Ethan had a friend named Rylan Thunderheart, who was two years older than him. At the age of twelve, he left for the capital after undergoing the awakening ceremony and developing an Arcane Nexus. Later, it was revealed that he had been accepted by the Magic Academy in the capital due to his exceptional talent. But since then, there hadn't been many updates from him.
Ethan remembered the days when they played together in the evenings with Rylan and other village friends. They would share laughter, especially at Rylan when he first began experiencing the tingling sensations, and would start making funny expressions while rolling on the ground at any random moment. At that time, they couldn’t fully understand what Rylan was actually going through, but it was a time of innocent amusement, as they couldn’t comprehend the depth of the situation.
The tides had shifted, and now Ethan found himself in the same precarious situation; now he was the subject of friendly jests and mockery among his friends in the village.
“Now I understand what Rylan might have gone through,” he murmured as he found himself the center of attention.
Two years had passed since Rylan left for the capital, leaving him as the oldest among the village friends. Although he had matured beyond his young age, influenced by his past life and possessing wisdom beyond his current years, he chose to embrace his inner child and experience the joyful life he had always yearned for. Now, only a week remained before he would turn twelve.
On a scorching summer day in the month of June, a rare occurrence took place: Ethan’s father, Aldric, returned home in the afternoon, a time when he was usually on duty. As he stepped inside, Ethan’s eyes widened in shock; his father’s leg was covered in bruises, and red bloodstains adorned his stomach, with the blood nearly drying on his shirt.
Ethan panicked, seeing his father's condition. “Dad, what happened?” Ethan’s voice trembled as he looked at the injuries, seeking an explanation.
Hearing a panicked voice, Elara rushed from the kitchen, her eyes widening at the sight of Aldric’s injuries. On the spur of the moment, she hurried back to the kitchen and fetched a jug of water and some turmeric, carefully tending to the wounds.
With gentle hands, she cleaned the wound and applied turmeric, securing it with a soft and clean cloth. Her face wore a serious expression as she turned to Aldric, hoping for answers.
"What happened? Tell me now," she pressed.
Aldric glanced at Ethan and softly said, “Go play with your friends.” He attempted to brush off the concern, but Ethan stood his ground, resolute.
“No, I want to know what happened,” he insisted, seeking the truth behind his father’s condition.
Ethan’s persistence in staying paid off, and finally, Aldric relented, Sighing, he began to speak, "Well, today, at the divisional office, we received a report from the villagers about goblin and orc sightings at their farms." Aldric looked at Elara and Ethan, who were listening attentively, and said, “These monsters were attempting to steal livestock, so we were ordered to patrol the areas and ensure everyone’s safety.”
Aldric took a deep breath and then continued, “As we patrolled the village borders and engaged with villagers,” his voice carrying the weight of the events, “a clearer picture emerged. You see, the combination of the summer season, a scarcity of food in nearby villages, and a noticeable reduction in monster activity, particularly outside the Orc village, compelled them to encroach into human territories for livestock."
He took a small pause to catch his breath. “And now that the rainy season is upon us, they’re hoarding resources, which in turn attracts the orcs and goblins to venture near the village.” Aldric glanced at both, gauging their reactions to the grim situation he faced.
Elara’s concern was evident as she spoke, “I understand that part, but how did you get injured?”
Aldric paused for a brief moment and then continued, “There was another villager, and while working in his field, the goblins ambushed him without warning. Thanks to his quick thinking and use of his basic spells, he was able to fend them off, but in that process, his fields went to ruins.”
“We decided to investigate further and set out to trace their escape path.” Aldric continued, narrating the perilous patrol with his fellow soldiers of the same rank, and soon “We encountered the goblins lurking nearby, which led to a fierce battle,” he explained.
Though they managed to defeat the goblins, Aldric described the unexpected appearance of an orc, which had a sturdy body and posed a significant challenge.
“The strength of that orc required a combined effort to bring it down,” he said solemnly, “and thus, I sustained injuries in the process,” Aldric concluded.
As her eyes scanned the bruises, her face tightened with concern, and in a stern voice, she exclaimed, “You better not go again until those injuries are fully healed."
The cost of hiring a healer was beyond their means, and purchasing potions required an enormous amount of money. Such luxuries were out of reach for commoners like Aldric, as even low-quality medicines would consume their monthly savings. She hoped that a few days of rest would be sufficient to mend the minor injuries.
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Aldric spoke up, trying to reason. “Sorry, but I will have to report after today’s rest.” As he glanced at Elara, who was fuming with anger, he continued, “There're only a few soldiers allocated to this village, so I can’t really just stay away from work”.
“I don’t care; you are staying put here," Elara said in a stern voice, concerned about his injury.
Nonetheless, they both found themselves locked in a heated argument, each adamant in their position. On one hand, Elara wanted him to recover before going out, while Aldric felt compelled to attend to his duties, driven by the increasing monster activity that posed a threat to their village.
"If this continues," Aldric said with a concerned voice, "Orcs might come to our village. We need to start patrolling the village properly, so I will need to go, but I'll take a rest today."
