《They call him: the dark one.》
The beginning of the end.
"Oh, there you are," Anna said without looking up, her gaze fixed on the worn manuscript that was spread open on the table before her. A quill pen rested lightly in her hand, its tip scratching softly against the aged parchment as she carefully copied the delicate script. By its appearance, the book was of the old kind, and judging by the way she eyed it, it definitely gave him the impression that it was on the magical side. The text on it was indescribable, but to a scholar like Anna, it was no issue as she transliterated the words within the manuscript bit by bit into the giant grimoire she had been working on for the past few years. So focused was she that she hardly gave him a passing glance as he grabbed a seat next to her, only looking up at him a few times from her work to give him a warm smile.
"I didn¡¯t expect you to be this early, so you caught me a little off guard," she said, her voice trembling slightly despite the confident front she put up. "But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Do you... do you have the books?¡±
"Yes, I have them," Lye replied. He placed the heavy satchel gently onto the table, the sound of its contents shifting inside as he tried not to break anything from within it. "I made sure to gather everything you requested, all from the texts, the scrolls, and a note from House Benjen in the nearby village. He would like to arrange a trade between his village and yours."
She set the quill down with a soft clink against the inkpot and gently closed the manuscript, her fingers lingering on the edges of the book as if reluctant to part with the knowledge it held. Gathering all the other piles of books and scrolls that she had resting on her desk, she set them aside before standing up, the sound of her chair scraping softly against the floor. Crouching to meet him at eye level, she gave him a warm smile as she grabbed the satchel from the desk. "What business does he want with me anyway?¡±
He shrugged at that. "Well, have you considered what your father will say?" Lye shifted in his seat, crossing his arms as he studied her. "I haven¡¯t spoken to him yet," he admitted, "but he''ll find out I''m here soon enough." Grabbing one of the books from the satchel''s side pocket, she examined it, picking up another one on her desk to compare it to the new one she had. "Well, in any case, you should really consider becoming a swordsman. You know how much that means to him. The sword arts has been passed down from generation to generation in your family, so it''s best you keep it that way, Lye.¡±
"You''re part of our family too, you know?" Lye muttered, though more to himself than to Anna, really. Anna, on her part, only paused at that, her expression softening for just a moment. Then, as if catching herself, she quickly shook her head and let out a small chuckle. "I know," she murmured, setting the book down and carefully undoing the rest of its ties from the satchel to examine its other contents. "But sometimes I can''t help but feel like an invader.¡±
''Well, you''re not!'' he shouted, way louder than he really meant to, but he couldn''t hold himself back from doing it. Thankfully, though, before the situation could escalate, a knocking sound came from the door.
Knock knock knock knock!!!
¡°I will get it,¡¯¡¯ Lye said, getting up before casting one last glance at Anna as he walked toward the door. He took a breath, a bit worried, as he unlatched the door and pulled it open. Standing on the other side was a man wrapped in a heavy, travel-worn cloak, the hood drawn a bit low over his face. The dim candlelight flickered against his features, casting a deep shadow beneath his eyes that made his expression a bit hard to see. Beside him was a maidservant, the one attending to Thalos.
"How may I help you?" he said to the man before turning to the maidservant, his eyes glaring at her as she averted her gaze from him. "And who gave you permission to leave Thalos unattended?" She didn''t meet his gaze, opting to stay quiet as the man beside her took over. The man standing at the door did not respond immediately, his gaze lingering on Lye for a moment before he spoke. "It''s about Anna''s son. I can hardly believe that such words are coming out of my mouth, but he''s awake.¡±
And the whole scene escalated into chaos from there as Anna hastily ran out the door.
"What... is going on?" Tom muttered. He fought against the overwhelming exhaustion that threatened to pull him back under, pushing himself up onto his elbows as he grabbed at his head.
"Young Master Thalos, please do not push yourself too hard," a hand reached out to steady him, but he swiftly swatted it away. "Don''t touch me!" he snapped, and the odd woman immediately pulled away.
