The morning of the next day came, against all my hopes. I, who was usually fast to fall asleep, had a terrible night and couldn't sleep at all thinking about the previous events.
Spilling the beans because of a mistake?! This is beyond stupid! There has to be a word somewhere to describe people like you! What are you supposed to do now, huh? How are you going to explain things to Elise and Roy?!
Much as I asked, I couldn't find the answer. A myriad of pitiful excuses and terrible lies crossed my mind, but they were instantly rejected. Since I had gotten myself pretty deep into the mud already, a bold lie wouldn't do me any favors.
That said... I couldn't exactly tell the whole truth to these people either. Whether it would be worse if they believed me and freaked out, or they didn't and they thought I was wrong in my head somewhere, I don't know which one could play worse for me.
In the end, I decided to wait and see. Since I didn't have a good way of getting out of that mess, it was better to just stop mulling about it and confront the situation when the time came. Like removing a band aid...
Or so I said to myself, but logically deciding something doesn't mean you'll have an easy time following through that decision. Hence, my lack of sleep.
I yawned as I stared at my reflection in the bowl of broth that was my breakfast. Taking a couple of dispirited bites, I tried to run over a hundred different scenarios in my head. As expected, none of them worked. In the end, I dropped the spoon and sighed, not in the mood to eat.
Roy had left before I woke up. Elise was looking at me with concern.
As expected, she was seriously worried about me.
I mean, it's only natural! Even in a world with magic, I'm weird enough to merit suspicion. She's likely thinking I'm possessed or something...
"... Zack?"
I twitched. Since there was no reason to feign ignorance, I decided to answer.
"...Yes?"
"Don't you have something you want to say?"
She's giving me room for an explanation? That's more than I expected...
But even then, I couldn't tell her the truth, and I couldn't lie to her either. It would only make everyone feel worse. In the end, I just dropped my head.
"... I'm sorry."
'..."
"..."
I tried to shrink back without running away, but in the end I was too scared to hear her reply. But, when that answer came...
"Hah... Well, so long as you understand, then it's fine.'
Huh?
"Listen, Little Zack."
Elise grabbed me by my armpits and plopped me in her laps, looking at me with a serious intensity. Her turquoise eyes flashed like burning gemstones. Looking at them, I could feel the true emotions behind her face.
"Hiding important things from mommy and daddy is a no-no. We care about you a lot! If you leave us out, we won't be able to help you...!
My eyes widened in realization.
She wasn't worries because of me.
She was worried about me.
Rather than being concerned about my weird behavior, she thought it strange her own son was hiding his first words from her.
I suddenly felt like punching myself. Of course! Since we were technically close in age, I never thought of myself as her real son.
I might not have felt like her son. But she was without a doubt thinking of me as a mother.
It was so obvious I felt incredibly ashamed just for not considering it before. I was absorbed in my own way of thinking that I forgot to think about how the people around me felt. The end result was this mess.
If I had just come up to Elise and told her something like "Mom, I can talk as well!" she might have been surprised, but did that justify deceiving her and Roy?
What was that abot "learning from my mistakes and living a good life?" Pretty words won't amount to anything if they aren't backed by actions!
I almost made an irreparable mistake. I should be greatful I have such an understanding mother.
"So no more hiding things from us, okay?"
"... I understand," I nodded.
Those weren't empty words. Next time, I would remember that, despite the circumstances, Elise and Roy were my family. Even if I had been living with them for only a year, they loved me and cared for me.
It wasn't their fault their son happened to have memories of his previous life.
That's right. My way of thinking has been wrong this whole time. I spoke about a second chance and a way to fix my mistakes, and yet I kept thinking like I was a stranger in this family!
I'm not "someone who died and got reincarnated." I am "Someone who has the memories of their previous life!"
It might effectually be the same thing, but the intention was different. This new life, was my life. This new me was the real me. And that meant, of course, that Roy and Elise were my parents. If I couldn't act all childish or treat them with the admiration of a young kid, at least I could give them the respect and trust that parents deserve from their sons.
At the very least, I would try my best to be a diligent son.
That was my decision.
"But really, you had us so worried! Your daddy and I thought you were just shy, since you wouldn't speak to us... Even though you speak so nicely! Did you learn that way of talking from your books?"
