Once again, it is just me and my enemy, my constant nemesis, the one who, no matter how hard I try, seems to have infinite reserves……oh who am I kidding! It’s just a fucking piece of wood!

Yes, I’m once again chopping wood. A bakery relies heavily upon this natural resource, therefore all the preparations in the world during the summer will never be enough to keep up with the hunger of the brick ovens it uses.

However, this time is different. I’m still wielding the same axe and the wood has about a….10.23% difference from the previous log I had chopped, so not a huge difference. It also appears that the difference is caused because it was located 

lower on the tree by about ten feet…..

Oh yes, this time is definitely different!

‘Grand Archive’ keeps feeding me ridiculous amounts of data! I almost feel like removing the raggedy cap I’m currently wearing because of my overheated brain!

But…..it’s still somewhat useful. Since it activated, my efficiency has experienced….. a 4% growth….and as I gain a better control of the ability, as well as have more samples a.k.a wood. It is projected that wood chopping will become more efficient.

How is this possible? ‘Grand Archive’ allows me to pick out indistinct weaknesses within the wood. This allows me to spend even less effort chopping it, and chopping it faster!

The effect is noticeable as well, the wood pile by the kitchen has gained on average… 10 pieces more… of wood than the previous average before ‘Grand Archive’ activated.

But…..I still dislike it, ‘Grand Archive’ is like a…a…..aaaa……ah! It’s like an un-sexy Cortana!

Ugh! I just saw an unpleasant image!

But anyways…yep! I’m like Master Chief, except with an unsexy cortana……a crappy UI for my HUD……no Mjolner. 

Fuggit, I’m nothing like the Chief.

*Sigh*

Guess that’s what I get as a slave……

Ugh, something unpleasant. I stop the axe mid-swing and take a look at the sky. It’s overcast, ‘Grand Archive’ predicts snow but it still doesn’t have enough data or meteorological knowledge to guess how much.

I guess I should review what exactly ‘Grand Archive’ is.

It is an ability that could be said to have grown from ‘Perfect Model’, because this world contains magic ‘Perfect Model’ was somehow able to become this mental assistance that allows me to process and understand information available to me from any source on a level well beyond anything a human……or otherwise……could comprehend.

The best way to think of it, is that I have a spell constantly activated. ‘Grand Archive’ has already determined that not a single ounce of mana could be allocated for anything other than maintaining its own existence………greedy bastard.

It’s kind of nice though. It’s been roughly two weeks though since I’ve awoken with my memories from my time as Thomas into the body of this child. After the first week it was really rough, my last memory was of dying in Cecily’s arms….I think…..something like that would be rough on anyone.

But, because of ‘Grand Archive’ I could retreat into a darker part of my youth when I nearly became a shut in and watch re-

runs of my favorite shows from that time…..they had been of an eastern persuasion and were generally looked down on by ‘normal’ society. It did this by simulating the exact time I had watched a particular episode, so perfectly that I forgot I was even cold!

Anyways, it got me through the rough patch that was my second week here.

I also discovered the limits of ‘Grand Archive’…..it was incapable of telling me information from data I hadn’t already collected.

Meaning, that I could ask it what a dragon looks like in this world. But it wouldn’t even be able to confirm if there were dragons at all in this world. Why? Because I had never seen one and no one had ever mentioned one. Therefore, it didn’t even have the minimum requisite data to give me an answer.

But, this appeared to be its only limit. Over the past two weeks I had gained a very deep understanding of certain things.

Such as wood!

Wood is an amazingly profound object, its existence has so many layers that the difference I have in understanding it now as compared to previously is like heaven and earth!

But I learned all of this because I observed it closely and concentrated on it, which allowed ‘Grand Archive’ to collect richer data and generate a more complete understanding of it.

It really is amazing, with it, back on earth I probably could have figured out the answer to the Alcumbierre drive all on my own……………..

*GAH!*

After I had thought about solving THAT particular equation, all of my senses shut off. I could almost hear the high pitched whir as ‘Grand Archive’ kicked into overdrive. I suppose that’s its second limit, really complex problems require it to re-allocate extra resources to solving the problem.

I also learned a soul shaking fact from this………..’Grand Archive’ was tied to my senses and my other bodily functions. It 

had forcibly shut down my senses to focus on just that one problem.

My tiny body fell to the ground as I realized that I was no longer entirely in control of it.

As the cold quickly worked its way through my threadbare pants, I stood back up.

I shivered, whether from the cold or this recent revelation I’m not sure.

Looking down at the axe, I pick it up an begin chopping wood again.

………………….

The world had different plans for me though…..

“Oi! Kitling!”

That was the term for children of the beast race….I look up, the wife of the Baker steps out from the house, her face covered in a faint sheen of sweat. It must be busy in the shopfront.

