Chapter 3: The Letter
"Oh, hi there"
I grin at Fransisca which standing there in silence.
"I see so that how you sneak in. If you can sneak in this easily without alarming anyone in this kind of time, you definitely able to sneak out at night without a trouble."
"... Err... Technically yes."
"I see, is that how you goes out to secretly training?"
.... Well, I think she still didn't believe me completely about how I met a master and become so good in a week, when I am running away from home. So she must be thinking I was training secretly. Also infact, I oftenly sneak out before.
"... Yes."
Hearing my answer she beaming with smile.
"I understand, I will keep this secret then Zein."
"So... was that the only reason you were waiting for me?"
"Ah, right. Madam was searching for you before, but I said you were sleeping after a long walk with me."
"Ah, mother was searching for me? Alright then I'll goes over to her room."
"Zein, I think you better take a bath first. You kinda smells like sweat."
"Is that so? Alright then, thanks for the heads up Fransisca."
"You're welcome. Also I think you should call me Fran like usual when there is other people."
"Ah, will do so. Thanks once again."
I walk to the bathroom right away, since I don't want to make mother wait for too long. Which I just realized that it make the maid surprised, and rushing to prepare the bath also my change of clothes. I feel refreshed at once after the bath, then as planned I go to my mother studies and knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It me mother. May I come in?"
"Oh, it you honey. Just come in."
I open the door and found out that, mother is having her tea break with my sister. She grumbling right away when she seen me. I guess, I should give her personal space. I walk to my mother side before talking.
"I am here mother. I heard you were searching for me from Fran."
"Well sit down honey, then we will talk."
Nodding at her words, I sit down across her. Then Lein suddenly move farther from me. Whelp that is cute honestly, although as she feel my emotion change she stare at me begrudgingly. Looking at our gesture, mother suddenly giggling.
"Fufufu, look at you two. This exactly like when you were small."
"No, this is more than that! I hate him!"
I can only smile wryly as I heard my sister rejection. I deserve it tho, after all those things I did.
"Alright mother, stop teasing Lein. I don't want her to hate me even more than now."
She suddenly look and stare angrily at me.
"Who need your assistance! I don't need your kindness anymore!"
She then stand up and storm off the room.
"Fufufu. Look like Lein still angry at you."
"I understand what she felt tho, since I know how much I've hurt her as a brother, and best friend before. That why I won't blame her even if she hate me now."
"Fufufu, how wise of you Zein. You really grow up after that accident."
"Sadly, I just realized how important Lein, mother and father was, when that happens. Also how much I've hurt our family."
She lean in and pat my head as she heard that.
"It alright Zein, I am sure Lein will forgive you in no time."
"I hope so mother. Then mother what did you needed me for?"
"Ara, right I almost forgotten. So Zein, there an official marriage letter for you."
"Marriage letter???"
"Yes, it come from Earl Grey wife. In this letter I heard that you've met with her daughter before and even in a good relationship with her."
"Met with her? In good relationship?? Mother are you sure it for me not Lein?"
"That what I thought before, but after I was checking it twice and also checking it with Lein. She definitely write your name and daughter. Some part of it even make me worry."
Mom face suddenly change to point zero. Gulp... What did my old self done now?!
"Mo-mother can I see the letter?"
"Of course honey. Here is the letter."
She hand me the letter but suddenly she pull her hand again, and tear a part of it..
'Greeting Marchioness Dageraad,
How are you? I hope you and your family is healthy and prosperous the entire time.
I am Earl Grey wife Ginna van Deirdre. With this letter I am hoping for an engagement, followed by marriage between my daughter and your son Zein van Dageraad. Of course after they both graduate from Magic Academy. From what I heard, from my daughter, they almost goes everywhere together and sometimes they even slept together. In some cases I even heard how they do something worrisome and indecent in the academy. So with this letter I hope Marchioness can considering an engagement between my daughter Fransisca van Grey and your son. Since their relationship already more than what we could handle it without engagement. I don't want both of our family name got stained and tarnished because of their relationship doesn't got our approval.
