Chapter 3: Mother and Son

Christopher fixed his gaze on his mother, his expression carrying a seriousness far beyond that of a five-year-old child. Even so, all of his attention was locked onto the beautiful elf before him. He didn’t even blink, determined not to miss a single movement she made.

“All right… it’s time to defeat Mom,” Christopher said as he made the first move.

“Earth Elemental Magic: Stone Sword.”

“Sweetie, defeating your mom won’t be that easy.”

Valentina smiled as she watched Christopher unleash his first magical attack.
A sword of stone formed as it burst forth from the ground, slowly rising until it hovered within his reach. Christopher grabbed it without hesitation, gripping the hilt with surprising strength and confidence.

Perfect, he thought. I can already use Earth Magic to this extent.

Valentina raised an eyebrow, sensing the dense accumulation of magical energy within the stone sword. In the same instant, her demeanor shifted—her warm smile vanished, replaced by a serious, contemplative expression.

I never doubted my son would possess great potential. In fact, ever since that day, I’ve known it. But to display this level of ability at such a young age… even so, it doesn’t exceed my expectations. They say that only a few beings possess such potential from childhood—those who—

For a brief moment, Valentina shifted her focus to the stone sword in her son’s hands, sensing the distinctive energy of Earth Magic continuing to build within it.

Christopher raised his guard, just one movement away from launching his attack.

As far as I can remember, I haven’t taught him anything beyond basic concepts and a few explanations… So how—and when—did he learn to use magic at this level?

The beautiful elf pondered the question, carefully analyzing her son, but her thoughts soon drifted elsewhere.

I highly doubt Alexander taught him.

They had agreed that she would be the one to oversee all of Christopher’s magical training.

And Alexander—the man she was referring to—was Christopher’s father.

Valentina was surprised—and at the same time, deeply proud. After all, just as she had always known, her son was gifted when it came to magic. She smiled as she watched him raise his guard and tightly grip the hilt of the stone sword with his small hands.

“Mom, during this practice I want you to use more than just Earth Magic. Use others too—use everything you know! Attack me with any kind of magic you can, please. I really want to learn, and you’re the best.”

That’s the best way to talk to Mom if I want to get what I want.

“Of course, sweetie!” Valentina replied playfully. “You’d better be ready, because Mom is going to turn you into mush!”

“THIS TIME YOU WON’T BEAT ME! I’LL SHOW YOU HOW STRONG I AM!”

Christopher forced himself to rein in the surge of frustration boiling inside him, knowing his mother was right. Once again, he exhaled slowly and flashed a confident smile—one Valentina had never seen on his face before.

It was as if he were testing the results of some secret training he had done on his own.

That was when Valentina caught faint murmurs coming from Mathias.

“Even if he trained in secret… do you think he can beat Lady Valentina?”

“He never will,” Selestia replied, a hint of anger in her voice. “He’ll never defeat Lady Valentina—never!”

Without wasting another second, the two of them sprang into action.

With the stone sword in hand, Christopher charged toward Valentina at full speed. As expected, she moved to stop her small opponent.

“Fire Elemental Magic: Fire Arrows.”

Valentina restrained herself as much as possible; that was why she summoned only four fire arrows, forged from blazing magical energy, which shot straight toward Christopher.

Thanks to his quick thinking, he had already devised a plan—one that would allow him to evade the attack and prepare a counteroffensive.

“Earth Elemental Magic: Earth Wall.”

A wall of earth surged upward like a massive, sturdy shield, blocking the arrows’ path and causing them to shatter against the defensive magic erected by her beloved child.

“Earth Elemental Magic: Rock Control.”

Christopher continued, now using the most basic earth spell—but in a completely different way.

A row of rocks rose up in front of him, and he used them as steps, climbing swiftly until he reached the top of the wall he had created.

Christopher’s friends watched in awe, utterly captivated by the battle between their friend and the powerful Lady of Gignit

But Valentina’s thoughts were elsewhere—not on the battle itself, but on her son’s abilities.

So you can launch magical attacks and defenses one after another, without needing to pause… she thought, her expression growing serious.

It was no small matter. As a powerful mage herself, Valentina knew that using magic with such ease required not only vast reserves of magical energy, but also deep knowledge of the spells—and above all, a true understanding of how to apply them.

Still, this was no time to dwell on such thoughts. Even though she easily could, Valentina chose to push them aside out of respect for her son.

