First Lessons

A few hours had passed since our conversation, and Aleister had left the shack. He didn't say where he was going, but I could guess it was something important.

'He told me to stay here, but how long will he take? I'm bored…'

Coincidentally, Aleister came back.

He looked around and when he saw me he looked quite surprised.

"I didn't think you'd really stay."

"Well… it's not like I have anywhere else to go."

"I truly wonder how you even ended up here. This forest is a pretty dangerous place…"

Great. As if losing my memories wasn't bad enough, now I was stuck in a cursed forest.

I turned my head and caught him staring at me with a strange look.

'Is he feeling pity?'

"I'll let you stay with me for now."

"Thanks…"

Although I didn't trust him completely, it wasn't like I had a choice. So, I accepted.

***

'I shouldn't have taken his offer.'

The past few days had been hell. This man—no, this devil—made me do all his chores in his stead.

'After all the plants I've gathered, the forest must have cursed me.'

While I slaved away, he just sat there meditating all day long.

But this wasn't the worse, this... this lunatic insisted we sleep on the floor to 'harden our mind'.

This couldn't go on. So, I decided to confront him.

When I entered the shack, he was—as usual—sitting cross-legged on the floor, 'meditating'.

"Sir, I can't keep doing this. I'm working all day while you're slacking off at home. At least try to help me!"

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"You know, people would kill to be in your place. The disciple of a renowned mage such as myself."

"Disciple? I'm no better than a slave!"

He went silent for a moment, seemingly in thought.

"Well… now that you put it that way, it's true I haven't taught you much."

Then he pulled a book out of his pocket and tossed it at me.

'You could've at least handed it to me properly…'

"Read this and you'll learn magic."

"…?"

"Is there something?"

"Aren't you supposed to… teach me?"

"That's exactly what I'm doing. Now get out of the house—I'm meditating."

***

A few hours later, after reading through the book Aleister had given me, I finally understood the basics of magic.

'To cast a spell, I need to offer a sacrifice—either mana, or something else.'

Since I didn't have any mana, I decided to use the rabbit I'd found a few days ago as a sacrifice.

'I'll start with a basic spell.'

''Flame.''

''…"

Nothing happened.