We went back home in silence. It wasn't the uncomfortable kind of silence. I think. I mean, we (Shin) did kill a demon, so it was probably a celebratory silence.
Grandma Melinda was home when we arrived. She saw the state of my clothes and immediately started freaking out.
"ARE YOU HURT?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" She shook me like I killed her loved one, or had kidnapped her loved one, or something similar.
Damn. I should make self-repairing, more durable clothes. No wonder Shin was pissed and Grandpa was super worried. They probably saw me looking all fucked up.
"I'm okay. No wounds, see?"
I took the opportunity to flex my muscles. I'm really fine. There's no need to get all worried and all that.
Please. I'm really fine.
Of course, my attempt to cool the situation didn't work.
Grandma Melinda proceeded to interrogate all of us. I was very honest about my answers, apart from the use of Dragon Shouts and my pretty neat Hak—
"You got hit by a demonized Red Grizzly?!"
"I mean, it didn't hurt."
"Stop lying!"
It really didn't, but no one believed me.
Shin suddenly spoke up.
"...this isn't the first time Thomas got into a brawl while hunting. I never saw Thomas get hurt even once so I didn't see a point in stopping him. And I'd know if he used healing magic... he never did since he didn't need it."
"You're snitching?! Dude!"
It was as Shin said. My lightsaber made hunting Wild Boars and all that too easy. I decided to switch things up just recently by going barehanded.
Why did you snitch, dude? Snitches get no bitches—
No. Wait. Just think about it. With this revelation from Shin, surely Grandma Melinda will get off my back. Right? If Shin says that I can walk away without a scratch, then they'll understand—
""YOU'VE BEEN DOING WHAT?!?!""
I stand corrected. Even Grandpa Merlin started freaking out again.
This led to a lecture that lasted for a while.
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The next day, Michel came over to teach us more of that good Kapow! Bam! Haiyaaa!
"Hey, is it just me or is Mister Michel training us just a little bit harder today?" I realized that I was moving more than I usually did.
Shin answered while heaving heavily. "You... call... this... 'just... a... bit...?'"
So I am right. The training got harder. That just means more gainzzzzzz!
Seriously, why can't Shin see that this is a blessing?
The training, as always, was just, Mwah! Bellissimo!
I love training!!!
But like all good things, the training ended all too soon.
"Shin and Thomas, can you come with me after freshening up?"
Grandpa came by while we rested. He looked more serious than he usually did.
"Okay."
"...yes. Give us... more time... to rest..."
"Speak for yourself, Shin."
While showering/bathing, I asked Shin if he knew why Grandpa Merlin called us up. After laying out our thoughts, we came up with two reasons: either the demon thing regarding me getting hit or the demon thing regarding how Shin blitzed the sucker.
When we were nice and clean, we discovered that Grandma and Michel had left.
Hmm, is this a serious talk? That must be it.
I mentally prepared myself. I told Shin to do the same since shit might go down.
Grandpa Merlin wasn't in the house either. Through search magic, we found him sitting near the cliff that we detected the demon from yesterday.
Yeah. Shit is definitely going down. This is the perfect spot to tell us that we're adopted or something.
"Grandpa, we're here."
"Come, come."
I sat by his left while Shin sat on the other side. Grandpa Merlin must've had a lot going through his head since we just sat there in silence. A breeze or two would gently blow, making grandpa's white beard sway, but he himself wouldn't move.
"I... I called you both here to talk about where you two really came from."
Damn. So he's really gonna say it? Say those two words! "You're adopted!" Please! Prove me right!
"Actually... you two aren't my real grandsons."
Good enough!
I looked over to my brother. I couldn't get a read on his face, but he must be quite shocked.
Grandpa apologized. "I'm sorry... for having kept quiet all these years."
"Nah, we're good, grandpa."
"Yeah... I don't mind something like that either."
My brother is taking it pretty well. Hmm. I guess he has always been mature for a kid.
Shin then curiously asked, "If we're not your real grandsons, why are we living with you, grandpa?"
Good question. I still remember a bit of my first memories as a baby. What's up with the broken caravan? Did we get attacked by bandits?
