Chapter 05: The beginning of the journey

Silence. Or, more accurately, silence after the sound of the fork clinking on Alice's plate. She raised her head, as if she had just heard something ridiculous. I noticed a cold in the air. Was there an open window? I knew there couldn't be. It was Alice's aura that had dipped below zero degrees.

She stood up, squeaking her chair behind her, after the initial stupor and put both hands on the table angrily. "Reynolds! They are far too young!" She screamed. Then she pointed an accusing finger at him. "Besides, you said you could teach them if they were augmenters!"

"I know, but that was before I discovered my children are one-in-a-million geniuses." Reynolds stood up for himself. He gave us a proud look, but his blue eyes were filled with dissatisfaction with himself. "All I'm doing is holding them back." He finally said it out loud.

"But that's no excuse!" Being reasonable, Alice stated. Her light brown eyes were looking at us with genuine motherly concern. "They're only four; we can't let our babies out that young."

Reynolds smiled at us. "You don't get it." Reynolds' gaze shifted from Arthur and me to beyond, as if recalling a distant memory. "When I watch them meditate, they seem so comfortable doing it, as if it comes naturally to them," he said proudly. "I'm teaching them something they can do in their sleep!"

"but!"

And they kept arguing about the same thing, going in circles about whether to let us develop to our full potential or keep us safe at home.

Arthur and I exchanged glances, as if debating whether or not we should act. Arthur already knew I was a genius; I hadn't demonstrated my abilities, but he knew I had an adult-like learning ability. That's why he now treats me as an equal rather than a stupid child. The other day, when he asked me how I awakened so early, I just said I was imitating him. He believed it, though he was hesitant at first.

Arthur finally spoke up after noticing that my apathetic expression showed no signs of changing in order to end the marital quarrel. "Parents..."

My father sighed and smiled at us, as if he had just realized what was going on. "That's true, Arthur and Kiyo, you're the ones who should make the decision."

I looked at them all before anyone else spoke. "I'll go with Art." I stated clearly.

Arthur looked at me out of the corner of his eye but sighed, his blue eyes darting between me and our parents until he seemed to make up his mind. "Why do we initially meet the teacher? Then we can make a decision."

Reynolds and Alice exchanged glances, and after nodding, Alice spoke with a small smile on her face. "I suppose we can do that."

We finished dinner quickly and began packing for the trip. The disadvantage of living in the medieval era was the lack of quick transportation. The journey to the city of Xyrus would take three weeks.

"It's a floating city."

How did they do it? Despite my efforts to find information about it in books, they only provided answers about who built it and theories, with no definitive and scientifically based explanation. To be honest, the only way to make something that large float is to use electromagnetism or to create a three-dimensional sound object that emits waves in all directions. Even then, the city could only levitate a few meters, and it would be pointless, so it would be a waste of time.

Both were extremely difficult to achieve if you wanted to make an entire city levitate. It was possible in this world of magic, with spells that could change gravity or manipulate sound waves, but I still hadn't figured out how they did it. Casting a spell, according to the book, requires mana, and maintaining it requires a steady supply. I could only imagine how much mana would be required to levitate a city.

I arrived in Arthur's room and watched him pack several books and his wooden sword, which he had received for his fourth birthday. For the sake of tradition, they wait until the baby is over three years old before celebrating a birthday.

As a gift, our parents gave us some kind of black bread and a pair of swords. It was a lively evening, with everyone laughing and me attempting to smile.

It was my first birthday. I didn't understand why there was such a fuss over a date that only indicated your decadence and old age. But perhaps it's something I still don't understand, because despite extensive white room education in a wide range of subjects, social mores were not studied as thoroughly as they should have been due to the inherent individualism promoted in the white room.

As I was packing, I felt my brother come up behind me. "Won't you be carrying your sword, Kiyo?" Art inquired.

"I'll take it."

Art had grown accustomed to my brief remarks, so he simply nodded. He kept packing everything he needed until he finished his task with a stretch and a yawn. He sat on his bed, which undulated with his body shape. He rolled onto the bed like a cat getting settled.

"Good night." With a yawn, he said.

I did the same thing, but not as dramatically. I simply sat up and leaned back, enjoying the soothing sensation of a soft bed on my back.

'Confortable.' I sighed contentedly.

The room with brown colors as a base was quite nice, but we wouldn't be seeing it for a while. Before I knew it, I'd fallen into a deep, warm sleep. Trying to conserve as much energy as possible for the ostensibly safe journey, but you never knew for sure.

(***)

Reynolds rushed this travel decision because his old group was in town helping him with the repair of his house, and they would now be going to the city of Xyrus. Going with them would be safer.

We walked across the ground. There were pastures with plenty of crops on both sides of us. Some houses behind us indicated that this was the village's exit, and beyond these pastures, guarded by some farmers, there was nothing but the wild world in all its glory. The sun was also nearly at its peak, which felt nice on the skin. It was beneficial to receive vitamin D directly rather than taking pills, as I had to do in the white room due to a lack of sunlight.

However, despite the fact that we should be able to see the horizon looking ahead, there was a carriage with many people waiting for someone, more specifically for us, on a stretch of the road. The wind blew and swirled some green leaves. People were also noticing our approach at the time.

