Chapter 101   - Generosity

Kai stretched his limbs under the white sheets. His body ached and complained. Ironically his legs were the least sore, probably because he concentrated most of Empower on them.

Not too bad.

This kind of pain had become like an old friend over the years. Not acute enough to really bother him, Kai found he almost enjoyed it. It was proof he had overcome his limits and grown stronger.

Spirits’ mercy, have I become a masochist?

Inspecting himself in the mirror, he noticed the consequences of yesterday’s hurry to get to bed. His light hair shot in every direction. Kai spent a few minutes fighting against his unruly locks to look less disheveled. The result wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t look like a hobo anymore.

Maybe I should cut them again. Short hair is so much more convenient.

A pair of gray eyes on a tan face stared back at him. His chubby cheeks were slimmer, having lost some of their baby fat. There was no doubt, he was about to go through puberty a second time.

I’m definitely a bit biased, but I think I look good.

His body certainly looked infinitely better than it ever did in his previous life. Sculpted with lean muscles and flexible like a gymnast. After surviving Elijah’s grueling training, there was no other possible result.

I’m ripped, it's going to be nice having the body of an adult too.

Kai had mostly stopped staring at his abs in the mirror by now. Though he occasionally had a relapse. Feeling his vanity bubbling to the surface, he proceeded with his round of Meditation by the shore.

It was a pleasant day, the heat of summer still months away. The crystal water shimmered in the rising sun, and the calls of seabirds filled the air. Towards the end of the bay, an osprey dove beneath the surface, re-emerging victorious with a squirming fish between its talons.

Sylspring was nice, but nothing could beat living by the beach. He could understand how the governor’s plans had been so successful. Who wouldn’t want to retire here? Heck, even living his whole life like this wouldn’t be half bad. A peaceful existence away from trouble and problems.

I’ve already tried that in Whiteshore. The world always comes knocking eventually. But maybe one day…

Kai evened his breaths, letting the rest of the world fade in the background. His mana was full, but his elemental reserves were low. Natural regeneration didn’t convert many elements. Before his journey, he was filled with almost exclusively unattuned essence for Empower.

He only had a small stash of Water mana and his collection of Space motes. With Attuned Meditation, the elements he had an affinity for shone brightly in his vision. Kai fell into the rhythm of converting the swirling particles. Trails of colored speckles streamed around him as they were gradually absorbed.

Water and Nature barely required a thought thanks to their respective skills. Earth was harder, but with a little coaxing, it also fell in line. That’s where the easy ones finished. Under the morning light, Shadow mana fled away. Instead of spending hours literally chasing shadows, he preferred waiting till nightfall. That left Space, which remained as elusive as ever. He only caught a few motes by happenstance.

Satisfied with his haul, Kai found Elijah already waiting behind him with two swords stuck in the sand.

Wielding one of them, the ever-pale man threw the shorter one at him.

Guess we’re gonna skip pleasantries.

The man didn’t wait for him, dashing forward in a lunge. Kai barely had time to raise his guard and deflect the blow, putting him in an awkward position.

Without giving him a breath to recompose, Elijah pressed with a flurry of blows.

Nothing quite like the butler trying to cut me into pieces to welcome me back.

His stray thoughts quickly fell away, and only their swords remained. Sharp clanks, sand and a lot of sweat. Any distraction was a risk he couldn’t afford. Kai vainly tried to change the tempo of the battle, but he was forced on the defensive.

Tapping into his recently replenished reserves, it was time to get serious. His movements grew faster, and blades of water flew through the air.

Elijah responded in kind. Shadows darkened the day and gusts of wind disrupted his spellwork. He cast no direct elemental attack, but those were more than enough to put him on the back foot.

Kai gave his all, his mind flashed between different tasks, his body moving on instinct following his muscle memory. Dodging, defending and occasionally striking back.

His shirt got slashed when Elijah leaped out of the shadows behind his back. Kai activated Mana Sense to keep track of the battlefield. Another burden for his mind to juggle.

