Two more years had passed since my reincarnation into this world.
With that came our fifth birthday.
For the first time in this world, I hurried down the stairs.
The first thing that hit us was the smell of freshly baked bread. Then came seasoned meat, golden rolls, fruit, and stacks of cheese. Well, you get the idea.
To nobles, this might be a simple feast, but to us, it was entirely different.
Mother had woken up before dawn just to prepare all of this.
Paul surely had too, but only to steal scraps of food while Zenith shooed him out of the kitchen.
Rudeus dug in with pure enthusiasm.
"This is really good, Mother," Rudeus said with his mouth full.
"I'm glad, Rudy," Zenith said. "But don't talk with your mouth full."
"Understood, Mother."
After we finished eating, Paul decided to speak.
"Alright." He cleared his throat. "When a boy turns five, he receives something special from his family. It is a tradition that marks the passage from early childhood to... well, slightly less early childhood. There isn't much else to say."
Paul gave a smile, the kind only he could make, and went to fetch something. When he returned, he was carrying two cloth-wrapped objects.
"Daiki. As my firstborn, you go first. Even if it was only by a few minutes, you were technically born earlier." Paul chuckled. "I'm kidding. There are no rules for gifts. Simply put, since I'm your father and you want to be a swordsman, I felt it was better to give it to you first."
Unwrapping the cloth revealed two swords. One was wooden and the other was metal.
"Throughout all these years, you've shown a dedication and passion for the sword that I rarely see in adults. Even more than in myself. You earned it, Dai."
I held the metal one first.
It wasn't large. It was specifically designed for a five-year-old boy.
Yet it felt perfect, with a hilt wrapped in high-quality leather.
"Father, this is..." I tried to find the exact words.
"Come on, Dai," Paul interrupted. "It's a real sword. The kind that cuts. It's not a toy. Understood? It's a weapon. Well, you already know that, but a father always has to..."
"I know. Don't worry." It was my turn to interrupt him. "A sword isn't a toy. It's a tool, and like any tool, it demands respect and purpose."
"That's... Where did you learn that, Dai?"
"From the books, Father."
Paul scratched the back of his neck and decided not to pry.
"Now then, a sword carries great responsibility. A man must always carry a sword in his heart. Not to attack, but to protect. You must be prepared to defend those you love. Someday there will be people depending on you, and your duty will be..."
"Honey, that's enough," Zenith said.
"But, my love..." Paul protested.
"What did I just say?" Zenith stared right at him.
"Alright, alright."
Paul finally gave up.
Next was Rudeus's turn.
I watched as Paul unwrapped another sword. It was similar to mine in design, though the details were slightly different. He offered it to my brother with a solemn gesture.
"Rudy, I know your heart belongs to magic, not the sword. I don't expect you to follow the same path as your brother. But every man should at least know how to defend himself in hand-to-hand combat."
Rudeus took the sword with both hands, struggling slightly with its weight.
"It's heavier than I expected," Rudeus said, holding the sword against his chest.
"Real steel always is," Paul said.
"Thank you, Father. I'll take good care of it."
"I know you will." Paul ruffled his hair.
Zenith stepped forward holding two books.
"Daiki, my little Dai. I know you've been interested in healing for a while now. Well, only for two years, but... no, never mind. This is a compendium on healing magic up to the Advanced tier."
"Mom..." I took the book. "This must have cost a fortune."
"Uhh, yeah, maybe." She brought a hand to her cheek thoughtfully. "But when it comes to my children's future, price doesn't matter to me."
I didn't know why, but I felt the urge to...
"It's perfect! Thank you!"
I gave her a tight hug, an action that surprised even me.
Paul let out a fake huff.
"Oh, look at the little rascal. Hugging his mother and not his father, who gets up early every day to wake him up. You little rascal!"
"He's my baby. Leave him alone, honey." Zenith hugged me tighter. "He can stay with his mother for as long as he wants."
"Alright, alright. I lost! But I can do other things to make you laugh, like this!"
Paul brought the sword to his mouth and did that trick where he slid it down his throat.
Despite being drunk, he managed to pull it off perfectly, though he earned a scolding from Zenith for nearly knocking over a plate.
"Honey, you always do that. Don't you have any other tricks?"
My father slumped into his chair and started drinking, completely defeated.
Satisfied with her victory, Zenith pulled away from the hug and walked over to Rudeus.
"And for you, Rudy. A botanical encyclopedia. I know how much you love studying and learning about the world. It's filled with illustrations and explanations of flora from across the continent."
"Woah! Mother, this is..." Rudeus flipped from page to page. "Look at these illustrations. They're incredibly detailed. And the descriptions of their magical and medicinal properties..."
He lost himself in the pages before remembering where he was and snapping the book shut.
"Thank you so much, Mother. It was exactly what I wanted," Rudeus said with a wide smile.
