Ch.44. Beginning (4)

Exactly three months after Dahlia’s language lessons began.

“…You memorized all of that?”

“Yes! It wasn’t as difficult as I thought!”

‘Already?! …Could this child possibly be a genius?’

Dahlia was genuinely surprised by Gregory, who had completely mastered the common language—or more precisely, the common script and its basic grammar—in just three months, and wondered if he might be a genius.

If one knew the truth… Gregory’s ability to learn writing in just three months stemmed from an extremely simple reason.

‘No matter how I look at it, this is basically English…?’

The common language and script were suspiciously similar to English grammar structure. With his past life’s memories still relatively intact, Gregory couldn’t help but learn quickly.

Normally, this might raise suspicions about something unusual about the child, but Dahlia, having been in contact with mysteries for so long and experienced all sorts of strange phenomena, didn’t find it particularly odd and simply let it pass.

Meanwhile, during these three months, Gregory hadn’t just learned the common script. If one had to pick the most notable thing, it would surely be druidic magic theory.

“…So to summarize, all druidic magic occurs by drawing upon and manipulating the mysteries of nature. In this process, the druid casting the spell becomes one with nature’s mysteries.”

“Then those ears and horns… are they the result of that oneness?”

“That’s right. My hair too, for that matter. When you continuously harmonize with the mysteries of the great nature for a long time, such changes are inevitable.”

Gregory, who had been curious about Dahlia’s elf-like long ears and deer antlers, found his answer. This was quite shocking for someone who had vaguely assumed she was simply of a different race.

“You seem curious about the changes?”

“…Yes.”

“Well, at your age, bodily changes might seem frightening. But you needn’t worry. The changes that manifest in druids are never negative for the individual.”

“Is… that so?”

“Indeed. Your lifespan lengthens, aging slows down. Some people experience enhanced physical abilities or their bodies become more robust.”

As Gregory watched Dahlia joke about how she had effortlessly lifted a thick book earlier, he decided to let his doubts slide for now, even if questions remained.

Meanwhile, Dahlia’s lessons weren’t limited to theory. Knowing how poorly children of this age tolerate boredom, she incorporated practical exercises to ensure her only disciple wouldn’t lose his motivation to learn.

“Can you feel it?”

“…Yes.”

“Good, that force is mana.”

“This… feels amazing.”

Mana manipulation—the most fundamental skill in handling mysteries. Dahlia guided Gregory to handle mana directly by repeatedly injecting tiny amounts of mana into his body and having him reabsorb it.

Considering that humans must use mana as a catalyst to manipulate mysteries with their physical bodies, this “education” was essentially a prerequisite. Recognizing this, Gregory managed to acquire basic mana manipulation techniques in just over three months.

Three months—neither short nor long, but certainly brief for mastering basic internal mana manipulation.

“You have wonderful talent, Gregory.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, absolutely. Of course, you know not to become lazy just because you have talent, right?”

“Yes, Master!”

Seeing Gregory following her teachings diligently without showing signs of arrogance, Dahlia recalled her own first experience moving mana within her body and privately marveled at what seemed to be genuine talent.

Far from the pettiness of envying her disciple’s abilities, she treated Gregory with an affection comparable to that of a parent.

※ ※ ※

During these three months living with Master Dahlia, accumulating knowledge as her disciple and continuing my training, I was experiencing days of pure joy, truly appreciating the material abundance I now enjoyed.

This was largely due to Master Dahlia’s mastery of druidic spells, which created living conditions approaching modern standards.

For example, soft plant leaves used like toilet paper, luminous fruits used instead of lamps, and peculiar items like shower rooms made of wood, stone, and living plants.

Since I began living in Master Dahlia’s home, what I appreciated most was the ability to use hot water anywhere, anytime, thanks to special magic.

‘…So warm.’

Soaking in a wooden bathtub after a full day of study and training was a luxury I could never have expected as a serf, giving me the sensation that all the day’s fatigue was melting away.

“Master, is this… all cheese?”

“Yes, Gregory. Help yourself.”

Beyond these amenities, there were other things that satisfied me, the most notable example being the incredibly abundant and diverse meals.

I had eaten cabbage, turnips, and peas until I was sick of them, but the quality here was far superior to the withered versions I was used to. In just three months, I must have tried over twenty different vegetables.

From familiar ones like onions, leeks, carrots, and parsnips to vegetables unique to this world. Every day, the table featured at least one fruit resembling berries, cherries, plums, apples, oranges… and even the rare delicacy of fruit preserved in honey.

But the centerpiece of meals was meat. Usually dried or salt-cured, which was already something to be grateful for, but the occasional fresh meat that appeared on the table was nothing short of miraculous.

Meat grilled with spices grown in the mysterious natural environment that Master personally maintained was, I guarantee, superior to any meat I had ever eaten, including in my past life.

One day, as I was enjoying a meat pie made from something similar to beef, I suddenly wondered about the origin of this meat.

“…Master, how do you obtain this meat? Do you hunt it yourself?”

“You’re curious, Gregory?”

“Yes. Even though druids don’t unconditionally protect nature… I can’t help but wonder.”

In common folklore, druids were portrayed as medieval fantasy versions of eco-fascists dedicated to protecting nature, but according to Master, druids were far from such extremists.

More precisely, druids weren’t guardians of forests and nature, but rather maintainers of forest environments and the mysteries of nature. I carefully asked whether hunting forest animals for food was acceptable.

And Master’s answer fell within the range of what I had expected.

“Yes, I’ll tell you. The meat we eat comes from forest creatures. Their hides and bones are used to make our daily necessities.”

“I see…”

Though not particularly surprising, the fact that druids kill animals, as Master directly stated, evoked mixed feelings in me.

Among the many magical abilities that arise when druids harmonize the mysteries of nature with their souls is the ability to communicate with animals. So eating creatures one can speak with… no, even if not killing them directly, it’s unavoidably uncomfortable.

When I looked at Master Dahlia with these complex emotions evident in my gaze, she smiled benevolently as if she understood completely and said:

“Gregory, you seem to view the druidic calling as something quite noble.”

“…Isn’t it?”

“Unfortunately, it is not.”

“…”

“Druids commune with and protect nature’s mysteries. We can never be saints or devout priests, nor should we be. Nature is ultimately just nature, never distinguishing between good and evil.”

“…I think I understand what you’re saying.”

She was saying that there is no good or evil in nature, that druids may be agents of nature but not servants of light. Nature remains only nature, never embodying values beyond itself.

Given the druidic characteristic of experiencing mental and spiritual changes as a side effect of harmonizing with nature’s mysteries, Dahlia’s perspective seemed less that of a mortal and more like one viewing from a higher plane.

And yet… listening to Dahlia’s words, I found myself thinking:

That seemingly inhuman perspective might be closely connected to the goal I would ultimately pursue.

The stars twinkling in the sky whispered this as they penetrated my thoughts.