Chapter 2: My Welcome Party to the Mansion and the First Encounter with My New Father

My Welcome Party to the Mansion

6-19/ Nyttypohu (Neutral) /673 – Day 0 – 13, Month 0, Year 2

As you may have noticed, dear co-adventurers, from this moment on, I will include the dates on which the events of the narrative occur, along with a counter of the days, months, and years that have passed since I arrived in this world. To help you understand it better, I’ll explain how the calendar works in this world.

Years have a total of 390 days divided into 13 months. Each month has 5 weeks, and each week has 6 days.

How did such a strange system come to be, and why do all nations follow the same timeline? It seems to have to do with the moons of this world. No, you didn’t mishear me—I said moons. There are a total of four moons in the world, and each one marks the passage of time.

The first one is called Rwhyu and marks the hours of the night. Days have a total of 26 hours, with 13 of them marked by the sun, a star that illuminates the world and rises in the east and sets in the west. Once the sun sets, Rwhyu appears to follow the same path and mark the passage of the 13 hours that make up the night.

Another moon is named Jeubok. This one is always visible during the day and has a total of six lunar phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, full moon, waning crescent, and last quarter. This moon changes its phases daily and indicates the days of the week.

The third moon is Rubjwnyjyu. This moon is related to the weeks of the months, as it changes between its five phases to indicate the week number of the month we’re in.

Finally, there’s the moon called Nutkuk. This moon is always visible, like Jeubok and Rubjwnyjyu, with the difference that it doesn’t change phases. Instead of having a series of phases, Nutkuk is always full and changes color depending on the month of the year. According to what I’ve been told, there’s something called mana in this world, a kind of mystical energy that makes magic work. This mana exists in 13 different forms, and each of the colors that Nutkuk shines with is related to the types of magic that exist in the world. In fact, it’s said that when Nutkuk shines in the sky with a specific mana color, the magical effects of that type are more powerful, while the opposite magic weakens.

I haven’t verified these things myself, but the point here is that, with four celestial bodies marking the passage of time so precisely in this world, it’s no wonder that all nations share the same calendar and way of measuring time. The names of the months might seem strange at first, but they’re simply the mention of the type of mana that Nutkuk marks, spoken in the language of the luminous gods. Because of this, and to avoid confusion, when using dates, I’ll include the type of mana in parentheses, following this order of months: fire, wind, lightning, earth, water, light, darkness, divine, demonic, life, spiritual, mental, and neutral.

In my case, I was born on the 6th day of the neutral month in the year 671. For the current date as I begin this chapter, exactly two years have passed since my birth.

Now, before I tell you about my birthday, I’d like to mention that Gpwn are a long-lived race, able to live up to 600 years. However, for some reason, we develop quickly and have short childhoods, moving from one stage of our lives to another in a matter of days.

If we were to break it down into stages, members of this race are considered babies from the moment we’re born until we turn two years old. After that, our bodies develop enough to be considered infants. At 10 years old, we’re considered adolescents. It’s during this stage that our Shakxyl, the crystal embedded in our chest, begins to develop until it fully matures. It’s halfway through this stage that we can start using magical stones. When we’re 14 years old, we’re finally recognized as adults, and our bodies achieve the physical appearance we’ll maintain for over 500 years. Finally, around 580 years old, our appearance undergoes a sudden change, where we lose a lot of body mass, our bodies wrinkle, men lose most of their hair, and facial hair finally begins to grow. Basically, we turn into miniature grandparents.

It’s a bit of a strange physiology, if you ask me, but the point I’m trying to make is that I only spent two years as a baby before waking up one day and realizing I was growing rapidly. When my siblings, Fily and Iri, noticed this, they got very excited and organized a whole ritual, lasting about 12 days, to celebrate my transition from being a little baby to becoming a child.

By this point, I already knew many of the words in the language; I just couldn’t speak because my vocal cords hadn’t developed properly yet. Over those days, I was able to speak little by little, and my siblings were thrilled when my first words were their names—well, actually, their nicknames: Iri and Fily. During this short period, I also started sitting up, then crawling, and finally taking my first steps. In terms of growth, my body went from about 20 centimeters to nearly 40, which is quite tall for a Gpwn child. Additionally, if we talk about my development, when I was still a baby, my body was smaller than my head, but now my proportions were roughly two and a half heads tall.

And so, I stopped being a baby and became a full-fledged “big kid,” as they say back on Earth.

