Something that I did not think of when I came into this world was the reason for my transmigration, or as I thought previously, I may be reborn and got my memories from my previous life now.
Was it just a chance? Am I the lucky one that got the opportunity of living a new life with practically everything? Since my talent right now is unmatched, or so it seems, my family is influential, and I got the looks. As insignificant as it may appear in a world like this, where the strong get more opportunities in everything despite their looks, it certainly helps when someone wants more power.
I don't mean power as in strength; I mean the power to win over people with charisma and charm.
So, why?
With certainty, I can say that in my previous life, I didn't do anything significant to deserve something like this. Is this a power play from higher entities where they sent people to different worlds purely for their entertainment, or is it that everyone who dies gets this chance in another life, and your luck dedicates the person or, better yet, the situation where you are reborn?
So many questions and not many answers. As it seems, the only thing I can do right now is to wait and see how things play on.
Setting all those things in the back of my mind, I turn around from watching the window and see that it is almost time for my training with my mother. I change my clothes to something more suitable for training, and I sit waiting for the maid to come and call me.
I didn't have to wait that long since the maid came pretty quickly, accompanied by the usual knock.
"Master, mistress is waiting for you."
"Thank you. Guide me."
She nods with a slight smile plastering her face.
Something that I observed is that when I'm alone with the maid, she calls me 'Master' in comparison to when we are in front of others, she calls me 'young master.'
`Interesting. It seems that some power plays are unfolding.`
The previous Michael didn't observe such a thing, or maybe he didn't care much as he spent most of his time training and reading, with exceptions, of course.
Arriving at the training grounds, which are used by the family, I see my mother waiting for me, sitting cross-legged on the ground, regulating her breathing. Sitting in front of her, I also start to regulate my breathing and sense the mana around me and also inside me.
This goes on for some time until my mother opens her eyes, signaling the start of the training. And then, she starts by explaining our affinity.
"As you already know, having the ice affinity is undoubtedly one of the strongest affinities. You can use it either offensively or defensively. The first week we will mostly focus on the defensive part and the counterattack. So I will attack, and you will stay only on defense and counterattack. Is everything understood?"
Before answering, I take a minute as my mind drifts off to the affinities that the people of this world show. There are of course, the four basic elements, fire, water, wind, and earth, and also their derivatives, lightning, ice, sound, and metal or magma, depending on the person and their parents.
Everyone has an equal chance of awakening any type of affinity, be it an elf or a human, but it is shown that elves have a higher chance of awakening wind, earth, and seldom water affinities. That also includes their derivatives.
Is having a double, triple, or even all the affinities a good thing?
The answer is usually no. Sure, you could be more versatile while fighting and even catch your opponent by surprise in a duel or a battle, but the problem lies in the time you spent training each of your awakened elements.
The previous statement can be thrown off if someone awakens by chance the basic element and their derivative since even I while having only ice affinity, can manipulate water to a certain degree only to form ice. But still, it's plausible to gain a certain type of control over the basic element.
The same wouldn't work if I had, for example, only water affinity. Meaning that I couldn't hope to control even a shard of ice.
A person also can not awaken any type of affinity and just have mana inside of him to strengthen his skill with any kind of weapon he/she chooses or just amplify the strength, speed, and overall all stats with mana.
Even though there does not exist much discrimination against people who cannot awaken any type of affinity -mostly seen in commoners since their parents probably also didn't have any type of affinity- there will always be scorn towards people with no affinity, especially the noble ones and you can also enjoy the everyday disappointment splattered all over your parents face and/or your siblings.
Of course, some families don't care much about their children's affinity because their focus is solely on their households' trademark weapon. The affinity will just be a bonus.
Some very powerful individuals have been born without any affinity and they achieved the pinnacle of their weapon. For example, if a house's trademark weapon is a sword the pinnacle is the sword domain, where the caster can control everything in a certain domain.
To take into perspective my ice domain can only be used in an 8m radius and is still too weak to change the tide of the battle but the 'weapon' domain that someone can awaken even if they have the same stats as me is significantly better since the radius is said to be double so 16m.
Of course, no one has ever reached that state while being in the lower ranks since you aren't that attuned with mana or your weapon of choice.
Okay, enough with all these thoughts it's time for some training.
"Everything understood."
"Okay, then we will both use our ice domain and I will set my stats to your level. For now, at least… ."
`Shit, maybe this isn't a very good decision.`
"Yes."
Comes my half-hearted answer as we both activate our ice domain.
Each individual has a certain resistance to their element depending on their rank.
For example, if my mother fully used her ice domain I would freeze to death cause my resistance is not on the same level as her control over ice.
Without even a warning she starts by throwing an icicle directly at my face and I dodge immediately since when something comes inside the radius of my domain I can sense it but only dodge if I'm fast enough.
"No dodging, just defense and counterattack only using ice magic."
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, be better."
Saying those encouraging words she immediately throws another icicle which I stop by creating an ice shield and I directly throw the ice shield at her which she just breaks with another icicle in her hand.
"Your control is lacking. Focus more on what you want to create and they will be more robust."
She continues to throw her icicles which are getting faster by the minute. Since I can't dodge any of them I create an ice wall in an attempt to stop the incoming icicles. Once the wall breaks I run towards my mother trying to encompass her inside my domain and even my chances in this mock duel, but I suddenly freeze.
"You said you will lower your stats. How is your domain bigger than mine?"
"I never said anything about my domain."
"That's cheating and we are just training."
"Don't expect a fair fight from anyone."
"But this is training, not a battle nor a duel."
"As I said, don't expect a fair fight from anyone. Now, let's continue with our training and try to focus more."
She says as she unfreezes me.
`Twenty minutes in I'm already starting to lose my cool.`
"Huuu."
I take a deep breath trying to calm down and with a resolute face as if I'm going to war I look straight into the eyes of my mother and say.
"Okay let's continue."
She just smiles and we continue our one-sided beatdown towards me.
`I don't think I'll be able to function properly for the rest of day… .`