Side Story 3 – Love

(Adam’s POV, after falling asleep right after rescuing his sister)

“Papa, I love it when you read me the story about the mage that saves the kingdom”

Why am I here? Oh yeah, we are on a picnic with my family and sister by the river. I just can follow the flow of the event, like playing back video record, without deviating.

My father got some good harvest this year. Growing crops is difficult in this land, as the soil is infertile. Looking back, it would be great if magical phenomena can be used to convert the soil. Nobody had the idea, and it would bring great change and fortune for our family and the other farming neighbours.

My father is one of the many farmers of the kingdom of Velodria. Wars often happen, and kingdoms rise and fall with it, so we usually don’t feel much attachment to any of them.

The farmers have to toil a lot of soil and carry backbreaking amounts of water over long distances. Owning horses and bulls will help out a lot in the farming work of pulling carts and tilling the soil, but my father couldn’t afford any of them. We bought a foal two years ago with dad’s meager savings, but it turns out to be infected with plague. We have to spend some money to hire a cleric from the capital to clear the plague.

That’s when I start seriously practicing magic and use them to help dad and mum in their work. My magic is very weak in the beginning, as my mana is low in quantity. I begin training my body and my magic at the same time, as I believe a strong body would help a mage to achieve more mana and more potent invocation. I measured my magical strength by shooting one elemental bullet at a rock every day to track my progress. After one year, I can see a clear difference between the amounts of rock I can chip off last year compared to this year. It may be due to magic proficiency too, but I felt that a strong body helps me as much as the skill proficiency.

I brought my mind back to current picnic with family

“We are here for a picnic. Stories can wait for bedtime” (Dad)

“Dad, I want to go to the river and swim.” (Adam)

“I want to go chuu” (Lillie)

“Yeah, let’s all go together!” (Dad)

“I will prepare lunch. Go and enjoy yourselves” (Mum)

“Let’s prepare them together after we enjoy ourselves by the river. Take what is edible with us so that the animals don’t steal them while we are away, dear” (Dad)

“Alright, alright. Don’t let me hold you all back. Go enjoy yourselves while I pack things up” (Mum)

“”OKAY!”” (Adam and Lillie)

“Adam, take good care of your sister okay?” (Dad, went back to help mum pack)

“Yes, sir” (Adam, doing a salute pose)

“Hehe, what is this pose?” (Lillie, copied and imitates the same pose in front of Adam)

“It’s a pose to give respect to someone, but I can’t recall where I see it” (Adam)

“Brother is always full of surprises. I love chu, brother” (Lillie)

“Yeah, I love you too, Lillie” (Adam)

I hold her hands and we both march into the river together, kicking up the water and sometimes fishes along the way. I carried a basket weaved with Anyaman leaves, and I catch the fishes with it. Lillie laughs each time I swing the basket to get the fish, and she likes it a lot. This made me happy and proud.

After kicking and swinging the basket for some time, I saw something glittering in the water. I trace the light and saw it originated from under a large rock. I tried to take it, but it’s stuck under the rock. I tilt the large rock up a little with all my strength, but I don’t have enough limbs to take the out the glittering thing. Lillie helped me by diving under and quickly removes the glittering item from under the large rock.

Lillie showed me the glittering thing she took from underneath the rock.

“Uwah! It’s so pwetty! I want to keep it, brother” (Lillie)

“Yeah, it’s a beautiful aqua blue quartz, just like you. Let me make it into an accessory, then I will give it to you.” (Adam)

“Okay! Yippee. Brother will give me a beautiful present” (Lillie)

“Look forward to it, Lillie. Your brother will make this into an awesome item that has the greatest magical properties in the entire kingdom.” (Adam)

“I saw another stone like this at the bottom of that rock. Will you make one for my friend too?”

