"hmmm?..." I opened my eyes slowly after feeling a tingling sensation in my left arm
When I fully regained my vision, Philemon was with his little head nestled on my chest as he slept peacefully.
I had slept pretty well for my part anyway.
"nnngh..." There it is again, that tingling sensation in my left arm.
I slowly raised my head to look and...a crab.
There was a crab nipping at my hand, but luckily it was a small one so it wasn't too much of a problem.
I just used gravity magic and threw it as far as I could into the sea, it was kind of funny but nothing more.
I could also see that it was already daylight outside, not dawn, daytime.
I guess I was able to rest well today, I feel like new, I haven't slept this well since my 5th birthday in this world.
"Phil...get up, we must go" I murmured softly while stroking my little brother's hair, he just frowned and snuggled closer to me.
"I'm sleepy..." was all he said and I smiled involuntarily.
Lately I find my little brother completely adorable and I intend to enjoy that state before he grows up and becomes a rebellious bastard, but all in good time.
"It's not true, you're just lazy. Let's have the leftover fish for breakfast and continue our journey," I muttered as I sat down, but Philemon quickly repositioned himself on my lap.
I could only sigh with a smile.
"If you keep going like this, I'll throw you into the sea!" I said as I picked him up and we left the stone igloo.
"Hmm...fine" he mumbled as he tried to open his eyes with all his might and then yawned again.
I put him on the floor slowly and he sat down with his eyes still closed.
I had left the food on top of the small fire pillar I had created.
Fortunately, since it was frozen, it didn't actually spoil and with a mild version of the heat island spell I was able to defrost and heat the food.
By this point, Philemon was already half awake as he looked out to sea with a smile.
"It looks different now...it was a little scary at night!" He said as he stood up with a smile.
"Yes, that's how day and night work," I said sarcastically as I created stone plates.
"What do you think could be on the other side of the sea??" He asked curiously.
"Hmm...good question, I reckon if we went in a straight line then we would reach the south of the Demon continent, but that's just a guess or at best some beach from the great forest." I answered him while serving the food.
Philemon frowned as he watched me prepare the food. I could see him a little hesitant, but when he saw me, he took a deep breath and walked back towards me.
"Paul...do you think all that magic you're talking about...could it be possible for me to learn it?" He asked anxiously but I smiled and handed him his plate of food.
"Hehe, of course Phil, in fact you're at the best age to do it even, do you want me to teach you?" I asked him and he nodded without hesitation.
"Yes! Yes, I do! How can I?!" He asked excitedly and I couldn't help but laugh.
This brother of mine...
"First one step at a time!" I said while lightly pinching him on the forehead causing him to pout adorable.
"Obviously you need to eat first, and I'll have to teach you the basics of magic. Can you read and write?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow, and he frowned.
"I'll take your silence as a no, unlike me the conventional way of using magic is simply by incantations but you have to learn to read and write to read them something you don't know" I continued and I could see Philemon's pout getting bigger.
"B-but you can do magic without those enchantments?...of the ones you're talking about, right? Then why can't I? He said with an obvious tone of frustration on his childish face.
"It's true...but you know? Your brother here is a unique case in the world! Because I discovered how to do a new way of doing magic! But unfortunately you will first have to go through the process to conjure spells before learning how to cast them" I said seriously while Philemon looked at me fixedly, I could see some doubt in his eyes but then he nodded.
"Okay, so what do I have to do?" He asked.
"First things first, let's eat!" I said as I stuffed a hefty portion of reheated fish into my mouth.
Philemon frowned again and looked at the plate in front of him for a few seconds before starting to eat in the same way.
After that, and now that we both had energy, we would start with the most important things.
With Philemon sitting on the sand in front of me, the waves of the sea breaking behind me and me with my hands behind my back, I began my first magic class.
"Listen to me carefully, Phil. You may not know how to read and write yet, but there are things I can teach you first so you know the magnitude of what you're learning," I said seriously, and he nodded in the same way.
"Magic is not just something to show off, it is an instrument of war that was created for that, war, yes, with enough knowledge it can make your daily life much easier, But that's not all, if you learn magic it won't just be to show off, you'll use it as a method of defense in this world where only the strongest survive...Understood!?" I said firmly.
Philemon blinked a couple of times in surprise as if he had just come out of a great trance and answered enthusiastically:
"Yes, brother! I understand!"
"Good! That's the spirit!" I replied with a smile but instantly regained my serious tone.
"Magic is divided into three types, attack, healing and Divine and all of them are divided into seven ranks each." I began to explain while Philemon stared at me.
"The ranks are beginner, intermediate, advanced, saint, king, emperor, and God, I for my part am a saint rank of water and healing but that is not the issue" Continue under Philemon's watchful eye.
"And to perform a spell, something called Mana is required. Mana is everywhere, both in living and dead beings, even in me or in you," I told him while gently pressing his chest causing him to laugh softly...
