Memories are no more than a gray fog that follows unknown currents. They resurface with cryptic timing, bringing up things that should sometimes stay buried.

I look at Lord Juler talking my ears off about some matrix I modified for the [Sleep] spell, and he lectures me as if I was a child. He moves his wrinkled hands with short patience but also great detail and care for my own instruction. When he speaks, the gestures accompany his words, while his multi-colored eyes are stuck to me.

It is funny if you think about it. At a certain point, I expected the [Druid] fellow to be a sort of a father figure; in a way, it would have made sense. King Tiberius has taken care of great matters and has seen his heir die due to treachery. What else could have left a hole in his heart and the need to nurture someone else, perhaps? Yeah, it’s a bit weird using the word ‘nurture.’ Just bear with me for a second, alright? King Tiberius could have been there for me, but he chose not to. He chose to stay away from most matters and instead kept to his little façade until it all came crashing down, and he spiraled back into his old habits.

See, my family was weird. I loved them as one loves their parents. The sense of family they gave me came from Italy, where family is the only thing you can trust. My mother loved me to death, quite literally. She would have done anything for me, and maybe she spoiled me a little too much. I was able to skip many ‘confrontations’ with the real world, thanks to her. And she would have defended me on any occasion, in front, and against anyone. My father, on the other hand, was different. He was... hard. He was a hard man who had to work his ass off to make it in the country he moved to.

First-generation Italian immigrants are not as publicized as one might imagine. You might have seen mobsters, the wise guys, both on the big and small screen; however, the daily life of a first-generation Italian family has been somehow protected from public scrutiny. Asian families have some shows and books, and Asian parents treat their kids as an extension of their own bodies. They sacrifice everything to give their children the best life possible, being strict in every aspect that concerns the broad definition of ‘success.’

Are Italian parents like that? I don’t think so. They are obviously concerned with your success, as any parent is, but no more than average. And maybe less so. To understand what Italian parenting culture is, you have to look at Rome. The Eternal City was built on layers upon layers of civilizations. Every age built on top of the precedent, creating a unique, hidden foundation for the next. And even the deepest layer bled its customs to the one above it, unknowingly, most of the time. The origins of traditions were forgotten, but the customs were still followed and respected for no other reason than that they should. Blends of several civilizations came together under different influences, creating a rich tapestry of cultural norms that both benefited and plagued Italians. Some norms were forged anew, fused together with old ones across decades. And all this left the people with little to no knowledge of why they were still doing certain things.

Italian parents follow the same spirit, sometimes being more or less lax, more Mercurial than ordered, with more anarchy than structure. And when rules are randomly enforced or barely exist, people look for others and their help. Bonds are more easily forged because uncertainty brings people together, creating small, tightly knitted communities with all the good and the bad that comes with them.

And every kid comes out differently. As with all families, everyone has their little dysfunction, where the kids who grow up to be completely normal are a minority. But the main difference is probably the range of dysfunctionality that might affect kids. If you have Asian parents, you can expect coherent behavior across a large number of them. Italian parents? Anything goes, really. Is that good? Is that bad? Who knows. I’m obviously inclined to believe it might be better, but that’s because I’m biased. What it results in is a large amount of freedom and kids growing up as a result of happenstance.

In my case, for example, my relationship with my father was mostly distant, with my mother acting as a mediator. Even if you locked my father and me in the same room, it would have been extremely hard to see us communicate as normal people. And so, I mostly guided myself and took refuge under my mother’s wings.

As Lord Juler speaks, I feel a great sense of relief from my anxiety, a deep need finally sated. It’s not always pleasant to accept reality, but in this crazy fantasy world, a father figure helps quite a bit. I wish I were more stupid, like the average college kid, so that I wouldn’t be aware of this psychological thingy. But whatever.

An immensely strong jolt of electricity goes through my whole body.

“OUCH!” I say while shaking to get rid of the dizziness.

