After my mother declared that we would be accompanying my father to the Forest of Sanni, little discussion took place, save for conversations regarding my wellbeing and the Seed of the Power of the Spirit currently lying dormant within me. Both of the mysteries at the time of my creation had finally been answered.
Following that revelation, a heavy silence settled between my parents as they both became immersed in planning their respective duties for the expedition to the Southwestern region.
That night, they retired to bed early, leaving me in my crib to contemplate my next move. Based on my mother's reaction to the news and her brief exchange with Dad, it appeared the Forest of Sanni was akin to the Amazon Rainforest of my past life, but with mythical creatures rendered into terrifying reality. Our small, armed group had been given the impossible command to tame it.
I decided to keep a close eye on the logistics; it would give me a better understanding of what we were dealing with and how to manage the transition. Logically, I knew I would not be included in the high-level planning of our next move.
Sitting in my crib, I recalled as much information about fantasy worlds as I had collected from my childhood until my death. Most of my knowledge came from popular shows, comics, and novels I had used to grow my channel through summary videos, blogs, and discussions.
I hadn't been a "hardcore" fan, but I realized that almost all that information was merely a hypothesis in my current situation. I also tried to recall the history and economics lessons from my higher education. Most of those principles were still applicable, and Science, the subject I had pursued with such passion.
The next morning, both parents handed me over to Olford so they could attend to their respective responsibilities. This was my first close contact with the man who had taken a death oath for me.
At first, I protested, trying to squirm out of his embrace, but I stopped the moment I saw the work he was managing.
From the vantage point of his arms, I looked at the kitchen stove. It didn't run on wood; instead, a Magic Circle drawn on the surface produced a controlled fire. Olford seemed to know this would end my protest.
He showed me lamps that functioned similarly, with a magic circle surrounding a central piece of glass that emitted light. He snapped his fingers, and a tiny, soft flame appeared on his index finger.
Even with the Firewall active, I was genuinely displaying an expression of amazement, puzzlement, and awe.
My eyes began to water from staring at the flame, but I refused to look away. This was my first real experience with active magic.
"Is the heir... mentally retarded?" A man whispered, his voice dripping with academic coldness.
I quickly turned toward him with a questioning look. I had heard him muttering my name as he approached Olford.
"You heard that? Well, children do possess strong senses, even without the aid of magic or spirit," he said, his voice shifting to a tone of clinical intrigue. I studied the man; he appeared even older than Healer Kal and have walking staff.
"Master Arka, how are you?" Olford asked, his voice tight with a respect that felt forced.
"I am fine. You should have watched your tongue; if he doesn't understand your insult, you certainly should know better than to utter it in my presence," Olford replied sternly.
I maintained a "baby face" in front of Arka, though I already disliked him."You know the Baroness's condition," Olford explained, shielding me slightly. "And it is his first time seeing magic. I let him look at the flame a little longer at close range."
A look of cold understanding appeared on the old man's face."He is your new teacher, my lord," Olford told me, his voice dropping into a respectful register to signal my status. "He will be coming with us to the Forest of Sanni."
I respectfully bowed to him. He was visibly surprised, but he returned my greeting, looking at me in a new light.
"Alright, satisfy your curiosity for today. We will start our first lecture tomorrow," he said, turning around.
Both Olford and I showed our gratitude. The man gave off the aura of a high scholar, and I didn't doubt his credibility; my parents would have picked the best the market had to offer.
Olford returned to his work with me in his arms. As I continued observing, I noticed that most of the staff did not possess magic.
It seemed intentional not to allow many magic users at such an important event. It raised a question I had held for a long time: what percentage of the population can actually use Magic, Spirit, or both?
By evening, the day's work was complete. Olford was efficient, sharp, and elegant in his duties. I was thunderstruck by his management skills.
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Master Arka sat across from my high chair. He studied me for a few moments before speaking. "My duty is to teach you speech, grammar, basic mathematics, writing, and etiquette. I have consulted with your mother; we have agreed that other subjects, such as swordsmanship, are the responsibility of others, as I am not proficient in those fields."
"Do you understand what I have just said?"
"Yes," I replied. With the help of the Firewall, I had learned to string words together. I was confident that within months, I would speak with the fluency of an adult.
"Good. Let us begin our first lesson with something personal," he said, pointing a finger at me. "Do you know why your birth month is called the Month of the Dead?"
My eyes sparked with interest. "No," I said instantly.A satisfied smile formed on his face as he noted my curiosity.
"Have you heard of the First Intelligent Species?"The question reminded me of my mother's archaic book.
I nodded. A look of surprise crossed his face.
"I see. The First Intelligent Species—often called the Rudimentary Species due to their basic thinking—were the first to observe that at a steady, regular interval, mana decreases before eventually returning to normal. During that low period, there is an unusual disturbance that leads to a higher mortality rate. Then, the mana steadily rises again."
He continued, "That period became the month of Ace, as it was the first to be categorized. Let us use the Nag System to understand the timeline. From the 1st to the 5th of Ace, mana decreases. From the 6th to the 35th, mana remains at its yearly low. From the 36th to the 40th, it increases, remaining constant until the next cycle begins."
Now, tell me:" What do you understand from this explanation of your birth month?"He closed his eyes, waiting.
I had already deduced the rest the moment he mentioned the mana drop, but I took a moment to analyze the data."The total cycle lasts forty days, which became the basis for the other months," I said, speaking with some difficulty as I mastered the mechanics of my infant vocal cords. "The 'Month of the Dead' is specifically related to mana fluctuations, not seasons or temperature. The True Dragons likely played a major role in the current calendar's development. As intelligence grew, races learned to adapt. It isn't a major problem today in concentrated population centers, but I suspect it is a significant issue in the wilderness."
I wanted to say more, but I didn't want to give the old man a heart attack or draw unnecessary attention. I needed to see if he could be trusted before revealing the full extent of my Earth-side logic
Master Arka opened his eyes, clearly impressed. He struck the floor twice with his walking staff. "Plants and insects also depend on mana. How would they be affected? Your family comes from a hunter's lineage, yes?"
"Since everything depends on mana, it disrupts the food cycle," I explained, finding my rhythm. "A decrease in mana affects the plants, which impacts depended beasts of the area, which will then affect the animals depend on them in the area . In search of food they will venture outside their local territories, leading to violent clashes until the mana recovers and the environment stabalises. I believe that is why the Rudimentary Species called it the Month of the Dead. We maintained it, till today. "
"Good. You have done well," Arka praised, his voice tinged with excitement.
You know nothing,Master Arka, I thought to myself.
"We will continue this topic another time," he said with a smile.
"For now, let us begin with grammar and writing."
My confidence wavered. I understood the language, but my knowledge was like that of someone who had learned Japanese solely from watching anime. I have zero understanding of language and writing. I started my first writing lesson with high hopes might be due to earlier performance of mine, but they quickly turned into disappointment.
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