Development

I woke up as usually today, and I was preparing myself to go to school when I remembered something that I forgot to ask about last night. It's about the test that students supposedly took. I turned towards mom who was cleaning the dishes and I asked her.

"Mom, yesterday at school, I heard the teacher mentioning a test that students took in order to be accepted. I don't recall taking anything like that."

"Oh, yes, well, mom approached the principle and told him you don't need it, you already know how to read and write. So I thought you are better off spending the time for doing the test in doing something else, Why is there a problem?"

"No, not really, I really like your concern for me Mama, but I don't want to be getting preferential treatment. I would like to pass my school years like any other student and be no different from my peers."

She looked at me silent. I knew I sounded too mature for my age, but I didn't like people to be obsequious to me because of my background or something like that. I wanted to be normal around me so I myself can be normal around them. That was something basic for people in order to build friendship.

Mom bent towards me. Lifted my hair that was covering my forehead and kissed me and gave me a tight hug. I didn't know what's on her mind.

"Sorry Edward, I didn't think about what you wanted. Daddy told me that I didn't have to do it and kept telling me that you should not be treated different from any other kid. But as I saw always reading and practicing I thought It would be better that way"

I got what she was trying to say, She was just looking for my comfort and it made feel very warm. I hugged her tighter and said

"Don't apologize mama, I really like your concern for me. I love you very much"

"Mama loves you too, Eddy"

After that we went to school as Usual. Today, we learned some geography basically this kingdom's and then we had Language studies. All in all, It was somewhat boring. Me and Philip had some small conversations, but it was mainly me asking him questions.

At the end of the day, I asked him if he wants to go with me to the library after school. At first he was hesitant but after some persuasion, he surprisingly agreed to it.

We went together there, and when we got in I spotted mister Abraham, cleaning books, so I approached him and said

"Good evening, Mister Abraham, How are you? This is Philip, the one I mentioned yesterday."

He raised his head looked at me than at Philip and said

"Oh, So you are the Philip, I was wandering who he might be Ha-ha-ha"

"Good evening uncle Abraham"

I was confused, maybe they already knew each other. I looked at mister Abraham. And asked him

"Mister Abraham, you know Philip"

"I know him you say Ha Ha Ha, well you see, Philip's grandmother Martha is my sister. So it makes him my grand-nephew"

It became clear now how they knew each other. We sat down at the table and each one of us took a book to read. I continued reading yesterday's book. The one about Aristarchii.

And that's how I passed four years, and I turned 10. Not much happened this past years.

I completed my training as usual, I passed mom's test of maintaining the mana thread while running and dodging. but she had me do another type of exercise where I have to produce the thread from other parts of my body. She would tap me with a stick at some place random and I would have to quickly make thread extending from that point. She would sometimes point at my legs, knees, elbows and even my eyes.

It was really hard but I mastered it nonetheless. She was extremely shocked and kept praising me in front of dad non stop. He was also shocked. Apparently that type of practice was very hard even for adults and some Grand mages. She told me I have extreme control over my mana. And I assumed it was something good.

I also mastered speaking and writing the Aristarchii language. I had some trouble with some words. but I asked help from mister Abraham. He was glad to help me, but I sensed some sadness and grieve from when he talks about the Aristarchos Empire. I didn't know what was on his mind but I lacked the courage to meddle in his affairs and ask him.

I really liked mister Abraham, I respected him and looked up to him. He is really a wise man. A part of me didn't want to ask him, because it wasn't my place to ask about someone's personal life. Or maybe rather, I subconsciously didn't want to meddle in to not make it a burden on me. I guess that was a human nature. We only care about our well-being .

But another part of me, wanted to help him. He is a grandfather figure for me. And I thought it was my duty to listen to him and help him if I could. I was in a dilemma.

Aside from that, Me and Philip got together pretty well, He opened up to me and would even be the one to start a conversation with me. We grew really close to each other and I consider him my bestfriend. He still kept the shy attitude but it was less apparent than before.

I got to know many kids too from school and I would go play with them from time to time. all of them were nice. The best thing a person would wish, was having good friends and a nice family. It was priceless.

Sacha finished Academy this year. She is eighteen now and she decided not to go to university. She didn't like studying that much. My Parents didn't argue with her, they told her to do anything she liked. They were very supportive. Sacha decided that she would go travel until she become 20 year old and she joins the military.

Endric is fifteen this year and he is in the fifth year of academy. Me and him grew very close together. He would help me with training by giving me pointers and advices. He was excelling in the Academy he had excellent scores and the Academy was practically worshipping him for his affinities. He didn't care about them and kept to training his Affinities researching and understanding them in order to make new spells.

Today was the last day of school, We would be having our results and the principal would be giving a speech. I decided not to leave school early as my brother did, because I liked the company of my friends and practice was going smoothly. It was, technically, a means to kill time.

(Yeah, okay, I kill time by going to school, don't judge me HA-HA)

I woke up early again, It was some kind of habit by now. I went to Philip's house and knocked on it. We have been going together to school for a long time now. when the door opened Madame Martha greeted me.

" Good morning Aunt Martha, Where is Philip?"

As I said that, the door opened wider and from it popped Philip's head.

"Good morning Eddy. let's go"

He decided to call me like that after hearing Mister Abraham calling me that too. On our way we met a couple of friends who studied with us. Marc who was walking besides me said:

"So Philip, are you gonna be the first in class as always. or Edward is going to finally surpass you?"

For the last three years, Philip was having the best results at school, I would always come behind him in the second place, I actually didn't want to have the first place. I didn't do anything in particular to have the second place. It was mostly because of my bad Hand-writing. I was acing every subject aside from language, the writing part, the teacher said my hand writing was terrible and had to work on it.

Philip looked at Marc and said:

"I don't know"

"Man, I envy you guys"

said Marc

suddenly Jack the other boy who was walking with us looked at Marc and spoke

"Well, If you stop playing all day long and study a little bit, you may be able to do it too..."

Marc's face cheered until Jack spoke again

"In a thousand years HA-HA-HA"

Marc's face was flustered and started chasing after Jack. I looked at Philip and we both started laughing. We were close to school chatting when a girl passed in front of us. She gave me a mean look then turned her face away quickly.

"Ha-ha-ha, If it isn't miss nosy noble. If I didn't know what happened before, I might say she has a crush on you Ha-ha"

Said Jack as he patted my shoulder. I chuckled lightly and said

" I hope it's not the case "

That girl, called Charlette Miroslav, is a minor noble's daughter. She is snobby and really arrogant. I really didn't associate myself with her. She would usually sit right next to me on my right. And keep throwing remarks sometimes she would look down on some of our classmate but people kept ignoring her. And I kept giving her the cold shoulder.

She would always come third in class, but she kept saying things like me and Philip are cheating and all. But both of us didn't even care about what she thinks. She even told the teacher that we were cheating, but they told her that we didn't.

She didn't buy it. and kept trying to irritate us by throwing remarks and such. But one day, She brought her father who came to me. I didn't know what she told him but he looked pissed and we were afraid he might do something to us. We were still young and the man was someone who awakened his affinities.

Luckily, The teacher went out and yelled:

"Mister Edward Raiden, Oh here you are, You forgot your book."

She said as she returned inside. The man's face became pale at that moment and he looked at me and asked:

"Y-young m-man, are your parents' names Ro-Roland and S-Stella?"

I nodded in affirmation, that's when he turned around quickly and took his daughter's hand and left. I thanked God for it. If I didn't forget my book and the teacher didn't call my name, who knows what could've happened. My background saved me. The guy seemed terrified from my parents. Well, my dad is a former army general and my mom is a judge.