The Verwandlen

Sweat still dripped from Urotasu’s brow as he finished his final lap around the manor’s field. His breath came in heavy gasps, but a surge of satisfaction warmed his chest. Duncan’s once-frail body was finally showing signs of improvement.

“Hah… hah… at least I’m not some shut-in otaku who’d keel over from a lack of exercise,” he muttered, strolling toward the pavilion’s terrace.

Sir Choi and Phoebe waited there, both sporting warm smiles. Sir Choi’s narrow eyes gleamed with approval at Duncan’s progress, while Phoebe stood ready with a towel and a glass of fresh water.

“Brilliant work, Master Duncan,” Sir Choi said, nodding in admiration. “In just a month, your body’s filling out. Still a bit scrawny, but it’s a cracking improvement.”

Urotasu wiped his forehead, flashing a sly grin. “I’m busting my gut to get this body in shape so I can thrash you one day, Sir.”

“Hoho, I’ll look forward to that, Master,” Sir Choi replied, stroking his beard with a chuckle.

“But the real star’s Phoebe, my lovely maid,” Urotasu said, glancing at the pink-haired girl beside him. “Her proper care—sorting my meals, sleep schedule, the lot—got me back on my feet this quick.”

Phoebe’s cheeks flushed at the praise. She handed him the towel and water, her movements a tad nervous. “Th-thank you, Master Duncan,” she said softly. “Honestly, your openness now makes it so much easier to serve you. Before… you always refused my help.”

Urotasu took the towel with a grin. “Yeah, well, forget the old me ignoring a loyal maid like you. If this were an anime, you’d be the top pick for the protagonist’s romantic subplot, Phoebe.”

Sir Choi shook his head with a faint smile, used to Duncan’s odd ramblings by now.

Urotasu’s thoughts drifted to his life as Duncan. Though Duncan’s past traumas still flared up unexpectedly, he was starting to enjoy the perks of being a noble. A posh private pavilion, a dedicated and charming maid, cracking meals every day, and—most importantly—access to the manor’s library and Sir Choi’s wisdom.

From his month of reading and learning, Urotasu now understood Duncan’s true identity. The Thoringtons were one of the five noble sorcerer families that founded the Kingdom of Rosstania. This status gave them the right to govern Rosechester, meaning Dyre—his uncle—was the city’s mayor.

What made the Thoringtons even more special was their exclusive lightning magic. Only Thoringtons, main or branch families, wielded it in the entire kingdom. This was a big deal, as sorcerers were central to the kingdom’s rigid caste system.

“What a bloody awful caste system,” Urotasu had grumbled while reading about Rosstania’s history. “As a modern Japanese bloke, I can’t stand this nonsense. Still, at least I’m at the top of the pyramid.”

“Master Duncan,” Sir Choi’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. “In a few days, you’ll start at Queenrose, one of Rosechester’s SHS academies. I trust you’ll focus on your studies and steer clear of trouble.”

Urotasu waved off the advice with a casual grin. “Relax, Sir. Who’d dare mess with a lightning sorcerer like me? I’m basically Sasuke Uchiha with exclusive powers in a ninja world.”

Sir Choi’s brow furrowed at the bizarre comparison, though the name sounded faintly familiar from his Akihito Empire roots. He let it slide.

Soon, two familiar figures approached from the manor. Dyre and Julia walked with measured steps, dressed in crisp formal attire, their golden-blonde hair gleaming in the morning sun.

“Well, well, Uncle Dyre, Julia—long time no see,” Urotasu called, his tone mockingly friendly. “Got something important to discuss with the family recluse?” he added with a cheeky jab.

In truth, Urotasu wasn’t surprised by their rare visits. Duncan’s antisocial past and refusal to interact, plus his trauma barring him from the manor, meant family contact was scarce.

Dyre and Julia looked startled by Duncan’s bold greeting and odd question. They exchanged a glance before Dyre replied awkwardly, “Er, hello, Duncan.”

“We’re here to check your sorcerer class,” Julia said bluntly.

“My sorcerer class? Class… sorcerer?” Urotasu frowned, racking his brain for details from the books he’d read, but drawing a blank.

“There are two main sorcerer classes, Master,” Sir Choi explained, noting Duncan’s confusion. “Erschaffer and Verwandlen. Every sorcerer falls into one.”

“I’m still unsure which Duncan fits,” Sir Choi added thoughtfully. “In our last spar, he showed traits of both.”

Julia stepped closer, her blue eyes piercing her silver-haired cousin. “Stand,” she ordered coldly. “And say: Fluch vorstellen klasse.”

Urotasu obeyed without question, standing tall and reciting, “Fluch vorstellen klasse.”

Without warning, Julia swung her hand to slap his cheek. What happened next left Urotasu gobsmacked.

Her hand passed right through his face, as if he’d turned into a hologram flickering with electric sparks. No pain, no contact at all.

“What the—” Urotasu started, but Julia turned away, her expression flat.

“He’s Verwandlen, Father,” she said to Dyre.

Dyre nodded, pulling out a sheet of paper and scribbling on it. Urotasu stood frozen, his body slowly returning to normal.

“Care to explain what just happened?” he asked, glancing at the others, who seemed unfazed.

Julia shot him a frosty glare. “I regret fetching you those magic books. Clearly, you didn’t read a single page.”

“Oi!” Urotasu bristled. “Try reading hand-thick tomes in three weeks and understanding it all! Think I’m a bloody robot?”

“Robot?” Julia frowned, puzzled by the term.

“Enough,” Dyre interjected before things escalated. “Julia, don’t speak to Duncan like that. You’re family and will be at school together.”

Sir Choi seized the moment to clarify. “Master Duncan, you’re a Verwandlen. In simple terms, you can transform your body or objects you touch into manifestations of your magic.”

“Got it,” Urotasu nodded, buzzing with excitement inside. “I’m like a Logia Devil Fruit user! Verwandlen’s a mouthful, but this power’s bloody brilliant!”

“Alright, Duncan,” Dyre said, handing him the paper. “Sign here. It’s your Queenrose enrolment form.”

Urotasu scrawled a lazy “D” on it. The moment he finished, the paper glowed brightly, as if snapping a photo of him. Then, it folded itself into a paper aeroplane and soared into the sky.

“Blimey!” Urotasu gaped at the magical paper. “Proper Harry Potter stuff! That’s cracking!” he thought.

While Urotasu marvelled, Julia glared at him in annoyance before turning to leave.

“Try not to be a pain at school,” she said icily, without looking back.

Urotasu’s temper flared. “A pain, eh? How about a bet on who’ll be the top student?”

Julia stopped, slowly turning with a sly, mocking smile. “A bet?” She raised an eyebrow. “Fine, I’ll take you on.”

“But,” she added, her tone colder, “I bet you’ll lock yourself away again when you lose, like always.”

“Julia, that’s enough!” Dyre snapped, glaring at her. Julia smirked at Urotasu, then walked off without another word.

“I hope you don’t take Julia’s words to heart, Duncan,” Dyre said.

Urotasu clenched his fists, fuming. “Take it to heart? Nah, Uncle, just a bit of sibling rivalry.”

“Pity you’re the kind of cousin I can’t stand, Julia,” he thought.