"You need to rest, young master. It¡¯s not safe to overexert yourself," the woman insisted, her voice surprisingly calm despite his outburst. "Your body is still recovering from the curse, and you must allow it time to heal," she said, the panicked voices all around him growing more insistent as more people rushed in and out of the room he was in.
Memories rushed in and out of his mind, the timeline of the events disjointed as he could barely grasp some of their meanings as they passed by. The bits and pieces he picked up, though, gave him some insight into his new life. He was Thalos Valemont, son of Edric Valemont and Anna Valemont, and he just happened to be a noble who was meant to inherit the title of heir to House Valemont in the forest of the elves. But that was all he could manage to figure out, as there was a huge gap in his memory that prevented him from learning anything more.
That was a bit frustrating, but it was not something that he cared about much. What he did care about, though, were the implications that followed from what had just happened to him. He had really been reincarnated. He couldn''t believe it, but despite its absurdity, it actually happened, even though he had spent his years as a devoted atheist.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
But he was alive now and an elf too, though he didn''t really know what that entailed.
But being an elf came with its own set of perks. For one, his vision had sharpened considerably. The woman who had attempted to help him, however, seemed unsettled by his resistance. Still, she held her ground, her presence more a lingering shadow than a source of comfort. He couldn¡¯t fault her for it, though. From the way she carried herself, it was clear she was little more than a servant. Comfort, after all, wasn¡¯t something likely to be expected from someone in her position.
Unless..... he shook his head, swatting those thoughts away from his mind before they could fully form.
"Give me your hand," a man demanded, seizing his wrist before he could refuse. More and more people crowded around, their hands reaching out to examine him. Struggling was useless, as their grip was unrelenting, ignoring his protests and commands to let him go. "His mana reserves have tripled," one of them said. "And his brain isn''t showing any cognitive or processing issues," another added. "The bad blood in his veins has mostly gone away, so he should be fine within a few weeks," the last one said.
They were everywhere, as if a moth drawn to a light. "Let him go!" a voice shouted above the others, and immediately the weird-looking creatures that were examining him backed away, bowing their heads down to the ground as a gruff, old-looking man stepped up to examine him.
"Are you okay?¡±
¡°Yeah¡±
"Good, give me a bit. The curse you have been under is a pretty big deal, and we rarely have anybody waking up from this kind of ordeal. You wouldn''t mind if I examined your soul, would you?" He asked, and he hesitated. He was afraid that his cover was going to be blown and that he might be killed for taking control of the boy''s body. So many possibilities of how this could blow up in his face played out in his mind, but after a while of him not responding, the man took his silence as a no.
¡°Ok, well that''s understandable. Soul mages kind of have that effect on everyone," he said with a tired sigh, rubbing the back of his neck before he turned to the others. "Well, let his mother in, guys. We''re done here, and she''s been very eager to see her son, and we have to leave soon since our service won''t be required anymore.¡±
The door creaked open, and Anna rushed inside before anyone could say a word. Her breath came in short gasps, and her golden eyes shimmered with tears that she quickly smothered away as she took in the sight of him, giving him that loving, motherly smile that made him feel both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.
She slowed her steps as she neared the bed, almost as if afraid that getting too close would cause him to suddenly disappear. "Thalos..." she whispered, her voice cracking and her fingers trembling as she reached out toward him. Another boy stood beside her, though he was considerably shorter than she was. Based on his appearance, he was probably around 15 or younger. Unlike her, he had a sour expression on his face, not meeting his eyes as his ''mother'' gave him a hug.
¡°Everyone, you''re dismissed. Get out of the room,¡± the young man beside Anna said. The gathered attendants, healers, and scholars hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances among themselves before slowly filtering out of the room. Some muttered among themselves, and a few cast wary looks at Thalos before vanishing through the doorway.
The last of them to leave was the gruff old man, pausing at the threshold of the door as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be nearby if you change your mind about the examination,¡± before stepping out and shutting the door behind him.