Jokes aside. After this multi-day event, my brother Fily took me to see what would be my new room, as the one I had been using would be too small after growing so much. We left a small building, which I had thought was our house until then, and headed toward a huge horseshoe-shaped mansion with a garden in the center.

As I walked with Fily, he explained how the rooms in the house were distributed. It turns out the family lived in a mansion with over 40 rooms spread across two floors along the two wings. The lower floors were generally used for guests, while the rooms on the second floor were used by the family. If you’re wondering why I had been in a separate building before, it was because my nursemaid needed to stay close to me at all times to make sure nothing happened to me, and until I became a child, I had to live with the servants in another building.

Between the two wings of the mansion was a beautiful garden with benches and stone statues, as well as a lovely fountain in the center.

At the entrance, there was a large hall that served as both a reception area and a banquet hall. Behind it were my father’s office, the kitchen, the family dining room, cleaning rooms, and several other rooms that had practical uses for the mansion’s daily life.

We went up the stairs and turned left, which was where all my siblings lived and where my new room was located. We reached the sixth door on the right, and Fily slowly turned the doorknob to open it. When we entered, I was surprised because Iri and my other siblings, whom I hadn’t met until then, greeted us with a loud: “Surprise!”

The room, which was very spacious, had a large carved wooden bed, a big dresser, a desk, a huge wardrobe that also served as a dressing room, and, most incredible of all, a small living room and a dining area for four people. It felt like a mini-apartment back on Earth.

In the living room, my siblings were waiting for us with a variety of cakes and prepared tea. There were also floral arrangements decorating the room and a sign that said: “Happy Stage Transition, Zlagwnil.” It seemed that my siblings, or more specifically Iri and Fily, had organized a tea party to celebrate my transition from being a baby to a child.

- I suppose you must be surprised by this. – Iri began to speak as she approached me and placed her hands on my shoulders. – We’re gathered in your room to celebrate that you’re now a full-fledged child and will be moving into the mansion with us. To that end, it would be good to introduce you to your other siblings. In order of birth, you already know the boring Fiwlyr, so let’s just ignore him.

- What do you mean, ignore me?! I’m the oldest, and you have to respect me! – Fily retorted loudly, but she ignored him and continued with the introductions.

- After him is your other brother, the one who always looks grumpy over there. Along with Fily, they’re the only ones who have reached adulthood among us.

After the introduction, Iri paused for a moment, directing my gaze and hers toward Zypik, who was quietly sipping his tea. I assumed she was silently telling him to say a few words, but my brother didn’t seem to understand what she wanted at first. After making a grumpy face, he set his cup on the table and finally said:

- What am I supposed to say? – He asked.

- Whatever you want. Start by introducing yourself and saying what your hopes are for your new little brother. – Iri replied.

- My name is Zypik, though I don’t expect you to remember it. I’m the second son and handle the family’s finances, so I hope you don’t bother me often, as I have a lot of work.

- You know, it wouldn’t kill you to congratulate him for officially joining the family and tell him how excited you are to meet him.

- That would be a lie, and you know it. My work and studies don’t leave me time to spend with the family. It’s been that way since you were born, and it’s worse since I became an adult.

- Well, leaving the grump aside, the next on the list is me, the oldest of your sisters. – Iri spoke as she turned me to face her and crouched down to be at my eye level. – You might not remember me since you were so little, but I’m…

- You’re Iri! – I said quickly before she could introduce herself. I thought it would be a good idea to jump in and show her that I remembered her, and since Fily had gotten upset when I called him by his full name, I shouted her nickname with excitement.

My sister looked completely astonished and blushed while Fily complained because I had called her by her nickname.

- Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho! It’s amazing that you can recognize me, little Lagu! – Iri exclaimed as she lunged at me to hug me.

- Wait a minute, did you say Lagu? – Fily asked, surprised.

- Yes, since little Lagu gave us nicknames, I decided to give him one too.

- No way! Why didn’t I think of that?!

Fily was falling deeper and deeper into despair.

- Let’s keep ignoring this guy. The next one born was our parents’ second daughter, Azyripa. She doesn’t talk much, but she’s a very good sister, I can assure you. Come on, Azy, say hello to your new brother.

I still don’t know why, but from the first time I met Azyripa, she looked at me as if she were afraid of me. That day, she was carrying a book, which she had been reading until then, but when Iri brought me closer to her, she hid her face behind it and curled up on the couch.

- As I said, she’s a bit shy, so I hope you can forgive her, Lagu. Let’s move on to the next one, and that would be...

