One Year Result

Once I turned seven years old, Rosch began his agenda.

He gave me a short wooden sword and explained what it meant to be a swordsman. Honestly, his explanation was so stilted that I couldn't get any confidence that he was a swordsman.

After a long speech, he demonstrated some basic movements in swordsmanship. Starting from the stance, how to hold the sword, to some basic slashes.

He watched like a hawk as I swung my sword following the moves he had shown me. Then occasionally cheering me on like a cheerleader on a sports field. It felt strange, but if I slowed down or was flattered by his little compliments, he would hit me on the head with his wooden sword. It didn't hurt tho.

Honestly, I preferred hand-to-hand combat. However, I could understand that having the ability to wield a weapon to protect oneself from monsters was essential. When compared to living on earth, the most difficult enemies were humans. But, this was not the case here. Hence, this training was inevitable.

One month had passed. Every morning I was trained by Rosch. As a result, the morning lesson schedule was moved to after naptime. Farida didn't mind it. I even saw her spending more time in her room and helping with chores.

This morning, Mom finished her chores. Together with Farida, she sat on the front porch to watch my first spar with Rosch.

Yup. It was a sparring match between an old man and his unbelievably cute son.

"Damna sweetheart, don't lose to him!"

Mom elbowed Farida, a sign to remind her to encourage me. But, her voice was so quiet that I couldn't tell what she was saying.

"Why doesn't anyone cheer for me?" Rosch complained.

"Of course, because I'm more popular," I retorted.

"Heh! If I beat you, they'll cheer for me. For sure!"

Eh? No intention of giving in to your son? What kind of man are you? Rosch, I'm a seven-year-old child! Please remember that.

Rosch made some distance and then brandished his sword. "Be ready, Damna. You may attack at any time, anywhere."

His smile was so cheeky, like a brat. I could feel his confidence through the air. I meant, what kind of adult cannot win against a child in a fight? That thought crossed my mind. Yet, I didn't think he was that kind of man.

Anyway, I kept my distance, pointed my sword forward, and set up my stance as he had taught me. Then take a few breaths before simulating the battle in my head.

Okay. I've got the picture. My goal is to hit this short sword into his body.

The moment the wind stopped blowing, I ran forward and swung the sword diagonally from below. The loud sound of two training swords hitting echoed through the air. Rosch managed to repel it. I followed up with several hard swings left and right, but all my attacks were blocked.

I jumped two steps back to catch my breath, and then rushed forward again. Taking advantage of my small frame, I focused on the lower part and launched a hard swing at his knee. He jumped to avoid the attack.

As expected, he jumped. I quickly picked up a rock and threw it with my full force. However, Rosch smiled. He swung the sword and slashed the rock in half.

What the hell? This man turned out to be a real swordsman! And how could a wooden sword split a rock?

In a split second, I activated my Spiritual Eyes. Through these cursed eyes, there was a thin, stable membrane encasing Rosch's entire body along with his sword.

So, that's what's called Battle Aura, huh? So practical.

"Is that all you got?" His words ended my daydream.

Rosch's feet landed on the ground. He began to set up a stance. "It's your father's turn to attack, Damna. Get ready!"

Damn!

I quickly maintained my distance as he started galloping toward me. I couldn't run away. The comparison of our physical capacities was too much. However, I couldn't go down without a fight.

I blocked his sword while maintaining my stance. He continued to attack from various directions. Every swing of his sword felt so heavy that it forced me to grasp my sword with both hands and take a step back.

Counterattack? No way. There was no gap for it. I could only block until my hands were numb.

Ah, I hate losing to this man. Even if the means were dirty, I must win.

Unfortunately, determination alone was not enough to win the fight. My butt fell to the ground and the sword spun into the air and landed in the same place.

A crushing defeat.

"Hahaha! Look at me, Damna! I'm awesome, right?"

This man was so pathetic. How can he boast after defeating a child? Rosch, you should touch the grass for a while.

"Damna, sweetheart!" Mom ran over and picked me up. "You did great!"

It felt strange to be praised despite losing.

"Eh? Really, Mama?" A smile etched on my face.

"It's true, dear. Right, Farida?"

Farida, who was following behind, also smiled. "That's right, Sonja. It was quite difficult to withstand the attack of an Oracle-class swordsman, but he did it."

"Huh? No one's applauding the real winner here?" Rosch tried to get attention.

"In our hearts, Damna is the winner," Mom quipped.

"That's right." The two women laughed in unison.

I hadn't expected Farida to join in on this morning's charade. I wonder when they became close. Perhaps, since the discussion on that night.

Rosch's frowning face immediately drew laughter from Mom. To be honest, I laughed too, or rather, laughed at him. Please consider it part of your karma, Rosch. You deserved it.

The next day, my body was aching. I should not push myself like yesterday. It was hard to get up now. All I could do was bury my face in my favorite soft pillow.

