My childhood begins in a way that no one on Earth, except perhaps the ancient feral cave men of old, could understand. For the first year of my life, I knew nothing except running, hiding, and growing. As we go deeper into the Dead Forest, the story changes. My steward was instructed by my mother to raise me to be strong. And raise me he does, though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the beasts raised me. That is how he trains me, the man who the assassins call, Blood Warlock Mephis. Until the age of two, I do nothing but watch, observe, and memorize his movements while my body grows to a size that might be able to imitate them. Not only him, but also the beasts he frequently drives off, they are all my teachers.
I learn patience from the viper-stillness of the Emerald Gem Snake lying in wait. The lonely Bastard Plague Wolf which has been expelled from its pack teaches me ferocity as it battles for its life. Up in the sky, the fearsome Fire Eagle shows me its vigilance as it eagerly circles, hoping for Mephis to leave it some scraps. In this world…it seems my schooling will have an entirely different curriculum. I…I’m learning to hunt monsters?
My thoughts become more developed during this time period. It is easier to think logically, for longer, as my brain grows bigger, and Mephis is shocked when I relearn how to talk. I do my best to not alarm him by talking about things which I should not be able to understand yet, but it’s hard to hide my unusualness because Mephis doesn’t talk enough to really explain a lot of things. An ordinary child probably would have taken a lot longer than normal to develop under these conditions. However, I already know all the basic things a human, needs to know. I think if it wasn’t for my previous life, I would be…something of an idiot.
Though I soon remember a large portion of human speech, it is not like I instantly become a fully-functioning adult at the age of two. Rather, I still feel something is missing. The depths of the Dead Forest are too dangerous for me to dwell on such thoughts for long, though. At all times, we must be vigilant for hidden monsters, and Mephis is convinced that assassins are still searching for us. When I ask him why we are being hunted, he simply replies as if I am a child.
“Your mother and father angered a lot of people when they were younger. Bad people will take advantage of any weakness. They’re just like the beasts here, but more devious. Remember that, Kid. People are the most dangerous kind of animal.” His explanation is full of bitterness and I wonder what happened to him in the past. Considering how strong Mephis is, capable of protecting a small baby in the harsh Dead Forest, I am a bit confused why he speaks with such wariness of the outside world. Why must we hide here in the middle of nowhere? Someone as powerful as him should be able to go wherever he wants, right?
Speaking of Mephis, I discovered how he was keeping my milk fresh when I was still nursing. In this strange world…it seems the size of the monsters is not the only unusual thing. If there was any doubt that this was not Earth, it was wiped away when I saw Mephis put his finger on my bottle and whisper some words quietly. Then something magic happens.
[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]
Ice crystals spontaneously condensed in the milk as the temperature of the bottle dropped. My mouth fell open and Mephis gave me a wink that day. Ever since, I’ve been bugging him to teach me magic. The name Blood Warlock Mephis makes sense now. This man…he is a wizard! Strangely enough, when he fights monsters though, he only uses a sword. I asked him why he didn’t use magic to solve his problems but he just grunted.
“The magic I am good at is not very convenient. And wasting too much mana will only cause you to fall asleep. If you try to cast spells when you’re out of mana, it will use up the stamina of your body anyways, so it’s best to conserve your spell power for emergencies.” His answer was short, but sufficient, though it raised some questions. Now that I’ve grown a bit, he begins to teach the incantations and basic theory behind spellcasting to me. From his explanation, it becomes clear that only those with an innate talent for magic could sense the flow of mana in the world and control it. By the sound of it, my mother was a powerful magician capable of controlling the elements. As such, Mephis believes there is a decent probability that I will inherit her aptitude one day.
My memories of the night of my birth are still somewhat vivid, and now I realize that my mother, Lian, must have used magic to delay the assassins when she stayed behind. Though we have had no contact from her since that night, Mephis explains that the original plan was for her to hold off the attackers for a period of time and then open a risky single-use, pre-prepared teleportation gate to escape. Whether or not she succeeded…it is impossible to say. Though I hated my parents in my last life until the end, I find myself hoping that my mother in this life, made it. I really hope I get a chance to meet her. The warmth of her arms around my body, that comfortable feeling…I yearn for it even now. Was it really necessary for her to sacrifice herself? Why couldn’t I go with her?
