I knew if I took too long to answer, I would end up looking more suspicious, and I only had one excuse I could think of. I lowered my head and twiddled my fingers as I answered Eric’s question. “Ummm… Don’t tell Mother but…. I have been secretly learning a few intermediate spells… I used wind rush on myself to make myself faster….”

I waited and waited, but yet my brother did not answer me. Only after what seemed like an hour but was in reality only a minute or two that went by did I finally lift my head to see him staring at me in disbelief. He raised his finger and pointed at me at a loss for words. “You…. You…. Hahahahaa! I wished I saw Trent’s face as you ran by. I could only see his back, but when you charged right past him, he froze, and only after you were far, far ahead of him did he turn and run towards the village. My guess is that he knew if he stayed and let you beat him up that he would suffer badly. Let’s hope this will be a lesson to him and that he will no longer try to bother you anymore.”

“Brother, you are not mad that I learned spells I should not have?” I asked. I was worried about him telling Mother! She was an angel when she was in a good mood but turned into a demon when she was in a bad mood. If my mother knew that I had been using intermediate spells without her permission, she would spank my bottom!

“Hmm? Why would I be mad? I already know how great your control over magic is. I also know you have a great deal of mana. So I am not worried about you getting sick from casting a spell as long as you do not cast something that will drain it all up in one go like grand fall or something like that.” My brother reached out and patted my head. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to Mother. I know you are worried about that, but I will never tell on you.”

Hearing him make such a declaration made me purse my lips. “Lies! You told Mother that time I tried to cast a fireball on my own! My butt really hurt after that, you know!”-.

“Ah, that….” I watched as Eric’s cheeks turned red as he scratched his nose. Humph! Caught in your own lie. He’s lucky he is my brother or I would beat him up! If you add up all the years, I have been alive in this life and my past, it is like I am over twenty. I, a twenty year old, was spanked by my mother on my bare bottom! One of the most humiliating experiences in my two lives.

“I didn’t think she would spank you…. Sorry…” They say to forgive and show compassion. Since it was his only time actually getting me in trouble, I will let it slide.

“I will forgive you, but only this one time.” Of course, I still had to put on a show that I am being reluctant otherwise, he might tell on me again, and I would need to undergo the red bottom technique my mother seems to have mastered.

My first trip outside ended on a good note. I was able to see an amazing view that made me realize just how expansive this world truly was. Maps and pictures can never truly allow you to grasp the size of the world around you. You need to look out and see the far distant mountains that would be months away if you tried to travel there.

But now, my concern was how to find a proper place to really practice my spells without being under the watchful eyes of my family. I could try asking my brother, but there is no way he would allow me to enter the forest. I could go near the forest entrance because it was relatively safe, but I could not go into the forest on my own. He would immediately say something to our mother.

“If I could just go outside on my own….” I mumbled under my breath. If I was able to roam around by myself, things would be so much easier.

“You say something?” My brother asked. I just hoped he did not hear what I said instead of just pretending he didn’t. Either way, there was nothing I could do about it if he did. As long as I was not caught, there was nothing he could do!

“No, just talking to myself,” I replied with a smile, trying to wave off the conversation. But I was still in a dilemma. I needed to practice my magic and learn to fight against real monsters, and hopefully level up. I was not sure if this would work, but it was something I had to deal with sooner or later. I would rather not wait until later in case something happens and I need to fight. Without proper practice, it would be very bad. I already accepted the fact that being a demi human would not make my life easy, but that did not mean I would allow others to look down on me.

When we got home, my mother had already heard about the race with Trent. It seemed no matter what, in a small village, not much goes unnoticed and will always make its rounds. Even if my mother is someone who is normally home all the time, she will still hear everything going on in the village. Plus, we were not very quiet while yelling at each other.“Are you two stupid!?” My mother yelled, causing both me and my brother to flinch. “How could you accept such a bet!? Faith, do you not understand what it would have meant if you were kicked out of the village. He is the village elder’s grandson! He only needs to tell them that you made a bet, and the results would need to be upheld. We would all end up needing to move!”

“But we didn’t lose….” I tried to plead my case, but my Mothers glare quickly shut me up.

“Faith, it is not about winning or losing! You made a bet that if those brats actually did win, they would make a fuss until the bet was upheld and you actually left the village. Your father, me, and your brother would all need to leave with you because there is no way we would allow you to suffer alone! Don’t do such stupid things in the future. Also! Eric, you are also just as guilty in this because you did not stop your sister!” My mother finished with a long, drawn-out sigh. She looked at the two of us and shook her head. “You two are getting older. You need to be responsible for your actions. Now tell me, Faith, when and where did you learn intermediate spells?”

“Huh?” My mother’s question stunned me. I have no idea if my mother has clairvoyance or not, but she somehow knew I used an intermediate spell.

“Don’t try to lie to me either. You tripped and fell, which gave you a late start. You may be fast, but those boys would have done so much more to you if you tried to run past them. Plus, the locals saw you reaching the forest in a short amount of time. The only way for you to do such a thing is to use a spell called wind rush, which is an intermediate spell. Now explain to me when did you learn this spell?” Ugh… Why did my mother need to be so smart!? She knew everything, and she wasn’t even there! This is so unfair!

“I read it in the books.” She knew I had read all the magic books in the house, so this was a given.

“Reading and practicing are two different things. Wind rush is a complicated spell that requires almost thirty runic equations. Now tell me, when did you practice this spell? Do you know the dangers of using spells that could deplete your mana? Faith, you could die from mana exhaustion!” Seeing my mother’s worried yet angry expression made me realize she was not so much as mad at me for casting the spell but worried that I could harm myself from casting such magic too early.

“I…. Mother, you told me yourself that my life would not be easy as I am a demi human. Having more spells to protect myself is better than not having enough. Wind rush allows me to move at an extremely fast speed allowing me to get away from anyone who is trying to harm me. Plus, you know I have higher than average mana. So how would it harm me?” I pouted my lips. I never talked back to my mother before, but this time I did, because I keep being told my life will be hard, yet she gets mad when I try to better myself….

“Faith, that is not what I am saying.” My mother sighed as she looked at me. I could see the pain in her eyes. “You are growing up much faster than I would have liked….”

The conversation ended there. I am not sure if my mother was feeling guilty or not, but she seemed to not want to talk about the subject anymore. I knew she was saying all this out of her care and concern for me. But I only had so much time until I was eventually going to be an adult. The more I learned now, the more ready I was, the better it would be for me in the future. I think she realizes this but still wishes for me to always be her little girl.

That night I went to the kitchen area when my mother was alone and hugged her from behind. “I’m sorry…. I should have told you ahead of time….”

“Faith….” My mother turned around and hugged me tightly. “I just want you to always be safe… I know you have a huge weight on your shoulders, and I wish there was something I could do to relieve that, but unfortunately, your mother is too weak.”

–AN: Hello, author here. Since no one reads author notes, I decided to add this here. I am looking for your input on this novel so please leave a comment letting me know. Thanks!–