Part 1
Father finally arrived back from hunting late in the evening. Astraya and I had been staring out the window, hoping he would return so I could get my hands on those books. From a distance, we eventually saw him arrive, and I was shocked to see him with two adult rabbits in both hands. It was a big catch, quite different from his usual haul.
"Mother!" I yelled. "Father's back, and he brought meat!"
I raced Astraya to the front door before we had made a friendly wager on who would touch the books first. Reaching downstairs, we told Mother that Father had returned with a bountiful catch.
As we stepped into the kitchen, I notified my mother, "Father's back, and he really got two rabbits this time, not the usual snails!"
Mother looked initially happy and clapped her hands together in delight. "Perfect! That will go well with the soup I'm making and last us for a week." Her excitement was suddenly burdened by a concern. "Rabbit meat can be a bit of trouble, though. It gets tough. I'll have to be careful how I prepare it." She then expressed a hope that Father would read her mind: "I hope your father got a good breed. He'd better smoke the meat this time, or we'll have to wait about two days to get it ready."
We waited for him to open the door, listening to his whistling and footsteps before a strong knock sounded. Knock, knock, knock.
As Father calmly entered, he seemed taken aback by our waiting. "Wow, I caught two rabbits today, and now this? It's definitely my lucky day, hehehe."
He lifted his hands, and lo and behold, the rabbits were already smoked. This made my mother especially happy, as he had made her job much easier, and she showed her appreciation by kissing him on the cheek.
Father was very proud of his catch, flexing his muscles. Astraya was much more into hunting than I was. Personally, I wasn't really a fan of hunting. I could definitely eat meat, but knowing how it was made made eating it a bit difficult. In my previous life, getting meat from a supermarket or fast food allowed me not to think too much about the food chain. Since things like blood and live animals weren't publicly seen, I could eat tasty fried chicken and have no idea of the process it took, which made me eat meat less in this world.
My father had clearly perspired a lot more today. "Dad, how did you catch the two rabbits today?" Astraya asked. My father, also a hunting enthusiast, looked at my mom, seeking permission to explain to us. My mom gave a permissive cough and the go-ahead. "Go ahead, honey."
"Well, it wasn't easy, but your dad outsmarted the rabbits," he replied.
I had my own question: did he use mana to catch them? "Dad, did you use mana to catch the rabbits?"
"Nope, haha, that's why I'm extra sweaty today, son. I decided I needed to use my brain and think of a better way. Who knew traps were this effective?"
My father's response helped my approach to learning about mana. From the information he gave, it was clear that mana itself didn't make your hunting effective; it still came down to how smart you were and how you applied your knowledge. His sweating also showed that it would be difficult. I then wondered and asked, "So then you used some kind of heat magic, let's say fire and its smoke to smoke the rabbits?"
Mother then said, "Alright, let your father have his bath. And then your father would bring the books?"
My father looked confused. "Books? What do you mean, Ashley?"
My mom, who had just finished putting the rabbits in the kitchen and dusting her hands on her apron, replied, "It's okay, honey. Let them have the books you were going to give them on their sixth birthday.Aren't They're in your study room?."
Father looked shocked, but in a good way. "Aren't they too young to be reading those boring books.
He stared at us saying "isn't that right kids?"
"Well, Daddy," Astraya said, "I can read a bit as long as they have pictures, and Astraga can read better than me, you know."
"It's true," Dad replied. "Between the two of you, Astraga is a better reader. Alright, fine, I'll get them for you since it was supposed to be a gift." He playfully brushed our heads at the same time, knowing we didn't like when our hair got rough, but he enjoyed it. "Right after I take a bath, and who knows, I might even tell you about what a manomancer does, hahaha."
Mother retorted, "Alright, Mr. Vulgabread, please go get a bath."
Part 2
We all sat at the dining table. I wasn't too clear on the culture here, but my family the Fulas was used to eating together at the same time. This was completely different from what I was used to. In my previous life, my mother would cook, and each of us had a choice to eat in our rooms or elsewhere that is, if our apartment even had enough space for a family dining table. If I were to choose between eating in my room or at a dining table, of course, eating in my room was most people's preferred choice.
Even though it was forced, sitting together as one family and eating what my dad hunted and my mother cooked felt like a slice of life. It just felt nice.
As we finished our meal, and my mother ,Astraya and I had cleaned the table, it was time for our gifts. My dad stood up from his chair, playfully using his nails to remove meat particles stuck between his teeth. He walked down the stairs to the basement. A few minutes later, he came back up, lifting a small, brown leather bag onto the table. "Here," he said, dropping the bag. It was able to stand on its own as he stylishly placed his hands on the back, clearly not handing it over yet. "What would you like to know about your dad?" he asked, looking at us with a grin on his face.
