“King or peasant, all men are born with the same curse. You live, and you die. I only saved them from continuing to live a lie until their destined end. You should thank me, as I thank you for presenting me with such an opp-”

“Shut up.” The man standing on a stool next to the executioner barked. The executioner waited for his signal.

The man swiped his hand in the air, commencing the execution.

The executioner turned to the criminal.

“Will I feel it? Can I? Could I hear and see the blood from my corpse squirting all over before I die?” The executioner raised his axe above his head.

I readied to jump the fence like the few other peasants have.

The criminal’s words sunk into my skin, giving me chills.

“Hell will embrace you with open arms.” said the executioner before thrusting his axe into the criminal’s neck.

The first swing didn’t cut through the neck entirely.

The criminal yelped and cried, his blood gushing.

The executioner shook his axe out of the criminal’s head, and swung again.

The criminal’s head came off and rolled towards the crowd.

I watched in disgust. I knew I was going to witness death, but this looked terribly violent.

‘Go, Alaric!’ Earl shouted.

I hesitated, but I jumped the fence and made my way to the body.

The executioner stepped aside as I placed my cup underneath the decapitated corpse of the criminal. I only stepped off as soon as the blood filled the cup entirely.

The other peasants finally reached the corpse and also took a bit of the remaining blood and scurried off into the crowd again.

As I made my way towards the exit of the fence, I gazed at the dark-red blood. It was as if I was staring into the gateway of hell.

I thought that if I were to drink this, I’d become a devil, and there was no turning back.

‘Don’t drink it in public. Find a hideaway.’

Right…

I found a dark, narrow alleyway between two aisles of buildings. The end of it was blocked off by a large stone wall.

I entered the alleyway, and placed the cup on my lips.

They smelled like rust. I hesitated to raise the cup and pour the blood into my mouth.

‘Drink it, Alaric. This is your future.’

Hm…

There was a further, brief hesitation before I tilted the wooden cup by it’s bottom upwards, lowering the lid, and pouring the slimy blood into my mouth, regurgitating it once, but then forcing it down.

It took a few minutes to finish the cup. With every sip, my mana flow changed on its own, and flowed ever so viciously and fluently.

‘Do you feel your mana flow changing?’

Yes.

‘That’s your new mana capability. Let’s see…’ Earl analyzed my mana. ‘Interesting…’

Well? What is it?

‘Such a criminal should have been killed by the City Guard on sight…’

Earl!

‘Hm… yes.’

EARL!

‘Hm?’

What is my new mana capability?

‘Ah. Wind Manipulation. Truly powerful.’

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Wait- really?

‘Yes. Unlike other mana capabilities, Wind Manipulation and Wind Creation Magic are nearly the same as there is air nearly everywhere. I’ve met only a few magicians with Wind Manipulation in my lifetime. This criminal hasn’t had a significant intensity. If he did, he’d probably be recruited into the Royal Magicians Division.’

Ah… right…

I felt excitement boil inside of me, and curiosity surrounding the Royal Magicians Division.

You said I have great mana intensity and capacity, right? It must exceed this-

‘I said it was great for a child. You have a little less mana intensity and capacity right now, a large portion thanks to drinking the criminal’s blood.’

Oh…

I felt a slight disappointment, but I remembered that I was only 7. I had time to grow.

‘However, you could exceed his mana intensity and capacity in just a few minutes.’

Hm? How so?

‘If you drink someone else’s blood that had relatively the same mana potential as his, you’d take part of their intensity and capacity while also taking their capability. Have I not told you this already?’

Oh… right…

I felt thrilled to be gifted with what may be overpowered magic.

So this is my beginning, huh?

‘I guess.’

That was a rhetorical question.

‘Ok.’

Please just leave my head already…

‘No.’

__

A day has passed, and I found myself laying on my bed in the early morning contemplating if I should really do what Earl had demanded me to do.

I’ve been training my mana basically since I could walk, although I had limited information on mana itself.

Because of the limited information, my mana growth rate from my exercises have become slower the more I train.

But before I went to bed last night, Earl had taught me of his strict exercises he'd frequently done when he was alive, and advised me to follow through every exercise every day if I could.

