Tenth Birthday

Five years have been so long... It's was so hard to keep up with the regular beating of love I was given through my father's 'training', but at least I was able to sharpen my sword skills and improve my Aura because of it.

It's too bad that I could only bring out a sort of 'Soft' Style using the skills I currently have. Meaning I was mostly parry rather than using the strength of my body to contend with him

The personal style of swordsmanship I created over time leaned more towards redirecting incoming force and using ones surroundings rather than directly fighting in close-combat.

My father probably thinks that defending against him using the my make-shift Aura Techniques was easy due to the poker face I had on. I don't know how he's unable to figure out that his physical strength is also a factor I can't just ignore while we were clashing... The difference in our physiques isn't something I can overcome merely by increasing my mastery over Aura Manifestation!

My father's a grown man with skills that were sharpened over the course of actual battle, causing his body is robust and covered in muscles. How could a normal ten year old even hope to stand against him with his overwhelming physical prowess?

That idiot!

I understand the fact that he was suppressing his Aura Clad to a low level, but such small differences still effects one's overall battle prowess!

Is he trying to make me do the impossible? Or is it that he seriously can't understand the differences in both our physiques? Well, at least five years didn't go down the drain because my ability to redirect oncoming physical forces had improved by leaps and bounds! I slowly felt the synergy between my Martial Arts and Magic Arts improving over the years.

The fighting techniques I created under such pressure was one that used my wooden knife as an inner layer of my defence and my wooden sword as the outer layer that lessened impacts. An attack would be slowed down by my outer layer layer before fully stopping before my inner layer.

Every time my father swung down his wooden sword, my own sword would whittle its impact down after interception, then I'd use the wooden knife in my other hand weaken, stop or parry the attack's remaining physical power. My entire body would shift and throw off the physical force or direct it through my feet.

And that wasn't all: The different changes my four Elemental Auras exhibited in the midst of battle had helped me create a unpredictable factor in my personal fighting style. By using the innate transformational properties of the Light Attribute (or Sun Attribute in my case), even the same physical movements can have different effects.

For example, using Wind Aura could increase my speed while switching to Earth Aura could increase my sword's heaviness in the midst of battle.

If I was able to use a Lightning Aura, then I'd be able to temporarily increase all my physical abilities in explosive bursts. It's a pity that something like that can't be used for too long without draining Mana like water. I guess only a person with high Magical Talent would be so wasteful!

Plus, even if I could transform my Aura to imitate attributes outside of the ones I already have an affinity to, the amount of Mana it would take to sustain them would be significant.

"Can we stop this now? My defence has become airtight over the years." I asked Father, who was still swinging his large sword relentlessly from all directions, with a pridefully smirk.

"It's only airtight for those only using Aura Manifestation to augment their strength. Once they start using their Aura to manipulate the elements around you, you'll be in trouble. Do you want to know why?" My father asked mysteriously as he stopped attacking and gestured his hand towards the ground. A brown beam of light exited his hand before sinking into the floor beneath my feet.

The ground under my feet became a lot softer as a result, causing me to suddenly sink into the soil beneath me. My balance was thrown out of order and my 'rhythm' disrupted.

How could my father miss this great chance he created? With just a single movement, his sword was swiftly placed in front of my torso. I couldn't even fight back against him after I lost my ability to redirect force. Meaning I once again had to swallow a beatdown with a wronged look.

"We'll stop training for today. From now on I'm going to have important business in the capital. I won't be able to watch over your training while I'm gone. You can go ask Mark or Anna if you want to spar with someone for the time being." My father informed after fixing the ground and with his Earth Ether. Not even caring about how savagely he beat me up...

You're such a horrible father...! At least ask if I'm alright or something!

Since I was laying on my back, I sat up slowly with a pained expression

"You're not going to give him a reward for going through with your spartan training regimen?" My mother appeared from behind me quickly grabbed my father's shoulder before he could leave. A smile that didn't reach her eyes curved on her face.

My thoughts were exactly the same as mother's so I didn't interfere. That and I'm holding a grudge right now...!

"O-of course I have a reward for our little boy! I-it's his tenth birthday after all! H-he has reached the age of nurturing this year so I can't be stingy to him, can I? I would be a really bad father I didn't give him a present today!" My father stuttered in cold sweat. A suspicious look appeared in my eyes as I heard his nervous voice.

He seems to be hiding something...

Unlike on Earth, people of Sphera only celebrated the tenth and fifteenth birthday of their children with great seriousness. Every other day of my birth didn't matter...

The reason was due to those days being known as the start of certain periods of a person's growth. The tenth birthday is known as the 'Age of Nurturing' due to the tradition of parents passing down their Arts and Spells to their children while the fifteenth bring that of adulthood.

A person's childhood is all the years before they become ten. After they reach that age, most parents would choose to pass down their magical spells and martial arts in order to grow their children into Warriors or just pass them down for self-defence.

Of course, many parents passed their techniques down to children before their tenth birthday but they wouldn't do it as seriously until their child reached the 'Age of Nurturing'.

Sphera was a world dictated by strength so it was natural parents wanted their own children to be as strong as they could possibly become.

"And what present did you prepare for my birthday today?" I asked suspiciously.

Father seemed to be close to making an excuse to leave and escape Mother's grasp until someone suddenly patted his shoulder.

