2 Growing Up
By Will's fifth birthday, he could read and write, and he knew arithmetic. Everyone in Terra spoke a common language, but beastmen, dwarves, and elves also spoke in their native tongue.
The common language, Fera, was similar to a Roman, but there were various dialects. Most nobles spoke High-Fera, while most commoners spoke Lower-Fera. The different cities also had their own vernacular. In the capital, Yorkshire, different districts within the capital accentuated High-Fera differently.
The same when true for Guidon, the country's second-largest capital and the kingdom's center of trade. Guidon was also home to the kingdom's two largest academies, countless guilds, and second-largest barrack.
Once Will learned to read, he isolated himself in his parents' library. Although, the word library may give the wrong impression. There were just a few books, one being Will's favorite book [The History Of Terra].
As a new resident of Terra, Will wanted to learn as much as possible. Terra was a land of sword and sorcery. The two most dominant classes of people on Terra are the knights and wizards. Both knights and mages were magic-users. The percentage of children born able to use mana was 1:10. According to the badly outdated book, at the last census, 17 million people were living in the country.
Knights, mages, and adventures were crucial to help kingdoms cull monsters, beasts, and enemy nations.
On Will's fifth birthday his father, James vont Ballard bought him a wooden sword. Noblemen were supposed to be gallant and men of courage. Baron vont Ballard forced Will out of the library and into sword lessons. Will knew his father loved him, but Will wanted to be a merchant, not a knight or an adventurer.
"William, I've hired the Barony Knight Commander to teach you sword lessons," James said.
"Will, I know you enjoy your books but remember son knowledge without strength is meaningless in this world. Only strength guarantees your survival," Jame said proverbially.
"Yes, father" Will replied obediently.
For James, and most citizens, becoming a knight, mage, or adventure was a ticket to life or rich and fame. Being a merchant was a practical fallback.
The next morning, Will woke up and me the Knight Commander outside the mansion on the back lawn. The Knight Commander's name was Aaron.
"Young master, today is your first sword lesson, please observe." Thanks to my high intellectual stat, I quickly learned beginner swordsmanship. For Will, the biggest difference between Terra and Earth was skills advanced rank from novice, apprentice, journeyman, master, and grandmaster.
In Fermion, people could learn any skill. But all skills started with the rank of a novice. To advance in skill, you had to gain experience. The more experience received, the faster you leveled until you reached the next rank.
After Will's first lesson, a notification appeared letting Will know he learned the skill: novice swordsmanship.
Name: William vont Ballard
Race: Human
Rank: 2 (Baron)
Class:
Attributes:
Constitution—5
Strength—9
Dexterity—11
Intellect—15
Charisma—12
Ranks Skills: Management (20), Diplomacy (20), Accounting (40)
Class Skills: None
Abilities: Novice Swordsmanship (1, 10)
From what Will read, he was the only person on Terra able to see their stat screen.
Looking at his screen, Will guessed he had to rank his novice swordsmanship up to 10 before he could be promoted to apprentice swordsman.
After Will's first lesson ended, he was covered in sweat and ran to take a bath.
"Will you stink" shouted Rebecca as he walked into the house.
"Young master, would you like me to draw you a bath?" replied Will's maid, April.
He nodded in agreement. Soon he was bathing in the warm tub. The hot water soothed his aches and pains.
As the years progressed, Will continued sword training in the morning and reading in the library in the afternoon. Will was surprised by his attributes increase.
Unlike Marcus, Will was not gifted with a sword. Marcus's swordsmanship leveling speed was very fast. Marcus told Will he was already a mid-tier apprentice.
Name: William vont Ballard
Race: Human
Rank: 2 (Baron)
Class:
Attributes:
Constitution—10
Strength—12
Dexterity—13
Intellect—23
Charisma—12
Ranks Skills: Management (20), Diplomacy (20), Accounting (40)
Class Skills: None
Abilities: Novice Swordsmanship (3, 10)
***5 years later***
At the age of 10 in the Fermion kingdom, children were tested to see if they had an aptitude for magic. This was an important day in the kingdom—villages, towns, and cities through a festival to mark this memorable occasion.
In Terra, every person, animal, or thing had mana. Mana was the basis of magical power. Humans used their mana pools to cast spells. Animals used their mana cores to magically enhance their bodies. Plants and other living things simply used ambient mana to grow.
In this world, there are six types of base magic: air, water, fire, earth, life, and dark. There also exist advanced forms of magic. The advanced forms are space (air), ice (water), magma (fire), and wood (earth). There is a 1 in a billion chance of a mage being born able to use two kinds of magic.
