The Future

Hiroto returned to his room before the banquet concluded. A few servants were in the hallway, and they seemed surprised to see him back so early, but no one cared to ask anything. Hiroto closed the door, his expression finally relaxing. His room was the only place he felt truly free to move, so he wanted to spend most of his time there.

He thought that everyone is busy with the banquet; no one will even notice his absence.

Hiroto wanted to know the identity of the girl he'd met in the garden. According to her, shamans were even rarer than mages. He had no way to contact her, but she had said she would contact him, so he figured she probably had a method. Not that it would make much difference if she didn't.

He looked through the books in his room, but found nothing related to shamanism. 

Maybe I should look in the library, he mused.

He didn't want to leave his safe haven, but his desperation outweighed his reluctance. So, he went to the library. The library wasn't grand, no towering bookshelves or countless tomes. Instead, it was about the size of his own room, focusing on quality over quantity. He searched the shelves and, indeed, found two books related to spirits and shamanism. He was amazed there were only two; the rest of the library was filled with martial arts books, focusing on physical reinforcement rather than mana manipulation.

He immediately started reading them. He learned about the history of shamanism and how it developed. There was a group of people who worshipped nature. They worshipped their land, rivers, wells, crops, trees, and even rocks. That's how they discovered that these things had spirits within them. At first, they only worshipped them to gain favors. Over time, they came to understand the different natures of each spirit. When worshipping the rivers, they never faced drought; when worshipping the trees and crops, they never failed a harvest; when they prayed to the mountain, they were protected from all natural disasters.

Hiroto found it quite interesting.

The books stated that shamans could even predict the next rain. However, shamanism was now disappearing due to the modern use of mana. Newer ways of using mana had been found, and shamanism was considered a very unreliable method because the results depended on the mood of the spirits. It was deemed too difficult to maintain relationships with spirits.

The more Hiroto read, the deeper the frown on his face grew. After finishing the entire book on shamanism, he understood a few things. First, he needed to build a contract with a spirit. To do so, he needed to please the spirit. And after making the contract, he could ask the spirits to manipulate mana instead of him doing it directly.

Hiroto considered his options: contracting a spirit was a path he could try if everything else failed. He opened the second book, the one dedicated solely to spirits. But it turned out to be merely an encyclopedia, detailing various spirits, how they could be tamed, their weaknesses, strengths, and more. It had nothing to do with mana manipulation itself. Disappointed, Hiroto closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.

A lot of time had passed while he was reading. The banquet was probably over by now, and his family members would likely be back. Hiroto hoped to avoid running into them. He exited the library and quickly made his way towards his room. Luckily, he didn't encounter anyone. He sank onto his bed, and his body finally relaxed.

He remembered one more thing he needed to try before calling it a day. At the banquet, he'd initially thought everyone could see mana, so when he read about "sensing" it in the books, he'd assumed it was the same. But perhaps it was different. He didn't need to see the mana, but feel it.

But the question remained: how was he supposed to feel it? For starters, he sat down on the floor and closed his eyes. He tried to sense something he hadn't before, each attempt bearing no fruit.

Hiroto remembered an online video he once saw titled 'How to Meditate?' Maybe I should try that, he thought. He closed his eyes, steadying his breath into a rhythmic pattern. He focused on his breathing, how the air went in, and how it left his body. Slowly, the distracting thoughts vanished from his mind until he was only aware of his breath. He sat like that for an hour.

He opened his eyes and let out a yawn. He didn't feel a single drop of mana, but he was feeling incredibly sleepy. It was past midnight. So, he decided to sleep and think about it with a fresh mind tomorrow.

It was the next morning, and his father called him. His father was looking at him, pondering his words.

"You left early yesterday?" Fred inquired, his voice low.

"Yes," Hiroto agreed, almost thoughtlessly.

"You did hear the announcement made yesterday, right?"

"Yes."

"...Do you have something to say about it?"

"What do you mean?" Hiroto asked, a flicker of amusement deep inside him. He looked at his father. "If the decision is already made, what say do I have in it?" he replied, a note of sarcasm coloring his tone.

