I returned home later than usual due to the hammer gifting. I carried it home with happiness. I was sure this would gladden my parents. Tho' with my strangeness I doubt they'd consider it as something big or really important. Or perhaps they'd be happy. A mage life, be it warrior or wizard kind, was filled with danger. I was to young for it to affect me yet, but the kinds of job such a mage would get usually implied certain risks to ones life. Be it guard duty or just artifact crafting, both had the possibility of bringing death. A blacksmith life would be by far safer in their eyes, or so I thought.
I entered through the door and saw my father waiting at the table while mom still worked over the stove. There was a fresh batch of both heat wood chops and wood slips for fire starting and fire intensification. Unlike my father who, turns out, was an archer adventurer. He caught a liking to my mother and they married then moved here. Why? Rhys came here before and liked the place. In fact if the events went in another order they might not have married.
A strange piece of information for me who, not only was technically their child but also a reincarnated person. It made me question if I'd have been born in an entirely different place… Well the entire village was definitely strange. Too many guys with aether affinity gathered here to retire… For reference, villagers from neighboring settlements came here for the smithy or small trades. I found out from them that it would be considered a joyous occasion if even one aether user would be born or choose to settle down in their villages. It made me realize just how peculiar this place was and what kind of status aether users enjoyed. I couldn't even imagine how Domain realm powerhouses were treated… Perhaps like deities?
Anyway. Once inside I quickly skipped putting on a slightly more childish behavior in order to show happiness. My father seeing me like that waited for me to get next to him before asking me.
"So this is how we raised you? Not even saluting when entering the house?" His tone indicating he was seriously reprimanding me.
"Sorry, dad, I'm just verry excited I come with great news!" I bring forward the hammer that master Fjorn gifted me. I was holding it behind my back previously so that it was hidden from the view of my parents. "Master Fjorn finally fully accepted me as a disciple!"
Contrary to my expectations, or rather hopes, neither showed any signs of excitement. Which I regretted. The reason for this however, was beyond what I imagined. My mom, which turned around in the meantime to face me and father, exchanged a glance with my father then went back to cooking. A sigh came out of my father.
"Cato. We are happy to hear this, however… Don't you think you're spreading yourself to much? You're taking aether lessons, you made me teach you how to hunt, learnt from your mother how to make clothes and dies, you pestered Fjorn for three years." He paused for a little, then licked his lips, something he did when he was troubled. "In less than a year the recruiting caravan will come by and this time you'll be taken away. When do you think you'll have time to learn to be a blacksmith? You are working hard every day, training, and pestering people for their knowledge… But don't you think this is too much and too brash?"
"I… Is it bad to want to learn? Besides I didn't bring it up to master Fjorn since last year. He decided to give me the hammer and teach me more himself. As for too much… You yourself hear from the others. Have I failed in understanding what they taught me? Have I been slopy when we went to hunt together?" Yes, my father took me for hunts occasionally… Unfortunately, unlike my skill and understanding for everything else no matter how much I tried I only missed targets when using a bow. I was bad with it and my fathers' technique was a magic of its own. Not only was I bad but I was often hurting myself. I also failed to use my fathers' technique for redirecting arrows with aether. It was fine if I controlled them from the beginning but after I shot the arrows, the explosive release that carried them, always broke my control. I almost finished my fathers' chance to have another kid once... And so, it was decided that I'd be the one that took care of bloodletting and skinning when the time came. I even learned to tan the skins and turn them into usable leather.
"It's not about that. It's about focus. Don't you think you could progress faster if you were more focused? Perhaps you'd have already reached crystallization if you meditated more… Or you'd have gained Fjorn's approval faster if you spent more time in the forge after taking care of the pit. Don't misunderstand." He said as he saw me ready to interject. "Everyone only has words of praise for you as you always do things responsibly, but you could achieve more if you focused more…"
"Yes, father" he flinched. Each time I called him father I was mad. "But then how could I ensure that I'd do well anywhere I'd go? Who knows what life will throw at me. Don't I need to know how to procure basic necessities? How to maintain my tools and weapon?"
"Well…" My father paused. I didn't know if it was because he was unsure about further countering my stubbornness or because he thought my argument was sound. Then he looked as though he found his resolve and he said: "But making dies? Where would that be a necessity? Or what about thatching or milling? How would those be of use?"
"What if I'm hiding from someone stronger so I need to mask my aether and do some mundane job in order to fool the guy chasing me?"
"Did you really think of that when you went to learn those or did you just make up that reason now?" Rhys asked. The thing is he was spot on. I came up with this specific reason just now. I was learning out of curiosity not out of necessity… Besides too much meditation and stillness was bad for a growing body so I simply did it…
"Eh…"
"Look I'm not going to stop you. I have no reason to. Not me nor your mother, rather it gladdens us how active and proactive you are to learn and help around the village. But we are thinking for your good. So please consider our words."
"Ok…" I said and paused. "But I'm sticking to blacksmithing. For the simple reason that it's going to save a lot of money when I'll start making my own artifacts. "
"Sure." Rhys smiled softly.
