Meanwhile, back at the market...
Edward de Montfort currently stood beside his wife, with his arms still loaded with shopping bags, and watched with growing horror as Giulia examined a display of fine French porcelain.
Not just looking.
Examining it
With intent
"Honey," he said carefully, but he makes sure he doesn't make his situation any worse "those plates are... those are very nice plates."
"Aren't they?" She picked up a delicate teacup, turning it in the light. The price tag dangled like a tiny guillotine for his wallet. "Hand-painted from Limoges."
Limoges,Of course it's fucking from Limoges.
Why wouldn't it be from the most expensive porcelain region in France? And a shop is selling it here in Britain in this town specifically with that.
"We, uh, we have plates at home," he tried weakly.
"We do." She set down the teacup and picked up a matching saucer. "But these are nice plates."
"Our plates are nice.... And Our plates are functional."
She smiled at him—that dangerous smile that meant his opinion was noted, filed, and completely irrelevant to the purchasing decision currently being made by her. "These are elegant."
Edward shifted the bags, trying to redistribute weight that somehow kept getting heavier despite the laws of physics supposedly being consistent.
'At least it's only my wallet suffering ' he thought desperately. ' At least I'm not sleeping on the couch '
Yet.
"How many pieces are you thinking?" he asked, because if he was going down, he might as well know the depth of the crater he's going in.
"Just a small set." She gestured to the display. "Service for eight."
Service for EIGHT !!!!???
JUST a small set.
We're a family of three.why do we need EIGHT!!!???
"That's... very reasonable, dear," he said, because he valued his marriage and also his access to the bedroom very very much.
"I thought so too." She patted his cheek affectionately, then turned to the old shopkeeper who's not surprised about the situation of the couple,due to him witnessing a similar incident that happened a long time ago. "We'll take the set. And those candlesticks. And that serving platter." Meanwhile the shopkeeper soon nodded.
Edward closed his eyes and prayed for strength.
'Forgive me, God, for I have traumatized my son, and now I'm paying for it by having my wallet empty by buying hand-painted porcelain,and me feeling the wrath of my wife, who's probably going to have me sleep on the couch tonight '
Back In The Garden...
(Michael pov)
A warmth. Not physical warmth considering there's no temperature change from the environment ,but it more felt like the impression of warmth, like remembering what sunlight feels like.
It was small,barely there,flickering somewhere in the center of my chest, behind my sternum, in a place that didn't quite exist in physical space.
.
But that's... that's it, isn't it?
I held onto the sensation, careful not to push, not to pull, just... observe, feeling,and sensing it
The warmth of the thing steadied,it became clearer.It felt like mine,like it had always been there, waiting for me to notice...
So is this-
"You actually did it." Grandma replied with her voice being soft, impressed.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking in the sunlight.
She was watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read,i think both surprise mixed with something deeper, including pride,maybe recognition, possibly all of the above.
"I'd what?" I asked, though my heart was already racing,and my brain processing it because I knew i can sense it.
"You sensed it." She leaned forward slightly, studying my face. "Your magical energy. Your core,one of the fundamental things of a magician, with most children need days—sometimes weeks—of practice before they can even begin to feel it,you found it in... what, ten minutes?"
Oh.
Wow....
I soon immediately tried to downplay it, widening my eyes in innocent confusion. "I just felt something warm inside. Is that it?"
"That's exactly it." She sat back, a slow smile spreading across her face. "You have excellent concentration for a child your age, Michael. That's very important for magic—the ability to focus, to quiet your mind, to pay attention to subtle sensations."
Well, I am mentally thirty-something with a PhD for science. Concentration kind of came with the territory. Especially waiting for results to came back, and checking receipts or documents to make sure they're correct. Since well i could go to jail for misconduct in some scenarios.
"Is it good?" I asked, trying to sound like an eager five-year-old seeking approval and i do also like being approved.
"Very good." Her smile widened. "You're going to do well with this, I think."
Vivienne's POV
I watched my grandson's face—still baby-round at five years old, but with eyes that sometimes seemed older than they should be , he's very sharp and observant.
He'd sensed his magical core on the first attempt.
Not activated it,not used it. Just sensed it—which was actually more difficult in some ways. It required stillness, focus, and enough self-awareness to distinguish magical energy from the background noise of existence.
Most children couldn't manage it for days. Some took weeks
.
Michael had done it in minutes. Like his dad,he has his father's talent.
I felt a familiar mixture of pride and exasperation at the thought about my son.
Edward had been gifted, genuinely gifted.
A quick learner, strong magical reserves, excellent instincts,a genius by all accounts. By the time he was fifteen, he was already in Grauzbaurer. With him being one of the organisation most talented and potentially Youngest magician in the organisation.
