1
I woke up with an intense pain in my arms. My eyelids wanted to slam shut, but I couldn't let them; I had to work.
"I just want to leave," I groaned.
I hate this place. The bed is rock hard, and on top of that, it was freezing last night.
"Hey, get up. You have work," Patt told me telepathically.
It's only the second day, and I already have an intense urge to take a sabbatical. Well, I could... but would I get into legal trouble? I have no idea.
"Remember to do everything fast tomorrow."
Lisa's voice invaded my mind.
"Then I have many things to tell you."
What things? Honestly, curiosity was killing me. I got out of bed and saw that Lisa was sitting right there, next to me.
"Oh, um, good morning," I said.
Lisa smiled when she saw me.
"Oh, hello Dylan-kun. I'm here; I was waiting for you to wake up," she said.
"———" I was speechless. Honestly, I'm a little scared. How long has this girl been here?
"I got up at 5:00 to finish all my chores, then I came here. I've been here for... half an hour."
Lisa answered as if she were reading my mind.
"Ah! O-okay... what time is it?" I asked.
"6:00," Lisa said. "You're the only one left to finish your chores."
Okay, so this girl sat here for an hour watching me sleep. That's weird, and I've seen some weird stuff.
"Well, whatever," I said.
"Am I weird?" Lisa asked.
"Eh?"
Again, this girl...
"Are you reading my thoughts?" I asked.
"No," Lisa said, pouting.
"Aha, sure," I muttered. I got out of bed to head straight to the kitchen.
After putting on my uniform, I went to the kitchen. I planned to make pancakes with syrup—or whatever passed for it in this world.
"Hey, Tyler," Morty said, approaching me. "I want to talk to you."
I choked on my own saliva. First, that was sudden. Second, why? Third, oh crap.
"Ah, uh, I—yeah," I stammered.
"But while you do your chores," Morty said with a smile. He stepped in front of me. "Come on! A great day awaits us!"
He said it with inexplicable cheer. Positive energy radiated from him; it was almost nauseating, yet something prevented me from actually being sick. It was as if the good vibes were being transmitted through my entire being. Suddenly, the pain in my arms was completely ignored by my body.
"Wow," I said.
The pain was still there, but instead of suffering from it, I just had the certainty that it existed.
"It's like knowing you have pain but not feeling it," Morty said.
"Eh?"
"It's Wind Magic," Morty explained.
What? But... how?
"『Oculte Dolence』. It's a spell I created. Since I'm always in a good mood, I make those energies expand toward other people like the wind."
After that explanation, things were more or less clear. He's using magic. Morty is amazing. Unlike me (Merlin's descendant who can't cast a single spell), he created a spell. Wow.
"That's incredible," I said.
"———" Morty went quiet.
His smile wavered for a few seconds before returning to normal.
"Hmm, no one has ever told me that before," he said, smiling again.
"———"
It's weird. I feel safe with this guy, like he's someone I know... but I don't know him.
When we finally reached the kitchen, I started making the mix. Patt was in Morty's arms, being petted.
"Dylan, magic is channeled," Morty said.
"Eh?"
"An Evo's magic is channeled through the Summoner. It's through the latter that magic is achieved."
Morty continued petting Patt.
"There are five classes: Summoner, Swordsman, Archer, Mage, and Healer. Each one channels mana differently."
Wait, is he explaining the power system to me while I make breakfast?
"It's necessary to have a key to correctly channel mana. The mana is molded to become what the incantation says," Morty explained.
He held up a silver key.
"You raise your key and decide which incantation you're going to use," he said, pointing at some bags of flour.
"『Air Bullet, One』," Morty commanded.
The silver key began to glow. A breezy sensation hit my skin, and the air in the room intensified, making a whistling sound. As the incantation suggested, a small bullet made of air—which took on a greenish tint—formed at the tip of the key.
"『Shoot』."
At that command, the bullet broke the sound barrier (making a dull thud) and crossed the kitchen, impacting the sack of flour.
A small burst echoed, and flour scattered everywhere.
Coughing, I sneezed—it was a disgusting sensation.
