Cahara is currently washing his face while thinking about the same things, again.
Cahara's POV:
As I said before, there are three requirements to join an academy. First, have Mana aptitude. Two, be sixteen Three, have Mana crystals.
For the former, I am 99% sure that I have a Mana aptitude. The highest form of it, I am sure. I still remember my days at that Chaotic realm. Of nothingness. Everytime I devoured a soul, my aptitude with energy which I later learned it was Mana, increased very, slightly. But then again I did this for... God knows how long. Hundreds of years? Thousands? So I am sure it's pushed to the limit.
For the middle one, I studied about Mana crystals. They form naturally after thousands of years of Mana concentration. But, I also knew some rich nobles had some Mana crystals. All I can do now is spy on my dad and see if he has enough Mana crystals or not.
As for the latter... It's enough time for me to work on a few things. Knowledge, basic skills, social skills and Manipulation. I can mask myself well already. In my former life during high school, I was a loner. Why? Because I was different, weird. But I learned to mask it after. How? Because from childhood, I was a great observer. I knew how the world worked, how humans functioned, but I never really put it to use. As for why I didn't? I dunno why. That last after my high school. I tried to create masks and personas for myself. I was so successful, I had many friends... Until I was exhausted and became a loner again in my mid twenties....
Anyways, I can mask well, but not manipulate others but thankfully, I already have memory fragments of some manipulators in my mind that I devoured. I will use them as references. Also... I should do something about my eyes. As they say, eyes is a window to the soul. And my eyes look... Dead? They look like an abyss black, as if my soul has already exitedy body... Heh, my 'body'.
Speaking about my body, why is it starting to look like my body from back in the earthm It's like... Soul has an effect on the body, to make it suit the soul. Maybe that's why I couldn't possess my dad. It simply wasn't suitable to my father.
Cahara looked himself in the bucket full of water and smiled at himself
Not I am sad that I will keep my same looks... Pity I was fat in my former world.
Speaking being from another world... There's apparently legends of souls from other worlds coming to this world and boy oh boy, the way they talk about em is anything but good. Apparently, my kind is called Xenos, as in foreigners. There are tales about how my kind brough ruin to this world for their own benefit and how they didn't obey the rules of the world mostly. Of being unpredictable so much even the Seers couldn't predict what they do. They do whatever they want, without care for others and only caring about their goals and how some 'Heroes' will rise and slay the Xenos with the help of the Will of the World.
Which if you ask me, is very discriminatory. Yes, I might fit all of the things they say about us, but it's still very discriminatory. As for why I am saying it... One thing caught my eye. The thing that caught my eye is being unpredictable and people called Seers. So, this world probably has some sort of Fate but unfortunately for this world and fortunately for us, fate probably doesn't or partially affects us.
Another thing caught my eye is the Will of the world. I still remember my very 'pleasant' time with the Will of the World, of it trying to disintegrate my soul. If at that time I didn't possess that fetus' body, I would've died. One thing I am worried is, how influencial is the Will of the World? Will it influence animals dangerous enough to be aggressive to me or make my luck so horrible, I might die at every small accident? The truth is, the only thing I know is that the Will of the World will send it's 'heroes' AKA slaves to it and empower them then send them to my way. I must be wary of them and not be arrogant. I must be ruthless to detect and defeat them.
"Cahara, are you staring at your reflection in the bucket of water again?"
The sound of my dad, Henryk reached my ears. Damn, the old man knows me well.
"No, dad! I am just putting on my clothes"!
---
I am now 12 years old. Time has passed. A year ago, my soul fully healed, finally. No pain of stretching, nothing. But today is a very special day. Why? Because I have buttered uo to the old fat man Henryk and acted intelligent enough that he trusts me... Partially. But he loves me fully, since I am his son.
So I am going to ask him the question of where he has Mana stones enough to enroll me.
Cahara started putting on his nice but informal clothing. He took care of his hair then took a long breath.
I am ready... Let's go find dad. He is probably at the Burgher Guild drinking, again.
He started walking towards the Burgher Guild. As he did, he waved hello to the citizens of the the island, being nice to them all and acting down to earth and humble. Afterall, reputation is worth more than money.