Thus started Grandpa Merlin's retelling of what really happened.
Grandpa passed by our destroyed carriage by chance. I couldn't see them, but there were dead people all around us, all mangled. Grandpa checked for survivors and found us. From there, we all know the rest.
And the cause of all this: A demon. They really are the menaces of this world.
"...you two are surprisingly calm about all this..." said Grandpa.
"I mean, I don't remember our parents. Do you remember them, Shin?"
He shook his head. I would've been very surprised if he did.
"But it's okay," Shin added, "since we have you, grandpa."
"...!"
Oof. Critical hit to the heart!
"And there's also Thomas, Grandma Melinda, Mister Michel, etc." (Etc because the source material lists out people that haven't appeared yet. There's a lot of them.)
Shin continued, saying, "I've never been lonely because I don't have parents. Rather, I usually feel like there's so many people in my life."
"Shin..." Grandpa was clearly affected.
Oh my god. He's going for the knockout!
"That's why, grandpa."
"..."
"Thank you finding us."
Jab!
"Thank you for helping us."
Jab!
"Thank you for doting on us."
Jab!
"I'm happy with all my heart... because it was Grandpa that took us in."
"Shin… u, urgh… u, u, U ou uuoh!!!" From little sniffles, Grandpa began crying a waterfall.
It's a KO! Shin is the winner!
It's pretty funny to look at, seeing an old man cry while hugging his grandson.
Hey... wait... why can I feel something in my eyes? What the... did Shin KO me too? You bastard! You made me emotional you innocent bastard!
Fuck! I can't actually hate him! What kind of magic is this?!
We got into a group hug.
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It's. That. Time. Again.
Timeskip time!
Shin and I will have our birthday tomorrow a few days later. We're turning 15 by the way, so you missed out on four of our birthdays.
And it's outing time with Grandpa Merlin once more. No hunting demons though!
Today is Graduation Day, a day when Grandpa decides whether or not we pass regarding our magic progress. Basically, we need to spam our magic and see if Grandpa Merlin approves.
Which is why we weren't in the usual forest but in a rocky area with no trees or grasses growing.
Grandpa showed us this place in the past and told us to practice our magic here to keep the damage away from home.
"Hmm? This place... has it always looked so... flat? Where did the nearby mountains go?" Grandpa muttered something.
"Maybe you're mistaken since you haven't been here in a while, grandpa? Well, rather than thinking too much, let's get started."
Nice, Shin. We can't spoil the surprise just yet. Muehehehe.
Mentally giving my boi a thumbs up, our so-called graduation began.
"Shin, you can go first," I said.
"Alright."
"And Grandpa, you might wanna stand a little further back."
"Hmm?"
I didn't explain. Soon enough, he will understand the reason why.
The temperature around us jumped a few levels. Shin produced pale, blue flames that hovered around him.
"What an interesting color... It never fails to astound me how it can take such an odd color... and so flames many at once..."
*Thuuuuddd*
With a muffled sound, the blue flames flew forward. They landed on far away ground.
Shin's magic didn't explode. Instead, because of their extremely high temperature, they melted through the rocky floor and formed magma. Even little bits of glass materialized around the edges of the impact site.
"..."
Grandpa doesn't look that impressed... he looks more like he's constipated? What the fuck is with his high standards?! He should be losing his marbles by now! Shin showed something pretty sick! Say something like "Wow!" or "Good job!"
In the end, Grandpa Merlin said nothing.
Shin continued his magic show by shooting extremely fast flame bullets that exploded on impact. Even though they were powerful enough to leave craters on the ground, Grandpa still said nothing.
Shin must've been feeling the pressure. His magic power flared up for his next move.
Hohho~ he's pulling out the big guns.
I created a magic barrier just in case. Seeing the questioning look on grandpa's face made me snigger.
Shin waved his arms, and a weapon of mass destruction hovered before him. Without hesitation, he fired it off in the distance. The spell left behind a trail of pale blue flames.
A countdown started in my head.
3... 2... 1...
*BOOOOOOOOOM!!!*
Tons and tons of dust rose into the air, tossed upwards by the sheer force behind Shin's magic spell. The resulting mushroom cloud blocked out the sun.