- That would be me. – My youngest sister introduced herself. – My name is Zypika, named after our great-grandfather and not our brother, just to avoid confusion. I’m so glad you’re finally going to live with us, brother. Here, I made you some tea specially prepared for the cutest brother of all.

I should clarify that, by this point, I was aware that Zypika had tried to get rid of me several times. Fortunately, she hadn’t succeeded yet. Every time she tried, she threw a tantrum until my nursemaid woke up or threw away the poisoned food she had prepared. Only a fool would accept an obviously poisoned drink, but if I refused her tea without a reason, it would be suspicious.

- Thank you, sister. – I pretended to sip from the cup without even touching it to my lips. – Oh, it’s delicious! Thank you so much for the drink.

After I “drank,” she didn’t make any expression when I didn’t suddenly collapse on the floor, which could mean the drink wasn’t actually poisoned—or that it was slow-acting.

After the introductions, we started the party, though it felt more like a casual gathering to eat cake and gossip. The ones who stole the show were my siblings Iri and Fily, with a few interjections from Azyripa. From their gossip, I learned that we were actually living in the kingdom of the Jitammuua Hueky, found out about our father’s business, the reasons why we were allowed to live in their kingdom, the suitor Iri was engaged to, and many other things. We were having a good time until I decided to ask about something that was bothering me.

- By the way, siblings, where are father and mother?

A tomb-like silence fell over the room. “Okay, this is weird. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked about them,” I thought at that moment.

- The thing is, our father is very busy, so he couldn’t come to your party. – Zypika was the one who broke the silence, trying to give a reasonable explanation. – As for mom, she hasn’t been feeling well since she had you and spends most of her time resting in bed. Isn’t that right, sister Iri?

- That’s right, sister. – Iri replied quickly, trying to keep the silence from returning. – It’s not your fault, Lagu, of course! It’s just that mom had complications when you were born and has been sick ever since. As for our father, he’s generally always busy with work, and we rarely see him. Although, coincidentally, tonight is the family dinner, and you’ll get to meet him then. Oh, that reminds me! I already have a beautiful outfit prepared for you to wear to dinner.

Well, it wasn’t like I expected my parents to be happy to welcome me into the mansion. I had already imagined they were distant since Iri and Fily visited me often when I was still a baby, while they never showed up. However, I was curious to know why. “So, father is a workaholic, and mother is very sick because of me,” was the conclusion I reached.

What I can highlight is that they mentioned something very interesting. That night, I would meet father at one of the family dinners that were held occasionally. I couldn’t help but feel excited at that moment.

Dinner with My Father

19 / Nyttypohu (Neutral) / 673 – Day 13, Month 0, Year 2

My welcome party to the mansion was in the morning, and after noon, we all had to return to our daily activities. Fily went back to the workshop to practice creating magical objects. Meanwhile, Iri headed to her various classes in preparation for marriage, such as etiquette, dance, history, politics, and others. Zypik had to return to his office to finish the endless paperwork and account books of the family. As for the rest of us, we hadn’t yet reached puberty for our race, so we didn’t have assigned tasks for the time being and were free to spend our time as we pleased, as long as we didn’t bother anyone.

I wanted to get along better with Azyripa, so I tried to invite her to play something. However, when I approached her to talk, she ran out of the room and locked herself in her bedroom. Zypika tried to console me after that sad scene and invited me to play in her recreation room. She was very kind and timely, so I almost fell into her trap. Fortunately, I came to my senses and declined her offer, saying I preferred to stay alone in my room to rest.

The million-dollar question now was: What am I supposed to do?

When I was a baby, passing the time was easy since I was asleep most of the time, but that changed once my body developed into the infant stage. With my new body, I needed less sleep, and free time felt endless.

Fily had mentioned, as we walked down the hallway, that each door across from our rooms was a recreation room where we could store our toys and redecorate it to our liking to spend time in it. However, I wasn’t convinced about what kind of toys could entertain me, as I retained my memories of a past life.

Please, don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that, since I was an adult in my previous life, playing with children’s toys now seems childish and unpleasant to me. That’s not my thinking. The reality is that I come from the era of video games. On Earth, I got my first console at two years old, and since then, I’ve considered myself a big fan of video games. I really missed them at that moment, and conventional toys didn’t catch my attention.

Even now, I’d love to get my hands on a console and play a few rounds of a good RPG. How many installments of my favorite series must have come out by now?

