Pep Talk

Ryuji and his party started their journey back to their cave. He used to light up at least the area they were walking. He was pretty tired but at least the request is done. He opened up the talk with the younger wolf. "Fuji, it seems you have grasped the concept of magic." He praised Fuji for learning in a short span of time.

"Yes master!" Fuji replied with eagerness. For the first time in his existence, he can do something rather than sensing the surroundings. The South Onorian wolves know magic but do not practice it so he never learned the concept of using magic.

"How do you feel?" Ryuji asked. It was a habit to ask someone about how they feel at the moment. Even when he was living in Japan, he has a habit of asking how they are currently feeling.

"I feel I can do much more with magic." Fuji wagged his tail. He was delighted to be useful for once.

"But don't overdo spells like earlier." Ryuji warned. "You should practice more spells and how you control them."

"Yes master!" Fuji was like a small kindergarten child praised for a job well done.

Raiji was hearing this exchange became sad and disappointed. His feelings earlier envy and jealousy as well as disappointment. He feels that he was just a burden to them. Today was the first time he sunk so low in life. His confidence waned and his doubts are eating his thoughts. He is doubtful if he made the right decision to be a familiar. He never felt so weak before. All of them can use magic but him, his pathetic self could not even cast something that might actually be helpful in a battle.

He was listening to Fuji earlier how he supported their master. He felt like an outcast. The slime teams up with master so well. Mostly likely it is because the slime was earlier than them. Wolves are usually higher than slimes when it comes into the food chain. They may actually be apex predators aside from the bears in this area of the forest. This slime would be the exception to that. But he and his brother became familiars of this goblin at the same time, how come his brother was well versed than him. This is the thought that consumed him. His envy and jealousy stems from this idea. But he cannot be disappointed in his master. He must do something. These thoughts are broken up when his name is called.

"How about you Raiji?" Ryuji was observing the emotions of the older brother wolf. Oddly, it was not on his skill set but he can certainly feel that Raiji is being bothered by something. He never encountered wolves before until last night and he does not have any idea of their behaviors. What he does know how to read are the behaviors of his direct reports and superiors from his previous life. Somehow the older wolf exhibits something similar to a co-worker that was overshined by another colleague.

"I am… Happy for my brother." Raiji collected his thoughts to come up for a proper answer. He was genuinely happy for his brother at least. His brother was some outcast to the wolf pack before but now his brother is useful for the first time. However, his pathetic performance made him bitter about it.

"Is that all?" Ryuji continued to probe.

Raiji looked down as if he was caught. His master is right, he is feeling something else. He could not hide anything from their master. It did confuse him, as a familiar is he allowed to feel this way? But nonetheless since his master felt it, it would be best to be honest about it. He truthfully said. "Jealous… I envy him."

Fuji was surprised to hear it from his brother. Upon hearing this he wanted to say sorry for his brother, but he kept silent for now.

"Dont be." Ryuji said it as if it was a command. These two brothers were probably through thick and thin before he met them so a rift between the two is best to be avoided. Also, these two brothers reminded him of Takehiko. Takehiko got into a university that he wanted few years back. Ryuji was proud of his brother's accomplishments, but he was envious at the same time. He did not even get to a university. Thus, he did not even feel luxury of choosing a university. He had to work for both of them to survive. It might be a simple thing but when you get older or you get to a certain point, you would feel that you missed out on something. This feeling of envy will linger and will bore regret or sabotage in the long run which Ryuji would like to avoid. While he does not know what the future holds for him in Zariya, it is imperative that they would be working as a team moving forward. He needs to quash these details as early as now. "Don't be envious about your brother. It's because he can do this much because of your protection all these years. If it weren't for you protecting him all the time, he might not have an opportunity like today."

Ryuji listened to his master. He was confused. Indeed, master is correct. He was protecting his brother from the time that they were pups until now. He never asked him for anything in return because he was his family, and he is a responsible older brother who looks out to his younger brother. Why should he be disappointed about his brother trying to stand on his own. Their master showed his brother a way to defend himself. This sudden burst of thoughts made Raiji feel ashamed. He was ashamed for harboring envious thoughts,

"Besides, magic is not the only thing I measure for people." Ryuji added. For living almost forty years with his previous life without magic, Ryuji knew that there are other ways to excel. It's been fun that he discovered the very fabric of existence of magic. It is truly a wonder. But for him to spend several decades without this power in an unforgiving world, he knows things that can also hold power. Money, authority and even self-sufficiency is a power that anyone can get a hold to even without magic.

"What do you mean?" Raiji was still feeling ashamed but he couldn't help to be curious. If he was shown magic today that can change lives, does his master mean that there are other ways to change someone's life even without magic?

"Different creatures have different aptitude. For example, how many types of slimes you noticed earlier?" Ryuji asked. He has done this in his previous life, a pep talk. This is something that he was fond to do in his previous life and he can't believe he is doing something right now, not to mention, he is giving a motivational talk to a wolf.

"Four?" Raiji was unsure of his answer.

"Wrong, its five. You should include Pyun-Pyun. He is a certified slime after all." Ryuji smiled.

"Oh." Raiji sounded exasperated but his master was correct. How can he forget his master's first familiar? Pyun-Pyun is indeed a slime.

"Imagine your brother is the yellow slime, now you might not be a yellow slime but think of another slime among the rest…" Ryuji stated as they continued to walk.

Raiji gave it a thought. Different slimes have different abilities, but they are in the same species. "I'm…. hmmmm…. I'm probably the green one."

"That is correct. Although you can't spit acid, you may have a different path to like the green slime." Ryuji smiled again. "It's just a matter of discovering what it is."

"Discovering?" Raiji asked. He understood what his master meant. In pack of the wolves, there are different positions and different responsibilities. But why would specific wolves be placed in particular positions. Raiji was a bit enlightened at this point. It's each wolf's ability to perform that role well. They may no longer be in a pack, but his master is implying that there might be something in store for him. It might not be magic but like the green slime who has its own ability.

"Yes. As I have said, magic is not the only measurement of you as a person." Ryuji reaffirmed this statement. It is advantageous to Raiji if he can use magic but since he has no aptitude for it, Ryuji would be going with a different approach. He can't force him to use a non-existent skill. It would be best they can find out what that would be.

Ryuji did have some idea in mind for Raiji's development. There is no problem if he can't use magic, the older brother wolf is physically built and bigger than Fuji. Given this stature, if he cannot use magic, he can train him for physical attacks instead. After all, any enforcement from his previous life has no magic but they are physically trained to handle criminals. Ryuji gave his recommendation to the older wolf brother. "That is why starting tomorrow. You will be our vanguard during food hunts."