Moments later, a powerful shockwave slammed against my magic barrier. I looked to the side and saw grandpa with his own barrier. It was messy though, as if made in a panic.
Strong winds continued to blow for a good while. And when the dust finally settled, a gigantic crater revealed the true power of Shin's spell.
That single spell showed the power of Shin's imagination.
"How was it, grandpa? Epic, right?" I poked the silent man beside me for answers.
Sighing, he said, "I never thought it to be this much. To grow to this point..."
"In other words, what?"
"I have no complaints. Shin passed with flying colors."
"Yahoo!"
Fistbump between bros! Today's a good day!
"It's your turn."
"Good luck, Thomas!"
Right. I almost forgot. I still need to pass.
I stepped up to the non-existent stage. I gotta do my magic tricks to impress the one and only judge and my one and only audience.
Let's see... what type of magic should I use? I know from watching Shin that it's better to get straight to the final act rather than bore grandpa. Something flashy...
Another explosion? Probably not. Shin already did that. Grandpa won't be as surprised the second time.
It has to be something different...
An idea popped into my head.
Perfect.
I gathered my magic and let it spread. The ground beneath me began to move as my magic seeped inside it.
"...An earthquake?" commented grandpa.
Well, not quite.
The tremors grew stronger. And from beneath the surface, they emerged from the ground.
"Plants?!"
They were small in size—mere saplings that looked like they were just planted. But if I injected my magic inside them...
Grow.
I imagined the forest I lived in. I imagined what I saw as I looked down from that cliff near our cabin in the woods.
An endless sea of green.
Grow endlessly.
The saplings quickly rose to the sky. They grew so tall and so thick their, vibrant leaves blotted out the sun. It was as if the sky shifted from its normal blue to a dazzling green. And they still kept growing.
"...what kind of magic is this?" It wasn't grandpa that asked me but Shin. In all the lessons with Grandpa Merlin, we were never taught this.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. I don't know what I'm doing. I just imagined it.
Imagination truly was key to cast magic.
"So. What grade did I get?"
"...you pass as well."
"Let's gooooo!"
Another fistbump between brothers since we're both awesome!
"You two have really worked hard... tomorrow, you'll both turn 15 years old. To be adults already... time really passes. That said, you two will have to fend for yourself—be independent like real adults."
The air turned somber.
It was decided that when Shin and I turn 15 years old, we would leave home. It was the same with my old world, but at the ripe age of 18.
To be honest, I'm really looking forward to it.
After living in the middle of nowhere for the past 15 (nearly) years, I'd like to enter society and find all the fun stuff I've been missing out on.
I wanna drink alcohol. I'd like to try every single one there is. The possibilities are endless with magic! Magic Alcohooool!
...
"Being independent doesn't sound so bad. At least we can still come visit with gate magic."
With the gate magic Shin invented, getting home is just one magic spell away.
"...oh, I forgot about that!"
But it looks like Shin didn't realize that until now.
See, this is why there's no need to be so sad. We can literally go home whenever we want.
To prove my point, I made a gate with a single thought.
The gate was basically a portal that connected two locations. Very useful.
"Let's go home. I'm a bit hungry. Grandpa, can you cook steak for lunch?"
"Don't worry, I'll cook a lot."
"I'd like mine well done please, not like the bloody ones that Thomas gets."
"It's called medium, not bloody."
We walked through the gate with lighter spirits.
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Yoooo. Guess what? Today marks my 21st birthday. A lot has happened since we left our grandpa's house in the woods.
I got married, had four children, five wives, six pets, seven servants—
SIKE.
GET SIKED.
GET ABSOLUTELY BAMBOOZLED YOU ABSOLUTE FOOL.
Only a day has passed, and now, today's our 15th birthday. Shin and I are officially adults.
""Cheers!!!""
It's party time!
"Thanks for coming, everyone!"
And thanks for the drinks! Hehehehe. I mean, none of them are alcoholic, but they're pretty good!
Quite a lot of people sat around the dining table.
