I was pulled out by a familiar force and the gate vanished behind my back. There was a wooden door in front of me that had the number 21 carved on it. It felt funny and unreal because just a few seconds ago I was in Gaberu, the village I was born in with the people I know and love, it was hard to believe that just seconds ago they were bidding me farewell, and now those few seconds seemed so far away and distant. And here I am in an alien, mysterious location I have no knowledge about.
I glanced around suppressing my feelings. I was a little teary-eyed but I held it back.
The walls were white and tall and it reflected the sunlight coming from the window lighting up the whole hallway.
I knocked on the door hoping to get some reply. But only silence greeted me. I knocked again. Nothing.
Confirming that there was no one inside, I entered the room.
A chilly air passed through my spine as I stepped inside. The room was fairly big but damp and cold. The only source of light came from a big window located across the main door. A normal wooden table and a chair were placed in front of the window and a bed was on its left.
There was an envelope on the table with my name written on it with fancy handwriting.
Mr Ricardo Dinnar
I opened the envelope and read the letter.
Dear Mr. Ricardo Dinnar,
A hearty congratulation on making it through the entrance test, we are very pleased to have a talented student such as you in our academy and expect brilliant contribution from you in making Canaan proud and our spirit Protector Canaanim strong. However, it is my duty to inform you about the terms and conditions applied regarding your scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to you through Sir Merlin's recommendation. The academy will take care of your academic expenses which would include your education fees, dormitory fees, cost of your uniform, books and necessary resources, as well as extra school expenses. With regards to the extra expenses, the details will be informed to you when the opportunity presents itself. This scholarship will terminate if you disregard the following conditions.
1. It is important that you maintain your rank in the top ten elites. If failed to do so, the scholarship will be terminated.
2. It is obligatory that the academy sees visible proofs of improvement in your skill and knowledge with every second you spend on the academy.
3. Violation of any rules and regulations or actions out of discipline will not be tolerated by the academy. If found guilty of such conduct, the scholarship will be terminated and you will be expelled from the academy.
Now that the important matters are out of the way, I would personally like to welcome you to this academy and expect that you make Sir Merlin proud. Also, Sir Merlin has invited you for a short tea in his mansion so I expect you to be on your best behavior along with your best attire. Be at this room at exactly 5 in the evening and an escort will come to pick you up through [Magic Channel].
Once again, congratulations and hearty welcome!
Yours sincerely,
Kalinga Otterman
Kalinga, where have I heard that name before? I tried to remember. I had definitely heard his name somewhere. Various images flashed through my brain, magic gate, green smoke, bald guy, crowded notice board, old man, etc. Then I finally remembered, Kalinga was the man who used the wooden staff to summon Ms. Hikki on the entrance day.
Suddenly an image flashed in my mind, a row of black-robed people sitting with murder red eyes in a badly lit hall.
A chill ran down my spine and I shook my head to shove that image off. As far as my guesses go the person referred to as 'Sir Merlin' must be that old man; for two reasons, one; the title of 'Sir' is higher than 'Noble' title and only given to those deserving people who have accomplished the impossible feat in either development of magic or has made Canaan proud by their actions and two; when I hear someone being called Sir I immediately imagine a wise old man with white long hair and white long beard.
Also, it was the old man that first informed me about my scholarship on the entrance exam day.
So, I think the old man is Sir Merlin. I left the letter on the table after I was done reading it. Many questions popped into my mind and most of them began with the word 'Why'.
Why is the old man inviting me to tea? Why did he recommend me for a scholarship?
I know that I am skilled and my knowledge in magic is fairly good but still, there must be many students who are more qualified for this scholarship so why me?
I pondered on these questions while I was unpacking my luggage and settling down.
Nothing interesting happened the whole afternoon; I got busy unpacking and getting comfortable. I had brought all my stuff along with me, I did not even leave a pen at home, so unpacking took a longer time than I had expected. I used a spell [Dimensional Storage] to store my entire luggage.
[Dimensional Storage] is a high-tier spell belonging to the Yellow Hashim archive. It allows the caster to store anything in a dimensional space, thus making it easier to carry a heavier load on long, difficult, and tiring journeys. This spell is very important for adventurers as they almost always have to travel long distances in their mission.