"I'm glad, sweetie." Zenith hugged him, shedding a few tears onto his hair.
Now it was Roxy's turn.
She stepped forward holding two magic wands. They were simple, about thirty centimeters long, but clearly crafted with care. Rudeus's had a blue stone embedded at the tip, while mine held a deep red one.
"I made them last night. As your mast... no, as your sensei, I'm supposed to craft a staff or a wand for an apprentice who can use elemental magic. I apologize for forgetting. Since both of you have used chantless magic from the very beginning, I completely overlooked it."
At first, Roxy had been reluctant to accept the title of master.
However, she liked the word I made up, or rather, the word I borrowed from Japanese, sensei. I even taught her how to write it.
Starting the next day, our training changed drastically.
There are three main sword styles.
The Sword God Style prioritizes speed and offense, seeking to defeat the opponent with a single decisive strike.
The Water God Style focuses on defense, blocking attacks to follow up with a precise counterattack.
Finally, the North God Style is flexible and adaptable, using varied and cunning techniques that allow one to fight even in highly unfavorable situations.
"Although it sometimes works to impress girls at bars." Paul coughed and regained his serious composure when he noticed Zenith glaring at him.
He stepped closer to me.
"Alright. You'll learn the Sword God Style and the Water God Style. Offense and defense. If you want to learn the North God Style later, you can decide that for yourself. Got it?"
"Yes, Father. I understand perfectly," I said.
Paul nodded in satisfaction and snapped me out of my thoughts by ruffling my hair.
"Good. Now, show me your basic stance. Everything you've learned so far. No rushing."
I stood up and began.
I executed a vertical slash from a high guard.
Then came a mid-level horizontal strike, rotating my hips.
I shifted my stance as my feet slid across the dirt.
And to finish, a direct forward thrust.
"Dai, have you been practicing on your own so you wouldn't get rusty?"
"Yes. Before going to sleep, whenever I wasn't tired."
"You obsessed little brat." Paul let out a loud laugh, clearly proving he was proud. "Alright. It's time to teach you what truly matters. The thing that separates a simple swordsman from a true one."
He walked a few paces away toward the area where we kept the practice dummies.
"Swordsmanship in this world is not just swinging a metal stick around. I'll show you." Paul swung his sword, and the dummy split perfectly in two without any effort.
Wait.
Is that even possible?
I knew magic was real, but I didn't see any mana in his attack.
"Did you use magic, Father?"
"What? No," Paul said.
"Then how did you do that?" I asked.
"You take a firm step, concentrate your strength, and bam!" Paul explained clumsily.
"Father, you just sliced through a wooden log with a wooden sword. And it didn't even splinter. There has to be more to it than just taking a firm step and bam."
I sighed and looked back at the dummy.
"I'm going to try it."
"You can try, sure," Paul said, "but it usually takes years before someone lands their first proper strike."
I tuned out the rest.
I closed my eyes, trying to block out all external distractions.
Inside my mind, I visualized the flow of mana within me.
Roxy had taught me to feel it, to direct it with my will. But that had always been applied externally.
'Can I do it internally? I've never tried.'
'Avoid pushing it outward. Guide it through your muscles. Reinforce the fibers. Strengthen the bones. Make it flow down your arms, into your hands, and from there, into the sword.'
When I opened my eyes, the only things I could perceive were the log and my sword.
I raised my sword above my head. Gathering every ounce of strength this small body allowed me, I brought it crashing down, shutting my eyelids right before the impact.
When I looked again, I noticed the log hadn't split in two. I didn't expect it to, either. However, there was a deep crack spanning most of the log's diameter.
"What? What the hell did you just do?" Paul said in total disbelief.
"Mana reinforcement. I visualized the flow of energy, guided it through my body into the sword, and struck," I said simply.
"Dai..." Paul started to say. "That was incredible. I'm speechless."
"It wasn't perfect. I barely made a dent."
Paul knelt down to my eye level and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Listen to me closely. I won't let you beat yourself up over that right now. Why not capitalize on it instead? Before we continue, do you really want to do this, Dai? The sword is a path that..."
"Yes. I really want to learn how to use a sword," I said.
Paul flushed with absolute pride.
"Then so be it. Let's begin. Come at me!"
Over the next few days, my training became far more grueling.
Paul adjusted my regimen. He had me practice sword techniques while channeling mana, forcing me to combine physical precision and magic simultaneously.
The effort was exhausting, but little by little, mana reinforcement started to feel much more natural.
My father explained that I shouldn't think of the sword and mana as two separate entities, but rather as a single unified action when striking.
During one of our lessons, Roxy spoke up.
"Dai, I have to ask you something important. Do you truly love both the sword and magic equally? Or are you just forcing yourself because you feel obligated to master both? Because this path you are taking is exponentially harder than specializing in just one."