"That is magic," Morty said. "It's not something predestined; it is molded to generate what the incantation says."
He opened the kitchen door.
"Your only duty will be to make the food. Today, we are going to train you."
With that, Morty left me in this floury disaster with a Patt hiding inside a metal pot.
2
After finishing the cleanup, I made breakfast and served it.
Fred took his breakfast to his room, while Elias was dead set on showing me something.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Come and see," he said.
He led me to a room filled with wooden mannequins holding metal swords. The place was the size of a football field.
"Stay there," he said.
Elias grabbed a sword—like the ones they use in fencing (I don't know what they're called and I don't care)—and inserted a golden key into the hilt.
What is he going to do? A combo with Goofy and Donald Duck?
"『Fire Impulse』!"
Elias was covered in high flames, generating immense heat in the room. I jumped back, falling on my butt.
It smelled like something was burning because the fire was incinerating the grass on the floor. With a slight push forward, the burst of flames that used to be Elias was propelled toward a mannequin. The sound was like a firework being launched.
"『Fire Cut』!"
The burning fire transferred to the sword, and with a quick slash—like seeing a red flashlight pass by—he destroyed the mannequin in a blaze. The smell of burnt wood surged instantly.
"Fuah, FUHAHAHA! That was incredible! How was I?" Elias asked.
I just watched the mannequin burn.
"It was fine, I guess," I replied.
I touched my ears. No wonder I couldn't hear what Elias said well—my eardrum had been blown out, but the pain was nonexistent. Damn, it must have been Morty's spell.
"『Water, Regenerate』," Lisa said.
She placed her finger on my damaged ear, and immediately, a sensation of moisture and relief invaded me. A small blue light was generated after the incantation. When the light disappeared, I could hear again.
"Done," Lisa said, falling to the floor. She looked haggard, with dark circles under her eyes and sweat on her forehead.
"You used too much mana," Elias noted.
"Oh, well..." Lisa didn't finish the sentence.
"Anyway, I'll take you to your room," I said.
After carrying Lisa to her room on my back, I went out to the courtyard, where Morty was waiting.
"Very well. Did you bring Patt?" Morty asked.
I checked my pocket—only my key was there—while Patt was on my head, trembling from what happened with Elias.
"Well, we're ready," Morty said.
"Yes," I said nervously.
He indicated that Patt had to be on my shoulder and that I had to raise the key with my hand held high.
"Remember," Morty said. "Just mold it."
Okay, just mold it. I closed my eyes, searching for a kind of current. I found it. Patt clung tighter to my shoulder as I kept my arm raised. Just mold it to what the incantation says.
"『Water Ball』," I said.
Nothing.
"『Water Ball』," I repeated.
Nothing.
No, it can't be. I have to...
"『Water Ball!』"
A feeling of moisture ran through my hand as my key vibrated. Then, with the sound of pouring water, a small ball of water was generated.
I was trembling. I smiled. I did it! I'M DOING MAGIC!
"『Fire Arrow』!"
An arrow, with its characteristic launching sound, collided with my water ball, generating a burst and a small explosion of smoke.
"『Air Bullets』!" Morty shouted.
Once again, the air intensified. Greenish air bullets clashed against the flaming arrows, which radiated great heat.
A hooded figure in green robes was firing arrows from atop the wall. Due to the fire, I couldn't see their eye color, and their hair was hidden by the hood.
The sound of the bullets hitting the arrows was like a series of explosions.
I tried to move, but I couldn't. My body wouldn't respond. Then the hooded figure jumped toward me and kicked me in the groin.
Everything went black.
3
I woke up to a drop of water sliding down my cheek. it was cold, but not too much. I could feel the dampness of the ground and an earthy scent.
"Are you awake yet?" a female voice asked.
The voice startled me, and I jumped.
"Ah, I'm not tied up," I whispered.
Then I saw the hooded figure who had attacked the mansion. Dammit, I'm definitely full of bad luck.
"Hey, hey, take it easy! I'll do whatever, just tell me your limit," I said. "I won't do anything but obey you."