And then he'd turned eighteen and discovered that chasing pretty girls across Europe was apparently more interesting than pursuing magical excellence. And dropped out of Grauzbaurer a few years later...
That boy.
I wasn't angry. How could I be? He was happy. He'd found love—multiple times, in fact, before finally settling down. And Giulia was wonderful. Beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed enough to keep Edward in line. The fact that she had no magical heritage whatsoever didn't matter one bit.
But still.
Frustrating was the word.
Watching someone with genuine talent decide that magic was "too much work" compared to flirting with girls in cafés?
Frustrating.
Watching him drop out of Grauzauberer's preliminary program because he'd rather backpack through Italy chasing a random girl?
Extremely frustrating.
Though, to be fair, him chasing a random girl lead him to meet a pretty brunette that eventually become my daughter-in-law, then given me a grandson, and made Edward happier than I'd ever seen him.
So... fine. Maybe the skirt-chasing had worked out.
But he could've at least finished his training FIRST. And maybe continued his training while dating Giulia. Not to mention him stopping to help us in handling some supernatural pest.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on Michael.
I really hope this one won't waste his potential even if Edward did somewhat reach his potential but he didn't reach his full potential, I thought with quiet certainty. This one has focus and the intent to do it.
Even at five, there was something different about him, a seriousness beneath the childish enthusiasm. An ability to concentrate that went beyond his years.
If he inherited Edward's talent and has the discipline Edward lacked...
Though i do wonder if the contract with Mephisto is still up considering things.
The contract of the family which she has maintained through the years even after Edward had left Grauzauberer.
But considering things the organization especially Mephisto will still honored the contract.
Even if Edward had squandered his chance. The agreement didn't specify which De Montfort would benefit.
So yeah but it's too early to tell. Far too early.
But watching Michael sit there, small face scrunched in concentration, tiny hands folded carefully in his lap...
I allowed myself a small smile.
Yes. This one will be something special.
Not because of bloodline politics or organizational connections.
But he's intent and interest will helped him.
"Grandma?"
His voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"Yes, dear?"
"Can I try again?"
I smiled warmly, pushing aside thoughts of organizations and contracts and futures that were still years away.
One step at a time, Vivienne.
First, teach him the basics.
Everything else can wait.
"Of course," I said. "But this time, try to hold the sensation longer. Get familiar with it. That warmth you felt? That's your power. Your potential. Learn its shape, its rhythm. Understand it."
He nodded seriousl,which only reinforced my believe that there was more going on behind those eyes than simple childhood precociousness.
But that, too, could wait.
He closed his eyes again, and I watched as his breathing steadied, deepened, as his small face relaxed into concentration.
Just like his father at that age.
But hopefully with better priorities than chasing skirts when he grow older.
I caught myself before I could laugh out loud.
Though knowing the De Montfort men...
Well....We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Michael's POV
I found the warmth again—easier this time, now that I knew what I was looking for.
It pulsed gently in my chest, steady and calm. Not intrusive. Just... present.
This is magic.
This is actual, literal, reality-defying MAGIC.
Inside me.
Holy shit.
I wanted to laugh,wanted to shout,and wanted to jump up and run around the garden celebrating the fact that I—Michael Reyes, scientist, died-in-a-lab-explosion-and-got-reincarnated—had magic.... Though if i did that there's a chance i can probably get sent to an insane asylum.
So i didn't
I just sat there, breathing slowly, feeling that impossible warmth, and trying not to grin like an idiot.
Okay.
Okay, Michael, focus .
Grandma said to learn its shape. Its rhythm.
I turned my attention to the sensation, trying to understand it.
It wasn't uniform. The warmth had... texture? Depth? Like it was layered, or maybe flowing, moving in slow currents I couldn't quite track.
Is it circulating so it's like blood which does that mean my body has a circulation system but for magical energy?
Or is it more static, and the movement is just my perception adjusting to it
Hmmm it's so interesting
I tried to follow one of the currents—mentally tracing it as it moved from the center of my chest outward toward my—
"Gently, Michael."
Grandma's voice was soft but firm.
I opened my eyes.
"Don't try to control it yet," she said. "Just observe. You're doing beautifully, but I can see you starting to push. This isn't a test you need to pass,t's an introduction,take your time step by step"
I nodded, chastened. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize. Enthusiasm is good." She smiled. "But magic requires patience. Especially at the beginning. Push too hard, too fast, and you'll exhaust yourself or worse, hurt yourself."
Right.
Slow down.
This isn't a research problem to solve in one sitting.
