9 Skalborn

The next morning.

Sun shines through Lucian's bedroom window, glistening off his white hair.

The sunlight awakens him from his deep slumber, the warmth soothing his tired eyes.

"Uhhh!" he groans.

'Just five more minutes, please...'

His eyes close shut as he begins slowly drifting back to his dreams.

A knock is heard at his door.

"Breakfast! You better get up if you want to eat." Lilith says, her voice carrying a motherly tone.

"Dammit," Lucian says.

"Coming!"

'I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. I'm so tired.'

He thinks, yawning.

"Alright. Time to get up."

Lucian does a kip-up from his bed, landing on the floorboards below with a thump.

Lucian's young body is developing quite nicely, now bearing the look of a handsome young boy. According to his parents, he stands a few inches taller than the average kid his age. Since the age of two, his hair has been growing more, being very thin at first, and now it has developed a fuller look. His hair sits in a messy look, with slight bangs hanging over the right side of his brow. Running his hand through his hair, it now has a messy but slightly groomed look. His eyes are currently a tint of light blue, resembling both of his parents. He begins to fasten on his tunic—a child-size version of Siegfried's, made by his father for his 3rd birthday. However, Lucian's is much cleaner. Finally, he straps on his leather boots, a deep tan color, with a fur-lined interior.

Finishing with his dressing, he takes a quick look in the window to check over himself.

'Wow, honestly, the white hair is pretty good looking. I wish I had this in my past life. Same with this chiseled jawline, haha.' Lucian thinks as he runs his hand over his chin.

'I better thank Lilith for these genes. God, she's beautiful.'

'Also, how the hell has my body developed so quickly? I should look like a toddler right now, but I have the body of a child three times my age? I started noticing the changes last year when I grew nearly a foot in one month. I thought it was Siegfried's genetics, but this goes way beyond that.'

(Author's Note: Age in this world is rapidly accelerated. The average lifespan of a human being is 60 years old. Longer if they possess magical talents. As a result of this children develop at a much faster rate. Meaning that 3 year-olds have the bodies of 7-8 year-olds. By age 12-16 the human body is fully developed.)

Lucian flexes his body, inspecting himself before he leaves the window and walks towards the door. Leaving his room, he takes a few more steps and then enters the kitchen to the sweet smell of Lilith's delicious cooking.

'Wow, that smells good! I smell sausage, eggs, and fresh bread!'

Lucian eagerly walks to his seat at the table. Taking a good look at the full plate left for him before stuffing his face like a dog.

"Woah, slow down there, boy, or you're gonna choke," Siegfried responds to the sight with a chuckle.

"Oh, pipe down. He's a growing boy. He needs to eat like that. So he grows up big and strong." Lilith replies.

"Yeah, big and strong like me. I remember doing the same thing at his age." Siegfried responds back.

Lucian finishes his plate a few moments later, after having completely zoned out from his focus on the delights in his mouth. He sits back in his chair with a full belly and a content look.

Lilith finishes cleaning the last dishes and leaves the washing bucket to sit at the table. Her plate carries similar portion sizes to Lucian's. However, she takes her time eating every bite.

She finishes chewing a small sausage and looks at Siegfried.

"Dear, you will be in charge of Lucian today. I need to go to the market to pick up food and some other things we need around the house." She says.

"Ugh." Siegfried groans.

"I was hoping to do some work in the smithy today. The weather is too cold for Lucian to stand there and watch me."

"That's fine. I guess my boy and I will have to do some cleaning." He heartily states.

'Damn, I wanted to read some books today and boost my intelligence. Reading the enchantment book with my current stats would be a waste. Higher intelligence could allow me to make a breakthrough in the quest.'

'Quests.'

'Quest: "Basic Magic"

Earn a basic understanding and proficiency in magic.

- 5/100

'At least the progress went up a little.'

After a few short conversations, the family splits, with Lilith leaving for the market while Siegfried prepares the polish and other cleaning supplies.

Lucian trudges downstairs towards the shop.

'I hope this isn't too much work. I've only watched Siegfried polish the weapons a few times, and it took forever for him to finish.'

Reaching the bottom floor. Lucian swings the shop door open, his father looking at him with a bit of excitement in his eyes.

