Chapter 8: It's Like This?

Time went in a dash. From the day's becoming shorter to the point I've spent an entire month here already.

I still made the time to know more people and expand my knowledge of this world. Though I feel something stuck on the very end of my throat whenever I try to get accustomed to this life.

I ate breakfast and went outside to walk. The landscape outside was flat and pastoral. I occasionally passed by that Arthur kid and we often converse. Today though I was extra curious. I brought a few spell scrolls with me to a cave near the entrance of this village.

Mother also said something about my 'mana' growing. Does that mean I'll be able to cast more?

Since it'll gather too much attention if I do it at home, I figured I'd do it somewhere less conspicuous.

After arriving at the cave which had vine's extruding out of it, and overgrown moss heading deep into it. I had primarily four scrolls that I had brought. Two earth's and two fire's, these scrolls were stored in the basement which was entered through that one mysterious door.

The forest start's just south from here. A path laid there but I'm pretty sure it didn't lead into anything. I've heard Krimmin's have multiple way's of arriving into our world. Their either formed from the natural mana cycle that circulates this world or someone sent them there. I hope it's the latter though.

As I entered the cave, it was a bit small, the ceiling was about nigh high and a single crack with water dripping on the wall was damp. It wasn't a large place but it's enough to experiment.

I planned to close the cave halfway with an earth scroll and it crackled viciously. The wall of light grew and bolt's of thunder raged around it. But after that, the light dissipated and was left with a tough rock wall just halfway covering the entrance.

"Phew... I wonder if I have to do this every single time..." I wiped my sweat.

A scroll spell has a set spell that can be cast just by pouring mana into it. But these in my hand's are custom scroll spells that are able to take the figure that the user is imagining and transfer them into reality. Over time I should be able to learn the feeling of casting an earth scroll over and over, to the point I could cast without it.

I then laid the three scrolls down as I just used one earlier. I picked a fire one and opened my finger's. I imagined a fierce flame ignite on my hand. An orb of light materializes and hovered above my palm. A single bolt of lightning coming from the roof of stone struck the orb.

It popped and like a flower blooming, a slow and gentle fire came out of the orb. It stood up and grew in size. I stared at it mesmerized by it's flaming glory.

Before I knew it I had let go of the scroll and the flame dissipated.

"Sigh..." I faced towards the two scrolls left.

I placed rocks on each corner of the scroll so that it didn't curl back up. I decided to stay here until afternoon. I could've had some company but when I asked George he replied in a panicked manner but turned me down. Apparently he was about to go on a mission and he won't be back for another two month's. He left this morning.

My family wasn't very well off but we were humbly living. The only person I knew with some tint of mediocre ranking blood was my mother and sister's Adola bloodline. There's that Arthur girl but I'm not that close to her. George's Benedict family was of normal heritage, they had a local social standing and that was all.

I'd asked Miyu as well, my little sister. But she was also busy with improving on magic. I don't know for sure but if she's able to cast a spell without a scroll then she's pretty talented. Adding onto the fact that her affinity is fire and she's learnt earth magic just after I arrived.

Right now I'm still not anything special. I'm unable to cast without a scroll and I do have an affinity of lightning, however where am I supposed to find a lightning scroll? Well I could try something similar?

Just as I thought that though, an idea popped into my head. What if I grab the lightning while it's still processing the spell? Yeah that could work! Maybe I'll be like Zeus and hold lightning like it's a staff. A staff! Yes! I'll make a simple earth staff and grab the light while it's making it.

With this brilliant idea in mind, I grabbed the last earth spell and imagined a thin rock staff that was just above my head. I cupped my hand's and anticipated patiently. I then felt a tickling sensation upon my finger's. Spark's were touching the inside of my palm.

The spark's flew from within my hand was replaced by light filling it up. The light compressed and bounced vertically. It extended upwards and downwards. In this moment my reaction time had caught up. Blood rushed through my arm's and I gripped the golden light in my grasp.

As I did that though, the moment the light felt even a slight tension from my hands, it immediately went away. I was left with a weird and long piece of unfinished rock. It's ends portruded in an uneven way. It didn't even reach halfway my body height. I threw it away and sat on the floor with a thud.

My main goal was to just find out if I could tinker with my affinity even more but it really is just an aesthetic way of creating spell's. It didn't like me interfering so it cancelled itself.