At that moment, Christopher appeared above the earthen wall, stone sword raised high as he launched another assault.

Valentina smiled with genuine joy as she watched him rise from behind the wall.

Show me, my son. Show me what you’re truly capable of.

She thrust her right arm forward, and a bubbling blue aura enveloped her, concentrating in the palm of her hand.

“Water Elemental Magic: Water Jet.”

It was well known that this spell was typically used to unbalance an opponent and keep them in constant motion, as it consumed very little magical energy.

However, when used against someone who was already falling, the situation changed.

Because of the sheer pressure with which the jet of water was fired, it could disrupt the opponent’s balance midair and prevent them from landing properly—granting a brief but decisive advantage.

Christopher watched as the magical attack rushed straight toward him at high speed. And once again, relying on his sharp thinking, he changed tactics.

“Air Elemental Magic: Airstream.”

Christopher twisted his body midair, narrowly evading Valentina’s attack.

Seeing her son use Air Magic caused a wide smile of surprise and delight to spread across Valentina’s face.

So not only can he use Earth Magic, but Air Magic as well—and he can evade attacks while falling…

“Very good, sweetie,” Valentina praised, fully engaged. “Using Airstream to manipulate the air around you and float to avoid the attack was a smart move. But floating doesn’t mean flying.”

Christopher was forced to dodge several more of Valentina’s assaults. He avoided attack after attack, spinning through the air—all while remaining suspended midair.

In the middle of his evasive maneuvers, he suddenly hurled the stone sword toward Valentina with all his strength. Of course, she noticed immediately.

Her beautiful eyes widened as a sharp sense of danger prickled across her skin.

What? He really did that?

Because the sword had been created through magic, it still retained residual magical energy. With enough focus, that energy could be sensed flowing through the object.

But the problem was this—Valentina didn’t sense a single magical signature.

She sensed five.

Startled yet exhilarated, she leapt backward several times, watching as five razor-sharp stone blades slammed into the ground at the spot where she had been standing only moments before.

“Clever,” she murmured softly, looking back at her son—now stabilized in the air. “And you’ve already regained your balance.”

Her gaze shifted to the stone daggers embedded in the ground.

“When you threw the stone sword, you infused it with magic and split it into five smaller daggers. If I hadn’t sensed those magical signatures in time… you might have actually hit me.”

“Tch, I missed,” Christopher complained, watching as his mother smiled at him with a hint of mischief.

And the other children?

They were practically bursting with excitement. Their small hearts raced as if beating a million times per second. Their eyes shone like lanterns… and it wasn’t even midday yet.

“Christopher is amazing!” Mathias exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

“He definitely looks smarter now… and he can use more magic,” Selestia murmured to herself. “But he’ll never beat Lady Valentina.”

Only Diana, standing beside her, managed to hear it. However, due to her young age, she didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the words. Perhaps she only sensed a faint hint of envy—after all, Christopher was clearly far more capable than she was.

Sebastián and Anita, on the other hand, were both thrilled for their friend.

Sebastián saw Christopher as his best friend—and his rival—while for Anita, Christopher was someone she trusted without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Christopher fixed his mother with a challenging stare.

“As expected from the strongest mage in the village, it was obvious that attack wouldn’t do anything to you.”

He slowly descended back to the ground, still brimming with energy and eager to continue.

“Christopher, you’re very strong too—much stronger than I expected,” Valentina said, winking at him. “Despite being only five years old, you know how to use your head… but now I’d like to see how you handle Elven Magic.”

She gave him one last smile—one that clearly signaled the battle was far from over.

“Huh?”

At once, Christopher noticed a subtle increase in the magical energy surrounding his mother.

What is she planning to do? he wondered, trying to decipher what kind of magic she intended to use.

The aura enveloping Valentina was very different from anything she had produced before. This time, a strange presence surrounded her—manifesting as luminous, organic symbols resembling ethereal leaves and roots, dancing gracefully around her body.

She opened her eyes, filled with absolute confidence.

“Racial Magic: Elf Magic: Persecution.”

Valentina’s body was wrapped in an extremely thin, greenish glow that clung perfectly to her silhouette.

Christopher’s eyes reflected complete confusion. Not only did he fail to understand what was happening—he couldn’t grasp his mother’s intentions at all. Left with no other choice, he adopted a defensive stance, searching his memory for any protective spell he might be able to use.