"I¡ I''m fine," he said, though the words felt strange coming from his mouth. His voice was softer, smoother than what he was used to, lacking the deep timbre he had once possessed in his old life. That, too, was something he had yet to adjust to.
Anna let out a choked laugh, swiping at her eyes before she sat at the edge of his bed. "Fine? You were on the brink of death, and now you''re awake as if nothing happened. You scared me, Thalos. Do you... do you... ugh, never mind. I''m just so relieved to finally have you back," she hugged him tighter, which only furthered his discomfort. "I was so scared that I was the only one around. I... I¡ªI thought I lost both you and your father after the dragon attacked our village.¡±
He squirmed under the affection. In his past life, he had never been one to receive such love from his family, save for his mother. He had long given up on anybody after she had died and had isolated himself from his father and the rest of his family, who either blamed him for the reason his mother died or only saw him as the bastard that his father was¡ªan abusive alcoholic who didn''t even care about him nor her. He hated that man with all his being, but he also hated the rest of his family. Perhaps it was because he was so used to being resentful and bitter that he was never capable of forming much in terms of relationships.
So receiving this kind of affection was odd. He liked it, but he knew it wasn''t really directed at him.
Anna pulled away slightly, holding Thalos at arm¡¯s length as she studied his face. Her golden eyes were bright with emotion, but they were also filled with uncertainty. Who wouldn''t be, after all? Their child had just gotten out of a seemingly near-comatose state, so the reaction was not unexpected. He could feel her fingers trembling where they rested lightly on his arms. "You don¡¯t remember much, do you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tom hesitated. He could lie. He could say yes and pretend everything was fine... but the poor mother of this child had no idea that her son''s body had just been hijacked by an outsider, and the least he could do was reassure her that her son''s memory was still there, even though the boy himself had long passed away. So, deciding not to lie but not reveal the truth entirely, he settled for something in between. "Bits and pieces," he admitted. "Things feel¡ a little disconnected.¡±
The other boy in the room, the one who had dismissed everyone earlier, shifted uncomfortably. His arms were crossed, and when he gave him a look, he tightened his jaw. He looked like he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue. Tom had no idea who he was supposed to be, as he didn''t have any memories of him, nor did he bear any resemblance to Anna.
Anna, noticing the tension, turned to the younger boy and placed a hand on his arm. "Lye, you¡¯ve been quiet this whole time," she said softly. "Do you have nothing to say to your half-brother?" Lye¡¯s expression hardened. He uncrossed his arms, his fingers clenching into fists at his sides. "What is there to say?" he muttered, his tone clipped. "Your boy is awake. That¡¯s¡ good." His gaze flickered toward Tom but didn¡¯t linger.
Anna¡¯s gaze softened as she placed a reassuring hand on Lye''s shoulder, though she could sense the unease in his stance. ¡°Lye, he''s just woken up. You know it''s going to take time for him to adjust to everything, and... well, this is new for all of us¡±
Lye didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he looked away as if trying to avoid the conversation altogether. His fingers twitched, and he seemed to struggle with the emotions churning inside him. He was clearly bothered by the situation but was afraid to say so. Instead, he decided to excuse himself before leaving the room, closing the door shut behind him. Anna, for her part, could only sigh.
That was Lye Tinsel, the only son of Paul Tinsel and the heir to this house. I''m not his real mother, but I have known him ever since he was a baby. Shortly after I married his dad, he was probably 2 or 3 by then, and we had gotten pretty close. Be nice to him, okay? And treat him as you would a real brother.¡± Tom nodded quietly, unsure of what to really say as he watched the door. He was definitely going to have a headache in the future regarding this whole family drama, but he hoped he could get through it without a hitch.
Anna only watched Lye leave, not saying a word as her brow furrowed with concern. Then, she turned back to Tom, her eyes softening as she gave him a kiss on the forehead. ¡°I''ll be back soon, okay? I can''t tell you enough how happy I am to see you, but for now, just stay put. I''ll write a letter to your half-father in the capital, and we will arrange a festival with the funds we have to celebrate your Awakening.¡±
She exited the room, two maidservants entering shortly after as he leaned back on his bed. They had a pretty bizarre appearance, the first one looking like a lion-woman hybrid, with a scorpion-like tail, and a fox-woman who looked more fox than human. He didn''t comment on that, though, since it would most likely have been seen as rude by this world''s standards.