Mark, who signalled my father with his eyes, took out a luxurious-looking glove that was covered with strange circular symbols filled with magic.

"Your father left your gift with me because he was meaning to give it you to you himself after returning." Mark said reassuringly. A thankful look appeared in my father's eyes as he straightened his back, but although mother was kind of naive, she wouldn't have been able to survive as a mercenary if she didn't have keen eyes. Her glare caused father's nonchalant expression to stiffen. He tried to escape quietly but Mother hunted him down with a bright smile.

"We'll both leave for now~! Mark, can you explain your gift's uses while we're gone? Thank you~!" My mother said as she furiously chased down my dear father, who was already making a break for it!

Just how serious is not giving a present on my birthday anyway? Well, Mother did remind Father to buy a gift for me two days ago... Umm... Maybe he forgot about it due to his busy work?

'I'll definitely buy something for you tomorrow!' Was what my father said yesterday... Actually, he shouldn't make a promise he couldn't keep!

Go Mother! Give him a good beating!

"Your father truly is busy these days." Mark shook his head as he looked at the 'thoughtful' expression on my face. My poker face not betraying my gloating interior. Like always, he was acting like a nonchalant prince of our kingdom without a hint of shame.

"Doing what?" I asked in response but didn't expect that great of an answer. 

Mark was just being father's wingman out of respect for being his old friend.

"Protecting the Duke from outside dangers, of course. Things haven't been going well recently with a certain group of people..." Mark said with sharp glint in his eyes. He looked around the training ground for a moment before gazing into my mature-looking eyes deeply after seeing that no one was around. I really am good at 'acting mature'.

"There are dangers in the world beside the Blood Nation... Sometimes the hearts of people can be more dangerous than even the most vicious monsters... Please be sure to keep that in mind in future." Mark continued helplessly. 

His tone seemed different than it was moments ago... Huh? His eyes now seemed to have some depth despite how he was still smiling like always...

I frowned upon his words. He didn't look like he was saying this to me. It looked more like he was reminding himself so that he wouldn't forget.

Now that I think about it, I may have forgotten such a simple reality due to the amount of time I spent living peacefully with my new family. Has my instincts dulled over these years?

I need to find a way to fight someone who isn't my father to find that out. A parent will always hold back on their children no matter how they try to act like they're going all out. Well, there's no reason for me to look for a fight right now so my lack of combat experience shouldn't matter much for now. All I need to remember is to be more cautious around others...

As for the Blood Nation, even I know that those so-called 'Barbarians' won't won't attack for at least another century. They may have strange magic and strong equipment but our unfathomable number of humans will definitely be able to overpower them!

The only thing that worries me are the elite forces I've read about. It's common knowledge that 'Elites' of that nation are so strong to the point that most Spells and Arts don't work on them. Even anti-magic attacks used by Lightning Specialists aren't really that effective against them...

Well, let's forget about that for now. I am more interested in Mark's past.

"What happened to you in the past anyway? This present you're giving me doesn't seem to be common, and it gives off the feeling of an antique in a way." I said while looking at the mystical-looking glove he gifted.

"Can't you be more childish and say something like: 'A present? Wow, what does it do~?' Though, if you had done that, I'd have just laughed at you." Mark said cheekily as he wore the weird glove himself. The size of the strange glove adjusted to his hand magically. The circular patterns on it faded until it looked ordinary.

"Mark Greenlock, that was my name before my Household had fallen due to the conflicts between the Mercenary Guild and Drakeyol Kingdom. My family was slaughtered by assassins seemingly because they were a major power within the kingdom that was second to Duke Swordwick." Mark reminisced sadly.

I didn't interrupt him nor did I have anything say in response to his shocking background! This somehow explained so much about him...

"If I had been stronger, maybe I could have saved my parents from their fates of burning with the Greenlock Household. Perhaps I could have even fought off those mere assassins instead of running away. There's not one day I don't look at this glove and remorse... regretting my weakness at that time. This is the only thing I had left after my family's downfall." Mark continued as he looked in a certain direction of the training ground.

I could feel that in his eyes laid a certain memory of his childhood which he rarely spoke of. Maybe he's looking towards the direction of his former home? My eyes turned cloudy after hearing his tragic past.

"Then why are you just giving this to me? It's precious to you, so why give it away instead of holding onto it?" I asked as I looked at his lonely silhouette. The sun seemed harsher than usual today as the shadow he cast on me was pitch black. I couldn't clearly see his eyes nor could I comprehend what he was thinking.

I had never known he had such a life before becoming a butler of the Swordwick Household. His tragedy has moved me... Why was he always laughing and joking around with me even after bottling up such a past? I really just... can't understand him...

"Let's just call it a gamble." The atmosphere around him changed as he flicked my head. I furrowed my brows and glared at him but he nonchalantly smiled in response.

"When I look at you, what I see is a boy who accepted his father's unreasonable training in order to hone his skills. Even if his talent is below others, he worked hard to become someone that could fight for those he wants to protect.

You are a lot more determined than I was at your age... Why don't I help you out? Your magical talent is too low to wield an ordinary Enchanted Sword that uses Mana to sharpen its edge, but my family's heirloom is a little different than the 'ordinary'. It will at least help you overcome your weakness of having no ranged techniques to speak of." Mark said as he showed me the gloves uses by injecting his Mana into it.