[Note: I tried a new approach regarding the dialogues, I hope you will understand when you read this chapter, if you like it comment it. I will appreciate your comment whether is bad or good, their is more improvement in the near future!]
[December 3rd Week — Meadowville Village — Accel's Family House]
After everything that had happened over the past week, Accel was ready for a break. He decided to spend the rest of his vacation in his hometown, Meadowville, where his parents, younger siblings, and the villagers he grew up with lived. Even though life at the academy and as the hidden leader of the DRAKENSHIRE Alliance kept him busy, he knew he needed to reconnect with his roots.
As Accel approached the village, something felt different. The roads were cleaner, the homes were sturdier, and the village looked more alive than when he had left. It surprised him how much the village had grown. A smile crept onto his face as he remembered that before he left, he had shared some of his knowledge from the National Mastery Academy with the people he trusted, including his family. It seemed that while he had been away, they had put that knowledge to good use.
When Accel finally arrived at his family home, the familiar warmth of the small house greeted him. The scent of his mother's cooking drifted through the air, bringing back memories of simpler times before he had become a squire, before the academy, and before all the titles and responsibilities. He wanted to ask his advisors how they had managed to improve the village so much, but he was too tired to disguise himself again. Besides, he figured he could check it all out for himself later.
He stepped inside, and before he could even say a word, his younger brothers, Axton and Asher, rushed toward him with excited smiles.
"Big brother!" Asher yelled, jumping into Accel's arms. "You're finally home!"
Axton, who was just a few years younger than Accel, tried to act more mature but couldn't hide his excitement. "We missed you, Accel," he said with a grin.
Their father, Atlas, a tall and a average knight with Level 250+ abilities, stood in the doorway, his arms crossed but his eyes gleaming with pride. "Welcome back, son," he said in his deep voice. "It's been too long."
Accel who saw his father's stats, it increased a lot from last year. He was still a Veteran Swordsman, but now a Knight (Full-Fledged). Maybe due to Accel telling about the knowledge from the academy made changes on his hometown...
Behind him, their mother, Aria, emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. A sorcerer in her own right, also a Level 250+, she looked at Accel with gentle eyes filled with love. "You've grown so much," she said softly, pulling him into a hug. "How is the academy treating you?"
And again, Accel got a surprise look also. Because not only his father's stats increase, also his mother's stats increase. He can feel the strong mana coming from her body. Both his parents emits a strong feeling of Aura and Mana in their body, it was really a good thing for him to spread the knowledge only at this hometown of his, maybe the people also had changes...
Accel hugged his mother tightly and smiled. "It's been busy, but I've learned a lot," he said. "It's good to be home, though. I missed everyone."
His family welcomed him back with open arms, and soon enough, they were all seated around the dinner table, laughing and catching up on all the stories they had to share. Accel told his family some safe stories from his time at the academy, avoiding the more dangerous parts. His parents listened carefully, nodding in approval when he spoke of his progress in both his studies and his magic.
"Your light magic has come a long way," his mother noted, her eyes sparkling with pride. "But there's always more to learn. Perhaps while you're home, I can teach you a few new things."
Accel grinned, always eager to improve his skills. "I'd love that, Mom." He wanted to know the difference on teaching from the Academy or from his own mother, maybe something good might happened.
The next day, Accel decided to spend time helping his father with one of the chores that had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember—hunting. Atlas was an experienced knight who had long protected the village from the dangers that lurked beyond its borders. Accel admired his father's strength and wisdom, and though he was a former Level 100+ Veteran Swordsman, he is a knight himself now, he knew there was still much to learn.
The two including some villagers, no they have level up and change their class jobs to either Swordsmans, Spearmans, Shieldmans, or Archers as they set out into the woods early in the morning. The forest around Meadowville was peaceful, but it was also home to wild animals and monsters that could pose a threat if left unchecked. Accel's father carried a massive greatsword on his back, while Accel had his own trusty sword at his side and the rest of the former villagers carried their own sharp weapons and shield for protection.
It wasn't long before they encountered their challenge: a pack of wild boars. These weren't ordinary boars—they were larger, stronger, and their tusks gleamed dangerously as they charged toward the pair. Accel's heart raced, but he wasn't afraid. He had faced worse at the academy. Yes, Accel faced not from the academy, but during his quest and missions from the National Association that he didn't tell some to his parents, because if he did he might be force to now go anymore their due to his parents concerns.
His father moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, slashing through the first boar with ease. Accel followed his lead, striking another with a quick, clean slice. The two of them worked in perfect sync, each trusting the other completely. As they killed all the wild boars, they encounter another group of wild boars but was stopped and killed by the former villagers a group of Swordsmans, Shieldmans, Spearmans, and Archers.
The group next target was the nearby monsters that are skeletons, skeleton soldiers, skeleton archers, skeleton shielders, and a single skeleton mage. It was a hard on battle as reinforcement from the Meadowville Village came a group of mages and his mother came to blast them off to bits.
After their hunt, they returned to the village with their catch, and stored all the meat to the store house or storage room. Later that afternoon, Accel's mother called him over to the small training area behind their house. It was here that she would often practice her magic, and she had promised to teach him more about his legendary-tier light magic.
"Light magic is powerful," Aria said as she guided Accel through the basic motions of casting spells. "But it's not just about the strength of the spell. It's about how you use it."
She demonstrated a simple light spell, creating a small, glowing orb that hovered in the air between them. "This might seem simple, but with the right control, this little light can become a powerful force."
He already knows about his magic, but for some reason he noticed that his mother was too knowledgable about magic and mana as he question her, but all she did was she read a book and he just gave up in talking more about it, since it will be rude doing that to his own mother.
"Good," his mother said with a smile. "With practice, you'll be able to manipulate light in ways you never imagined." Accel magic proficiency increase and it was somewhat super effective from the Academy and wonder to himself, if his mother was a genius or something...
As the days went by, Accel continued to spend time with his family. He helped his father and the guards for hunting, learned more magic from his mother, and played with his younger brothers. The village, which had once felt small, now seemed like a thriving community, thanks in part to the knowledge and skills he had shared and from the help of his trusted advisors improving and developing each day, week, or month.
This time with his family was exactly what he needed. It reminded him of why he worked so hard at the academy and why he had taken on the responsibilities he had. No matter what challenges lay ahead, he knew that his family and the people of Meadowville would always be his foundation.
As Christmas approached, the village prepared for its annual celebration. For Accel, this Christmas was special. It wasn't just a break from his duties; it was a time to reconnect with the people who mattered most to him.
And as he watched the snowfall gently outside his family's home, he knew that no matter how far his journey took him, Meadowville would always be his true home.
(Timeskip = After New Year = New Semester)