Among the young spectators, Selestia’s eyes widened in shock—impressed, and fully aware of exactly what Valentina had just done.

She recognized the magic immediately—the very spell used by the one she admired most.

“That’s Racial Magic!” Selestia exclaimed, her voice filled with awe and admiration.

The other children examined the leader of Gignit from head to toe, their anticipation growing by the second. It was the first time they were witnessing Elven Magic, and none of them knew what that spell was truly capable of.

“Fire Elemental Magic: Fire Spear.”

With her right arm raised high and her palm facing the sky, Valentina unleashed a high-level offensive technique.

The flames twisted and condensed, taking the form of a long, deadly spear—its fire spiraling violently, as if barely contained.

For a brief moment, Christopher lost his composure.

Elven Magic? That’s Mom’s Racial Magic… and I don’t know what it does!

Thinking quickly, he reached a conclusion.

I don’t even know if I can block that yet… I can feel how powerful it is. I can’t deflect it—my only option is to dodge.

But he had no time to dwell on it. The lethal spear of fire had already been launched.

The magical attack tore through the air toward him at incredible speed. Even so, Christopher calculated that he could evade it… and perhaps even counterattack.

A greenish aura erupted around him—countless leaves, roots, and vines formed from pure magical energy swirling together as he pointed forward.

“Arboreal Magic: Tree Birth.”

From the ground directly beneath his feet, a young tree burst forth. It grew at an astonishing rate, rising more than ten meters into the air, with Christopher standing atop one of its many branches.

That was how he intended to evade the blazing spear of fire… —or at least, that would have been the plan if everything had gone right.

Meanwhile, a confident smile formed on Valentina’s lips. She was certain that, in the end, she would be the victor.

You still have a long way to go before you can defeat your mom.

Then Christopher saw something that left him completely speechless.

The fire spear struck the exact spot where he had been standing just moments before.

Upon reaching that spot, the spear briefly condensed into a small sphere of fire… and in the very next instant, it shot back toward him. He barely had time to leap forward.

Once again, the same thing happened—the spear redirected itself and came after him. He landed on his feet and hurriedly jumped backward several times, drawing closer to his mother.

She didn’t flinch when her opponent came so close. Unlike him, she knew her own attack would never strike her.

When he was only a few centimeters away from colliding with her, Christopher used Airstream, launching himself upward in a powerful leap that carried him far above everyone else.

“So that didn’t work either,” he muttered with a touch of humor, never taking his eyes off the fire spear as it continued to chase him.

“It’s like Lady Valentina’s attack has a mind of its own and only wants to chase Christopher!” Sebastián exclaimed. His opinion was quickly echoed—and agreed upon—by all of his friends.

“Selestia, since you’re an elf…” Anita called out, hoping her friend could answer a question. “Do you know what that Elven Magic does?”

“Actually… no,” Selestia sighed, sounding a bit disheartened. “I still haven’t been able to use Elven Magic myself, and I can’t find any information about our racial magic in my parents’ books. That’s why it’s been so difficult for me. My parents say I still need to wait a little longer before they can teach me.”

Back to Christopher—while his friends tried to understand Elven Magic, he had already launched another spell.

“Water Elemental Magic: Water Arrows.”

A volley of arrows made entirely of water burst forth from his open palm.

Every single one was aimed directly at the fire spear. The idea wasn’t bad—fighting fire with water. After all, Water Magic is the antithesis of Fire Magic.

And it would have worked… if his opponent had been inexperienced.

But Valentina was anything but that.

Christopher’s attack had no effect whatsoever—not because he lost in a simple clash of spells, but because the fire spear continued advancing, weaving effortlessly between the water projectiles he had fired.

That gave him everything he needed to understand the true nature of Elven Magic: Persecution.

“I see now,” the young lord said aloud. “Persecution allows any object or magical attack launched at an opponent to pursue them until it hits. It can also evade any attacks thrown at it. It’s an extremely powerful spell—and it won’t stop until it reaches me.”

Indeed, it was a highly effective magical technique. Unless the caster dispelled it, the spell would continue to chase its target over time, relentlessly pursuing it until it struck.

If the battle dragged on, it could force the opponent into exhaustion through constant evasion—making it inevitable that, sooner or later, the attack would land.

