Keuk…
Hao Jing's stomach rumbled with hunger. Reading the book all day had drained his mind, particularly due to its large number of pages. Seeing that the window had no sunlight, it was time for Hao Jing to look for food.
He went out of the room and saw the mother preparing dinner. By her side was a long-haired little girl who resembled the mother. She turned to Hao Jing and said,
"Big brother, Mom has prepared a roast beef dinner. It's a special day to celebrate Sister Cham!"
With a faint smile and straight face, Hao Jing nodded his head and moved to the dining table. The mother took out an iron shovel with a wooden handle from the oven and placed it on a plate on the dining table. A large roast beef was in front of the starving Hao Jing.
'My life saver, the mother's roast beef'
'That little girl is supposed to be my little sister. Her face is cheery and lovely. What a perfect family to have a little sister.'
The door of the house opened, and two people walked in. They were Cham Notiz and the robed man whom Hao Jing had met. The little girl heard the coming sound. She screamed:
"Mom, that's Sister and Father."
"Yes, honey, it's them. Call them to the dinner; let's eat together."
They both stepped up to the dining table and lifted the hood. The man revealed an oval face, short brown hair, and a sharp gaze.
'So, that man is Malt's father. He is the coolest father I have seen.'
They were all seated at the dining table; the mother put on an apron and lit a candle in the center of the table. The warm atmosphere of the family dinner reminded Hao Jing of his previous life. His eyes welled up with tears, and his lips trembled.
"Before we eat, let us bow our heads and wish that this food prolongs life, strengthens the soul, and gives us strength to survive," said the father as he laid his hands on the table.
Within minutes, all of them were eating their dinner with gusto. The delicacy of a mother's hands is incomparable. Hao Jing's hunger was satisfied with delicious food in his new life. The elder sister sitting by his side suddenly put down her spoon and whispered to Hao Jing.
"Tomorrow, we will train. I want to try the strength of the soul bone and try to endure it."
"Why me? You can ask Father to accompany you. I don't know how to use magic."
"Malt, are you dumb, or have you forgotten the lessons we learned as kids?" Cham asked strangely and suspiciously.
"Hmm, I've been forgetting a lot of things lately, probably because of the headache I had when I got home." Hao Jing replied when she realized what she had said.
Across the table, the mother looked at the two of them with a frown. Cham and Hao Jing realized she was watching them. And they went back to eating.
"Finish the meal first. No conversation during the meal. Gio, don't follow your siblings' attitude." Mother's advice to her children, and Gio just nodded.
The dinner atmosphere was silent again. After the meal, everyone went back to their bedrooms and slept. The dining culture was simple, considering that the Notiz family was one of the most prominent noble families in the Zephyr Kingdom.
…
That one night, Hao Jing read books one by one about magic in this world and discovered that occultists used natural magic by writing runes on body parts with their blood.
A rune is divided into four levels; in the history written in books, only astral runes, ancient runes, and primordial runes are mentioned. The people in the Zephyr kingdom use astral runes on average. Ancient and primordial runes were only used by certain people.
Occultists use their magic by imagining the elements of nature and creating the miracle of human imagination. The occultist's magic power is measured by the power of the rune levels. Each rune level has different types of rune elements that can be combined.
Dawn lit up the window of Hao Jing's bedroom, and he prepared himself for the chance to train with his sister. He wore the clothes that were in Malt's wardrobe. With his small body, he walked out of the house and waited at the door.
Cham pushed open the door and greeted Hao Jing. She wore brown linen trousers and a white tunic. Later, they walked together to the back of the house. Hao Jing unexpectedly noticed that behind the Notiz family's manor house were quite luxurious stables and a stable keeper's hut. About fifteen adult horses were ready to ride anywhere.
"Malt, choose your horse! We will travel to the training ground in the center of Daulyia, the kingdom of Zephyr."
"I can't ride a horse. Can I ride with you in the back?"
"No, quick, pick your horse. I will take the lead and teach you to ride properly."
By necessity, Hao Jing chose the seven-year-old black horse because he was unique and had a vaguely hideous posture. When touching the horse's back, Hao Jing felt a jolt of electricity that made him jump in surprise.
"What's wrong, Malt? Your horse refuses to be mounted?" said Cham with a chuckle.
"No, it's fine. I think this horse matches me." Hao Jing replied with a smile.
Eventually, they both mounted the horses. As they were about to depart, Cham was silent and chanted an incantation. She turned to Hao Jing and blew a wisp of ash smoke that came out of her left hand onto the black horse.
'That was the first natural magic I saw.'
"Great horse, Malt. He has the element of lightning but is untrained because there is no rider with a suitable element yet."
'What has she done, traced the horse's elemental type and estimated its strength?'
"Try to cast your lightning elemental rune spell. Didn't you, when you were Gio's age, love thunderstorms and making your first runes?" She continued speaking.
'Come on, sister, tell me everything about Malt.'
"Alright, let's go. The distance is long enough."