PEACEFUL

IN THE WORLD I had come from, elemental augmenters were practitioners of different sects. The Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind Sects each had their own techniques which utilized their element.

I had become king in my old world by knowing how to fight in all four practices. If that ability were to translate to this world, I’d be a sort of quadraelemental mage, if such a thing existed. I did have my preferences, of course;

my weakest elements were earth and wind, and my strongest were fire and water. I barely used wind, and used earth only for slight support. No, I had been feared in battle because of my mastery of the two opposing elements of water and fire.

When I had been training with Gramps, I’d tested out numerous theories within my mind. One thing I had learned very quickly was that I had absolutely no talent for conjuring. Grandpa had brought over an elven conjurer one day after I’d asked him to get someone to teach me the basics, and I’d ended up nearly killing myself.

Augmenting and conjuring were very different in one sense, and very similar in another. An augmenter could potentially have the same ability as a conjurer, and vice versa. However, this only came with advanced breakthroughs in the top mana core stages as well as a much higher form of comprehension in the respective element.

I’d thought maybe I could bypass that fundamental rule and become both a conjurer and an augmenter, but I’d had to learn the hard way that it wasn’t possible.

Another theory I had tested regarded my potential ability as a deviant.

Grandpa Virion and Tess had both been shocked speechless to learn that I could manipulate all four elements, but after four months of trying to control any of the higher elements, I’d had only mixed results.

Before even taking the first step, a mage must understand the link between the basic elements and their higher forms. The mage’s body must naturally understand this link and harmonize the structure of the mana.

For wind and earth, even if I had been able to grasp the link between the basic and higher forms, my body wouldn’t have been able to change the mana particles’ structure. So, with regard to sound and gravity, I had yet to produce any favorable results.

Though I had finally broken through into the world of deviants with lightning and ice, I was still a beginner. My lightning-attribute magic needed a lot of work, since it was completely new to me. As for ice-attribute magic, that was even harder. Using either of them required an extraordinary amount of mana, most of which was wasted on inept utilization.

I was also bound by the strict limits on the duration of use of each type:

lightning magic for about three minutes, and for ice, even less. For now, my use of lightning-attribute magic was more of a liability than an asset, as the mana I depleted using lightning would only drain resources better used with a stronger element. With enough practice, though, I knew I could control these deviant attributes.

Very few mages were able to transcend their basic element and master its higher form, because the higher form was completely different and incomparably more difficult.

Of course, my being able to learn both lightning and ice within four months might seem to give this the lie, but it’s important to remember that I had knowledge and understanding from my old world to help my transcendence along.

I was still a complete beginner in these higher forms of elements, though—those old-world experiences hadn’t prepared me to actually utilize these deviant attributes.

Despite my relatively weak control over lightning, however, I still managed to surprise my father when I imbued my body with a protective layer of electrical energy, which arced away from my skin and shocked him when he attempted to grab me.

***

My father had always been the type to readily accept facts; he had already known I was some sort of genius, so realizing that I was also a deviant hadn’t surprised him all that much.

However, this was not the case for those in the audience. My sister seemed fascinated, but that was simply because she didn’t really understand what had happened. She was probably used to seeing Father fight, so nothing about the fighting would have registered with her as being odd.

Vincent and Tabitha’s faces, however, were pale, wide-eyed mirrors of each other. My mother’s hands were covering her mouth in shock,

and even Lilia knew that what I had done wasn’t normal.

Their reactions were more along the lines of what I had expected than my father’s excited yet unquestioning acceptance.

With a weak laugh, I threw out my arms. “Surprise!” “Kyu!” Sylvie scampered toward me, giving me a concerned gaze as if to ask, ‘are you okay, papa?’ Vincent was the first to regain his voice. “D-deviant!” he managed to stammer.

Tabitha just sighed in astonishment. “My god…”

“So, Art, when did you learn that trick?” my father asked, his tone more curious than shocked or bewildered. He shook his head as he ruffled my hair.

“Not too long ago, Dad. I can barely control it, though,” I replied sheepishly.

We made our way back inside and situated ourselves around the dining table.

“Rey… your son,” Vincent said. “Do you realize the kind of future he has?

He’s only eight, but he’s already stronger than a veteran B-class adventurer!” He was barely able to contain his excitement.

My father scratched his head. “This is crazy. I thought him awakening at the age of three was terrifying enough, but who could have thought he would become a deviant as well?”

“What?” Tabitha cried, bolting up from her seat. “He awakened at the age of three?” My mother just nodded at this.

“And he managed to blow up most of our house in the process.” My father and Vincent both leaned back into their chairs, sighing in unison.

“Papa? Are you okay?” Eleanor poked Father in the cheek.

With a laugh, Father scooped her up. “Yes, I’m okay, princess.” Vincent rose from his chair and looked at us seriously, bracing his arms against the table.