“I can’t think of anything else I can do… although…” Christopher sighed, a hint of weariness in his voice. “I still have one last option. Let’s see if this works—this will be my final attempt. After that… I’ll have no choice but to give up.”

He took a deep breath, his face set with pure determination.

He remained still, waiting for the fire spear to draw close enough before finally acting.

And when the powerful magical attack entered the range he had calculated, he used the type of magic that stood as fire’s antithesis.

But this time, he didn’t cast an offensive spell—he chose a defensive one.

“Water Elemental Magic: Double Water Dome.”

A bubbling aura briefly enveloped Christopher’s body. Immediately afterward, a dome of water formed around him, shielding him completely—just moments before the fire spear struck.

After a brief pause, the fire spear slammed into the outer edge of the water barrier. At once, a second dome of water formed—larger and more encompassing—fully trapping the spear inside.

The result was unmistakable: Christopher at the center, the first protective dome surrounding him, the fire spear caught between the layers, and the second dome enclosing everything.

Unable to advance, completely confined, and crashing against another powerful spell, the fire spear finally detonated.

BOOOOM!

The explosion sent a massive surge of water blasting outward, scattering across the area and falling like rain.

“Great…” Mathias complained, completely soaked by the sudden “downpour,” just like the others. “Another bath… and this one’s freezing.”

It quickly became evident that most of the water had turned into vapor due to the intense heat released by the spear’s explosion.

In the distance, Christopher could be seen—exhausted—falling backward, headed straight for an unpleasant encounter with the hard ground below.

He was lightly injured, but visibly drained. At the very last moment, he had reinforced the inner water dome to its absolute limit, minimizing the damage as much as possible.

“CHRISTOPHER!”

Fortunately, his mother noticed his complete lack of energy. She didn’t stop to think—saving her child was all that mattered. In a fraction of a second, she cast a spell to catch him and prevent serious injury.

“Arboreal Magic: Root Whip.”

Several thick roots burst from the ground right in front of Valentina. Moving at incredible speed, they wrapped securely around her son’s torso—who no longer had even a shred of energy left.

They carefully lowered him, sparing him from crashing into the ground. Moments later, his feet finally touched the earth.

Christopher looked at her with a sour expression, his displeasure painfully obvious.

His cheeks were puffed up, exactly like those of a spoiled child—perfectly fitting for someone his age.

Valentina swallowed hard, averting her gaze nervously, her eyes slightly teary.

“U-umm… I-I think I may have gone a little too far.”

Shyly, Valentina pressed her index finger and thumb together, making the universal gesture for “just a little.”

That was enough to make a thick, comical vein pop out on her son’s forehead.

“A LITTLE TOO FAR, YOU SAY!?”

Christopher looked like he was about to breathe fire.

Mathias and Sebastián did everything they could to hold him back, stopping him from attacking his now-embarrassed mother again. Meanwhile, Selestia scolded him, insisting that he must never attack the Lady of the village, while Anita let out a quiet sigh, feeling a bit embarrassed by her friends’ behavior.

“That attack could’ve turned me into mush! Don’t you think, M-O-M!?”

He emphasized each letter so intensely that Valentina felt as though every single one of her sins was being judged at once.

She covered her head with her hands, pretending to cower in fear before her son’s titanic scolding.

“I-I knew you’d find a way to come out h-hurt… o-or at least escape the attack,” she said, stuttering slightly—clearly embarrassed for having gone too far, yet completely sincere.

It was the first time she had seen her son wield magic in combat, and perhaps she had pushed her Elven Magic a little too far.

But she knew his intelligence and his ability to reason—qualities he had shown from a very young age. It was as if someone with a far more advanced mind were trapped inside the body of a five-year-old child.

Valentina reached out and gently placed her hand on her son’s head. He still looked genuinely upset.

“I’m truly proud of you. You’re better and stronger than I thought… that’s my son.”

Unseen by anyone else, and just for a brief moment, her eyes nearly welled up as she recalled the day when—after gathering his courage—her son had asked her to teach him magic because he wanted to be like her.

“Thank you, Mom,” he said aloud, just as his friends began congratulating him.

“Christopher, you have to tell me where you learned to use magic like that!” Sebastián said, throwing an arm around his friend’s neck and flashing him a toothy grin. “It’s not fair that only you get to fight like that. Come on—if you tell me, I’ll tell you how I train alone with my katana.”

