My name is Fenric Grimmwald.
There is an interesting story behind my last name, but we will save that for another day.
What matters now is that I am eighteen years old, and much to my mother's horror, I have recently chosen to walk away from a very respectable and stable life as a court wizard under the king.
From an outsiders perspective, I had it all. One every mother would wish for their child.
A life of wealth, status, and guaranteed nobility. A life where I could live comfortably and nobles would beg for me to just take a glance at their overly pampered daughters. Much again to my mother's dismay, none ever struck my fancy.
It was the kind of life my peers back at the academy would quite literally kill for.
And believe me I've seen them try . . wizards weren't above their poisoning rivals.
Upon the discovery of my power in magic, I was thrilled. That a former loser like me could actually do magic? It was amazing, a miracle. I had honed and spent much of my life dedicated solely to perfecting my gifts. I worked hard to gain entry to the academy, I was the youngest man to ever graduate at the age of 16, to than immediately be appointed court wizard. It was unheard of, while at the same time being something I had worked for.
So why would I leave such a life after so much hard work?
Simple answer.
It was boring... Sorry Mother . .
I know, poor little wizard boy, so talented, he's bored to tears, cry me a river. But give me a chance to speak first.
It wasn't my fault. If you were there I promise you would of been just as bored. Life at court was all politics and formal dinners, and worse of all endless paper work. Promotion was only a trap disguised as prestige. The higher you climbed in the kings favor, the less freedom you had, it only came with more responsibilities.
No travel. No true experiments. No room to breathe.
If a junior wizard within the court was ever confused, you were expected to help them.
(Half of them weren't even qualified, just noble brats who bought their way in)
If the stars had the slightest twitch or change in the sky, the king would suddenly panic and need reassurance that the kingdom wasn't about to explode or be doomed to some plague.
(half the time it meant nothing)
Then there was the research. The painfully dull, kingdom funded experiments with zero room for creativity. What type of potions created the best crops, what type of stones created the best magical enchantments on weaponry.
(all for the sake of "advancing the kingdom's magical interests.")
And then there was her . . actually never mind, I won't waste a single moment reflecting on her. Just remembering her gives me a headache.
It was all so suffocating. My useless juniors, the king's constant worrying, the same boring repetitive experiments!
And her nagging! Always, always nagging over every little thing.
Did she not have anyone else to bother?!
I couldn't take it anymore!
So I left.
I had signed my formal resignation and left the very same morning.
I had already spent one life bound to a wheel chair, unable to go anywhere without assistance, watching the world change through a glass window. I refused to live a life bound to one place again, no paycheck would deprive me of my freedom. This world was simply to amazing to ignore.
If you had lived the life I once did… you would've done the same.
Oh, I suppose I should mention.
This isn't my first life, I was actually reincarnated into this world.
My goal. Simple.
Explore all things that interest me.
Now free from the burdens of my life as a court wizard I spend my life traveling the kingdom, exploring what mysteries it had to offer.
This is a world where the magic found in fairy tales was real.
Dragons were not just legends, they were reality.
And for someone like me who once couldn't even walk, it was intoxicating.
I barely think of my old life from the old world these days.
Sometimes it feels more like a distant dream.
I was only 19 when I died, and as a cripple it wasn't like I had much attachment to that world.
I like to believe that I long discarded my memories from those boring times. Not because they were too painful, but because keeping them around is somewhat unnecessary don't you think? Why keep old clothes that no longer fit, why hold onto expired milk? Both serve no functional purpose. Useless memories from a different world were no different.
But even though I say this, sometimes to my annoyance, and against my own will, I will remember.
It does not happen very often, and it's never on my own terms, but you can say I have a certain roommate who lives inside my head. A nagging voice who feels the need to remind and show me of things that no longer concern me.
Like I said, It does not happen very often, but when it comes, it comes in flashes. Almost like a daydream.
I don't know what triggers it. Frankly I wish I wish I did, it would make it easier to evict him from my head.
What triggered it I wonder?
Was it a specific smell?
Or perhaps a sound?
I had no attachments to my old world.
This world was so much more fun and interesting.
Yet here there was always that voice in my head that did everything it could to remind me, that this was not my first life.
This "roommate" had long overstayed his welcome. I've tried to evict him more than once. Multiple times in fact. But he's stubborn. I once even tried mixing a specific potion in hopes of being rid of him forever.
My apologies to the poor castle maid who found me half dead that same morning. The king was not happy.
(sigh) I discovered that unfortunately. despite my best efforts, I have no way to silence him.
For now, at least at this moment, this annoying roommate of mine is here to stay. His rent? Long overdue.
So with no alternatives to shut him up.
I let him speak.
Not because I enjoy his company.
But because I learned, indulging him long enough keeps him quiet for a while . . .
We last spoke several months ago. And I hoped I was finally free of him, but today as I walked through the woods excited for my new adventure, he chose to speak again.
Wonderful