As the only son of the Jun family, I had to grow accustomed to the weight of diminished expectations from those around me.
Especially the other noble houses of the kingdom of Lumbrica.
Including us, there are exactly 12 noble houses and the royal family that rule this kingdom, and each is ranked according to their talents and accomplishments.
The Jun family is ranked 3rd, the Teras family is ranked 2nd, and the Kang Lin family is ranked 1st. The Aquarius family, ranked 7th, is where my lover from my past life was born. Like me, she was the only daughter amongst four elder brothers and two younger brothers so it was easy for us to get along when we first met.
The families come together for a battle of the youngsters every ten years to settle the ranking of the 12 families.
Gloria and Fiona participated in the last family battle two years ago, and they emerged 3rd, which was a wonderful feat since boys were mostly their competitors.
I, as the sole son of the Jun family, should not falter in any way. Something I failed to understand in my past life because of how pampered I was.
A sigh escaped my lips as I arrived at the training yard. 'Not in this life…'
"You've arrived, son.." My father called out while I looked up at him. A small smile exuded my lips until my gaze slowly went to the next person who stood in a dignified manner. Blood boiled down my body as memories flashed before my mind.
'Him…..'
Noticing my sudden change in mood, the man known as Bollam chuckled with a weary sigh. "It seems like your son doesn't have a good impression of me".
In my past life, I was 12 when I gained my 3rd star, and I didn't require an advanced teacher at the time, but this man is the future right knight of the 2nd crown prince as well as the person that cut off my aura veins.
'....to think I would meet him this early….'
"Raph ?"
My father called with a worried expression and a sigh escaped my lips as I walked towards them.
'No…he hasn't committed any of those atrocities in this life yet'.
"I apologize sir Bollam, for my rudeness….I seemed to have a momentary image of how cruel my training would be with you and I flinched for a moment"
He chuckled with a wide smile as he patted my head. "Don't worry about it kiddo. It was right of you to show me what you're made of from the very beginning".
Unlike my father, who was reserved and neat, Bollam was a rather brush-it-off fellow with a rough personality. His hair was black, spiky, and messy, and his clothes did nothing to hide his large, bulky, hairy build.
"Is that so…" I could still hear the worry from my father's tone. I looked up at him and smiled trying to ease his mood while he released a small sigh before turning towards Bollam.
"I leave my son in your hands…and I must warn you…he is a handful"
They chuckled as Bollam shook his hands.
"That..I can see".
"Father? When can I start learning from you ?" I asked while he was about to walk away. He turned around to face me with a smile. "You are yet to learn the basics…when you reach 5 stars…then I'll pass down our techniques to you as well"
I nodded my head as I watched him walk away.
My father and I were alike in many ways other than our hair color. I was the only one born with snow-white hair from my mother, while my sisters had my dad's blue-colored hair.
However, a difference would be in the color of our eyes. Where my dad was blue…mine was whitish just like my mum.
A color that made me seem blind to others.
"Are you ready? Unlike the other trainers you've met…I'm a lot different…you should know that" Bollam said as he handed a wooden sword to me.
I nodded my head. "I should be asking you the same thing. I'm a lot different from the rest of the students you've taught…are you ready ?" . I took my stance, gliding my blade towards the front while my other arm was just below my waist and my legs spread apart.
Bollam laughed as he picked up another wooden sword. "Come at me !".
In one swift sweep, I pushed myself forward towards him in the blink of an eye.
Bollam POV.
I always thought his father was exaggerating when he told me stories of how his son exuded his strength and bested his teachers. It seems like an understatement now that I'm experiencing it in person.
'He's fast..' I quickly turned to my right, dodging his attack, and prepared a counterattack immediately when he suddenly vanished. 'How is he so fast?' .
Turning to my right, I swung down at his sword, and it clashed loudly.
I was far stronger and bigger than this little boy but he withstood the hit. 'Has he already mastered the 3rd star..amplification ?' And just as I thought, he did.
Tiny streams of blue aura exuded his body at the necessary positions to withstand my hit.
He pulled back immediately and ran towards my left as if gauging for a weakness.
I felt his presence at my right all of a sudden, and once again, I turned just at the nick of time to block his hit.
"You are an adventurer…you must be in the 7th star now…I'm impressed".
'Impressed? A little boy dares..'
If the 1st star is forming
The 2nd spreading
The 3rd amplifying
The 4th exuding
The 5th engulfing
The 6th reinforcing
The 7th, which is just at the nick of being the 8th and a master at that, is imagery, which is forming an aura from thin air.
I have reached that stage and this little boy…
Aura exuded my body as I pushed him far away from me, but still, he found his way and landed on his two feet.
"You…I've been going easy…but now…I'm going to show you who's boss !" I rushed towards him using the 1st stage of my sword skill, bull charge completely forgetting the purpose of the battle.
"Prepare to kowtow to me, Kid !" That's what I said when I suddenly felt a force block me from reaching close to him.
"Mr Bollam…I believe this was not what my father had instructed you to do"
The presence I felt was not of the Patriarch, Michelo Jun…it was something else.
'Someone else…. can exude such a presence ?'.