“Lady Valentina, I want a rematch!” Mathias shouted, clenching his fist tightly as he tried to look fierce.

“Lady Valentina is incredibly strong,” Selestia said openly, her voice filled with admiration. Then, turning her gaze to her friend, she added, “And I’ll admit you’re a little strong too—but don’t think you’ll stay number one forever. I’ll learn from the best… and I’ll turn you into mush someday!”

Anita chose to congratulate him in a much calmer manner.

The only one left was Diana, who asked him to pick her up. Once in his arms, she smiled brightly and wrapped her tiny arms around him.

“If you’re all finished,” Valentina said, “it’s time to continue.”

Once again, she caused a row of rocks to rise from the ground, neatly aligned so the children could use them as seats.

Valentina positioned herself directly in front of them and began a short address—her tone friendly yet firm—so they would fully grasp the lesson she was about to share.

“You’re probably wondering what the easiest path to learning magic is, right?”

Every single one of them—except Christopher—nodded firmly.

“Well, there is no easy path, kids. If you truly want to learn, you’ll need to study and practice a lot on your own…”

The children glanced at one another.

A timid hand rose, asking permission to speak.

Valentina welcomed it with a warm smile—she loved seeing the children show such eagerness to learn magic.

“Excuse me for asking, but… does that mean you won’t teach us, and that we’ll have to learn everything by ourselves?”

With the exception of Diana—who was too young to understand—and Christopher—forobvious reasons—the other children began to believe that Valentina wouldn’t train them in magic.

The thought crossed their minds, but aside from Anita, none of them dared to object or ask further questions, accepting what they believed was their teacher’s decision.

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Valentina said, giving them a playful wink. “Of course I’ll teach you everything you need to know about magic.”

Christopher already knew exactly what his mother meant.

“What I wanted you to understand is that you shouldn’t rely solely on my teachings,” she continued. “You must also learn on your own. Try to stay one step ahead of what I’m teaching you!”

The children were sharp, and they understood her message perfectly.

“You know what they say: those who keep training and studying on their own reach their goals much faster.

“And now, the most important thing of all: when you face a battle—whether magical or martial—never underestimate your opponent.”

The atmosphere turned completely serious. The clearest sign was the change in Valentina’s voice: from cheerful and gentle, it became firm and severe.

“It doesn’t matter how weak an enemy may seem. Unless you know them well and fully understand their abilities—and even then—you must never underestimate them. If your opponent is unfamiliar and you know little—or nothing—about what they can do, never rush in without first analyzing the situation.”

Valentina’s expression was resolute. This was a lesson she truly wanted to impress upon them.

They might still be children, but she was confident that—just like Christopher—they would understand her words.

“You must keep in mind that many of your battles will be against magical beasts—creatures that will try to devour you. That’s why you need to be well informed about them. Read the information we have in the village about the beasts of this world.

“Learn their weaknesses so you know how to face them, because—even if they don’t look like it—many of these creatures are incredibly intelligent… and their magic can be overwhelming.”

With a grave expression, Valentina shifted the focus to enemies that were even more dangerous.

“The worst enemies are those who are like you: people capable of thinking, speaking, and feeling. Always remember that when they fight, they use their minds—and they won’t hesitate to search for and exploit your weaknesses in order to hurt you.

“There are many adventurers who choose a criminal life: thieves, murderers, kidnappers, predators, slave hunters, and the like. There are also renegade knights who have abandoned their creed and their cause—traitors to their own homelands.

“All of them are the most dangerous enemies, because they can think, analyze, and make decisions to achieve their goals.”

Silence reigned for a moment. The children looked deeply absorbed in the elf’s explanation.

“Do you understand now why you must always stay alert?”

They all nodded. Valentina continued:

“Kids, you must be smart. Don’t fight just for the sake of fighting. Never rush into a battle without first analyzing the situation and having some kind of plan—whether for attack or defense. You must fight with your head.”

She raised her index finger and tapped the side of her temple a couple of times.

The children looked serious—and a little frightened. Despite their young age, they knew that every word Valentina spoke was an undeniable truth. If they were to face someone with real combat experience without thinking, they could lose their lives right there.

Now they truly understood why the phrase “Never underestimate your opponent” had been repeated so many times.

Appearances meant nothing.

