"It looks like you all have been doing well despite that incident…" Lexus said. "It seems that Vangel has been investigating suspicious travelers, so something like that won't happen again. Regardless… you have been doing something weird while I was away. I heard that you have awakened to your magic, but…"
While Aion wouldn't pay much attention to it, he thought that he would be scolded for the incident, but nothing happened. Instead of that, Lexus seemed impressed and troubled by Aion's sculptures.
"Well, if that is what you want to use your magic for…" Lexus said.
It seemed that those months away from his family made Lexus get a lot softer than before. In any case, the mood in the house improved, and that wasn't a bad thing. For a few days, Lexus rested at his home and checked the progress of his kids. He was surprised that his kids tried other weapons and got a lot better than expected. Not to mention, even their studies had improved. The battle tactics instructor tested everyone and noticed that they learned a lot more by themselves in a few months than with him for a full year. Aion's learning method was that good.
"Aion, I heard that some people tried to contact you to make sculptures for them. Why didn't you agree?" Lexus asked.
"I only want to make what I want," Aion replied. "Also, I am not interested in working for people filled with prejudice."
"I am not a merchant, but I am pretty sure that such a mindset is wrong for those who want to make money," Lexus said.
"That is fine. I can move on to other projects if that one starts not to work anymore," Aion said.
"I see… putting that aside, I want to see how you all can fare agaisnt each other," Lexus said. "Soon, Henri and Philip are going to carry and use real swords, so a real demonstration of your abilities will be required. I will be the opponent this time."
That was surprising. Still, that was their chance to show that they could do it. As expected, Henri was the first one to fight, and he decided to return to his sword and shield style. Lexus unsheathed his sword, and he just moved forward a bit. Aside from that, he did nothing. It was clear that he wasn't going to attack…
Henri didn't hesitate and dashed toward his father since he had the confidence that he would block all of his attacks exactly that happened. Henri was a lot fiercer than before, and he could attack while moving to another spot and changing his stance, creating a storm of hits, but Lexus easily followed him with his eyes alone and blocked the attacks using the minimal amount of strength. In the end, he got exhausted after ten minutes and stopped.
"Not bad, your moves are a lot sharper than before," Lexus said. "You are ready to use a real weapon, and that will make you put more pressure on the enemy. Now it is your turn, Philip."
Philip was more aggressive, and even though he had only trained for three months with the weapon, he decided to use an ax. As one would expect, his attacks were easy to read, but that forced Lexus to use a proper stance to block the attacks. He tried to hit him with the side of the sword to test Philip's defense, but he was quick to retreat or block them with an ax.
"You got a bit slower due to the weapon, but the attacks are heavier, and your defense is more solid… you two improved a lot," Lexus said. "I am confident that you won't fail on your duties when you leave to join the battalions."
"Yes, sir," Henri and Philip said in unison.
"What about you three?" Lexus asked. "Unfortunately, Caelis grew tired of the conflict and moved to the area, we didn't defeat him yet, and I might have to return and deal with him again. Now is the time for me to give you all more pointers than before when it comes to fighting."
Georges and Elio showed interest in the offer, but Aion didn't. He didn't know how strong his father was, but he knew that he wasn't on his level yet, nor would he learn much agaisnt an enemy that wouldn't even try. He had to keep working on his fundamentals while he grew. Perhaps he would have a chance if he reset all his classes and transferred all the experience and energy to a single class. Still, he wasn't interested in that kind of meaningless victory.
In the end, Lexus spent the rest of the month teaching his kids how to ride a horse. They were supposed to go with some kids that had enlisted to join the army, but unlike them, they were going to learn how to command. They had to live among soldiers for a few years, but at the moment, they had to show that they were a bit different to be respected.
Once again, most of the family reunited at the gate of the mansion when the day for Henri and Philip to leave arrived. Even the girls at the magic school took a license to see them leave. Senna and Elahi looked like they didn't sleep much that night. Philip's mother was a woman who always maintained a poker face, she had short black hair and brown eyes, and she gave a vibe of a quiet and studious person. Still, just like Senna, she broke into tears when the boys departed.
Next year, the other girls and Georges and Elio also were going to leave… Aion wondered what he should do regarding those traditions. Making his name in the army would take too much time for him to reach his goal. There was also the possibility that he won't follow the same path due to his mother's side…
"I guess the king would risk giving me the chance to obtain a lot of power but not an army. That would make more sense," Aion thought.
Aion thought that he would have to think for several months to think of a way to deal with that situation, but much to his surprise, his father told him the day after those two left what he had to do to reach his current goal… that easily.