His father's eyes sharpened, but he remained calm. "Your marriage was already over when you attacked her. You didn't only put your marriage at stake, but the honor of our family as well. You could have torn our long-standing connection with the Shaw family."

Fred sighed and looked outside the window, his gaze distant. "Given that you harmed the daughter of the Shaw family, you got off easy."

"Even if I say I didn't do it, you won't believe me, right?" Hiroto pressed.

"What is there to believe in when Emma herself has confirmed that you were the one to assault her?"

"She did?" Hiroto asked, a cold realization dawning.

His father nodded. "The Shaw family has decided to put your matter aside and build a new relationship."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You were the one who made this mess. So you should know why this is happening."

"Yes, I do know," Hiroto stated, his voice flat.

Silence hung in the room for a moment. Then his father continued, his tone shifting. "Regarding Captain Hawks, I have confirmed from many sources that he was with his wife while you were out."

That's obviously a lie, Hiroto thought, dismissing the alibi for Captain Hawks. 

He didn't protest against anything, though, because it had nothing to do with his end goal. He wondered what would happen to this body if he were to return. Would it be dead, or would the real Hemal take over? If it was the latter, there was a chance Hemal was somehow monitoring this situation. But Hiroto thought that was a very low probability. He firmly believed Hemal was dead, which was why he could possess this body. So, he shouldn't worry about the aftermath of when he would leave.

"What will happen to me now?" he asked, his voice even. 

Hemal was no longer a candidate for the head; he was robbed of his marriage, and he had no support in the house. Would he live like this until he could leave this place?

"That's why I called you," Fred said, looking at Hemal again. He seemed a little doubtful, but he decided not to show it. 

"What do you want to do?"

Hiroto wondered what the real Hemal's answer would have been. Hiroto already had a clear goal: he wanted to leave this body as fast as possible, and for that, he needed to study magic. So...

"I want to be a Mage," Hiroto stated.

Fred looked at him, dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say. "You do know that learning magic isn't child's play, right?"

"Yes."

"Knowing that, you still want to pursue this field?"

"Yes."

"What makes you so confident about this?" Fred pressed.

"I wouldn't call it confidence..." Hiroto looked down. "I don't have anything. So, even if I fail, what is there for me to lose?"

Fred thought for a moment. "The things that you have lost, you're the reason for that. You shouldn't blame others for that."

"I am not blaming anyone."

Fred looked at Hemal with disappointment. "You can do whatever you want, given that you don't bring harm to the family. The family can only provide you with limited support. You know the reason for that, right?"

"I am not asking anything from the family."

Fred was amazed by Hemal's words. 

"You shouldn't hold grudges. It's not like we are here against you."

"I never hold grudges."

His words didn't convince Fred. 

"Still, you should think before you say or act on something."

"...What do you want me to do?" Hiroto asked, his patience wearing thin.

The question caught Fred off guard, but he knew what he wanted. 

"I want you to support your brother. Although your brother is outstanding, running an estate is not something someone can do alone."

"You want me to be a supporting pillar, so that he doesn't crumble?" Hiroto asked, a hint of disdain in his tone.

Fred neither denied nor confirmed. Hiroto was amazed by Fred's words. He only saw his son as a tool, something he could control and shape. Perhaps, in Fred's eyes, this was parenting. Maybe he was right about it... But only if Hemal were still here. The real Hemal would have protested against his father and fought to save his marriage.

But what Hiroto truly couldn't understand was Emma's claim. He knew it wasn't true. Why would Emma do that to Hemal? According to Hemal's memories, she had cared about him. Or was it just Hemal's foolish delusions?

Whatever the reason, Hiroto's determination solidified. "As I said before. I want to become a mage."

Fred clearly didn't like the reply. "Fine, do whatever you like." He dismissed Hemal, signaling the conversation was over. Hiroto didn't dwell on it either, returning to his room. There was too much for him to do; he didn't have the luxury of thinking about someone else's family matters.