There's me, Shin, grandpa, grandma, Uncle Michel, who are the characters I've already introduced. Then there's the ones I never got to mention. They do exist, and there's four of them.
Uncle Dis the noble, a middle-aged man with golden hair, a nice mustache, and emerald green eyes. I'm only assuming that he is part of the nobility since he wears rich clothing all the time. And he talks about political shit with Grandpa.
Don't tell them I eavesdrop.
Christina (Shin and I call her Chris) the knight, kind of the same profession Uncle Michel, is a young woman in her early twenties. Her red hair is tied into a ponytail while her body is always covered in easy-to-move-in armor.
Chris is the serious and stubborn type. She rarely laughs. But she's pretty chill when you get to know her.
Then there's her nemesis: Siegfried the magic user, who's infamous for being an absolute playboy. Wow. I mean, he's got the good looks, and his white hair gives off main character energy. Plus he's chill with everyone.
Basically, Chris and Siegfried are polar opposites.
Uncle Tom the merchant, a plump man with light brown hair, is someone who owes Grandpa Merlin a great deal. He's probably someone grandpa saved back in the old days.
He comes by sometimes to bring us supplies. He's the main reason why I never had to go to the store to buy clothes or whatever I need.
Phew. That was a lot of internal monologuing. I'll take a break and stop thinking too hard for a bit.
The party was fairly tame. It was more of a family gathering rather than the wild house parties in movies.
Conversations focused mostly on Shin and me growing up. Topics like:
"They hunted a Wild Boar when they were eight!"
"One shotting a demon shouldn't be possible, but Shin did it when he was ten!"
"HAVE YOU SEEN HOW COOL THE SO-CALLED LIGHTSABER IS?!"
It's honestly embarrassing when people talk about you right in your face.
Wait. Did I just hear about something important? Something about doing the impossible...
My eyes widened in realization. But before I could speak about it, Uncle Dis the noble asked us brothers a question.
"What are your plans for the future, Shin and Thomas?"
Shin replied pretty quickly.
"Well... I'll try going to the nearby town. I'd like to explore a bit since I've never left the forest before."
"How about you?"
"Same as Shin. I'll probably tag along with him for a bit. Uhh, do you mind?"
"Nope. We can go together."
Uncle Dis nodded. "I see. And what about after that?"
"...after that?"
An awkward pause. Shin didn't have an answer, and so did I.
I can't just say that I want to go drinking magic alcohol.
My brain was hard at work to think of another thing to do.
"Are you guys serious? There has to be something you two want to do, right?" Siegfried spoke. "Whether it's becoming a Demon Hunter, a Magic Tool Maker, or finding yourself a beautiful woman to pay for your bills, there has to be something."
"Only you would think of the last one."
"What'd you say?"
Electricity seemed to crackle when Siegfried and Chris stared at each other.
"Huh. We actually have a lot of options. But that sounds a bit too... idealistic?" I said. "It can't be that easy to set up a shop."
At least, you need to ask a bank for a loan and sign contracts and do construction and calculate wages and taxes and competition and the legalities surrounding proper business conduct and procedures and...
Shin agreed with me. "Right. I've never heard of this 'Demon Hunter' job either. Is that what Grandpa Merlin used to do when he was younger? Does it pay well? Does it pay better than being a 'Magic Tool Maker?'"
"Right, right. How much would we get paid if we hunted demons, and is that enough to live off of or more like a part-time thing? I should probably ask how much groceries are worth too since..."
I trailed off in the middle of speaking. It's because everyone, apart from Grandpa, was staring at us with a weird expression. It brought with it this weirdly tense atmosphere.
What's up with them?
"You... do you two... have you two ever gone shopping before?"
"Nope." "Never."
The tense atmosphere worsened.
It's the truth, isn't it? We never had to since we hunt our food and Uncle Tom brings us all the other necessities.
Honestly, living such a lifestyle feels so relaxing. Just practicing magic all day, sometimes martial arts, making cool new magic tools, getting stronger...
In a word: Paradise.
But it didn't seem like that to everyone else.
"Merlin! Come on! Were you really only teaching them magic?!" Grandma Melinda had an "are you serious" face.