Sincerely Ginna van Deirdre.
PS: Did I write it correctly Vi...
And the ps part got teared apart.. seems like mother and this Earl Grey wife was close, since the ps part got my mother first name initial. Also hey, what a coincidence, I indeed knew some girl that got Fransisca as her first name... Hahahahaha..... I am so dead....
"....."
"Zein, your face giving a guilty look."
"I am indeed know her daughter mother, and we both indeed close. Also most of the things written here is the truth ...."
As I said that, I could feel the room goes colder. It below zero now!
"Zein, mother really disappointed with you now. How could you sleep with a maiden and didn't take a responsibility of her?!"
"The-there is an explanation mother!"
"You better be Zein. Because mother will married you with her right away if there is no good explanation. Of course you won't be married with her unscathed."
"... Mom can I call Fran?"
"You know Zein, even if Fran here, don't hope you can get away easily. You better not run away, or mother will hunt you down."
"O-of course mom..."
With that I dash out and search for Fransisca. Fortunately I found her on her usual hanging place, where she feeding the horses inside the stable.
"Oh, hi Zein"
She wave at me cutely, as she saw me. Then without any words, I carry her like a firefighter, and dash back to mother room. She surprised, and embarrassed as she holding my neck. Under one minute I got back to mother study.
"Whoa Zein, mother never know you could run that fast, and even more while carrying Fran around like that."
"Ze-Zein can you put me down!"
Her high pitch goes out as she confused by me. I put her down as I dust her off around. She blushed while look completely confused of what is going on.
"Then mother, meet your future daughter-in-law Fransisca!"
Then I throw the bomb while smiling with the greatest smile I ever made. Mother drop her cup, and almost spitting out her tea, while Fransisca dumbfounded right beside me.
""Eeeeehhhh?!""
"Zein Dageraad, mother never thought you gonna play mother like this!"
Mother stand up right away from her chair while pointing me with her finger. While Fransisca still looking at me confused. Yep, I am so dead.... I can feel my back wet with cold sweat. When mother angry there is two phase, first she would called herself as mother. Second phase she would call the person she mad at, with his or her full name.
"N-no mom.... I didn't playing anything.... The only person which close to me, a girl and got Fransisca as her first name is here. The one and only Fransisca Grey that I knew."
"Eeeeehhhh?? Ze-Zein that should be a secret!"
I look at her then whisper.
"Not when your mom send my mother a marriage letter with many ambiguous things in words. Which honestly no problem with me if mom didn't.... Gushing out with murderous intent... and I don't know the fact about your gender."
"Eeehhhh my mom send a marriage letter?!"
Looking at Fransisca reaction my mother finally got her composure again. She stare at Fransisca with an eagle eyes tho... Yep, mother is scary....
"Fran is it true that you're this mysterious Fransisca van Grey?"
Hearing her full name being called, she completely dumbfounded.
"Yes Madam that is my full name."
"... And you're a girl?"
"Yes..."
"And you got an ambiguous relationship with Zein?"
"Ye-yes... Eh, I mean no!"
"Yes or no?!"
"I don't know.. hiccups"
.... Now great Fransisca got a hiccup because of the high tense.
"Well mom..."
"Keep quiet Zein Dageraad, mother is talking to Fransisca not you."
"Yes Mom.."
The room temperature suddenly drop down once again.
"How do you prove it to me, that you're a girl?"
At that time Fransisca move her gaze to me while hiccuping. Mother also staring at me.
"Zein go out the room, and stand on the corridor until I told you to come in once again."
"Ye-yes"
And with that I got kicked out of the room. Then after a few minutes mother called me back to the room. When I got back the temperature back to normal one. For a note mother was famous for being called as Ice princess when she was young...
"Now both of you sit down."
With her word me and Fransisca sit down in front of mother.