No! You're losing focus, Paul!
"It was once believed that the amount of mana a person possessed was inherited at birth, but I discovered that statement to be erroneous!" I continued as Philemon raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"A person's mana can be trained and increased simply by spending your reserves until they are exhausted in childhood, your age is more than perfect to do so Philemon, the more you spend your mana "You will have greater reserves every day," I told him, and he smiled at the statement.
"Now then...did you understand everything I told you?" I murmured as I looked into his eyes.
"Yes, seven ranks of magic, it can be done without enchantments, the mana reserves increase every time you deplete them in your childhood" he said summarizing what I explained to him, to my surprise.
"Yeah...that's fine," I mumbled as I gently ruffled his hair which made him pout again adorablely.
"Now then...pay close attention to me Philemon! I will give you this first demonstration of how you can cast a spell with enchantment, I want you to pay close attention" I said as I began to walk towards the sea.
I raised a hand and pointed it towards the waves.
How long has it been since I cast a spell?...a memory of other times that will not return, but that is not the plan
"Fuuuu...pay attention" I muttered as I closed my eyes.
Since I hadn't relied on charms in years, there had been no need to memorize them so I was having a hard time remembering.
I remembered my classes with my teacher Eva, Everything she taught me about magic and more, I hope she is well, wherever she is.
"Okay! Now, pay close attention to what I'm doing!" I said and so I began to cast a spell in what seemed like centuries.
"...May the great protection of water be in the place you seek, I invoke a refreshing bubbling stream here and now "water bal!"
I finished casting and in my hands I felt a sensation I hadn't felt in years.
And immediately a ball of water the size of a soccer ball formed in my hand
I turned around and I could see Philemon looking at me or rather, looking at my hands in amazement.
"Wow...that was amazing...but the spell is very long" he murmured and I smiled helplessly.
"Of course, that's why you need to learn and read so that you can learn them all and thus be able to conjure them in silence" I said as I played with the water ball in my hand and then threw it into the sand with a splashing noise.
"Do you think you can try it after just hearing it once?" I asked him with a smile, but he frowned and shook his head.
"No...it's too long," he muttered in frustration.
"Heh, I know, do you want to learn how to read and write?" I said with a mocking smile which made him kick me in the heel.
"Ouch!, well well!...but I just remembered another spell so watch me carefully, you'll need it anyway when casting your own spells" I muttered pointing my hand towards the ocean again.
"...What was it like? Oh yeah!...May the great protection of fire be in the place you seek, I invoke the intense heat of a torch here and now!, "fireball!" I finished casting the spell and immediately a fireball the size of my head formed in my hand.
"Doesn't it burn?" Philemon asked uncertainly as he looked at me with concern.
"No, fire spells don't burn me unless I target myself with them," I muttered as I released the fireball into the sea only for it to be smothered by the waves.
"Did you see it well too?" I asked him and he frowned again.
"It's still very long...but I see how it works, you cast the spell for the best control of your mana...right?" He asked and I looked at him in confusion and smiled after a few seconds
"Of course, that's the theory, but magic without enchantments gives you better control over your own mana flow," I explained, and he tilted his head in confusion.
I sighed softly knowing everything I would have to explain but this is what I signed up for so there's no turning back.
"To start with...look," I said as I formed a ball of water in my hands, "spells work the same way as magic circles in a way, You don't understand? Well, it's actually simple, with a magic circle it will always give you the same result, no matter how much mana you pour into it and no matter how much you try to edit the spell, The spell will be guided in a predetermined way so far" I said and increased the size of the water ball to triple.
"Now that I no longer depend on enchantments or in circles of mana, I will have better management of my mana and spells." I continued while changing the shape of the ball of water until the land to the sea out of simple boredom.
"I think I understand now..." Philemon murmured and I nodded somewhat pleased.
"Okay, now you know the basics. I know I'm not the best teacher, in fact, my... friend? Roxy Migurdia would be better at teaching you this than me...And fortunately, it is with her that we are going now," I said with a smile.
"Roxy Migurdia? Who is she?" Philemon asked curiously.
"Well...she's...well" I mumbled while blushing slightly and even looked away from him.
"She is a person I appreciate very much, she traveled with me to the Fittoa region and her final destination is the magical city of Sharia in the kingdom of Ranoa, that is where we will go" I explained while regaining my composure
"And is it very far?" He asked.
"Err...well yes and no, if we traveled by carriage it would take us about 6 months to get there, but I have a much faster and more effective method to get there!" I explained to him with a smile.
"and what is it?" Philemon asked
I remained silent for a few moments and leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "...you have to keep it a secret, okay? This method of travel is prohibited worldwide! And we can get into trouble if we are caught using it.," I said in a serious tone and he nodded.