“I’ll be reprogramming the book with Valarith’s help to make sure it enforces a proper learning routine, Joey Luciani. It’s been too soft on you lately. Your achievements threw it off, and the internal algorithm has not been working well. We need to map a proper progression and redefine the parameters of the book. One day, hopefully, it will be your job to update the book and refit it to your greatest student.”

“I’m your greatest student?” I ask with my custom-made wink.

“You are the greatest blight, young Luciani,” Lord Juler says with a warm smile. “But an enormously talented blight, nonetheless. I’ve spent many nights trying to picture what you would be if you were born in Kome. Dead, I fear. That would be the most likely outcome of your personality, especially if we added all the challenges my people face.”

“Dead? I don’t really like that, you know?”

“I bet you don’t,” Lord Juler nods. “But I was talking in terms of who would you be with a Vanedeni attitude.”

“Why? Don’t you believe that the Vanedenis are the best of the best of the best?”

Lord Juler smirks in response.

“The best in our current era and a couple of eras past. Greater warriors than my people have walked this world. If we come back from this disaster against the Ahali, we might as well be the greatest yet. Not many civilizations can come back from their downfall. The Vanedenis have secrets that have yet to be unleashed, young Luciani. However, once those tricks are out of the bag, the chances of winning shall become almost zero. Princess Valarith, apparently, is not the only wild variable in our current equations. A [Lady], [Goldith Rodinia], might become a [Hero]. What kind of [Hero], however, is hard to say. She might be another twisted offspring, like Mauser.”

“Mauser is the [Necromancer]? The one Valarith killed?”

“Yes. A talent for magic like no one had seen before me. Valarith herself had... trouble killing him. He was a greater spellcaster than she could have ever hoped to be with her short training. Alas, twisted [Heroes] meet twisted ends. Being the strongest will not always guarantee you victory, Young Luciani. And that’s why we need preparation as [Mages]. “

Lord Juler pauses and looks around my house, troubled. Few times I’ve seen the old man with a frown like this. So far, he has behaved quite normally; he’s been the chatty-Patty we all know. However, he’s also a bit absent-minded. He stops to look at nothing in particular, smiles idiotically, and so on. Oh, shoot. Could he have a crush on someone?

“You’ll need extensive training by the book. I can’t always stay with you. And, most of all, you have been cheating the book.”

“I’m too good of a [Mage]; what else can I say?” I tell him with a cheeky smile, putting aside my worries.

“Your foundation in casting is strong thanks to the Cantrips, Joey Luciani. But a proper [Archmage] needs to be a good generalist. You can’t just be a [Light Mage]. You need to know the other classes and how to counter spells you have never heard before. High-level duels are all about preventing and anticipating the next spell your enemy will sling against you. Not even your [Gamma-Knife] will be enough to win every fight. [Mages] will find out its weaknesses at some point. Enchantments, Alchemy. There are fields of magic that will require years for you to master to the necessary level. Knowledge of your enemies will be your main weapon. The [Archmages] you see here are jokes. If you met a true foe, you would die terribly. Even Levener needs to get out of Valarith’s shadow and practice properly. [Archmages] need to roam the world, young Luciani.”

“Meh, I’m a [Professor] here; gotta teach.”

“You are a [Professor], but you need to learn as well. One day, you will depart from here. And, as my only disciple, you will need to live up to the heritage I left you.”

“Didn’t you say I could get out of all of this and get a new life or something?”

“Underneath your weakness,” Lord Juler says in a softer tone, “there’s a Vanedeni in you. You just don’t know it yet. And chances are, the day you’ll find a battle worth fighting, there might be a great [Hero], young Luciani.”

“Really? And where did this ‘young Luciani’ thing come from? What’s next? Will you speak like Yoda? Size matters not--”

Another jolt of electricity seizes my body under the happy gaze of Lord Juler.

“Belittle my words all you want, child. It will not change the fact that you are destined to change the world more than you wish for. Now, why don’t we take a good look at the book and plan for your future, shall we?”

“Yeah, no. Let’s do that another day—”

ZAP