Forgive my ramblings, dear co-adventurers. Sometimes it’s hard to remember certain things. The point here was that playing wasn’t a very appealing option for me.

Other hobbies I had on Earth were related to the arts. What I enjoyed most was modeling, creating figures with moldable materials like epoxy clay, cold porcelain, or similar materials. I also liked reading or writing, as well as drawing a little. Of course, to do all these things, I’d need to know what materials and tools are used in this world. I tried asking Fily and Iri during the party, but they mentioned that, since Fily would inherit father’s workshop when he retired, I didn’t need to worry about that kind of thing.

Another thing on my mind was what would become of me from that moment on. Just think about it: I was the sixth son of a noble who had already chosen his heirs, and for the rest of his children, he only expected to marry them off to improve his connections. What hope did I have of securing my future?

According to many stories I’d read on Earth, when a human was reborn in another world, they had the advantage of their knowledge from the other world and cheat-like abilities to make their new life easier to handle. So far, I hadn’t developed any cheat-like abilities, and to this day, I don’t think I ever will, so the only advantage I had left was my memories.

Bringing technology from my old world to this new one seemed like a good option to get rich quickly. However, this world had its own advanced technology. Despite being a world that shared similarities in fashion and architecture with the Renaissance or Victorian era of Earth, its technology, or techno-magic as it’s called, is highly advanced. I realized this when I inspected the lights in my room and noticed they were magical stones that transmitted light in some way. The bathroom, which had a toilet and a bathtub, worked just like those on Earth; there was even hot or cold water to choose from. The means of transportation were efficient; according to what my siblings told me, there were ways to travel by air, land, or sea. And countless tools had already been invented to make everyday life easier.

Bringing technology from my world didn’t seem like a viable path at the moment, so the only advantage I had left was my mind, which was already that of an adult, and the knowledge I had learned in my world of origin. As for basic sciences, I doubted the same laws applied here as on Earth, so going down that path wouldn’t be useful. Probably, the best path to follow was mathematics, something I’ve always been good at since I was little. I thought that, possibly, if I were allowed to learn to read, write, do math, and the craft of an artisan, I could help my siblings and at least stay on as another worker in the family business.

“I guess I’ll have to ask father personally,” was what I thought at that moment. As you can imagine, that didn’t go well at all, though I’m getting ahead of myself. The point is, I had decided to make a good impression on father during dinner, and in this way, he might allow me to learn the craft of this world.

After noon, a servant brought my meal to the room, accompanied by a manners instructor, who showed me the basic etiquette for that night’s dinner.

It wasn’t too hard for me to memorize the basic customs, such as greetings, utensil use, eating manners, how to place the plates after finishing, etc., so I had some free time until Iri arrived with a tailor, who fitted me for a Victorian-style suit in wine color with silver accents. As she had promised during the party, she had my outfit ready for the night and gave some opinions on how to adjust the suit to fit me “perfectly,” according to her standards.

Personally, I felt suffocated by the suit, but I wanted to make a good impression on father, so I didn’t complain at any point and endured it as best I could.

Finally, dinner time arrived. Fily led us all to the dining room, where we waited outside while father arrived. After the servants gave us the signal, the doors opened, and we entered, parading in front of the dining room, where he was already seated, and we lined up in order from oldest to youngest.

- Good evening, dear father. – Fily spoke on behalf of everyone, while the rest of us remained in a slight bow. – We gather here today once again in your presence for our traditional family dinner. We request your permission to join the table.

To be honest, all this protocol felt excessive. Father wasn’t born a noble of any nation; he was a merchant who got lucky and made a fortune. So, why so much protocol for a simple family dinner? These facts only told me one thing: the Gpwn named Kmuriapwk had spent most of his life dreaming of being a noble. Whether for money, status, and/or power, father longed for the life of a noble. That meant he wouldn’t be a very close person to his children who would indulge their every whim; I needed to use a strategy that would show him there was value in paying for my craft classes.

To do this, the first thing would be to demonstrate impeccable manners. I remembered everything I had been taught. I remained silent unless spoken to. I didn’t leave any food on my plate before it was cleared, as it was frowned upon. I did everything I had been told. So, why did things go wrong? I’m not even sure myself.

After dinner ended without much conversation, father had the habit of going through each of his children one by one, asking how things were going. When it was Fily and Zypik’s turn, they spoke clearly and directly; it seemed more like they were giving a progress report to their superiors at work than talking to their own father. Another important thing to note was that, when it was time to talk to my sisters, father’s secretary, who hadn’t moved from behind his seat all night, approached to remind him of his daughters’ names. That gave me less and less hope that he was a tender and indulgent father.

