Growing Up

Over the period of next three years zephyr discovered many more things along with the fact that all the books he ever read about reincarnations where the main character never suffered from most minor things like having reflex based action and not being able to perceive low pitch sounds properly, to the fact that having low bone density makes walking and crawling a hell, and that when teeth grow they annoyingly enough tear through gums and the Temperature low or high hits infants real hard.

'Why those clowns never mentioned these and simply went ahead performing miracles' He thought as he attempted to sneer, which ended up being a scene where a baby was scrunching his face adorably.

'Do I hate them for this? Damn right, I do. Why? Obviously Because the gods they met were supposed to give them overpowered buffs and make their new life a vacation. Not curse them into oblivion after they throw a tantrum.'

What other things he learned was that the scroll was something he can see even with his eyes closed and the language it was written was in something unknown and yet he understood it somehow.

"What's my smart little baby up to now?" His mother asked as soon as she opened the door to their small home and entered carrying a jute sewn bag, in which there was today's dinner.

Which reminds him of his mistake, there was a time when he used to think that his family was poor, they were not poor, they were destitute. In this world they are living on outskirts of a village called Dustwood. His mother Grace was a beautiful woman who worked as a seamstress in the village barely making enough to bring basic necessities home, combined with the income his father Leif who was a soldier they somehow got enough to eat for the starting days of month atleast, rest of the month they had to skip a meal or share what little food they had. By the end of the month, they had to be lucky if they didn't need to ask their Neighbours for food who graciously refused them by simply insulting them or the ones who were friendly enough barely had enough for their own family.

"What's going on in that little head of yours dumpling", grace said after putting the jute bag on table and lifted him up in her arms. Even after being continuously loved by his family Zephyr was unable to adapt to being showered with so much affection, maybe it was his own nature or maybe the curse or was it his previous life. What he did know actually was that He needed to make sure to not get too close to these people.

"I am not a dumpling." he said with a straight face as he tried to push her away.

"Are you not?" she said with a mischievous smile, "From where I see, all I see is a cute dumpling being even cuter, just begging me to eat him. Raaaaaaargh..." she finished as she gave a fake roar and proceeded to shower him with kisses.

'So annoying' Zephyr thought as she tried to get out of her vice but to no avail. 'Ugh I need to keep distance from this woman.'

Thankfully he was saved his mother's aggressive love as he heard,

"Mom-mom I found a job, my friend lily's sister told me I can work at a place she works and get enough money to help you bring more food and she even told me that they also give you extra food to bring back home on weekends." A girl with same silvery white hair and blue eyes as zephyr and Grace's, said while coming out of their bedroom. This was Isabella his oldest sister who was around 8 years old.

"Mom, I cleaned up whole house today and Bella didn't help me at all, she was talking whole day about the maid job her friend's sister told her." Another girl came following Isabella with black hairs and brown eyes. This was Ava, Zephyr's second older sister around 7 years old.

"Alright girls calm down" Grace said while setting zephyr on a chair near buy and taking out lentils and rice from the bag.

"Bella dear, can you please wash these rice and lentils for me? Ava honey warm a bowl of water for your sister. Hehe, look I got some cucumber for salad today" she said while taking out two, bit shriveled, cucumbers from her bag.

Half an hour later they were having a luxurious meal. Luxurious because they had salad with the porridge today.

"When will dad come home?" Ava asked while blowing wind on her spoon to cool the porridge.

"Weekend sweety, at least that is what he said. With all this war going on with another country, might be a bit late." Grace said.

"How about we go visit him?" Ava said while taking a piece of chopped cucumber.

"We can't" Grace shook her head, " We won't be able to handle the monsters living in the jungle"

"Can't we go fast enough to avoid them all? We live near borders of our country so obviously we can reach da fast" Bella interjected.

"It is precisely because we are so near the borders is the reason why we can't Bella, Monsters are very dangerous and unknown here. Because no one clears them like they clear monsters near the capital." Grace said.

Then they all ate in silence till Isabella broke silence again, "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think? Will I get to work as Maid, at the merchant's that lily"s sister was telling me about?" Bella asked.

"Bella, I suggest you drop the idea of being a maid." Her mother said sternly.

"Huh? Why Mom? I can get a lot of money working there." Bella said strongly.

"Because What will you do their when Your rank is still Unranked? You think they will need a Maid that can't even use basic spells?" Grace said calmly.

"But mom-"

"How old is that sister of the friend of yours?"

"15"

"And do you have any Idea what she does there?"

"Well, she said that she cleans and serves the young master at house..." She said with her voice growing weaker as grace's eyes flared.

"Do you know what kind of audacities rich do to the poor maids working at their mansion? Why do you think people let multiple young maids serve them? For charity? No, so they can have someone working for them and having someone around to whom they can do unspeakable things to and get away" She finished as her nostril flared.

"..." Bella stared into her porridge with her wooden spoon making circles in it.

"Not to mention, you are not even ten yet. With your Scroll curse and boon still unknown and Rank still Unranked, no sane human would hire you unless they want to trade you as a slave."

Bella shivered at the mention of word slave, as she had often heard her mother tell her scary stories of how slave traders and their masters treated their slaves.

Zephyr however was very interested in this new information. His ears perked up as soon as he heard the mention of scroll.

"So, we don't get a rank, curse or boon till we grow ten years old?" Zephyr asked all of a sudden, making all eyes turn to him.

"Not necessarily, people get it earliest at all latest at ten years of age and Earliest at 5 years of age. Although some people get it at birth, but they are not exactly a common occurrence." Grace said

"I see, so what exactly is a curse? no, actually what is a scroll?" Zephyr asked.

"Oh? Is my little Dumpling interested in it?"

"Yes." he said.

'And I am not dumpling' he thought

"Then mama will tell You everything before we go to bed, lets finish our dinner, shall we?" Grace said with a beautiful smile and all of them continued to finish off their porridges.