Chapter 2: 2. Little Achievements
Seeing babies crawling for the first time and being happy about it while the elders clap and cheer from behind and experiencing the feeling of being on cloud nine once you accomplished this feat yourself, the sense of success and accomplishment feels different. The feeling of acquiring a four-leaf grimoire couldn't even compare to the feeling of pride swelling in my chest.
Yes, I finally accomplished the infamous baby crawl!
A month had passed ever since I had been reborn into this world and I learned many a thing about myself, my family, the world I reside in and magic! Yes magic and mana.
Like my previous world, this world is also full of mages which was a kind of giveaway for me with the existence of elves. After all elves are known to be blessed with mana and are much more better compared to other species like dwarves and humans. Dwarves mostly specialize in Earth-based Magic and all of their techniques revolve around it
But unlike in my world where we used Grimoires to use our spells, there exists no Grimoires in this place and neither are the magic attributes diverse unlike in Clover Kingdom. Instead there are four basic elements i.e. Fire, Water, Earth and Wind and there are seven additional elements and mastering them makes you known as Deviants.
Those seven elements are Ice, Lightning, Gravity, Metal, Magma, Plant and Sound.
As I mentioned before there doesn't exist much diversity in the elements but this also comes with a plus point. Unlike in my world where a mage could only master one attribute, in this world a mage can master any number of attributes he or she wants.
But that is lot more hard to accomplish.
You are curious about how me, a mere one month old is able to learn so many facts right?
Well after finally accomplishing the baby crawl, I practiced it for a few more months. Imagine practicing baby crawl and it proved even harder than learning swordsmanship in my previous life. Plus for me it wasn't an easy task with all those maids and servants roaming around me almost every minute of the day if my mother and father are not around.
Why you ask?
Because unfortunately I was born to the Eralith Family, the Family that rules over the elf tribe in the continent of Dicathen. Yeah, Elven Royalty to be exact. It was something I came to learn right after a few weeks of being born when mother sometimes used to take me to the court proceedings along with father. This had to be done given I was the type to not to be cooped up in my room all day. I would cry bloody murder to get people's attention.
I am a child so I have the right to behave like one.
'Now I understand why Lumiere and Tetia sneaked out of their palace more often.'
They say you understand the pain and sufferings of others once you step on their shoes, and I am a living example of it. I swear Lumiere is having a good laugh at my condition watching from above while Tetia is making a pitiful expression at the moment.
Right, where was I?
Yes! How was I able to learn about the basics of mana and magic.
With my newly practiced skill of baby crawl, I managed to sneak out into the royal library where the lower shelves were accessible for me. The language wasn't much difficult to read despite being it a completely different world for me. I could easily read those books. This even helped me learn the geography of the continent.
The continent of Dicathen was once inhabited mainly by magical beasts and people lived in fear of them. But after learning how to utilize mana, the residents of Dicathen consisting of Humans, Elves and Dwarves were able to drive the magical beasts into the large territory of Beast Glades where they now reside once the mages proved their supremacy over them.
Major parts of Beast Glades still remain unexplored with expeditions and explorations continuing to know more about the land. Magical Beasts of various levels reside in there and there are still unknown regions in the Beast Glades. The Mana Beasts now reside under the surface, in the dungeons.
The remaining continent was divided into three kingdoms; Sapin, where the humans resided and ruled by Glayder Royal Family, Elenoir, the kingdom of elves ruled by the Eralith Family and finally Darv, the kingdom of dwarves ruled by the Greysunder Family.
"Finally found you."
The voice made chills run down my spine before I turned my little head around to meet the gaze of the man, I am most terrified of in this birth. My scary grandfather, Virion Eralith, former king of Elenoir.
"What does a mere five month old brat find in boring books such as these?" He picked up the book of Dicathen geography and tossed it aside. I didn't protest all...more like I couldn't.
I know full well that he is my grandfather and means no harm but I have been scared of him since day one of being born here. Who in their right mind throws a newborn right up in the air, mentally scarring the poor child. Virion should be glad my soul resides in this body or the child would have been mentally traumatized for life.
"Uuhh.." I made some noises, wanting to ask what he is here for. Given I can't form words with my underdeveloped vocal cords, this is the only way of communications. It takes a lot of effort to convey what I want to others in this toddler stage.
