It had been eight months since I parted with Michelle, my first teacher and friend. Since then I had been working tirelessly to improve my ability to sense the small changes of my mana hitting things.
This allowed me to be able to read books, because I could sense the small bumps of the ink on paper. It wasn't easy, and even when I could finally do it, I still wasn't good at it.
However hard work never betrayed me. Eventually I finished the book and began to practice the new spell.
After another four months, a whole year after I was finally at the point where I could communicate with others. Immediately I went to look for my parents.
I took the small instrument my sister had gifted me, and began to walk around the halls while pressing the key that indicated I needed help.
After a while I eventually felt a hand on my shoulder. I stopped playing the key and looked towards who was in front of me. With a quick scan I was able to confirm it was indeed the maid who had been helping me this whole time.
Mind Reading was a skill, which meant it was active at all times rather than something I had to activate all the time, so the moment I became aware of her I was able to read her thoughts.
'What is the Young Master doing here?'
"I need to meet with my parents. Can you lead me to them?"
'Can he hear me? No... It must be that book he has been reading.'
"You would be correct, Maria."
We began walking and along the way Maria began to talk to me.
'Can you read all my thoughts?'
"No, there are a lot of restrictions. First of all I can't read the thoughts of anyone who doesn't want me to unless I am stronger than them or if their mentality is fragile. Also I can only read surface thoughts."
'What does that mean then?'
"It just means that I can talk to those who want to talk to me, but not any more than that."
Soon we arrived at my father's office where he ran the trading company my family owned. I had been here a few times so it was already marked on the map, but I couldn't have known he was in here.
Once inside I performed a quick scan and saw my father sitting at the desk. My father was no doubt aware of mind reading spells, since he didn't have his thoughts unguarded like Maria did. Probably something he had to learn of while being a merchant.
After she explained his thoughts started to enter my mind.
'Styxas, can you hear these thoughts?'
I smiled and nodded.
Although I couldn't detect tone or emotion through the thoughts I knew my father must be happy.
'That's good that you've gained some ability to talk to others. What did you come to talk to me about?'
I took a deep breath and organized my thoughts. What I was about to say might cause a problem, but I needed to start accomplishing things to get stronger.
In the game you would either play using experience from killing things, or you would get stronger through overcoming big events.
Either way, I wouldn't be able to improve unless I left the safety of my family's estate and explored the world. Plus there were artifacts that only I knew of that wouldn't be discovered in years, or quests that I could complete now to get stronger sooner.
"I want to become a merchant."
****
Michelangelo Serrano, known as Angelo the Avarice to many, was a famous merchant who ran the Serrano Trading Company. However he had taken a leave of absence, working from home mostly, since his son faced a great misfortune.
His son was cursed. Losing the ability to hear or see, making him unable to do things on his own and that caused Angelo and his wife Wendy to take extra care of their son's well being.
The past year had actually been different from their expectations. Their son learned to do simple things on his own, and while communication was difficult it wasn't impossible.
Styxas Serrano had shown a level of composure that was hard to imagine a 12 year old was capable of showing, given the circumstances.
Angelo was proud of his son, and recently he had been thinking that perhaps it was time to go back to the company. He was in his office going through some trade deals when his son's maid knocked on his door.
"Mr. Serrano, Styxas has come to talk to you about something."
"Styxas? Okay come in."
Styxas and his maid Maria soon entered the room. Angelo took off his reading glasses and looked at the two with a raised eyebrow. Of course his son wouldn't be able to explain the situation so Angelo looked to Maria the maid.
"Ah, young master Styxas has learned to read minds."
Surprised Angelo set down his glasses and opened his thoughts. He had a run in with a mind reader when he was young, and after that he paid a mage to help him develop his mental resistance. He had since kept his guard up and avoided some tragic losses in the process.
Allowing his thoughts to be read he thought of a simple phrase for his son.
'Styxas, can you hear these thoughts?'
His son had a bright smile on his face as he nodded, and Angelo smiled brightly as well. However the conversation became complicated when his son said something he never expected to hear.
"I want to become a merchant."
Styxas stepped forward and sat down in a chair across from Angelo.
"More specifically, I want to follow one of your merchants and experience the world. I think it would be best to start having me do things other than just sitting around the house all day. If I'm ever going to live a normal life I need to get out and do stuff."
Angelo sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He knew what his son was saying, and he even agreed to some extent, but how would he ever convince his wife? Their son was blind and deaf, how was he going to defend himself?
Sure they could hire a bodyguard but who would be someone they could trust? That was when his son spoke up.
"If you're worried about who to hire to protect me, don't worry I already know the perfect guy."
Angelo froze for a moment. Not because his son had said something outrageous, but because he was sure he had kept his thoughts protected just now.
'Maybe I need to stop underestimating my son?'
****
Convincing my mother was a real struggle. Even after we found a trust worthy merchant to teach me and watch out for me, after we established the person who would guard me was definitely powerful enough to guarantee my safety, she still had concerns for everything.
It was decided that I would not have a maid brought with me, instead I would spend the opportunity to learn to care for myself, and prove that I can someday travel alone.
However if anything were to happen, and I was hurt to an unreasonable degree, I would not be allowed to be a merchant. Instead I would agree to become a scholar or something similar.
I agreed, since I had no other choice, and began to make preparations for my first adventure. First I began by meeting with the merchant I would be following. His name was Bernardino DeLuca, one of my father's old friends and a respectable merchant.
However he had a bad habit that no one knew about.
He was a terrible gambling addict.
