Chapter 3: We Can Start Today

His mother nodded at the girl's words, a soft smile on her lips as Yuki was booping Raegar on the nose, which made him laugh. Soon after that, Victoria and Saki began chatting quietly as the older maid attended to her. 'She's a real life cat woman just like in anime,' he mused with fascinated red eyes. His little hands reached out instinctively, stretching toward her ear, but he couldn't quite reach it. Yuki noticed his attempt and couldn't help but smile warmly. ''Do you want to touch my ear, young master?'' she asked in a gentle voice. Raegar's gaze locked onto her, his curiosity and innocence shining through. The warmth in her tone made him smile. She lowered her head so he could grab her fluffy pink ear, which felt soft to his touch. While doing that, he got excited and started thinking as his fingers ran through her fur, 'So soft! I could stroke these all the time.' Following that, his mother took him back to feed. That was a whole new trauma that he forced himself to get over as he needed to eat or his new life to end. Time flew by and the years passed while doing the same thing until he could walk and crawl. Raegar thrived in his new family, a complete difference to his past life. He felt loved and seen for who he was. By the time he was six, he had grown curious and adventurous, often exploring every corner of the sprawling manor. Much to the dismay of his mother and the staff, who were constantly on edge, fearing he might get into trouble. Raegar had discovered that he belonged to the noble Blackwood family, a revelation that left him shocked. His father was a Count who ruled over a southern territory of the Dawnfire Empire in a world called Sylvara. Adding to his fascination was the fact that his mother came from the influential Vaelthorne family, a powerhouse in the western regions. Once learning all this, he turned his attention to his new home, which looked like it came straight out of a fantasy movie. Each hallway seemed endless, filled with fancy decor and paintings of the previous Blackwood generations. Yet Raegar's boundless curiosity twisted into mischief. His antics caused no end of trouble for the maids, who spent countless hours searching for him. One constant in his early life was his maid, Yuki. A calm and ever-reliable presence who seemed to always be nearby, ready to help him whenever he needed. Whether patching up a scraped knee or gently guiding him back on track. They grew closer the older he got, even though she was ten years older. The two loved spending time in the library reading about the world he found themselves in. He also had three older siblings. Isabella Blackwood, the eldest, who resembled their mother and was mistaken for her sister, which made the family laugh, though she carried a colder demeanor, she wasn't unkind to him, the age gap between them left their relationship nonexistent. He later discovered that she attended the prestigious Dawnfire Magic Academy, located just outside the capital. His other two siblings were Lyra Blackwood, who also studied at Dawnfire, and his brother Jasper, who took a different route and joined the imperial army. Throughout the empire, they knew Isabella as a genius. He could hardly contain his excitement about starting his magic studies. 'No wonder Mother looks so young for her age. Aether is strengthening every part of her body,' he mused when Yuki mentioned it. While studying one day, he overheard his father speaking with the house steward Alfred about the Dawnfire Imperial Family. His father had been summoned to Eryndor City, the empire's capital, to attend the crowning of the new empress. Raegar asked his mother if he could go, but she gently but firmly shook her head. ''The roads are dangerous, darling,'' she said, her voice filled with concern. ''They're full of bandits and monsters. It's too risky until your father can deal with it.'' She quickly distracted him with his first display of magic, her fingers weaving a pattern in the air while she muttered something. Seconds later, he watched as a glowing white bird materialized, fluttering gracefully around the room. Its delicate wings shimmered with an ethereal glow before disappearing into his chest, leaving a relaxing feeling behind. Raegar's face lit up, a look of pure awe crossing his features at his first taste of magic. 'Magic!' he thought, his red eyes sparkling with wonder. Victoria couldn't help but smile at his excitement. ''What you just saw is Aether,'' she explained. ''It's the essence of everything around us. It flows through all things and allows us to wield magic. The more you possess, the stronger your magic can become.'' As she spoke, she conjured another display, writing his name in the air with swirling colors. Each letter danced and glowed before fading into nothingness as she placed her finger against his chest. ''Everyone has an Aether Pool within them,'' she continued, her gaze softening. ''But for you, we'll have to wait until you're fifteen to discover what element you'll unlock, and to see how vast yours will be.'' Raegar's brow furrowed in frustration. Despite his annoyance, his mother pressed on as she taught him the basics. Thanks to his mental maturity, far beyond his current age, he was able to absorb her lessons with ease. By the time their discussion ended, he learned that meditation was key to replenishing and expanding his pool, among other things. There were specific spots around the manor, places rich in energy, where he could meditate. 'So the key to magic in this world is imagination,' he pondered while sitting in his room. 'What if I can picture the spell even better as I've watched loads of anime? Would that mean I don't have to use a chant to activate it like normal people?' This piqued his interest like nothing before. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, he relentlessly pursued every scrap of knowledge of magic in the family library until harassing his parents and the maids. He wore down his mother, father, and Saki with countless questions, forcing them to share every detail. They told him everything they knew about Aether and magic until he couldn't learn anything else. As the years passed. Raegar's transformation was remarkable as he trained with his father and the guards. He grew into a handsome, confident young man who had a passion to learn sword fighting until he could unlock his Aether Pools on his birthday. Rumors spread across the province that the count's new son is a genius. His chiseled features and piercing gaze made him the subject of affection, with women of all ranks and ages vying for his attention. But despite all that, his mind remained focused on one thing: mastering the magic that fascinated him so deeply. One day, Raegar was wandering around the manor, only to find himself in a guard station. That's when he bumped into old man Rodric, the commander of his father's Blackwood Guards. ''Hello little master. What can I do for you?'' he said with a big smile as he put some paperwork down. ''Morning Rodric, it's good to see you. I was wondering if you can teach me how to fight, please? Beyond what I've learned so far,'' Raegar asked in a respectful tone that his mother had been teaching him so he could communicate with people over the years. The older man's eyebrows rose in surprise. He shook his head before asking in a curious tone, ''Why do you want to fight, little master? You're only eleven and want to train even more.'' Raegar fixed the man with a determined gaze. ''I want to start early and learn how to dual-wield. I've been studying a book by the renowned Elara Crowhurst. She claimed that to become a powerful Aether Mage, I must strengthen my body to support my Aether Pool when it manifests.'' Rodric's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could speak, the older man sprang to his feet and saluted. ''It would be an honor to train another member of the Blackwood Family,'' he said with an excited expression. ''But be warned, little master, this won't be easy. You may come to hate me when it's over.'' ''Never!'' he replied with gleaming red eyes. ''I want to become the strongest and will do anything to achieve that.'' The commander nodded while standing up. ''Let's go talk to the master and if he agrees, we can start today.'' Following that, Rodric led Raegar through the Blackwood Manor until seeing his father training with the soldiers. When Alaric saw his commander and son standing there, he smiled before speaking, ''What brings you two here? Has Raegar been causing trouble again?'' ''I've done nothing. I'm here to ask you if Rodric can train me like he did with big brother Jasper,'' he responded, which caught his father off guard. Alaric's expression changed to one of surprise, causing him to question, ''What happened to all the books? Bored with them?'' Raegar shook his head before explaining, ''No. I just want to train my body so I can be a stronger Aether Mage when I join an academy.'' [Drop some Power Stones, Reviews, and Comments, as it will help the book grow]