The Future Generation

Church day was once a week, and as always, the family attended prayers at Bluevale Cathedral. Helianism was humanity’s main religion, centered on the holy goddess Helianis.

Lock believed in gods and the like, but he didn’t revere them. During his time as Demon Lord, he studied Helianism in hopes of finding a way to meet this goddess. Though he came across some peculiar practices within the religion, he was never successful in his endeavor. Helianis, although not among the living, was said to exist somewhere. He couldn’t find her, though.

Still, Edward and his wives were devoutly religious and wanted to instill the Helianist values in their children.

Everyone was present, except Leopold, who never showed up for prayer. Lock recalled Edward constantly harping on Leopold for skipping church a few years ago, but at some point he stopped and resigned himself to his son's rebellious attitude.

The Gellners took their seats in their pews. Lock sat between his mother, Elspeth, and stepmother, Lyra. The church interior was bathed in the thin light filtering through the stained-glass windows, casting vibrant colors across the polished marble floor. As the congregation settled into their pews, Lock watched his family close their eyes and join their hands in prayer. He imitated their actions, interlacing his tiny fingers together, though he didn’t replicate their solemn expressions or close his eyes.

The church's focal point was the imposing statue of the goddess Helianis, standing tall and majestic at the sanctuary's center. Carved from pure white marble, the statue depicted the benevolent deity with outstretched arms, radiating warmth and protection.

At least, it did for most people. Lock always felt uneasy as he gazed at the statue. For some reason, it unnerved him, sending shivers down his spine whenever he looked at it for too long. Instead, he would look at his father, who always sat in the front.

Lock gazed at his back intently as he devoutly prayed. This was the same man who defeated the great Demon Lord six years ago, yet at that moment, he bowed his head down to some deity.

Lock scoffed at the thought. Somehow, he felt slightly humiliated by Edward. This man, who was just as powerful as he was, was prostrating like a weakling.

As the prayer concluded, the family made their way back to the vehicles parked outside the church. Two magical cars, a recent invention that revolutionized transportation by merging magic and engineering. One belonged to Edmund, the eldest sibling and the field's lead researcher.

Edmund, Edward’s first son, possessed a commanding presence. Towering over the others, he carried himself with a sort of lackadaisical confidence. He was kind and personable, despite his stature. His green hair, impeccably groomed, framed his face cleanly, while the glasses perched upon his nose enhanced his intellectual aura. Despite Lock not sensing much magical energy from him, Edmund's chiseled body attested to his physical strength, at the very least.

The other vehicle was the family car. Since they were a very new invention, they were quite small and inefficient. These were the biggest models, so they were more like vans than cars. Even with the two magic mobiles, accommodating the entire family proved challenging. Two out of the fifteen needed to walk back home.

“If only Leopold were here, that guy... He basically forced me to make him a car, and we’re not even using it. These things are limited edition! Does he know how many resources I poured into that vehicle of his? The least he could do is help with the load,” Edmund complained.

“I think that’s mostly your fault for being a pushover, brother. Maybe learn to say no to him?” Seraph retorted coldly.

“You may be right, Seraph. I need to be harder on him. Even if he pleads, I must say no.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to Leopold next time I see him,” Lyra uttered with a terrifying smile.

“U-uh, no, it really isn’t such a big deal, Stepmother… As Seraph said, it’s my fault,” Edmund suddenly felt bad for Leopold.

“Oh, don’t worry, Edmund. I’ll only talk to him,” she reiterated, her smile somehow becoming even scarier.

Note to self: Don’t make an enemy out of Lyra, Lock thought.

In any case, it came as no surprise when Edward, as usual, selflessly volunteered to make the journey on foot, allowing the rest of the family to be transported comfortably.

He does this shit every week. Doesn’t he ever get tired of being a benevolent bastard? Lock grumbled inwardly.

“Edmund. Arabella. I trust that you will drive safely?” Edward gave his usual talk as the mothers and children boarded their respective cars.

“Of course, Father,” Edmund promptly replied, and Arabella nodded as well.

“I’ll join you on the walk, Father,” Celeste said, strutting toward him.

“Thank you, Celeste.”

Edward smiled proudly at his daughter, her compassionate nature shining as usual.

“Wait,” A young voice yelled out as Celeste felt a tug on her shirt. “I want to walk with him.”

“Lock? What brought this on?” She smiled as she turned to him.

“I, uh…” He tried thinking of an excuse, then had an idea as his eyes glanced back at the cars. “I think you should ride in the car, Celeste. Treat yourself for once,” he said, pointing his small arm at the empty seat in the family car.

“Aww, thank you, Lock. I’ll take you up on that!”

“Hey, Celeste! Hurry up, you slowpoke!” Seraph yelled impatiently.

She patted Lock on the head, then ran to the car. With a rev of the magical core, the cars drove off onto the beaten path toward the city center. Construction of proper roads had only just begun, so in the meantime, earth magic was used to carve out side paths for vehicles. Since carriages littered the main brick paths, they couldn’t drive along them.