Cahara reached the Burghers Guild.
The building outside it was nothing special. The inside though or rather, the underground levels though...
*Cahara entered the guild. There, he went near staircase that went down. There were two guards that were guarding it but then, they saw Cahara and stepped away.*
Truly, no one is born equal.
Cahara went downstairs. There, he saw the same scen he sees everytime he came here. Waitresses in age ranges of 20 to 25 in very sticky maid clothing servicing burghers and nobles. Sometimes giving them alcohol. Sometimes somethings more... Special. Private... Sometimes not privately.
Now... Let's find dad.
It didn't take long for him to find his dad. He was sitting on a couch and sleeping. Cahara, being the dutiful son he is, woke him up by shaking him.
"Wha-who who did this?!"
The Baron woke up with anger.
"Me."
Cahara answered innocently while looking the Baron in the eyes.
"..."
The Baron didn't know what to say.
"Okay, sorry dad. But dad I came here to talk about something very... Very... Special."
"Let me guess... The academy?"
Cahara's eyes brightened. Seeing Cahara's happiness, the Baron smiled.
"Dad, do you have enough Mana crystals to sign me up for the academy?"
The baron's smile disappeared.
"... Cahara, do you know what kind of place the academy is?"
The baron's voice turned cold. Cahara didn't respond.
"I take your silence as a no. Then let me explain. That 10 Mana crystals is simply the entry fee. Meaning, you gotta work to pay for your classes, room and food. The academy isn't a place for learning, at least for most people. There are four ways to earn Mana stones at an academy."
The Baron stopped and looked at Cahara, seeing whether he is listening or not. Seeing he is focused completely on what he says, he continuesd.
" One, missions posted by the academy. The safe and easy ones get hoarded by the strong while the dangerous ones go to the weak ones. Two, being a magical experiment of a professor, which is simply either a very slow or fast death. Three, being a mage's assistant which only talented mages can become. Four, being an alchemist. Being an alchemist means being extremely talented at sensitive your surroundings, being very knowledgeable and having enough crystals to waste on your first few attempts to learn alchemy."
Cahara looked at the Baron with suspicion.
" But... How do you know so much, dad?"
The baron's eyes hardened.
" My own elder brother went to an academy called the Twin Magic Academy. He sent letters sometimes. He told me about his experiences there, the tortures he endured. His last massage was that he is going on a mission. After that, there was no news about him. None."
Cahara looked down, his eyes flickering. But inside, he was just sneering.
Cahara's inner monologue: " Tch, stupid fat fuck. Obviously, I've read enough novels about such things. Of course the academy will be anything but safe. Will it be dangerous? Yes. Is there a big chance that I might fail?... Yes. But I'd rather try my chances and die rather than rot away at this shithole of an island. Now... Let's put on an act and use my manipulation skills to the best."
But on the outside, Cahara looked bewildered but then, there was a flicker of determination in it and then looked at his dad.
" Dad... The things that you said made me rethink it but...."
Cahara held his father's hand with his small hands.
"... I wanna try. To become something. I don't know if I'll succeed or not but.. I know I'll die with regrets if I don't even try. Besides, I know if I stick around, the family will probably fall apart because of the inheritance issue."
Henryk's eyes softened a bit but was still firm.
".. alright. But on one condition."
Cahara's eyes's brightness returned.
" On what condition?"
" You must have more mana aptitude than Julia. She also wants to go to the academy, yet I only have enough to send only one. You agr-"
Before the Baron could finish his sentence, Cahara started shaking his hand frantically.
"Of course dad! I agree!
Cahara's inner monologue: "Haha! Stupid fat fuck! I know for a fact that I have mana aptitude. The highest level of it..? I dunno how they rank them but anyways, I have them. And the chance of Julia having a Mana aptitude? Less than 1% since less than 1% of people have that. Even if she has that, there is no way her Mana aptitude is high as mine. I won before it even begun. Hahaha..."
Cahara's devilishly smirked. The Baron looked at Cahara questionably.
"Uh, Cahara are you okay?"
"Uh... Nothing dad."