"Damna, dear?" Mom opened the door. "Are you okay? Why do you not have breakfast?"

Well, I didn't want to trouble her. It was embarrassing for a grown man like me not to be able to get up in the morning.

"Just a little while longer, Mama." It was a concise answer.

Mom came closer and stroked my head. "Don't forget to wash your face first, okay?"

"Yes, Ma."

It took about fifteen minutes for me to get up from my throne. Afterwards, I washed my face and sat down at the dining table.

Farida joined me for breakfast. She was enjoying it while reading the stack of documents next to her. I didn't want to interrupt her and focused on my soup and bread.

I enjoyed a cup of warm water to complete my breakfast.

"A calm morning," I said as steam came out from my mouth.

Farida glanced at me for a moment. "That's right. But don't forget your assignment, Damna."

Ack! I didn't want to remember this. Since Rosch started sword training, I've had trouble managing my time with this body. My eyes were getting sleepy and the tasks were piling up. This was completely out of character for me.

"Yes, Ms Farida." My lethargic reply.

Three weeks passed. Finally, I hit my one-year milestone. As a celebration, I managed to master Mana Coating. Ms Farida also gave me a perfect score for that.

With this, I officially resumed the magic lessons that had been delayed.

***

I mastered Intermediate class magic after three months. Fire Blast, Water Splash, Stone Cannon, and Wind Blow. Including controlling the density of mana used, target distance, and speed.

And today, Ms Farida was going to explain Silent Incantation. She used a blackboard placed in front of the dining table. She stood at the front and started writing down the material.

First, Voiceless Incantation. This type was no different from a usual incantation. However, you did not need to say the sentences out loud. You recited the incantation in your mind, and then you called the magic name such as Healing, Fire Blast, and so on. This type focused on memorization.

Voiceless Incantation was also known as the Shortened Incantation. If a mage used a spell and only said the last part of the incantation, it was called a Shortened Incantation.

Second, Imaginary Incantation. This type of recitation was not spoken by mouth at all. How it was used depends on the Caster's ability to manipulate mana to obtain the desired form of magic or result. The condition was a strong imagination and an understanding of the stages of magic formation. This method required a long practice because it demanded the harmony of mind and body.

I tried this technique once, but it was so difficult to do. It takes five minutes to create a water ball. While the size was smaller than a normal Water Sphere. In a way, it was a waste of time.

Ms Farida circled the word "Imaginary Incantation" on the blackboard.

"Imaginary Incantation is a hard method," she said. "Even among people who possess Spiritual Eyes, it may not be possible. If it works, the result will be like what you did, Damna."

"Can't it be trained, ma'am?"

"Of course, you can. However, if you use Imaginary Incantation for a type of magic that already exists, then it's useless. Creating a type of fire magic like Fire Blast or Fire Vortex, then it's better to use Voiceless Incantation."

I see. Using recitation was much more concise than thinking about it in your head. Not to mention, if it was used in a battle, then it would be difficult. You didn't have time to think about your spell when your life was in danger.

Ms Farida approached me and picked up the folded paper between her books. "Damna, try to imagine creating ice magic."

"There are no sentences to recite?"

Bu Farida nodded. "All you need to imagine is, creating a ball of water and then taking the heat."

I was confused. Yet, it was worth a try.

I flowed mana into my palm. I converted mana into water particles while absorbing different water particles from the air, fusing them into a point between my palms. In about two minutes, a fist-sized water ball was formed.

"Absorb the heat, Damna," Farida said.

Absorb the heat. Take the heat. Absorb the heat.

"I can't," I said, after three minutes of trying.

"You need to be able to feel both things. Imagine that you are separating two types of grains in one container,"

Separating two grains...separating two things in one container. Water and heat. One hand focuses on keeping the water, and the other hand on drawing heat from it.

Cooling... Freezing …Could it be like how a freezer works?

Ah! I can feel it. One holding, one pulling. This way? No, not like that. Ah, I see!

Along with the understanding I gained, a cold sensation went straight to my palms. The cold temperature forced me to open my eyes. Between my hands, an ice ball was floating.

The water ball froze.

I unconsciously jumped for joy. My teacher just smiled to see me acting like that.

"Now, try reciting this incantation, Damna." Then she handed me the folded paper.

I put the ice ball on the table. I grabbed the paper and recited its contents.

"O Creator of Ice! Let the water lose its flame, mold it to my desire here and now, Ice Sphere."

Instantly, an ice sphere was created. The process is much faster than doing it through imagination. Even the contents of this spell were more or less similar to the main mechanism for creating ice before. "Now I understand what you mean, Ms Farida."

Her eyes widened. "I'm amazed that you can understand, Damna. Though it's a special kind of magic that can only be done by certain races or mages from the Institute of Magic."

Suddenly my spine went cold. "You mean ... this is a secret magic?"

"Not the magic, but the method." Ms Farida smirked. "You can rest easy. I've gotten permission from them to teach it to you. You could say this is payment for the research you helped me with earlier, Damna."

