After sorting his thoughts, Caleric stood up and walked to the infirmary door. There was a small wall mirror hanging right beside the large cabinet which had obstructed his view, so it was only now that he realised its existence.
He had a habit of looking into the mirror, and so before leaving, he decided to do so.
His face was youthful and had a sharp jawline and deep black eyes that mirrored his sister's. Faint dark circles were visible beneath his eyes. His long black hair was tied into a neatly gathered ponytail that draped well past his neck. There was a softness to his features that blurred the line between handsome and beautiful—leaning, perhaps, toward the latter.
After checking himself out for quite some time and briefly wondering if he might just be a she, Caleric finally decided to head out. But just as he turned to face the door, it slowly creaked open. A small face peeked inside… followed by another.
Two little girls, nearly identical in appearance, suddenly burst into the room and leapt onto him, catching him completely off guard.
"Happy Birthday, big brother!" they shouted in unison.
They were the twins of the Gnalet household—Mira and Mari, daughters of Aron and Silv by blood. One had short black hair, the other long red hair; the former being Mari, the latter Mira.
Caleric now stood with two little things clinging to his legs. He wasn't particularly bad with kids, but he wasn't good either.
People believe child psychology is an easy topic. What they don't realise is that a child's brain is far too complex. We still don't truly understand how children think or how their brains develop. At least I don't.
"Could you both stop pulling my clothes?" Caleric asked very politely.
What had also caught his attention was the fact that they wished him; meaning it was his birthday! This wasn't all that surprising in itself, but the coincidence was massive. It was his birthday back on Earth too!
The girls stopped their loving act and then bombarded him with questions—half of which Caleric did not understand.
"What happened to you yesterday?"
"What are your plans for today?"
"Should we, you, and big sister Cally go shopping?"
"Do you want to eat fried chriks?"
This was their habit. Once they started asking questions, they wouldn't stop unless you beat them at their own game; that is, by answering all of them. Which was something Caleric definitely couldn't do.
Caleric was single-handedly being cornered by two kids… or double-handedly?
Thankfully, a maidservant who heard the commotion came running and dragged the twins outside. It was only then that Caleric could finally step out of the infirmary.
The Gnalet mansion was huge. One could easily get lost in it. Caleric navigated his way through the first floor, reaching the long stairway that led to the ground floor. The ground floor had a massive hall, large enough to host parties with around a hundred guests. There were large double doors opening into different rooms on either side of the hall, each leading to a different area. Caleric found the door that led to the dining hall and went inside.
There was a long table at the center with eleven seats on either side. Two high-backed chairs stood at each end. One of these was currently occupied by Aron; beside him sat Silv, and on the opposite side, directly across from Silv, sat Cally.
They had already finished eating and were having a casual chat.
"War is right around the corner. If anything, I would recommend applying for the position of an official manacule engineer. You are very capable, and your tech is advanced enough to support the nation of Quax in the war," Aron said, looking at Cally.
"It is not a bad idea; however, becoming an official member is equivalent to losing autonomy. At last, it comes down to what one values more; being master of their own will or money, and I come under the former," Cally replied.
"So, what are your plans for the future?" asked Silv. She was worried that Cally might end up unemployed or underemployed.
"I think I will get into the university once I turn eighteen, like Caleric, to pursue higher studies. Also, I'm already making a decent amount by doing private commissions. It has helped me build a good reputation around Upper Street."
As Caleric approached them, the three stopped talking and looked at him and wished him.
"Caleric, are you alright? The doctor said you overworked yourself. I've told you many times not to do that." Cally spoke up in half-worried and half-angry tone.
Why does she sound as if she's my mother? Caleric joked inwardly but quickly apologized.
"We were talking about Cally's future," Aron said with a bright smile, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Cally says she'd rather stay autonomous than have a secure job." It was clear that Aron wasn't a big fan of Cally's decision.