I immediately rushed to ask, "Dad, Mother said you're a manomancer and that your swordsmanship was below average."
My dad's brow twitched. "Oh, really? She said that, huh?" he said, staring in my mother's direction. My mother, however, didn't turn around and continued washing dishes, pretending she hadn't called her husband a bad swordsman.
My dad brought out his four-legged wooden chair, turned it around so the back faced us, and sat down. Astraya and I also brought our dining chairs and sat a bit away from the table, right in front of him. He rested his hands on the back support of the chair and scratched his head."Hmm, where do I start?" he thought aloud."How about letting them know where we are exactly?" my mother replied as she scrubbed dishes, the friction of the sponge against the plate audible in the kitchen."Oh, right. Well, kids, let's start with a lesson in geography. Then you'll understand more about manomancy in general, okay?" he said confidently, believing this was the best way for us to understand things.Before he began, he added, "Let me tell you about the five books in this bag. Some are low-level beginner guides written by yours truly, and the others are just guides. I wrote two of these books over the last four years, and they're actually published now. So, just know your dad is an author! The other three were written by people well-versed in different fields."Alright, so we have : RoughGeography… by Adamantus, Politics and Kingdoms …. by Lonemage, Magic Guide and Mana Manipulation …by Vulgabread Fula (hehe) ,Principia Sanguina: The Art and Science of Mana types…. by Archmagus Elion Trevis, Bloodwright, Tests and Mana Affinity ….by Vulgabread Fula.
I wondered to myself. No wonder he usually locked himself up in his studies for quite a long time i didn't know he was an author and would definitely check out his knowledge on his books.
"Alright kids " my father said, clapping his hands together like he was about to overflow our brains with information. He then spoke, "Well on the idea of where we are currently in this world there are 5 dominant kingdoms in which most smaller villages and towns cluster around for either protection,food or even as an identity as a whole."
This then definitely proved my theory about the advancement of this world. While it might not be as technologically advanced as my previous world and still ran on a kingdom system with kings and queens, it would be interesting to see how far this system of governance had developed. My father then turned his hand into a fist, lifting his fingers one after the other as he named the kingdoms:
"We have the Volkar Kingdom… Aserin Kingdom… Verdun Kingdom… Aetherhall Kingdom… and finally, the newest among them, the Manyblood Kingdom."
Astraya and I looked at each other, just as confused. "Manyblood?" we said simultaneously. Mother finally joined us at the dining table, looking a bit exhausted, and watched as Dad replied, "Yes, kids, Manyblood. You see, the Manyblood Kingdom got its name from its founding king, who was a bastard prince of King Juggernaut of Verdun. It was named Manyblood because it was the first kingdom among the others to have multiple races coexisting."
So this world had races. Interesting. Could they be like the ones in my own world? I thought to myself. Then I pressed further, "What exactly are these races in Manyblood?"
"Well," he began, "in Manyblood, we mainly have four races. First, there's the human race, which you're already familiar with. Then, the demon races, which just for simplicity primarily include elves. Next, we have the beast races, who are humanoid but have animal-like features and in most cases with animal behaviors."
He leaned back slightly before adding, "And finally, there's the group people just call the mixed races. It's kind of a catch-all term. These are smaller races dwarves, orcs, goblins, and other less common folk. They're grouped together not because they're the same, but because they don't have the numbers or political strength to stand alone."
Part 3
Another key piece of information you need to know is that the human race is the largest among all races, as the other four kingdoms aren't so open to having different races. Most other races in those four kingdoms hold lesser jobs and have fewer positions of authority. But not as though Manyblood isn't politically virtuous either as we still have major flaws in our system."
Father had already started mumbling to himself, and it was clear he had his own political ideas about how Manyblood should be run. My mother, ever so conscious, brought him back to reality with a cough. "Honey, maybe tell them about manomancy now, and we can call it a good night. You must be very tired," she said gently.
"Oh, yes, my bad, kids! Daddy got all political there, haha," he said. "Alright, so what is manomancy? Well, it's a field of study that I learned at the academy in Manyblood's central capital, Heartis. It focuses on understanding how mana users can use their mana to basically become stronger.
"You see, Manyblood might be the most open-minded about races, but its military strength was lacking. According to popular opinion, Manyblood was last among the top five kingdoms. So, manomancy was the new king's way to achieve what is considered the pinnacle of mana manifestation: 'Dragonhood.'"
