Chapter 2 : New beginnings

Opening my eyes was a weird feeling. After not having any senses to having all of them again was a little painful. I could hear everything from the loud thumping coming down the hall to my own heartbeat.

My eyes were sensitive so even tho I was able to see, it was just a huge blurry mess of colors.

What I realized next explained everything.

I couldn't move, well I could but I couldn't move a lot. Only slight movement from my arms and legs. Based on how they felt, weak and ... fat.

Baby hands are not fun let me tell you. Especially when you have an itch on your nose you are unable to reach.

I remember that I would start in the body of a baby.

Remembering my past life was also a weird experience. Remember when I asked Vin-- I mean Carl to take away my attachment from it, well because of that now it feels like I have someone else's memories in my head.

I am not considering it a negative. It is because of those memories that I am not just a regular baby. That I can understand what is happening around me.

Like that huge person who just walked through the door. The person is wearing a black-looking dress so I am guessing it is a woman. My mother maybe, or my caretaker? She looked around three-quarters the size of the door, so I am guessing she is on the shorter side. Black hair but I can't tell if it is wavy or straight hair.

She came and stood over the crib that I am in. Now that I get a better look at her I don't think she would be my mother. Carl said he would have fashioned my background to what I had in mind and I am supposed to have dark skin. So I guess she is my caretaker.

When she lifts me I can get a better look at the room. Apart from the crib which I was in, there is also a big window on the opposite wall to it but apart from that, there is only a rug in the middle of the plain white-colored room.

Shouldn't I be breastfed now?

I don't feel that I had messed up whatever I am wearing, at least not yet. The caretaker takes a bottle and starts feeding me so I guess that answers that question. That gives me another question, what happened to my mother?

I didn't wish to have the cliche start where the characters grow up without their parents. Well, now that I think about it I didn't specify what happened to my parents. What I had specified was that the family had to be noble and lived practically beside the Trawn woods.

I guess non of that matters now. First thing first I want to make my core. That is the whole reason why I wanted to be this young. Being awakened from as young as a baby has some massive benefits.

When you are awakened your core gives off excess mana which is constantly strengthening your body. Now if two awakened with the same core maturation were to fight under the basic condition the one with the stronger body would win.

So essentially the earlier you awaken the better.

Now with a full belly and with the caretaker putting me back in the crib, I can focus on trying to awaken.

The way lith had to awaken was after getting a feel for magic when the nurse had using a diagnostic spell on him, tried to replicate the effects but first had to try and feel mana. That means some good old meditation.

Wish me luck Carl.

**{Line Break}**

It is unfortunate, Kaleb will be growing up without his parents. His mother passed during childbirth. His father, the lord who I served was assassinated on a trip towards a neighboring city.

The report from the rangers said it was from an attack from an undead. I think they were hired. Lord Lamont was constantly approached by the new magic families to join their faction against the old magic families.

He never sided with any.

I agreed with him, one is a blood purist whose ancestry has fucked so many of their siblings it's a miracle they aren't disabled and the other are warmongers who admirably aspire to change the bad treatment of non-noble. Bad method for the right reasons.

Baron Lamont's territory was was just a small town on the south edge of the trawn woods. They wanted his support so they could expand into the woods which are said it be full of resources as it is dangerous.

Venture too deep and you might as well be an Emporer beast's dinner.

But because of that greed, Kaleb is now left alone. Kaleb's mother was a descendant of the desert, and because of that, he has darker skin.

I could see the curiosity in his eyes whilst I fed him. His little eyes roamed around the room. I am uncertain if a child his age should even be able to see.

I had him checked constantly by the healing mages after he was born. I will care for him like he was my own, but also as his maid. Even if I wished he was mine in my selfishness, he is the future Lord Lamont and I will teach him as such.

It is already a blessing that in his father's will he had said if anything happens to him or his wife, the responsibility of being his guardian will fall on me, his head maid and I will fulfill the duty given to me. This I swear, as I walk down the hall of the mansion.

