Ordeal of the Worst Magician

The Water and Wind

    We were helped by Clayman and his men up the cliff. Their joy are contagious and I joined their celebration. We walked back to the village without worrying the pain of our legs. 

    The water wheel is just the beginning of my plans to make the village advance to the next level. I will have the village monopolize these to raise the urge of the world to pursue science. And then I will make a name for myself and introduce innovation. They will know that magic is not the only way to enhance one's way to live.

    My daydream continued until we noticed the canals throughout the field and continues to the forest. I never noticed these. The villagers must respect father for the canals to be finished in just a week. Although, I still see the people around town everyday.

    One village farmer waved and then the others came towards us. 

    "Oh! Sir Nathos! we are in deep gratitude. Thank you for bringing water to our village."

    "The one you should thank are these guys. Laurence gave the idea and Clayman and his men made that happen."

    They directed their attention towards us and gave us their thanks.

    "Thank you Clayman! I'm sure you made your father proud."

    "Thank you sir Laurence. you changed our farm for the better."

    "Who would have guess these pair has some work after all."

    We are bombarded with gratitude and praises. Among the farmers, there is one who looked concerned.

    "Sir Nathos... Monsters are coming to the village at night."

    Everyone went silent and turned their attention to father. Monster coming to the village is indeed an alarming matter. We don't have much in terms of defenses to deal with bandits and monster attacks. 

    "Oh! No need to worry in such a matter. Those kobolds won't be coming to the village anymore. I already dealt with them."

    "Is that true? Thank goodness."

    Everyone felt relief knowing father already did something about the monster incident. 

    Now that I looked at the farm carefully, This Job can't be done with just a week. These perfectly angled and patted canals must be done by a huge group. Just like those kobolds father mentioned. But to order them you need to be able to communicate with them or have authority over their race. Unless...

    "Laurence. Lets head back. Lunch is waiting."

    I didn't realized father already went ahead. I waved at the villagers and Clayman's group. 

    "Father... Tell me the truth... Those kobolds.."

    "Oh? I killed about a hundred and reanimate them to do the canals and gather the materials."

    He told me so casually without anything to hide. His magic must be really strong to be able to control that many. Mother did brag about father's achievements. I wonder how powerful he actually is...

    "Anyway father, since we already made a pump and the canal... It's time to make water tanks. I already made some blueprints about them. Also We can slowly make a power generator."

    "water tanks? power generator? Sounds like a lot more work than a water wheel."

    "Yea... We need a lot of specific type of metals."

    "Focus your training. We will attend the matter when we have enough funds for your projects. The farm will cut some expenses since we won't be needing to buy water converters."

   "Then why not a windmill? It reduces labor in making wheat."

    Father facepalmed and sighed.

    "Fine... Let's hear about it later but I will train you to use magic in combat." 

    Finally some combat practice. I can finally check if I can do those sci-fi fights with magic. Maybe I can make a energy blade or maybe a beam rifle. Even if it's magic, getting close to those scenes are good enough for me. Having an iconic weapon is essential for my finesse after all. 

    The rest of the day went like normal with additional logs to cut with wind magic. I bummed myself to sleep.

     For some reason, even though the sun hasn't risen up yet, I felt a presence and woke up on my own. I followed the presence I felt and made my way to the back of the house. Father is standing straight holding a cane.

    "Did I wake you up?"

    His left eye just glowed red as he opened it. He looks like a nerd acting tough but it is a real power. He threw a dagger on the ground along with a wind marble.

    "Pick it up and fight it."

    After father's words ended, a skeleton was summoned. It made me wonder for a second if he needs to chant or he has a bunch of undead under our house. This is the reason why I have come to acknowledge his scheming personality.

    "Begin!"

    The skeleton moved after he spoke. The skeleton immediately closed the distance between us. I casted used the marble on reflex but the wind just blew pass its body. 

    At this moment, I realized that both the wind marble and the dagger has no effect on this skeleton since it doesn't have any flesh nor wind resistance. It only have that purple glowing flame in its skull. Father must be laughing at me while watching me struggle from fighting his summon. This first battle I was hoping for became a chase. My running went on for a few more strikes. This is when I notice father's cane. 

    I aimed the wind marble at my father. I fired a wide blow of wind to him and he tumbled dropping his cane.

    "The way to beat a summon is to beat the summoner!"

    "Ha! What a Smart rat!"

    I then picked up his cane. This cane is made out of steel, hard enough to smash the skeleton's bones. The skeleton on the other hand stopped chasing after me. It became cautious since I now have a weapon capable of defeating it. 

