Guts' POV
"Big brother, help me finish this potion," Maddie asks enthusiastically.
It's been eight years since I landed in Wartwood. I've molted, lost my tadpole fins, and I'm now fully a frog.
However, I'm still considered a child in this world.
"Why do you always call me big brother?" I ask with a sigh.
"We're twins, you shouldn't insist on giving me the responsibilities of an older brother," I explain as I close my grimoire.
"You've always been more mature than me for as long as I can remember. I don't see the problem with you being the older one," she replies, occasionally glancing at me while preparing her potion.
Maddie, my little sister in this life, is surprisingly mature for her age and also smarter than most of the frogs in this town.
"Damn, alright, I won't complain about this anymore," I say, resigned.
Maddie has been calling me big brother for a while now. Personally, I didn't want the title since it brings me too close to her emotionally.
I had a bad experience with family in my past life, after all.
"Can you explain what you need me for?" I ask, approaching her and her potion.
Since arriving in this world, I've been doing my best to improve, but I quickly realized that life isn't as simple in another world as the Japanese say it is.
First, I had to get used to living as a tadpole for a long time, and frankly, being dependent for a good part of my life is far from pleasant.
After that, I had to force myself to get used to my new diet, and I'm not even talking about my physical training that doesn't do much for me.
It seems I didn't inherit good genes from the family, but I've found several solutions to facilitate my evolution in this universe, and one of them is my sister Maddie.
She became interested in black magic at a young age, using it for good.
Of course, I also started learning magic shortly after her. We were twins, and I intend to seize every opportunity.
I'm really fascinated by the magic of this world, which has been surprisingly little exploited by ordinary frogs.
Sometimes, I feel that if Maddie really wanted to, she could easily dominate Wartwood.
I've studied black magic relentlessly for almost three years.
It was complicated at first, but I managed through numerous efforts and perseverance, and also because my life is at stake.
"I messed up while preparing a charm potion, I don't know how to succeed," she declares, embarrassed.
"You, a charm potion? Could you be in love by any chance, 'little sister'?" I say teasingly.
"No, it's not that, but..." she couldn't finish her sentence, clearly dying of shame.
"Let me guess, it wouldn't be Sprig Plantar by any chance," I say with a smirk.
"..."
She seemed frozen by my words, it looks like I hit the nail on the head judging by her current reaction.
She turns to leave quickly, she must be too embarrassed.
"Well, it seems we're alone again, just the two of us," I think as I look at my grimoire.
A mysterious book with a cover made from frog skin. It was quite disgusting to touch at first, but I quickly got used to it.
The origin of the book was unknown. Maddie found it in a gloomy place, from what she told me.
Probably the hideout of an ancient dark mage. Over the past few years, I've studied this book more than anyone else, as well as its spells.
From what I know, there are two types of spells: level 1 spells that allow casting curses, making potions with various effects and others, and level 2 spells where you can actually practice necromancy.
The transition between the two is quite complicated since each spell requires significant know-how and expensive or dangerous materials to try to obtain.
It seems that currently, I lack the money and necessary resources to be able to continue practicing correctly.
Ironically, I who always had a lot of money in my bank account, find myself broke in a town of peasants.
But well, I need to find a way to remedy this, and quickly.
"But first, I need to prepare," I say, closing the book after a few hours since Maddie's departure.
It was already night, and Maddie was probably still locked in her room, too embarrassed to face me, while father and my sisters were sleeping.
"It's the ideal moment," I mutter before gently closing the door to leave.
Wartwood was pleasant at night, and I greatly enjoy walking around. Most frogs are heavy sleepers, so I was alone walking in this strange landscape for anyone of terrestrial origin.
The singing cicadas and Wally always playing his accordion under the bridge, it was surprisingly pleasant.
But my outing wasn't aimed at walking and enjoying the pleasant climate.
I walked through the village to find the mayor's house. It wasn't difficult, his house was the most luxurious.
Frankly, this guy had some nerve. While the town clearly needs improvements and changes, he prefers to embezzle the hard-earned money of the villagers for his own comfort.
I knocked on the front door. Unsurprisingly, a small greenish frog came to open it.
"You're at the mayor's residence. What brings you here at this late hour?" said the small frog in a haughty tone.
"Toadie, I've come to see the mayor urgently. Tell him I'm here for business," I declared with eyes full of greed.
"You're damn brave to speak to me so familiarly. Wait a second," said Toadie, hopping at full speed.
After a few minutes of silence, the small frog came back to me.
"Please follow me," he said, showing me the way.
I entered without hesitation and as expected, a very luxurious path awaited me inside. Toadie led me to a door.