“Which friend do you want to give it to?” (Adam)

“Amanda” (Lillie)

“Okay. I will get Dad to help me later, as the rock is very heavy, and I don’t want you to risk yourself again.” (Adam)

“What are you kids discussing huh? Oh! Isn’t that a rare gemstone?” (Dad)

“Oh, dear. I have never seen a gem as large and clear as this one before. What do you want to do with it?” (Mum)

“This stones seems to have good mana circulation, and they also have their own mana reserve. I plan to enchant them into protection tools so that it can protect sis while also looks elegant” (Adam)

“Oh, my. Even the adult me also feels jealous when you only love your sister alone so much.” (Mum)

“Dear, I will make one for you too. One bigger and better than the one our son has” (Dad)

Both me and my sister just can watch as dad and mum’s lovey-dovey moment continues. I decide to break them up at the right time.

“Dad, can you help me move that rock so that I can grab another white one like this at the bottom?” (Adam)

“Can I have it, son?” (Dad)

“No, you can’t. It’s for Amanda” (Adam)

“What? My son’s two-timing at such a young age!?” (Dad)

“What the hell, dad. It’s a request from Lillie. Come on, don’t shout it aloud” (Adam)

“At least give me half of it” (Dad)

“No way” (Adam)

“One-third?” (Dad)

“Impossible” (Adam)

“One-quarter? Come one, have mercy on dad. Your mommy needs some love too. Besides, if I don’t help you, we both get none” (Dad)

“Okay, okay. You can have one-quarter of it, that’s all. I’m afraid that the shape will look unappealing once we split the gem” (Adam)

“Don’t worry, we have some good lathe tools at home. I also saw that you have good eyes and skills in handling the delicate gemstones when making accessories” (Dad)

“You are praising me too much Dad, but I’m not falling for it. Let’s go get the white quartz under the rock” (Adam)

“Let’s do it, son” (Dad)

After having a nice time playing in the river, and catching the fresh fishes, cooking them over the fire, and have a family lunch together, we finished our picnic, and the sun is near the horizon.

We packed our belongings, discard all the bones for the wild cats in the jungle, and we make a move back home. While walking back home, we encounter a group of soldiers walking down the road while patrolling the village to maintain order. The kingdom we are under is bordering both the Demon Lord territory and the uncharted demi-human forest, so the army is always dispatched to patrol and monitor the kingdom’s territory.

One of dad’s friends is the leader of the soldier patrol group, so he greeted us. He asked my dad if he’s interested to let me join the military. He said that the kingdom’s military is undergoing a new reform, and they are going to perform a special ceremony by the church to ask God to aid us by giving us a great person by means of a summon. Before they are going to do that, they are requesting for talented young people to train and drill together with the army so that they may become aide and other important people what will accompany the summoned great person. They promised that the people selected as candidate will get to study in the capital and will be given a good remuneration, and plenty of job opportunities in the capital.

My dad is not keen on military matters, and my mum is worried about my safety and well-being. My sister said she wants me to be with her in the village, and I also don’t want to part away from my sister so soon. The patrol leader asks me what I aspire to be when I grow big, and I replied him I wanted to be a magician. He said that this is a must-not-miss opportunity, as they allow commoners to learn magic if they have the proper disposition and the right talent to master magic. This really puts me in a bind, and I really wanted to say that I wish to go to the capital and undergo the special selection programme that the patrol leader said.

I begin hearing some whispering in my head, and I look back at my parents and sister

“Give us our lives back. Give us our lives back. Give us back our lives” (blurry mutter of dad, mum, and sister)

Their faces are ghastly and their eyes are so scary, they look like popping out of their socket anytime,

I got scared, and I realized I couldn’t move from the spot as the ghastly figures cling onto me and they begin pulling me into the ground like a quicksand. I asked for forgiveness, but they keep repeating the same sentence like a chant. When I look forward and asking for help, I saw the patrol soldiers laughing menacingly, and thrust their spears at me.

I then woke up from the dream, and realized I have dozed off after I tire myself out after rescuing my sister, Lillie.