"I forgor to teach them common sense," said grandpa. "They were just soaking up all my teachings so easily... I wanted to see how far they can go... whoops."
"Merliiiiin!"
Meanwhile, I was very confused.
Who gives a shit? I'll be on Team Magic Training all the way!!!
I gave Shin a "what do you think" look. He just shrugged.
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I just keep growing older and older, don't I?
I've just had my 18th birthday, and I celebrated with my girlfriend. I'm just so thankful that she came in my life when I knew nothing about the world. Without her, I would've been scammed by a shit ton of merchants more times than I could count.
I love her so much. It's been three years since we met, and I think that's enough time for us to move to the next level. The reason why I suddenly asked her out to eat in one of the most expensive establishments in the royal capital was all for one thing only.
"Ana, I've been thinking."
"What is it, babe?"
I got down on my knees. From my spatial storage, I pulled out a ring with a diamond that glimmered with all the colors of the rainbow.
She covered her mouth in surprise. Her eyes already began to show signs of tears falling. I know I'd hate to see her cry, but this time was an exception.
"Ana. D. Armas. Will you marry me?"
"YES! YES! YES! YES!"
The ring fit perfectly. She was mine, and I was her's. Forever.
SIIIIIIIIIIIIIKKKEEEEEE!
I'm still 15 years old. My birthday was just yesterday.
"W-what kind of magic is that?" Siegfried pointed at the gate Shin just made.
"Well, it's a gate. It connects two far away locations together for easy travel."
"Spectacular..."
It was their first time seeing this kind of magic. Even though spatial magic to store things already existed, it doesn't look like anyone managed to make a portal with magic.
"This is revolutionary..."
"Yeah, but this isn't really part of the magic showcase. We have to get to our training grounds first."
The same people from yesterday's party returned to see Shin and I cast out magic. They were curious about what two 15 year olds can do when they were only taught magic all their life. Well, magic among other things, but definitely not common practices.
After walking through the gate, we found ourselves in the middle of a forest. It was the one I made for my magic graduation day.
"Hey, isn't this place a bit weird?" Chris crouched down, tapping the ground. It was made of hard rock.
"What kind of plants are these? They look similar to our native flora, but they can grow out of hardened rock instead of soil. Where are we, Master Merlin?"
Uncle Michel was the next to notice the strange, certainly magical phenomenon.
"You'll have to ask Thomas if you want answers."
And so, everyone glanced in my direction.
"I made them."
"...I must have not heard it right. Can you say that again?" said Uncle Dis.
"I made them. I made this plant and that plant and that tree and... well, pretty much anything green."
"Merlin! What have you been teaching them all this time?! This is nothing I have—we have ever seen before!"
"Grandma, shouting isn't good for your health..."
For many years now, I've been carrying this one simple thought.
Magic is easy.
Shin found it easy. Grandpa Merlin knew a lot about magic so it must be easy.
Just my imagination is enough to make what I once thought impossible, possible. Think of fire and it appears. Think of water and it flows. Think of wind and it blows.
But it looks like I was wrong.
If it wasn't obvious back then, it sure was now. Grandma Melinda's and everyone else's reactions were evidence enough.
Shin and I are actually really impressive, huh. Looks like we do lack common sense.
"Okay, Shin! You do your magic first. Thomas will go next."
"Alright, grandpa."
Shin performed the same motions he made during his final act for graduation day. This time, there's a twist. The way he manipulated his magic made it feel more controlled.
Then he released it.
*BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!*
A pillar of explosive, blue flames demolished the dense forest of my making. Instead of a nuke-like explosion, Shin created something more like Godzilla's linear atomic breath.
"WWWWHAAAAAATTT?!?!?!??!"
Despite the loud boom, I clearly heard everyone's stupefaction. Their jaws were practically touching the floor, while their eyes looked as if they would fall out of their sockets.
From their reaction, we really are pretty impressive by this world's standards.
This world's standards. I'll need to learn them. I can't let a bunch of randos bother me because I showed off too much of my power after all.
"I'm done. Bro, you're up!"