"Do you even know how to read or are you just in for pictures?" Virion questioned with his distinctive gaze, he usually observes people with. I have seen it many times in the court sessions he attended along with my father and mother. Being the former king, they sometimes turned to him for advices on matters.
I am unsure whether he could figure out who or what I am so it seems all the way for him to be in the benefit of doubt or not doubt at all. And as luck would have it, my eyes darted to a picture story book kept in the lower shelves and I quickly grabbed it with my tiny hands, pulling it out.
"A picture book?" Virion sat down on the floor, cross-legged right in front of me. He the pointed to himself raising his eyebrow. "Do I look like an idiot to you? Trying to fool me by taking out a picture book now?"
"uuhh.." I shook my head in denial. Did I get caught? Maybe I shouldn't have pulled out the picture book and feigned innocence instead.
"You surely are a smart one for your age." Virion ruffled my smooth silver colored hair which I inherited from my parents. "You are my grandson after all."
He let out a hearty laughter before picking me up in his arms and standing up. I prayed to the Four Elemental Spirits altogether that he doesn't spin me around like before or I am going to throw out all the contents in my tiny belly. He once did it before and as payback I stained his dress. He had that coming for what he did.
Plus I had little to no control over my body except the baby crawling, and grabbing and pulling things with all my might. Even taking a dump is currently something I cannot control. Such a shame.
Luckily he didn't spin me around this time and carried me in his arms like a normal person, stepping out of royal library and walking down the palace corridors. I gazed up to his face, making a curious expression. I have every right to know where he is taking me.
His gaze met mine and he proceeded to answer. "Instead of seeing pictures cooped up in that library, how about I show you a better picture?"
I grew even more curious but he chose not to answer, continuing with his strolling in the hallways. Taking a few turns we soon arrived by the balcony where the palace guards made way for Virion to go ahead. He stood by the railing and made me sit on the said railing, holding me firmly so that I do not fall off.
The sight that welcomed me is indeed picturesque. It is going to be forever etched in my mind.
From the palace balcony, I could see the entire capital city. From my height it seemed like a mini model which I could easily grasp within my tiny hands. The buildings seemed to be built out of a jade-like material. These buildings were made flawless and smooth and it seemed that they were all carved from a single stone.
The trees that intertwined with the buildings made it look even more awe-inspiring. There were even homes built on thick branches of the tallest and sturdiest of trees. Even the land where me and the other elves resided in the Clover Kingdom wasn't this well-built at all. It was more like a simple village with open areas. Our tribe was vastly spread around the area in contrast to this place where a particular piece of land was under us. The citizens here are much more ahead of us in civilization.
I could imagine the jaw-dropped faces of all of them if they were to witness this place. Just imagining their faces brought tears to my eyes but I quickly wiped them away before Virion could notice them.
I wonder whether the dwarves helped in the construction because from what I knew from my past life, dwarves were excellent in crafting and building. Then again I haven't heard of any alliance between the dwarves and elves in this world as of yet. Might be slaves since I learned another fact while reading those books and attending the court sessions is that there is no kind of alliance or friendship between the three species. It felt almost similar to the strained relation between elves and humans in Clover Kingdom which me and Lumiere tried our best to resolve.
"Hoho look at you with your tiny mouth wide open." Virion broke the silence around, snapping me out of my thoughts and into the present. "I will take this is your first time seeing this."
I merely nodded. Truth be told I have yet to step foot outside the royal palace and this is my first glimpse of what the capital city looks like. It is enough reason for to have an awestruck expression on my face.
"Then it is settled. You need some fresh air of outside and I your favorite grandpa shall take this task upon myself." Virion suddenly declared. "Next time you and I are going on a tour of the capital city."
No please don't! Not like I do not wish for a tour of the capital city, it is quite the opposite. In fact I have a desire to see the capital city and meet people outside the palace. It is that I don't want to be left alone with my grandfather for this trip.
I heard stories from my father of how grandfather in the name of training let him alone in the forest for one whole night. My father was five that time. Firstly I questioned the logic of narrating a scary story to a child and secondly feared what will this old man do with me.
"Let's go ask for your mother's permission." Virion is well-aware that his son Alduin isn't the type to say no but that didn't go same with Merial. She being a mother is definitely overprotective of her child, even if it means saying no to her father-in-law.
'Mother, please do not allow this for the safety of your son.' I planned on making the best facial expressions to make my mother take my side.
The game is on Grandpa Virion!
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Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone