It’s been a month or more since my arrival, during the nights I sneak into various rooms for documents, books, and anything else I can get my hands on. The translator rock was a huge success, and even further that crazy Master had written the alphabet of his own language next to mine, it had a lot more symbols but he supplemented various combinations of mine next to those that had no equivalent.

I had always been good at studying, and I loved to read in my previous life, but here I seemed to be able to remember things after reading them once or twice. It turned out that the translator rock was a temporary effect so I could only study these things for a short time before the words returned to their original state.

It was on my sixth night I started exploring the rest of the rooms here and found the library. It was actually quite in disarray, books everywhere some were open to specific pages depicting magical arrays, random scrolls with half written spells. One particular book had a lot to do with summoning circles and their proper design, use, and warnings. I was actually quite shocked once I realized what had happened to me was completely a fluke of random chance.

The next couple of nights I spent reading every book I could reach and it wasn't until the third night in the library I came across my first magical tome: Spell Craft for Dummies. I scoffed, 'Was this a joke, is the universe making fun of me?' I could only imagine. Putting aside the title's unfortunate reference to my current situation or that it was a familiar title I read through it completely. Most of what it contained I wouldn't be able to use until I gained proficiency but there were a handful of easy low level spells I could practice.

I actually shouted in joy when I got a light spell to produce light in my hand. Realizing what I had done I quickly shoved the book into it's original place and scrambled back to my corner in the other room. I need not have bothered though as it seems he was a heavy sleeper, but better to be safe than sorry. I also felt quite mentally tired, it had been a few days since I last meditated, and it also felt like the spell drained something from me.

Two weeks of trial, error and success, I could tell I was getting stronger as the spells I tested weren’t as draining as before. The more I used them, the stronger the effect, and the more often I could do it the next night. Some spells were way more complex, or required components I didn’t have or shouldn’t use in case of discovery. I wouldn't be able to use most of the spells I learned but the guide did say that I would eventually be able to once I had enough internal power and understanding.

By the time a month had gone by I had a handful of spells and I was finally able to start using elemental magics. Seeing my hand burning for the first time I remembered I was made of wood and ended the spell.

"Maybe it's a special type of wood or my own spells couldn't harm me?" murmuring to myself, a habit I had picked up from the crazy mage. Every so often I had to take a break to rest my mind or I'd go a bit foggy the next day, sparking interest in the mage as to why my condition deteriorated.

Days were spent either writing down his findings and conjectures in his experiments or answering questions about myself and my world. I tried to be as vague and limiting as possible, but never lied. He found the concept of cars very interesting and we spent a few days on that subject alone. Still, it's not like I knew or fully understood their inner workings myself.

“Lucos, I find this concept of syunce most interesting.” he’s talking to me about what I had explained to him before about the scientific method “It’s not at all unlike what I do here…”

‘Ya OK, if you lack any sort of methodology or direction, sure…’ I rebuke him internally. He spent most of his time just trying random things and on more than one occasion he would try the same thing multiple times to the same effect. 'Was he really expecting a different outcome?'

“But still, to think you came from a world without magic, and instead your culture uses this syunce instead to progress civilization, is fascinating. I definitely wish to make a ‘car’ someday.” his ability to dream big was at least his strongest point. I still don't understand how he managed to summon me here.

"Yes Master, as you say, but if this one might make a suggestion, you might want to develop roads first. Cars would break before going far without them." his ability to put the cart before the horse was as strong as ever.

“Yes yes, there are already roads here, it’s not a big deal.” he said dismissively with a wave of his hand. I had told him about asphalt and concrete but once he heard the word road and made the connection to cobblestone, I couldn’t get him to listen.

‘Oh well, not like I have to help this person understand anything, just as long as he’s not going through one of his fits.’ it’s also not like I knew how to create such things myself, only of their existence.

“Well, I can’t worry about it now anyway, I have other more important matters to focus on. I think it’s time I get my bodyguard, I’m pretty sure the same accident won’t occur twice. Plus events in the future as they are planned to be will be dangerous if I don’t have one.”

"This one is capable Master…" my thirst for knowledge and freedom sometimes over came my sense of self preservation.

“Shut it, I’m not going to let you have any sort of weapon and if I hear of such talk again there will be consequences.” his eyes spark dangerously as he raised his voice at me.

"As you say Master, this one apologizes." I bow and back up. ‘That was dangerous, definitely not bringing the subject up again.’ I chide myself and back up to the wall.

“I’m going to town, you stay here and clean up the summoning room. I have to get materials and buy a new body for the summons.” he gets up to leave while giving me instructions. Not the hardest thing to do and I’m left with some time on my hands.

After he leaves and I've finished cleaning up I start to plan. Remembering the information on summoning circles I knew that the one he had drawn up was already wrong. More over if he did succeed in anything they would be free to do whatever they wished, I just didn't know that at the time. Plus my own situation was too far out of the norm for me to really take advantage anyway. That being said, with a few minor alterations I could make it a rather bad situation for him.

I knew once things started going wrong I wouldn't want to be there for very long so I packed a bag with a few essentials. Well, I say essentials but really, this body needed very little but a robe to cover it and a bag to carry things as well as a walking stick seemed appropriate.

Deviousness, perhaps I had a knack for it?