...
The following day, I made amends by apologizing to them. In response, Arnold dishes out a punishment—he tasks me with completing all the chores on my own, and I have no choice but to comply. I didn't stay home and left the house to go into the woods for a long time.
I come home late when the sun is already set. I feel ashamed to come back home and just stay outside.
After several hours, they finally decide to open the door. Elijah rushes out, tears streaming down his face.
"Brother!" he cries, snot running from his nose.
"What's wrong, Elijah? Why are you looking like this?" I ask, concerned.
"I told them many times, but they wouldn't open the door," Elijah sobs.
Arnold and Ellis appear behind Elijah, looking stern and disappointed.
"I opened it because your brother insisted," Arnold says gruffly.
Ellis looks at Arnold with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. "That's enough! You didn't have to do that. Are you really upset with a 6-year-old? He's 60 years younger than you. It's natural for kids to act that way."
Arnold sighs. "What else was I supposed to do when he asked for it? If he doesn't have one, I will act as one. Now, do you realize your mistake?" Although his words are harsh, there's a hint of understanding in his tone. He sees me as more mature than my age, perhaps even wise beyond my years.
"Yes. I apologize for letting out my anger at you," I say, feeling truly remorseful.
Arnold stands still, observing me. "That's fine. I don't really mind. What else?"
"Is it because I blamed my parents?" I ask, trying to understand his perspective.
"That's also not the answer that I want to hear from you," Arnold replies.
"Maybe I should have asked you to teach me. I shouldn't have blamed my parents and taken my frustration out on you. I should have taken the initiative to learn. It's not too late; I'm still young," I admit, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
"That's the right attitude," Arnold says, nodding. "When you're faced with something you don't know, don't blame yourself for the past. Instead, focus on how to improve with what you have. Do you understand?"
"I do. Thank you, sir. You really help me a lot after all," I say sincerely.
"It seems you still haven't grasped the full lesson," Arnold adds, a hint of a challenge in his voice.
I understand his intention as he might have wanted for me to learn magic with him. Maybe all I should do is ask for him to teach me.
"Please teach me how to use magic, sir!" I ask earnestly.
Arnold's stern expression softens. "That's the spirit. Tomorrow morning, in the forest."
With that, he leaves us. Ellis extends her hand to help me up. I have my dinner later than usual and retire for the night early, alongside Elijah.
...
(The next day)
As dawn breaks, I wake up with renewed determination. Elijah is still asleep beside me, his small face peaceful. I quietly get ready, determined to meet Arnold in the forest.
The early morning air is crisp, and the forest is serene. Arnold is already there, waiting for me. "Good morning, sir," I greeted him.
"Morning, Oruvan. Are you ready to start learning?" Arnold asks, his tone a mix of seriousness and encouragement.
"Yes, I am," I reply, feeling a surge of excitement.
"Alright then, let's begin," he says, motioning for me to follow him deeper into the forest.
At first, his training was fine for me.
Until the next day, it was all just a fake. My first impression about him being nice was a mistake
Arnold woke me up at the crack of dawn, not with a gentle nudge but with a splash of cold water. I had no time to complain or even properly wake up before he barked out his first order: a mile sprint. Despite my groggy state, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, the early morning air biting at my skin.
No sooner had I completed the run did Arnold assign my next task: pick a purple flower in the mountains within 30 minutes. I had no time to catch my breath and rushed to climb the mountain. When I reached the foot, Arnold was already there, looking as calm as ever, not a bead of sweat on his forehead.
I thought to myself, "Geez, this old man, he should teach me how to do it first."
Then came the most challenging part: fighting a wild boar without using magic, armed only with a wooden sword. As I struggled to deal with the boar, Arnold had already taken down several with ease. The boars came in packs, and I couldn't catch the largest one.
"How can he possibly use only a wooden sword to kill all of those?" I wondered.
After feeling tired of getting chased by it, I climbed up a tree. The big wild boar was clever and started to push down the tree. I need to kill those things before I fall from the tree.
"Damn it. I need to think about something." I try to think of something.
I only have this wooden sword in my hand. I think it would be possible if I pointed the sword from this height. Without thinking much, I prepare to jump from there and aim for the vital spot.
"AARGH!" I screamed with determination. "Now or never!".
The blood splattered all over my body. The bear fell down onto the ground and didn't move. I felt a sigh of relief.
Finally, I was able to kill that thing.
BAM!
Arnold knocked me on the head. "Are you crazy? You could have been killed."
"Tch. I didn't have any other option! It's your fault for not teaching me first," I retorted.
"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!"
"Oops! I forgot. That's my bad. Feel accepted by this old man's apology," Arnold said, grinning.
I felt annoyed as I looked at him.
After that, he began teaching me how to use magic seriously. The first lesson was movement acceleration. I needed to apply magic to my foot. My first attempt resulted in a sticking spell that glued my feet to the ground. On the second try, I ended up floating with a levitation spell. The third attempt was also a failure as I ran so fast I couldn't stop.
"Listen here, kid. Focus only on what you want, and the magic will help you. Do you get it?" Arnold explained.
"You are not helping! You keep saying the same thing," I shouted in frustration.
"That's because you need to understand it by yourself. Magic is not all about theory. That's why I need you to do it right away," Arnold said.
Suddenly, I remembered the effort it took to climb the mountain without magic. The amount of determination I had put into reaching the top. Alright. I get it!
Despite the pain in my legs, I focused on using magic to help me climb. I imagined spiky shoes for climbing, and mana began shining on my feet. I immediately started climbing with ease and speed. Arnold looked impressed.
But that little show didn't make him satisfied to compliment my achievement.
...