2 The Mistress

Today, I went to school, I was taught basic math, language, world history and geography. I got a couple of pieces of important information. First of all, it looks like I live in the country of Tinara. It's like the shape of Germany, but it's divided into 9 different states.

I'm living in the state of Jerus. The Earl of Jerus is the Mistress's father. Earl John of the Rusan family. Another thing that I learned is that people in this world believe in multiple gods. God of Life, God of Death, you know, basic polytheism.

It looks like everybody in this country believes in this religion, meaning that the Church has a lot of power over the people. However, something that I was surprised to learn is that there is a separation between church and state. Meaning that the church can't legally interfere in politics.

Which is great for me because I don't have to believe in their gods to be able to gain power and status. Anyway, I went to library again today. I couldn't gain any more information about magic.

It looks this library is mostly fiction books and economics, geography, and other stuff that's basically useless to me right now. I tried to ask Ms. Baker for more books about magic, but it looks like she doesn't have any other than those.

I returned to my home and spent some time meditating. It was my first time meditating and it think I could faintly feel my mana being carried from my core through my veins. It kind of felt like moving water.

Also, I was able to feel as mana entered my body. It felt rather calming. But this feeling didn't last for too long because my mom interrupted me.

"Leonard, you should be outside playing with other kids. You shouldn't be cooped up in this house. Go play, go" she said while kicking me out of the house.

It is true that I don't have many friends, but what can you do? I'm a grown man in the body of child. Hanging out with them is nothing but a waste of time.

But I still did it. I didn't want my mom to get angry at me. Who knows what she might do? I spent the rest of the day playing with the other kids.

To be honest I felt dirty. Like I was some pedophile praying on young kids. But it was not all bad. I learned some great information.

Qures, a kid on my street has an older brother that is a part of the army. He said that his brother practices magic in his backyard every afternoon.

My first though was that I might be able to learn some magic from him. So, in a stroke of genius, I asked Qures If I could come over to his house tomorrow and watch his brother practice.

"I don't know, he gets angry at me when I watch his training, but you can try! Just don't ask him questions, he'll kick you out of the house If you make him angry." He spoke.

"I won't, just please let me see him practice" I answer. "Alright, come to my house tomorrow after lunch and we can watch him do magic" He replies.

"Great! See you tomorrow" I said. After that I went home, mediated more, trained my mana, and went to sleep.

Tomorrow after lunch I ran to Qures's house. His house was uhh, dirty and crusty, but I didn't come to give him cleaning tips but rather to watch his brother train.

We sat in his backyard and watched his brother. His brother is a skinny, medium height teenager, short black hair. He didn't look strong at all or competent. However, he is definitely doing something with mana.

He's standing in the middle of his backyard with his arms at his stomach and his hands open. He has his eyes closed. He's doing some sort of meditation or maybe mana transformation. I don't know.

"What is he doing?" I ask Qures. "I don't know, but after he finishes doing the spell, he gets stronger I think" He answers. Oh, so it's Inner magic, he's doing a strengthening spell.

I continue to watch him, but nothing happens. Then suddenly a coat of red magic forms around his body. It's pretty weak but you can see it.

"Yes!" He says. He opens his eyes and looks around to see me and Qures watching him. "What are you idiots doing?" He questions. "We're watching you" Qures answer. "So, what does that spell do?" I ask.

"Hm, I'm glad you asked, it's a spell that makes me stronger" He answers. "So, you can punch stronger?" I ask. "No, dumbass, it makes your whole body stronger, so I can not only punch stronger but also kick stronger and swing my sword stronger" He replies.

"Ok, so do they teach that at military school?" I ask. "Yes, they do. They teach 3 basic spells, the strength spell, the defense spell and a spell that makes you go faster" He gleams. "You mean agility" I ask again.

"Yes! That word." He responds. "So, like how do you do it?" I question him. "I'm not going to teach a booger eater like you. You need to go to military school to find out" he says. Motherfucker, did you just call me a booger eater? You look like you only eat boogers.

Qures's mom walks out of the house and intervenes. " Jures teach them! Come on it's not like they are going to know how to do it. Just show them" His mom says. "Fine" He mumbles under his chin.

"Listen, this is what you are going to do" he says. He puts his arms to his stomach and opens his hands. He closes his eyes. "You're going to stand in this position and try to create a coat of mana around yourself while you're thinking of making yourself stronger. Emotions, thoughts and mentality affect mana so don't be a pussy about it and just think about how stronger you want get" He continues.

"Do I have to do the position you're doing every time?" I ask him. "No, you just, like, need to think really hard about it while being relaxed" He replies. "Most soldiers are able to active this magic after just a couple seconds of thinking about, while some masters don't even have to think, they just activate it on command." He monologues.

"Now, fuck off. I have to train" he says in a strong demeanor. After this I walked back to my home. The light was still out so I did a couple of chores in the shop before running up into my room. Firstly I meditated, to warm up my mana veins, or at least I think that's how it works. After about half an hour of meditation. It's time to practice magic.

Instead of doing that weird pose he was doing I'll try in my meditation pose. I sit on my hard wood floor in my meditation pose and start moving mana through my veins. Although faintly I can feel my mana move.