They all shared the same thought: a foe who seems weak might only be pretending. It could be a trap meant to lure the careless… and kill them—or do something far worse.

With a slightly more relaxed tone, Valentina continued her crucial lesson.

“I’m not telling you to distrust everyone… but you must learn how to identify suspicious people.”

After saying that, Valentina noticed how Anita, Sebastián, Mathias, and Selestia swallowed nervously. Deep down, each of them wondered whether they would truly be able to recognize such enemies.

She didn’t want them worrying about those matters just yet, so she decided to reassure them.

“Don’t worry about that for now, kids. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

The children nodded with relieved smiles, letting out small sighs of relief.

“Alright then. Let’s set combat aside for a while and focus on controlling magical energy.”

With that, Valentina began explaining the fundamentals of magic control. Reading about it or listening to how it worked might sound easy… but putting it into practice was a completely different story.

The children did their best to learn. Christopher—who was already capable of using magical energy—asked his mother questions enthusiastically, eager to learn more about advanced magic.

Selestia, being an elf, had a naturally superior grasp of magical energy.

Valentina tried to explain the basic principles of elven magic to her, though she made it clear that she couldn’t teach her too deeply, since Selestia’s parents wished to reserve that privilege for themselves.

“I really would like to teach you about elven magic, but your parents might get upset if I do… since they want to be the ones to teach you.”

The ones who struggled the most were Sebastián, Mathias, Anita… and, of course, Diana. The youngest didn’t understand much of anything yet, but it was amusing to watch her imitate everyone else’s gestures with absolute seriousness.

As for the others, Mathias was far more focused on close-quarters combat. The only type of magic he could currently use was his racial ability: Beast Mode.

However, Valentina had explained to him that it was extremely important for him to learn at least a few defensive spells.

“Mathias, keep in mind that because you’re a demi-human, your enemies are likely to avoid attacking you head-on… and instead strike from a distance. Having superior strength is useless if your opponent is out of reach. That’s where long-range magical attacks truly shine.”

Sebastián was able to use Reinforcement Magic, so he could at least grasp the basic concepts. His problem was that he had grown too accustomed to that specific way of channeling magic. He understood that, in order to use other types of magic, he would need to learn how to channel magical energy in different ways.

“Sebastián, use everything I’ve mentioned about magic control as your guide.”

Valentina instructed him to follow the explanation she had just given and provided him with a few practical examples.

Little Anita was doing much better than Mathias. She understood perfectly how each type of magic worked, which was a huge step forward… but she still lacked practical application.

“Very good, Anita. You understand everything I’ve explained much better. Now, try increasing the energy.”

Valentina felt truly happy.

First, because she had such adorable students—and second, because watching them listen attentively to her explanations filled her with joy.

Moreover, the children had shown genuine interest and enthusiasm for learning. She looked at them fondly as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a strange, cube-shaped device.

The object opened in the middle—at first glance, it looked like a mirror, but it was actually a clock.

“Whew… it’s gotten late…” she murmured, realizing that noon had already passed.

It was lunchtime, and the children were probably already ravenously hungry.

“Kids, listen. Today’s class is over. We’ll continue tomorrow. I expect to see all of you here after breakfast.”

Her gaze shifted to Anita, who looked a little nervous. She worked with her father early in the mornings, so it was impossible for her to arrive that early.

“Anita, you have nothing to worry about. I know you have to work in the mornings, so you can come later. That’s not a problem at all… but I do want you to attend the classes.”

“You have great potential, and I won’t let it go to waste. Is that clear?”

Anita smiled and nodded repeatedly, clearly grateful. She was genuinely happy that Valentina was so understanding.

“Alright then. I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”

The children did a few final stretches.

They were tired… some more than others. And yes, they were very hungry.

“Christopher!” Sebastian shouted from a distance. “I’ll see you later for martial arts practice!”

“You’d better not skip it—today’s my first day training with you guys!”

Mathias also looked excited, his tail swaying enthusiastically from side to side.

✧ ✧ ✧

Once again, mother and son walked side by side, heading back to their home.

The sound of a stomach demanding food was clearly audible.

Neither of them talked about anything in particular—just everyday matters. Still, Valentina had a few doubts she needed to clear up.

“Christopher, tell me the truth.”

Her voice carried an unusual seriousness.