But it helped me a ton with my heavy load. I knew that it would only take a few seconds to travel from the Gaberu to the academy if I came through the magic gate. But still, I was too lazy to load and unload bags and cases of luggage, and besides, I did not want to create a scene and make a mess of myself. So I chose a quick (if you disregard the time required to bring it in the Soul Slot), light and most of all non-messy way to bring my luggage. If you can use a short round that only has benefits why not use it?
After unpacking for about 4 hours straight, I was very tired and sleepy. My room had an attached bathroom which I thought was pretty awesome. I was all sweaty and smelly so taking a nice cold shower was super relaxing. I have always been a sucker for clean and tidy places. I cannot see myself living in a trashy place. Now I don't expect high class fancy luxurious rooms but a simple neat and tidy room is very calming and comfortable.
Drying my hair with a towel, I sat on the chair. My eyes suddenly fell upon a bookholder. There were two golden figurines a lion and a dragon facing in the opposite direction from each other sandwiching six books between them. I don't know how I failed to notice such a thing before perhaps I'm losing my touch. But nonetheless, that was an interesting thing to have in one's room.
Kalinga explicitly expressed me to be on my best behavior and best attire which troubled me a little. First, I have no idea how to behave formally and second I don't have any clothes that would come under the category of 'Best Attire'. All I have is a bunch of trousers made out of cotton and khaki, shirts, and t-shirts made out of the same material and a single coat. What can you expect from a commoner coming from a farmer's family?
Anyway, I decided to wear khaki pants and a plain white cotton t-shirt with a black vest coat. At the very least it did not make me look bad if not good.
Soon, the sky started turning red, I glanced at the alarm clock in the table, the hour hand was pointed at 5 and the minute hand was at 11.
I prepared myself to visit Sir Merlin. My heart was beating fast and I was getting excited. After all, this is my first time meeting a noble, a knighted noble no less. I just hope that I don't embarrass myself, I thought. But I shook my head to clear such thoughts away. I have to hold my head high and make my village proud especially my parents.
Right when the minute hand struck 12, the whole room suddenly illuminated in purple light. A big magic circle appeared in the middle. I got up from the chair, my heartbeat accelerated with excitement. I was about to meet the old man in his mansion. Why does he want to meet me? Why is he so interested in me? What is his motive?
I was about to get answers to all these questions that were troubling me all day since I read the letter.
'Kufu, we meet again, boy,'
A familiar high-pitched voice came from the magic circle. Then a black shadow began to materialize in the middle of the circle. The black shadow soon began to take shape of a beautiful woman and a familiar face appeared.
'Ms. Hikki?'
'Oh, you remember my name, that's good,'
She was wearing a black dress which was revealing in more than one private part. Her big breasts bounced as she took a step forward.
'I suppose you have received the letter from Kalinga,'
Her voice was commanding and strict.
'Yes,'
I nodded.
'Well, hop in then, we don't want to waste time, chatting,'
Gladly accepting her invitation, I got inside the magic circle and stood beside her. She was slightly taller than me by an inch or so which says a lot because I am 180cm tall but nonetheless she was a very attractive lady.
'Ms. Hikki, I don't suppose you hold grudge against me, do you?'
I asked.
I clearly remembered how I defeated her on my entrance test, a defeat from a mere commoner was sure to leave a scar.
'Yes, I do, but not against you, I was careless, it was my fault,'
She haughtily replied.
[Magic Chamber]
She cast a spell and soon I felt a heavy gravitational pull pulling me down the ground as if it meant to crush me. A hole appeared on the ground where we stood and we were sucked in. The room vanished and I was taken to a dark space. Once we entered the dark space, the force completely disappeared. It felt like we were floating. I had no idea where I was but it was making me a little claustrophobic. There was nothing but complete darkness as far as I could see. The only light that illuminated was coming from the magic circle upon which we stood.
'But keep this in mind the next time if we meet in a battle, I will make sure to finish you off brutally, kufu,'
In this dark nothingness, Ms. Hikki was the scariest person for me. She licked her lip and gave an evil smile.
