Cellular Restoration Art

Our house’s garden wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t small either. The house had wooden fences and the garden had flower pots all around the boundaries with a path separating two green yards.

The house was surrounded by wooden fences, and flower pots all around it. A gravel pathway stretched between two grass fields, leading to outside of the fence.

My mother was relaxing in a chair, beneath the linen canopy of the garden pavilion, savoring her herbal tea in a flower-patterned porcelain teacup as her hair swept in the warm breeze. On the table, it seemed as if the breakfast my mother took out for my father was already half-eaten. I shifted my gaze around and saw him.

The warrior wore a plain white cotton shirt, a tan-colored tunic, and leather boots. He was swinging his sword swiftly, yet so elegantly and calmly that it seemed to cleave the wind itself.

My mother was watching him, softly clapping her hands with a faint smile, until she noticed me. An even brighter smile appeared on her face as she gently raised her hand, beckoning me to her side. I gulped, clenched my fists, and made my way down the wooden stairs slowly. As I was a step away from the gravel pathway, a thought drifted through my mind.

Is it…really okay for me to live this life?

I glanced at my mother as my father noticed me when I stood on the gravel pathway. He called me as he waved his sweaty hand, faintly smiling. I don’t even know how many years have passed before I reincarnated, and upon my reincarnation, a heavy burden remained in my heart, and perhaps, it’ll never go away.

I ran towards my mother with a smile. As I stepped closer, she held out her arms and warmly wrapped them around me. I gazed up into her eyes, full of endearment. She really loves Kurose. I thought and beamed toward her.

After my mother reluctantly stopped embracing me, I sat in the chair and relaxed in it.
My mother and I were having a conversation until a question lingering in my mind for a while surfaced. There was a bookmark placed on the second chapter.

Someone bookmarked the second chapter. I didn’t know who, but possibly it would be Kurose given the book was in his closet. However, I wasn’t certain. I had to ask my father. Soon after, he finished his breakfast and when he was wiping his hands with a white linen hand-towel, I spoke.

“Father, may I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” He looked at me with a puzzled expression and nodded.

“Do you know about…” I mumbled, looking at my mother.

I clenched my fist secretly and hastily asked. “...Do you know about Cellular Restoration Art?!”

Silence lingered for a moment until he stood, gripped the hilt of his sword and said, “Of course I know.”

“...Father, are you perhaps the one who bookmarked the second chapter of the book Body Manipulation Arts?”

He glanced at me as he stopped swinging his sword.

“What are you saying, Kurose?” He said and continued swinging. “You’re the one who’s learning Cellular Restoration Art, so isn’t it obvious?”

“Huh?”

                                                                     —                                                                                       

I closed the book with my hands and stood up from the chair, then placed it back into the closet. With a sigh, I raised my arms and stretched my fingers as I walked toward the bed. I flicked off the light switch and closed the windows because it was a cold night, then lit the candles in the candelabrum. I slipped underneath my blanket and settled on the bed. I relaxed my head over my interlaced fingers, and sighed as I rolled over to the side, then gripped the blanket closer to my face.

I was able to learn a few things about my surroundings, the world, and the Cellular Restoration Art. When I looked at Qifrius utter a few words and pale blue shimmering particles hovered over my head, I couldn’t comprehend what it was. Thus, it raised a question in my mind: magic is existential or not. But now, after I had discerned Cellular Restoration Art. I was certain magic was existential in this world.

Sleepy. I yawned and pondered how Cellular Restoration Art really operated. It was relatively more obscure for me to read than the other book. I had thought Cellular Restoration Art was simply healing Art when I read the first page. I came to know that Art itself wasn’t common in daily life. When I read the next pages, I understood why it wasn’t mundane.

The Art itself was complicated, and somewhat cruel. The Cellular Restoration Art was obsolete now because other healing arts were simpler and convenient. And I managed to procure an understanding of the way it operated. Cellular Restoration Art used caster’s blood and mana to heal the injured person. What’s more, it varied entirely depending on the situation.

Setting the Cellular Restoration Art aside, in the book The World: Wonders Even Toddlers Can Learn, the book was for naught as it contained information nothing besides the history of the Goddess of Light: Clartia, and about me, Hero: Yusaka Kurose. Even if I flipped the pages over and over to find a word.

The other books in the closet were ragged and blank. Put simply, the books necessary to me were Body Manipulation Arts, and The World: Wonders Even Toddlers Can Learn.

This whole week wasn’t for nothing. I eventually understood how Cellular Restoration Art functioned. I realized every book in my closet was just a pile of blank pages other than the two books. Basically, they were junk to me. About the Goddess of Light, I wasn’t able to find any information besides in the book that was atop the shelf. At last, I became aware of my mother’s favorite food: it was mushroom gratin. Her cheeks reddens when she savors it.

My eyelids gradually began to flutter. My grip on the blanket was weakening. I yawned once again and closed my eyes. Tomorrow…I should learn about the other Arts— Someone knocked on the door lightly and a voice came through the closed door.

“Kurose, are you still awake?” It was my father’s.

“...Yes.” I said, gazing at the closed door in the dark.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes, father. It’s fine.”

The door opened and he switched on the light switch.

“So…father. What happened?” I said, narrowing my gaze. It was the first time he came to tell me something. I had noticed my father’s behaviour was quiet and gentle. He didn’t talk too much but still managed to entertain me and my mother.

“Umm… Sorry,” he said, his hand placed at the back of his head. “You're sleeping and I just…disturbed your sleep.”

“No, no. Father. What happened?”

“I see…” He faintly laughed which seemed forced to me.

“So, father…”

“Oh, uhh, yes…Qifrius told me he hadn’t checked your health correctly and paying a visit to the church might be a good idea.”

Church?

“Umm, so where’s the church?”

“In the village nearby, you know it right?”

“Uhh… Yes, I know.”

“Then how about tomorrow? I’ll take you to him and after that, we can enjoy the town.”

“...”

“...Okay. “I’ll come with you, father.”

“Okay,” he replied, smiling. “I’ll inform him.”

“Mother will come too?”

“Yes.”

“Yay!” I said happily, raising my arms.

“Then good night, Kurose,” he said, closing the door.

“Yes, father. Good night.”

“And…” He knocked on the door gently, “Sorry for disturbing you. Again, good night, Kurose.”

“Yes.”

A chance to meet Qifrius again occurred sooner than I had thought.