This is serious. I have to obey my kidnapper first, then find a way to escape.
"———Dylan, you really are cynical," the figure said.
She pulled back her hood, revealing long purple hair with some white streaks and lilac eyes with a white star in the pupil.
"Carla..." I gasped.
It was Carla. She... she...
"Hi Dylan, I..."
I interrupted her by hugging her. She was here. Here, and alive.
"Carla, how have you been?" I asked.
"Ah, fine," Carla said.
This is great. So great.
"That's good. It's been a long time," I said.
I sat down, realizing we were in a cave. A sliver of sunlight traced a line on the ground, showing the way out.
"You're tired, aren't you?" I asked with a smile.
"Eh? Well, yeah," she replied.
It was obvious; it was written all over her face.
"Well, come on. You can rest your head on my lap," I said.
"———You're still the same," Carla said with a smile. She sounded relieved.
She rested her head on my lap. She looked so sweet; she always had. After all, we met when we were both seven.
"You're a little feminine," she used to say. "And I'm a little masculine, so we complement each other."
Everyone used to say our friendship would quickly turn into a romance. As I stroked her hair, I wondered: What do I feel for Carla?
"You and I will always be together, forever."
Carla made me feel good, saying things that always encouraged me. I...
"I'm moving, Dylan."
Once again, those words that made me angry surfaced. Why? Why do they bother me?
"———"
I felt a brief pain in my heart again. Wait... did I fall in love with Carla?
"Carla, how has your mom been?" I asked.
"———Well, I... I haven't seen her," she replied.
"Oh, okay," I said.
The wind blew gently, birds sang, and Carla began to sob.
"My dad died, Dylan."
After that sentence, Carla began to cry—hard. She was screaming.
"———Take it easy," I said. "I'm here. I'll always be here."
I kept stroking her head while she clung to me.
After three hours, she woke up. I was just watching the light at the cave entrance, where some wolf cubs were playing.
"Look at the cubs, Carla," I said.
"Yeah, they're... cute," she said.
She stood up and stretched, then made a face of disgust.
"Gross, I left your pants full of snot," Carla said.
"Well, at least I can make the mansion's butler suffer," I joked. I said it so she wouldn't worry anymore.
"But you are another butler," Carla noted.
"I don't handle the laundry; I'm more of a kitchen guy," I said.
"Pff," Carla huffed. "You, cooking?"
"Hey!" I said with a pout.
Carla started laughing.
"Ugh, I hate long hair," she said.
"I think it looks nice," I countered.
"That's because men have long hair that doesn't overflow or go crazy when it gets wet and you don't dry it right," she complained. Then she looked at me. "By the way, how long have you been here? And why?"
"Ah, well, I..."
I explained everything that had happened. Even I was surprised by how much I'd been through.
"So, you're the descendant of Merlin," Carla said. "I think I've underestimated you."
She says that because she was always there to save me from Howard, to help me, to win at soccer. To make sure I didn't feel bad, to keep me going, to help me do better in school, and so on.
"Well, I don't mind," I said.
"———" Carla looked annoyed.
"Oh, come on, don't be a Tsundere," I teased.
"Ugh, yeah, you're still the same," Carla said. "Dylan, I have to go now."
"Eh? Why?" I asked.
"———"
Again. Again she would leave me alone. Again she would go, and again she wouldn't talk to me for a long time. "She's just your friend," I told myself. So why...?
"Fine," I said.
I stood up and started to walk away.
"Wait, you—"
"Forget it, Carla. It's better if you go, right? I don't want to be a burden," I said.
Then, without another word, I left the cave to return to the mansion.
4
Walking back, Dylan Tyler found the mansion after tripping over branches and escaping some red wolves. He finally found the path.
"Hello," Dylan said, speaking to a worried Morty at the entrance.
"Dylan, where—?" Morty started, but Dylan interrupted him.
"Don't worry about it. I handled it," Dylan said.
He picked up Patt, who was next to Morty, looking scared, and took him to his room. Dylan just went to his room and slept for the rest of the day.