   I took the initiative this time. The fight become even. I alternate my attacks with swings and wind magic. We attempt to strike each other until I finally land a hit on its leg. My strength is enough to remove a piece of its limbs but not enough to crush it. I reduced it into pieces after few successful swings. Fatigue got into me and fell flat on the ground catching my breath. I also failed to manage my magic output proficiently.

    "Very good. You have a sense of combat. Not limited to what you have but expanding your choices to what is present around you."

    He acted high and mighty while giving me lectures.

    "Tha... That... is what science... is all about.."

    I panted the words while trying to regain strength. Mother came and saw me laying on the ground. She rushed to attend to me.

    "Laurence! Here drink this potion! Nathos! Why would you have your son fight your summon! Explain yourself!"

    "I a-"

    "Just one of your skeleton summon can take out five soldiers. Have you thought about how far the difference in your skills are?"

    Mother kept scolding father for what he did. On the other hand, I didn't know father's summon is that strong. Not only he can annihilate and reanimate groups of monsters, he can also summon powerful undead. His necromancy is not to be laughed at.

    Thanks to mother's potion, I am able to at least sit down on my own.

    "Father! I want to learn alchemy and make my own weapon!"

    "But I was planning to give you my precious Staff!"

    Father began fidgeting. I guess it's that staff mounted on the library wall. I might be able to learn something from it if I get something that can see what it can do. It could greatly help me in making my own weapon.

    "I can teach you alchemy. I might not be a good one but I know the basics."

    Mother volunteered with a grin like father. Somehow, I feel a scheme is being brewed like how she brews her potions. Besides that, my family has quite a variety of talents. It's almost too convenient for me to take over Laurence's body when I got reborn into this world. It made me feel grateful to him.

    I'm worn out with the fight even though I drank mother's potion. I fell asleep on my mother's arms and woke up in my room. I stood up and immediately noticed an unusual box on my desk. I stood and opened the box. Inside is a glove, a bangle with carvings on one edge, a book and a letter.

    "Laurence, I had a talk with your father. You are refrained from training with your father. We instead will have you go on some hunting duty from time to time. Your father and I agreed that you are wise and smart enough to go. Also inside this box along with a alchemy glove, a bangle and a alchemy book. Come to me whenever you finish the book and ready for the lessons."

    Well unlike father, mother knows the concept of self study. She is very observant and caring. Although, hunting might be too much for me right now. I need to make preparations to make this hunting duty a success. Maybe I will ask Clayman tomorrow if he can make tools and weapon.

    I spent the rest of the day reading the book. Here I learned that alchemy is like a ritual to perform various task from folding a paper to forging weapons. The bangle has the marking called "the sigil of Demiurge" and this is the first of the five layers of that mark. The alchemy glove serves as the pentagram in the middle of the sigil. This allows even those who can't harness mana use alchemy but it takes their health as a substitute. 

    They might not be progressing in a technological side but they innovate in the magical side. The alchemy glove and bangle are used the same way as the magic marbles and those marbles are made through alchemy. Those marbles are made with the attribute of desired magic output and a mana crystal which can be made by condensing mana into a solid object.

     I already learned a lot out of a few pages of this book. The book might have the entire lesson of alchemy in it. I hope by the time mother starts teaching me, she wont be like father who assumes I know nothing.

    The next day after breakfast, mother handed me a bag with a dagger, some water and fire marbles, rope, and some food inside.

    "This is most of the stuff you need but make sure you grab other stuff that you think you'll need before you set out the forest."

    "Thank you mother. After preparing, I will camp in the forest to train for a few days for training."

    "I don't approve of that! Return here before night falls!"

    Mother got furious with my plan. But I need to insist.

    "I need to do this mother. How will I survive alone after I leave the house and fight in the calamities like sister Lucia? How will I protect everyone? I only have less than two years to train myself for this situation!"

    "Your way of thinking is unacceptable! You are still a kid!"

    "That is why I need to grow! Let me go my way!"

    While in the middle of my argument with mother, father sneaked behind her and grabbed her shoulder.

    "Laurence... Bring a sleeping bag and make sure you get back here in three days. We will visit the Mineria on the fourth. That journey will take us about another three days before we reach it. We can get materials for your weapon there as well. Stay safe..."

    "Nathos! Don't you dare!"

    "Laurence is right. He needs to grow. If this is his way of growing then let him be. He is capable enough to incapacitate my skeleton alone."

    "Thank you father..."