I made a mental note, not to mess with Ms. Hikki even by mistake. I got lucky the first time, I'm not so sure if I will be able to handle her the next time. Well, let's worry about that later.
Finally, a white light came into view at the end of what seemed like a space of nothingness. And with it, my hope of surviving to see the next daylight restored. Ms. Hikki accelerated the movement of the magic circle and with it, the white light seemed to come closer and closer.
At last, a bright white light burned my eyes as we came out of that seemingly neverending darkness. It took some time for my eyes to settle with the surrounding. Amazingly we had only spent about five seconds in the dark space but it felt like hours.
'Ms. Hikki, what was that dark space?'
I asked gently massaging my eyes.
'That place is called Altzec, it's a space in an alternate dimension where physical rules and laws of the universe does not apply,'
'So, the spell you used must be a high-tier spell?'
'Yeah, puny little lucky brats like you can't use it right now,'
Her big breasts puffed up.
The purple magic circle vanished and Ms. Hikki pointed me at the door.
I observed the surrounding; it sure did look like a fancy mansion. The corridors were big and decorated beautifully with paintings and souvenirs. The door, Ms. Hikki pointed was a magnificent white door, with amazing wood carving designs carved into it.
I opened the door, it looked heavy but it slid open easily. Ms. Hikki had vanished behind my back without a word; I guessed she did not want to confront either Kalinga or Merlin.
The room inside was magnificent; all I could do was stare in awe. There was a giant sparkling crystal chandelier hanging down in the middle of the ceiling, comfortable and soft couches and armchairs were placed surrounding the fireplace that helped keep the room cozy and warm. Overall the ambiance of the room was calming and peaceful.
Two giant portraits hung above the fireplace. I leaned forward to observe the people in the portraits. One was a fat old man in a blue suit with a short white mustache which made him look cold and mean. The other was quite opposite, he was lean and thin with cheekbones showing on his face. He wore a black suit and a red bow tie and gave a hearty smile.
'Quite opposite to each other aren't they?'
A deep husky voice said from behind my back.
I turned around and sure enough, there was the old man but this time he was wearing a high blue pointed hat matching with his light blue robe. He was holding a long wooden staff but the top of the staff, the place where the orb should be was vacant. Beside him, a silent, black-robed man stood with a stern expression, I immediately recognised him as Kalinga Otterman.
When I glanced at Kalinga, I could feel an oppressing gaze from his eyes. He was heavily judging me.
'My apologies, Sir, I didn't mean to pry,'
I apologized after feeling an ominous feeling from Kalinga's gaze.
'Don't fret the little things, it is fine,'
The old man fanned his bony hand gesturing that it was okay.
'The men you see in the portrait were my father and uncle, Albus, and Alfred Merriclaus. The one with the black suit is my dad Albus and the blue one is my uncle Alfred. Like two sides of a coin, my dad was lenient and forgiving while my uncle was strict and harsh. They had different visions of the world,'
Merlin said, probably reminiscing his younger days with his father and uncle.
I usually don't interfere with other family matter but this particular one was rather curious.
'May I ask what different visions?'
Curiosity got the better of me and so I asked.
'Well, one believed in power and the other in wisdom, who believed in what is as clear as night and day from their personalities, isn't it?'
The old man winked at me and gave a smile.
Somehow his one smile was enough to calm my very soul.
'Why don't you take a seat, Mr. Dinnar,'
He gestured on the couch.
I sat down; it was just what I had imagined it would be, comfortable and very squishy. Merlin sat next to me holding his big staff and Kalinga sat on the armchair.
'Mr Dinnar, this is Master Kalinga Otterman, my most trusted friend,'
Merlin introduced Kalinga, directing his hand at him. I saw Kalinga getting a little embarrassed when he heard the word 'friend'.
'Sir Merlin, please, I am not worthy to be your friend, I am your humble servant,'
Kalinga intervened.
'No no Kalinga, I consider you my friend, please don't take away my right to consider who I call my friend,'
But Merlin simple flashed a smile.
Still embarrassed but slightly happy Kalinga kept quite. Then turning to face me Merlin said.
