The next day, Wei An had just woken up to the sound of birds whistling through the window; the fox was still peacefully asleep in its own bed. Wei An's eyes wandered around for a while until he finally got out of bed, deciding to wash up before having his breakfast served.
After a few minutes, Wei An got out of the bath, drying down with a towel and then wearing a robe around him. He paused for a moment after hearing a familiar voice.
"Sir, have you finished your bath?"
"I'll be out in a sec." Wei An went out, seeing Alfred outside with his breakfast prepared. Wei An then changed and ate breakfast; after that, he then asked Alfred to prepare food for the fox when it wakes up.
This old man gives me the creeps. He acts nice, yet his eyes are cold. I can't tell what he's thinking.
I'll just find out whatever he's hiding later; right now, I have to focus on the academy and how the magic works in this world.
The closest to me right now is Alfred, who seems to be hiding something; next is the fox, whose intentions are unclear. There are too many unanswered questions; it seems too convenient.Whatever the case, I need to be able to protect myself from whatever happens in the future; I need to prepare myself if I want a long and peaceful life. I can't waste this life given to me now.
Ah, I can't be too strong; if people notice, then I'll be in trouble. Being the center of attention will only cause trouble.
"Young master, your clothes are ready."
"Yes, thank you."
Really... Everything really looks good on this body.
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"So, Wei An brought a fox home?" the duke of Marion spoke to a servant.
The servant bowed slowly, lifting his head, and then spoke, "Yes, your grace."
"How unusual; that boy never leaves the estate unless he is ordered to. He used to argue that he didn't need to go outside."
"Should we continue to tail him, your grace?"
"No need. I still have control over whatever happens in my land. Just keep an eye on him and report if anything happens."
"Yes, your grace." The servant then bowed and excused himself. After the servant left, the duke spoke in a low whisper, "Wei An... seems different. He's changed."
'Something's wrong... Wei An is neither smarter nor stronger, yet he is acting different from before. It's not just Wei An... the world seems to feel different.'
"Looks like I have to strengthen the walls of this land."
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This old man... Seeing him give me breakfast with a smile but look at me with cold eyes makes me think he poisoned my meal; this makes waking up really a pain.
Come to think about it, he had a few scars on his hands... Normally I'd assume it was because of the kitchen; however, he's my butler, not a chef, and those don't look like scars from a kitchen anyway. Just what is this man hiding?
"Did you hurt your hand, Alfred?"
"Are you worrying about me, sir?"
Alfred's response seemed to make Wei An pause. Right, the Wei An he knows doesn't act this way.
"No, it just caught my eye."
"There is nothing to worry about, young master.
"I see, I'll be leaving for a while; don't follow me."
"Are you leaving right away, sir?"
"Yes."
After their conversation, Wei An left his room, leaving the fox to comfortably play around there. Wei An made his way to the garden; he looked around until he found a suitable spot for him to practice magic away from prying eyes.
'Interesting. The young master never goes out of his room...'
'He seems different; does he know something? 'Alfred thought as he watched his young master leave the room.
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Meanwhile, Wei An had been practicing the basics of the magic in this world. The magic was quite similar to his own world, so he didn't have a hard time understanding the basics.
Eh? It doesn't seem hard to do? I thought it would be different.
Wei An continued to practice magic until it was almost dawn. He had been practicing for so long that he had forgotten how late it got. When he realized this, he rested for a few minutes and then went back to his room to wash up and eat his supper.
While eating, Wei An looked at the fox, who was staring outside the window. The fox had not said a word to him, but it seemed to be looking at something. Wei An paid no mind to whatever was happening and continued eating.
Whatever, I don't have to know the reason why it's silent.
After eating, the fox finally moved to the bed and spoke up.
"Human, did you practice magic just now?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"There was mana residue floating around in the air; it had the same scent as you."
"Mana has a scent?"
"To animals, yes; humans? Nope. You see, creatures like me have really sensitive noses, so we can detect if the person is good or bad depending on the mana they possess."
"I see... I was preparing for the academy."
A good person, huh? I guess this fox is still quite young.
Wei An then moved to pet the fox's head, silently thinking on how to improve his magic. Although it did not show on his face, he was quite worried that the original owner of the body was called outstanding and stood out. He did not want to get attention and merely wanted to keep a low profile and peacefully stay out of trouble.
After a while the fox had settled down in its own bed, and Wei An had been lying down in his, staring at the ceiling. He could not seem to sleep but forced himself to. The night went on without any troubles; Wei An had his eyes closed, still trying to sleep. His mind was tired, but his body seemed too restless, making it hard for him to stay comfortable and sleep.