The Runesmith

Roland looked up at the ceiling, it was the same shabby ceiling that was there yesterday. He gave out a sigh and looked around, his mood dropping even further.

ʼIt wasnʼt a dream after all...ʼ

Just to be sure he thought about bringing up the status window, it appeared in a flash.

ʼThat ʼsicknessʼ status isnʼt there anymore, I guess Iʼve made a full recovery?ʼ

The man in the childʼs body strained his memory trying to recall what this kid normally did the whole day. Did he need to interact with his family? Did he have to act like a brat? Would they find out that someone else was inhabiting this body if he acted strangely? Were some questions that he was asking himself.

He also thought back to yesterday and to the woman named Martha, he tried probing her about the sickness. The woman didnʼt know anything about it and the doctor didnʼt look into it either.

ʼHm, maybe I shouldnʼt have told her about that glowing mist?ʼ

He muttered to himself, he felt that him telling the old maid what happened was not something that he would normally do. He was mostly mistrustful of others not really sharing his feelings with just anyone.

ʼAre this kidʼs memories affecting me or something?ʼ

He knew the childʼs original owner was very fond of this woman. He remembered that she was the only person that was kind towards him. No one else from his so-called family bothered with him and the other servants were also very cold.

ʼHm, donʼt think she will do anything drastic.ʼ

He went back to thinking about his next step, he needed to find some way to fit into this strange game-like world and maybe find a way back to his old one. The thought of murder trucks chasing him was still bothering him. While getting up from his bed he heard a knock on the door, his maid Martha walked in with some bread, water, and what looked to be meat.

”Young master, you should still rest!”

She placed the food on a nearby table and moved towards the child, concern on her face.

”Iʼm fine... the sickness status isnʼt even there anymore.”

He replied while not wanting to go back into that bed, he spent an entire day there just looking up at the ceiling and his status screen. He was bored out of his mind and there were no such things like the internet in this world. What he needed is more information, he knew that this place had a library and as the son of the baron he was allowed to go through it. From the childʼs memories, he knew that this was mostly what this kid did, probably this was why his intelligence stat was so high.

”Is that so... young master, your father wants to see you later in the day, keep that in mind, let me help you get dressed first.”

That was a quick change in attitude, the mention of no status effects was enough to deem a person cured apparently.

”He wants to see me?”

What was this about? He racked his brain and couldnʼt recall any recent memories where his father paid any attention to him, could he be worried about Rolandʼs health? But why now?

”D-did he mention why?”

Martha placed her hand on his head and patted his hair. She was also helping him put on some clothes, it looked like some kind of tunic and pants combo, quite plain-looking.

”He probably just wants to see his youngest son, be happy young master, you have a chance to meet your father!”

The maid sounded really happy that the Baron wanted to see him. It made it seem like it was some kind of big honor that he was even allowed to see that man.

ʼIs there some kind of etiquette for things like this? There is nothing in this kidʼs memories about these things...ʼ

”Finally Master decided you see you, this is your big chance young master!”

The maid named Martha was quite happy, in her eyes this was a joyous occasion. Roland, on the other hand, was quite skittish. He feared that he might act out of line and get himself in some kind of trouble with his so-called father.

ʼHe wonʼt order some kind of lashing if I act out of line, will he?ʼ

The only thing about nobles that he knew was from history. They were rumored to be snotty and prone to violence and took their reputation very seriously. While Rolandʼs imagination was pushing him into a certain direction he finished eating and getting dressed. The food was quite plain, just some white bread, water, and a large sausage which tasted funny.

”Martha, I want to go to the library!”

The books in his room werenʼt what he was looking for, he wanted to see where he was. He needed some history books or ones about geography, a map of where he was would be nice too. He wanted to know where he ended up, besides knowing the name he had no idea what this place was.

”The library?... think thatʼs okay, but be sure not to spend too long. You have to remember the Lordʼs order.”

By the looks of it, this meeting couldnʼt be avoided, his maid would probably drag him there even if he refused. He finally left his room and could stretch his legs. He was on the top floor in a side wing of the Arden family mansion. He was someone that had spent his life leaving in small apartments and lofts so this place felt huge.

