The next morning I asked the kids to eat by themselves and sat in the room with the newly acquired book. The book was filled with detailed account of various wars led by Gliania Empire over the years. I skimmed through the pages and found the information I was looking for.

An evil Witch was born within the royal blood and was banished into the forest by the decree of the new king. The wretched Witch was sealed by the five powerful mages who were proficient in using elemental magic. The mages used each of the elements to create a powerful seal to entrap the witch in the Gratel forest. They combined the elements together to isolate the witch inside the forest while making the forest safe for other humans. It is said that elements prohibit the witch from approaching any human.

After the Witch was sealed, in commendation for their action, four of the mages received the title of marquis and was given territories to manage; while the most powerful of them know as Ilaldi was given a position in the Royal court.

Qiran, the mage proficient in controlling fire element was appointed as marquis of Aethelhem.

Sikral, the mage proficient in controlling wind element was appointed as marquis of Culcheth.

Dorion, the mage proficient in controlling earth element was appointed as marquis of Anghor.

Heldrin a mage proficient in controlling water element was appointed as marquis of Bracklewhyte.

They continue to serve the empire and took an oath to unite under the command of the Empire if there was ever a need to banish other vile creatures.

I noted down the details on a piece of paper then left the room to join the kids for breakfast. They had finished their breakfast by the time I entered the Kitchen. The girls were washing the dishes. I grabbed a plate, put some food in it and started eating. I noticed that the little girl was frequently glancing in my direction, when I looked at her she panicked and dropped the plate in her hand. The plate shattered and the pieces lay on the floor. She looked at me fearfully, I just took a look at the floor and then giving it no heed focused on the food. The elder girl then cleaned the floor lecturing the little girl to be careful.

I had nothing to do after breakfast and wanted to see the town hence decided to take the kids out shopping. I told the kids to get ready and made myself to my room. There was a big trunk below the bed which was locked, the Captain stored all his money and valuables inside the trunk. I didn’t care to search for the keys and smashed it open. I collected the money and went to see the kids.

The cloths they were wearing were old and torn so I bought them a new set of cloths. A little further there was a candy stall and the twins were eagerly looking at the other kids surrounding the stall. I gave them some money and told them that they could buy whatever they want. The twins ran to the shop all excited.

“You can also buy some candies, afterall it’s your father’s money” I told the girl besides me.

“I am not a child. I don’t like sweets that much” the girl said looking at the crowd before the candy store.

“Then you can buy whatever you like. Tell me if you need something” I said to her.

“If it’s not much trouble, I would like to buy some jewellery” She said looking at me expectantly.

“No problem, by the way what’s your name? I forgot to ask yesterday”

“My name is Sofie.” She said performing a curtsy.

After the twins came back, I sent them with their sister to the jewelers shop. I decided to pay a visit to the merchant shop to look for weapons and magic related items. The jewelers shop was a few shops away from the merchant place and I told the kids to wait for me outside after they have finished their purchases.

Upon entering the shop, I noticed that there were a various kinds of weapons. Different kinds of spears, swords, axes and bows were on display. I went further inside and was intercepted by a young man. He seemed to be the owner of the place. He asked me if I was looking for some kind of specialized weapon. I told him that I was interested in items related to magic. He led me to a room inside the shop and introduced me to an old woman.

The old woman was creepy, especially one of her eyes which was entirely white. She showed me staffs, scrolls or magical objects which were neatly stacked in the shelves. I told her that I was interested in information related to magic and was willing to pay the price for it. I explained to her I didn’t know anything about magic and wanted the information for my son who is showing aptitude in magic. After a little haggle we settled down on the price. I paid upfront and she started explaining things to me.

Magic is performed by using the mana which is inside all living creatures. The mana is available all around us. Although the mana is in abundance, very few humans are capable of becoming a mage. Those who are gifted with the capabilities of manipulating the mana to their wishes, study the element their bodies are compatible with and become a mage. A human body can only store so much of mana at a time and after expending that mana a mage has to take rest in order to let the mana build up inside the body. If a mage forcefully tries to expend mana more than his body is capable of, then his organs start to fail one by one. The old women showed me her eye as a proof.

To enhance the quality of the mana various tools are used such as staff’s and wands. Magic can also be used by the common people with the help of scrolls and magical object created by scholar mages, but the quality of magic would be far inferior compared to that of a real mage. Mana can also be stored inside kridite which is red gem. These gems are too expensive for common people and adventurers. Usually nobility carry these gems which rival the power of real mages.

I remember the red gem I gave to Elena which I took from the Noble on the merchant ship. I asked the women if I could buy the gem. She told me that no shop in this town would have it since the townfolks cannot afford such luxuries. She suggested me to travel to the city if I was interested in buying one.

After getting answers to all my questions, I exited the shop to look for the kids. They were standing outside the jewelers shop as I had told them to. The twins were holding onto the candies as it were a treasure and Sofie had bought a necklace and a matching pair of earring, she seems to be in a very good mood. She grabbed my hand as we started walking. We all were walking hand in hand as though a big happy family. Although I was not their father, I liked these kids and it felt really good to spend time with them. After buying few more things we made way to the house.

As we approached the house, I noticed that the door of the house was open. I was sure that I had locked it when we left the house. I voiced my suspicion and made the kids follow behind me cautiously. I didn’t want to fight with my real abilities in the Captain’s body as it would lead to discovery of my identity. If it was a robber then I would not have a problem dealing with him, but the probability of a robber infiltrating the Captain’s house is slim. I walked forward cautiously and saw the Noble Edward seated in the center of the hall.

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Are you guys able to view the art works I had posted. There is no option for direct upload of images in RR. I am posting the link from Imgur and hence have my doubts. If you feel lazy - just comment with "Yes" as it would clear my doubts.

There won't be any chapters for the next two days as I am going on a business trip with my boss. I will make up for it on Saturday.