"Teleportation circles...centuries ago it was a widely used magic, but after the second human-demon war it was completely banned and the people who used it were punished..."Which is why we must be very discreet about this, understood?" I asked him, looking him in the eyes.
"Of course! I promise!" He nodded with a smile and I stroked his hair.
"What do you think if we start traveling now? We've already eaten and you've seen the sea," I said and he nodded, getting up from the sand.
"Shall we fly again?" He asked and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Yeah, you like flying now, huh?" I said with a mocking smile, but he nodded with a "Yeah!" With all his might.
I guess it can't be helped, kids love this.
"Okay, stay still then!" I said as I rose three feet into the air.
"Wow!! Paul! How do you do that?!" Philemon asked excitedly as he looked at me, I swore I could see stars shining in his eyes.
"Magic, my brother! Magic! And if you try hard enough, you can do it too!" I said as I lifted him up in the air too, spinning him around...not intentionally, I swear!
"R-really?!" He asked while looking at the floor but I saw how he forced himself to relax
"Of course, you'll just need the necessary amount of mana and good control over it," I said as I brought him closer to me.
Apparently his attempts to relax were in vain because when he was close to me he squeezed me like an octopus again.
"Okay! Are you ready?!" I asked him as I positioned him in front of me.
"Y-yes! Go quickly!! " He said excitedly and I started to rise higher in the air.
In less than a second we rose to about 300 meters and I covered us both with my barrier magic.
"On the count of three we'll start flying, okay?"
"Yes! Are you going to go faster this time?"
"No, I was already going as fast as I could that time haha"
Philemon pouted slightly but I ignored it.
"Okay! One...two...three!" I announced and the next moment an explosion sounded behind us as we shot forward.
It seems I've broken the sound barrier again...
Less than five minutes passed, we divided the capital of Shirone again but we did not stop there, my objective was the teleportation circle.
I closed my eyes slightly, ignoring Philemon's protests as I descale while recalling Nanahoshi's notes.
Fortunately, I could see what appeared to be a camp on the horizon, so I unslowed down and headed down into the woods.
"aaaargh...are we there yet?" Philemon asked in protest while crossing his arms adorably.
"Yes, it's a teleportation circle, it has to be hidden so we don't get caught!" I told him, he was silent for a couple of seconds but then nodded.
"I understand...but you know where it is, right?" He asked, looking at the forest. There was nothing but large trees and dried leaves on the ground. "Of course, little brother, take my hand so you don't get lost," I said as I took his hand and we started walking.
*7 kilometers northwest of Lakatia (capital of Shirone)
*Turn right when you come across a monument to world powers
*Bandit zone two kilometers south (Orsted mentioned that they are the remnants of the conflict zone trying to enter Shirone)
Those were Nanahoshi's instructions to help us find our way in the forest and of course we had already found a reference point.
"Paul look...what is this?..."It has strange drawings in the center," Philips said as he pointed at the enormous three-meter rock in front of us.
"Ah yes, that little brother is a monument to the seven world powers," I said while pointing at the symbols.
"And these drawings represent each of the members of this list, Although I don't know much about their history, I think I remember the names..." I muttered while thinking about Orsted.
"The names? Can you tell me?" He asked and I nodded.
"Of course...let's see...this is the North God, this is the Sword God, Death God, Demon God, Fighting God, Dragon God and Technique God" I told him while pointing to each of the symbols which were positioned following the hands of a clock.
"Woow...and do you know any?" He asked excitedly.
"eeem yes, indeed yes" I said scratching my neck "It was the Death God he trained me briefly and thanks to his help I became a triple saint in the sword" I said while moving my leg slightly remembering what I had to do to rank up.
"Woow...a-and what was he like? Is he super strong?" Philemon asked, clearly interested.
"Hehe...yes, yes it was, even now I don't think I have a chance against him" I muttered with a smile.
"hmmm..." Philemon just frowned with a thoughtful expression and I stroked his hair.
"Okay, this monument is a landmark, follow me," I said as we started walking through the forest.
It took us about ten minutes to walk until we reached a clear area of the forest and in the middle was a huge rock with vines on top and a symbol of the Dragon God in the middle.
"This is it," I said to Philemon as I walked over to the stone and extended my hand.
What was it like?...oh yes
"The wrym only lived for his ideals, no one could escape the reach of his powerful arms, he was the second to die, a Dragon General, his scales green and gold, his life the most ephemeral of dreams, in the name of the second Dragon Emperor Shirad, I break his seal!" I finished casting the spell and immediately reality itself became distorted.
It's like I was under a pool, the image in front of me became blurry, almost smoky, and from it the teleportation ruin was revealed.
"Wooo!! What kind of magic is this?!" Philemon asked excitedly.
"I don't know, but it's a great help, take my hand and don't leave me" I told him and so we both entered the teleportation ruin.