In only a few months, Andric had learned the basics of the language of his new world. As soon as he could move his arms and fingers enough to point, he began asking as many questions as there were waking minutes in the day. His repertoire of nouns and adjectives rapidly expanded.

In addition to listening to Wolter and Lieve speak inside their home, Andric also heard many people speaking outside the house. Wolter stayed home for a month after Andric’s birth, then returned to work. A few weeks later, Lieve began taking Andric outside. Throughout the entire hot summer, Lieve didn’t need to spend a single day indoors because of the weather; with her magic, every day was comfortable.

Even in the winter, when days were starting to get cold, Lieve didn’t worry about Andric being too cold or catching the flu. She simply looked at him and cast a spell to keep the air around him at seventy degrees and a spell to keep diseases away from him. Those two spells, each having complex conditions for activation, success, and failure, were used as readily as Lieve deciding she wanted to use them.

Thanks to all the time he spent outside, and the prime location of Wolter’s work, Andric’s knowledge around his new language quickly grew. He not only listened to his mother and father speaking, but also the talks of many people in Gallus Town. He saw many people from all walks of life - from lowly miners to elegant aristocrats.

Gallus Town served as the only large town between two small cities, and anyone traveling between the two needed to spend the night in Gallus Town. In the center of town, among many of his competition, Wolter worked at a food cart. He worked with two others, and they served hundreds of customers every day. Almost everyone talked when they ate, and Andric eagerly listened in.

But, no matter how much prime gossip Andric heard, his lack of comprehension of the language made him unable to understand most conversations. Instead of listening for information delivered by the speech, Andric listened for new words and phrases that he didn’t understand. At the end of the day, when Lieve brought Andric home, he asked about his latest inquiries.

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In the beginning of winter, a traveler came to Gallus Town. That in itself wasn’t strange - travelers came to Gallus Town every day - but the particular traveler set up a stand nearby Wolter’s work and hung up a sign above the stand. From among the few written words that Andric understood - which Lieve had taught him at home - he read the word for ‘magic’ on the sign.

The idea of magic had captivated Andric’s imagination since he reincarnated, and seeing others perform what he could not continually stimulated his desire to understand more about it. Then, when a cart appeared and advertised something about magic, Andric knew he needed to investigate.

Lieve carried Andric everywhere she went, and the few hours she spent hanging around Wolter’s work were no different. Andric, while looking over Lieve’s shoulder, pointed at the stand and asked, “What that?”

Hearing him speak, Lieve paused what she was doing and turned around, flipping Andric around at the same time. She looked at the stand for a second and replied, “That’s a scout for Varinius Magician School. He tells people if they’re good at magic, then tries to get them to pay to go to his school.”

From that short speech, Andric understood everything he needed to. Though some of the words had a confusing meaning, it could be guessed with his other knowledge. From what Andric understood, the man at the stall worked for a magic school in the neighboring city of Varinius, and he would test of Andric had a sufficient ability to use magic.

Thus, Andric knew he needed to speak with the man. However, he couldn’t just walk over and ask him ‘hey, how do I use magic?’ He needed to make Lieve walk over and steer the conversation in a direction that ended with Andric knowing how to use magic. Luckily, Andric had months of practice with getting his mother to do things for him.

“I want magic scout,” he said and furiously pointed with his five fingers on one hand.

Lieve adjusted the way she held Andric and started walking forward, then said, “Do you want to see what magic affinity you have? Alright, I’ll let him test you, but I’m not letting you go to the magician school until you’re older!”

Judging by Lieve’s movements and her cheerful tone, along with some pieces of what she said, Andric knew he succeeded in making his mother get him tested at the stand.