Once my mana had regenerated, I continued my mana control training until my mana, once again, reached dangerously low levels, and just like that, for the remaining time of the day, I did nothing but that; training my mana control, and when I ran empty on mana, I would switch to physical training.

When I finished my training for the day, I'd like to say I was exhausted, as it would give me a sense of accomplishment, but other than being mentally tired, I felt perfectly fine.

'I think this is the only time I'll curse having such a powerful healing ability.' Thought Alexander as he walked back home while the sun was beginning to set behind the horizon.

While walking back home, I took in the sights of the forest, and although I live in the woods, I still find nature to be so beautiful; the peace and harmony it brings me are almost otherworldly in a sense, which is somewhat ironic given I'm in a different world.

Just observing how the cycle of life operates is so fascinating to me; the sun provides nutrients to plants they then use as energy to grow while sprouting leaves, fruits, and vegetables, which animals, mainly herbivores, will then consume, and too, will be consumed by predators before even they will one day die, allowing the earth to feast upon their corpse; creating a never-ending cycle. Of course, the process of life is much more detailed and complicated than I described, not to mention some of the things might not be precisely correct, but even so, I find it to be enthralling.

That is one of the reasons why I despise needless killing; many people would kill animals for sport, depriving them of the chance to fully experience the beauty life had to offer, yet sadly it just continued to get more and more popular; don't even get me started on humans killing each other.

"Haa, I'm getting too caught up in my own thoughts." Muttered Alexander while shaking his head as he exited the forest and entered the clearing, heading to his nearby treehouse.

Climbing up the treehouse, I entered the door while announcing my presence, though I didn't get a reply back, which only made me assume Master was still in her office fiddling about with her potions; just out of curiosity, I sneakily approached Masters office and peeked through the slightly open door.

"Ugh, why isn't it working? Combining these two potions should've caused them to fuse without a hitch, not nearly combust!" Remarked Lavender with a frustrated expression as she rubbed her temples while eyeing her messy desk filled with various potions.

I had only intended to take a quick peek, but when I laid eyes on Master, I found it hard to look away, and although she currently seemed frustrated, I could vividly see her passion for alchemy. Seeing Master concentrate on something she held so much passion for was mesmerizing; I couldn't look away from her charming, bright orange eyes, and swiftly, I began to lose track of time while watching her.

"Hmm, Alexander?" Said Lavender as she eyed Alexander after suddenly noticing him from the corner of her eye.

Hearing Master suddenly look at me and call my name, I got incredibly embarrassed at having been caught staring at her, that out of instinct, I tried to run away, but because of that, I happened to trip on my foot and fall into Master's office. By the time I had comprehended what had just transpired, I felt so humiliated that I just stayed lying on the ground, figuring it would be better than facing Master.

"Alexander, you okay?" Asked Lavender while doing her best to hold back her laugh.

"I-I'm fine, Master." Replied Alexander with a thumbs up while keeping his head down, not allowing Lavender to see his blushing face.

"Alright, well, I'm going to go and prepare supper." Said Lavender with an amused smirk while glancing at Alexander before shaking her head as she stood up and exited her office.

Even after Master left, I waited a few seconds before standing up, and when I did so, the first thing I did was run to my room and shut the door behind me. Jumping into my bed, I dug my face into my pillow, wishing to have what just happened erased from my memory.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

'Ugh, great! How am I supposed to confront Master during dinner after she just caught me staring at her through the gap in the door like some pervert!?' Thought Alexander, ashamed of his actions as he kicked his feet in the air like a young girl in love.

For the next several minutes, I prayed to whatever god the people of this world believed in that Master would somehow make a mistake while cooking, allowing me to skip dinner, but as if all my prayers were merely a joke, I heard Master's voice, which is something I usually love to hear, yet this time it was quite the opposite.

"Alexander, supper is already; come eat." Said Lavender from the kitchen, her voice reverberating through the entire house.

As much as I wanted to make an excuse to miss dinner, I knew that would only make things even more awkward, not to mention Master is quite good at telling when I lie. So while full of shame, I slowly exited my room and made my way to the kitchen, only to see Master calmly eating at the table; seeing her like that did ease my nerves somewhat.

'Maybe Master doesn't know I was staring at her?' Thought Alexander, with newfound hope and confidence, as he grabbed his plate and sat opposite Lavender.

I had no idea whether Master knew that I was staring at her or not, but if she didn't know, I had to act like everything was normal, as that wouldn't draw any unwanted attention from Master; thankfully, I had a trait suited just for that, and although it doesn't seem like it's been taking effect, it has been.

"So, Master, what type of potion were you working on this time?" Asked Alexander as he ate, trying his best to sound normal.

"I was attempting to brew a Soul Enhancement potion, but of a higher quality, using only normal ingredients. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, though I'm sure you already know, considering you had been staring for quite some time." Replied Lavender with a mischievous smirk as she glanced at Alexander while eating.

When she said that, I could feel my heart speed up as I momentarily froze in place while eating, but not to arouse any suspicion, I continued as if nothing happened.

"Hmm, I-I don't know what you're talking about; I had just arrived when you noticed me." Said Alexander calmly, though his heart was beating rapidly.

"I hope you don't think that just because I was focused on my alchemy, I'm unable to sense my surroundings; I had noticed you from the moment you approached my door. Besides, you've never been a good liar, Alexander." Remarked Lavender with a smirk while eyeing the blushing Alexander.

"I-I'm sorry, Master; I deeply apologize for my shameful behavior! I promise it won't happen again!" Stated Alexander as he bowed his head, which was bright red from embarrassment and shame.

"Fufu, don't worry about it, Alexander; I'm a beautiful woman after all; besides, even if your body is that of a child, your mind or soul isn't." Said Lavender with a light smile while slightly chuckling, though her response only severed to make Alexander more embarrassed than before.

"Even if you say that, Master, I shouldn't be looking at like that; doing so would be the equivalent of being attracted to my own Mother; that's very unsettling." Said Alexander while refusing to make eye contact with Lavender, who chuckled at his words.

"I suppose from your perspective, you're not wrong; however, I do not mind if you look at me like that; unlike a lot of men I've interacted with in the past that merely looked at me with lust-filled eyes, you don't. Being looked at by your mesmerizing purple eyes filled with pure intent as you appreciate my beauty is very comforting." Stated Lavender with a lovely smile while looking at Alexander, causing him to blush in response.

"Though, just because I don't mind you appreciating my beauty, that doesn't mean you can watch me whenever I clean myself; If I find out you're doing such a thing." Added Lavender with an evil smirk.

"I-I would never do such a thing, Master!" Exclaimed Alexander quickly as he felt a shiver run down his spine while looking at Lavender.

"That's good to hear. Now, I'm heading to sleep early, so good night." Said Lavender as she stood up and placed her empty plate and utensil in the sink before exiting the kitchen.

When Master finally left, I released a sigh of relief, and although I was still ashamed of what had happened, I was very pleased Master didn't care too much about my actions.

'Though, now that I think about it, I had most likely overreacted; why would women be upset someone was appreciating their beauty? Brother had always said women love attention, and I doubt that fact has changed just because I'm in a different world.' Thought Alexander as he shook his head and quickly finished his food before heading to his room.

Hopping into my bed, I got comfortable under the sheets while deciding to ask Master for advice about my future, as I'm still undecided whether I wish to be a warrior or something else.

'If I intend to be a warrior, what kind of weapon shall I use? Probably something simple like a sword, spear, hammer, or battle axe; no need to pick something crazy.' Thought Alexander for a couple of minutes before closing his eyes, only to drift into a slumber a few minutes later.