"Time for your first lesson in being a Blacksmith!" Siegfried says proudly.

Lucian rolls his eyes.

"One day after I'm old and tired, this shop will be your own. So listen close, because everything I tell you is critical. Okay?" Siegfried says with a commanding tone.

'Time for the acting to start, I guess.'

"Yes, father!" Lucian replies.

(Author's note: Lucian has begun switching to more mature words since fully comprehending Common.)

Lucian walks closer. The two stand behind the shopfront with several rags, a polish bottle, and a sharpening stone sitting on the counter.

Siegfried walks over to one of the nearby weapons racks and grabs a longsword. Walking back to Lucian, he sets the blade on the counter, turning to look him in the eye.

"Now pay close attention to everything I do, and follow my lead," Siegfried says.

Siegfried raises the blade while grabbing a wet rag from the counter. He begins to clean the weapon. Starting at the hilt, he drags the rag along the blade until reaching the tip, repeating the process several times until it is clean of dust and grime. He then switches his ragout for a dry one. Repeating the same strokes as he dries the blade.

"Pretty simple, right?" Siegfried says.

"Now you try," he says.

Siegfried walks back over the racks grabbing a short sword for Lucian. He walks back, beckoning to Lucian.

"Now hold out your hands." he commands.

Lucian holds out his hands. Wary of how heavy swords are, he begins to wonder if he'll be able to hold the small blade.

Siegfried places the blade in Lucian's hands as they immediately droop under the weight. Lucian begins losing his grab as the sword pulls him to the floor.

"Shit! I knew it would be heavy, but I didn't think I would be this weak!'

Lucian strains his muscles lifting the blade back up to his chest with all his strength.

Siegfried looks down at Lucian with condemning eyes, then suddenly changes to a saddened look.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll be cleaning the weapons every day. As my son, I can't have you giving me a bad name with those arms." Siegfried says, giving Lucian a wink.

'Thanks, dad...' Lucian thinks to himself.

Lucian places the pommel of the shortsword on the ground, holding the blade by its tip as he grabs the wet rag. He begins to wipe down the blade, following the same pattern that Siegfried had done. After wiping the blade clean and drying it, he struggles to place it back on the countertop.

'I need to start working out. If I start this young, I'll be able to get really strong, especially with the system's boost.'

His mind flicks back to his days in the construction yard, where he would carry almost twice the load of his coworkers.

"Now to sharpen the blade," Siegfried says.

"We use this stone here." He says, pointing to the two stones on the counter.

"We follow the same pattern we used to clean the blades. However, we only follow the edges," he says.

"Now watch." he commands.

Siegfried raises the longsword in the air and grabs one of the sharpening stones. He begins to scrape along the edges of the blade. He repeats this process several times on each side of it. He then raises the blade to eye level, giving a satisfied look, then placing it back down.

"Now it's your turn. I'll help you hold the blade, just sharpen it." he says.

Lucian struggles to raise the blade until Siegfried holds his hands under Lucian's arms while standing behind him. Lucian then grabs the stone and begins the process. At first, he doesn't apply enough force, urging Siegfried to correct him. After using more power, Lucian scrapes along the edge for a few minutes showing progress with each turn. Finally, Siegfried clicks his tongue to tell Lucian he's finished.

"Now, let me see boy." Siegfried says in a serious tone.

Raising the shortsword to eye level, he looks along the blade, trying to find an error.

"It's near perfect. If you had a bit more strength, I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference between who sharpened the blade. Good work." Siegfried says, patting Lucian on the head.

"I'll get stronger, don't worry father." Lucian replies with a devilish look in his eyes.

Siegfried nods.

"Now the final step is to polish it." he says.

Siegfried opens the bottle of oil. After dabbing it on a rag a few times, he again raises the blade. He then begins to stroke the blade exactly as he cleaned it. The polish applies a deep brown liquid to the blade. Every swipe of the rag lessening its hue. After a few moments, the liquid disappears from view, and the blade shines like new as it reflects his father's face.

Lucian repeats the step like his father until his shortsword shines like a freshly washed car.

"Good work. We have several more to clean. Just try to keep the blade raised while you do it now. It'll get easier with time." Siegfried says.

The pair work for the next few hours. Cleaning the majority of the various weapons and Siegfried giving Lucian pointers now and then.

