The boy threw his gaze downward in shock, but soon realized what had happened. Damn Cecilus, this is definitely in character for one of your greetings...
His sister, on the other hand, was screaming wildly, eyes almost tearing up as the rock golem fully emerged, holding them up in each of its hands.
Then, from behind them, the siblings heard a familiar voice.
"Hello! Zyllee! Ayas! I'm back!"
The boy looked backwards uncomfortably and sighed. Gonna be a long few months.
***
Cecilus had been planning on giving his siblings a "nice" surprise when greeting them for the whole day. Ha, can't wait to see their faces. I wonder how frightening I can make the golem look. I can't keep him here for a while, though, since he still needs to help with the reconstruction.
As he was walking to the orphanage, thinking about pranking his younger brother and sister, Cecilus opened his eyes wide as he saw the two of them right past a far tree on the main path. WHAT, Ayas is almost as tall as me! He's two years younger, yet we're practically the same height! I'm the one who has elf ears. Did he gain the genetic prosperity of being tall from Mother instead? Well, actually, that wouldn't make sense because Father is quite tall as well...
He then ran forward quietly and smiled while raising his hands to summon his golem, beginning his playful greeting to his siblings.
***
After seeing his two siblings in shock and one crying miserably, Cecilus was confused. I was sure they would start laughing after it was done. But it doesn't matter, the look on their faces was priceless! Hah, this memory won't be leaving my head for a while!
Zylee slowly started to realize what had happened and turned to Cecilus in anger. " BROTHER! You know I get scared easily! Put me down this instant!"
This only resulted in Cecilus bursting out in laughter while Ayas kept an unimpressed expression.
"HAH! You should've seen the look on your face! Crying over a bit of pebbles!"
Cecilus then ordered his golem to let the two down and to return to the village.
Ayas then spoke, a bit annoyed.
"We will be late for Mother's lessons at the school. Stop delaying us! Mother doesn't spare punishment for her own children when it comes to being late! Not that it is an experience you can attest to."
Cecilus then backed off slightly, waving at them as they hurried off. That was unexpected. I was going to the orphanage to meet the friends I made last time I came here, but with Ayas and Zylee saying they have classes now, it must mean that my friends won't be free right now due to classes. So what do I do then? Go back to the village? It's only the middle of the day, and the trip there only takes an hour on foot. Wouldn't be much to do either... Never have I ever felt this bored...
Wait a minute... Why can't I go to school? Do they think I'm uneducated or something? What's so sophisticated about the stuff they learn? Anyway, there's no way Mother would say no to me joining the class for a bit, right?
Cecilus then quickly jogged towards the school. The orphanage and school were actually connected, both run by Cecilus' mother. They resided beside a stretch of farmland that covered the area for miles. It was all owned and rented by his family, and his giant manor was not very far away, only a few minutes' jog from the buildings. Due to the long commute from other villages and the school, the school was built closest to the main road. Many folk still passed through the area to gather fresh water from the river supplying the farmland.
When he entered the large wooden building, the bell to the side rang, alerting the people inside to his presence. So much for another surprise entry. Doesn't really matter, though, I already had my fill.
As he took off his shoes to the side, he heard mumbles past the large hallway in front of him. It was a bunch of children talking about magic and history. He walked through the hallway and began to discern the specifics.
"Did you all know that the origin of magic predates humanity? Creatures from very long ago that still walk the planet today are said to contain the origins of magic types, and the predator and prey relationship that existed after the dawn of many of the humanoid species of this world led to the acquisition of magic from mythical creatures."
Cecilus listened in but ended up disappointed. What the hell is this? I'm pretty sure these were the first words my Father taught me, because even I can't recall how long ago this base knowledge was already living in my brain! Are these children being taught at the speed of a snail, or is there cognitive ability that low that they are learning knowledge that should've been known straight out of the womb?
He then saw a tall elf woman with blond hair exit the door where the noise was originating from. The woman was his mother.
"What are you here for, Cecilus?" His mother asked with a calm smile on her face.
"I... uhh... wanted to indulge in the prosperous learning my dear siblings are engaged in?" Cecilus spoke his words slowly. Truthfully, he had wished he had never come here because the content of the class his siblings were attending was easy and trivial. Curse my boredom! I should've just pranked some villager kid who was throwing tomatoes a bit earlier instead. I'd teach the child a lesson and cleanse my inability to have meaningful hobbies! There's no way I get out of this now, maybe I can respectfully decline after Mother says yes, but the sheer embarrassment of doing so would exceed the gain of having some more free time...