I wanted to vent my disappointment. I could always just beat someone up but I'll be exiled and probably tortured if I did that. And there was magic. I had a single fire scroll left and there was no one around. I could go all out and I won't be disturbed.

"Hmm?" I pondered what to do with this fire scroll.

I recalled a certain book in the living room shelf. 'A Magic Book For Dummies Done Justice' It was a book all about spell's and affinities. Spells were ranked from Simple to Supreme. A good portion of it taught how to achieve casting spell's but I just couldn't do it. Affinities are ranked by their rareness. Despite the title proclaiming a magic book made justice, I couldn't find the lightning affinity anywhere.

A section of it did made itself known, a list of offensive fire spells were shown.

Blaze: Lunge a fireball horizontally.

Infuse: Engulf an object in fire, requires physical contact.

Fiery dagger: Strikes an opponent with a blade of fire.

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Flaming ring: Surrounds the caster with a ring of fire.

Simple spells that required a simple mind, Since I was only going to be testing it in here I should pick something more modest. Fiery dagger has a nice ring to it, I'll go with that.

I held the scroll with my right hand and brought out my left hand, I was facing the entrance. I concentrated on the image in my mind. I cocked my hand to the right. I cast the spell and I swiped my hand to the left. At first nothing happened but a short delay occurred.

"Whoa!" I jumped.

A line of pure light appeared before me. Lightning crackled around it. It flew forward and started to turn into fire. The spark's of thunder were being replaced by the tail of the flame. It cut through my wall and a couple of tree's behind it, leaving an ashen mark in it's cut.

"Oh..."

The wall I had built had collapsed. It was a brave one. Your service will be forever remembered. It's also been too long since that time that I forgot to describe the feeling of actually casting magic.

The first thing you do is create the shape of the spell using your brain. You just have to imagine it.

Second, you pour mana into the scroll by directing some sort of liquid into the vein's of your finger's and palm's, it can be anything as long as you imagine it as so. In that same vein, get it? I'm heavily relying on the duty of the scroll to cast the spell itself. It uses my mana and my affinity. But the method of which it cast's the spell is what I'm working on right now.

I've tried many time's in that realm. I even spent an entire day trying and trying to cast a spell but I just can't make myself do that. It's like if you're constipat terrible example but you get what I mean.

The third but last, is where the spell will be dispelled. I was under the impression that it would always start at the root of your palm but that doesn't seem to be the case. An example is earth magic, it can be cast without it having contact with the caster. It also depends on the type of magic it is, if it's defensive then physical contact is mandatory but even that varies, almost if not all offensive magic come from just about anywhere but from a hand. If you're using it only for practical uses then that's on you.

I had only been in this world for just around a month yet I'm already feeling pretty comfortable. It's not like I've accepted life here yet. I see my family as Richard's family not mine. Besides my real family is in another world and I'd do anything right now to come back.

'Heiter, just wait a little longer. Daddy's coming home.'

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After climbing through the rubble and making it out of the cave, I breathed in the amazing scenery and houses that dotted the landscapes. A river flew by this village that made it much more serene.

As I walked with my little bag on my shoulder, I passed by some pretty amazing flora on the path home. This place seemed so much like my other world that I can't help but feel nostalgic.

The people were also nice. Adult's greeted me in a calming and warm gesture and complimented my red hair, while the other kid's stared at me scornfully, they didn't bother to touch me since they knew my father was a fierce magician. I'm grateful that he protects me but I'd like to stand on my own two feet as well. As his kid I wanted to spread the Benedict name on my own volition.

Of course I dislike violence alike that's why I keep a neutral tone to whoever talk's to me. If it can be solved with word's then there's no need to prove it with fist's, that's what my elder brother told me. In the face of Krimmin's though... Without a scroll I'm practically helpless. Their tough skin was hard to puncture let alone blunt force. Other's bore scales which made them even more dreadful.

I walked confidently until I bumped into a large kid. He was taller than me.

"Hey. Watch where your goi-..." He stared at my face for a while before grinning, "Richard? I thought for sure you were dead!" He snickered.

I didn't bother to reply and so I flatly ignored him. Yet he persevered, grabbing onto my shoulder just as I turned around.

"Come on... We're friend's aren't we?" His grip tightened on my shoulder.

