Chapter seven

Knowing that this was coming didn't make it... Easier.

"Congratulations, Gray!"

Yeah, this was awkward. Every birthday was if he was honest, just sitting there and listening to people congratulating you while you had no idea how to behave.

"Here Gray, I know that your father isn't the best teacher, especially in the water god style, so I got you this book, it might help you with training."

Zenith handed him a book and started patting his head, he didn't mind, really, it felt rather nice.

The book was named the same as the style so it would have been helpful.

"Hey! Why don't I hear you defending my honor?"

He ignored his father, there was no honor to defend when there was no skill to teach.

He didn't expect any gift from Lilia, she only knew them for a few months after all. And Rudeus was just sitting there, looking on curiously as if wondering what was happening.

There was a feast, a boar that Paul brought back home was cooked and even Lilia was forced to sit at the table.

The evening was spent eating, laughing, and watching Paul perform tricks with his sword.

He enjoyed it, mostly, Rudeus still avoided his hand when Gray tried patting his head.

He didn't cry though... So baby steps.

When everything was done and over with, Zenith picked up Rudi and went up the stairs to put him to bed while Lilia started cleaning up.

Before he could go and help, a hand descended on his shoulder. Looking over his shoulder, he saw paul who was, for once, not grinning like mad.

"Your mother gave you a present already, now, it's my turn isn't it?"

Gray tilted his head, did the two not pitch in to get him the book? He would imagine that it was expensive.

Following behind him silently, the two entered... A storage room?

They had a storage room? Of course, they had a storage room.

"There it is."

Stopping his observation of the room, he looked at what Paul was holding, a sheathed sword. He could see something like a purple marble at the end of the hilt but otherwise, the only other thing noticeable was a strange symbol on the sheath and a purple handguard.

"This is something my party retrieved from a dungeon but... No one could draw it."

He scratched the back of his head while chucking slightly, almost awkwardly.

"In the end, since no one knew what kind of blade it was, it went to me for safekeeping since no shop would buy a useless blade, so, try drawing it, if you can't, I have another sword you can have."

Ah... So this was what the asshole meant by he would get it when it was time.

That sheathed sword was the thousand demon daggers. So it wasn't a dagger with multiple forms... What a bummer.

Taking it in hand he noticed a very... The noticeable problem. This thing was as tall as him, he was taller, only by a few inches.

Shrugging mentally, he figured that it would fit when he grew older.

Grabbing the handle he pulled... Unsuccessfully.

"Ah, that looks like a katana, try pushing the handguard with your thumb."

He sweatdropped but did as told.

With a click, the blade started coming out of its sheath. He pulled it slowly, spotting what looked like half the face of a demon, standing out because of its distinctive blue color and a single, red eye, seemingly shining in excitement to be used.

Pulling it out further, he rose an eyebrow at the markings that were going down the part before the blade, and finally... The cracked blade...

"Huh..."

Taking the blade out fully, he raised an eye row at the cracked blade. Paul was no better, looking very confused.

"Think it's some kind of... Magic item?"

Sending Paul a look that said "How would I know?", since this was given to him by the god that sent him here, he suspected that it was.

Tightening his hand on the handle, he notices that it was light, he was four so it was heavy for him, but to someone like paul, it might as well be half of the weight his sword was.

Humming absently, he channeled some Mana into the blade. The cracked metal glows blue and splits. No longer being a whole, solid blade, the pieces start floating, hovering above the hilt.

Tilting his head, he moved the hilt to side to side and watched as the shards followed his movements.

Following a hunch, he willed the shards to move and they followed his command. Forming a circle in the air behind him.

"Wow."

It was so sudden that Grey jumped, and his shoulder hit Paul's jaw. The older man backed off, clutching his mouth.

"I think I bit my tongue."

Sighing and looming back at where the shards should have been, he found them on the ground.

Bringing them back to the hilt, they solidified into a blade again, like nothing ever happened.

Humming in appreciation, he sheathed it and held the sword to his side.

"You said that no one could use the sword, right? What makes me special?"

Paul nodded, then shrugged, looking at the sword in his hand.

"Who knows how magic items work... But maybe you were judged worthy... Must be my genes."

There had to be a limit to the bullshit one could spew daily... At least he didn't do it every day.