This is... this is learning to walk before I can run. And running first before you walk can probably injure you. Though there are some benefit in doing that but learning magic is not one of them.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Can I keep practicing?" I asked.
"A bit longer," Grandma said, checking the sun's position. "But then we're taking a break. Magic training is exhausting for beginners—more than you'd think. You'll need rest and food."
"Okay."
I closed my eyes again and returned to that gentle warmth, content—for now—to just sit with it.
To feel magic existing inside me.
And to know that this was only the beginning.
-----------
Later...
We'd moved to the small table in the garden the same one where Grandma had demonstrated the tea-warming spell earlier.
A fresh cup of tea sat in front of me, steam long since dissipated, the liquid inside is room temperature at best.
My target.
My first actual spell.
I stared at it like it was a final exam I hadn't studied for.
Okay.
Okay, I can do this.
She said it was one of the simplest spells. Even children can learn it.
I'm technically a child.
Physically, anyway.
I've got this.
Grandma settled into the chair across from me, her own cup of tea in hand—perfectly warm, because she'd heated it with a casual flick of her fingers and a magic circle that appeared and vanished faster than I could blink.
"Alright, Michael," she said, setting down her cup. "Do you remember what I explained earlier? About how this spell works?"
I nodded quickly. "You said to heat i by thinking on making it warm not hot andvisualize the water molecules moving faster,and make them generate heat through frictioning of the molecule things. And use the magic circle to... um... process the intent?"
"Close enough." She smiled. "The magic circle helps structure your intent and channel your energy efficiently. Without it, you'd be trying to heat the tea through sheer willpower alone—which can work, but it's inefficient and exhausting."
So the circle is like... a formula,and as a framework.
Intent is the input variable. Energy is the power source. The circle is the function that processes both.
Magic really IS programming.
"Now," Grandma continued, "I want you to do three things. First, place your hand near the cup not touching it, just close enough to it, second, visualize what you want to happen,third, focus your energy and let your magic circle form naturally."
"Naturally?" I asked. "I don't... I don't know how to make a magic circle."
You haven't teached me on how it appears Grandma
"You don't need to make one yet. Not consciously." She gestured to her own palm, where a faint shimmer appeared and vanished. "Your magic will create a basic framework instinctively, especially for simple spells. It won't be elegant or efficient, but it'll work. As you practice, you'll learn to refine it, customize it, make it yours. But for now? Just let it happen."
Oh ok,let it happen. Great.
Very scientific.
Just let quantum mechanics happen Michael. Don't think about it
Let's do this
I soon took a deep breath and placed my right hand near the teacup, palm facing down, hovering about an inch above the rim.
The tea looked back at me, unimpressed.
Alright. Visualization.
I closed my eyes and pictured the water inside the cup. Molecules—H₂O, simple enough. Tiny structures bouncing around at room temperature, moving at a certain average velocity.
Now i need to visualise and have the magic follow my intent
I want them to move faster.
Which mean more kinetic energy.
More collisions, with more collision more heat. More heat mean the water is going to be warmer and the temperature increasing
I held that image in my mind as clearly as I could—billions of water molecules suddenly vibrating faster, generating thermal energy, raising the temperature from room temp to... what, i guess 60°C? 70°C? Or maybe even higher but i want it warm enough to drink comfortably without burning. While i don't have a cat tongue it's really painful considering i had cried a few times eating or drinking something too hot or quickly.
So just warm enough that's the goal.
Now for the energy part.
I reached inward, searching for that warmth in my chest—the magical core I'd sensed earlier. It was still there, steady and calm.
Okay. Grandma said to channel it. To... direct it?
How do I—
I begin imagined the warmth flowing. Moving from my core, through my body, down my arm, into my palm. Like blood circulation.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then I felt it—a gentle pull, like something inside me responding to the command. The warmth began to move, sluggish at first, then smoother, flowing down my arm like water through a pipe or like a blood going through the blood vessel.
My palm tingled.
And then—
Light.
I opened my eyes and gasped.
A magic circle had appeared above my palm. Small, crude, barely two rings with symbols that looked more like scribbles than actual writing. It rotated slowly, wobbling like a spinning plate about to fall,oe a frisbee you know.
But it was there.
...
Holy shit.
I made a magic circle.
I'M DOING MAGIC.
"Good!" Grandma's voice cut through my shock. "Now hold it. Keep the visualization clear. Keep the energy flowing. Don't stop."
Right. Focus.
I turned my attention back to the teacup, maintaining the image of faster-moving molecules, keeping the energy flowing from my core through my arm. Keep thinking and visualize the water molecule in the tea moving,not just the water molecule but the other atoms in the cup as well.