"Thank goodness."

"However, never teach this to anyone else. If they ask, just refer to it as the magic you were born with."

Oh, this was indeed a secret.

***

Another three months passed.

Besides my magic ability, my swordsmanship had also improved a lot. It was because my body had started to be able to follow the instructions from my head. The sword training with Rosch also felt lighter thanks to it. However, defeating Rosch was still not enough. If I had to guess, I'd probably have to wait until I was eighteen years old before I could match him.

I only had two subjects left on my schedule this year. Magic and Swordsmanship. The rest was just a matter of maximizing my understanding and memorization. That's why Farida was sitting in front of me and asking me various questions.

"Who are Elves?"

"The inhabitants of the Great Forest. They have pointed ears and are long-lived."

"The three highest classes in the power rankings?" She asked again.

"Emperor, Supreme and the top one, Divine."

"Where and what is the name of the tree with the widest trunk on the continent?"

"The Chermanic tree that stretches for 6562 cubits next to the Hells Gate."

"Last question," Farida closed her book. "Why does your father rarely come home?"

I fell silent. I knew the answer but was reluctant to speak.

"At the very least, thank him. A few kind words won't shorten your life."

I nodded and couldn't argue.

Somehow, Farida had gotten the wrong impression about my relationship with Rosch. Perhaps Rosch had confided in Farida the night before? This was the only explanation I could think of.

I had no animosity toward Rosch. It was just that there was a reluctance to acknowledge this man. I couldn't explain why.

"Damna!" called Mom. Her voice came from the backyard.

"Yes, Ma! Damna will be there soon!"

"It's time for you to do some work. Please go. Remember, don't push yourself. Your body is already tired from the training." Farida waved her hand and flashed a smile.

I returned her smile and got up from the chair. "Okay! Allow me to go first, Ms Farida."

There was a basket in the corner of the kitchen. It was the tool that I would use to help mom work. I quickly grabbed it and ran to the back of the house. Mom was standing there with her basket. She glanced over when she heard my step.

"Long wait?" I asked.

"No, sweetheart."

Mom squatted down to tidy up my hair and clothes, and check every corner of my body. Then she smiled and grasped my hand tightly. "Let's go."

I nodded and followed her.

We went to a forest not far from the village. To look for firewood and some fruits. It could be said that this was my first job. Being able to help mom made me happy. I wouldn't let her hand fetch firewood, but she was faster than me. Mom was too good at finding where the firewood was hiding despite the many leaves covering the ground.

Urgh! It was quite annoying to lose in this regard. However, when it came to fruit picking, I was the champ. Special thanks to Aila for teaching me how to climb. My victory in this regard was cringe-worthy and embarrassing, but as long as mom was smiling, I didn't mind it.

Kyaak!

An animal scream broke the silence of the forest. I heard it over and over again. The scream became clearer as I walked toward the source of the sound.

Under the shade of a tree, there was a rabbit with an injured leg. It looked like it was in pain. Also, the fur on the back became red.

"Damna, what did you find... a rabbit?"

Mom, who arrived beside me, immediately put down her basket. She walked over to the rabbit and untied the noose.

Could it be that mom thought the same? Not only fruits, but tonight we could eat delicious rabbit.

"Damna, can you treat this rabbit?" Mom showed me the rabbit she was holding.

Huh?

"Why should it be treated, Mama?"

Mom didn't answer my question. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two young bunnies hiding in a hole.

"We're not going to eat the rabbit, Mama?"

"No, sweetheart. We're not eating meat tonight, do you remember?"

Ah, I did. Tonight's schedule did have no meat.

Unfortunately, I still didn't understand. Not that I meant to defy mom. However, this was a strange experience for me. Wasn't rabbit one of the food sources in this area?

Although there were still various questions, I chanted the healing spell and the rabbit recovered. Mom gently placed it close to its child.

"Be careful," Mom said to the mother rabbit. Then, we left them.

After that, I was still thinking about the reason behind mom's actions. Could this be what is called compassion for other creatures? Did she want to show it to me? Or did she want to teach me about food discipline and not being greedy?

To be honest, I was confused. In my previous life, this kind of thing had never crossed my mind.

All harmless animals are human food sources. It was our role as the highest predator in the food chain. As it turns out, my understanding was wrong. Life as a normal human cannot be defined that simply.

Humans were complex, I guessed.

After an hour, our basket was full. I had many fruits and firewood. Hence, the basket became heavy. Let alone offering help to my mom, I struggled to balance my steps while carrying the basket. After an adjustment here and there, we were finally ready to come back.

It was a beautiful afternoon. The twilight shone on mom's smiling face. Not only was I able to help her work, but I also learned a valuable lesson.

This happiness made me forget about the wound on the rabbit's back. It was a deep wound that almost pierced its stomach. Like a bite mark from a long-fanged animal.