"Fine, but you're definitely not going out today," Elara said firmly as she headed towards the kitchen to prepare a warm meal.
On the other hand, Ethan just sat there, observing their family banter. He knew that this moment of disagreement would last only a few minutes. After the meal, Aldric went to sleep for the day, taking much-needed rest as Elara had warned him against going out of the house.
For the next two days, there were only occasional encounters with goblins who were still trying to steal livestock, but thanks to Aldric’s team's vigilant patrols and control, the village enjoyed relative safety.
In approximately four days, Ethan would celebrate his twelfth birthday, and in accordance with the tradition set since ancient times, all children reaching this age must be taken to the capital to visit the temple. There, priests and healers perform a sacred ceremony to receive blessings and awaken the Arcane Nexus.
Throughout the Zephyria nation, there was only one temple available to perform the awakening ceremony, so residents of the nation would set out for the capital whenever they needed to go through the ceremony. As a result, they had to plan their journey to the capital city, Luminesca, well in advance.
The recent rise in monster sightings made securing a week-long leave a challenging task. However, due to Aldric’s continued persistence and buzzing with his higher authorities, he finally convinced them to take a leave.
At night, around eight, the three of them gathered for dinner, the soft glow from the lantern illuminating their humble home. As they savored the meal, Aldric turned to Ethan and said, “So Ethan, start preparing; in two days, we are going to the capital”.
Ethan, swallowing a bite of fish, "Okay, Dad, I'll do it in the morning." As he ate some more, he asked with curiosity, “What kind of place is Luminesca?”
It would be his first time venturing beyond his village and to the capital in the twelve years of his life, except for the occasional visits to nearby villages within the same vicinity.
"Well, the capital is a bustling city where the royal family resides." Aldric continued, “How should I explain to you? It’s hard to put into words just how vibrant and lively the capital is; there are numerous famous places that I can’t even count” he added with a sense of wonder “There's a magnificent temple, where you will undergo awakening. And then there’s the renowned magic academy”.
“Magic Academy?” Ethan exclaimed with excitement.
“Yes!” Aldric nodded as he continued, “Mages of all levels, from twelve-year-olds to accomplished practitioners, study there. It’s the one and only magic academy in the country.”
As the conversation continued, Ethan’s excitement surged upon hearing the tales of the magic academy. Being introduced to this world as a newborn, the concept of magic intrigued him, as it was unlike anything he knew from his time on Earth. The prospect of learning magic and becoming stronger filled him with eagerness and anticipation.
“I'm not entirely sure why I got isekai'd, why I still have all my past memories, or what I am doing here in this world." Ethan mumbled to himself as he took the bite from the fish, “And I don't have specific ambitions like becoming the strongest mage or anything; I simply want to live a comfortable life with my family and explore everything this world has to offer." Ethan paused. "I guess I’ll let my life progress and leave it to fate to decide.” Ethan nodded contentedly as he continued eating.
As he ate, a thought lingered: “Dad, why did you and Mom not continue in the magic academy?” Ethan asked with concern, noticing that both of them were only at the apprentice level in magic mastery.
“Well, let’s finish dinner first, and I promise I’ll tell you someday,” Aldric replied, postponing the explanation.
“Promise me, Dad?” Ethan insisted, genuinely curious as to why his parents remained in this small village.
“Okay, I promise,” Aldric assured him with a warm smile.
As they continued their dinner, a sudden voice called out, “Aldric, are you there?” One of the men came running towards the house.
"Coming,” Aldric replied as he rose from his seat, wiping his hands clean as they walked towards the men standing outside.
“Tell me, Gareth, what happened?” Aldric inquired, his concern evident in his voice.
Ethan had also finished his meal by then and stepped outside to listen to the commotion going on.
"Monsters have appeared near the village borders; we need to go right now," Gareth Stoneforge, another corporal soldier who worked for the kingdom's army, explained urgently.
Both Aldric and Gareth were stationed in the village, and it was their duty to heed such calls. Gareth, a tall guy with a bald head and a big beard, stood in his uniform, adorned with a dark tunic with golden embroidery and a leather belt worn diagonally across his chest.
"Take care," Elara's worried voice echoed as she looked at her husband getting ready to leave.
Aldric, still recovering from past injuries, grabbed his sword and a lit torch as they hurried towards the farm where goblin sightings were reported. As they arrived, they saw goblins trying to break the fences, clutching chickens in their hands, and desperately attempting to escape.
After spotting the goblins and a few others lurking nearby, they swiftly killed them. At around midnight, Aldric returned home along with Gareth. Seeing Elara and Ethan still awake, Gareth smiled and left the house.
“Dad, what happened?” Ethan asked curiously.
Aldric paused for a moment and took a deep breath, then spoke slowly in a serious tone, “I guess these monsters might raid our village tomorrow, judging by their aggressive movements today.”
He then continued, “The rainy season will start in one or two weeks, and since it's already June, they must be trying to stock up on resources. Our strict patrols may have hindered their efforts to fill their rations, so now they're attempting to take from the village by force.'"