Magic/homunculi.
2 days later.
"And this is the living room," the fox woman said, her voice warm yet laced with a hint of anticipation. Her amber eyes flicked back to him, watching closely as though gauging his reaction. The lioness woman stood beside him, her tail curling slightly behind her, while the expression on her face was one of complete indifference. The same couldn''t be said for the others, though, as the house buzzed with activity. People bustled in and out of the house, some pausing to steal curious glances at him, while others stopped to speak with his new mother or offer their congratulations on his Awakening. The air was alive with chatter and laughter.
Not really being used to receiving this kind of attention, Tom just sat back, occasionally engaging in short conversations with some of the villagers who came up to him, but did nothing more beyond that. Afterwards, the two maids who had been attending to him for two days came up to him, and they were currently giving him a tour around the house. It wasn''t big, but hey, it was to be expected for a village like the one they lived in.
The house itself was modest but well-maintained, built from what appeared to be very sturdy timber and dark stone, with a thatched roof that gave it a rustic, cozy charm. Sunlight filtered through the open windows and cracks in the walls, and the faint scent of lavender drifted from the bundles of herbs that were hanging near the doorway. Every corner of the house felt lived-in, from the worn wooden beams overhead to the hand-stitched cushions on the chairs.
It was a bit overwhelming, but it was not something that he didn''t appreciate.
"Oh, uh, thanks for showing me around," Tom said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. The fox woman smiled warmly at him, her eyes gleaming a bit. "It¡¯s no trouble at all," she said, her fluffy tail swishing behind her. "We¡¯re here to make sure you feel at home, and some of the other maids are very happy with the sudden cheerfulness of the mistress," she said as he walked behind her, her hands reaching out for the latch of the door leading into the next room as she opened it.
The next room wasn''t really all that interesting, considering the fact that it only looked kind of like a small kitchen you would see in one of those medieval stories, novels, or anime. In it was a stone hearth and shelves lined with clay jars and baskets. The lioness woman, who had introduced herself earlier as Nari, leaned casually against the doorframe, her eyes scanning the room while her tail swished lazily behind her.
She was probably a battle maid of some kind, he assumed.
Mira gestured toward the hearth with a small smile. "This is where most of the cooking is done. We occasionally go to the nearby villages or tribes in the area to buy supplies for cooking, but that isn''t often needed since your mother is proficient enough in Folk Magic to nourish the land enough so that we can grow our own stocks."
That was another thing that had intrigued him.
Magic didn''t exist in his world, even though the advanced technologies they had created were capable of replicating some of the effects that would look like magic to anyone in the late artificial era. Magic, as a whole, was just thought of as fantasy. Although some of the assumptions people had about it in his previous life were true (which was something only confirmed by himself), they were not entirely true. For example, people in this world didn''t call nature magic, well¡ nature magic, but instead referred to it as folk magic. Basically, anything that was related to manipulating some kind of element was called folk magic.
Tom just nodded thoughtfully as Mira spoke, trying to take it all in. Folk magic¡ it sounded quaint, but based on what he¡¯d seen so far, it was anything but simple. If his mother, Anna, could nourish the land just with magic, then that had to take some serious skill and power. Still, the way Mira said it made it sound so casual, as though such feats were nothing out of the ordinary in this world, which made him wonder what was not ordinary in this world.
As they moved on from the kitchen, Tom caught a glimpse of a younger girl peeking around the corner of the hallway. She had mouse-like features, with large, round ears and a lengthy tail tracing just behind her, along with a maid uniform that seemed a little too big for her size. Upon looking closely at her, though, he quickly noted that her eyes looked more like those of a snake than those of an actual rodent. The moment she realized she''d been spotted, she flinched and darted away from them, disappearing from view and leaving Tom to stifle a chuckle. It seemed he was not the only one who felt a bit out of place.