“Rey, have you thought about enrolling your son in Xyrus Academy?”

“What? You can’t be serious. He’s only eight,” my father said, sitting up in his chair.

Tabitha chimed in. “Rey, Alice, I think your son is more than capable of excelling at Xyrus.”

“I thought only noble geniuses were allowed to attend Xyrus Academy,” Mother responded, concern etched on her face.

Excited, Vincent said, “I can handle that! I do a lot of business with the director of the academy, and I’m sure she’ll be lenient in the enrollment process.” “But the school fees are far too extravagant for us,” Mother argued, still dubious.

“Alice, that should be the least of your worries. We will be glad to pay for the fees. Arthur’s talent is immeasurable. Who knows what he can accomplish?

Even if we couldn’t pay, I’m sure he can find nobles who would beg to sponsor him.” Tabitha held Mother’s hands in her own for reassurance.

“May I have a say in this?” They seemed to have forgotten that the person whose future they were trying to decide was right there with them.

“I’ve just arrived back home today. Can I spend a bit of time with my family before I decide whether to go to school or not?” I gave Vincent a meaningful gaze.

“Of course. I apologize. I guess I got a bit excited there for a moment.” He laughed weakly and sat back down.

“Thank you,” I said, giving the Helstea family a smile. I was a little surprised at how readily the adults all accepted the fact that, although I was only eight years old, I spoke, thought, and behaved like an adult.

The years spent away from my family had probably contributed to that. They were getting reacquainted with me almost as if I were a new person. My maturity was still remarkable, but it was probably easier for them to write off as being a result of the experiences they hadn’t been present for. That’s going to be very convenient, I thought.

I turned to look at my mother. “Mom, where do I sleep?”

“Oh, yes! You’ll have your room next to Eleanor’s, in the left wing. Come on, let’s all go up now. It’s getting late.” Sylvie had already fallen asleep on my head, and my baby sister had been nodding in and out of her dream world while we had been discussing my future.

Mother and Father led me to the room that was to be mine. It was much larger than my room in Ashber, but still decorated in a homey fashion. The sparse furnishings meant there was a lot of open space, but that was perfect since I needed space to train.

As I settled Sylvie down on the bed, Mother and Father sat down next to me.

“We’ll go shopping tomorrow. We need to get you some clothes.” My mother ran her fingers through my hair.

My father squatted down in front of me, grabbing my arm. “Arthur, whether you’re a genius or not, you’re still my son. I’ll always be proud of you and love you—regardless of any other circumstances.” His face was unusually serious.

It was comforting to know they would always treat me as their son instead of their ‘little genius.’ I quietly nodded in return. I thought about revealing the full extent of my abilities, but decided it might be safer to do it in baby steps.

Before he stood up, my father pinched my cheek and gave me a sly smile.

“Besides, I know you held back on me with your lightning magic today.

Don’t think you fooled me! We’ll do a rematch soon.” My mother just chuckled at this. “I swear, all you ever think about is fighting.” She looked at me with a comforting smile in her eyes.

“Your father is right, though. No matter what kind of genius you are, you’ll always be my baby boy.” I grinned back at her. “Can’t I be your adolescent boy? I’m eight and a half now, Mom!”

“Nope! You can’t,” she retorted as they left my room. “Get some rest now. We’ll go shopping with your sister tomorrow. It’ll be a great chance for you to bond,” she said, then closed the door behind her.

I didn’t even have the energy to wash up. I just plopped into bed, jostling the slumbering Sylvie, who whined at me before going back to sleep.

It had been a long day. A good, long day.

With a smile plastered on my face, I followed Sylvie into a deep, comforting sleep.

***

I woke the next morning to my baby dragon licking furiously at my face.

“I’m up, Sylv, I’m up!” “Kyu!” She was hopping up and down on top of me, a feeling of excitement radiating from her.

I thought of Tess. I never would have thought I’d miss being woken up by her uncouth methods. I wondered how she was doing. Tess had been my closest friend growing up, and though she had become a bit fierce, she was still the same kind-hearted girl who had worried about me and taken care of me while I was in Elenoir.

I took a quick shower, dragging my smelly dragon with me. She cried in distress at the warm water drenching her, but I didn’t relent. Before long, we were both sparkling clean.

“…kyu,” Sylvie moaned, plopped down on my bed, exhausted from struggling.

“Don’t complain. We were both filthy, and we didn’t wash yesterday either.” There was a knock on my door, so I dressed quickly.

“Coming!” I said, my shirt still over my head.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a shy Eleanor, looking down at her foot, which was rubbing at something on the ground.

“Well, hello there, Ellie.” I squatted down so I was at her eye level, and gave her the gentlest smile I could muster.

“G’morning, brother.” Her pronunciation was already improving; I wondered if she’d been practicing overnight. “Mama told me to wake you up,” she muttered, her head still down.