I was unsure of why it was taking so long to my mother to cook. Usually she was done by now. There were several pots already out. However my curiosity was soon satisfied as my father said:
"Well then your acceptance as an apprentice blacksmith is worth a celebration!"
"Ha?" I asked foolishly.
Mom turned around and put on the table seven bowls. Only now did I realize there were more chairs at the table than usual as well. Soon the door was open anew and Fjorn along with Hale entered. I could see a really big smile on Fjorn's face. He planned this! It's because of him that my parents weren't excited when I told them. They already knew from this guy. How annoying! Should've expected it from him…
"Haha! Boy. I can see on your face I don't have to explain what happened to you. So what do you say? Won't you thank me for the party?"
"Like hell. I just got a deep talk, 'cause of you, instead of a proud and happy moment!"
"Bahaha… Serves you right. Wasn't your success starting to get over your head?"
I made a dissatisfied grunt. At least I knew now that my parents were actually happy. Hale passed by me to take his seat and patted my shoulder. I guess he was a victim of the old guy's schemes as well. I let out a sigh and my shoulders fell. I felt tired. How'd I manage to feel tired again? I so thought it wouldn't happen again in this life… Too much wishful thinking from me…
Soon the door was opened again and this time Village Chief Aldric followed by Eld-Mother Edith entered. The two really felt like my own grandparents at this point. I both felt happy and regrated that they weren't. On one hand I didn't have to deal often with Tristen and I didn't need to really worry about their reaction when I revealed I was reincarnated, on the other hand it would have felt so much nicer if we were related in such a way.
My mom brought all the pots to the table and opened the lids. There was soup and stew, steamed meat with a vegetable side and even a baked rabbit. We weren't worried about food spoiling. For once Fjorn and Hale ate a lot. There were many of us and besides they could all take back from what remained after everyone was satiated. This was how people dealt with leftovers here. No fridge meant no reliable way to extend shelf life of cooked food. It wasn't all bad but it also meant that each day mom had to cook. With my usual outings to learn things I wasn't home that much this past three years. I learned how to cook, by watching and helping mom, by the age of two and for a while I was the one that took care of food. However after I started trying to become an apprentice at the forge I always returned after mom finished cooking.
There was a lot of noise at the table… It was a celebration after all. I wasn't really a fan of this merry making, but somehow this scene with everyone gathered, with incredible aromas wafting and the smell of sweet wine permeating the air, I couldn't help but feel warm inside. I was really happy that I was reborn here. I was happy that I didn't have to suffer through three reincarnations like a certain guy…
So I raised my own cup. I had fruit juice, not wine don't worry. I raised to my feet on the chair to make myself taller and…
"Thank you!"
They will probably never understand why I was thanking them or what was it that me so happy to be here. Even if they wanted and even if they knew they wouldn't be able to realize just how lucky I felt to be here, to be born in this house and to have met all of them. To be raised by my parents and taught by all of them. Suddenly I felt my spirit expand. It was as if before I was holding myself back feeling reluctant to be here. But this gesture of just throwing a party at such a random moment for something that was pretty much established from before… It really made me accept myself and them. This was something they did for me, not for the child they thought I was. With that sensation came an even more terrific change. The spirit charged through aether and the aether rushed inside me. Suddenly small crystals started to form in my lower dan tian as the quantity of aether within grew. It stopped as suddenly as it came and my aether was now a thick paste with crystalline chunks swirling around within me. They all stopped and looked at me.
What followed was quietness. No body said a thing. They kept looking at me. I just lowered myself and sat back down o keep eating.
"Bwahaha! Did you sense that our boy here broke through into the crystallization! My idea made a crystallization expert! Bwahahaaa!"
Edith was looking at me her eyes filled with weariness. A seven year old caught up with her realm just like that. Aldric was eyeing me as though I was a treasure, while my father was looking at me slack faced his mouth hanging open. My mom covered her mouth and small tears seemed to form at the corner of her eyes… Even I was dumbfounded. The most impassive was Hale. The guy was probably expecting something like this… He often kept to himself and played dull, but I knew his mind was as sharp as the blade of his axe.
"A toast everyone! A toast! To Cato, to the future, and to our happiness!"
The merry atmosphere I had suppressed with my emotional outburst returned in full swing even more powerful than before.
The rest of the evening passed like a blur. Mostly due to Fjorn's intoxicated self. We had four veteran adventurers at the table and drinks. It wasn't strange that the evening was heated up. The smell of wine intensified as the food was consumed and the alcohol took over. Fjorn was changing from singing deep and reverberating dwarven hails to describing stories of his adventures. Hale and my dad also got caught up in the adventure talk. Both had been in parties that went through forgotten burial grounds and hidden lairs fraught with the looming sense of peril as well. But they were happy and at peace now, excitedly sharing their experiences. After all who could celebrate better than someone that had risked his life before and understood it's weight and his atachments? The night came and everyone slowly left. With Fjorn just suddenly turning sober and carrying Hale out to get him home and then Aldric the always level headed elder bringing Edith away with him.
I went to bed that night feeling both exhausted and fulfilled. What else could one wish for? A happy family was all one needed in his life. Slowly, I drifted into sleep filled with expectation for the second day to come, and for the great use I'd make of my hammer.