1 Disappointment

As I awoke I saw a ceiling that wasn't the bottom of my lackeys bunk bed. I looked around to try and find out where I was, to try to find any familiarity. The sunlight, and only light, was radiating through a large window that was covered with dark violet curtains. There was a well organized desk right next to it with various books, papers, pens, and other miscellaneous items. A couple of bookshelves on the opposite side of the room surrounding the old wooden door.

"Wh- What?!" I spoke softly, and out of sheer confusion of where I was.

As I took it all in I tried to recall what was happened before I awoke in this room. The last thing I remembered was reveling in victory after I had crushed a riv- bothersome gang in the region then blank. And no I wasn't in a gang, I lead a certain group of fellow youths and committed not necessarily legal acts for our benefit and pleasure.

When I finally finished recalling my victory I felt a warmth in my head- no not really my head perhaps more like an inner part of my brain? I don't know how to describe it- it wasn't painful at all, it was rather enjoyable like having a hot towel on your head but inside I guess? With the warmth came memories not my own though, but those of another young man.

His name was Albert Freedt- wait what was my name before? I can't recall, all I can recall is my rise to power as the leader of my very own gan- group of youths and my acts of crushing other powers near my area. As I recall it wasn't the largest town but it was rather decent in size and I had rather significant influence, I had even bribed local law enforcement if I remember correctly.

Back to Albert though, he was the sole heir to the Freedt Duchy. His father had gone and died after making plenty of enemies for the family and selling off some of its lands. His mother died in childbirth with his would-be younger sibling. Currently his grandfather, Walter, who was a previous duke himself who retired due to old age was leading the family in Albert's own stead as his regent.

Albert himself was not an outstanding child to Walter's dismay. He wasn't bad, not by any means, in fact many would say he was above average. However the Freedt family needed an outstanding leader to prevent itself from falling. Although the position was stabilized that was only due to the current acting Regent Walter, who doesn't have the energy nor the ability to keep it so for another decade. Albert was still young at only fourteen before I came or rather took over? He was told that he would soon be put in his rightful position as duke in six years.

Diving further into his memories I saw something amazing.

"Magic." I absentmindedly said aloud.

Indeed it was magic, or something very similar to it. What I saw was a young man, whose details were too vague for me to really make out, he went to the middle of what looked like a small military drill yard and after he made a few movements with his hands he said the one word that triggered the thing I was so apparently infatuated with.

"Ignis." He spoke smugly

Mere moments after he said the word a fire sprung from thin air floating inches from his hand. A small grin crept on his face looking around.

"Surculus." He spoke once more in the same smug tone.

The fire that was above his hand moved towards a tree in the yard. It wasn't too fast, perhaps the same speed as an average person casually throwing a baseball, yet it had some sort of force behind it that made it seem so... intimidating.

It's speed was constant which made it seem that much more powerful. Although the wind blew the fire continued unimpeded. When it impacted against the tree it exploded. Not a magnificent explosion nor a very powerful one, it wasn't even a tenth the size of the tree. Yet t still contained generous amounts of force or at least enough that you wouldn't want to be that tree.

The entire yard was silent for a bit before generous applause came. A few men ran towards the tree carrying buckets of water to douse whatever remnants of fire may be left on the tree. The young man smiled as he waved his hand in the air at no one in particular. He bowed and then left the yard, still with the odd applause from within it.

After I finished reviewing the memory I looked for more cases of this apparent magic. I found quite a lot, many were about displaying some type of magic to a crowd in the same yard. Some was of a normal passerby using it for some reason or another. A few were displayed on the streets of towns to the amazement of the surrounding populous. And even less shown being used to create water for various tasks.

Apparently this place where I woke up contained magic or a similar ability. I could hardly contain my excitement at what this could mean and how much easier it could make my life. I imagined sending magic lackeys to go expunge local businesses of their excess cash so that we could ever so generously spread it among the community, though perhaps more so the taverns and brothels.

As I was wondering a few unwelcome yet practical thoughts came to my mind. 'How would this be used militarily? Moreover how common is the ability to use magic? Can I even use it?' As I crushed my own fantasy with my rationality I looked through Albert's memories for more info.

The ability to use and manipulate magic at will was not common. The ability to even begin using magic, 'Mana Manipulation', as it was apparently called was only found in 1 in 20 people. The ability to use it proficiently and without worry of it going out of control was only 1 in 50. The ability to use it in combat or other high stress situations was 1 in 100 even with training being given.

Good news Albert had the ability to manipulate mana. Bad news is that he wasn't about to use it proficiently. 'No worries I should be able to do it with a bit of practice right?' I thought. Worse news no, Albert had gone through years of rigorous training thanks to his position as the heir apparent to a duchy. His ability to use magic increased. Marginally. He was just a bit ahead of a commoner with the ability but no training, much to Walter's dismay as well as my own.