“I see. Thank you very much, little sister,” I said, patting her head. “Can you take me down to the kitchen?” I asked, holding out my hand.

“’Kay!” She nodded excitedly, then hesitated for a second before grabbing my hand and pulling me along.

Sylvie trotted along behind us, looking around at her new surroundings.

I was met with the pleasant smell of bacon as we entered the kitchen. Tabitha and my mother were chatting while they cooked. Lilia was seated at the table already, her legs swinging, obviously waiting for breakfast.

“Good morning, Mom, ma’am, Lilia,” I announced.

“Kyu!” Sylvie echoed my greeting.

“Ah! I see Ellie managed to wake you up. I always had the hardest time waking you up, even when you were a baby, Art. I swear you slept like a log.” My mother chuckled as she placed some eggs on a large plate.

“Did you sleep well?” Tabitha smiled at me as she handed me a side of fresh fruit.

“I slept great, Mrs. Helstea.”

“Good morning, Arthur.” Lilia’s soft voice trailed off when she met my gaze, but I smiled and returned her greeting.

Breakfast was delicious. Mother mentioned that the maids were usually the ones to cook, but she had wanted to cook for me today. It had been too long since I’d had Mother’s cooking, and I now realized how dearly I had missed it.

I made sure to give some of my meat to Sylvie, who didn’t hesitate to gobble whatever entered her mouth, including my finger. Ellie and Lilia both wanted a turn at feeding her, and I told them to go ahead. Needless to say, Sylvie warmed up to them both a bit more after getting food from them.

“The carriage is waiting out front—just leave the dishes in the sink and let’s head out,” announced Tabitha.

Xyrus was an amazing city. I stared, taking in all the different sights as we travelled down the main road. I could see magic shops, armories, spell-book stores, and even beast core shops!

There was everything a mage could ask for. Adults and children alike were all dressed extravagantly, and luxurious carriages passed alongside ours. Some buildings were several stories high, making the city much bigger and denser than the podunk town of Ashber.

There were children a few years older than me, all wearing similar uniforms —some black, others grey or red. Given their haughty demeanors, I could only assume they were students of Xyrus Academy.

Uniforms in my old world had been meant to minimize discrimination by requiring students to dress alike regardless of their financial backgrounds, but here it seemed the uniforms were a sort of gold medallion for showing off to the rest of the world.

We eventually reached Xyrus’s fashion district. It was here that I learned that shopping for clothes with women took an even greater toll on my body than training with Grandpa Virion had—and just the thought of his training regimen had left me in a cold sweat.

I was used as a mannequin for each of the women’s personal style preferences. My mother wanted to dress me in simple clothes, while Tabitha wanted to transform me into some sort of prince. Even Lilia and Ellie made me try on some clothes.

“You need to look good since you’re my brother,” Ellie announced loudly, hands on her hips.

Sylvie could feel the exhaustion radiating from me, and she perched comfortably on my head, as if to gloat.

I ended up with ten different sets of clothes, five from Mother and five from Tabitha.

Mother and I both tried to prevent Tabitha from buying me anything but she scolded us, playfully saying, “Just think of it as an investment. Besides, I’ve always wanted a son.”

After towing our bags of clothing to the carriage, we did some windowshopping. I was hoping to see the armory. I really wanted a decent sword with which to start practicing swordsmanship again, as it was clear that my skills had diminished after such a long break from proper training.

The girls didn’t want to go there, though, so I was forced to go to several gem stores instead. I would have to visit the armory with Father some other time.

We got home shortly before my father did, and by that time my physical and mental strength were depleted.

“How was your day, son?” he asked, taking a seat next to me at the dining table.

“I never thought shopping could be so exhausting,” I groaned. As if in response to my complaints, Vincent and Tabitha sat down across from us.

“I hear you got beat up by a bunch of women today, Arthur,” Vincent teased.

I nodded feebly while Tabitha and Mother exchanged smirks. “This little prodigy of yours isn’t quite as big a deal as I thought he was,” she said, and Lilia and Ellie giggled.

“I will admit that nothing can top the endurance of a woman who’s out shopping,” I said wryly.

My father and Vincent laughed, nodding their heads in agreement. Our banter was interrupted by the sound of a doorbell, followed by knocking at the door.

“Ah! Looks like she’s here,” Vincent said, perking up and hurrying from the room.

The looks on everyone else’s faces made it clear that Vincent was the only one who knew what was going on. Vincent returned, leading an elderly woman into the dining room.

“Rey, Alice, Arthur—I know you said you wanted to put off the decision about school for later, but I just couldn’t wait. Everyone, meet Cynthia Goodsky, the director of Xyrus Academy.”

Noticing the slight twinge of annoyance on my face, Vincent immediately said, “Don’t worry—I didn’t bring her here to make you go to school right away. I just wanted her to meet you.” The director gave me a cryptic smile and held out her hand.

“Nice to finally meet you, Arthur.”

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