The sun shone high in the sky, and the dull sound of wood striking wood echoed across the academy's training field. Around them, a few students watched with interest as two boys of the same age were locked in battle.
Kael, now fourteen, had grown a lot since the child he had been a few years ago. Although he still couldn't perceive mana, that hadn't stopped him.
After his conversation with Ronald, he realized that waiting for things to change was pointless, so with his help, Kael put all his effort into training. Despite his body not being fully developed, his endurance and speed had improved significantly, putting him ahead of his peers physically.
Across from him, Joshua, a peer with a more muscular build, gripped his wooden sword with both hands, watching Kael's movements. He had always been sturdier than the other boys, relying more on brute strength than speed.
The two had faced off many times before. The reason? Joshua had a deep crush on Alice and was jealous of the fact that the girl always stuck close to Kael, who, despite being aware of this, could only sigh.
'I can't control her...'
Kael moved first, advancing swiftly and delivering a direct blow to Joshua's side. Joshua reacted quickly, blocking the attack with a side strike. The force of the impact caused both wooden swords to vibrate. Without wasting time, Joshua pushed Kael back with a heavy swing strike, forcing him to dodge sideways to avoid being overwhelmed.
"Today will be my victory!" Joshua exclaimed with a confident smile.
Kael didn't let himself be provoked. Instead of responding, he quickly dropped to a crouch, aiming for his opponent's knee. Joshua barely blocked in time, but the push made him lose his balance for a moment. Kael seized the opportunity to advance and land a swift slash to Joshua's chest, forcing him to step back.
"Kael wins," the instructor announced.
At the instructor's words, the other students erupted into enthusiastic exclamations.
"Is it 20 to 0 now?"
"I wonder how he moves so fast…"
"I'm not surprised, I see him training every day."
Kael paid little attention to the comments, shaking his slightly sore hand after the intense exchange, not entirely satisfied. Despite the slight discomfort, he extended his hand to Joshua with a friendly smile.
"It's getting harder to win."
"Hmph." Joshua snorted and swatted his hand away with an irritated gesture. "I still don't get how, as a Novice of Basic rank, I lose to someone who can't even perceive mana… Ah."
As soon as he realized what he had said, Joshua stiffened, while the others held their breath, casting pitying glances at him. Not so much for Kael's reaction, who usually ignored such provocations, but for his guard dog.
"What-did-you-say?"
"W-Wait, Alice! It slipped out, I meant—UGH!"
From the crowd emerged Alice, flashing a smile that sent shivers down everyone's spine. She was no longer the girl from a few years ago: her brown hair had grown longer, framing her deep black eyes, and her appearance was beginning to reveal the beauty she would one day possess. However, anyone in the village knew that inside, she was more manly than many of the men.
'It's incredible how she has the same devilish smile as Aunt Angela.'
Of course, Kael wasn't crazy enough to say it out loud. Not to her, and certainly not to his aunt... he wasn't planning on dying young. Even so, he had to stop Alice before she suffocated Joshua, who had now taken on a worrying bluish tint.
"Alice, could you not kill him?"
"Okay~"
Alice smiled at him as if she hadn't been choking someone just moments before. Kael massaged his forehead, resigned.
"Do you have to do this every time?"
"I can't just let someone bully my little brother, can I?" Alice chirped playfully, wrapping her arm around his neck.
Kael stared at her for a long moment. She tilted her head innocently as if she hadn't done anything unusual. Finally, he sighed.
"Do whatever you want."
"Good boy." Alice nodded in satisfaction.
It seemed strange that someone as seemingly frail as Alice could restrain a big guy like Joshua, but anyone who knew her level wouldn't be surprised. She was already a Novice of Intermediate rank, an impressive feat considering most kids in the village reached that rank around the age of sixteen.
"The lesson is over, you can all go home," the instructor announced, casually throwing the unconscious Joshua over his shoulder as if it were a routine scene.
After the instructor's announcement, the students began to disperse, some chatting amongst themselves, others rushing home. Kael stretched, feeling the accumulated fatigue, as Alice walked beside him with a satisfied expression.
"Since we don't have the academy tomorrow, should we train?" Alice asked, glancing at him.
"I remind you that I train with Ronald, but if you want, you can join us." As he said this, he noticed her expression freeze, her gaze shifting to the other side.
"On second thought, I think I should help Mom."
She had made the mistake in the past of joining Ronald's training, which could only be described as Spartan. The day after that session, she was unable to stand without every muscle in her body screaming in pain.