ʼThink a Baron is on the bottom of the noble ladder? I guess a noble is still a noble.ʼ

He stepped outside, the door that led out of his room creaked as if he was in a haunted house. Thanks to the original Rolandʼs memories he knew exactly where the library was located. The boy was quite smart when it came to studying but he felt like he had holes in his knowledge. The process that passed the memories of the original Roland wasnʼt perfect.

He could see some servants here and there but no one really paid any attention to him. He thought that as a young noble he would be greeted or receive a bow. This didnʼt happen, the people looked in his direction but went on their way as if he wasnʼt there.

ʼI guess thatʼs how an illegitimate son would be treated?ʼ

He remembered that he was a bastard, someone that was born from a commoner that the Baron had his way with. He still had no idea what his mother was up to, but he was sure that she wasnʼt in this mansion.

They finally arrived at the library, the doors were large and old and screech when he opened them up as well. Inside he saw shelves with various books, the place looked very old and was dusty. The servants didnʼt take care of it as the Baron focused more on practical things like swordsmanship.

ʼAh yes, the only bookworm of the family...ʼ

Martha left, this was a place that the young Roland visited frequently. Most of the time he just took some books that were interesting, like fables and tales about legendary heroes. No one bothered him here and he didnʼt need to fear his older brothers that didnʼt seem to like him all too much.

ʼOkay, I need to find some kind of map... where am I and how big is this country...ʼ

He was short at about 105 cm, which was normal for a child his age. Due to this, he needed a chair if he wanted to reach the books that were placed on higher shelves.

ʼWhy do they have this library if no one even uses it...ʼ

He rummaged through everything and managed to find some history and geography books, there was even a map with the names of the countries.

ʼThe country Iʼm in was called the Kingdom of Caldris...ʼ

The map was a bit dusty and the ink was slightly faded but it was readable.

ʼSo Iʼm here...ʼ

The map that he was able to procure wasnʼt a world map but just of the continent that he was on. This was enough to get a general idea. His country had four other countries around it, which wasnʼt good from a military standpoint.

ʼHope those countries donʼt decide to invade us...ʼ

He went through the books that he grabbed and soon found out the power of his fast learning and memory retention trait. He could remember most of what he had read on the previous page, his learning speed was astonishing.

ʼI could have used this back at the college days... maybe I can become a scholar or a court official in this world? If they have anything like that...ʼ

He was unsure of his future, but he would rather be a researcher than a knight.

”Damn, these history books are too vague... how old is this even?”

The books werenʼt helping that much without a reference point, he forgot to ask his maid about the era he was in, he didnʼt know what year it was either. The geography books were more helpful though, from them he found out that the kingdom that he was living in was fairly large. It was even larger than the larges country that he knew back on earth, surface wise.

ʼThis is only a partial map... is this the only continent? If not then this planet could be a lot bigger than Earth...ʼ

He continued with the reading and finally found the name of the world that he was now on, along with its size.

ʼHuh, the planetʼs name is Terra? Think Iʼve heard that somewhere before...ʼ

ʼThe size...this isnʼt the metric system anymore?... do I need to find a math book now?ʼ

He had the world name, but the size was unknown to him. He shrugged as it didnʼt really matter, knowing that it was big was enough. While he was rummaging through the books he heard the large door opening up. Martha stepped through them, probably here to remind him about the appointment with his father.

”Young Master, itʼs time”

The new Roland felt nervous for some reason. He had a hard time remembering the Baronʼs face, the man didnʼt really visit him that often, the last time he saw him was on the boyʼs 4th birthday. On the 5th one, he didnʼt even receive a present from him, just a quiet party with his maid that brought him some cake.

ʼThis is going to be awkward... do I need to call that guy father? Will, he hit me if I annoy him?ʼ

He was sure that he was the lowest-ranked person from the whole family and he remembered that his older brothers didnʼt take him seriously either. He had to do it though, so he followed after his maid that guided him to the dining room.

ʼAre we going to eat dinner together or something?ʼ

He racked his brain, he couldnʼt remember the last time Roland was invited to dine with his family. He mostly spent his days alone in his room reading books and dreaming about fun and adventure like any young boy his age. His maid stopped before the door to the dining room, she smiled at him but knew that she wasnʼt allowed to go any further.

”I will see you later young master.”

He nodded and entered the room, inside he saw a large table. Servants were bringing in food and drinks alike. Some of his brothers were already here, like the 3rd son Robert. The youth was eight years old and the moment their eyes met he scoffed as if Roland wasnʼt supposed to be here.