"Let go." I glared at him.

This kid was one of the bullies in Richard's memory. These are the type of people that you cant reason with.

"Oh? Are you all tough now?" He smiled and looked down on me, "I mean look at you, you even have dark red hair and a cheeky hairstyle!"

"I said. Let go."

"Or what? Are you gonna beat " I slammed my back hand onto his cheek, I pulled his arm and punched him clean in the liver. I held onto his arm while he collapsed onto the ground on his knees.

"You!" He couldn't escape my grip and tried to punch me with his right. I stomped on his head causing him to fall back down. I still held on to his arm while he squirmed beneath my foot.

'Muscle memory saved me there!' It's been a while since I sparred but I couldn't forget the physical training that was drilled into memory. For now I'd wait for him to beg me to release him, right now he's only shouting empty threat's.

"Hey! You two! Beat this kid up!" Two kid's approached us and whispered to eachother.

"Wait. Isn't that Richard over there?"

"Yup... Also that's our leader isn't he?" They glared at the head under my foot.

"Hey! I'm talking to you Guh!" I stepped on his head again.

"Hey boss we forgot something at the cabin!"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll come back later!"

They turned in a swift manner and began walking away in tip toe fashion. I recognized their faces in Richard's memory. I'll take care of them later.

"Nooo..." He reached out and eventually gave up, "F-fine, I won't bother you anymore... So let go of me already!"

"What's the magic word?" I stared down at him. "C-come on man!" He pompously replied.

"Kidding." I let go of his arm and took off my foot from the back of his head.

He dusted himself off before looking at me, "Where did you learn how to fight anyway?" Eh? He didn't just ask that did he? Just how quick do people make up after duking it out in this world?

"That is none of your business." I stood my ground and he ran off screaming.

To be honest that drained me. I had practically no stamina left after my spell session and now I'm just being pushed to my limit's. I wanted to go home. Anything else and I might just explode. Eventually I did arrive home a little on the late side. Basically night time.

I opened the door and was immediately struck by the smell of cooking vegetable's and meat. The warm light of candles fills the room and after taking in the room I realized just how peaceful of a living this was. I put my bag on the rack and was greeted by my mother.

"Richard... I don't have to scold you too right?" She chopped the carrot with audible force.

"N-no mother... You have gotten it all wrong. I believe it's only right I came this late after all." I grinned.

"Is that so? Why is that?" She turned her head like a door creaking eerily. She had a fake smile plastered on while her brow twitched. I cleared my throat.

"I-I actually fought my oppressor's this time..." My leg's shook violently while I held up my hand's in a protective manner.

"Eh?? I'm so proud of you Richard... But..." But? But what?, "Did you know a Krimmin could eat a kid whole?"

'Is she trying to scare me?' I scratched my head but before I could talk I heard a rapid noise come thundering down.

"Is he home?" A girl with brown hair made her way down holding something that's shaped like an ornament.

"Big brother look " She tripped while her prized possession slipped from her hand. She plopped on the floor while the object shattered in front of her.

"W-w .... Uwaaahh!" She cried and hastily turned on the floor board's.

I looked down at her while she sobbed and huddled on a wooden post. I crouched and asked her, "Hey, are you okay?"

I said to her with a concerned tone while she had a red face. She reminded me a lot of my actual sister. I used to comfort her at time's like this with a hug. Although I don't know her very well and I didn't get many chance's to do so, being holed in that room must've made her emotion's sensitive. She's still, like, a kid after all. I patted her head.

"Huh?" she stopped sobbing and looked up at me while blinking in confusion.

"Well, have you calmed down now?" I said, "How about you sit over there and we can both talk." I pointed at the chair's in the living room. She nodded.

I made up with her a bit. She apparently made an ornament for me as a gift for my upcoming birthday, which I didn't even knew was just a couple day's away.

"And then it ended up breaking... I-I'm sorry big brother... hic." She began to cry again.

"You don't have to apologize. Thank you for being so considerate."

"Th-thank you..." She stood up and went to the dinner table.

It seems like it'll be a long way road ahead before I could really understand her. For now I could only hope some of that ice between us had melted. It also seems that George wont be present at my birthday.

A birthday huh? How long has it been since I celebrated one? That didn't matter though since I'd experience one again in just a few days.