When it was finally my turn, father made a face of annoyance and spoke more out of protocol than genuine interest.

- Zlagwnil, the last of my sons. I’m glad to know you’re still alive and will officially join the family. Come closer so I can give you my blessing.

Receiving the blessing of the family head is an important ritual performed by all nobles when a child reaches the age to be recognized as an infant and a member of the family. Again, I remind you that, in this world, the gods live among mortals, and we belong to the clergy of the luminous gods. They grant a kind of insignia within the Shakxylswhjek, the crystals located in the chest with which we are born, to the heads of each noble family. With it, the family head can acknowledge that they are a noble appointed by the gods and, in turn, recognize others as their relatives and members of their house.

Knowing this in advance, I stood up from my seat and approached father, performing the ceremonial bow I had been taught. Father couldn’t help but let out a small sound of surprise, so my plan might work after all.

Father said some words in a language I still don’t recognize to this day. It was something like: “Xebe, ne kumxok et kytfoetu, xu veleon nuon yftwksw ux yj jwnon Alzyryap.” After uttering this strange incantation, a rune began to glow from father’s chest, and a luminous flow slowly emerged, connecting to where my Shakxyl should be.

- Done, you now officially belong to the family. Is there anything you wish to ask me to commemorate this occasion?

This question was also more tradition than anything else. As per protocol, when someone was recognized as part of the family, the head of the family should reward them by granting a wish. Also, more out of custom than tradition, I had been told that it was usual for children to politely decline this wish, since the only achievement a child could have was being born into a noble family and surviving into infancy. Of course, this was just the norm; there was no rule against asking for something, and of course, I planned to take advantage of the opportunity, always careful not to anger father.

I knelt down, a position I had been taught during etiquette lessons to show complete loyalty and that I had no ulterior motives, and said:

- Actually, dear father, there is something. – When I said this, I heard one of my siblings startle from their seat, but father stopped them with a wave of his hand.

- How bold of you to ask me for something when you’re nothing but a brat who had trouble being born! However, that also shows you have some value within you. Let’s hear what you want, and I’ll decide what to do with you based on your request. – He said these words with disdain and curiosity at the same time. Truly, it would depend on what I said next as to which way the scales of father’s affection would tip.

- I thank your infinite mercy toward this imprudent son. However, I feel that what I wish to ask could bring long-term benefits to the family. – As I said this, father made a curious expression, so everything should go well—or so I thought. – I understand that my siblings Fiwlyr, Zypik, and my sister Iripca are studying because they have already reached adulthood or are close to doing so. My request is that I would like to start my studies as soon as possible to learn to read, write, do math, and, if possible, learn the craft of an artisan like Fiwlyr. I believe starting at an early age could give me an advantage over the children of other families.

- Hahaha! – Father burst into loud laughter after hearing my request. He laughed for several minutes before calming down a bit and saying: – By all the gods, and here I was thinking you might be worth having, and it turns out you’re nothing but a naive child who doesn’t know his place in the family. This is what I get for having high expectations of trash.

- But, father… – I asked, unsure whether to stay silent or not. – What does that mean? I know I’m still young, but if you give me the chance to prove…

- Enough whining! You ask what my laughter means? It means I have no intention of investing even the slightest bit in the education of a dreamer child who thinks he can take his siblings’ place by starting to learn early. I’ve already made my decision about who will inherit my name when I retire, and nothing can change my decision. Therefore, it’s a waste to invest in your education.

- Father, if you’d just let me… – I tried to explain, but father stopped me again.

- I said that’s enough! – He shouted this last phrase as he stood up from his chair. – We’ll end the family dinner here. Servants, kindly escort all my children to their quarters. As for that ungrateful one who truly doesn’t understand his place, lock him in his room for a week so he can understand how things work around here.

After giving his orders, father left for his room without looking back, leaving his children without a word of farewell. I looked at my siblings, hoping to see on Fily or Iri’s face a look of understanding that would tell me I wasn’t wrong in my request, that I was worth more than father thought. However, Fily remained with his head down, full of fear, while Iri showed a look of relief that it was all over.

And so, that’s how I ruined my first encounter with my new father and felt alone in this world. I missed Earth so much in those moments that I cried for several days while locked in my room. For the first time since I had arrived in this world, I wished with all my might to return to Earth.