I sat on the stone steps leading to the entrance of the manor as Mirabel explained how this would work.
"You are powerful, no doubt. You just lack the memory of how to use that power. Through this training method, I am going to force it out."
"Wait, how powerful was I?"
She paused to think. "Stronger than me."
That didn't help much, considering I had no idea how strong she actually was.
I sighed and let her continue, keeping my expression calm. I needed to act like I was in control, even if I was far from it. The last thing I wanted was to make anyone worry.
"Mana directly ties to the user. If you want to use magic, you have to be able to withstand what you force out."
She paused for a moment. "Basically, if you tried going all out now, just from lack of memory, you might die instantly."
That was terrifying. So how exactly did this help me get stronger? Was she planning to slowly drag the power out by attacking me?
"The method is simple," she said, confirming my suspicion. "I'm going to slowly force your power out by attacking you."
Man, she is so predictable. And definitely a brute. I really hoped this didn't hurt too badly.
"How will this work? I'm sure even one hit will put me out of commission."
She shrugged. "As long as you survive, I do not see the problem."
[Nicholas had a conflicting thought, one he hoped this woman could not read.]
I'm offended, my thoughts were absolutely normal.
I looked down at the sword resting on my lap and tried to draw it. For a moment, I thought I was too weak, but then it slid out smoothly.
I only remembered reading about sword techniques and watching videos of fencing and HEMA.
Still, this body should be capable.
"Oh no, that won't be necessary. We're going to do hand-to-hand."
I gave her a confused look before realizing what she meant.
This is going to be… painful.
…
Around three days had passed since we began, and she had been beating me until I could not move. Then she would heal me and do it all over again.
I think the only good thing to come from all this is the discovery that I am numb to pain.
I am also not getting hungry or tired. In fact, I have not slept at all.
I knelt at the edge of the fountain and drank some water.
Despite not needing to eat or drink, doing so still seemed to help ground me. Maybe it was just habit, or maybe my mind needed the illusion of normalcy.
She was out right now, scouting the forest to make sure nothing too strong had wandered close.
She wanted to be absolutely certain that nothing posed a danger to me while I recovered.
According to her, she had not left my side since I returned, so this must have been important.
I wondered what had changed, though I had a feeling I already knew.
She said she would be back by nightfall, so for now, I figured I would start thinking about what I needed to begin ruling this place again.
I stood up, brushed myself off, and swung my hands around to dry off the water. I picked up my sword and headed back toward the manor.
On my way back, I noticed the buildings all looked fortified.
The theme of the city was black and blue, with a lot of dark wood. But being alone gave the place an eerie, ghost town vibe.
The manor was the only structure that looked occupied, and that was only because I had turned on the lights.
I also discovered the absurd inconsistency in the technology here. For one, toilets and showers work like they did back on Earth.
There are stoves and water systems too, even electric lighting.
However, that is about it. Everything else is modeled after times long past.
At least, long past by Earth standards.
Who knows, there may have been a huge technological advancement in the world outside this city.
But I doubted it, seeing as I had no memory of such a thing.
The memories I received gave me knowledge of the old history of this world. Because of that, I have no clear picture of the current political state.
Still, based on subtle fragments of memory returning, I could infer a few things.
This forest is located far to the north, relative to the closest kingdom with influence. Fertical holds borders along the southern edge of the forest.
This forest, however, lies on a supermassive continent.
I know it is at least larger than Pangea, but honestly, that may be a low estimate.
It would not be a stretch to say it is fifty times larger, maybe even more.
I reached the gates of the manor and paused.
Something felt… wrong.
A pressure hung in the air, faint at first, like the weight of a storm building behind me.
It was cold, dark, and heavy, coiling across my skin like a whisper with no voice. My instincts tensed.
I drew my sword and spun around.
Someone was standing behind me.
He had short black hair that curled back and split above his right eye. His eyes were a deep ocean blue, and his skin was a pale brown.
He wore a long black cloak, which opened to reveal a dark blue shirt that looked unusually wrinkled.
His hands were in his pants pockets. The pants were black, similar to jeans but different in a way I could not quite define.
Short black boots and blue chains wrapped around his waist completed his outfit.
Looking at him, he did not seem evil or dangerous, just confused.
I sheathed my sword and then noticed something on his neck.
A goat. A goat's head. And it was blue.
[Nicholas was perplexed by this person. Was he an enemy or an ally?]
Why did the voice sound so dramatic? He obviously wasn't an enemy.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying not to sound wary.
I was supposed to be some powerful king who had just awakened from his slumber.
I would rather people not know I was weaker than I used to be. Putting on a confident front was necessary.
I might have powerful enemies out there.
He did not answer. Instead, he walked past me and opened the gates, standing to the side so I could enter.
I gave him a confused look but did not object to the gesture.
I walked through and heard him close the gates behind me. He followed me to the manor door.
Was he a servant of mine? Maybe a follower?
I was just about to ask when the doors to the manor swung open.
A girl stepped out.
She had long, wavy purple hair and matching eyes. Her skin was fair, and she wore a strikingly unique outfit.
She had on long black leggings and purple heels.
She wore a black skirt and a black crop top with buttons over a bra that showed slightly, revealing a pierced belly.
The piercing was of a metal goat, an exact replica of the one on the boy's neck.
She paused for a moment, then ran up and hugged me.
"Ah, Nicholas, my king, you're finally back!" she screamed.
Before I could even think of hugging her back, the man pushed her away and picked her up.
He took two steps as she giggled, then dropped her gently back near the door.
"Malachi, you should not be so disrespectful toward our king," the girl said, smiling.
I assumed the boy was Malachi. As for this girl, who was she?
"Ah, I am terribly sorry, but I do not have much memory of the two of you."
The girl shrieked, running up to me again. Just before she reached me, Malachi grabbed her, picked her up, and placed her back where she had been.
She glared at him, then sighed. The display caused me to hold my tongue in amusement.
"I am Kivana, your loyal tutor and advisor. This is Malachi, your personal knight."
I nodded. "You sensed my return, is that right?"
She looked confused. "No, we just came to see Mirabel. But when we didn't find her or you, I sent him to go look."
"I see. Well, is there a reason he didn't talk?"
She glanced at him and leapt into his arms.
"He took my curse when we were children. His voice can destroy the world."
Does such a curse exist? That was certainly interesting.
"I see. So, how do you two communicate?"
She looked at me, still confused.
"Well, I was hoping you would weaken the curse again, like you did before."
I stared blankly for a moment, then sighed. What was I, some sort of messiah?