I flinch in surprise. "Mother, you knew about that?!"
"Now, now, Little Zack. Your parents aren't dumb, you know? You kept disappearing from my line of sight everyday, and I couldn't find you anywhere in the house. Of course I would look for you in daddy's room. I mean, you were so interested on it before...! But you were so focused in reading you didn't even notice when I came to take a peek..."
And who's an adult now?! I might not even need to worry about acting like a son. I feel like a stupid kid who just got caught trying to fool his parents!
"But still, learning to speak so fast...! And reading, too! You might be the smartest kid I know, Little Zack! Why would you try to hide it from your parents?"
"Why, indeed... Thinking about it, I can't find a good reason."
"Well, so long as you understand!" Elise flashed another smile, and with that put me back in the floor. "Now, run along to your thing! I have lunch to make. Be careful with the stairs! And make sure to apologize to daddy when he comes back!"
"Yes!" I answered back. Of course, I owed Roy an apology as well. After all, I had been using his room all this time without his permission. If he knew and didn't say anything then that means he didn't think much of it, but I should at least thank him and apologize for making him worry over nothing.
After that, I headed downstairs and dove right into my reading.
The lifted weight of knowing my family supported is a thing I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
***
After... making up with my parents, things became much easier for me. Namely, I could finally inform myself about this place, and confirm whether it was really a different world or just a different version of Earth.
The Holdred household is located in the Greengale Village, so called because of it's proximity to the Greengale forest. This village is a part of the Liandall Kingdom, which in turn is located in the Westmarch Lands, a giant landmass separated from the rest of the world by the Westmarch Sea.
I didn't get to see any maps or other geographic information, but based on Roy's description of these places... I'm pretty sure I can safely declare this to be an entirely different world from the Earth I know.
Well, I suspected that anyway, so it doesn't come off as a big surprise. Still, reincarnating in another world... The fact that a development reserved only for mainstream light novels is actually happening to me right now won't ever cease to amaze me. I suppose to a sci-fi fan it would be the same as suddenly having aliens visiting your house and living a portal gun as a gift... something like that.
Of course, there are also the fans of those sci-fi stories that are too scary to consider bringing into real life. Grimdark sci-fantasy is no joke, I tell you. Even the number of volumes is terrifying.
Back to my original line of thought, this world is quite different from the Earth in more ways than one.
For one, humans aren't the only race living around.
Regretably, this is where similarities where the common isekai setting ends. There are no slender elves with a pointed ears, nor demonesses with tanned skin and feral grins or cat-eared beastfolk.
I asked for these specific traits, just in case, making real sure to be understood by Roy, who is the expert in these matters. He seems to have journeyed through many places, but when I asked him about these things he'd just shrug his shoulders and shake his head.
There are many other interesting races though.
For example, there's a race called 'Dairen' which literally translates to 'children of the mountains' in their own language. Commonly called mountainsfolk, they are essentially tall dwarves. Physically, they look like humans, but with a sturdier build and darker skin, going from a nice tan to a deep cooked caramel. They originated from within the mountains and underground, but have long since mingled with the rest of the world, so many of them live in normal cities among other people. They are natural whether be it with a pickax or a smith's hammer, and they are extremely heat resistant.
For a more exotic race, you have the Avians. As the name suggests, they are birdfolk. Now, I said before there weren't beastfolk in this world, but these people are the closest you can get to the concept. They grow feathers along their arms and legs, as well as their lower backs. That is, bird tails! I'm looking forward to meet one of them... A girl, if possible.
I mean, if you think about it, those feathers are just a different type of kneesocks...
Oops, I let my thoughts stray. Anyway, they don't grow wings, or claws, which is the reason I don't really see them as true 'beastfolk.' It's less of a human-bird mix and more of a human who has feathers growing on some interesting places. They have really good eyesight and are more agile than the other races as well, but that's about it.
There are some other races too. Child-like halflings, serious and reserved; wheat-skinned forestfolk, cheerful yet stealthy, and a race called 'silvans' known for their physical prowess and strange looks: all members of the race have pink skin with silver white hair, with eyes different shadows of amethyst.