That left Lock and Edward by themselves. Since his reincarnation, this was the first time he and the Hero were alone together. Lock looked him in the face, keeping his guard up as he prepared to speak to him.

“Well, shall we get going, son?” Edward smiled and began walking, releasing tension from Lock’s mind.

Right, almost forgot that he thinks of me as his son. This is the first time we’ve been alone together, so my mind sort of flashed back.

“What’s with the sudden urge to walk? Wanted to spend some quality time with your old man?” Edward joked, though he was genuinely curious about his son's impulse.

“Yeah, sort of…” Lock fidgeted with his hands, trying to come up with something to say.

He had the entire conversation planned out in his head beforehand, but when they started talking, all his thoughts vanished.

“Father, how strong are you?” Lock asked what he thought was a normal question for a child to ask their father. And that it was.

“Hmmm, I wonder… I’ve never gone all out before, you know?” Edward flexed his chiseled biceps at the boy playfully.

That’s a blatant lie, but whatever, Lock thought as he continued his questioning. “Are you the strongest person in the world?”

“Hm...” He pondered as his hand rubbed his chin. “I’m not so sure. The world’s a big place, you know?”

“But you were stronger than the Demon Lord, weren’t you?” Lock asked almost instantly, Edward twitching at the mention. “Mother told me that I was born on the day you beat him.”

Heh, stumped you, didn’t I? Surprise! I’m him. You haven’t beaten him yet!

They continued walking the path, Edward suddenly falling silent.

“Father?” Lock sounded, waking him from his apparent trance.

“Oh, yeah. Your mother’s right about that. He stood no chance against me!” Edward spoke awkwardly, then sighed. “Don’t worry, son. Nobody as bad as him will show up again. And if they do, I’ll kick their butt just like the last,” he feigned enthusiasm as if he didn’t believe his own words.

Lock tilted his head in confusion. He hadn’t mentioned anything about someone else attacking them. It seemed like Edward had been worried about this for some time and was inadvertently letting his inner turmoil seep through the cracks.

The hell… At least sound sure of yourself. Underhanded as it may be, you still defeated the great Demon Lord! Lock yelled internally, as if he hadn’t thought, ‘You haven’t beaten him yet!’ a mere thirty seconds earlier.

If Lock were any ordinary kid, he would’ve believed him without a second thought. But Lock knew something was up. He observed his father's forced enthusiasm, sensing that there was more to the story than Edward was willing to reveal.

Ever since Lock was reincarnated, he couldn’t sense Edward’s full power. He assumed that it was because it was too big for his weakened body to fathom, but now, he was having doubts. He had witnessed the Hero’s true strength during his time as the Demon Lord, and the difference between those displays of power and the image Edward projected now was too stark to ignore.

It wasn’t like Edward was weak now. No, not at all. The man was still unfathomably powerful. But if he’d faced the Demon Lord in his current state, he would have surely lost.

Something’s wrong, but I shouldn’t press him, Lock thought.

“How about you, son? Are you going to train hard to protect your siblings and mothers?” Edward changed the subject.

“Me?” Lock replied in a confused tone.

“Yeah. I won’t be around forever, you know? It's up to you kids to protect the world when I can't anymore. You can join the weekly training with your older siblings and me when you’re eight.”

“Well, I do want to get stronger. I already asked you to train me, but you refused.”

“Haha, there was a good reason for that. Still, I'm happy that you're determined.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? Strength is incredibly important.”

“And for what purpose?”

“Purpose?” Lock tilted his head and raised a brow.

“What else but to protect those you care about?” Edward answered for the boy.

Lock still didn’t understand his ideology. The notion of protecting those he cared about remained foreign. Still, he didn’t know why he wanted to get stronger. Part of him wanted to continue his conquest as Demon Lord, and perhaps that was why. But when he came to that conclusion, something didn’t feel right.

“Didn’t you just say there wouldn’t be any more threats?”

“As long as I’m around, there won’t be.”

“Will Helianis protect us if you’re not around?”

“Come on, Lock. You know the Goddess doesn’t interfere with mortal affairs. Look, I’m entrusting our family's safety to you, son. Think you’re up to it?”

Lock chuckled softly, showing a hint of amusement at Edward’s words. Then, his laughter amplified, rising in pitch and intensity. Edward looked at him, perplexed, not knowing what he'd said to make his son burst out laughing.

“Oh man, it’s funny how the world works sometimes. I guess this is what ‘fate’ found most convenient.”

“Hey, are you making fun of me?” Edward light-heartedly joked, pulling Lock closer and ruffling his hair. “You brat. Don’t make me tell your mother about this!”

At that time, neither of them knew that the Demon Lord’s dying words were going to come true sooner than they expected. Signs of the impending disaster were beginning to show, and it would be only a few years before they came to fruition.

Eventually, they made it back home safely.

Year 1458 of the Draconic Sage calendar.

About two years later, it was Lock Gellner’s eighth birthday. His family threw him a party, and as usual, it didn’t really mean anything to him. The opulent halls of the Gellner estate were spruced up with decorations, and a large banquet table was set with delectable treats and a birthday cake with his name written in red frosting, reflecting the fiery hair color that he got from his mother.