I was fine with it, thrilled actually, until Earl brought up physical exercises.

Earl, I’m only 7

I tried to persuade Earl out of this, knowing that I was physically capable and had been developing nicely through my swordsmanship training with Otis.

‘Excuses will be the end of you.’

I wanted to oppose but I knew that he was right.

I felt a sudden motivation. Ever since I was reincarnated, I had to adapt to everything, even if I didn’t like it.

I rolled off the bed and landed on my arms on the cold stone floor.

‘Not many know this, but the more fit and athletic you are, there’s a slight increase in your mana potential. Also, magicians can not always rely on their magic.’

I see…

I pushed myself up.

“Alright.” I said to myself.

I put on my pair of worn, low leather boots that Sister Amy had given me when I arrived at the church.

I marched outside, where it was freezing cold, and the sun hadn't even risen.

My nose went runny, and my eyes squinted to the cold.

Um… Earl? I think I might get sick…

‘No.’

What?

‘No.’

What do you mean no?

‘Just do it.’

What… wait- th-THIS ISN’T NIKE! I CAN DIE!

‘What’s Nike?’

I… forget it.

I stood by the doorway and waited for the sun to rise to see if I could do something.

When the sun rose, it radiated it’s beams of light and its heat.

Granted, it was still cold, but it was a doable cold.

Probably.

I was still afraid that if I were to get sick I could die because medication is very expensive these times, and they don’t always work.

I also took into consideration that my immune system must be very strong due to me having to live and sleep in colder conditions, most of my meals being fruits and vegetables, and even training my body and staying in shape due to the swordsmanship and my friends.

I wasn’t immune from illness, but if I were to have it, it wouldn’t be as bad. Well- I hoped that would be the case.

‘Hills.’ ‘Knee raises.’ ‘Pushups.’

I was excessively breathing.

My previous fitness was no match for Earl’s strict exercises.

I felt so sore, and I probably would’ve felt worse if it weren’t for Sister Amy’s healing mana capability.

It didn’t completely heal my injuries, but it was enough for conditioning.

Earl pushed me to the limit, and I fell in the short snow, exhausted.

Sister Amy found me, sweaty and smelly, and thought I was dying because I was on the ground panting.

She rushed over to me.

We settled everything out, though. She took me back to my bedroom and called me out sick.

I didn’t really feel that sick, but I coughed a lot which may have been due to the dry air. I also had a nosebleed, but Sister Amy fixed me up immediately.

I thought that she could also heal illnesses because of her healing magic, but she can only heal wounds.

I felt so stupid because I could’ve gotten asmtha or something, but my motivation and adrenaline pushed me to not even consider the other side effects.

Thankfully, I didn’t get sick. But I was out for the week.

Sister Amy would come by twice every day. Once in the morning, and once before bedtime.

She brought back medicines that she acquired from her friends who were apothecaries, and hard bread from meals.

The first time she came around, she fixed my blanket.

I wasn’t seriously ill, but she treated me with extreme care. I, however, treated my eyes as well, even though I didn’t mean to do what I did.

When she fixed my blanket, I could really see her- uh- bottom.

I blushed and had subconsciously thought of something dirty.

‘Dirty child…’ Earl tsked. I jumped, as I forgot that Earl was still in my mind.

What? What’re you talking about

‘I hope you grow to resist temptation… After all, those who fall into temptation are the fooled.’

I- I didn’t mean to. It’s not like I’m giving into my… temptation…

‘Hm.’ Earl dismissed himself, and I was left with embarrassment.

I haven’t heard from him at all the whole next day. I continued my day as usual, but I trained inside. I did push ups, crunches and such to keep me in shape.

I only saw Earl until I fell asleep at the end of the day.

His aura was much thinner and now dim from the last time I’ve seen him.

His empty face gave off a feeling of concern.

Earl? Is something wrong?

‘I was hoping for more time… we must begin immediately after you have woken.’

Earl?

‘It must happen…’

Earl!

Earl sounded composed, but him speaking of manners that must be dealt with haste worried me.