'You know Mr. Dinnar, call it an old man's intuition or a magician's intuition but the minute I laid my eyes upon you, I knew you were someone with high potential, someone special'
Here it was the moment I had been waiting for, the moment where my doubts will be cleared.
'Special is too much, Sir Merlin, I'm just a farmer's son, sir,'
'We both know that is not your original background,'
That statement surprised me. What did he mean by that? Does he know that I was reborn into this world?
Kalinga was also surprised at this statement.
'Sir, what do you mean by his original background?'
Kalinga asked, raising his eyebrows.
'You have a different soul Mr. Dinnar, something very strange is possessed by your soul. I am not sure what it is but it is mighty powerful. Also, you give off a different aura than a normal teenager should give. My guesses would be reincarnation, summon, or rebirth, which is it?'
To this explanation, Kalinga's eyebrows raised even higher and he turned to me for an answer.
The old man raised his white bushy eyebrows as his eyes lit up in curiosity.
'How did you know?'
I was honestly surprised by myself. That was supposed to be a secret and I had told no one, not even my parents knew. So how can this old man who I have never met in my life could guessed about my true origins?
'I possess an Ancestral Magic , Mr. Dinnar, my eyes allow me to study the true nature of an individual's soul,'
'Ancestral Magic, what is it?'
'It is a special type of magic that only selected few individuals from First Order Noble families can use. It has to be inherited from the former owner of the Ancestral, in other words, the former owner of the Ancestral passes it down to a suitable candidate,'
Merlin explained.
His husky deep voice was getting addicting with every word he spoke.
Kalinga simply nods his head.
'So, that makes it a unique type of magic, in this whole world only you possess this Ancestral Magic?'
I tried to summarize of his explanation.
'Correct,'
Merlin nodded and smiled. I swear his smile was warm as summer.
'Usually, I can understand a person by studying their soul but in your case, something was obstructing my Ancestral to get a read,'
'What do you mean?'
I raised my eyebrow.
'I mean that you have something carved in your soul that hasn't quite shown itself but is rather protecting you from within,'
'So it is a good thing right?'
Everything I heard from Merlin was unbelievable. I had no idea there was some unknown force protecting me.
'I am not sure, but whatever knowledge and skill you possess, it is thanks to that unknown force,'
I found it hard believing his words but I did learn the spells and complex theories following the spells and magic pretty easily compared to others back in Gaberu. I always assumed that it was because of my knowledge from my previous life and my sharp brain. Maybe I did gain a special unknown power when I got reborn in this world. It might be good to tell Merlin the truth, maybe he can figure it out.
'Sir, what you guessed is true; I was actually reborn in this world,'
I made my mind.
Merlin's brows raised and his face was now showing the signs of curiosity. Kalinga was surprised beyond bounds. His eyes grew wide.
I ended up telling them everything from the day I died in an accident to the entrance test.
With every word I spoke, Merlin's eyebrows raised higher and higher. For the sake of my dignity, I did not tell him about my cargon and how I had acquired it. Regarding how I gained knowledge on magic, I can not give a proper answer because even I do not know how I had acquired it.
After I finished my story, Merlin shifted his gaze from me to Kalinga.
'What do you make of this Kalinga?
'Sir, if what this boy says is true; then it is truly a miraculous case. Rebirth and re-incarnation and Other-World summons are forgotten magic which used to exist but its knowledge got lost over time. His re-birth might only be considered a miracle,'
Kalinga expressed his thoughts. He was quite surprised at what he was hearing and saying.
'That is indeed true. Although it does creates a possibility for certain ideas and hypothesis but nothing can be said to be accurate or credible, we will have to wait for more information to arrive,'
Merlin too spoke his mind.
I had expected as much, but still, this new information about an unknown force protecting me is still unbelievable.
'Well, the primary reason that I invited you here is that I have something to ask of you,'
Merlin said.
'Ask of me?'
'Yes, now this might come as a wee bit of a shock to you but the decision is all in your hands,'
I nodded anticipating the shocking news.
'I want to adopt you as my grandson not only you but your parents as well,'
Silence fell over.
I was not sure I heard that correctly, adopt my whole family?
'S-sir, that is huge,'
Kalinga stole my line.