Lucian's muscles pang with soreness as he wipes away sweat from his brow.

Just then, the door opens.

Entering the shop is Lilith and two other figures.

The first is a tall woman with ginger red hair and an ordinary-looking face. She may have once been a beauty, but years of mothering seem to have taken their toll on her figure, as she bears a slight gut. She laughs as she enters the shop, her arm around Lilith's. They seem to be deep into a conversation.

"I'm home, honey!" Lilith exclaims, holding a basket of goods in the air.

"And I brought friends!" she continues.

Suddenly the second figure emerges from behind what one would assume is her mother.

The second person is a small girl around Lucian's age.

Wheat blonde hair flows down her back, tied in pigtails on either end of her head. A cute smile emerges from her face as she looks at Lucian, giggling. Her green eyes lit up at the same time.

"Frida! It's been so long! I haven't seen you since before our son was born!" Siegfried happily remarks.

"I'm sorry, Siegfried you big oaf! If you remember correctly, Lilith and I both got pregnant around the same time. I was busy getting ready for my dear Lyla!" Frida replies, pointing at her daughter, currently clinging to her hip, scared.

'I guess it isn't just me, but a big man's voice is way too loud sometimes. My ears still ring from his shouting about my first steps.'

'Time to play the child's role, I guess.'

"Momma, you're home!" Lucian yelps while running over to hug Lilith's slender legs.

She returns his affection by gently stroking his hair.

"Yes! And I brought a friend for you to play with!"

"You haven't been outside of the shop yet, but there are tons of kids you can make friends with!" Lilith coos with encouragement.

'I'm honestly not too keen on being friends with the other children though, haha. They have nothing to offer me, and I'm already years beyond them in maturity. It may be useful to have some contacts within the town as I grow, for support, of course.'

"I'm so excited, Momma!" Lucian shouts excitedly while completely ignoring the little girl as she hides from him behind her mother.

"Would you like to meet the friends I brought home?" She replies excitedly.

Lucian looks at the woman and her daughter. The woman is watching Lucian with keen eyes, hiding her inspection of him with a charming smile.

'She seems to be one of those "Queen Bee" types, the ones that only care about creating relationships with useful people. I can see right through that little smile.'

Lucian takes a step towards Frida, repeating her facial expression in kind.

Taking note of this, her eyes seem to burn with a fire of curiosity.

Lucian sticks out his hand to her.

"Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm Lucian. What's your name?" He asks in his childish voice.

She quickly sticks out her hand and grips Lucian's tight.

"Hello, little one. My name is Frida. I'm a good friend of your mother. I was very excited to get the chance to see you. I would also like to introduce you to my daughter. She's a bit shy and doesn't have many friends. I hope you two can get along now." Frida says with a sincere look.

"Mom!" Layla yelps at her mother, obviously embarrassed at her mother's statement.

Layla suddenly steps out from behind her mother, looking at Lucian then back down at the floor.

'Wow, she really is shy. It's pretty cute seeing children like this. I guess I'll have to take the lead.'

Lucian steps toward Layla, extending his hand to her as well.

She falters for a moment before shaking his hand.

"I'm Lucian. I hope we can be friends!" Lucian says, with the best acting voice he's ever done.

'Damn, that was a good one.'

"I'm Layla." She says shyly but looks up at Lucian with genuine happiness covering every inch of her face.

"Why don't you two run along and play now. Be back before dark." Frida says.

"Don't you think it's a bit dangerous for them to play out on the streets, with those rumors going around?" Lilith whispers to Frida but loud enough for Lucian to hear.

'Wow, perception is pretty damn useful. I can hear every word.' Lucian thinks to himself.

"Oh, don't worry. I've heard the guard has doubled the watch ever since the first murder." Frida whispers back.

Lilith nods in reply.

"Go on then," Frida says, shooing them off with her hand.

'Ding!'

'A new quest "Explore Skalborn" has been added.'

'Explore the town: 0/100'

'Reward: 3 Stat Points.'

'Sweet. I guess I won't be doing this for nothing then. I guess "Skalborn" is the town's name. I can't believe I didn't know that.

"Let's go, Layla." Lucian says, grabbing her hand.

Lucian begins to walk towards the door. The midday sun is still shining through the window.

