Two more years passed.
I won't bother recounting how tedious my first eight years in this world were. Monotony is suffocating, and there's no point in dwelling on it. I'll just say that, after that encounter with the pink-haired girl, Isolde and I decided to stop going out. It was a decision made in the quiet of the night, with the unyielding logic of those who understand that, in an unfamiliar world, preparation always comes before exposure.
Mother didn't agree, of course. She insisted that children should explore, play, and socialize. But Isolde's fake tears were a more effective weapon than any rational argument. In the end, after a small tantrum from my sister, Mother relented… though reluctantly.
The time, then, was put to good use.
Our training intensified after a year. In these last two years, we managed to master 120 techniques from The Paradox Scriptures. An impressive number, yes, but the cost was proportional. Sacrificed sleep, extreme exhaustion, and more than once, the temptation to give up. But in the end, the results were satisfying.
If I had to evaluate our physical attributes… our strength grew enough to carry two full sacks of corn without trouble. As for speed… well, we can run 50 meters in 10 seconds. Mediocre, sure, but every step forward is a rung toward something better.
Our overall capacity improved by 30% compared to the average child in the kingdom, though that comparison isn't very meaningful. To strengthen our bodies, we resorted to unconventional methods: doing push-ups with one of us on top of the other and running for four hours straight inside the room. An absurd training regimen to anyone watching, but effective in its own way.
And, as it happens, we'd just finished another session.
"Hah… hah… I'm… too tired…" Isolde panted, using magic to condense water from the air and drink.
"Issy… I don't think… using mana to… make water… is the best way to… hydrate…"
Every word cost me air. My body demanded oxygen with the urgency of someone drowning.
Sticky sweat coated my skin, though the winter chill seeping through the window offset the discomfort. It was snowing. In my past life, winter was my enemy—a ruthless adversary that forced me to huddle under layers of blankets, far from the snow and freezing air.
Not anymore.
And I like that.
"You trained too long, didn't you? Here, my little ones."
Mother entered the room and handed Isolde and me a glass of water, wearing that tender yet worried expression she'd been showing more often lately. Probably because she wished we'd go out more. I couldn't blame her. But today would be different.
Because today is the "Vigil of the Fallen."
A celebration that happens only once every ten years. My first time experiencing it.
This day honors the knights who died in the war of independence of the continent Veloria against Aeloria. A war that shaped this kingdom's identity.
Veloria, where I was born, had been under Aeloria's rule for generations. But differences in beliefs, politics, and culture fueled the spark of conflict. Eventually, rebellion erupted, and after countless battles and human losses, Veloria broke free. Now, every decade, that sacrifice is commemorated with a festival that recalls both the blood shed and the freedom won.
There's something curious about all this, though.
According to The Paradox Scriptures, both Veloria and Aeloria worship the same god: Paradox.
That simple fact left Isolde and me stunned.
For years, these two continents fought, slaughtered each other, despised one another… all while venerating the same deity. An uncomfortable discovery. Were their conflicts truly about independence, or was it just a war between factions convinced they had divine favor?
For now, we've decided to keep it secret.
I don't want to imagine what the religion would do if they knew we've been reading what seems to have been written by their own god.
How unsettling.
And how ironic.
Mother handed each of us a glass of water and then left. She's been alone, putting up the Christmas decorations. We offered to help, but she brushed it off with a forced smile. We insisted, and her response was even firmer: she locked us in our room.
Curious. She's adamantly against us spending all our time at home, but when it comes to preparations, she prefers to do it alone. Hypocritical? Maybe not the exact word, but it's the first one that comes to mind.
I got up from the floor and helped Isolde do the same. We finished the water and returned the empty glasses to Mother.
"Go take a bath. We'll need to head out soon. Dad will be waiting for us at the festival," she said, smiling as she walked off with the glasses toward the sink.
A bath, huh?
From what I recall, in my past life, history books mentioned that during the Victorian era, people didn't bathe often. They only did so for special occasions, as if water were a sacred resource reserved for key moments. This world is different. Here, bathing is a daily routine, and if there's an important event, you take another bath before heading out.
"Alright…" I replied, still catching my breath from training. "You bathing first, or me?"
Isolde had already grabbed her towel before I could finish the sentence.
"Well, you first."
"What? We're not bathing together?"
Her confusion was genuine. Apparently, she hadn't realized we're no longer little kids. Bathing together now would be… awkward.
"Don't you think we're a bit too old for that?"
I sat on the bed, waiting for her to leave. Her reaction was instant: she puffed out her cheeks in a childish pout.
"Hmph… fine."
I smiled as I watched her stomp off, annoyed. Her habit of pouting and throwing tantrums could become a problem in the future. Not everyone will give in to her whims.
With the room to myself, I picked up The Paradox Scriptures. I still hadn't studied anything about healing magic. Not because I wasn't interested, but because the sheer complexity of it felt overwhelming. There were too many branches, too much information, too many ways to fail at learning it.
Still, today I decided to give it a shot.
"Let's see…"
Muttering to myself has become a recent habit. It helps me process information, cement it in my memory. Curiously, I also retain what Isolde says out loud when she studies magic and combat. Maybe that's what they call auditory learning.
Sounds useful.
I wonder if I have visual learning too. That would be even better.
Putting aside my rambling, I focused on a topic that caught my interest: blood magic. It's in the healing magic section, suggesting applications in regenerating red and white blood cells.
Blood Healing Magic: Regulates, purifies, and manipulates blood, improving its quality, eliminating toxins and diseases. It also allows the creation and control of artificial blood for offensive and strategic purposes in combat.
Interesting. Creation and control of artificial blood. Does that imply a direct connection to mana and the Syrix?
Total blood system detoxification: Eliminates poisons and infectious diseases.
Blood flow regeneration and control: Stops hemorrhages and accelerates the production of red and white blood cells.
Artificial blood creation: Generates blood from mana, either for transfusions or to replace blood lost in combat. Can also be used for offensive and defensive purposes.
This is where it gets really interesting.
Offensive and defensive blood magic with artificial blood: Manipulates created blood to form weapons, projectiles, whips, or traps. Can coagulate to harden into shields on parts of the body. Compressed blood can be fired at high speed, strong enough to pierce objects. Blood can be concentrated in specific body parts to enhance physical attacks.
Clot and blood pressure control: Can immobilize or weaken an enemy by altering their blood flow.
Enhanced oxygenation and endurance: Boosts the user's body, improving reflexes and physical stats for combat.
This is definitely a lot.
The challenge isn't just understanding it but learning to apply it without the theory becoming useless knowledge. Still, if I can grasp the relationship between mana, the Syrix, and artificial blood creation, I might be able to do something with this.
Something tells me that if I master this branch of magic, the possibilities will be endless.
And that, without a doubt, is worth trying for.