"I see that both of you haven't cross the line yet."
Fransisca face blushing like a peach when she heard my mother words. Cross the line as it mean...
"Mother!!"
"Ma-madam..."
Me and Fransisca exclaiming right away. How many shock will I got in a day... Seriously...
"It mom now Fransisca."
"Th-that... I can't call...."
"Or mother."
She send chill once again to both of us.
"Ye-yes mother."
"Fufufu, good girl."
She smile warmly to Fransisca, then turn back to me with a cold face.
"As for you Zein. How could you do all those silly things to a girl? Mother never teach you like that!!"
"Mo-mother, it wasn't like that. Zein didn't know I was a girl until recently."
Fransisca stand up for me as mother accused my crime.
"No, Fransisca mother is right... I shouldn't have do those to you. Even if you were a boy."
"I see you understand your wrong doing Zein. Still you will receive your punishment."
Fransisca face goes pale as she heard mother words. While on the other side I got calmer as I realized mother finally used 'I' again when talking to me. Still she preach us for a good hour...
"Good, you understand. As punishment from now on you better take care of Fransisca with the best you could do. I was surprised she still stand up for you after all those things you did to her. So you better be good to her from now on. But you aren't allowed to sleep with her anymore until your wedding days, and from today Fran is going back to his home because some immediate family matters, he won't be training as knight in our household anymore. While Fransisca will staying here as a guest from now on."
Fransisca dumbfounded once again when she heard my mother punishment.
"Yes, mother I understand. I will definitely took a good care of her and protect her."
"Good then, you may leave. While Fransisca you stay here with me. I want to talk to my daughter-in-law."
Then with those words I got dismissed, while Fransisca send me a helpful gaze. I can only smile wryly and whisper to her
"Just accompany my mom for awhile. She won't hold you up until dinner."
"Uhh.. but... This is so weird...."
"Relax Francisca. You know how mother is, she won't corner you or do anything bad to you."
"A-alright then..."
I rustling her head before leaving mother study. When I goes out there, Lein was walking through the corridor looking worried... When she saw me coming out, I can feel her relieved as she turn around and goes away... Isn't that exactly what I am doing before? Does this mean she always knew I will sneak around her and waiting for her to get better before goes away when I was in rebellious phase? With all the things that happening today afternoon, I slumped right away on my bed while waiting for dinner... Today dinner will be hectic for sure... As I am thinking about those, I check my body and status.
Name: Zein Dageraad
Age: 16
Level: 11
STR: 6.507
AGI: 6.619
INT: 14.557
VIT: 4.108
Mana: 134.557
Aptitude:
Swordsmanship (Uncommon Growth) (1.2%)
Magic (Rare Growth) (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Space) (2.83%)
One Sight to Learn (Myth)
Arithmetics (Unique Growth)
Potential Growth 2× (Extreme)
Unlimited Cap (Myth)
Sword and Shield (Self)
Okay that definitely an extreme changing... Does that mean winning against Fransisca and losing spar against that old man giving me that much experience to level up to 11?? Also I somehow got sword and shield aptitude, and so do my growth aptitude growing. Hmmm... my Arithmetics change to growth? Lightning and Space attribute magic... This really seems like something that Rare... Does that mean I can used that legendary inventory from rpg game?
With that in mind I tried to stash my bed away, and with my understanding of 4th dimension from my small talk with God, I easily stash it away... Well, I can feel my multitasking took something in full attention tho. I guess one item will took one slot of my multitasking. Then with my intelligence right now, I can only stash 14 item eh? Let's prove my assumption, I tried to stash a book now, and yeah the feeling was there once again. But when I stash another book I only feel my mana decreasing. So in conclusion one kind of item will took one multitasking slot that I got, while the same kind of item would only decreasing my mana. Also I realized that my bed took at least one point of my mana, while stashing a book only took around 0.02 point I guess.