The explanation Mephis gives towards my questions is not very explanatory. It seems there is some secret which he does not wish me to know. He simply says,
“It was a very honorable thing that your parents did. Say what you want about the Blackrose Family, but your family has never shied away from protecting those under their charge. It’s a shame that not everyone thinks that way.” Mephis sighs as he allows me to walk on my own for some time. Strangely enough, my family name in this life is the same as the last, Blackrose. A little coincidence which gives me endless curiosity, but no matter how I think about it, I can’t think of any reason why it would be the same. Perhaps it will come to me later.
At the age of one, as I first began to eat the meat of the beasts Mephis slew for me. I also took my first steps. For a month, I strengthened my legs by walking and then resting in the basket on his back when I got tired. Now, I can keep up with him all day, though if danger truly calls, I will still hop inside so that Mephis can carry me away in the midst of a tense fight. For my second birthday, I am given a wooden sword that he whittled from a stout tree. When we are not searching for anything, he will train me everyday. At the beginning, he simply allows me to get used to having the weight of something in my hands. Considering how early it is in my body’s development, isn’t there a danger of getting a muscle imbalance if I only focus on one hand? I better train to become proficient with both.
When Mephis sees me switching the sword between hands every hour, he gives me a quizzical look from under his wizard hat, but doesn’t say anything. After two years, he has begun to grow used to my strangeness and unusual comprehension. Eventually, he progresses to teaching me the basic forms of swordsmanship, how to cut and parry. However, though I want to advance to learning fancy katas and techniques so I can fight wild beasts the way he does, Mephis is adamant that I only focus on one motion at a time. For the longest time, he only allows me to practice basic slashing. Additionally, I am to walk like a fencer, advancing and lunging forwards at all times. Like this…I am becoming stronger with each day. In the morning, while we travel, I attempt to find the source of mana within myself. By the evening, once we have taken care of the day’s business (usually hunting beasts), he teaches me the way of the sword. And at night, when the fire dies down and my stomach is full, I practice seeing the future until I pass out from exhaustion. Would the children from Earth be able to keep up with this kind of training? I don’t think so…surely, I never worked so hard before in my last life. Are the humans of this world just tougher?
Though I still occasionally have thoughts of my previous life, the current me is too busy focusing on growing and learning to reminisce often on the worthless past. Soon the third year of my new life passes and I even begin to feel somewhat at home in the Dead Forest. Terrifying wild beasts are always defeated by Mephis before they can harm me, and on my third birthday, he presents me with his dagger, which is honestly big enough to be used as a sword by a developing child like me. Sometimes he lets me confront small and less dangerous beasts like the Horned Rabbits which occasionally manage to survive in this wasteland. In my old life I would have been terrified to kill so much as a chicken. However…raised as I am on the blood of beasts and with my hidden ability of Foresight which no one else knows about, the Horned Rabbit soon becomes dinner. Mephis says nothing when I plunge his knife into its neck, but his face tightens slightly. Perhaps he didn’t expect me to actually kill it on my first try?
Regardless, he goes a bit harder than usual on me in the swordsmanship lesson that evening. As if he has determined that I can handle it. Exhausted, I go to sleep without practicing my Foresight. In the morning, when I wake up, a deep ache has settled in my body, but the delicious and filling Horned Rabbit meat gives me the energy to get up and begin reciting the incantation Mephis taught me.
[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]
*Clink*
The sound of a single lonely ice crystal forming atop the bottle of water in my hand surprises me. At first, I can’t believe it. After so long with no results…I actually succeeded? Within moments of losing my focus, the little crystal melts as if it was never there. Immediately, I desperately try to remember the feeling from just now. Please…don’t let it be just a fluke!
Stolen novel; please report.
[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]
Concentrating once more on the sensation of condensing mana into forming cold energy, I cast Chill again. This time, since I know what to expect, two little ice crystals, like miniature snowflakes, form on the surface of the water bottle.
“Y-Yes! I actually did it!”
At my cry, Mephis looks over sharply from the tree he is napping against. When he sees me practicing as usual, he goes back to sleep. I don’t think he noticed that I succeeded since the ice crystals melted so quickly. I’m still not entirely sure why it worked, so I don’t want to tell him about it yet. I’ll wait till I’m absolutely sure I have it down!