The magic circle spun above the tea. And then steam began to rise.
Slowly at first—just a thin wisp. Then more. The surface of the liquid rippled slightly, disturbed by rising heat.
It's working.
It's actually working.
I'm heating tea with MAGIC. I'm doing the most British thing imaginable.
Physics is crying somewhere and I don't even care.
My hand started to ache. Not pain, exactly—more like strain. Like holding a weight for too long.
"That's enough," Grandma said gently. "You can stop now."
I let go not sure exactly how I let go, but the magic circle flickered and vanished. The flow of energy stopped.
I pulled my hand back, flexing my fingers. They felt stiff.
Grandma meanwhile reaches over and touched the teacup, testing the temperature. Then she picked it up and took a sip.
"Perfect," she announced with a proud smile. "Well done, Michael. Your first spell."
I stared at the cup, then at my hand, then back at the cup.
I just used magic.
Actual magic.
To heat tea.
It was such a small thing. Such a mundane application.
But it was magic.
And I'd done it.
"Did I do it right?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and not betray the fact that internally I was screaming with excitement.
"You did beautifully." Grandma set down the cup. "Your circle was unstable—that's normal for a first attempt. And your energy flow was a bit uneven. But the result was exactly what we wanted. The tea is warm, not boiling. Controlled. Safe."
Controlled and safe hell yeah, it's probably
Because I used scientific visualization,and also make sure my intent is not have the tea that could burn someone mouth or even skin, when like McDonald coffee could cause burns.
Also that got me thinking
If visualization helps structure the spell...
And I have a scientific understanding of thermodynamics, molecular motion, heat transfer,and many scientific things.
Does that mean I can use my scientific knowledge to make my magic MORE effective?
The thought hit me like a lightning bolt.
In my past life, I'd spent years studying science. I knew how heat worked,how energy transferred,how molecular structures behaved under different conditions.
Most magicians probably did it as well but not fully due to them being more focused on magic but I can visualize the ACTUAL MECHANISM.
The exact process.
Since because i was a scientist in my past life,it gives me and advantage.
Would that make my spells more precise? More efficient?
I filed that thought away for later experimentation.
Because if magic responded to knowledge and intent...
And I had scientific knowledge...
Oh, this is going to be FUN.
Also it probably involves creativity and i had read a lot of light novels,manga,novels,and even watch different anime and cartoons to make different possible spells.
Imagine all the possible spells i can make, which i can probably expand this simple heating spell becoming a spell that can be used to burn someone subtly,or cook someone from the inside....
"Michael?"
I blinked and looked up at Grandma.
She was watching me with a curious expression. "You had a very interesting look on your face just now. What were you thinking about?"
How to exploit my past-life education to min-max a medieval magic system. And maybe cooking someone alive... Maybe that last part is concerning.
"Um... just wondering if I could try again?" I said innocently.
She laughed. "Not right now. I can see you're already getting tired."
Tired?
Now that she mentioned it... yeah. My hand still ached. My head felt slightly fuzzy. And there was a heaviness in my chest that hadn't been there before.
"Magic drains you," Grandma explained. "Especially when you're just starting. You're using energy from your core—your life force, essentially. Use too much, and you'll exhaust yourself. That's why we're stopping here."
I see and considering im a child did i just burned through... what, 10%? 20%? 30?
For one cup of tea. That's very bad
Efficiency is definitely something I need to work on immediately.
"Can I practice more later?" I asked.
"This afternoon, perhaps. After lunch and rest." She stood up, stretching. "For now, I think you've earned a break. You did very well today, Michael. Better than I expected, honestly."
I beamed at the praise, letting my five-year-old persona soak it up.
But internally?
I just cast my first spell.
And I'm already thinking about how to optimize it. Even though a simple spell literally consumed Nearly half of my mana or energy.
I really need to control myself...
___________________
How was the chapter ?
...
Expect another chapter soon,and if your wondering on some spells he's going to use in the future let's just say the Geneva convention will be the Geneva checklist... Also did i mention i probably Will have him make an unwrapping spell...
Ok moving on,i hope these clear some ideas of the magic system of these family. Yeah this magic system is very different and they aren't using Merlin magic system but their unique one,not to mention i didn't know how the character hasn't been mentioned in anyway in DXD considering her name should have some appearance, though considering the arthurian legend is a mishmash of legends and fanfic,it could be that caused her not to appear.
Also do the faes even exist in DXD, since i know Fairies do exist the small and cute ones,but the faes of Hy-brazil,and the courts exist, since i know Atlantis snd the continent of Wu exist in DXD. Though I should probably make the appearance of the faes
Also poor Edward and his wallet.
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Ok See Ya