The man’s rapid movements were hard to follow through the shadows. Kai’s reaction was too slow to properly respond to the attacks. He couldn’t afford to give Mana Sense the focus it needed to pierce the shroud. Another jab almost skewered him.

It was time to change tactics. He was burning through his mana faster than Elijah. He would never win in a battle of attrition.

With a sweep of Water mana, a veil of mist condensed around him. If Elijah was keeping his Strength and Perception at his level, that would even the playing field. A pulse of Earth served to locate his opponent's position. In that instant, Kai squeezed what remained of his reserves. He would only get one chance. Empower surged through his veins, and he leaped, slashing with all his strength.

His sword cut through the figure. It was just another shadow. Stunned and failing to meet the expected resistance, his body lunged forward. Kai scrambled to regain his balance when a cold feeling touched his neck.

Shadows and mist dispersed in a heartbeat. Elijah stood over him, blade tickling his neck.

Kai huffed, “I thought I had you this time.”

The butler smirked, “You’re not quite there.”

“Just because you have more mana than me.”

“I used half of what you did.”

“Yes, but with your skills you can create double the result with half the cost, it’s not fair,” Kai grumbled. “And yes, I know I can’t expect to have a fair fight, but do the odds always need to be so stacked against me?”

“There is more to learn from a defeat than a victory.” Elijah lectured him on the familiar points. “By fighting someone stronger, smarter, and generally better than you in every way, other foes will seem easy. Thus, when you meet a stronger adversary, you won’t be taken aback.”

Kai rolled his eyes, not bothering to argue a losing battle. Elijah loved kicking his ass and then coming up with excuses why it was all for his benefit. Each time it got close to a fair fight, he upped his game.

Kai accepted the butler’s cold hand to get to his feet. “As you say, oh mighty teacher. I’m humbled by your generosity.”

“Glad we’re on the same page, brat. Now go make yourself presentable and get breakfast.”

“Are we done already?” Kai was puzzled. They had gone all out in that fight, but his exhaustion had never stopped Elijah from demanding more.

No physical training? Or perception exercises? Or marathon through the jungle while you try to kill me?

“If you want to go for another round, I can indulge you,” Elijah reached for his sword.

“No, that’s not necessary,” Kai bolted towards his house. “I'll meditate on what I could have done better.”

He wasn’t going to waste the butler’s strange fit of benevolence. His low mana was already making him feel lightheaded. He sat under the shower, refilling his reserves to a more comfortable level. In his fight with Elijah, he had managed to consume what lasted him for the entire journey from Sylspring.

Making sure to properly dry his hair with Water magic, Kai put on a new pair of clothes. The sleeves were a bit short.

Damn, growth spurt. I’ll need to change my wardrobe. Again.

Trying out a new pair, Kai nodded to the mirror. He made his way to the southern end of the estate. The garden was as lush and verdant as he remembered.

“How was your family? Did they settle in well?” Dora welcomed him inside her lab. Two boiling cauldrons in front of her.

“Yeah, the new house is nice. Much better than the one in Greenside.” Kai took a seat and began recounting his journey while she finished her brewing.

“Don’t worry, dear. It’s normal to be upset when you see your mother with someone who isn’t your father. It’s a weird feeling when one of your parents remarries.”

“Yes, it’s just…” His thoughts came out in inarticulate phrases. The guilt and regret over his dad’s death had resurfaced. With Moui it looked like his family were definitively moving on, and it felt like a betrayal. No matter if his mind knew it was irrational.

“Letting go of the past can be hard, but it’s the only way to move forward,” Dora got what he was saying despite his lack of coherence. “This Moui seems like a decent fellow, and you like him, right?”

Kai shrugged, “He’s alright.”

“Well, it’ll be weird for a while, but you get used to it. Some things just take time,” Dora turned towards him with her creation. “Here, try this.”

He accepted the glass, suspiciously observing the cyan potion. Despite the unnatural color, it looked fine, almost appealing. Uniform color and consistency, no weird smells.

“Is this one of the final recipes?”

“Yes, I worked hard on the taste too,” Dora looked at him expectantly.