    "And also, Bring a map for you to study. It's about time you learn about the world. Pick one up on Celso Gald's shop. The shop is at the square and it's easy to identify."

    "Thank you father..."

    Father is suspiciously considerate today. It seems that he is planning on something again. I need to keep an eye out on that.

    I went to my room and put the bangle, glove, and alchemy book on my bag. I also took and roll two sheets of blanket before I head out the house.

    At the village square, There is a building with a hanging sign that has a bag with coins painted on it. By RPG standards, this is the shop.

    I went inside and see various stuff ranging from weapons to food. This is the only shop in town I suppose. This will be greatly affected if I suddenly increase the commercial status of this village with higher production methods I had planned. I need to somehow make this establishment the center of trading operations if so. Maybe I'll teach the owner the way of commerce of my pervious life to make his decision much more reasonable and follow my plans. 

    Now that I am on the topic of plans... I am slowly getting influenced by my father's manipulative side. I need to keep that in check.

    While I was doing my internal monologue, a girl is staring at me. I only noticed her when she got to close to my face. I was startled with how close she was and fell down to the ground.

    "Geez... I've been getting your attention and you finally come to."

    "Uh... Excuse me. Who are you?"

    "I'm Rochel Gald the daughter of Celso Gald. Please remember that in the future sir Laurence Devout!"

    Her rudeness is acceptable since I ignored her. A tall man came out from the back as Rochel lectures me.

    "Rochel! That's enough. I apologize for my daughter's behavior sir Laurence."

    "It's no trouble at all."

    "But father!"

    "Go to the back Rochel. I will handle the rest."

    She then went behind stomping her walks leaving me with Celso.

    "So what do you need today?"

    "I only need a map."

    "Going on an adventure this young I presume?" 

    "No... Not yet... I was assigned for hunting duties."

    Celso went on a drawer and grabbed a map and rolled it before giving to me.

    "Here take this. It's on the house."

    "But why?"

    "You brought us water. That is more than enough payment for this map. You don't know how much the traveling merchants sell those crystals compared to buying our crops. You saved our village from falling into debt."

    I took the map.

    "Thank you so much! I will make sure to improve the life of everyone living here. I got more plans coming up!"

    "I'm looking forward for them. Make sure to come to us when you need anything. We will be happy to help if it's for the village."

    Now is my chance to peak his interest and tease him.

    "Actually I have plans for your business as well."

    "Oh... Care to tell me?"

    "I will once I've returned from my duty and have the time."

    "I look forward to our next meeting. Good luck out there."

    That went quicker than expected. With this can slowly build their trust in me and make my plans with much ease. 

    After getting the map, I head out for the outskirts of the village and looked for a forest entrance the village hunters use. I examined the sun rising up to know where east is and from there I already know the general directions. As I proceed into the forest, I marked every other tree with the four directions in each respective sides. I also picked up fruits as I go. 

    The sun is almost at the top indicating that it is almost lunch time. I set up a camp by making a stone circle at a clearing to mark it as a camp site. This is essential if I will be out here for days. These will serve as checkpoints as I go deeper. 

    With the camp finished, I inspected the fruits I found. It turns out that the plants here are similar to earth and that some of the ones I picked are vegetables. I've decided to cook vegies for dinner and ate the fruits for lunch. 

    After eating, I went ahead and placed basic snare traps around the camp. I only managed to place 4 traps since I don't have much rope to go around. I'll add finding vines for rope on my to do list. I might as well try to use alchemy to make them. This way I am killing two birds in one stone.

    I read the alchemy book for the rest of the day until I heard grass rustling from the direction of one of my traps. I checked it out and find a rabbit trapped. This poor fellow is going to be my dinner tonight. 

    I don't have utensils besides the dagger to cook it into a proper meal so I had to roast it along with some of the vegies. Its pretty bland without seasoning but the vegies added a little flavor. 

    After eating the meal I proceeded to process the rabbit hide with alchemy to make use of it somehow. I attempted to make it into a pouch but it always ends up distorted. Even so, restoring it into its former state is easier. I wonder if I can do the same to other materials as well. This training went on until the sun sets and I settled for it to just be a furry leather which turned out successful. 

    Being able to skip steps in alchemy would require more of than just one layer of the sigil. But still, being able to process stuff without actually doing anything is a huge plus for me. On the other hand, I still don't know what spells I could cast. It's still a mystery for me. I wonder why they won't just hand me my grimoire so I can practice it like Lucia.

    All the thinking made me fall to sleep.