If I’ve understood the magic correctly, and I’ve just succeeded for a moment, it was actually very simple.

I sat cross-legged on the platform, which was slightly higher than Nazir's height, and looked at him. It was not difficult to understand why he had a surprised and confused expression.

To put it simply: the method of understanding was not really a method at all, it was an awareness.

When we imagine something, like creating a fireball in our hand, we just imagine creating a fireball in our hand. Values like the size and temperature of that fireball don't come to mind at that moment, we don't think about the details. This covers the imagination part of the job.

The understanding part works when we start to think about these details even partially, but I have to think in a way that I am aware of my limitations, of my mana.

To give an example with incredibly simple math: let's say I need 12 mana points to create a fireball in my hand, and I have 15 mana points. If I don't spend between 12 and 15 mana, this fireball won't form, I actually understood the logic of the magic a little bit when Nazir said “I spend 4 mana when I should spend 2,” but I wasn't sure. And what he said afterwards confirmed the idea I had already formed in my head.

One of the things that makes it difficult is that you can't be quite sure of the control over the mana spent, I may have just given numbers like 12 and 15, but there are no such numbers, so I was doing this calculation purely by feeling.

A system would be really nice.

I sighed and tried to form a fireball in my hand. I don't know whether to be sorry that it took me so long to realize it or glad that I finally did.

I canceled the spell and heard Nazir's voice as a small flame formed in my hand and showed its heat and light on my clothes.

“Congratulations, my lord, I didn't think you would be so successful.”

I looked at Nazir, for the first time he was raising his head to look at me.

“It's like trying to draw a straight line, it's difficult but I figured it out.”

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Nazir chuckled, “If you say something like that in an academy, you’ll argue a lot with the professors.”

“Academy? Why?”

“Because it is almost impossible to draw a perfect straight line.”

“There is no need to argue,” I stood up and tried to slowly lower the stone platform beneath me, but when I was halfway down, I lost control. I was about to fall when Nazir caught me and helped me regain my balance. “Are you all right, my lord?” He said worriedly and I nodded and thanked him.

I happily put my hands on my waist, looked at Nazir and asked, “Did you go to the academy?” He quickly nodded, “At Nova I studied battlemagic and the manipulation of mana within the body. In fact, one of the reasons I went to Xinshui was because I wanted to write my thesis on Ki."

“It sounds complicated.”

“I- I was about to say it's normal for someone your age, but I won't.”

After Nazir laughed, I laughed too and sat down, forming a small chair out of the stone behind me.

Now that I think about it, what kind of graduation project would I have written if I hadn't died? It would probably be something about AI. What's the year on Earth now? I'm 7 years old now, so it would have to be 2030 or something.

I wonder if it's considered normal to have an AI girlfriend. Humans are species very prone to change their minds.

Or a more important question, have fast food restaurants started to open where orders are taken only by AI? Or have big chain restaurants started to adopt this system? There are still jobs for humans, robots that can clean and cook properly have not yet been built... Although I can't be completely sure of that, since technology works like exponential numbers, you never know what will happen...

I was engrossed in my thoughts again, when I noticed Nazir standing silently as usual. I was doing this stopping and thinking thing a lot, it was something I did a lot in my previous life too. I was completely detached from reality and living with the thoughts in my head. I was aware that I was seen as weird, even if someone didn't say it directly to my face at the time, but there wasn't much I could do. At least Nazir doesn't seem to have a problem with it, and I know that Eliar sometimes, though not as much as I do, when he is alone in his office, he would take me in his arms when I was very young, and think quietly to himself for hours. I guess that's why Nazir doesn't see it as strange.

“How did you meet my father?”

“Can you say that again, my lord?” Nazir was looking towards the city when he heard my voice and turned to me and I asked my question again.

“How did you meet my father?”

“Ah... It's a long story, but in short: The first time I saw him, he looked at me and asked, “Can you carry books?”

“That’s all?”

He chuckled “Yeah, sometimes I wonder where or what kind of person I would be now if I had said 'No' that day.

I don't want to sound like a lecturing grandpa, but a simple decision can really change your whole life.”

As I giggled, Nazir looked at me in surprise.

“Is something wrong, my lord?”

“No, no...

But you're already a grandpa for humans.”

Nazir looked at me silently for a while, then he chuckled and I stood up, “Let's go back to camp.”