heard or read anything in the books that can help you gain mana core."
Looking at Einar's gloomy face, Chris couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. Though he doesn't want to give him false hope, he still wants to help.
"Ok! I will ask my professor tomorrow about your condition. Maybe they can help you, but don't let your hopes up. I can't guarantee you anything."
"Thanks!" Einar replied with a smirk.
Chris was a top student of one of the empire's best Magic Academies. Chris has always had a talent for magic since he was young, and both of them dream of becoming well-known mages in the empire, but that changed when Einar found out that he could not use mana, so he gave up that dream and just focused on how to grow crops with Mr. Silas.
"By the way, Einar, I never thought you'd have an interest again in magic. What makes you change your mind?" Chris asked Einar intriguingly.
Einar can't tell the truth to Chris about his regression, that he wants to learn magic for revenge. He plainly tells Chris a fitting word that he will believe.
"I just want to keep my promise."