After fully healing my arm, and eating the lunch that I had prepared, I decided to walk 'home'. Normally, after eating lunch, Rock would teach me some sword fighting. Today though, he wouldn't be back because he was out adventuring, so I was planning on just studying or experimenting.
Adam: [I'm home.]
…
No response came from the empty house, not that I expected any diff--
???: [Welcome home, Adam.]
Huh? A short burly man appeared from around the corner, ruining my inner monologue.
Adam: […Oh, hi Rock. I didn't know you guys were back yet. Also, this isn't your house.]
Though I was currently living there, the house itself was Oliver's and Mau's. Rock wasn't one to visit often, so I was just about to ask him why he was visiting, when a woman in leather armor appeared from behind him.
Mother: [Oh hey Adam, it's good to see you. We just came back from our hunt and were just going to wash up and then get some food. Wanna join us?]
Adam: [No thanks, already ate,] I replied, then turned to Rock. [Are we down for a lesson in an hour?]
Rock: [Sure kid. Meet me on the lawn.]
After receiving the confirmation, I headed upstairs to my room. There, in a secret compartment in my desk were my secret plans. I would pass the time until they finished their lunch by trying to think of something useful.
The phrase "Secret plans" felt like a bit of a stretch... but they were indeed plans and they were certainly secret. I wanted to figure out a way to use knowledge from my past life to make some money. Honestly, it wasn't going great. There wasn't a lot of information I had in my past life that would really even be relevant here. I initially had the idea to invent the microscope because in this world they had yet to discover germ theory, but I was only able to make a simple microscope because compound microscopes required a lot more precision. It was then that I realized I couldn't make much money that way...
I could also write a scientific or mathematical paper on... something, but the problem with that was that I had nowhere to publish it. The fact that my mother and I were currently on the run meant that I needed to avoid drawing attention to myself. I could have used a pseudonym, but the effort required for the entire plan would make it not worth it at that point.
I could create a battery, but I didn't have the resources, nor any way to get them. Not to mention that it would take a lot of research just to get it usable, and what I remembered about it from my previous life was limited. Lightbulbs had the same issue. The only other useful skills I had were a bit of biology and math knowledge.
Maybe I could become an accountant or a doctor…
I shook my head as problems arose with those plans as well.
As expected, it was best to just become an adventurer and integrate my science knowledge into my magic. It was kind of a shame though…
I looked to the other notebooks in the secret compartment. They had all been mostly filled with everything that I could remember about anatomy and biology, as well as notes from all the experiments I did on myself to develop my healing and pain nullification spells.
Those had not been fun days. It turns out that pain receptors are surprisingly stubborn.
I opened up a notebook and wrote down a summary of all the useful information I got from Charlotte. The stuff about gods had been of particular interest-- It could've had something to do with how I got to this world.
If I explained my situation and asked for her help, maybe…
Maybe I could find a way back to my old world.
Maybe I could visit Mom's grave for the first time and talk to her again.
Maybe I could say hi to my Dad and apologize for what I did.
Maybe…
Maybe this is just a stupid train of thought.
If finding a way back to my old world were even theoretically possible, it sure as hell wouldn't be easy.
Mom is long dead, so there is no point to visiting her corpse.
Dad… Dad's strong, he'd be able to move on.
…Right?
He lost his wife and then, just a few years later, his son killed himself.
Maybe he too had killed himself after thinking that he had lost everything…
A wave of nausea hit me when I imagined the scene.
No…
That would mean that I killed my Dad.
Calm down…
There is no way of knowing for sure.
But by now, he was either dead or had already moved on.
There would be nothing I could do either way.
Maybe he found himself a new wife and a new family.
I carefully placed everything back into the secret compartment, then closed it.
I'm no longer a part of that world. I chose to leave it. It has nothing to do with me.
- - - - - - -
Rock's teaching method was pretty much just sparring and him pointing out everything I was doing wrong. Today was no different in that regard. What was different was the fact that my mother, Alyssa (the maid), and the rest of the adventuring team "The Golden Wings" were watching us.
Rock: [Watch your footwork!]
It was tough, but I felt like I had gotten significantly better from when I had first started.
While Rock and I were crossing blades, the spectators started talking amongst themselves.
Oliver: [Adam is very… mature. Is he really only seven years old?]
Mother: [He's eight... But I understand what you mean. He's always just been like that. Always working hard. I've hardly ever seen him complain about anything, much less cry… hah, I remember back in the day you were quite the crybaby though, Oliver.]
Mau: [Yeah, I remember when you used to cry every time you got separated from us. That was way back though, back before Rock had even joined the squad ~Nya…]
After that, the conversation devolved into reminiscing about the past. Even Rock would sometimes chime in with a joke or two... all while I was out here fighting for my life.
I've had enough of all this.
My left arm creaked under the strength of Rock's swing.
No matter, I can heal it again later.
Though we were sparring without using any magic I intentionally broke this rule.
Forgive me, Rock.
Adam: [Never led astray and never let go] –Painkiller
The alarm bells that my body was sending me stopped at once and I pushed forward. Even Rock couldn't let his guard down now and stopped playing around.
Rock: [Why do you push yourself so hard, Adam?]
The tone was more impressed than curious.
Why, you ask? It would be better to ask "why am I so weak?"
Why have I been making nothing but mistakes throughout both of my lives?
Pax: [AAARGH-]
Ligaments and muscles tore just as fast as I used magic to heal them.
Faster, stronger, more precise.
They say that the body subconsciously limits the strength of your muscles so that you don't injure yourself. I had no need for such a thing.
Pump more adrenaline, oh pitiful body of mine.
Rock was being pushed back now, and the cheerful conversation amongst the adults died down as everyone's eyes turned to the fight that had become serious for some unknown reason.
Refusing to be embarrassed like this, Rock began using stronger Augmentation.
Rock: [Swiftness of mettle] –Sweep
Rock disappeared and reappeared behind me, swinging a heavy blow horizontally. No doubt, he was trying to end this in one go.
Adam: [Don't think I've been training all this time for nothing.]
Though I did not have the same skill with the sword that Rock did, there was no reason I had to lose this. I simply had to surprise him with a technique he had never seen before. Once again, I took all of the momentum of his swing directly into my left arm, strengthened my body to the max, and used the sword in my right hand to counter. His attack wasn't as strong as Raya's, but it was still enough to fracture my ulna.
Rock managed to parry from a worse position, but he was off balance. While chanting my healing spell, I threw a kick at him and sent him flying a few feet. Then in the same breath I chanted a second spell.
Adam: [...Arrow, show me the path forward] –Piercing Shot
From my broken arm, I pulled out blood, compressed it, and shot it at the recovering Rock. Just before it pierced his forehead, the blood stopped.
Adam: [Is this enough for me to join the Golden Wings?]
A few months back I had asked to join, but my mother had told me that I was too young. By taking Rock by surprise and outwitting him, I had managed to get a win. Truthfully though, I was still weaker than him. I hoped this showing would be enough for them to accept me.
I pulled my blood back and silence hung in the air for a moment.
Mother: [Fine.]
She didn't look particularly happy about it though.
No matter.
I'm not losing anyone else without a fight.