It wasn’t exactly peaceful living in an orphanage, the kids would pester me when I tried to train outside. So I ended up meditating in my room most of the day, and do my training in the evening when the kids were inside.

I had cooped myself in my room way too much the last week and decided to spend some time outside and maybe take a gander around the town later.

Going outside I saw the children were having a lesson with a gentle-looking old lady, she would have been a looker in her earlier days. Which means she was probably harassed for looking weak.

Coming closer to listen she was showing them how to sew while telling stories about regular people and other vocations.

There were examples of barmaids and shop keepers, stable girls and farmers, cleaners and cooks. The stories convened hope and decent life that regular people lived and their importance to society.

While I was musing about the stories and watching her expertly sew a shirt at the same time Mother Eris stepped up to me.

“Nira comes around sometimes to help the children.”

I turned towards the caretaker while cocking my head.

“Is she the one that Lisandra mentioned to Lyria?”

“Yes, she was a seamstress that hurt her hand and couldn’t afford any healing. Lyria healed her when she visited her shop to buy some clothes for the kids. She was always a sweet girl that would help anyone in need.”

Nodding and smiling at Lyrias story I could easily imagine her concerned face turn serious while she cast her healing.

While I was turned towards Eris I heard a frustrated cry coming from the rumbustious future powerhouse.

“It seems like not every child is happy with the lesson. Rina is looking peeved sitting with her needle over there.”

Eris shook her head while gently explaining to me.

“It’s true that around ten percent of the population has the talent to become something magical, but almost all of them come from gifted parents and nobles. The children here are mostly from poor regular families and it would be a miracle for any of them to awaken. It would be better if they could learn some skills for their future and not pin all their hopes on something outside their reach.”

She looked sadly towards Rina who was always proclaiming herself as the next hero.

I could only sigh on the brutality of life, in this world I was one of the lucky ones. It could be said I was one of the lucky ones back at home as well, but I still wasn’t thrilled with my station both back at home and here.

There was still a long way to go before I could live up to my new expectations, at least here I had wonderful company and hope for the future.

I was really missing my nights with the girls after a week, getting used to and learning each other's preferences made it more enjoyable as time went on.

Shaking my head as my mind went into the gutter I decided to take a look around town and maybe buy some sweets for the kids. I haven’t really spent that much time with them for the last two days.

Waving goodbye to Eris I went inside to grab my cloak before stepping outside the monastery.

Taking a deep breath I looked around the street, it was still weird walking around the town. Seeing the exotic sights of unusual beast and different races, in truth they were mostly humans and it didn’t help that it was dominated by women. It was weird seeing so few guys out in the street, and I couldn’t remember seeing a guy walking alone. Well maybe they were like me and hiding who they were to dodge unwanted attention.

Walking towards a nearby bakery, the sweets were mostly baked goods with some local sweetener and berries. It wasn’t exactly the same as back home, at least not the ones I have come in contact with.

I was wondering if I should extend my foray or just do a short trip, there wasn’t really anything I wanted to do or see per sey.

Being lost in my own thoughts I bumped into someone.

“Hey, watch it peep squeak. Before I crush you.”

A gruff voice sounded down on me, it was from a monstrous woman that had scars on her face.

Ducking my head down.

“Sorry.”

Hearing my voice she grabbed my shoulder.

“Hey now, why are you in such a hurry? Shouldn’t you show some sincerity and show your face when you apologies?”

She had a leer on her face and an iron grip on my shoulder.

“I’m in a hurry, my apologies.”

I mumbled while trying to extract myself out of this predicament.

Huffing she grabbed my cloak and pulled it off, her smile only grew wider when she saw my face.

“Now why is such a pretty little thing walking around the streets alone? Why not let big sis here take care of you?”

“I already have a family.”

“Well I don’t see them anywhere.”

This was getting ridiculous, she wouldn’t take no for an answer and I was running out of polite ways to refuse.

Remembering how the girls would emit some kind of pressure in these types of situations I could only try to imitate. I focused on my black hole image and tried to point its pressure directly on her.

There was a slight distortion a few centimeters from my body, but she pulled her hand away from my shoulder as if it scalded her. Her eyes went wide with shock while she stepped back. She looked scared around herself before quickly bailing.

The street around me went quiet for a second before the people started to murmur and pointing at me, it was really discerning how they reacted.

A strong looking woman in leather armor came up to me while the commotion from my actions went on in the background.

“Hi, I’m Natalie. Would you like an escort so the riffraff doesn't bother you? I’m a merc by the way.”

She gave me a confident smile with sharp eyes that looked directly at me.

“No I’m fine, thank you.”

She looked uncertain for a second before getting her smile back.

“Come on, you will be pestered by lowlifes for the rest of the day if you walk around alone. Besides we gifted should help each other out, right?”

I could only sigh, this was another attempt to get close to me. It was a little flattering, but with the fact I already had my hands full with the most beautiful women I could ever imagine. I wouldn’t waste both our time when random strangers tried to pick me up.

“I already have a family. They are doing a mission now, that’s why I’m alone. Besides I’m on my way home anyway.”

Natalie clicked with her tongue before her smile went away and she walked away. Muttering something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch.

This removed any intentions I had left in exploring the city, quickly buying a bunch of sweet breadsticks I hurried back to the monastery.

When I got back to the orphanage the girls were playing outside, Allie saw me and tentatively came towards me. She was usually beaming with curiosity and joy, but now she seemed uncertain.

“Are you mad at us?”

Looking quizzically at her I tilted my head while answering.