The fact that Kael trained like that regularly left her speechless, but it was also the reason he was so strong. Even she sometimes lost to him.
"Sometimes I wonder how you keep going."
"It's not like I have any other options."
Seeing the natural way he said it, Alice felt a pang of sadness. Having grown up together, she knew Kael better than anyone and was fully aware of his curiosity and desire to explore the world. It was also a dream they had made as children. Unfortunately, such an experience required a certain amount of strength, and since Kael couldn't yet sense mana, that dream seemed unachievable.
'It's not fair.' Resting her forehead on Kael's shoulder, Alice felt indignant that someone who worked as hard as Kael couldn't fulfill his dream.
"Everything okay?" Kael asked, noticing Alice's behavior.
"Nothing, I was just thinking how lucky you are to still have my company in the future."
Alice joked while Kael looked at her as if she were crazy.
"You meant unlucky, right?"
At his comment, Alice kicked him on the leg. Seeing him hop from the pain made her feel more satisfied, while Kael could only laugh bitterly.
"We're back!" Alice announced cheerfully as she entered home.
From the kitchen, Angela's bright voice immediately echoed. "Welcome back!"
Without wasting any time, Alice rushed to hug her mother, who returned the gesture affectionately.
"Go wash up, your father will be home soon."
Alice nodded and walked away, while Kael approached to greet Angela with a respectful smile.
"Good evening, Auntie."
"Oh, Kael! You're getting more handsome every day! Come here, let me hug you."
Kael, though slightly embarrassed, let himself be embraced. These things had started to feel a bit childish to him, but he knew Angela still saw him as a child. After all, even though Ronald had taken care of him, it was Angela who had raised him, treating him like a second son. He considered her a sweet and loving woman... but he knew well that making her angry was never a good idea.
"Go wash up after Alice is done."
Meanwhile, the door opened again, and Ronald and Beatrice entered, engaged in their usual argument. Despite living close and seeing each other often, every encounter between them seemed to turn into a heated debate. It wasn't clear if it was a habit or some kind of game, but they always ended up bickering.
"Grandma!"
Kael and Alice greeted her enthusiastically, and just like magic, Beatrice's furrowed brow immediately softened.
"Here are my favorite kids."
She welcomed them with a warm smile, gently caressing their faces and playfully pinching their cheeks.
"How are you, Grandpa Ronald?" Alice asked.
"I'm good, and I even brought some little gifts," he replied with a small smile, affectionately placing a hand on her head.
Angela sighed, though her gaze betrayed a hint of gratitude. "You didn't have to."
As dinner was almost ready, the door opened once more, and Luke walked in. He had changed a lot in recent years: he now had a more mature and confident air, enhanced by the beard he had decided to grow. But despite his more austere appearance, when he was with family, he remained the same kind-hearted and cheerful Luke.
He had recently been promoted to captain of the village guards under Baron Romulus's command, having finally advanced from the Novice level to Expert. He could have moved to the Baron's city to start a new life, but he chose to stay. He didn't want to disrupt the daily life of his family, which had found a happy home in the village.
Dinner was a warm and convivial affair, with the clinking of utensils and light laughter filling the room. The table was full of steaming and fragrant dishes, carefully prepared by Angela and Beatrice, while Luke enthusiastically shared some anecdotes from his work as captain of the guards.
Alice and Kael playfully teased each other between bites, while Ronald smiled, occasionally adding an ironic comment. Beatrice, on the other hand, didn't miss a chance to throw a jab at Ronald, who responded with his usual calm demeanor.
"By the way, Ronald, how are we training tomorrow?" Kael asked.
"Hmm... actually, there's a change of plans, we're going hunting."
The other adults looked at him strangely, not so much because the request was absurd, but because, by tradition, when a boy turned fifteen, becoming an adult, a relative would take him hunting for his first prey.
"Isn't it a bit early?" Angela asked, concerned.
"I doubt Mr. Ronald would do anything foolish, but I'm also curious, why not wait a year?" Luke seemed to trust Ronald, but he was also curious.
"I have something else in mind for his fifteenth birthday. So, what do you think? You can always refuse if you want."
At Ronald's question, Kael quickly shook his head, responding excitedly.
"Of course not, I'm in!"
"Can I come too?"
Alice's question was met with a firm "no" from everyone, leaving her sulking for the rest of the evening, which occasionally caused the family members to laugh.