The boy immediately turned his head, giving her his full attention. He could sense that his mother was upset, and that worried him. Deep down, however, he already had a rough idea of what she wanted to know.

He nodded silently, ready to answer whatever question she might ask.

“All this time, I’ve barely taught you anything about magic beyond the basic concepts and how to apply them. And today, in our very first practice… you handled it so naturally.”

“I always knew you had talent. Your father told me the same. So tell me, my son… how did you learn it? Who taught you?”

Christopher let out a small sigh, a little weary of what he was about to say. To him, it sounded absurd. She definitely won’t believe me…

“As for magic… I read about it in the books we have in the home library,” he replied calmly.

“You read about it?” Valentina brought a hand to her chin, gently stroking it as she thought.

“Now that you mention it… I’ve seen you many times reading in the library and writing things down in your notebook. Whether it was about magic or tactics… it always caught my attention, and I found it impressive.”

“And I never wanted you to stop doing it, but…” Valentina lowered her voice slightly; there was a faint hint of irritation in it. “Even though I really enjoy sharing those reading moments with you… I don’t remember ever teaching you how to read or write. And I don’t think your father did either.”

She looked at him intently, her eyes fixed on his face, trying to read an answer that had not yet been spoken.

Something didn’t add up.

In her mind, someone outside the family had been instructing her son. And while that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing… Valentina wanted to be the one guiding him. She felt as though someone had taken something from her—a mother’s right, the right to teach her little one everything.

“You probably won’t believe me.”

At last, Valentina realized the tense atmosphere she herself had created.

Was I attacking my own son?

She pushed those thoughts aside and focused solely on him.

“Christopher, I’m your Mom. Why would you think I wouldn’t believe you?” Her tone softened. “Trust me, Sweetie. It’s just that… I truly wanted to be the one to teach you everything, not someone else.”

Christopher let out one final sigh—this one filled with understanding. His mother was excessively affectionate, endlessly loving. He was well aware of her desire to teach him things like reading, mathematics, magic, and more.

“Mom,” the boy said quietly, “the truth is… no one taught me anything. But I don’t really know how to explain how I learned to read. A few months ago, when I went into the library looking for my sword, I saw some books scattered on the floor.

“I picked them up and opened them. I don’t understand how… I really can’t explain it. But the moment I looked at the words, I was able to read them.

“I understood every word that was written. I knew exactly what they meant. Out of sheer shock, I immediately grabbed other books. I felt so happy… that the next thing I did was look for all the magic books and read them. I had no trouble at all. Before I realized it, I already knew how to use magic… though I still needed practice.”

Christopher looked genuinely excited. His eyes sparkled with a mix of pride, wonder, and hope. Just being able to talk about this with someone seemed to have lifted a weight off his shoulders.

“I’m still practicing many types of magic. I didn’t tell Papa this, but… for some reason, I adapted very quickly to martial arts. I did read a couple of books, yes… but what helped me the most was actually putting it into practice.”

He fell silent for a moment, his shy eyes resting on the beautiful figure of his mother.

“Mom… are you mad at me?”

Christopher’s eyes dropped to the ground.

“I’m really sorry…”

“No, sweetie! You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She threw her arms around her son’s neck, hugging him tightly, lifting him up, and kissing his forehead.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Please, don’t ever do that. You’re a beautiful child, and you don’t need to feel bad about anything.”

“But you said you wanted to teach me how to read… and I learned it without you.”

In that moment, Valentina realized it was she who had made her son feel bad.

“No, sweetie… don’t worry about that, okay? It’s perfectly fine that you learned it on your own! Because you’re a genius. My beautiful little genius. I’m so, so proud of you.”

Valentina hugged him tightly once more, scolding herself in her mind. She swore to herself that she would never make him feel that way again.

“I love you very much, Christopher. Mom will always be by your side.”

And with those words, she showered him with kisses.

Christopher could only laugh, completely unable to fend off his mother.

Mom’s gone into her clingy mode… she’s not letting me go until she calms down, he thought, amused

After walking for a while, they finally came into view of their home.

Out front, Alexander was saying goodbye to his patrol companions—the same men with whom he had been circling the outskirts of the village. Their duty was to prevent magical beasts—or dangerous individuals—from wreaking havoc on their beloved home. According to Alexander, they often ran into bandits… and slavers.

Mother and son, practically drooling at the thought of food, headed toward the house, eager for lunch.