Also taking out my item once again, used the same amount of mana as stashing them away. So based on those, I guess I can stash something hundred times bigger than my bed at once, it kinda spacious considering my bed is King sized one.
The next thing I try to do is of course making a portal! Who doesn't want a teleportation? I finally realized how helpful God was before, since he also explaining how black hole works. As I imagine the place I want to go, I also imagine I am shorten the distance between my room and the place. Imagine that all those space folded together so all I need to do to travel there is only one step. And when I try stepping, I can feel my head aching really bad. It like getting a prick by hundred of needle, and I can feel my mana draining by huge amount...
But the results is, I am successfully stepping to my dorm in capital. Five days rocking in carriage from Dageraad territories. Well... I could tell, at least half of my mana was drained, and I can still feel the pain in my head. Shit, I need to get back before dinner, mother will kill me if I can't be found by dinner. Since it gonna be Fransisca first appearance as my fiancee.
Dinner should be in an hour or two. I hope I could recover my mana before it happens!
When I tried to focus my breathing to recover my mana suddenly someone opening the door. I suppress my mana at once.
"Da-dageraad?! Wh-when did you arrive?! I thought you drop out for sure, since you suddenly disappear 4 months ago after you go back to your household."
It is my roommate, which was labeled as annoying commoner, by my past self. He is a guy around 6 feet, and a proportional figure. His eyes are blue with a bluish short black hair. Well he is one of the students that got admitted with scholarship. His grade in sword and magic theories only right behind Lein, while in those like math and science he basically top of our class. While practically, Lein is better in swordsmanship than him, but he topped Lein in magic. So yeah, he is a guy that basically like Lein rival, or some even said that they're a perfect match for each other. I guess that what made me labeled him as annoying commoner that doesn't know his place... Seriously myself, you rock it! To the bottom of the ocean tho... Well, he indeed close with Lein, but not in an ambiguous relationship. While my old self hated him and despised him, I thought of him as a handful guy. I really want to recruit him for our territory, with him around, our territory will grow peacefully. I look at Silva meaningfully, with a grin. Also from those bunch of Zein Dageraad memories, I found something interesting.
"I just arrived Ja.."
"... It Silva."
"Right... I just arrived Silva."
I repeat my words like nothing was wrong, which make him frowning his face. Well teasing him always fun. I know his name, but I always change it every time I said hi to him.
"... How did you got in without meeting up with me? I didn't even feel any presence of anyone until you suddenly there, and this is 5th floor...."
"I just arrive Ben, you are so busy with your study before. So you didn't realize I am walking to our bedroom."
"... It Silva... You know what, you don't need to tell me how you got in suddenly. I am just curious how did someone that just woke up from comatose a week ago could be able to travel and arrive here a week later."
"... How did you know that?"
"I received some letters from my acquaintance."
"Whoa... I guess I should stop them to search for that assailant."
He flinched and frowned even more when he heard my reply.
"Why are you telling me that?"
"I guess, because that man is your sister savior?"
"How did you know?!"
"Well I read your letter couple of times, which comes from our territory and your mom mentioning your sister Maria most of time. There also about Maria was helping your mom job selling vegetables in Reaver street, which the exact place I was in the accident. Also the mother of the girl was screaming Maria to the girl that I almost stomped to death."
His eyes wide open as he heard my analysis, but he got much more guarded and wary of me because of it.
"Hi buddy, relax. I won't do anything to Maria or your mom, or any relatives of yours. My family doesn't even know it because I almost stomped her to death that I got assaulted. All I want to say is told that guy thanks from me. If he didn't stop me at that time, I would really cross my own bottom line."
He gasping as he listening to me.
"Yo-you... Are you the same person as that shitty noble?"
"The one and only Silva. Also when you goes home next time, do tell me. I want to apologized to them privately, since it won't be good for both of us if goes there publicly and bowing down in front of your mom and Maria."
"... Just what happened to you? You and that shitty noble like a completely different person."
"Well let's just say, I goes back to Johnny."