"Magic is still a bit distant to me. I might cast spells easily, but I feel a stronger connection to swords. Nevertheless, I believe both can be utilized well together. Especially healing magic," I replied.
Convinced, Roxy began teaching me battle magic I could cast one-handed while wielding a sword. According to her, a true magic-swordsman doesn't alternate between magic and swords. They use them in tandem. That only cemented my resolve to pursue this path as far as it would take me.
While I started my early swordsmanship training with Paul, my magic lessons with Roxy became highly technical.
She began teaching combined magic, like triggering natural phenomena by mixing different spells in a specific sequence. We learned to create fog or disperse it by controlling temperature and water.
When I asked if that meant a mage could recreate almost any natural phenomenon, Roxy warned me not to overestimate magic or promise more than it could realistically achieve.
She also explained just how rare a competent mage was.
Out of thousands of people, only a handful ever reached the Advanced tier, making them highly sought after.
Finally, she mentioned the Ranoa Magic Academy, a prestigious institution where she had studied. It was known for accepting students of all races and prioritizing knowledge over prejudice.
I exchanged a glance with Rudeus.
"It's still too early to decide that, don't you think?" Rudeus asked.
"For you, Rudy, yes. But there's very little left for me to teach you. Since you're approaching graduation, I believe it's a good time to discuss this," Roxy explained calmly.
"Graduation?" Rudeus repeated. His look practically screamed his confusion.
"The graduation exam will take place outside the village. I already have a horse prepared for the trip," Roxy added.
I watched Rudeus stiffen up. I knew that reaction all too well. I completely understood why the mere thought of going outside terrified him.
"Outside?" Rudeus asked, almost paralyzed.
"Yes, outside the village. Is there a problem?" Roxy replied.
"Couldn't we just do it inside the house?" Rudeus suggested, visibly uncomfortable.
"No, we cannot."
"We... we cannot?"
Roxy seemed to misunderstand his hesitation.
"Is something wrong?" Roxy asked, tilting her head slightly.
"It's just that... there might be monsters out there." Rudeus scrambled desperately for excuses.
"As long as we avoid the forest, it's very rare to run into any monsters around here. And even if we do, they are weak. I can easily defeat them on my own without breaking a sweat. In fact, I believe you could handle them too, Rudy."
Rudeus didn't answer.
He simply stared blankly at some undefined point in the distance.
"Ah, now that I think about it... Rudy, you've never actually left the house, have you?" Roxy remarked.
"No," Rudeus admitted quietly.
"I see. So, the thing you're afraid of... is the horse?"
"I-I'm not afraid of horses!" Rudeus protested immediately.
"Hehe. I'm glad to hear that. I see that, in some ways, you are just as childish as your age suggests. That's a relief," Roxy said with a soft giggle.
Before Rudeus could protest any further, Roxy hoisted him up and threw him over her shoulder with surprising strength for her size.
"Waah?!" Rudeus yelled, startled.
"Once you're in the saddle, you'll see it isn't so scary," Roxy reassured him.
And with that, they left.
Once they were completely out of sight, I decided to head back inside.
"You didn't go with them?" Zenith asked from the kitchen.
I sat down at the table.
"It's Rudeus's exam, not mine. Besides, I already have my own training lined up with Father," I replied.
Zenith let out a light laugh.
"Paul is taking a nap. He muttered something about needing energy for the afternoon session."
"Meaning he passed out on the couch."
"Exactly," Zenith confirmed with a smile.
I spent the next few hours practicing basic forms in the yard, going over the movements Paul had taught me time and time again.
Just as I was about to execute the final strike, I heard the sound of horse hooves approaching.
I set the wooden sword aside and walked to the front of the house, perfectly timing the return of Roxy and Rudeus.
They were both completely soaked.
"What happened to you two?"
Roxy dismounted wearing an expression caught between pride and pure exhaustion.
"The graduation exam was a success. Your brother is officially a Saint-tier Water Mage."
"Really?" I asked.
Rudeus slid off the horse with Roxy's help.
"Yeah. It was... intense," Rudeus said, still dripping wet.
"I bet it was," I replied.
"You should have come, brother."
"Maybe."
"And gotten soaked with us," Rudeus joked.
"No, thank you."
Rudeus laughed.
Zenith walked out of the house right at that moment, interrupting our little reunion.
"Good heavens! You are completely soaked! You'll catch a cold. Inside, both of you. Right now. You need to dry off and change clothes immediately."
"Yes, Mother," Rudeus replied.
Rudeus let himself be dragged inside while waving goodbye to me.
Right then, Paul appeared, yawning loudly.
"What did I miss?" Paul asked.
"Rudeus passed his graduation exam. He is officially a Saint-tier Mage now," I informed him.
Paul whistled and shook his head.
"That little brat... I guess I need to work harder now so I don't get left behind as a father."
"Probably," I replied.
"What about you? Ready to train?" Paul asked.
"Always," I answered.