'I hope I can explore the entire town. It shouldn't take too long, and I've got hours to spare.'

The two of them exit the shop, their feet touching the snow-covered grass below and the entirety of the town square coming into view.

Dozens of stalls litter the square, offering various commodities. All the stalls are from local traders who use the town as a center of operation. Several townsfolk can be seen haggling prices with the traders, of which few are successful. Various shop buildings surround the town square; many are built of wood, and the few prosperous ones with stone. Of the few prosperous ones, their signs seem to be for places that carry food, beer, and one is for the town alchemist. These inferences can all be made based on the pictures painted on the signs above the doorway. 4 streets stretch from each side of the square, leading to a town gate. Although decently far away, Lucian can see that the town walls are made of wooden stakes with a gatehouse and small towers covering every entrance. Several two-person squads of city guards can be seen walking through the square and streets. Their armor follows a nordic standard. The men can be seen wearing a type of "spangenhelm" and chain mail covered by a white tunic bearing a red wolf. The wolf is postured to look as if it is howling. The guards all carry a type of baton in their hands, with swords or axes at their hip.

Lucian releases Layla's hand from its grip. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the cold Northern air, and taking in all of the sights before him.

'Ding!'

'Explore the town: 35/100'

'The town shouldn't be too big based on my progress so far. I'm guessing I'll have to explore the side streets if I want to complete this. I should check out the market. I want to see the items they sell for a better look at the current technological level.'

"Why don't we check out the market Layla?" Lucian asks.

"Sure! I've already been there. I can show you around." Layla replies with a spout of elation.

After walking through the market for a few moments, it becomes clear how dated this world is. Various stalls sell things such as skins, farm goods, and one even sold an off-brand version of a compass, to Lucian's surprise. With Lucian considering the time that the compass was invented in his world, it seems very out of place. The rest of the stalls sell ordinary things, with one outlier. One of the stalls, worked by an old man, sells what claims to be the finger of a dead god named "Tor."

'I guess it doesn't matter what period you're in. There's always someone trying to scam you.'

"Let's go explore more. I want to see the town since it's my first time out here." Lucian says to Layla.

'I should start at one of the gates and use that as a point of reference, to delve deeper into each quarter of the town.'

Lucian begins leading Layla to the North gate.

After reaching the gate, the pair begins to explore each quarter of the town.

The first two quarters seem to be a type of residential section. Most of the houses scream of "middle-class suburbs." Every home was allocated a small plot of land and no more than two stories high. Kids play in the streets and front yards, with mothers yelling at them when they get too rough.

The third quarter the pair explores is the wealthy side of town. Three-story stone houses are built on large plots of land, with most being surrounded by fencing. A stable and small garden accompanies each home. No kids play in the street, and most of the street traffic is due to mounted guards patrolling.

The pair then enters the last part of town, which is most definitely the worst part. Even in a small town like this resides a slum.

Lucian grabs Layla's hand tight as they enter.

"Stay close to me, okay?" He says with a cautious look to their surroundings.

Layla blushes at the remark and happily holds his hand. This is the first time in her life that someone outside of her family has ever been so nice. Every boy her age has either pulled her pigtails or done some kind of showboating to win her attention. Causing her to stay inside most of her days.

The two begin to walk through the slum with no guard in sight. They walk along the main street and a few side streets while being shouted at by drunkards. However, their exploration goes without a hitch. They enter a small side street that leads behind one of the many run-down shops on this side of town.

'Ding!'

'Your quest is close to completion.'

'Explore the town: 99/100'

'Awesome, all I need is to walk down this street, and I'll be finished.'

Lucian begins walking down the side street as the sun has started to set, thoughts of how he should spend his new stat points running through his mind.

A few moments later, they reach the end of the small street.

'Ding!'

'Quest "Explore Skalborn" has been completed.'

'3 Stat points have been rewarded.'

'Yes, finally! With me starting training tomorrow and a few more quests, I'll be strong as hell in no time!'

Layla tugs at Lucian's arm.

"I think we should go..." Layla says, fear clenching at her throat.

"That's fine. I wanted to head home too." Lucian says, unnoticing.

Lucian turns around, facing three men with hungry looks upon their faces.

'Shit, this can't be good.'