As the festivities commenced, Lock found that his parents and most of his older siblings had gotten him gifts. They did this every year, and Lock was never opposed to it. In fact, this was the one part of the celebration that he was familiar with.

It reminded him of his previous life, when lines of his subjects offered him presents in return for their lives. Well, ‘lives’ was a bit of an exaggeration. Killing subjects was a waste. Instead, the villages that didn’t offer him a gift on the day of his birth received pay cuts, courtesy of his butler Giles’ suggestions.

After opening each person's gifts, nothing stood out to him. Usually, he outwardly insulted gifts he disliked, but ever since his fifth birthday, when Felix almost cried because of what Lock said about his present, he stopped outwardly judging them. He hadn’t done this knowingly. He felt bad subconsciously, so he naturally stopped.

He eventually reached Leopold’s gift. Leopold had a habit of giving his siblings the best birthday gifts. One time, he gifted Peter a state-of-the-art pair of magical binoculars that the boy still used for stargazing. He gave Felix magical gloves that reacted to any element poured into them. That gift, however, resulted in disaster in the courtyard. Felix promised he wouldn’t use them within the city. He even got the Sword of the Sky for Seraph’s fifteenth birthday, which was a high-level magical weapon claimed from the sky dungeon tower in the Golrea continent. When they questioned him about how he got it, all he said was, ‘I know a guy who knows a guy.’

“Try not to thank me TOO much when you see this present,” Leopold snickered as he scratched his cheek in confidence.

Lock ripped the wrapping open and found a regular-looking wooden stick inside. He took it out and showed it to everyone.

“Tadaa!!” Leopold exclaimed as if he was the one presenting the item.

A long, tormenting silence followed, the crickets' creaking adding to the jarring quiet.

“Wow. You got him a twig,” Seraph pointed out in a cold voice, breaking the silence.

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, my dear sister. This is a magic twig! Explain all the boring stuff, Edmund.” Leopold passed the proverbial baton on to his older brother.

“This is a prototype of a new device that we’ve been developing at G-Corp. It’s similar to a wand or staff; however, it requires no magical ore or resonant stone. This artificial wand allows the user to channel their magical energy more efficiently into an object, and its components regulate a smooth extraction of mana from the user,” Edmund explained, putting his glasses back up onto his face.

“So long story short, it’s a wand?” Arabella said to Leopold and Edmund.

“Yes, but also not quite. While staves and wands draw upon your reserves of mana more efficiently, this twig supplements your mana artificially. In that sense, we hoped to create a product more efficient than even the best wand,” Edmund reiterated.

“Whoa. Is that all true, brother?” Octavia spoke in amazement.

“Yes. However, it’s an imperfect prototype I was developing. Leopold coerced me into giving him one, but I wasn’t expecting him to gift it to Lock,” he added.

“Dude, just say no next time,” Seraph said.

“Leopold… What kind of dangerous device are you giving my sweet little boy?” Elspeth glared at him with a deathly mother’s stare, making Leopold put his hands up in innocence.

“It’s safe, I swear!” He pleaded innocence. “Stepmother, you’ve got to believe me. Hey, Lock! Help me out here, bud. Show her it’s not dangerous.” Leopold put his hands together as he pleaded to his brother.

Lock tried to channel his magic through the twig, and surprisingly, it worked. However, the power that came out was extremely weak. To Lock, it was stronger than usual. The bubble he produced was twice as big.

“Uh, Lock? Come on, I said, give it a whirl,” Leopold repeated, and Lock tried again.

This time, he tried fire magic. He pointed it away from anyone just in case. Again, a magical burst reminiscent of a fart spewed out from the tip of the stick.

“It’s broken. Not only did you gift him a twig, but it’s also a broken twig,” Seraph doubled down on her previous comment, Leopold scratching his head in confusion.

“That can’t be right. I just tested it out this morning…” Leopold muttered as Elspeth let out a sigh of relief.

“Is Leopold’s streak over?! Lock! Say my feather tickler is better than that lousy stick!” Felix urged, wanting to beat his brother.

“No, it’s not broken. It’s a magnificent gift, Leopold,” Lock answered, expertly spinning the stick in his hand, playing with it like a pencil.

Crap, they don’t know about my abysmal magical aptitude. What a shameful display.

“Can I give it a try?” Seraph asked, reaching her hand out to Lock.

“No.”

“Why not? I just wanna see if it’s broken or not,” she pouted.

“I already told you, it’s not broken. I- uh, simply didn’t want to blow the house up. Yeah, that’s it.”

Why am I even hiding this? They’ll find out sooner or later anyway.

Unlike Lock and Edward, the siblings weren’t so in tune with their magical detectors that they could sense someone’s magical potential. It wasn’t something someone was born with. It came with experience and a discerning eye, which couldn’t be stripped from someone even if they were reincarnated.

Of course, that’s all the magic I could muster. Edward must know the truth. He probably sensed my pathetically weak magical abilities as soon as I was born. How utterly humiliating.

***

Name: Edward Gellner

Lock’s updated assessment: He could drop dead for all I care, but messing with him is entertaining.