“Go with Claura to the market! Properly carry everything ya hear!? If ya don’t it’ll be a night in the open for you!”

I involuntarily shudder at the thought of spending the night outside a building. I immediately reply back, playing the part of the good slave.

“Yes mam!”

It must be absolutely swamped in the store right now for this to happen. I should’ve guessed this since neither my mother nor the Baker had left the kitchen, which was unusual for this time of day.

I quickly placed the axe in the shed beside the uncut logs and hurried over to the back entrance of the shop. Just as I reached it, Claura stepped out.

Instantly all of the compiled information on Claura came to the forefront of my mind. ‘Grand Archive’ had already gleaned the information from the memories of the child I had been previously.

She was what could be described as the classic shy girl. In all my memories of her, she rarely said anything at all. Not only that, she was often afraid to show herself. It seemed the only people she would open up to were her parents and my mom. I, however, was not included. It almost made me feel lonely that I wasn’t included in this circle despite the fact that 

I’d known her my whole life on this world.

Apart from this shy personality she had the cuteness of a child given that she was only seven and her hair was a rare strawberry blonde. She did have the blue eyes that were common for the people of this kingdom.

That in itself was a genetic oddity, nearly every single person in this entire kingdom had brown hair. Which, looking back 

at humans on earth isn’t all that odd. But still the classic blonde and blue combo rarely shows up, it leaves one feeling as though something is missing.

As I return from my musings on the genetic state of the local population, Claura was looking at the ground and mumbling.

Fortunately my ears are quite good at picking up small sounds.

“---S-s-s-So, anyw-w-ways l-l-lets g-g-go.”

She briefly glances at me before hurriedly looking down and trudging off through the side gate and out into the street. I begin to follow her, resigning myself to the fact that I’ll have to carry a bunch of groceries for the next few hours.

Oh…wait…isn’t the market the other way!?

Arrggh, Claura must’ve been so flustered with being sent to the market on her own that she went the complete wrong way! I increase my pace so I’m walking beside her. I take a moment to remind myself to speak politely. Even if Claura is shy and wouldn’t care, on the off chance that her mother finds out that I spoke informally to her………..I’d rather not risk it.

“Excuse me Miss Claura,  might it not be better if we go to the market this way?”

She pauses for a few seconds before her skin blushes as red as her hair. Then she about faces and hurriedly walks in the correct direction. As she pulls ahead, I hear the smallest whisper from her.

“Thank you.”

I smile briefly, she really is such a good girl!

…………………..

A while later we stepped into what could be considered the market proper. I winced as ‘Grand Archive’ went crazy. The sounds and smells, even more so than the visual data was causing it to immediately categorize and report on so many things that I was having a hard time standing.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I paused for a few moments, wrestling with the ability and finally managed to suppress it. I could still feel it ‘ticking’ in the background but at least I wasn’t being assaulted with information.

As I looked up, Claura was looking at me with a slightly worried expression. I give her a reassuring smile, to which she quickly looks away and towards the ground as if she’s embarrassed.

I role my eyes, how can this girl be so timid!?

Looking back at her I say, “Miss, if I may ask….what are we shopping for?”

“Ah!”

She begins to rummage in a small pouch at her side, trying to find the written slip with the necessary groceries we were supposed to buy.

Ah yeah, this world’s literacy rate seems to be low. At least in comparison to first world countries back on earth. However, the Baker family is capable of reading….I suppose it’d be difficult to run a business otherwise.

As she continues to fumble, almost spilling out the coins she had been given to pay for the groceries with, I let out a small sigh.

Truly, Claura would appear to be super adorable right now….however the disparaging looks I’m getting from every human in the area is making me impatient.

Even the other beast men are looking down on me…why?

Because I’m one of those disgusting halfers.

 My mind briefly flashes back to the event that led me to re-awaken my memories as Thomas…..

The night when those little gremlins children had pelted me with rock filled snowballs. They had attacked me for the same reason everyone in this market was looking at me in disgust.

I was less than either race in their eyes. I looked like a human except for my ears and eyes....but because of that it was like 

I committed a great sin.

Don’t these bastards understand!? It’s not like I wanted to be born like this, it’s not like my mother wanted to have a child who had been created against her will!

I grit my teeth in frustration. I can feel a snarl forming in the back of my throat as my thoughts begin to become too focused on the racism and ignorance around me.

It’s at this point I feel a nervous tap on my shoulder. I glance to my right, my eyes narrowed in anger.

Claura naturally steps back with a little squeak, good god does she act like a mouse!

I recompose my expression and put a slight smile on my face, “forgive me Miss I was….feeling a bit unwell. Where are we to go first?”

Claura seems to recover a bit from her fright and nervously glances down at the paper with the list on it.

“F-f-first w-w-wweee need to f-f-find s-s-some f-f-flour…..”