The rest of the tour wasn''t really much different from all the others, with nothing unusual happening that he thought he should remember. When they were done, Mira and Nari excused themselves as he went into his room. He thought about asking them to come with him but quickly dismantled the thought as he realized how awkward that would have been and how weird it would have sounded.
As he entered the room and closed the door behind him, he breathed in a sigh of relief. His body still felt a bit weak, and walking was somewhat of a challenge, but the fact that he constantly had to put on a smile and act as normally as he could was what tired him the most. After all, in his past life, he had never really pondered the thought of interacting with people much because he had never bothered to make meaningful relationships, so the whole thing just ended up exhausting him.
But what didn''t exhaust him, though, was magic. His new ''mother'' had given him a small grimoire for basic magical spells that he could try after he had begged her for the entirety of his first day to get one, and under his cutesy gaze, she had finally relented and decided to give it to him. He hadn''t wasted any time diving into it the moment he had gotten it, though he quickly realized magic wasn''t something that could be mastered overnight.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
The book was written in a script he could somehow understand, though the strange, twisting symbols lining the text made it nearly incomprehensible at first glance. But, after a while, maybe due to his memories or perhaps some other cause, he was capable of deciphering what the text was actually saying in English. The book itself turned out to be a collection of basic spells, with none of them being particularly powerful, but each demanding precise control over one''s own mana. Among them were practical incantations, like summoning small flames, levitating pebbles, or purifying water. Despite their simplicity, mastering even these minor spells required a lot of concentration and a deep, instinctive understanding of mana flow, which he didn''t have the patience for.
Tom had made some progress, though. Over the past two days, he had learned to summon a flickering wisp of flame for a few seconds before it sputtered out in his hand and float a pebble for five seconds before it fell back down, much to his annoyance. The mana inside him felt slippery, like trying to catch water with his bare hands. He instinctively knew that it was there, but every time he tried to guide it, it either slipped away, blew up, or fizzled out in his hand. Coupled with its immense size, he couldn''t really grasp a feasible amount to cast a spell.
But this time he was hoping to make some more progress today and maybe improve his control over it. Sitting cross-legged on the soft, fur-lined rug, he placed the grimoire in front of him and took a deep breath. The book was open to the page describing a basic flame spell, which was, as said before, a simple incantation designed to ignite a tiny flame in the caster''s palm. He had already practiced it dozens of times, and the frustration of failure was beginning to gnaw at him, but he wasn¡¯t one to give up so easily.
Closing his eyes, he reached inward, trying to sense the well of mana that thrummed within his chest like a second heartbeat. The connection that he was looking for was immediately there, and the overwhelming sense of power that went through his whole body was unimaginable. It was a lot, yes, but he knew that if he could just grasp a thread of it, he might be able to make it obey.
He tried to visualize the flame like a miniature sun burning at the center of his palm. It was, of course, dramatic, but it was the best analogy he could come up with that made sense to his mind. Slowly, he began to guide his mana, letting it flow from his core, through his arm, and into his hand. It wasn¡¯t easy. The mana pushed and twisted, trying to spiral out of control as it always did, but this time, Tom clenched his jaw and forced it to stay on course. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he fought to keep the flow steady.
Then, a spark flickered in his palm. His eyes flew open, and he watched in awe as the spark grew, blossoming into a tiny flame no larger than a candle¡¯s flicker. It danced gently in his hand. He poured a bit more mana into the construct, the flame growing a little larger and nearly exploding out of his hand, but he ended the flow the moment he realized that it was going to blow up on him.
¡°Amazing.¡± The flame writhed and twisted in his palm, responding to his will as though it were alive. With a flick of his fingers, he caught it mid-air, letting it hover just above his hand. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he envisioned the form of a tiny dragon. The fire reacted instantly, reshaping itself into the appropriate shape he had envisioned. It hovered there, flying in his hand and even breathing out fire from its mouth, but it could not last for long, as eventually it faded into nothing, the mana he had infused into it completely spent.