"Dragonhood?" Astraya asked, beating me to the punch. The name sounded so powerful. How strong could someone who achieved Dragonhood be? I wondered. Was it a title for someone with massive amounts of mana and power? Or could it be…no, it can't be…dragons? And maybe controlling them?
Before I could ask, my mother made it clear that she was not happy my father had brought up that word. "Alright, that's enough, Mr. Vulgabread. The last thing they need right now is to know about that, so I suggest you tell them something else or we're calling it a night."
My father sighed, now understanding the situation. "Alright, alright, I will. But let me at least tell them a little bit, nothing too deep, right?"
My mother hesitated, but before she could stand her ground, Astraya and I had already left our seats to cling to her apron, begging for just a little bit more. Astraya was especially skilled at the art of adorableness. She made her eyes impossibly cute and said, "Please, please, Mommy… let Dad just talk for a bit longer."
Mother looked at us, with my father also begging for a bit more time. She finally budged. "Fine, but nothing more. You know why they shouldn't be knowing all of this yet, honey."
Father gave a confirmed nod. "Alright, I'll wrap up with this... So, a manomancer is someone who studies manomancy, and manomancy was a field created to find new ways for Manyblood's talented mana users to achieve Dragonhood." He was carefully picking out pieces of information that would only cover the basics.
"As you'll soon know, mana itself is much more complex than just energy. We also have mana beasts. These are mythical creatures that possess huge amounts of mana energy, particularly in the types of mana they have the most affinity for." He further explained, now using more hand gestures as he became more fascinated with the idea, "Among all mana beasts exist creatures at the top of mana manifestation, manipulation, and power… they are dragons."
He then said, finally feeling the burnout and exhaustion from hunting, "The reason manomancy was created was because each kingdom especially the four other than Manyblood had a better chance of achieving Dragonhood. Years of generational pacts with dragons meant that certain mana dragons favored one kingdom over the other. Volkar had fire, Aetherhall had air, Aserin had water, and Verdun had earth. These are the four essential elements to reach the pinnacle of each mana element."
It was clear from his tone that he was oversimplifying the information to avoid sounding confusing or overwhelming. "So Manyblood is simply looking for a way to close the gap," he said. "Those who achieve Dragonhood are known as dragonkins."
That little bit of information was enough for Mother to pull the plug on the whole thing. "Alright, that's enough information for the kids today, honey. Time for everyone to go to bed." She was now gently telling my dad to go upstairs and get some rest. "Get a move on, Mr. Vulgabread, that's enough for today. You must be very tired."
As I reached out to grab the books, Mother stopped me, saying, "Nobody is reading those books until tomorrow, okay? Now, you two, off to bed. I'll come check on you after I take your father upstairs." She turned, her hand still on Father's back, as they started up the stairs. "Especially you, Astraga, because I know you are the one most eager. Off to bed now."
Part 4
I had already settled myself in bed, as the last thing I wanted was to be on my mother's bad side. The thought alone sent shivers down my spine. I had already learned so much from Father; it was a handful of things that picked my interest, from the races to why elves were referred to as demon races, to the different kingdoms, and how deep my father's manomancy really was.
I had a confidence in me, maybe because the education here wasn't as good as my own. With my university-based learning, I had a hunch that "Dragonhood" might not be as hard as Dad made it sound, and I could probably solve the problems with my knowledge.
My deep thinking was cut short as Mother stepped into our room. We had a bunk bed, with Astraya sleeping on the top and me on the bottom. Mother came to tuck us in, as she usually did. Seeing that Astraya was already asleep, she giggled, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead. It was finally my turn. As she tucked me in, she added, "Well, Astraga, you're still awake. I see all the things Daddy said must be on your mind."
She wasn't wrong. I wanted to sneak a peek at those books, but my mother was a very light sleeper, and their room was just across from ours. She then added, "It's fun to be curious, Astraga, but remember, you shouldn't rush things. Let time pass properly, and you'll understand the information better, okay? I'm sure you're finding it hard to understand why I don't want your father to tell you both more. It's simply because I don't want you two to grow up too fast. Enjoy your childhood, at least for now, okay, Astraga?"
She said this while kissing me on the forehead, and I replied, "Okay, Mother. Thanks for letting Dad tell us everything." She smiled and kissed my forehead again. "It's okay, my son. Get some rest now. If you want to be strong, getting proper sleep is important." As she gently stood and quietly closed the door, I remembered my father saying the word "dragonkin." It sounded familiar, like I had heard the word before, but as sleep began to cloud my thoughts, I wondered: was it Mother? Did she use some kind of sleeping magic, or was this body just tired? My eyelids began to dance in a slow open-and-close momentum until I finally fell asleep.