I said those while winking my eye to him. Now he completely dumbfounded, I think I can fit an egg in his mouth. So why did he responding like that when he heard Johnny? It because Johnny was my alias when I sneak out the mansion as a kid, which is kind, brave, smart and strong .. for a child tho, I mean your potential didn't do anything as a kids, so I was above average. Then that figure suddenly disappear 4 years ago, and it kind of becoming legend for kids of my age range. I kind of become a Robin hood of neighborhood... Yep what an embarrassing memories, but calling my alias is the easiest to make him understand....
"Do you think I'll buy that?!"
Or not... I guess who would believe that their hero become a human trash.
"Johnny personality is completely opposite of your! Also he is strong, nimble, kind and smart... I guess you're also smart, but what about the other point. You got nothing! Don't you dare to fool me Dageraad!"
Okay, all his claim was as I expected.
"I can see that Riko..."
"It Silva!"
"Fine, Johan. But it only us that know about flying shit accident, or Rotten Apple mission. Or maybe the roach army will help you better?? You make a good decoy and sacrifice! We definitely break a leg at that time. Even grandma Altis praise us."
"No! No, no, no! Not the cockroaches army. I can still see them crawling in my dream. How could you let me.... Wait how the heck did you know all those?!!
"Because he is me."
"What!! No! Is this some kind of nightmare?! It must be a nightmare, how could the most horrible person in Dageraad territory is one of my best childhood friend and also the neighborhood big brother! This is must be a dream. Yes it is. Zein Dageraad is the worse student in academy, it must be a dream. He also such a weakling that love partying with those prodigals noble and merchant son."
And... So on.... He goes to complete denial. While he in denial, I completely recovered my mana.
"The real Johnny will suddenly jump out, and said hi in a second. This is a dream after all. "
"... Did I completely broke him? Oh well I'll see you later Vincent."
Even when I am done recovering my mana he still in his own world. Sigh... With that I cast another teleportation and goes back to my room in the mansion, right before the sunset. Yep, save! Whelp except I am feeling dizzy.
I still got around an hour before dinner, I guess I can review my fight with Sir Richard. There so many room for improvement. One I guess, I should reinforce the earth wall from before that launch me up high. It doesn't really hinder him or even do any damage, also the Granite Cage... Well Sir Richard is an exceptional knight, but it still surprised me since he can easily cut my cage in one round slash. I even used around 10 percent of my mana, there must be a way to make it tougher while being much more efficient. Remote controlling of the earth element is tough.
Also that last move of him, if he used it I definitely dead. On the bright side it make me realize those glimpse always happens when I focus and try to predict my opponent movement. The only explanation is that the effect of arithmetics, since it include calculation and probability. While I am sure I would failed to do space magic without it. Since I need to do a precise calculation of space, and it killing my brain even now. I should try to enhance my calculations. Well I might be able beat his 50 percent of power with my newly found potential tho. Also as my potential grow, I can feel my proficiency also growing. Like I can move my mana much easier, right now. And I can also imagine things much clearer than before. So I guess fighting against that old man is kinda harfestful. Still wondering how did my swordsmanship raise in potential? Maybe because I learned few move of father and Sir Richard.
Still I need to get stronger, since I'll never know what gonna happen in the future, also I keep getting a bad vibe. Maria savior still unknown, and he brave enough to put a noble down. Even spitting a rude words, which mean he got nothing to fear in our territory. What more those act and line definitely sound like one of those protagonist from web novel. He definitely either a transmigrator, or hero that born here or maybe reincarnator or some side-kick of the so called hero. Well the chance of third option is only 10 percent tho, while the other is 30. Also my guts feeling told me, I will meet him soon enough... Sigh, while thinking about that, I am doing an image training on my mind.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SleepyCanine
SleepyCanine Some edit. I think I would edit couple of it tomorrow too, since I realize how much grammatically wrong I was before. Still wrong tho, but much better.
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