And humans? Humans are... well. Humans. There's not much left to say about us. I'm somewhat disappointed at the fact I was born into the most boring of all races... But if I think about it from a different perspective, it only means I will enjoy more getting to know each of the new races!
Even though they don't exactly match your typical idea of fantasy setting races, the variety leaves nothing to desire from a different world. Though, with some exceptions, I can see most of these races coming from an original common point (probably humans) before slowly adapting to their own environments. The only exception to that are Avians, but in a world with magic there's the possibility of a weird mutation occurring, to that effect.
Yes. All races share common traits connecting them with humans. All races but one.
Spirits.
When I first heard Elise tell stories, it struck me as odd how specific and consistent the details became when speaking about spirits. Though their appearance was mostly brief in "Chronicles of the Red Blade," those too followed the same patterns.
It makes sense. After all, spirits do exist in this world. The stories are most likely based in reality, as it often happens with these things.
Spirits are mysterious beings that appear in places where nature's influence is strong. In the thick of an old forest, at the top of a snowy mountain, deep within a dark cave or in the middle of an ancient ocean: these are the places where spirits are likely to appear. They all have a deep connection with their birthplace and with the world around them. And, they all are conscious. They are incredibly powerful, capable of shaping entire landscapes with their full power.
That said, save for a few exceptions they don't like showing themselves too much.
In a sense, it's exactly the image I had of a spirit. I was even more satisfied with this world as I heard Roy talking about them. "Well," he said at the end of that conversation, "if you want to know more about spirits, you'll have to ask your mother about it."
Now that he says it, she does seem to know a lot about the topic...
But I was getting sleepy by that time, so I decided to leave it for another day.
And so, the time passed. Question after question was answered, and I finally felt like I understood the world around me, if only a bit. A child's curiosity can be a heavy burden to bear, but neither Elise nor Roy seemed to find it annoying. On contrary, they were happy to "help their Little Zack learn about everything he wanted." They really thought I was a child genius.
Sorry, guys. I just have some extra experience.
It might have been different if I had a special talent of any kind, but I had to study just as hard to learn anything as I did in my previous life. Well, that was without taking into account the miraculous flexibility of my brain.
Be it the answers to my questions about geography, history, or Roy's lectures (I finally got him to help me with the books on his room,) my head absorbed the knowledge like a sponge. Though "having the knowledge" is a different thing from "understanding how to use it," it was a big help.
Before I realized, roughly half a year had passed.
***
"Hey, Mother. Can you teach me how to do magic?"
It was the end of autumn. I had advanced with Roy's books to the point I could use them as intended. It would be pretentious of me to try and memorize the whole thing, so I decided that as a goal it was enough to mark it as completed. It was time to move on to a new task.
"Magic...?" She asked, with a surprised face. She thought about it for a moment, before making a worried expression. "That might be difficult..."
"Is it hard?"
"Well, there's also that, but..."
"Is it because I'm too young?" Well, it was understandable. Magic, unlike mathematics or botany, could involve blowing up the house in the process of learning. "I can promise to study carefully and under supervision. I really want to learn magic!" I tried to give her some insurances, but before I could continue she shook her head.
"It's not that, Little Zack. Of course I trust you to study magic! It's just that... my type of magic isn't exactly something you can teach..."
Well, I'm glad she trusts on me enough to let me give it a try on my own, but... "What do you mean with 'your type of magic'?"
Instead of answering, Elise dropped the knife she was using to chop spices and looked at me in the eye with the hint of a smile. "It's a complicated explanation. Can you follow through?"
I looked at her straight in the eye and replied without missing a beat. "Mother, have you take a look at Father's notebook?"
That brought a laugh from her lips, and she turned her back at me. "Don't let him hear you say that. Come, let's go to the backyard."
"Of course," I replied, to both.
The Holdred household's backyard wasn't much to look at. It was somewhat expansive, on account of not having to compete with neighbors for space. A sturdy-looking fence marked the limits of the area, which was mostly planted with useful herbs and spices gathered by Roy on his various trips to the forest.
"Magic can be categorized according to two aspects." Elise lifted a closed fist. "First, depending on the element of the spell cast. That is: the essence of which the spell is made of."
"For example, your mother normally uses Wind and Water spells. I can also use Life spells, but I'm not very good with those..."