To become a mage, a human needed a large mana pool. Knights had a slightly inferior mana pool. Knights were only capable of enhancing their bodies with mana. Whereas, mages could cast spells. On Terra, the size of your mana pool was fixed.
Metaphorically, a mana pool was like a sink. Meditation was like a faucet. Mana users constantly added mana to nourish and strengthen the body. At higher ranks, mages and knights were able to gather mana faster and the viscosity of the mana was denser. If a novice rank's mana was similar to water, then a grandmaster's mana was like honey.
If a town had one student, with an aptitude for magic that was celebration enough. In most towns and villages, children would not have an aptitude for magic. Banners, beers, music, games, and cheers would drown out the sorrows of disappointed children.
Barons, discounts, and elders would compete to see which province had the most newly identified magical children. Moreover, the King would award providences based on the number of new magic users.
Will's family was only slightly nervous about him. That was because in Terra magic was hereditary. His father was a mana user. Like most people in Fermion, his father and brothers had an aptitude for fire mana. Had they had a larger mana pool, they might have been accepted to the Mage Academy as fire mages or pyromancers. Instead, his father was a graduate of the Knight Academy, like his father before him, and his grandfather.
However, Helen vont Ballard was not a magic user. Helen was the second daughter of another poor rural baron on the western fringe. She and James had an arranged marriage. In Fermion, most first-son hand-arranged marriages.
As the seven of them rode a dirty carriage on a dusty road to town, Will learned that all but one sibling couldn't use magic.
Will was surprised to learn that Rebecca had a high aptitude for light mana, and Marcus had a small aptitude for fire mana.
When Marcus learned he had fire magic, he tormented Will around the mansion with his body enhanced strength. Thankfully, Will's obsessive sister, Rebecca, was always there to heal him.
Kathryn was the only child of Jame and Helen without an aptitude for magic. On the other hand, Jason had the highest aptitude for fire magic.
In Fermion, the academy emissary would travel the country checking the children for magic. For some lords, if their children were able to cast magic, they would bankrupt their territory to help their child users. Moreover, many bequeathed their territory to their magic-user child. Talentless, first sons would lose their inheritance if their younger siblings tested positive for manic. Fratricide was a regular occurrence.
James and Will traveled down to the Barony's Townhall, where children were already standing nervously in line, as they walked in late. As the lord of this land, the Baron gave to command to begin the ceremony.
"Will, I don't want you to worry about today's magic test. Your father and I will love you just the same whether you have magic or not," Helen vont Ballard said lovingly.
"Yeah, but dad will love you more if you have it," Marcus said laughing hysterically. He to said to hurt my feelings.
Helen's mother shushed Marcus, and it would be Will's turn soon. Marcus kept trying to him trying to scare Will. Will's mother made reprimanded Marcus and made his apology.
'I love you mom,' Will silently thanked her.
The magic ceremony was an occasion for the whole barony. Commoners, as well as nobles, participated together. Since magic was a rarity, it did not matter whether you were a commoner or noble, if you were a magician, you were given prestige.
At the center of the stage stood an old man in black robes standing on a stage during the midday. On the stage stood a table with a crystal ball. Students who showed a high aptitude for magic could join the Mage Academy when they turned 13 years old.
Since Will was the son of a baron, he was the last to go. In Fermion, lateness was the mark of noble. Few people in the baron had an aptitude for magic. A few people were found to have magic and if they did it was negligible and not enough to attend the Magic Academy.
Like Marcus, even those he could do fire mana, his mana pool was too small for him to be a magician.
That's why Marcus went to the Adventure Academy to learn to get his license and prepare for his new career.
When Marcus, left everyone was sad, but Will was excited and hope that someone would bully Marcus as he did to me.
The line slowly moved, with the old wizard on the stage telling children they did not have sufficient mana to be mages or knights.
As the line continued to move, Will thought about Rebecca who would be heading the Magic Academy this year, when she turned 13.
Most academies lasted 4 years. As the line progressed, he kept thinking about his family.
Marcus left, Rebecca would be leaving, Kathryn was engaged to Count's son, and Jason after graduating from the Knight's Academy went off to war against a neighboring kingdom.
Soon, Will would be left alone in the mansion. When Will turned 13 where would go, and what would he become?
"William vont Ballard," the mage shouted. Just, then Will realized he was all alone. "Come forward my young lord," said the magician.
As Will walked on stage, he kept thinking about my future, what would he do, how would I make money, how would he live?
"Put your hand on the crystal please," the old man instructed.
Will did as he was told. When he placed his hands on the crystal, he saw the crystal start to light and something started to dance. Will felt a pull in his head, that gave him a huge headache, what was this feeling?