It is time I get to my daily duties. The house of the Lamont family should not be in a deplorable condition.

It shall not be.

{Line Break}

Mogar has been uncomfortable recently. I feel it through my connection with it and I am sure the other guardians do too. Unfortunately, it hasn't contacted us.

I hope it is a problem that can be resolved quickly, I have a kingdom to run and my student to teach.

{Line Break}

Meditating as a baby is harder than it seems, even tho I have a great amount of time now I keep falling asleep whenever I think I am close.

I will attribute that to always being on my back.

Aside from trying and constantly failing, I have also been stretching my body.

Well as much as I am allowed with this baby body. Stretching and rotating my arms, flexing the fingers and toes, and constantly rolling. It makes for a decent workout.

I think either my name is Kaleb or that it is just a standard greeting in this language. She would always come in, dressed in the same short black dress ( which is some good eye candy now that my eyes are getting better and focusing ) and feed me then put me back in the crib.

But today she did something different.

Instead of just putting me back in the crib, I see her heading to the door.

Finally, I will be able to see more of my surroundings than just the four walls and the same window. We step out to a long hallway, the only I see is a simple red rug running the length of the hallway.

I find myself enjoying the minimalistic style of the house so far, nothing too bride or loud, but this is speaking from my lack of experience so I should later find something to compare with.

At the end of the hallway, there is a staircase heading down which leads to what would be called a living room from my memories and a very good sized one at that.

Two doors leading either side of the room are ignored so I am not given the chance to see what it holds. Before we leave the room, I see another woman, slightly taller than my caretaker but also with brown hair. Her dress is also a lot longer than my caretaker's.

*Note to self: change that when I get older. *

The truly interesting thing tho is that I saw her using magic. She said a few words and a mini-tornado was formed about the size of an adult's palm.

I want to touch it. If I touch it then maybe that's what I need to feel mana.

Squirming in her arms, I move to reach for the wind but am held firmly.

"Please calm down Kaleb."

I don't know what she just said and frankly, I don't care. I need to get there, it is probably the only way I will get to feel mana for a while now and I will not allow my core to form naturally.

**-****Amari-**

"Miss Amari, it looks like he wants to touch the chore magic."

She is correct, it does look like that but I am unsure if I am to allow it.

"It is also the first thing that he has shown interest in or has reacted to, I would say let him touch it. Chore magic is not harmful," The maid emplored.

Yes, that is why I had healers constantly checking him, he would not cry, would not fuss or whine or laugh when played with.

It was disconcerting.

"You are correct Clara, it might be that he hadn't seen anything which interested him," I said with a bit of concern.

"Yes and I understand that you are worried but with you and I by his side, what would happen?"

Many, many things can happen. This is a world where strange things happen, but I will allow it, magic might be what sparks his will.

As I set him beside the magic and see the light in his eyes, it would seem I have made the correct decision. Nothing else has been able to garner this much of a reaction.

He just sits there staring, seeming content with watching. After a good couple of minutes, he reached out slowly, cautiously and I am again amazed by how... smart of a decision that is.

After his little fingers touch the outer edges he keeps it there and closes his eyes. Does the wind really feel that comforting?

Maybe I should open the windows in his room to allow wind to blow through it?

He opens his eyes then makes a grabbing motion, the wind as if commanded follows his arm and as he brings it to his chest it encircles him and he embraces it.

This is where I draw the theoretical line. Taking him back up into my arms even as he looks at me with a clearly annoyed expression I pay him no mind.

"Well, that was eventful," chirped Clara.

"A little too much excitement in my opinion," it is true, I would rather he not get into the world of magic but seeing what just happened I doubt it. He is just a couple of months old and was able to manipulate mana. If that isn't talent then I don't know what is.

"Looks like we have a future mage on our hands," Clara said, seemingly excited about the idea.

That's one of the things I am afraid of.