The next morning, Melchior awoke in a strange bed. It felt very different from what he was familiar with on Earth and was more uncomfortable at first, but he got used to it quickly.

His morning wasn't any different from back home. He brushed his teeth, with surprisingly well-made toothbrushes, and had a bath at the little stall behind their small cottage.

After that, he went into the kitchen for breakfast.

There, the previous owner's mother and father ate and discussed. He had slipped into the house without them noticing last night, so this was the first time Melchior had seen their faces.

"You're still home, Mel?" his mother asked, beaming from ear to ear.

She was a homely-looking woman with clear skin and dark hair, much like his own. He also had her bright blue eyes as well. She didn't look like someone who had a 17-year-old son, that was for sure.

A name popped up in his mind; Alissa. That was her name.

His gaze briefly shifted to the large man next to her. He was massive, at around 196 (6'4") cm and had a well-built frame that seemed practically built for battle.

Unlike everyone else in the town, his father, Zale, had eye-catching white hair and a pair of hawk-like yellow eyes. 

Zale wore a hostile expression and free-fitting leather armour that protected his body to a large degree. A weapon also hung from his back in the form of a large battle axe.

'He's strong,' Melchior noticed 'Perhaps as strong as Damjan.'

"Why aren't you at the mines?" Zale asked pointedly without wasting any more time.

It was clear that his father wasn't as welcoming as his mother.

"Morning…mom," Melchior said first, ignoring the question. Even if she weren't his real mother, he would treat her with as much respect and admiration as he gave his mom.

And then as for his father… it was pretty long since he had heard that word.

Melchior turned to the man and spoke calmly.

"I overslept a little,"

Zale said nothing, his eyebrows creasing together, and his hand squeezing harder and harder on the mug he held until-

CHAK~!

It crumbled into powder, falling to the ground.

The large man took in a deep breath, then stared calmly at Melchior. The creases forming on his head disappeared quickly.

"Run away from your duties, and I will deal with you myself."

With that, he took long strides and exited the room immediately.

Melchior stared at the door for a few seconds before sighing. He didn't exactly expect 'golden child' treatment, but this was an eye-opener. His father died when he was much younger back on Earth. It had only been him and his mom for the longest time.

And his mom had always gone easy on him. It was others who actively discouraged him, much like the man who had just left.

'Let's hope he doesn't become too much of a problem for me.'

"Don't take it to heart, Melly. You know he tries his best," Alissa said, grabbing a small broom to clean up the powdered mess on the floor. 

Zale either wasn't a total jackass or he was just as bad as he thought, and his mother was a little delusional.

"I find that hard to believe," he grunted, going over to help her.

Alissa "He just has a little trouble expressing his emotions, that's all."

"I'll take your word for it, Mom," he said finally, unwilling to continue the conversation further.

Without even realising it, Melchior had already begun to accept her despite the thin barrier that remained in his mind. She was very similar to his mother.

"Are you going to the mines now?" she asked, seeing him head towards the door.

Melchior nodded, "Yeah. I'll be back soon."

"Good luck, Melly. Love you!" she called out one last time as he stepped out of the door.

He chuckled a little. That part wasn't unfamiliar to him, at least.

'Guess everyone on this planet isn't all that bad after all.'

But there was a time for everything.

The mines his mom and dad spoke about were Stactite mines. A brief overview of them came up in his mind when they first spoke about it.

Stactite ores were richer in spirit energy than most others and were suited for weapon and equipment production. Powerful Bonded often used Stactite weapons to maximize their powers. This made it a highly coveted ore and very expensive, too.

Melchior's small town happened to be a fairly large producer of stactite. They exported it and received large returns and protection from the Kingdom by being one of their main suppliers.

Simple, right? Then how did he fall into all this?

Well, since most Bonded were prioritized in such a small town, it was left to them–the Spiritless–to mine the ores for the town.

'Except that it's unpaid labour where we are treated less than slaves.'

'...I detest that.'

He jogged through the cluster of cottages and stone buildings — nothing he hadn't seen before — until he finally arrived at the outskirts of the town where the mines lay.

It was a heavily guarded spot, surrounded by multiple walls and guards on all ends. Each guard wore a set of powerful-looking armour and stared into the endless forest in front. They seemed more like automated machines than humans.

Melchior approached cautiously. It was his first time seeing this in person, so needless to say, it was surprising.

Without wasting any more time, he stepped to the front gate and spoke to the guard.

"I'd like to enter,"

The guard's faces were covered by helmets, but he could practically smell the disdain dripping from their bodies.

The large wooden doors slid open with a painful screeching noise, revealing the large cave entrance with a bustling number of people.

Melchior stepped in, then turned to grab the mining equipment at the side, when a wide shadow came up on him. He heard the voice first, dripping with a familiar disgust and derision pouring out.

"You're late, maggot."