The forest was now divided into two, separated by Shin's magic attack that reached as far as the eye could see. The trail of destruction reached all the way to a far away mountain and made a hole straight through it.
"I'll make this quick."
I walked past the retreating Shin. I didn't look back, but I could hear Grandma Melinda hounding Shin and Grandpa Merlin for answers. Everyone was distracted by my brother at this moment.
Well, it's fine.
I waved my hand. Then there was the sound of many things falling at once. The resulting noise was loud, but my attack itself was silent.
"What just..."
Since everyone wasn't paying attention, they couldn't comprehend just what took place.
"The mountain... the forest..."
"Wait, what happened?"
Even Shin only saw the aftermath.
"The trees... Thomas, what did you do?"
"I just cut them."
I call this move, "Mass Deforestation," made possible by a wind attack sharp enough and wide enough to sever everything in a 180° angle at waist level.
Very effective, but only on flat ground. It's a good thing that the whole area was practically leveled during the times Shin and I practiced our magic here.
"Anyway, that's all for today. Care for a second birthday celebration? I have a Morning Crow in my spatial storage."
Everyone apart from Shin was still trying to process the scenery before them.
"Wow, really? You were hiding something like that?"
"I just caught it earlier. Let's have another party, everyone!"
"...okay."
After passing through the gate back home, another party was held. Although, the main topic being talked about this time was how our powers could potentially conquer the world.
But that's just too troublesome.
---------------
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#Omake#
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High noon. The sky was clear. A gentle breeze blew across the land.
Michel, the man renowned as the Sword Saint, stared at a boy tens of meters away from him. He was only ten years old. But not just any ordinary ten year old.
Ben 10.
Just kidding. I meant Thomas Wolford.
They each held a sword. However, Michel held one made of magic metal, while the one in Thomas's hand was wooden.
"Ready?"
Another boy stood by the side. Shin Wolford. His role was to announce the start of the match.
"3..."
Both sides tensed up. Michel had his eyes on his opponent's sword. He evaluated that it wouldn't survive a casual blow from him.
But his instincts told him otherwise.
"2..."
Physical enhancement magic covered Michel like an invisible suit of armor. His opponent didn't do the same.
"1..."
A warning welled up from Thomas's subconscious. His stance changed the slightest bit.
"Go!"
Michel crossed the distance in a flash.
"Huup!"
The sound of clashing metal rang out. Thomas easily blocked, as if he had foreseen it coming.
A flurry of attacks threatened to slice young Thomas, but each and every one failed to reach their target.
I'm too predictable. It seems I've taught my techniques too well.
The blades whizzed through the air in a deadly dance. The slightest mistake was all it would take to end the match.
Neither of the two made such a mistake. Assuming that they never will wouldn't be far from reality either.
Until one did.
"Tch!" Michel frowned before retreating. Blood dripped down his arm.
He had been played.
He couldn't move his arm as well now. And more than that, blood continued to gush from the wound.
If you can't take advantage of an opening, then make one, huh? But to make me make a mistake on purpose... that's a bit much.
He sheathed his sword, a priceless treasure he received from the king of Earlshide Kingdom. "I admit defeat."
"Noice. Good game, Uncle Michel!"
Healing magic immediately healed the wound. Michel moved his arm and felt fine, ready for another round.
"Thomas. I have a question."
"I already told you, Uncle. You can't do it."
"Just make a more elaborate manual this time and give me a few years! I'll learn how to augment my weapon like you do too!" Michel pointed at the wooden sword. It barely had a scratch despite undergoing an intense fight. Such a thing should've been impossible since Thomas didn't coat it in magic, yet it was.
What did young Thomas use in their bout?
"It's not any normal magic... it's something only I can use. Not even Shin can use it."
"..."
How many times had he asked, only to be met with the same answer?
The reality was too disappointing.
"Fine, I'll stop from now on. Shin, it's your turn. Borrow your brother's practice sword."
Shin pulled out one from his spatial storage.
"...I forgot about that. Anyway, let's do this!"
"Uncle Michel, can you go a bit easier on me—"
"Do you think your enemies will hold back just because you ask them too? RAAAAAAAGH!!!!!"
So began Shin's torturous training.