“No, why?”

“You haven’t come out to play with us for the last two days. And you seemed miffed when we bothered you earlier...”

She was more mature than most other children, and she seemed more attentive as well. I pat her head while smiling at her, she was probably very cognitive towards people's feelings after being abandoned.

“No, I’m sorry I was just practicing and I got to caught up in it. Besides I’m taking a break now, I even brought a present for you girls.”

Smiling at her I took out a breadstick and handed one to her. Her face lit up and she happily ate it while looking at me.

“What are you practicing? We saw you run around and thought you were playing. And later you just sat there with your eyes closed.”

She really was a curious child, she would always barrage me with different questions whenever we were together.

“Well the running was so I could become stronger and healthier, while the sitting still was me meditating and practicing my mana control.”

She looked at me with big shining eyes.

“Wow, could you show me some spells?”

Scratching the side of my head I looked at how excited she was.

“Well no, that’s why I’m practicing so I can learn to use them.”

“Oooh, but why do you want to get stronger? Guys don’t need to be strong.”

Laughing at her childlike innocence I pat her head.

“Well I want to be strong so I can join Lyria on her adventures. Wouldn’t it be more fun going around seeing the world with your loved ones, instead of just sitting home alone?”

She looked serious while thinking, before nodding in understanding.

“I know, you want to be like warrior prince Victor. I also would like to go on adventures, but Mother Eris is saying that it’s better to find something else to enjoy.”

Ruffling her head, it wasn’t easy knowing what to say to a child who was full of hope when it was unlikely to pan out.

“Here take another, but it’s a secret okay?”

Winking at her while giving her another breadstick I called out to the other children.

It was still hard to get them lined up properly.

Playing cops and robbers, or monster and rabbit as they called it was a fun time. But after a while I taught them hide and seek before sneaking away.

Sitting under the sun in a corner of the compound I meditated on my image while trying to refine it and make it more stable. I still got headaches every time I did it, it miffed me that they still came in full force after all this time.

“You shouldn’t force an image like that.”

I heard Mother Eris talking to me opening my eyes and looking quizzically at her.

“I’m surprised that you have something like this, normally people don’t have an image that exceeds their soulpower.”

“Sorry, I never heard anything about it being dangerous.”

“No very few people know about it. It’s not like kids don’t try to make a grand image of dragons, volcanoes or even the sun. But they are only making a cheap imitation with barely any understanding. You on the other hand actually have some substance behind it, I can see it with the random fluctuations that have an oppressive quality to it. That’s also the problem, you can't keep a stable control of it while the power fluctuations are all over the place. When they hit their highs they put a strain on your soul that can be detrimental to your future. You have an understanding of whatever you're trying to create, but its only tentative with some critical holes in it. You either need to get a more powerful soul, or fix the holes in your knowledge to alleviate your problem. Before you manage that I suggest you take a step back on your image, its best to keep to what you know.”

Looking at Eris in a new light.

“I never knew you were so knowledgeable, even Cassandra never mentioned anything about it.”

“Hoho, It usually only happens when a master shares too much with some younglings. I used to teach at the main branch before, I was a big shot back in my days.”

Looking incredulous at the portly grandmother that humphed in pride, I couldn’t help but disbelievingly say.

“Really?”

“Hohoho, not really. I was a teacher at the main branch, but I was only a regular instructor there. But I did come across a case like yours when a master grandparent shared too much with a prodigy from her family. It gave her knowledge beyond her capabilities without the full understanding.”

“Awww… I hoped maybe you could help then. I have an affinity for space, but it’s so hard to understand, or even imagine how I’m supposed to manipulate it.”

She looked thoughtfully at me.

“That’s a tough one kiddo. I can’t really help you with space as I was a teacher of the holy scriptures. And even then I can only teach those that are a part of the church.

With space if you don’t have a master then the only options I can think of is joining the mage tower, or getting special access at the library.”

“How does the mage tower work? And I didn’t know that their even was a library that contained that level of information.”

She cocked her eye upon the question.

“You must be from far away to not know any of this.”

I scratched my head while laughing nervously.

“Yeah, sorry I don’t know a lot. I just got to this country a couple of months ago, I came from a place called Earth.”

“Erth? Never heard of it… Well to your question the mage tower would gladly accept any person who has space affinity especially a male like you. You would be taken in as an initiate for a year where you would live in their dorms and be cut off from the world. If you show talent you can get a master, but most just become common apprentices that only attend classes while doing their basic duties. The mage tower is an insular organization, when you join you become a part of them and cut off from your old family and life. The library on the other hand is open too all, but only the public section if you pay a membership fee. They also have an exclusive section that contains the theories of mana and techniques, plus other important subjects.

You have to have good connections or deep pockets to get access to the exclusive section. Outside that you need to become someone really special or do something extraordinary to have the chance of entering.”

Grimacing at the options she gave me, neither seemed viable to me. I refused to cut the girls out of my life for the mage tower, and I didn’t have the ability to pursue the library option either.

“Do you have any tips on how I could train my soul faster?”

Eris shook her head at me.

“I doubt its anything you haven’t heard before, its mostly practice and personal growth. How the soul truly works is beyond what we know. I can tell you that those with strong wills and confidence often makes it the farthest, but it’s a fine line since those who are arrogant and overconfident are often the first to fall.”

Nodding towards Eris as thanks.

“Thank you for your help Mother Eris. I would have kept pushing myself without knowing it was detrimental without your advice.”

I guess I need to rethink my options going forward now.