As she spoke, a scene from the past flashed through my mind.
Now that I think about it, she did mention she wasn't good with healing magic when I fell downstairs trying to get to Roy's workroom...
"Incidentally, the eight basic Elements are Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Lightning, Radiant, Dark, and Life. The first five are self explanatory. Radiant is light-based magic, mostly used for protection or support spells. Dark, on the other hand, is for illusions and hexing. Lastly, Life governs over regenerative magic."
Hmm. I see. So, it's mostly as it sounds. Earth, Wind, Water, Fire and Lightning are mostly for attacking and utilities. Light is for shielding and buffing, Dark for illusion and debuffing, and Life is for healing.
I nodded to Elise, who gave me a smile. "The other classification depends on the method used for casting magic."
"The method?"
"How do you think magic works, Little Zack?"
Well, that was a difficult question. If I had to answer based only in my experience...
"You chant a spell, focus your magic and then trigger the magic?"
Elise laughed. "Yep! You're exactly right! Now, why don't you try it? Do you know any incantations?"
"I... remember the one you used to heal me some time ago, Mother."
"Greater Heal, right? Why don't you try it?"
I nodded to her, closing my eyes and stretching my hand outward.
"Mine name is mercy, children of the Light. Mine shape is radiance, warm and protective..."
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remember that moment. The warm white light, like speckles of shining stardust. The feeling of time rewinding, hurts disappearing and strength coming back...
"... I offer mine power as sacrifice. I beg to thee, oh Mother, give strength to those who falter, knit flesh and cleanse blood... Heal with a purifying light...!"
The life that was breathed into me at that time, I tried to summon it with all of my might...
"... Greater Heal!"
...
But nothing happened.
"Wow, you really remember the full incantation! You surprise me more every day, Little Zack!"
Elise offered me words of praise, but I was too bitter to accept them.
"... It didn't work."
Instead of replying, she laughed. "Of course it didn't silly! Words are just words! They don't have any power on their own!"
"Then, how can you make them work?"
Elise lifted a finger. "That's where the second categorization comes into play! To cast magic, there are two ways. The first, and most convenient, is to enter a contract with a spirit!"
I jumped back in surprise, almost falling on my back. "A spirit?! But...! Father told me they almost never go near people! How can you form a contract with one?!" Now that she mentioned it, most of her stories spoke about spirits lending their strength to the hero of the story to smash away evil... So there was even more truth in that than I expected...!
I need to start taking fairy tales more seriously. You never know what information you can find from those...
"Well, it's true that most spirits avoid other races, but there are a few exceptions. These exceptions are known as Guardian Spirits, and for their own motives unknown to but a few, they will show themselves to anyone who fulfills certain conditions, and grant them their power, independently of the person."
"When you say 'fulfill certain conditions,' you mean a trial of sorts?"
"That depends entirely on the Guardian Spirit. Some will only go to people from a specific place, others will show interest in the person's memories, and yet others might appear on a whim. But since none of those are reliable, people striving to become mages tend to go to the spirits that are easier to appease. For example, a lot of people go to the Stonefather deep in the Rea Caves, because he will offer a contract to anyone who makes him laugh."
Oh, man. It must get lonely in those caves...
"Which means... Mother, you have a contract with three spirits?!"
The thought of Elise completing three different trials... I don't know if she is impressive, or the Guardian Spirits were simply lazy. I should probably pay a visit to that Stonefather if I have a chance. I bet a lot of the jokes I learned in my previous life will have him cracking a rib... eh... quartz, in no time!
But before I had a chance to get excited, she waves her hand. "What gave you the idea? You can only have a contract with a single spirit! And they are a permanent deal, so you better consider it thoroughly before entering one. A contract is a binding ritual that joins two souls. Talking about undoing one is like talking about unscrambling eggs."
"I see. Then, does that mean that a Guardian Spirit can reign over several elements?"
"That's right! Depending on their place of birth, it's common for Guardian Spirits to command from one to three Elements. The Stonefather, the one I spoke of before, for example, gives power over Earth and Fire."
Like a mountain god. It makes sense... So, for example, if I were to enter a contract with a Guardian Spirit born in a raging sea, I might be able to cast Wind, Water and Lightning spells, like borrowing the power of a storm...
