Skarlax

"Mama?" Sebastian inquired as he walked down a spiral staircase inside their home. When no one answered his call, he went to the kitchen in search of a single clue as to his mother's whereabouts.

He noticed the door in their kitchen that led to their garden was slightly open, so when he pushed the door open to step out the backyard, a gust of wind hit him in the face, making him smile.

He recalls from his memory that the backyard is the most beautiful place Sebastian had ever seen; there were various flowers planted in rows and pots filled with soil that were surrounded by the wooden fences with vines that wrapped and hugged the fences.

They always planted herbs, fruits, and vegetables in the yard, but Sebastian's admiration was cut short when he noticed her mother squatting down near the fence to pick some tomatoes.

"Mama," Sebastian stated, alerting his mother about his presence as he walked beside his mother, who raised her head and turned her full attention to her son as her lips formed another smile.

"Are you feeling better now?" Silvia asks, standing up and putting the tomatoes into a large basket filled with other vegetables she had picked.

"Yup," he replied cheerfully. "By the way, Mama, about my question earlier: Is there a way for someone to know their magical ability?" Sebastian inquired, hoping that questioning her mother was the right choice.

"If I recall correctly, if you get to the 5th level of the "Skarlax," that's when they'll see if you have magical ability," Silvia replied, smiling at Sebastian, who was listening intently.

"Where can I find that "Skarlax," Sebastian wondered, and he swears he saw his mother flinch at his question. But that only lasted a split second before she regained her smile and turned to face him.

But before her mother could respond, a deep voice interrupted them, "Hey Silvia, I made an apple pie out of your apples," a man in his late twenties said from outside the fence as he handed over a pie. 

He was wearing a flour-splattered apron with a few stains around it, and Sebastian noticed some apple sauce smudges on it.

His brown wavy hair was neatly brushed back, but some strands fell on the left side of his face. His hazel eyes were also sparkling brightly, clearly pleased with the outcome of his pie, and his mouth was stretched into a huge smile and he also has two black tattoo line circling his neck.

"Thank you, Al. Is this going to be sold in your shop?" Silvia inquired as she accepted the pie from the young man who was the baker of their small town.

"Of course, everyone should try this pie, it tastes amazing, but don't worry I won't take all the apples from your tree" the young man replied cheerfully, eliciting a chuckle from Silvia. Al noticed Sebastian standing beside his mother, watching the scene, and asked with a friendly smile.

"Are you not going to join the preparations, Seb?" Sebastian simply shakes his head no, not knowing what help he can offer in the first place.

"He doesn't feel well, so I'll just let him rest for the day," Silvia replied.

"Oh, you better get some rest or you'll miss the arrival of the heroes," Al added.

"I'm just asking Mama how I can find the "Skarlax," and I'll return to my bedroom after," Sebastian stated as silence suddenly covered the three before Al burst out laughing for at least 30 seconds straight, leaving Sebastian puzzled.

After Al had finished laughing, he wiped his tears and replied, "Why asked about it when you had already failed the first level-"

"Al. Thanks for the pie, but I think you shouldn't leave your shop for a long time," Silvia interrupted with a smile, but her eyes said otherwise, as if she was warning him that he would be sorry if he utter one more word.

Al nodded, understanding the silent threats as he waved goodbye to the two before walking away. Sebastian looked up to his mother, puzzled, when the young man finally left. "What did he mean when he said I failed the first test?" Sebastian wondered.

Silvia sighed as she set the pie on the bench near the edge of their garden. "Can't you remember it, Seb?" Silvia asked, concerned. Sebastian scratched the back of his head, laughing slightly.

"I-I do, I'm just checking." Sebastian replied, almost forgetting that no one knows about his situation and that no one should or needs to know.

"Perhaps the Skarlax's council decision really shocked you; after all, you're still a child," Silvia muttered to herself, clearly sad for her son.

"Listen, Sebastian, all children will begin attending the "Skarlax" at the age of five. The first level is where they will teach you basic knowledge like reading and writing ruins..." There is a pause, and Sebastian can clearly see that his mother is hesitant to say her next words.

Silvia took a deep breath as she continued, "You failed to pass the first level for seven years straight, because you're having trouble writing and reading the ruins, so the council decided to drop you completely, and there will be no other chance after that."

Sebastian became even more perplexed after hearing his mother's final statement. How is that possible? He used to read a lot in his previous life; why can't he read now? Is this some punishment in exchange for his new life? But there's one more important thing he needs to know despite everything.

"Can I still have magical abilities?" he inquired, and Silvia simply shook her head, a sad expression on her face.

"Sebastian, honey, it is impossible for us humans to have magical ability," she began to explain. Sebastian's eyes widened as what his mother had just said echo inside his mind.

ーーー

"Damn it," Sebastian mutters as he throws another book in his hand across the room, landing on top of the blanket on the floor.

"No wonder I'm having trouble learning, their alphabets look like random squiggly, straight lines and dots," he grumbled as the headache he had earlier began to resurface once again as some basic knowledge he knew about the world returned to his mind.

Earlier after what his mother had told him, he decided to borrow some books from their house's small library room, and he's been studying for hours and still doesn't understand a single word of what's written in the books.

"What's wrong with me?" Sebastian asked aloud, looking around the room as if waiting for an answer. "Is it because I'm not from this world?" Sebastian mumbled to himself as he lay back in his bed, staring at the white-painted ceiling.

The sun was setting outside, casting shadows on the floor, and light rays shone through the window, forcing Sebastian to cover his eyes.

The ticking of the clock on the wall above the bedside table irritated Sebastian, who had just decided to make a mental list of what he knew about the world.

"First and foremost, there are five different races that inhabit this world: Humans, Demons, Ogres, Elves, and Holy Beings. Humans are the weakest of the five races and the only race that cannot perform magic. In "Skarlax" 5th level If a human can perform magic, they will be sent to the capital, which is two weeks away." He closed his eyes as he tried to remember everything he had just learned.

"After they are send in the capital they are going to enter "Skarlax" 6th level and if someone passes until the end which is the 7th level and after that they will receive the title hero and will be tasked on fighting the "Undead" ".

Sebastian's head felt like it was spinning. All of this new information about this new world is making his head dizzy and confused.

"But failing the "Skarlax" won't stop me from becoming the main character of this world!" Sebastian exclaimed, leaping from his bed and clenching his fist.

"There's still the Knight of the Capital; if you passed the 4th level of "Skarlax," you'll get an instant pass in the knight test, but they'll also recruit individuals with great talent; I just need to train my fighting ability!"