Still, why is it working now? It didn’t really feel like I did anything differently. But for once, I can actually feel the flow of mana. Before when I said the incantation, nothing would happen. Like I didn’t have any mana in my body at all. No matter how close I came to sensing it, it always slipped away. This time though…it’s right at my fingertips. What is different? Unless…
My eyes widen as I realize what I did differently last night. Or more accurately what I didn’t do. I didn’t practice my Foresight. I was so tired from training swordsmanship with Mephis that I just went right to bed. Could that be the difference? Why would it even make a difference? Actually, now that I think about it, I get tired after peeking at the future too much. Isn’t that exactly how Mephis describes mana exhaustion? Is that really it? I’ve been using up all my mana practicing Foresight at night and so during the day, I don’t have enough mana left to cast magic? Wait doesn’t that mean that my failure isn’t because I haven’t been working hard enough…but because I have been too conscientious?
Somehow this realization is a bit annoying. For someone who has rarely had to apply myself in my last life, I was beginning to think that with magic, my lack of results was due to a lack of effort on my part. Instead, it seems that I may have had the talent all along. I just didn’t realize that casting spells and seeing the future used the same resource. Which would imply that my ability to see the future is actually a form of magic. But it makes sense. What is seeing the future after all but something magical?
I continue to experiment with casting Chill throughout the day without telling Mephis. The habits of my previous life have stayed with me even if I have been reborn and I make sure that I am absolutely certain of the result before gambling on anything. Finally, when I successfully manifest three ice crystals on the first try the next morning, I decide that I’m ready to tell him.
“Mephis…I can do magic.” I say quietly and his demonic red eyes snap open. Hearing their child say something like this would have caused even the most understanding parents on Earth a great deal of distress. Funnily enough, the Blood Warlock actually seems surprised.
“Really?” He lifts an eyebrow while getting to his feet. His constant habit of sleeping with his back against something, must be making him sore. Mephis has to crack his neck before coming to see me. “Show me.”
I raise the water bottle and say the words once more.
[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]
Four small ice crystals blossom on the surface of the water, where my fingers touch the side of the bottle. It doesn’t look very impressive, but each time I cast Chill, the crystals get bigger. This is exciting! Who knows what this magic could turn into with enough time! Seeing my progress, Mephis leans in with wide eyes. He gives off a slightly creepy laugh.
“He…he…” Since he does not say anything for a few seconds, I begin to wonder if I have made a mistake. Maybe I did something wrong and this isn’t Chill?
“Did I do it right?” I say nervously. For a second, I consider peeking into the future, but considering it is Mephis, that seems unnecessary. No matter how scary he is, the man in front of me has always protected me, no matter what. “Is something wrong?”
“N-No! Nothing wrong at all. As a matter of fact, this is a perfect Chill. At the age of three no less. Even if you were blessed by the Progeniture of Magic…no, even if you were the reincarnation of the First Magician, I don’t think anyone could ask for more than this. Goddamn, are you really Lian’s son?” For the first time since meeting him, Mephis seems shaken. After looking around nervously and staring at the sky as if it might have some answers for him, a bead of sweat drips off his temple. He mutters to himself with an expression of shock, “Don’t tell me your happy marriage was actually a lie? Lian, you can’t have been cheating on…err…sorry, Kid.”
“Huh?” I give him a confused look. He sighs, and massages his temple while explaining.
“I was just surprised because it’s too early for you to be casting Chill. Normally most children would fail to sense the flow of mana until they were at least seven years old. And even if they succeeded, the results should be rather pathetic and hard to see. Without close examination, it’s usually pretty hard to tell something even happened with the first couple spells. But you’re already making crystals! Um…what do I say here…um, look, this is kind of amazing…wait no I shouldn’t tell you that…errr…look, good job! But don’t think this makes you special, the world is a big place!” He does his best to look stern, but clearly, I’ve done something special. It seems, in this world, I have a new talent to separate me from the normies.
“I see…” While Mephis calms down and regains his composure, I try to make sense of the deluge of information he has sent my way. From the sounds of it, being able to cast Chill at my age is very unusual. So, he was expecting me to fail until the age of seven? Jeez, what a long and drawn-out process. I can see why there would not be too many magicians if it requires years of dedication to even get your first spells to do anything useful. Why am I an exception? Is it because I’ve been reborn in this world? Or maybe it has something to do with being able to see the future? After all, it seems that viewing the future has been using most of my mana this last year. Could that unintentional training have made me better able to use magic?