His mother then spoke abruptly while still holding a smile on her face.
"No, go away, we are mid-lesson and you're distracting us."
Did she read my mind? Oh, that must be it, she knows her son so well that she realized my dilemma! Or maybe I was actually being a nuisance... Nah, not even a possibility...
Cecilus said his goodbyes and slowly walked away. Wait! I didn't even greet her properly. That was the first time I saw her in three years! Well, mother is likely desensitized from time, she's already 234 years old and that's still only a quarter of her lifespan... Did she not notice any differences in how I look? Actually, it checks out with how negligible my growth has been... That was the most time I had ever been away from my family, but why does it feel so anticlimactic? I wonder if Father would act any differently after not seeing me for three years? He would probably just say that it's a meaningless period of time in the life of a half-elf, nothing worth getting too energetic about.
I guess this week will just be a lot more training. I don't see what else is as productive, time-consuming, and fun. Hopefully, I can get my golems back to scare some kids soon. Come on, villagers, build faster! Don't you like having a roof over your head? Speed it up!
***
Three weeks had passed since Cecilus' arrival. He spent most of his days training on his own, with the occasional drop-in by Trey. In his free time, he would go around trying to scare children in the nearby village with his golems and would also hang out with some children he knew from the orphanage. His attempts to scare villagers would fail miserably, though, as the kids had already gotten used to seeing the golems aiding in the reconstruction. This resulted in a bunch of straight faces during multiple scare attempts. Cecilus even started getting nightmares recounting these events.
In terms of the reconstruction, it finished slightly after two weeks had passed. The village elder estimated that the two golems almost tripled the speed of rebuilding. He personally went to the Crow estate as well in order to give his thanks to the family.
Cecilus was lying on the dirt in the training field. Both his golems were upright, looking down on him. They both tilted their heads in confusion almost simultaneously. Cecilus, however, was lost in his own thoughts.
Never in a million years would I have thought that the miserable hell that is war would be more appealing than staying at home. Zylee and Ayas are always busy at school or with other meaningless tasks. If I didn't know any better, I would think they were avoiding me! Screw this! And why the hell is not one child scared of these golems! Zylee freaks out no matter how many times I use the golems, so why are the villager kids so calm and unwavering? I need to get some scary monster to sign a contract with me; these two fools won't cut it!
The golems then proceeded to kick Cecilus from both sides.
"Shit, dammit, I was just joking! Your feet are made of rocks, and you feel my pain as well! Are you trying to take us both down together?" Cecilus knew that his summons could never kill him; if he wanted to, they could be fully restricted. However, he didn't like how lifeless his summons looked while he had full control and enjoyed having some sentient companions to interact with.
Then Cecilus got up. Screw it, there's got to be something I can do around here. I've explored every cave and crevice on the map around this side of the border, so exploration is a no-go. I can only meet up with my friends after their classes end, so I guess I have to find some uneducated folk to have fun with. Off to the village again!
***
Down near a creek, Marina was collecting water from a bucket. She had finally started coming outside after the tomato incident; however, despite Cecilus' predictions, the situation did not die down, and she dealt with constant ridicule from other villager children.
I hope I don't see anyone on my way back today. That short elf boy said that it would be fine in a few weeks, but just yesterday, a pack of wild children threw rocks at me! Those absolute savages!
As Marina was walking down the path back to her home carrying two buckets of water, a rock came flying through the air and pelted her on the head.
Both buckets went flying out of her hands, hitting the ground and spilling water all over the dirt. Shit! My head, damn that hurts! And the water is all spilt...
Marina looked down at the buckets lying on the ground while holding the back of her head. Her eyes were watering slightly, but she braced herself, knowing it won't be the end.
Five boys then emerged from the bushes, all glaring at the girl. Some had rocks in their hands while others had large sticks; most of them were wearing rags as the fire had burnt many of the household items, like clothing, for many families. Making new clothes simultaneously with the reconstruction was a task that put too much stress on families, so many children were forced to wear torn and makeshift rags.
No, why did you have to be here now? I can't outrun these brats... So what the hell do I do? Well, running for now is better than the pain of standing here...
Marina then turned around and bolted away in the opposite direction, running back in the direction of the creek.