Etterra has 4 seasons every year, each season has 3 months, each month has 4 weeks and each week has 7 days. A month and 1 week have passed, now its 1 day left until winter comes. The air is getting chilly but a 5 year old boy is still on a training ground swinging a training sword.
"Ahhh!!!" Adrian fell to the ground, his arms pulsing with pain.
"Young master! Are you alright? You're pushing yourself too hard. I already advise you to switch the training swords to the one I ordered a month ago. But you are still stubborn wanting to use the heavier training sword." Ralph who wearing winter clothes run towards Adrian. He opened a bottle of health potion and feed it to Adrian.
"Ralph, don't you know a training sword a day is a 'training sword' for life? I was just thinking for the future. Plus, I know you will help me if I reached my limit. One day, I show you that move can make and enemy fall instantly. So, the heavier the sword the better it is." Adrian tried to sweet talk out of it while letting the healing warmth spread all over his body.
The heat of healing on his arms make vapour appear in the cold air. He looked like someone who had been reborn.
"Sigh… Young master, let's get back. I will prepare the usual. You clean up the training ground first." Ralph sigh not falling for the 5 year old monster antics and left.
"Thank you, Ralph" Adrian thanked Ralph while waving with a big smile. Adrian didn't care if he has to clean the training grounds himself, he can try some hopeless moves he don't want Ralph to see.
[Daily Mission 1]
[Running: 4.1/3 km] [Arm ex.: 90/30 times]
[Upper body ex.: 90/30 times] [Lower body ex.: 150/30 times]
[Draw, slash and downward slash: 174/200 times]
[Stab, pull and slash: 300/200 times]
[Pull, aim and strike: 400/200 times]
"This is a satisfying progress." Adrian looks at his training screen with a satisfying smile.
"Now for the rewards. Aria, show status."
[Name: Park Jae Sung] [Age: 5] [Level: unawaken]
[Strength: 25] [Agility: 16] [Endurance:27]
[Intelligence: 50 (MAX)] [Mana: 100 (unawaken)]
"Urgh… seeing the 'max' label hurts soul." Adrian thought while holding his chest.
[Reporting. No damage to the soul detected. But, a sudden decrease in heart rate detected.]
"That's the point, that is called a 'heart pain' seeing a max stat at 50." Adrian complained.
[Reporting. Understood. 'Heart pain' had been recognize.]
[Responding. Master's 'Intelligence' has reached maximum celling of a mortal without mana. Restriction is added by Etterra. Aria unable to override. ARIA apologize for failing master.]
"No. Don't apologize Aria. It's not your fault. To me, you never fail me. I understand that there is something that we cannot change. So, let's work hard together." Adrian felt bad to Aria.
[Responding. ARIA will always support and be by Master's side]
Hearing that, Adrian finishes off cleaning the training grounds and hurriedly return home.
Entering the entrance door, Adrian saw his dad waiting for him.
"Good afternoon, dad. Are you waiting for me? Is there something wrong?" Adrian asked his dad
"Yes, a big problem for you." Malcom replied and handed him an envelope that already had been open. The envelope had the royal seal. A symbol of a lion with sun-like mane.
"Sh*t" Adrian cursed in thought. He receives the envelope and starts to read it
"The Royal Twilight Family invites the head of the Cross Family, Malcom Cross and the eldest of the Cross Family, Adrian Cross to the prince, Charles Twilight Wells and the Princess, Chelsea Twilight Wells, birthday party celebrating their 5th Birthday on the 3rd day of the Second month of Winter."
Signed by, King of Twilight Kingdom, Elijah Twilight Wells.
Adrian was so shocked. Cursed like a mad man in his thoughts while frozen in place.
Malcom already expected of this reaction because he was like that too when he first became a count. Adrian had attracted many nobles' attention, of course the king is interested in him.