Putting aside his doubts, Kai drank the concoction in one breath. It tasted like mint toothpaste. A refreshing feeling swept through his body and mind. Stretching his body, he could hardly feel any ache, and in seconds even, that was gone.

“What was that? It’s amazing.”

Dora put her hands at her sides. “Do you expect an alchemist to reveal all their secrets?”

“Ehm, sorry Aunty, I—”

“Here you go! This is for you.” Dora slapped a book in his hands, beaming proudly.

Elegant cursive letters stood out on the leather cover: Practical Potions from the Baquaire Archipelago, by Theodora Etinam.

“Is this really it?” Kai looked with wonder. “You finally completed it?”

Dora fixed her red curls. “Recipes can always be improved… but, of course I did it! All the potions can be made with ingredients found around the archipelago.”

“Congratulations, Aunty. I knew you could do anything.”

“You’ll make me blush,” Dora giggled. “But you can keep the flattery going.”

They shared more congratulations. His teacher excitedly showed him the contents of the book. “Come on, we have to try them.”

Then they ran to the garden to gather the herbs. With just a brief pause at noon to cook lunch, hours flew by. There were forty-nine recipes in the book. They were all easy by Dora’s standards, which meant Kai had no hopes of brewing most of them. For now.

“Maybe you can improve on it one day and write an updated edition,” Dora ruffled his hair. “Alchemy is a never-ending journey.”

“I’ll do my best,” Kai promised.

Even if it might take some decades.

With Dora watching over him and providing suggestions, he successfully brewed Kai’s Hunting Remedy. An orange-tier antidote for the drakes that lived in the heart of Veeryd. The cyan tonic he drank this morning was also present in the book. It was the eleventh recipe, lovingly called Kai’s Vigor. There was a surprisingly high amount of potions that had his name in the title.

“These are not the official names, right?” Kai asked jokingly, but not really.

“I wanted to show your contribution to this book.” Dora furrowed her brows. “Why, you don't like them?”

“No, it’s not that. They are great, I just—”

Dora burst into laughter, “Don’t worry, dear. Your copy is the only one with the real names. Everyone else gets a generic Warrior’s Restoration.”

Kai could feel his ears burning again. The alchemist’s booming laughter proved it had been no coincidence.

Dora smiled brightly. “We can try Kai’s Sweet Dreams next.”

Yatei’s mercy! I need a hole to hide.

An unknown—but extremely vast—amount of embarrassment later, they were having dinner together. The alchemy session had gone on without either of them getting tired. Despite the debatable name choice, Kai couldn’t wait to plunge himself into the book and try all the recipes.

“So when are you planning to publish it?” He asked. The whole reason she used local ingredients was to make them easily available to people. If that book was released for free, it was sure to cause colossal waves in the local market.

“In a few years, probably,” Dora said, leaving him baffled.

“A few years!” Kai exclaimed. “I mean, why that long?”

He immediately felt ashamed of the relief he felt. It sure would be nice to have them exclusively, but their aim was to improve life on the archipelago, not to make him rich.

Dora sighed sadly. “The book would attract too much attention. Even if I published it anonymously people would start asking questions. And you know…”

“I see. That’s a pity,” Kai did his absolute best to sound sincere. “But… I can keep this book, right?”

Damn, I’m a monster.

“Of course, dear. You helped a lot with the testing," Dora stood up to get a mango pie. “Just don’t share any of the most elaborate recipes.”

“Of course, Aunty. I’ll keep them for myself.”

I’m definitely going to hell.

A knock from the door signaled the arrival of the butler. “Virya wants to see you,” he simply announced. “You can finish your plate, but be quick.”

Kai nodded, dispatching the pie in seconds. Elijah shared a look with Dora and held the door open for him. The butler didn’t follow him outside. Left alone, Kai headed for the mansion when he caught sight of a figure under the pavilion.

Virya reading a book under the moonlight with no other crystal or lamp. Fixing his clothes, he changed direction. Even though his sight had gotten good, he needed to squint to get a glimpse of the title.

“Come, child.” The mage closed her book with a snap, putting her hand on the cover. Her piercing orange eyes moved on him.