Oh of course we do, it’s not like we aren’t shopping for a bakery or anything right? ……..I doubt my sarcasm would be met well so I hold my tongue.

At this point ‘Grand Archive’ delivers me a small bit of information. There were two places that sold flour in this market. It also identified the one that the Baker’s wife frequented.

Hmmm….I suppose it’s useful sometimes……

I glance over at Claura, it seems as if she’s unsure where to go…..honestly she’s a mess!

I quietly murmur so she could hear me, “Miss, I believe the Master goes down the left side whenever she comes here.”

A small flash of understanding shows in her eyes before she timidly steps into the crowd and begins making her way in the correct direction.

“Thank you.”

My previous annoyance vanishes when she says that in her adorable little voice. I can feel my expression getting sloppy. It honestly reminds me of Julie….ugh, it’s better not to go down memory lane sometimes…..

After several minutes of forcing our way through the crowd, Claura and I made it to the correct stall. Like most of the others, it was quite simple. Out in front was a stepped box that held small sacks of what the merchant was offering. It seemed as though it was a merchant that sold the flour and other grains from a farming village outside of the city……’Grand Archive’ once again gave me this from details it picked out this time and from previous knowledge from one or two other times I had been to the market…..ow!

Oops! My concentration slipped and ‘Grand Archive’ started to give me a torrent of information!

Phew, I was able to suppress it. This ability is really quite annoying.

As I regain focus I find the merchant talking sweetly to Claura. It seems that he recognizes her since she looks somewhat like her mom.

……Or at least that’s his excuse. ‘Grand Archive’ is showing me that the man is producing sex hormones and his blood pressure is increasing, indicating arousal…….Fuck! This guy is a loli-con!

Wait now he’s looking at me! His pupils are dilating! Forget loli-con, this guy is a friggin shota-con as well! I can feel a small chill run up my spine.

Fortunately we get out of there quickly. For once, Claura’s shyness and her fear of talking is useful!

…………………………

After picking up a few other things necessary for the Bakery, we have only one more item on our list…..spices.

Unfortunately not something like garam marsala or ground ginger. Instead we are to pick up nutmeg and cinnamon, along with sugar and salt.

I feel a bit crestfallen, as far as my knowledge extends about this world it doesn’t seem to have Indian or any form of Asian cuisine at all. Truly a shame!

But I should be happy at least that it seems sugar is plentiful here, back on earth during a medieval time period like this sugar was a very rare ingredient.

*sigh*

Claura and I have made it to the spice trader. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t seem that he was someone born in the kingdom of Snaga. The clearest indication was his dark skin, the other was that he was bundled up in so many furs that all you could see were his black eyes along with a small strip of his skin peeking out from all of it.

By now a routine has formed, Claura will bashfully stammer out what is needed and the merchant, charmed by her cuteness, will offer a fair price rather than try to swindle her. Then, I will have another load added to my already burdened body.

Despite the fact that I’m strong for my age because of my Beast Race blood, that doesn’t mean its easy carrying all this weight!

So as she stammers out her request, I try to ignore the burning pain that is forming between my shoulder blades and look around the stall while still trying to form a plan on how to gain my freedom. It was something that I often thought about when I wasn’t getting ‘Grand Archive’ under control or busying myself with a task that I was required to do as a slave.

I absentmindedly took a sniff, curious what all of the arranged spices would smell like together.

Wait…..that smells like……!!!

*BOOM*

I could almost hear an explosion go off in my mind as ‘Grand Archive’ focuses in on one particular “spice”. Something that I had no idea existed in this world, something that was even more important that Asian cuisine!

Chocolate!!

Or…..well…..cocoa powder, but that still means chocolate could be made!

My eyes instantly locate the sack that contains the cocoa powder.

The merchant notices my sudden fixation and surprisingly laughs.

“I’ve seen several others of the Beast race have interest in this cokolada, it seems your kitling is the same little girl.”

“umm, uh, yes……”

I’m vaguely aware of their conversation. My eyes however are still trained on the cocoa powder. I really want it!

Chocolate is what kept me going sometimes while I was working with Cecily. On cold winter nights, whether in Geneva or in the U.S. the two of us would consume absurd quantities of hot chocolate to fuel our late night discussions on the Alcubierre equation.

It could be said I was addicted.

Sadly it was impossible, I couldn’t even ask for it after all. Who would listen to me…a slave…..

Oh wait….

I just had a really good idea!

Yes, with this I might get closer to freedom!

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Sorry for the wait! I was feeling a bit lazy and had difficulties getting the ball rolling on this chapter. I hope you all enjoy! Ah yeah, please rate me as well. If I can climb higher more people can rate and comment....and if that happens! I'll be even more motivated to write rather than feeling lazy! :D