I slowly regained my cool as the dust caused by my skill dispersed.
"Elder sister Rebecca !".
I heard the boy call her name and I was well aware of what I was looking at.
A girl who looked like she wasn't in her teens had just blocked my attack with a similar wooden sword that was still in a perfect condition unlike mine that shattered.
'This girl..she's already at the 5th star…'
"I apologize, Lady Rebecca, and to you as well, Sir Raphael." I sighed as reality dawned on me. 'This man…has spawned demons of his own'.
Raffaello POV.
'It's a good thing Rebecca was nearby… I wouldn't have resisted that hit..' I sighed as I stared at my sister. 'She's already gotten this strong…she really is my sister.' A small smile exuded on my lips as I giggled while she turned towards me.
"What's funny? You could have gotten killed Raph.."
"I believe Master Bollam wasn't aware of his situation…he must have not wanted to let me down and decided to go all out"
She stared at me blankly.
'Now that I think about it…'
"..you…are you still wearing Male clothing ?"
Her cheeks glowed red as she dropped the wooden sword. "Don't…don't ask such questions…." She muttered ready to walk away any time soon. "And Mr. Bollam…be careful of my younger brother…he might seem overly talented for his age, but he is still a child, so teach him the basics and help him advance if possible".
Bollam nodded his head as he watched us in silence. Who could blame him if he only knew our eldest sister was much scarier and stronger than the both of us?
"Then I shall take my leave". She bowed and walked away immediately fuming with embarrassment.
She was never good with words, and she had always wanted to fulfill my dad's greatest wish since I was too spoiled to do it. My smile slowly faded as memories of the past clouded my mind.
'3 years from now…when she turns 15…an assassin will be sent to kill her right after news of my mother's death was announced. "I must get stronger!" I said boldly, as I turned towards Bollam.
He stared at me with an amused expression. "Sir Bollam ! Please help me".
Bollam chuckled. "I shall do the best I can…and who knows…learn a thing or two from you lots…".
I smiled as I held the hilt of my wooden blade with determination.
****
3 years later.
It was winter and my final assessment had begun. My parents and sisters watched from a safe distance away as well as with our maid and some of our guards.
"This is your final assessment.." Bollam said as he folded his hands. "You have shown amazing progress, and your fighting skills are more reserved than they were before and, honestly, too impressive for a ten-year-old….so as of today, if you defeat me…I will no longer be your master…"
A small sigh escaped my lips as I held my sword at him in my stance. "Do you always have to recite those cheesy lines before our yearly assessment ?"
"But of course…you're a monster amongst your peers…it was only a matter of time before I leave you"
These three years weren't for naught. I have reached the bottleneck of the 4th star, which is exuding, and I've learned a lot of skills…skills I couldn't learn from my past life.
'...Bollam….' Memories of what he had done to me were still evident, and I never once forgot about them this past year, but at the same time…I learned to think of it in a new way. 'He's not that bollam in this life…at least not yet…'. I still haven't forgiven him yet but at least, I don't hold a grudge..at least..not yet.
"Then here I come !" I yelled out as I swung my blade across the air. I was old enough to wield a real sword now at least in the Jun family culture.
The footwork I had created in my past life while facing endless numbers of demons was my pride. It was a rhythmic movement that had little flaws called the Wandering Feets.
I swiftly appeared behind him swinging my blade towards his side. He noticed it instantly and blocked, using his other hand to try and reach out to me. I quickly appeared in his front aiming my blade at his neck when he turned back in an instant and brushed it off.
The strength of a now 8th-star swordsman was no joke. He swung his blade down almost instantly, and I quickly pushed myself backward as he smashed his great sword to the ground, causing a thunder-like sound.
'Is he trying to kill me ?' I thought as I prepared to attack again when he suddenly appeared beside me.
"That weird footwork of yours…. it's really handy…"
I bent back, dodging his sudden attack, and spun around, kicking him back.
'To think he would master my footwork so quickly….as expected of the future right knight of the crown Prince'.
"Is that all you got ?!" He cried out as he swung his blade around, while enveloping it in aura.
"Tch.." I wanted to save this for later but
"Aura….". The fourth state of a swordsman is exuding. Possessing the ability to exude aura from your body. It wasn't a difficult thing but it required time and precision, though I mastered it when I was 12 before I regressed.
The 5th stage is engulfing, and it involves you skillfully controlling your aura to surround you or your weapon like a barrier.
A stage I'm yet to attain because it requires me to push my 4 stars to the limit.
Aura slowly exuded my body in light amounts before surrounding my body, I forcefully channeled it to my sword as I felt a bit of blood drip down my lip.
"Raph ?"
I could hear my mother's worried tone but more than that, I could feel my father's worried gaze.
'If I don't push myself now? Then when ?'.
I pushed myself forward, charging at Bollam with my blade sprung up.
He had a bitter sweet smile on his face as he did the same and surrounded his blade with aura.
"....strike !".
I struck his blade in a clean and swift attack and appeared directly behind him all in a blink of an eye.
Bollam chuckled. "....Congratulations on getting to 5 stars…".