I gasped as I fell onto my chest heaving for air. I wanted nothing more than to curse and scream at myself. I only did 10 pushups and I felt like I was dying! I wanted so desperately to reach into the afterlife to find Rook’s soul and beat him black and blue for being so weak. How could he go through life and be this weak. Was it a noble thing, were all nobles just a bunch of pomp idiots who didn’t know the best way to live a fulfilling life was to be healthy and strong? Then again maybe it was just a difference in values. Whatever the case was, I was not going to let this stand. If I was going to make something of this new life, I would need to rebuild myself. I was currently a week little noble with nothing but a name that carried more power than I had in my whole new body.
My first goal in this new life was to repair Rooks reputation and show everyone that I was worth of baring the Talark name. a name that to me had no value. But seeing as Talark was a powerful noble family I would need to make myself fit with that image. But to do that I needed time and most importantly I needed to repair my reputation with my Fiefdom.
Anything less would be a disservice to Rooks memory. So, while I knew what I needed to do, I couldn’t do it just yet. I first needed to fix my imagine, my physical one any ways. I was certain why so many people looked down on Rook in his life was because of how meek he came off. His twig thin arms and gaunt frame likely made him look creepy if not downright sick. He likely never tried to fix his appearance not thinking he could match his brothers. From what Bartak had told me Seiran was like a god given form.
His body was perfect, he was strong and confident with an air to him that made many shrink in submission to the weight of his presence alone. Honestly Seiran sounded like how many people described Mages in my past life. just without the fearing him part. After all most Mages did come off as either dark beauties or handsome criminals. Looks all to make people trust them and let them get close to test some sort of nefarious spell on them. Even I wasn’t exempt from that rule in my past life.
While I knew more people handsomer than me, I had carried a rugged sort of air. With how well traveled I was I carried an air of experience and knowledge that left many drooling in want. My more rugged features built of years of travel and battle making me come off as quiet the alluring man. Not to mention the mysterious air I carried thanks to my eyes having been turned purple from my magic. Still to hear such a description used for a normal human was odd. Then again seeing as Bartak himself looked superhuman compared to normal men it shouldn’t surprise me Seiran was similar in that aspect.
Still, I wish Rook had taken to trying to improve his own image. This boy was so weak that I was certain it would take months before I looked even close to presentable. But I had the time, it would also help me build up more information on the land I was in. It was no lie to say I was lost. I never once heard of the Kingdom of Tirith in my past life. Worse yet I didn’t know I didn’t know some of the animals and plants that Bartak told me about when he gave me a tour of the mansion.
I was not likely on Astora anymore. I refrained from asking what continent I was on when I was shown around knowing that would have been weird to ask about even for someone who was supposed to have memory loss. Continent shouldn’t have mattered. Too bad it did for me. if I didn’t recognize the continent, I would know that this would in fact be a different world to my previous one. Which I wasn’t too sure about yet. yeah, strange new plants and animals would certainly paint alien world over any picture but I hadn’t visited every continent on Astora so I could likely just be seeing new things. Still, I wondered what I should do if this was a new world.
I mean I could read the language here; I could speak with everyone around me, and I could relate to their everyday problems so should I care if this was a new world or not. I would say I didn’t need to care, but a more cynical part of my mind warned me not to get comfortable. That any peace I may find could come crashing down any moment. Life as a Mage certainly made me the morbid sort. I wish I could be more optimistic, but years of experience and knowledge painted a cautious man.
I sighed as I pushed my face from the cool floor and began exercising some more. I needed to build up my body, no matter how much it hurt. At least doing this I would distract myself from more morbid thoughts. Still, I couldn’t help but remember how yesterday ended. The stories Bartak told me of my body’s previous owner. I admitted I was surprised when the giant man chided me for getting so angry like I had done it before. Like my sudden outburst was normal. I found myself surprised that Rook wasn’t as meek as I first expected. While I listened as Rooks life was recounted to me, I learned that while he wasn’t the most sociable of people, he could be outspoken when needed.
My outburst yesterday all normal for the young Lord. That was good for me seeing as I didn’t act too out of character, though to hear that Rook was so like how I was when I was younger was funny. To think that this twig of a boy could snap so readily at those bigger than him was nice. While he had no confidence in his skills and never took to developing any talents, he did know how to speak.
Though there were still many differences between Rook and I. after all, I was a Mage in my past life, I had an unusually sharp mind seeing as I was forced to learn things like the laws of the world and how to break them. Well not break them but to bend them in my favor. I always did have a sharp tongue though. That got me into more trouble than I can count. So many times, I pissed off a knight or some egotistical Mage with just a few words. I had a wonderful talent for shoving my foot in my mouth that was for sure. While I doubted, I could compete with a politician in verbal sparring I had my way with the more common folk.
It was easier to speak to a drunkard than it was a town guard that was for sure. But I had learned my way around it. I was fifty after all if I hadn’t developed any speaking skills, I would have be a sorry disappointment of a Mage. After all, many said words were the weapons of a Mage. Though I am certain they meant that more in the spells many Mages chanted than their skills with a silver tongue.
The thought of that had me laughing as I remember one Mage who in fact a true silver tongue. A side effect of his magic it seems that left his tongue infused with ornate silver runes and marks that spread out the corner of his mouth and down his throat. The look was interesting to say the least.
I still remember hearing of how some woman whispered about what he could do with such a tongue. It was funny seeing as that old Mage was piss poor with woman. Even worse than I was. Maybe that’s a fundamental part of being a good Mage. You just had no skill with women. I wonder what happened to Zab. I thought remember that that old Mage had been a lot better at hiding than me. Well, whatever it didn’t matter now. I had had a new life to live, a new life to develop. There was no point in wasting time thinking of the past when I should look to the future. After all, the past was to teach us, the future is for us into grow. So that is what I would do. I would grow, starting with growing some muscles.
Now if only I didn’t get exhausted after only ten pushups. I sighed as I let my arms quiver and shake dropping me back to the floor. I had a long way to go. Maybe I should ask Bartak for some lessons. That bear of a man must know plenty of ways to build muscles considering his size. Whatever I did, I had time for it. So long as I didn’t have to deal with another assassination any time soon. I hoped I would be ready if such a situation arouse that I had to defend myself.
I still had no idea who wanted to kill me, and Bartak didn’t seem willing to answer me as to who may be after my life. though he did let slip one useful bit of information. I wasn’t a threat to anyone in the Noble circles. That meant if I was a target for assassination, it was only because of my family. Duke Jamar and General Seiran likely had hundreds of enemies both in Kingdom of Tirith and out of it. I certainly had a lot of work ahead of me if titans like them were my family.
Whatever the case, I would face each challenge that came my way head on. I wasn’t going to run from it. I chuckled though as I realized, maybe doing pushups first wasn’t the best idea. maybe I should start running, I could do that with Bartak for sure. I thought as I rolled onto my back and smiled. I really had a lot on my plate, but I would do my best to solve my problems no matter what they were. So first I should continue working on my body.
However, before I could even think about asking to train my body, I needed to gather more information on my new home. Bartak did explain what the kingdom of Tirith was and who our neighbors were. While I couldn’t ask him about the continent, I did ask him about that. It seemed Tirith was a centralized nation sitting surrounded by three other nations. One directly south called the kingdom of Vesper, while to the northeast was the kingdom of Heart and to the northwest was the empire of Bright Stone. Out of the three nations two had some hostility towards us. One more than the other, but still not the best thing.
I could learn more about what each nations specialty was or what made them different to us, but I would in time. But for now, I need to work on my body.
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