The flame dragon sputtered out moments later, leaving only the faint smell of smoke in the air. Tom let out a deep breath, exhilarated yet drained. He glanced at his palm, half-expecting it to be scorched, but his skin was unmarked. The rush of controlling something so volatile left his heart pounding, but it was progress and a clear sign that he was finally starting to get the hang of mana manipulation. At the very least, he could be proud of that.
A knock at the door startled him. "Thalos?" a stranger''s voice called softly from the other side. "May I enter?" He blinked in surprise. He wasn''t expecting any visitors, especially after the tour. Wiping the lingering sweat from his brow, he stood and glanced briefly at the grimoire before closing it and setting it aside.
¡°Uh¡ sure, come in,¡± he called hesitantly, still catching his breath. There was a pause, then the woman pushed the door open slightly and peered in, the beard on her face being the first thing to catch his eyes as she entered the room with a smile.
Tom blinked. The woman standing in the doorway had a stout, sturdy frame, thick braids of dark hair framing her face, and a finely groomed beard that rested neatly on her chin, along with a smile to go with it. Her warm brown eyes looked kind, and there was a certain dignity in the way she carried herself. She wore practical clothing, too. a simple tunic and trousers, with a leather apron slung over her front, stained with soot and grease. The second thing to catch his eye, though, was the small cage she held in her hand.
She was a servant, and from the looks of her, she was most likely a dwarf. That was the only explanation he had for her beard, but he could be wrong. "Ah, apologies if I startled ye," she said, her voice a deep, pleasant rumble. She smiled, revealing slightly elongated canines, and stepped inside the room. "Name''s Brida. I¡¯m the village blacksmith, but I also work here part-time when old man Foc has closed down the shop. I came to check in on ye, and to also give ye this since it was your mother''s request that I do so¡±
She held up the small cage for him to see, and Tom leaned in curiously. Inside the cage, sitting on a little wooden bar, was what looked like a tiny, man-like creature with feathers made of flickering flames. Its legs resembled those of a bird, but its overall appearance was man-like, save for the feathers that covered the creature''s entire body. It blinked up at him with its eyes and tilted its head as though sizing him up. It looked somewhat human, but some of its features almost resembled those of a Phoenix.
The creature inside the cage tilted its head again, which ruffled its feathers and sent tiny embers drifting to the bottom of the cage. It had a curious, mischievous look, and it seemed surprisingly calm despite being confined in such a small space.
"Is ... that a homunculus?" he asked, looking up at Brida for an answer. Brida, on her part, only chuckled. "Aye, sharp lad. This wee fella''s a soul-bound construct, and a lively one at that. Yer mother thought it might do ye well to have a little pet at yer side to protect ye when she''s not around, seeing as she almost lost ye recently.¡±
She handed it to him. Hesitating for a moment, his fingers brushed against the cool metal of the cage. He had seen constructs in stories before, the ones that his real mother would normally read to him at night, but actually seeing the real thing for the first time was a bit... well, magical. He never thought he''d see the day when such a creature actually existed, let alone be entrusted with one as a personal companion.
¡°Is that all?¡± he asked, and that¡¯s where Brida flustered. ¡°Well¡ I was hoping I could ask ye for a silver coin so I could¡¡± Her eyes turned away from his, her body nervously fidgeting around. ¡°¡buy a drink at the tavern,¡± Brida finished with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of her neck. "I don''t mean to bother ye, lad, but I¡¯m runnin¡¯ low, and it¡¯s a small thing, but¡ well, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±
He blinked at that, a bit surprised by the request. After all, she''d just brought him this strange creature, and now she was asking for a coin? It was a bit strange, but he wasn¡¯t one to turn away someone who¡¯d just done him a favor, especially someone who seemed like they were trying to be helpful. ¡°What?¡± she asked when she noticed that he wasn''t saying anything.