Then, It's time. In my head, around my body, I create a coat of red mana. I could feel it, the mana leaving my veins trying to create the coat. I spent a long time just pushing the mana outside of my body. I lost track of time but after I while I finally did it.

I opened my eyes and saw a light red coat of mana around my skin. It was weak, even weaker than Jures's. But I could definitely feel myself becoming stronger by the second, not much, but I could feel the magic affecting my body.

In that moment, my mom yelled out for me causing me to burst the coat. FUCK, I just got the hang of it. But if it bursts from a single yell, it probably wasn't good enough yet. It looks like I'll need to practice for some time before I can show this to the Mistress.

After that, I spent the next three weeks, practicing everything I learned from mana flow, meditation, strengthening, to defense and agility magic which I learned in the meantime.

It was by no means great, but for a 12 year old to be able to something that most people aren't even able to do. I think showed a lot of promise in me. Plus, it's not like I could learn anything more.

Qures's brother had already left town for a job as a guard in a different city, so I couldn't learn any more magic from him. On top of that, he didn't even want to teach me anything more.

I also convinced my parents to allow me to try out for the internship, I guess it could be described as that. At first, they weren't convicted, they called me crazy and delusional, there was a lot of yelling. After hours of arguing I finally showed them what I learned, and they were shocked.

My mom cried and my dad was just shocked. Dad was stunned that I had that amount of talent and mom was crying about her baby leaving her. After, a couple of days my dad decided that it would be best If went and trained and learned under the Mistress.

He was supportive of it, but my mom was well, a crying mess. It didn't matter how many times we explained to her how this could reasonably help our family she just ignored it!

However, it seemed like my mom had a few reasonable points on why I shouldn't. Firstly, it was dangerous. I could be forced to go to wars for the family and I would probably be sent to missions that might be dangerous. I might have to fight magical beasts.

I didn't care to be honest. In a world of magic, I didn't expect anything less. The second reason is that children that get accepted by noble families, they are rarely able to see their own families. I wouldn't be an apprentices but rather an inhouse student that was trained all year round.

I again didn't care. I'm a grown man, I won't be developing any mommy or daddy issues. Finally, the day came, my dad talked to the advisor of the Mistress and set an appointment for my test.

Now, it's time to showcase my talents. The day arrived; my dad went up to the front gate of the mansion with me. The mansion was completely surrounded by a stone wall so you couldn't see in.

The large wooden doors opened, revealing something surprising, this wasn't a European mansion, like the rest of the houses in the town which had European architecture but rather a Japanese mansion.

I entered the estate, leaving my dad at the gate because he wasn't allowed in. As I was guided through the estate, I swear to God It looked like a Japanese mansion even equipped with a koi pond but instead of koi there was some sort of magic fish.

Anyway, I walked to the front of the main house, where the guards stopped suddenly, next to me I noticed a table with a pencil and a paper test.

"You are dismissed" A voice yelled out of the mansion. A mean man walked out of the house wearing some clearly fancy clothes. The guards left me and returned to their posts.

"You are the one who's asking for a test are you not?" He said sternly. I look him directly in his eyes and I say "Yes, sir I am". Now that I look at him, he gives me the vibe of snake or lizard, anyway, he looks cunning.

"Do you know who I am?" He asks? I look him up and down and I say, "You are probably the advisor to the Mistress". He smiles. "Yes, I am" He answers.

"You will now, take two tests, one in basic math and language and the other one in magic. Do you understand" He continues. "Yes" I answer.

I didn't expect a math test, but I am grown man plus not to brag but I am the top of my class. Well, no shit I'm the top of my class I'm competing with 5th graders. I would kill myself If I wasn't the top of my class.

"I will watch you so that there is no cheating. Do you have any questions?" He asks. "And what about the Mistress, will she be judging me" I ask.

"The Mistress has no reason to deal with commoners like you, she has no need to see the bottom of the barrel. Commoners like are you are not worthy of seeing her." He says with a disgusted demeanor.

"Of course, It was stupid of me to even think of that" I says as I grab my chair and sit down. Then I grab my pencil and say, " Can I begin". "Of course," he says shocked. He then smiles.

In that moment I realized that it would be stupid of me to argue with him or even deny what he said about me, but I realized that If I agreed with him and took a submissive role, I could gain his approval.

I did my test. It was easy. I gave him the test, he graded it and I got a 97. Fucked up a couple of words but that's alright.

Then we began with the magic test. First, he asked me to show him my mana control i.e., my meditation. I sit on ground and start meditating. While I was showing him my mana control suddenly I hear a loud shocked sigh.

I open to eyes, in front of me, I see the Mistress, the snake jackass didn't even have to say anything I could feel it from her presence, from the vibe she gave off.

She is beautiful. Medium black hair that goes to her chest, a beautiful body that was covered in a masterfully crafted black dress, a little bit on the tall side. She had the face of a predator, she looked very strong and intimidating. But she is also young. She is definitely in her late teenage years. Maybe 17,18 maybe 19? I don't know her exact age.

"Mistress" The advisor says while bowing his head.

I immediately leaped out of my meditation position and got on my knees, I lowered my head and puts my hands on the ground like a Japanese salesman begging his boss for forgiveness.