So why did I agree to him being my guide when I knew he was a closet gambling addict? Because I needed a merchant that was dishonest but had a conscience so I could control him.
When I met him he asked me where I would like to go, if I wanted to experience any parts of the continent and he would do his best to make that happen. He was truly a good guy. Also he never stole from anyone, he always gambled with the money he made fair and square.
Of course it was easy to convince him to go to Barrath, the largest gambling city in the world, since all I had to do was say that I wanted to go there to experience the culture.
However my true goal was to gather a future ally.
In Barrath there were a lot of child slaves. Many of whom their parents sold them to pay off their debts. I remembered that later on my party would encounter a loan shark who had a powerful bodyguard.
After we defeated them we found out that the bodyguard was a child slave that the loan shark had trained. The child was a gifted fighter but they also had a special constitution.
They were immune to magic.
They unfortunately died from a slave mark that used tabooed magic to link their life with the loan sharks. When he died, so did they, and I thought that was such a waste. This time I wanted to get to them before the loan shark learned of their gift.
I would also try my best to uncover the corruption in the city, since it would one day be the largest source of income for Balthazar the Inciter, but that was easier said than done.
After meeting with Bernardino I went to a local bar with some guards. It was time to meet my future bodyguard.
****
"FUCK! You bastard you cheated!"
"You callin' me a cheat?"
*Ptoo*
A large shirtless man stood up, knocking over the table with cards and drinks. He grabbed the man who had called him a cheater and punched him hard in the face.
Blood spewed from the man's nose but he didn't just let himself get beaten up. He quickly twisted his body and slammed the man in the head with a wooden chair.
Shouts and profanities sounded as the bar patrons cheered for the fight. Spurring it on out of boredom.
The large man staggered but caught himself before falling. He roared then charged forward. He grabbed the man who hit him and threw the both of them out the front door of the bar.
They landed in the mud and after a bit of wrestling the large man landed a few punches. His opponent couldn't withstand the beating so he stayed on the ground coughing roughly.
*Ptoo*
"Don't play cards if you're shit. Don't call others a cheat if you can't even defend yourself."
The man, perhaps wisely, stayed on the ground until the larger man had went back into the bar. After he had, the man on the ground quickly jumped to his feet as if nothing had happened, and tossed a small coin purse into the air.
"Big oaf didn't even notice his money pouch got stolen."
As the man smiled he was about to turn when he heard a voice from behind him.
"Theft is outlawed under the rule of the Serrano family."
The man spun around and his heart seized up as he turned to see four armed soldiers standing next to a young boy.
The young boy smiled, but when the man looked into his eyes he saw that his eyes were glossed over.
'He's blind.'
The man thought.
"I'm not just blind. I'm also deaf."
The man stiffened up, he looked to the others to see if perhaps they thought that the boy was telling a joke but when they simply stared at him he realized the boy was telling the truth.
Looking back at the boy he was about the say something but the boy interrupted him by raising his hand.
"I'm here to hire you as a guard... In exchange... I'll help you find her."
Again the man was about to decline but before he could.
"Heather Radcliffe."
The man froze. The boy walked forward, his guards following, and stood in front of the man. Staring into his eyes with the boy's dead eyes.
"I know where she is. Come with me and you'll get to meet her again."
****
Angelo and Wendy Serrano were sitting at the dinner table like usual with their son. However there was an unexpected guest joining them.
"So your name is Tristan Schultz? How uh... Did you meet our son?"
Taking a big drink of ale the man wiped his mouth with his sleeve before looking at the couple before him. He had learned that the boy was the son of the Serrano trading company, and that he had been cursed a year ago.
"I didn't really mean to. He found me outside of a bar and told me that he wanted me to be his guard while he travels. Other than that, I just met the kid, and was hoping you two could tell me a little more about what I am supposed to do."
Angelo and Wendy looked at each with a complicated expression before looking back at Tristan.
"Actually we don't know what our son's plans are... He said that you were an incredible tomb raider who was the perfect guard for him."
Tristan took a moment to look at Styxas, who had been silent the entire meal and was struggling to feed himself. His thoughts were a complete mystery, however he suddenly stopped eating and looked at his parents who hadn't said anything.
"He's a good man. Don't worry about it."
Tristan looked at the parents with a look of confusion but they just smiled before going back to their dinner.
Unable to contain his confusion Tristan asked the parents.
"Is there some way you guys are communicating with him? I feel like I'm only hearing half of a silent conversation."
Wendy covered her mouth and gasped before talking.
"Oh my goodness, he didn't tell you?"
Tristan shook his head.
"Tell me what?"
"Haha, our son Styxas here, he can read minds. He was probably just messing with you. If you don't want him to hear something just focus on not wanting him to hear it and he won't be able to."
So Tristan tried it immediately.
'You have been reading my mind this entire time?!'
"Only the things you were going to tell me anyways, but I truly do know where Heather is. I'm not powerful enough to read your memories about her."
Tristan made a complicated expression but relented in the end. Deciding to indulge in the high class alcohol the family provided. Tomorrow they would set out so he would indulge himself for tonight. However he turned and expressed his opinion to Styxas.
'Good luck reading my mind now that I know I can resist it.'
Without missing a beat Styxas immediately replied.
"You know when you're drunk I have pretty easy access to your thoughts."
Tristan was completely still as he was about to take a drink, but after shrugging he took a big drink anyways.
'Whatever. There's nothing useful in there anyways.'
Styxas laughed and continued eating. His parents were simply happy that their son seemed to be having a good time with his somewhat 'questionable' friend.