Shaking his head in amusement, he gave her a smile, a real one, too. "Sure, I can spare a coin." He walked over to the small drawer he had in his room, reaching into it for the small pouch filled with coins. Some of them were gold, but the vast majority were just iron and copper coins. He threw it to her and said, "Have a feast and enjoy the night with your friends.¡±
Brida caught the pouch with a quick motion, her smile widening as she held it in both hands, her fingers curling around it protectively. "Ye''ve got a good heart, lad," she said, her voice warm with appreciation. "I won''t forget this." She glanced back down at the little cage in her hand, then at Tom. "Take good care of that flame construct, aye? They''re rare creatures, and they have a way of bonding with those they¡¯re assigned to.¡±
He nodded, still somewhat bemused by the creature inside the cage. ¡°I will.¡± After that, the two exchanged some words with one another before he finally said his farewells to her as she hastily left his room in excitement.
¡°I guess it''s just you and me now¡±
Homunculi and library.
Tom/theos
The little flame creature chirped in response to his comment, the sound reminding him of the crackling of dry leaves in a fire, and it tilted its head again as if curious. ¡°I don''t have any idea what to call you.¡± The little creature tilted its head the other way at his words, letting out another soft chirp, which weirdly sounded like an actual bird.
He knew it could talk since every homunculus type that had a magical affinity generally had the ability to speak. But, for some reason, it didn''t want to speak to him, which was fine for the moment. He just stared at the little guy, watching it hop around in the cage with curiosity. Averting his gaze from it, he turned to grab his grimoire that was lying on the floor. Opening the page to the 6th chapter of the book, his eyes searched for a while until they landed on the description for a homunculus.
Soul bonding was off the table since he didn''t have any idea how to cast any spells beyond a basic fireball, so he needed to find another way to bind the homunculi to him. The page on homunculi had a detailed section on bonding methods. Most of them were complex rituals requiring mastery over specific branches of magic, particularly soul tethering and binding glyphs, which were, unfortunately, well beyond his current capabilities. He frowned as his eyes skimmed over the dense text, searching for a simpler method.
Unfortunately for him, though, though, there were none. Simpler methods didn''t exist, and the ones that did were very dangerous for very obvious reasons. Developing a relationship with the homunculi he was supposed to be the master of was perilous since they could start developing the wrong ideas and rebel against him. The books laid out various scenarios that could and would absolutely happen with every simpler method they provided, which didn''t sound very pleasing to him. ''A servant should never start thinking that it is better than the master.'' That was the final note in the chapter, and he had to close it since that was all the book had to offer in terms of its knowledge on homunculize.
Sighing, he set the grimoire aside with a quiet thud, glancing down at the little creature that was looking up at him with an expecting gaze. It looked a little cute, but the way its eyes looked at him kind of reminded him of an actual person, which was, in itself, a bit disturbing. Deciding not to think much of it, though, he reached into the cage and gave it a pat on the head. It was magic, so he didn''t think any further than that. Pulling on his own mana a bit, he shaped it into a small ball before offering it to the creature.
It didn¡¯t even hesitate for a second. It hopped eagerly onto his hand and quickly began gobbling down the small offerings of mana he had conjured, its feathers fluttering in delight. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly at how quickly it had accepted him. It was almost as if the creature had been waiting for this moment, its tiny beak nipping at the mana with surprising enthusiasm. ¡°Guess you were hungry, huh?¡± he chuckled, giving it a few more small orbs of mana. The creature responded with a satisfied chirp, its molten-gold eyes sparkling as it flitted about, clearly pleased.
He then gently reached up to grab the small cage by its top handle, lifting it carefully so as not to disturb the creature. He set it down on his desk beside his bed, positioning it so the creature had a bit of space to move around and enough sunlight to be warm. ¡°I¡¯ll come see you later, okay?¡± he said softly, giving the little homunculus a warm smile. The little flame creature blinked at him, letting out a soft crackle that sounded suspiciously like a contented sigh. It hopped onto the perch inside the cage, curling its tiny flame-like body into a resting position. ¡°Cute,¡± he said, smiling again at the sight.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Rest up, little guy. I¡¯ll figure out what to call you later.¡± He stood, stretching his arms over his head with a groan. His body still felt a bit sluggish and awkward to move around, and he knew that pushing himself too hard would probably do more harm than good. Maybe a walk around the village would help clear his mind and give him some inspiration for a name.