It was undoubtedly the mayor's office, a large golden door adorned with decorations of all kinds.
"The mayor will receive you for about 10 minu..."
"Don't worry, I'll be done before the 10 minutes are up," I say, interrupting Toadie and opening the room to enter.
"Ah, I almost forgot," I say, putting my hand on the little frog's head.
"Forget my visit here and our interactions," I say before certain symbols on my arm begin to illuminate as well as the frog's eyes.
It only lasted a moment, but it was enough.
During my free time that I use to learn black magic, I noticed that each spell took too long to cast.
Maddie and most magic users use bags containing various spells, but unlike them, I was inspired by Orochimaru's curse marks.
I created a curse in which various spells were concentrated.
Using my blood as a catalyst, I was able to create a prototype of cursed ink that I tattooed on my body.
Over the years, I've perfected and improved this ink. In total, I have more than twenty level 1 spells accumulated.
I can use them as many times as I want, but it has the strange counterpart of draining my endurance, which is why I've never stopped my physical training despite my bad genes.
It's really annoying that I can't use the same spell more than ten times before fainting.
"As I expected, the brain-washing spell took more than 15% of my endurance," I thought before entering the mayor's office.
Mayor Toadstool is the character I like the least in my past life and now, he reminds me of my former father.
A man who appears honest in front of everyone but in truth, is just detestable and corrupt.
Although he changed later in the story, it doesn't change the fact that he fleeced people for a long time.
"So, my dear Guts, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" he says in his pajamas, it seems I really showed up unexpectedly judging by his current attire.
"I'm here to talk business, Mr. Mayor," I say, humbly lowering my head to hide my face which displays an expression of contempt towards him.
"Business, you say? That's rare. Usually, the frogs around here are too stupid to think about such things," he mutters, forgetting or ignoring my presence.
Toadstool was an imposing toad physically, he was surely superior to me in terms of strength and robustness since I seemed tiny next to him.
"Here," I say, giving him a carefully prepared paper in advance.
He took it without hesitation, reading the conditions of my letter.
"Little scammer, is this what you call a contract? Where's my benefit in this?"
As I expected, he's indeed a scoundrel but not a complete idiot. He could see that he was being scammed.
"Perfect," I say with a mocking smile.
Suddenly, the paper started to burn. The ashes crept onto the body of the agitated mayor, screaming for help.
Unfortunately for him, Toadie is still in a trance after I gave him a little brain-washing.
Suddenly, the ashes transformed into marks that covered him from head to toe, immobilizing him.
"You, what have you done to me?" he says, screaming.
"Mr. Mayor, how would you like to think bigger?" I say in a serious and firm voice.
"What does that mean?" he says, panicked.
"You know, I know you have more ambition than being the mayor of this crummy village. I have an offer for you," I say with a smile.
"You... a proposition," said he, clearly interested.
"I'll help you become one of the tower chiefs of the valley in exchange for 80% of your income, plus your support and influence."
"You little piece of sh..." I held his tongue, preventing him from speaking.
"Listen to me, you piece of shit, I literally have your life in my hands right now. If I want, I can kill you here and now. Do you really think you're in a position to refuse this offer?" I reply.
Toadstool had all the traits of a scoundrel. Besides being narcissistic, selfish, and hypocritical, he's also very cowardly, especially when it comes to his life.
A silence fell. It seems he no longer has the courage to rebel now that I've threatened his life.
"Well, I'll take that silence as a yes," I say, humming.
Heading towards the exit.
"... At least free me from this spell," he says in a low voice.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot, 'partner'," I say, snapping my fingers.
The marks scattered all over his body gathered in one spot on his chest, allowing him to move again.
"If you talk to anyone about our agreement tonight or if you have any idea of betraying me, these marks will kill you at the slightest opportunity, so your life is in your hands," I say before leaving.
...
I did well tonight. I had to rush my actions because of the fatigue due to the use of my tattoo.
"I should have asked him for more things, but well, I'll have time to do it another day," I tell myself as I return to my room, slightly out of breath and exhausted.
"Where were you?" declared an icy voice at the back of the room.
It was Maddie, it seems she had left her room.
Usually, she sleeps at this hour or creates potions, but it seems that our conversation has caused her insomnia and concentration problems.
"I went for a walk like every evening," I simply replied in a natural tone.
"Usually, you're not so out of breath and you don't come back so late," she says, squinting her eyes at me.
"You're not just in love with Sprig but also with your brother?" I say, backing away as if I was afraid.
"No, it's not that! Haaa!" In the end, she couldn't ask any more questions and she ran away, too embarrassed.
"The innocence and idiocy of the frogs in this world are really funny, haha!" I say, laughing.