It's wonderful! Really wonderful! My imagination is running wild! Magic is more than just casting spells: It's borrowing the power from the world itself through the spirits!
"In that case, the Guardian Spirit Mother entered a contract with... Water and Life means a lake, and if there's Wind then... A lake in a grassland...? Something like that?" I unconsciously spoke aloud as I thought, but Elise appeared to take that as an attempt to guess. "Yes! You're correct! Sylphiene, Mother of Uhn, is my Guardian Spirit. She resides in the Uhn Oasis, a deep lake of gentle water surrounded by tall, emerald grass..."
"And what was the condition for receiving her power?"
"Reaching her. That's the condition." Her face suddenly turned really serious, and she looked at the distance like a person who is remembering a harsh memory. "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. She appears only to those who visit her alone, and reaching her birthplace without magic is nothing short of an impossible task..."
Wait. If that's so, then how comes you received her power?
"The story about how I found Sylphiene is for another day, Little Zack. You wanted to learn magic, right?"
"Yes!" After all that talk about magic, who on their right mind wouldn't want to try for themselves?
"Well, therein lies the problem. As a Spirit Mage, I borrow the power from my Guardian Spirit with a prayer, that is, an incantation, to cast a spell. The incantation only works because of the link between our souls, which means anyone who's not under a contract with the Mother of Uhn or another Guardian Spirit with governance over the Life element can say the incantation for Greater Heal all day without getting more results than a dry throat. And I'm not about to let you leave this house and search for a Guardian Spirit when you are barely under two years old!"
"Then-"
"However, there's another way of casting magic."
Sensing what I was about to say, Elise shut me up before I could continue.
"Of course, there are many people who want to become mages but are unable to contact a Guardian Spirit. Whether it's because they live too far, or maybe the ones that are close enough to reach do not match their racial affinity, these people eventually found an alternative way of doing magic with time and effort."
"And that is?"
"To study Spirit Mages over and over again until they understood how they cast magic, then attempt to replicate that by themselves without the guiding hand of a Guardian Spirit."
I tried to open my mouth, but closed it again, giving the words time to sink in. At last, I opened it again. "That must have taken..."
"A lot of time? Yes. Thousands of years, in fact. But you know, Little Zack? The only thing stronger than magic is perseverance."
True. Just as effort surpasses talent, I could see how the combined efforts of many people through the span of thousands of years could eventually attain the secret to casting magic. Instead of using the spirits' strength directly, these people had instead tried to do what the spirits did without relying on their power...
"The result of that" Elise continued, as if reading my mind, "was Arcane Magic. Magic that can be cast without the need of a Guardian Spirit's assistance. Well, mommy doesn't know the secret herself, but Arcane Mages are, by nature, open about their work..."
As I processed the words, I finally understood the meaning behind them.
"What you mean to say is, if I could find a book on Arcane Magic, I might be able to learn without the need of a Guardian Spirit?"
"Hahah! Well, it's just a hunch on my side. And don't go thinking just because you won't need to through a literal trial, learning Arcane Magic is going to be easy! The people who developed it took thousands of years. In terms of effort, it might be more difficult than entering a contract with a Guardian Spirit, you know?"
"That might be so, but if it will allow me to learn magic earlier, then I will do it anyway. He ho doth persevere, triumphs, right?"
"Heheh, my Little Zack is growing so fast..! But, books are not cheap, you know? Especially one like that. I don't think you will be able to find it laying around in the village...!"
"I might have a the solution for that" a voice interjected from the door. Roy was waving from inside the house, his trademark basketful of herbs still on his hands. It looked like he had started listening at our conversation at some point.
"You want to buy an Arcane Magic book, Little Zack?" he asked with a gentle smile.
"Yes!"
"Well, I might have a way for you to both earn the money and meet someone who can help you get that book for you. What say you?"
I tilted my head, unsure of where Roy might have found such a convenient solution. He didn't strike me as the type to enter shady dealings, but could his love for his son carry him to such extremes...? No, he was asking me, so it couldn't be that.
"That sounds convenient. I'm interested! What should I do, then?"
"Great, come on in, then!" Roy turned his back on Elise and I and started walking inside, before turning his head and speaking his mind.
"You are going to help daddy with his work."