"Has anyone ever told you your mentality is a few years older than average teenagers of your age?"
"In our household, children are taught to be pragmatic," I said, recalling the teaching I hated most of my life. They were nothing, considering the hell I was living in now though. "I did everything to spite that teaching, but I guess it moulded me into the person I'm now.
"As for my mentality, most people don't really care, or I'm just too good at keeping the act according to the situation and place."
"Yes," Cameron agreed. "That is something everyone does, but you do it rather proficiently. It makes it easier for you to blend with people and even befriend people."
I shot him a sceptical look. "Really, I'm terrible at making friends."
"Well, let me count what I've noticed." Cameron sat straighter and started counting his fingers. "You crack jokes even when drowned in misery that shows you have a strong will."
"Well, that? It's just a defence mechanism," I said truthfully, "to calm myself, mostly, and I like making jokes."
Cameron narrowed his eyes at him. "Probably," he said, unsure. "But it shows a firm will. Some people will appreciate that and will probably want to be in touch with you."
I frowned. I never considered such things, although it was right before my eyes.
"That's one thing," I said.
"Then what about the flirting?" he inquired, "you hit it off with that Imani, who's the top dog of the earthlings. You know she can crush rock with her bare palm, yet you made so many suggestions that would probably have got you in trouble if not for your individualistic personality and her openness.
"This shows your ability to read people's personalities and work with them."
"Yeah, but that girl is taken," I said.
"How about the doctor's apprentice, then?"
"What about her?" I asked flatly.
"What was her name again?"
"Elea," I said, keeping my voice straight. "And for your information, we are just exchanging notes on what changed since she was summoned from the earth."
"Sure bloke," Cameron said, mimicking my tone. "I trust your words completely."
I snorted. "Anyway, back to the topic," I said, heaving a deep breath. "Meditation. Are you sure you know nothing?"
"Nothing more than usual," Cameron said. "Things like being able to go into deep sleeps, formidable command of mind, separating pain and other feelings. . . Honestly, I don't even know how any of those are possible, but I have seen too much after being summoned here to frown upon that."
I groaned. "All those seem too hard to achieve for a beginner like me," I said. "I just wanted to gain peace of mind."
"Only that?" Cameron smiled brightly. "I can give you a piece of my mind."
"Haha," I laughed a bit more spiritedly than I hoped. "Your puns are getting better. Still not at my level, but you'll get there."
Cameron laid back on the stone. "Honestly, I don't know what are you even expecting to do with that?" he said and pointed towards the collar on his neck. "In case you forgot, you'll never be able to learn anything related to magic with that on your neck.
"Furthermore, magic shouldn't be within the reach of common folks or slaves in the first place. Haven't you watched Harry Porter? You have to go to school and whatnot to learn wizardry."
"So you're saying I'm not a wizard?"
Cameron clicked his tongue. "You're a piece of work alright."
"Suppose you're right about that," I said. "You need something intrinsic to learn magic. And it's pretty uncommon."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Well, wouldn't you consider it funny when you find more than half of the slaves used to wield some magic power? Vital energy, to be exact."
Cameron looked at me suspiciously. His expression was incredulous, but he felt that I was telling the truth. "How do you know that?"
"Elea told me," I said and got that look from him.
"I thought you two were just discussing earthly matters."
"And a few other things," I added in my usual neutral tone.
Elea was the one who was in charge of looking after my palm when it was still screwed. Of course, she couldn't do anything magical like the elderly doctor who had a faint bit of vital energy, or the mysterious woman who helped me who should have that in abundance to make it manifest in glittering light.
I kind of had to bullshit my way out with her when they found my palm almost healed miraculously. Of course, they felt I was hiding something, but decided to keep their silence about it on consideration of my privacy.
However, the matter didn't end there. The little club the summoned individuals have wouldn't be there if they were lax like this.
Hence, Elea.
I kind of knew they were keeping tabs on any change from the thin spiral mark on my palms from her. That was the reason for her sudden interest in me. There were plenty of other big dogs in the slaves, and though I was on the fairer side, I wasn't nearly capable enough for her to show such interest in me.
But to whom was I to blame? They helped me, and it was natural to look out for suspicious things. I was too engrossed and even tried to get even angry about it. But it certainly had made me more cautious.
"So what else have you and Elea been discussing?"
"Well, mostly irrelevant things," I said. "Though I asked her to teach me the common tongue of this land."
"She knows it?" the former account asked, his tone suggesting interest. As a man of commerce and intelligence, he knew how important language was to people.
And so did I. Unfortunately, Elea wasn't that bright and didn't hold the same interest.
She did have a bright personality, soft-spoken and pretty—all these combinations were enough for others to show kindness to her. It didn't matter if that kindness was borne out of lust and desire or something else.
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