Robert just as him was someone that came from a commoner, but his mother was a mistress that was still living in this house. Thanks to this he still had a measure of respect. Roland just stood there for now as he wasnʼt sure if he was allowed to take a seat before the Baron arrived.

Edwin the second son and Reyner the firstborn son arrived soon afterward. Besides them, there was his older sister Sophia and Dianna that was the younger one.

ʼThat Baron sure likes to party... six kids already... might be more on the way...ʼ

Edwin and Reyner were sons from the main wife along with Sophia the first daughter. Dianna along with Robert came from the second wife, aka the mistress. From Rolandʼs reasoning, the first wife probably got older and the Baron switched to the younger version while making more kids along the way.

ʼI see being a noble has its perks...ʼ

Roland wasnʼt someone who was very experienced with women. He had a fling with two back in his college days, but after he started working he had a long dry spell.

The Baron and his wives arrived soon afterward, Tabitha the first wife and Francine the second one and the mistress. The Baron looked to be a big man. He had a nice gentleman like mustache and a large scar running down from his left eyebrow all the way to his lip. He exuded a certain aura of a warrior, the noble clothes that he was wearing couldnʼt hide all the muscles underneath all too well.

ʼDamn, my dad is jacked...ʼ

Everyone waited for the Baron to arrive, he sat at center stage, and then one by one starting from the main wife everyone sat down. Roland was sure to follow everyoneʼs example and sit the furthest back right next to the 3rd son. He could see the snarky eight-year-old glaring at him the moment he did that.

ʼWhat you staring at you little shit!ʼ

Was the thing he wanted to shout out but he remained quiet, would be best if he didnʼt have to talk with anyone in here. The Baron was quiet and everyone just waited for him to start eating. The food on the table didnʼt taste all that great, the cuisine on earth was a lot better compared to this bland meat they were having.

”Reyner, how is your sword training going?”

The Baron asked.

”My basic sword mastery is already at level 6 Father.”

The Baron started asking his kids about skills and the progress in their training. Apparently they were training and unlocking skills, they even mentioned the warrior class and something about it being tier 1. He wasnʼt sure what this meant as he himself didnʼt have anything like a class. While he was digesting the new information and trying not to stand out he heard his father call out to him.

”Roland...”

He flinched and looked up. Everyone was looking at him for some reason, it was more a look of surprise some of his family members almost having forgotten that they had a five-year-old sibling.

”The doctor said that you contacted the mana sickness, also you saw some glowing mist, is that right?”

ʼGlowing mist? Did Martha rat me out?ʼ

”Ah... uh...y-yes...f-father?”

He tried imitating his older brothers but stuttered slightly. Thankfully the buff looking man didnʼt seem to mind it that much.

”Mana sickness... do you perhaps have a mana related skill?”

His father looked at him, everyone else did the same as they waited for a reply.

”Y-yes, I have the Mana Sense skill...”

”What?”

The oldest brother shouted out while looking at Roland, his eyes squinting.

ʼWhat you staring at me like that for, Iʼm just answering the questions here!ʼ

”Hoh, Mana Sense... youʼre not lying to me are you?”

The Baron gave Roland an intense stare, the boy shrunk down as he felt as if he was getting rocks pilled up on him.

”N-no, I have it.”

He spoke out in a meek voice while the Baron rubbed his chin.

”Is that so..., Adam!”

He could see the other kids and even the wives looking at him. It was as if he was doing something out of line but they were afraid to speak up while the Baron was talking. A man with gray hair stepped out, he was wearing a black tux.

”If the boy has the mana sense skill we need to check, bring someone who can perform a test... if he passes. Look into procuring a tutor and some books related to magic.”

Roland looked at the large man that was asking the butler looking fellow for some test. Was he about to get a magic teacher? Was it going to be that easy? He expected to have to scrape by being unnoticed but here he was getting some preferential treatment out of nowhere, was mana sense some rare skill?

He could tell that his siblings werenʼt happy with this, their expressions were easy to read as they were kids that werenʼt able to hide their emotions. Roland, on the other hand, was all smiles just nodding while his Baron of a father continued to talk.

ʼUh... maybe Iʼm some kind of genius? Am I a Wizard now?ʼ