My First Friend in 40 Years

After discovering I had no magical powers, I felt empty. Even though my parents didn't give up on me and took me to see doctors who confirmed the same, I don't care about not having magic. I just have this longing to build a spaceship and run away from here, but I'm too young for it. For now, I'll cherish the wholesome feeling I'm having with this family; they adore me and love me—my dear Mom and Dad.

Even in the magical world, money is what wonders me. This money system started by exchanging magical work. A cook who practices Cooking magic can only do cooking, and a carpenter can only perform carpentry magic. So it started that way, but later, the cook realized he had to work three times a day for what the carpenter did years ago. One day, the cook didn't come to the carpenter's home, and it broke into a big fight. The king had to step in and stop them from fighting, so he thought a lot, and the idea of an equal mediator was introduced, which is now known as money. Everyone thought they could ask for 10,000's of kents (the currency here). But that didn't work out.

While one chef kept his price at 10,000 kents, another intelligent guy charged only 10 kents per meal, and that 10 kents guy got more offers, which made people lower their prices. Gradually, everyone got a deal and started working on a standard price. The same thing happened on the remaining four continents, and they also began this money system. They all started with different currencies like Rythyms, earushers, Urberers, and Bouyers, but then traveling magicians had a problem. For example, no one could produce fire in this continent, so they had to keep one standard currency. Thus, they formed a community and began the circulation of the money. The first idea was by our king, so only kents are used all over the world, and this way, they could buy or sell anything.

So the main reason is that my parents had collected a lot of Kents and joined me in this Magical school.

Magical schools, where students graduate and are allotted a certificate and license to do specific magic, allow a chef to do cooking, a fighter to become a soldier, and a carpenter to become a woodpecker—haha! For the first five years, they teach the basics, and the next one year, they assign a specific teacher so that students could become masters in their specific field. My parents aren't rich, but they gathered all that money so that I could become a better mage.

Today is the third day of the fi month, the first day of school. I don't know what's going to happen, and for some weird reason, I'm nervous. But my folks are so happy to see me going to school, and I can't break their expectations. That's my sweet mom with that beautiful smile on her face, and I don't want that to ever be lost from her face. My dad has a proud face, as if he has achieved something, and I mean, he got a great wife.

Then Otho's dad ran towards him while he was standing near his house, and Otho's mom was standing near the door. His dad ran towards him, bent down on knees, hugged him, and said something which he didn't expect his dad to say. He said, "You're a god's gift. Even though we thought we would lose you, you came to us like a miracle. You're my little angel boy..." Tears filled his eyes.

To that, Otho said, "Ohh!! Dad, aren't you being a bit more dramatic? But one thing I could say to you is, I love you both, mom and dad." Then Otho went to school on his way.

He sat in a hall with the other students, and a teacher came and asked, "It's so nice to see all of you here. I can see more students this time, and this is amazing."

Woah! Is this like an introduction class? I could feel like they want us to know what will happen for the next 5 years. I see the first 1 year is about just learning magic, then slowly doing advance stuff, and it's all about water magic. No other magic is taught here as no other magic can be mastered. I mean magic is so subjective, and nobody here knows how to light a fire, so they call some mage from another country to light a fire.

They are very backward. If they won't sharpen a person to do more magic than the wizard king, they can't surpass the previous generation, and the evolution cycle will reset again. As people from Earth, we are quite advanced. Even though they can do magic, they are not advanced. I had a different impression of magicians, like they can fly and all, but if we think rationally, even here only a selective few can fly while the others are passengers. It's just like a pilot flying an airplane; that way that airplane is better as it could take 100s of people while here only 3 people can go on a broom. I feel like we have been so advanced compared to them.

Shit! That professor is asking for our names, and I'm feeling so anxious now that I have to talk in front of people. I have forgotten that feeling. The last time I spoke out was 35 years ago when I was 5 years old living on earth. It was some poem I was reciting. Three more people left... Next is mine. Shit, what should I tell?

The guy next to Otho stood, and he said, "Ma namu iz carl! Ma dad is a chef! I want to become like him," with a very nervous tone, which was unexpected as he was a very talkative person. Then now it's Otho's turn. He stood up.

I don't know what I should say, what if everyone laughs at me. What if I sound high-pitched? If I sound too loud, what if the sir can't hear my voice and tells me to repeat it? I should say something quickly.

"My name is Otho, and my dad is a tourist water supplier."

The teacher asked Otho to sit down and said, "That was great, Otho," for which Otho had a big smile on his face. A hand from the side was felt on his shoulder, and he turned towards his left and saw Carl saying, "Wanna be my friend?"

To be continued...