“Hey, come to think of it, this isn’t your first-time casting Chill, right? You already created four ice crystals.” The Blood Warlock suddenly says and I nod. “That’s what I thought. Normally beginners cast Chill with only one crystal. Wait…hold on…how long have you been using magic?!”
“I first succeeded yesterday, but I wanted to be sure it was really working, so I’ve been practicing.” My words only cause Mephis to scratch his head even more. “You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you, are you? Is it dangerous or something to practice alone?”
“Dangerous? With Chill? No, that spell is the lowest ranked Ice Magic. At worst, you would just make yourself very sleepy if you overdid it. But you’re telling me you’ve been casting Chill for one day. And you didn’t get tired after the first successful cast, but instead kept practicing? And now you’re actually producing four crystals?” My protector suddenly removes the glove on his left hand. As I watch, he turns it inside out and reveals that there is a brilliant red gemstone sewn onto the inside. Is that a ruby? “You’re really not tired, Kid?”
“No…not particularly.” I grin. If this was my old life, or my original parents, I would have denied being different till the end. The people on Earth would never have tolerated someone who could do something they couldn’t. But in front of Mephis, I don’t feel the need to lie. He has already saved my life, so what do I have to fear? Though I still probably shouldn’t tell him that I’m able to see the future.
“This is a Bloodstone. Hold it in your hand and…try to cast Chill with all your might. Really focus.” Mephis bends down and holds out his glove to me. Since he’s so much bigger than me, the glove doesn’t fit, but he explains that it’s fine, “You don’t need to put it on. Just touch the Bloodstone.”
“Okay.” I clench my little fist around the stone in the center of the glove. It isn’t big, but it takes up almost my entire right hand. Holding the water bottle in my left hand, I look to Mephis for permission, “I’m going.”
“Go ahead.”
[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]
*Clink Clink Clink*
Ice crystals condense on the surface of the bottle. First one, then two…however, I feel a tugging sensation from the Bloodstone in my hand. It’s like an invisible whirlpool is drawing my attention to it. There is this strange, nebulous energy deep in the corner of my mind which I have begun to recognize as mana. I push it into the gem’s reflective facets. A red glow begins to come out of the Bloodstone and then there is an almighty bang as the water bottle shatters.
*CRACK*
Bits of glass fly into my face and I wince as they bounce off my cheeks. Something heavy lands on the floor with a crash. When it is safe to open my eyes again, my gaze slides downwards to find a circular cylinder of ice, shaped almost exactly like the broken water bottle. A crack runs down the middle, and it’s already beginning to melt in the heat of the Dead Forest, but my result with the Bloodstone is far more impressive than any of the ice crystals I produced before. I…did this?
“By the gods…” Mephis roars in surprise. Carefully, he takes the glove back from my stunned fingertips. “Child, when you make your debut, this world will know your name!” He steadies me as a wave of tiredness rocks my body. I sway while he lowers me to the ground. “Lian, I wish you could see what your son is doing right now. Here now, take a rest. No need to practice swordsmanship today. That was…that was something amazing.”
“Was it?” I say blearily, while sitting down and laying me head on Mephis’s thigh. “I didn’t really do anything much differently though. What is a Bloodstone?”
“A conduit which amplifies magic. Well…that’s one of the things it does. Properly, it’s not even meant for Ice Magic, but the base amplification is enough to increase your results. I had a feeling when I saw you producing so much ice, unamplified, that the results would be impressive, but I never imagined you’d actually instantly freeze the entire bottle!” He strokes my hair gently, and I can see our jagged reflection in the rapidly melting cylinder of ice I made. A tall, lean man sitting with a small three-year-old boy. If it wasn’t for the pointy hat he’s wearing, it would be a fairly normal picture. “That was a good lesson though, Boy. If you’re not careful with magic, it’s easy to accidentally injure yourself or worse. Just because you have been blessed with power does not mean you should use it.”
“Understood.” I reply, my eyes already beginning to close. “I’m tired so I think I’ll…” Unable to stay awake any longer, the world of dreams claims me. Somewhere above, I can still hear my guardian examining the results of my spell.
“Hehe…what a monster. It’s hard to believe that at the end of the day, you’re still just a kid.” Mephis murmurs to himself as I drift off into dreamland. “This child though…even when I speak of the theory of magic, or words that he has never been exposed to, he understands everything. I just don’t get it, is it because danger makes people grow faster? How can he learn so fast? What did Lian eat while he was in the womb?”