Brida doesvail
Brida whistled a jaunty tune as she made her way down the corridor, the pouch of coins resting in her back pocket jingling lightly as she moved through the tinsel estate, her footsteps following shortly after as an ear-to-ear smile hung on her face. Her grin hadn¡¯t faded since she left the lad¡¯s room. Thalos was a curious one and not at all what she¡¯d expected when Beatrice had told her about him. To be honest, she was expecting an arrogant boy, especially since elves were known to have a tree up their ass, but the fragile-looking, a bit awkward, and not yet comfortable in his skin boy had not been at all what she was expecting. He was sharp-eyed and polite, which she liked and was abnormally polite despite her being a dwarf.
¡°Good lad,¡± she muttered to herself, her thick boots thudding softly against the stone floor. ¡°Anna¡¯s done well with him.¡± Reaching the end of the hallway, she paused to adjust the thick leather straps of her apron. The pouch of coins was safely tucked into her belt, but she patted it absentmindedly, reassured by its weight. It wasn¡¯t often she asked for favors, but after a long week of forging and mending tools for the village, and of course handling the delicate task of crafting the chieftain''s sword, she figured she¡¯d earned a night off. A drink or two at the tavern would do her good. Maybe three, if old Garrik was pouring.
The only thing that soured her day was seeing that woman walking around the estate without a care in the world, but she didn''t let it linger in her mind.
After placing the staff key that she had back into the front pocket of the back door''s room leading out of the estate, she quickly took off her maid''s suit before donning her armor and leaving the house. The village outside was already coming to life as the evening drew closer. Some of the village children darted through the streets, laughing and shouting as they chased each other around the market stalls that had begun to close for the day. The scent of fresh bread and roasted meat lingered in the air, and for a moment, she almost discarded the idea of drinks in favor of food but stopped herself.
¡®A true dwarf would always prioritize mead and v¨ªn before food,'' she reminded herself. With that thought, Brida straightened her back and made her way toward the center of the village, where the old tavern was. It was a sturdy, squat building made from brown oak wood, with ivy creeping up the sides and a faded wooden sign swinging above the entrance.
The carved image of a frothing mug was barely visible anymore due to being worn down by so many years of rain and the elements, but she didn''t really mind. Pushing open the door of the tavern, Brida was greeted by the familiar sounds of laughter, the clatter of mugs, and the deep, hearty voice of Garrik, the tavern keeper, calling out orders from behind the bar. The air inside was warm and thick with the smell of mead, smoke, and stew. It was just the way she liked it. "Brida, ye old warhammer!" Garrik bellowed, spotting her immediately. He was a massive man with a beard almost as impressive as hers, though his was a bit scruffier. "Come to drink me dry again, have ye?¡±
"Aye, Garrik. Someone¡¯s gotta keep you in business," Brida shot back with a grin, making her way to the bar. She slapped the pouch of coins onto the counter, a smile on her lips all the while. "Pour me something strong, and keep it flowing." Garrik chuckled and reached for an earthenware mug. As he poured, Brida glanced around the tavern. It was bustling, as usual, with villagers and travelers alike. People laughed all around her, and some even returned her stare with a friendly gesture in her direction.
Brida took her mug with a nod of thanks and raised it in a small toast to Garrik before taking a long swig. The mead was strong and sweet, with a pleasant burn that spread down her throat and warmed her chest. The sudden news of the mistress''s son¡¯s awakening was shocking, but to her, it was a blessing. Now she just had to figure out a way to deal with Garrik and everyone else who might try to ask her to pair their daughters with the boy.
Brida let out a low groan into her mug, half in jest and half in genuine exasperation, as she leaned back on the barstool. Her thoughts rolled lazily with the flow of the mead