I think that's better. Even if Cally got a secure and official job, the amount of work she'd receive or her salary would depend heavily on the mood of her superiors rather than her actual skill. The Quax military is composed of a bunch of crooks. She's young and a woman. It will be difficult for her to get acknowledged.
This world has a very severe gender inequality. In such a case, using her already built-up reputation to make money is way better. Of course, in the long run, she could land a high position in the military, which would be equivalent to having an unlimited stash but the path is difficult.
"Having extra education is never bad. If she gets a degree from the university, she can go to Zamaria to get a very high-paying job. At that level, it is already considered elite," Silv added.
Zamaria was one of the Southern Tri-Continents. The southern continent was broken into three landmasses: Zamaria to the west, Velmara in the middle, and Yamaru to the east. These were linked to each other with scattered land in between the ocean that separated the three.
As for the Northern Continent, it was divided among four major nations: Quax, Fryopi, Ingerstine, and Labercart. Quax was to the southwest, Labercart to the northwest, Fryopi to the northeast, and Ingerstine to the southeast of the small—but too big to be considered a city—Virelia, which was currently under Quax control. Due to its geographical location, this piece of land was constantly at war.
Out of the four nations, the strongest was Fryopi. Its army was large, and it had an advantage over the other three due to its greater landmass and high population.
Three hundred years ago, at the end of the Great War that nearly wiped out the entire Northern Continent, the four nations signed "The Treaty of the Four-Leafed-Clover" at the Clover Cathedral in Virelia. Because of this, the nations enjoyed peace for quite some time.
"Did you say that the war is right around the corner? What about the treaty?" Caleric asked. Many things were coming to his mind at that moment; from the geography to the history of the world.
"The nations couldn't care less about the treaty. They're just waiting for someone to break it. If that happens, the Great War from 300 years ago will resume. History will repeat itself," Aron explained solemnly.
Just when Caleric was about to immerse himself in his thoughts and let his imagination wander about the history of this world, which he surprisingly found very interesting, Cally followed with Aron and Silv wished him again, which made him question why it was that Caleric from this world had the same birthday as Silas from Earth. One would not pay much attention to such details, but for Caleric, this clearly meant something.
Can this coincidence be related with my transmigration? He tried to make some connections.
While he was thinking, an awkward silence was growing louder by every passing second. Aron and Silv were both hesitant, as if they wanted to say something but could not find the correct time. Caleric had obviously noticed this but hadn't asked what it was, because according to his newly gained memories, Caleric was the type of person that had a difficult time understanding humans. In such a situation, Caleric would not be able to read the room!
"Is something bothering you?" Cally finally broke the silence, fully aware that her brother; despite being a prodigy in manalogy; was utterly clueless about the awkward atmosphere.
"It's about the birthday banquet tonight," Aron said. There was a trace of nervousness in his voice but it felt off. Caleric, once a prodigy in psychology in his previous life, could easily distinguish between natural and what he called "abnormal" reactions.
Some people learned to mimic expressions, tones, and even emotions to blend in. Aron's tone had that same mimicry; not born from the moment but deliberately applied. Yet, the magnitude was small. This suggested that the abnormality in Aron's voice was subconscious; an instinct shaped by a life rich in social interaction.
Caleric performed his usual mental "diagnosis," something he had always enjoyed, before responding: "A banquet? Today? Why am I being informed about my own birthday party on the day itself?"
"It is because you would have refused otherwise," Silv said as she pushed strands of her crimson hair behind her ear.
"So am I not allowed to leave either?" Cally asked.
Caleric was in no mood to attend a banquet and definitely not as the birthday boy. Even though Caleric was adept in psychology and could easily work his way around people with masterful conversational skills, he had a big flaw.
Maybe it was because of the memories he had gained that he was able to talk to Aron, Silv, and Cally or even the twins or the old doctor in the infirmary without much trouble. But two years ago, he had stopped attending school, ended up becoming a shut-in, and had developed a fear of people...