A man with reddish hair tied in a messy bun and a strong build approached us with a confident stride, raising his hand in greeting and smiling slightly carelessly. If it weren't for the scar on his nose that crossed the bridge and ended in his cheeks, his face was quite symmetrical and neat. He wore a red spear on his back and, judging by his posture, he was always on guard. He was a skilled fighter.

My father took a step forward and embraced the man warmly. My father introduced us with a proud smile after they parted. "These are my two sons, Kiyo and Art."

Arthur took the initiative and stepped forward. He bowed slightly and placed his small hand on his chest in a graceful curtsy. "My father has said a lot about you. It is a pleasure to meet you, and we will be under your supervision."

I could see the surprise in several of the group members, which caused them to turn to me with more eagerness than they should have.

"Huh... nice to meet you." I said simply, and I could see the hype in their eyes fade.

'I messed up.' I couldn't help but think.

"They're very polite, Rey; are you sure they're your children?" In an attempt to lighten the mood, the russet-haired, spear-wielding one made a joke.

I wandered away from the conversation a bit, hoping to go unnoticed, however.

"Look at that adorable little thing!" Next to me, I heard a voice. When I attempted to turn around, it was too late.

My vision became blurry, and I was struck by a soft sensation that engulfed my entire head. I was perplexed; it was such a sudden but insignificant attack. When my lungs ran out of breath and there was still no indication of the thin but powerful arms holding me letting go, I experienced another sense, this time of weightlessness.

"You're hurting him, Angela." A thick but kind voice echoed behind me once more.

I was being held by my shirt collar, and I could see the blonde girl named Angela's pout as the man holding me released me from her embrace. Her pink, full lips parted in displeasure. "You're a bore, Durden."

I could tell by looking at her that she had a lot of suitors when she was younger. She had an upturned nose and light green eyes, her hair was sleek and descended to a tight waist and wide hips, she was beautiful.

The man on my back, on the other hand, pulled me down from where I was being held. He straightened my shirt and patted my head. His expression was gentle, almost drowsy.

They walked away to greet my brother after a bit more time of introduction with me. Two other women approached me to take their place. By looking at their walks and faces, they were polar opposites of the personalities I had just met.

One of them had a small smile on her face, but her sharp green eyes gave her a mature air. Despite having the least voluptuous body I could see, it didn't bother her and only added to her elegance with her bun tied behind her head.

She lowered her gaze to meet mine when she was in front of me. "Kiyo, huh? I hope Reynolds took excellent care of you. My name is Helen."

"Nice to meet you."

After I greeted her, she turned her head to the other woman standing behind her.

A woman with black hair, an unusual fringe, and crimson red eyes. Her expression was solemn, and when our gazes met, I could tell what she was thinking. She turned away with a slight nod, but it didn't appear rude or anything. With that simple eye contact, I knew she was greeting me in her own unique way. Perhaps people serious, like us, have a sixth sense.

"Her name is Jasmine. Don't worry about her; she's always been like this." Helen comforted me, but when I returned my gaze, she smiled. "Pretty serious, huh. How about a little smile?"

Her hands reached out to brush against my cheeks. I could feel the calloused touch of one hand, but not the other. The callous was more concentrated on her fingers. The quiver arrows on her back only added to the details I was learning about her. Helen was an archer, and if the roughness of her hands represented her training, she was a skilled archer.

She stretched my cheeks upward, trying to get me to form a smile.

I tried my best, trying to imitate what I had learned and remembering what I had practiced alone in my room.

Helen developed a charming smile on her lovely face. "It's a beginning."

'Am I smiling?' I couldn't help but be surprised. I raised my little hand to my face, but it didn't appear that I was smiling, more of a small lip smile. It wasn't my intention, but it was a start.

"Let's go," she gently pushed my back in the direction of everyone else.

(***)

The town was shrinking behind us. The setting sun fell on us, casting huge shadows on the earthy ground. The warmth on my skin felt good, and it gave the shaky carriage that carried Arthur, Alice, Helen, and me a magical enchantment.

The surrounding passage was groves of trees that connected to a large forest. I had a slim chance of seeing some monsters and seeing how accurate the information I read about them was, but according to the book, this was a low threat density area, so the chances were slim.

When the last rays of the sun faded, the carriage convoy turned off to the side of the road, intending to camp.

Adam, the red-haired man, greeted us before disappearing into the forest. After a brief pause, his distinctive figure smiled at us and raised a hand, addressing everyone. "I discovered a clearing nearby."

The group began to advance, and although I thought the carriages would be unable to pass due to the density of the trees, the man with the spear made a horizontal sweep, and with a storm of wind that reached me, sweeping my dark brown hair back, he cut a path for us.

We chose a location surrounded by large greenish trees. I couldn't help but think of all the different star formations and constellations that could be seen with the naked eye as the stars in the sky painted a beautiful night landscape. The cold of the night necessitated the lighting of a fire. As I was debating whether it was a good idea to sleep right now, Adam opened his mouth and said some very concerning words.

He swung his spear, displaying his prowess. "Rey, do you mind if I test your children?"