"The prince's and princess's birthday will be in a month. I already invite the tailor to get your measurements for a suit that fits the occasion. Also, can I give you the responsibility to pick the royal twins presents? Your mother and I have the same idea as other nobles, so me and your mother is confident that you pick something nice. Here's 5 gold make sure you spend well. Also, I reward you when we get to the capital." Malcom innocently asked Adrian's favour.
"Yessss…. Fatherrr…" he received the gold while showing a fake smile and supressing his anger to throw a childish tantrum.
Adrian went back to his room, save the gold with the 300 silver he kept and get ready to take an ice cold dip. After taking a bath, he thinks about what present should he prepare. Thinking for a while he saw, an unused training sword leaning on the wall. He let out a big grin and take some jewellery he saved and went to find Ralph.
On his way to find Ralph, he passed through his little sister's room. He had not seen his baby sister yet today so why not visit her now.
"Marylyn are you awake?" Adrian opened the door and took a peek. His baby sister is alone and awake. Flailing in the coot trying to get anyone's attention.
"Marylyn… <3" Adrian was excited his baby sister is awake and play peek a boo with her. Baby laughs echoed the room. Adrian suddenly got an idea what to give the princess.
After his mother came in to feed Marylyn, he took the stuff he brought with him and head to the dining room to eat and find Ralph.
After lunch, he orders Ralph to put his presents idea in motion. He wants to embedded 2 jewelleries on the neck of the training sword, it must be tight. He also wants 2 blackwood button, wool yarn in pink, light blue and yellow colours along with knitting needles. Adrian handed him 300 silvers and Ralph can keep the change.
Ralph accepts the order without a single word he left. Adrian thinks back about his past life during his high school days he learns knitting to make scarfs, blankets and dolls to sell online and make some extra pocket money. During warring times, these things are quite profitable.
He wanted to make the popular 'Hello Bunnies' for a gift to the princess and a training sword embedded with jewellery for the prince. That is perfect for 5 year olds not like what he received.
"Kids I'm doing a service for your childhood." Adrian said filled with narcissistic honour.
After getting the stuff he asked for in the evening, he put the training sword in a box and warp it while thinking of a design for the 'Hello Bunnies' doll. Having an idea what the doll should look like he immediately starts. He estimated he will finish in 1 week. That is plenty of time.
For the whole week he does agility exercise such as sprinting, zig zag runs and parkour to catch up his agility stats with the others but his small body has a limit and cannot increase it much but he doesn't give up.
[Agility: 21] [Endurance: 28]
After finishing the doll and wrapped it up, he continued his routine but focusing on physical fitness. He do everything that he knows and repeat until he tried out until the day to set out.
[Strength: 27] [Agility: 23] [Endurance:30]
Tomorrow is the day of the royal twin's birthday, Malcom was preparing the tamed beast, two hippogriffs. It took 4 days to reach the capital by normal means but by the hippogriff it cut the journey to a half day. Meanwhile, Adrian was talking to Aria.
"Aria, why is my stats progress slowing down?" Adrian asked
[Reporting. Master's stats are increasing slowly right now because of age and race restriction. In Etterra's Akashic records, there was never any human child has stats reached 30 at 5 years old.]
[Advice. Master should stop physical training and focus on technique training.]
"Sigh… true, this 'Reality to numbers' is really powerful but it causes an addiction. I didn't even realise it." Adrian came to a realisation that he suddenly became a training junkie.
"Done. Okay Adrian, prepare to set off. Say goodbye to your mother and sister."
"Goodbye mom. Goodbye Marylyn. I'll bring souvenirs from the capital. Please take care of them, Ralph. I will also buy you souvenirs." Adrian says his goodbyes.
"Take care out there. Don't do anything stupid." Amanda hugs and give a cheek kiss to Adrian.
"Guu…" Marylyn says her goodbye
"Yes, Young master leave them to me. Have a safe journey. We'll be waiting for your return" Ralph said his goodbyes.
With a final wave, Malcom and Adrian set off to Amber Rose Capital