'I know Kalinga but I have my reasons,'
'Sir, I am just a commoner and even if I agree I can't say so for my parents,'
I too replied.
'Well, its for you and them to decide but I have made up my mind to adopt you all under my family name,'
'Sir, may I ask why?'
I wanted to know the reason behind his logic.
Kalinga shook his head in agreement too.
'I come from the main branch of my family and I have no brother or a sister nor have I got a family, I had not cared for heir during my younger days but as I get older I worry about my family. I worry that there might be no capable heir in primary branches to lead my family. But like I said before, the minute I laid my eyes on you, I had this strange feeling, I felt a kind of a special connection with you and after seeing your performance on the entrance test I got a glimpse of your skill and knowledge. If I want an able heir to lead the family, none would be better than you. So I want you to be my grandson,'
Merlin explained.
'Sir, are you absolutely sure?'
Kalinga asked in a worried tone.
'Of course,'
Merlin replied.
'But Sir I am just a measly commoner,'
I said.
'No, you are not a measly commoner anymore, even if you don't accept my request, you are still among the top ten elites in the academy not to mention you have a scholarship and you are under my recommendation so you are treated as a noble and this is all because of your performance on the entrance exam,'
Merlin said proudly as if it was his achievements.
I thought maybe in his heart he has already accepted me as his grandson.
I searched for reasons to protest in my mind, but none came.
I thought for a while. If I have to go with my ambition then this offer seemed like a cheat, I will have my work cut out for me and it will be hard but my learning curve not to mention my family's status will take a giant leap. On the other hand, if I am to refuse this offer, I get to enjoy my days here in the academy with no immediate threat. I had made up my mind.
'Sir, I have to talk this through with my parents,'
To my reply, a big grin appeared on Merlin's lips and he gave a strong nod in acceptance.
'Let's visit your village tomorrow and talk with them,'
Merlin said.
'Sir, but tomorrow is the first day of my class,'
I said.
Merlin fell silent in thought.
'Sir, how about I go visit them and invite them here in the evening for tea,'
Kalinga suggested.
Merlin's eyes shone brightly.
'Oh, thank you Kalinga, you do that,'
A big smiled appeared on his face again. He was genuinely happy.
After a short chat, I was escorted back to my room, this time by Kalinga.
'How did you like the book stand?'
He suddenly asked me after we got inside Altzec.
'The bookstand?'
I asked, confused.
'Yes, the lion and dragon figurine bookstand on your table. Sir Merlin guessed you would like it and send it to your room as a gift for your success. Did you not find it?'
He asked his eyebrows raised up.
So, that fancy bookstand was a gift from Sir Merlin. I felt a warm feeling radiating through my chest and a smile appeared on my face.
'No, I got it and I liked it very much, I should thank him tomorrow,'
I said.
'By the way I too believe that you're someone special,'
Kalinga said without changing his stern expression.
'I am glad that you think so, but I think I am still incapable of such a big role,'
I expressed my honest opinion.
The darkness of Altzec was making me nauseous.
'It is true that your skill and power is still raw but if guided properly it can be polished and with polished skills you might even surpass Sir Merlin himself,'
Kalinga's words startled me. Surpass! Sir Merlin! Sir Merlin is the most powerful magician in all over Canaan, there is no one, not even the Royal Family could compete against him, which was what I heard. If it was not for his humble and carefree nature he would have been sitting on the throne and Family of Merriclaus would be the Royal Family at present, but he turned down the offer to battle the Royal Family for superiority and dedicated his life to research magic that was what history explained.
I kept silent because either answer would not make me happy. If I agreed, I feel I would come across as proud, and if I denied I would be insulting Kalinga's intellect.
No one likes to hear one's praise.
I thought.
Kalinga vanished after he dropped me off in my room. I was not feeling sleepy at all. Back in Gaberu, the village would have already been engulfed in silence at this hour. I usually would have slept too but not today. After an exciting chat with Merlin, I could hardly sleep. And besides tomorrow I will start my classes, I couldn't wait to see my classmates and friends I am gonna make. With these entire exciting things about to happen, I could hardly visit the land of dreams.