Around 1.5 years since Roxy came here, I have already gone through most of the material that she planned to teach me.
I was happy with the fact that I was able to finish my studies early.
At that time I asked Roxy to begin teaching me the Demon God language.
It was the middle of winter and my 5th birthday was around 6 months away.
Perhaps because of these reasons Roxy stayed and decided to keep teaching me the Demon Language.
But it was good.
Just like Rudeus I planned to later learn the Demons' language, but if I started with a live teacher instead of just learning it from a book, it would naturally greatly improve my progress. There would also not be any hiccups in my pronunciation and conversation skills.
…
6 months passed and it was summer again.
I was close to reaching 5 years old.
The grind never stopped.
Through the last 2 years I continued emptying my MP every day, which went without saying, and my mana reserves kept growing.
My ability to concentrate mana in a spell, my spellcasting speed and firing speed of spells, my control and power of Gravity Magic, all of these were practiced each day as well.
In relation to the power of my Explosion spell, it had jumped up by one stage from Yellow and had reached the early White stage.
The color phases seemed to follow the temperature chart for stars or flames in general.
Following the usual pattern, I believe the next stage should be either blue or blue-violet.
Apart from this, my other spells saw a similar improvement as well. Though I never had the chance to fully unleash the power of many of them, as it would simply cause way too much damage to the surroundings.
For Gravity Magic, it was around 2.5 years since I started practicing with it.
I wasn't only able to make things float in a small area.
I could make things float, make things heavier, have a single object move around, and my power and range have all increased.
However, practicing Gravity Magic was by far the most difficult part of my magic training, as it required a lot of manual control and brainpower.
To improve my finer control of magic on top of it, I imitated Rudeus and since 3 years ago have been creating figurines and other objects with attention to detail using Earth Magic, and sometimes also larger statues using ice.
Making it more practical and efficient, I would create things whilst observing people and items instead of just relying on my memory and imagination. The focus was improving my dexterity while handling magic, not straining my memory by recalling useless details.
I guess somewhat complimenting it, I would also draw things and sceneries that interested me in a sketchbook.
In the previous life I was terrible at drawing. Just drawing a nice and symetrical circle was difficult. Just one of the many things I was innately bad at.
Perhaps because of this I became interested in drawing and simply liked to draw in this life where my skills were much better.
My sketchbook was full of all kinds of drawings, starting with drawings of Roxy and Lilia to drawings of random flowers in the garden.
While at first these were simply 'good', I feel like my drawing skill was quite great by now. I had no idea of what the tricks are for drawing well, so I just experimented and followed my instinct.
Of course, I wasn't only drawing for the pleasure of it.
My main goal through it was to exercise my mind, my imaginative and geometric ability, and also practice how to accurately draw Magic Circles.
In regards to my physical training, my bodybuilding regimen was also maintained.
During this time I improved my training equipment and even created my own small personal gym at one corner of the garden. Because I had experience working as a personal trainer in the first life, I could train optimally and with no risk of injury even as a kid.
Without the need to hide my math skills anymore as I grew up a bit, I also slowly began to finally note my workouts to better adjust and periodize my training.
Luckily, Paul just left me alone when it came to physical training and only taught me swordsmanship.
He would often observe me train while giving me strange looks, but he allowed me to do as I saw fit.
I feel he had the attitude of: 'just let the genius do his own training'.
I was happy about this because Paul's own physical training was really lacking. He basically did random hard things without much order.
'11, 12, 13…'
Today Paul, Zenith and even Roxy were out, so I've been doing my bodybuilding-style training without holding back.
Pam!
I dropped down a stone kettlebell to the ground as I finished my 13th rep of goblet squats.
Below my feet were stone platforms that allowed me to increase my depth while just holding the kettlebell I made with both hands hanging. The kettlebell dropped down between them.
This was the technique I used for squats since I didn't make a squat rack just yet.
It would not be too difficult to create a stone squat rack, but since it was not necessary yet, I felt it would be too much for a 5 year old.
My training equipment and methods were already exotic and abnormal enough.
Apart from a 'squatting stand', jumping boxes and a wooden pull-up stand, next to me there was a stone bench with safety racks which I used for benching.
I could also do push-ups under increased gravity, but these didn't feel quite right to do regularly; as the gravity was pulling my blood and organs downwards, I felt I wasn't able to exercise my full strength, which is important for strength training.
On top of the stone bench lay a stone barbell, while at the sides were several stone dumbbells, stone kettlebells and stone clubs of various sizes and weights (like iron power clubs). There was also another larger barbell on the ground which I used for deadlifts.
The entire 'gym' was surrounded by 3 meter tall walls from all sides except for an entrance.
It was mostly for privacy; to keep outsiders from peeking on me and my unique training methods, and to keep the rumors from spreading.
I thought of making my gym covered with a roof to shield myself from the sun and rain, or making the entire building spherically shaped like an igloo, but my parents and Roxy blanched when I tried it. They were too overly worried that the stone roof would collapse and crush me.
For a typical Earth Fortress spell, a magician had to continuously maintain the structure or it would collapse, but I knew that it's possible for it to hold itself together with a proper design.
But oh well, since I was a 5 year old, I relented for the time being.
One day I will build myself a proper gym, the greatest gym in this world!
Since I always did my strength training early in the day, the heat that came from the sun was not very problematic. The thick cold stone walls also seemed to balance out the temperature.
After doing my set, I walked to the side and took a sip of water, then let out a breath.
"Phew."
Using a notebook, I quickly noted down the number of repetitions I did and the perceived level of difficulty.
x13 | 7/10. I felt it was time to increase the weight.
I walked up to the rough stone kettlebell and placed my hand on top of it.
Then I used Earth and Fire magic and plastered a layer of stone on it, melting it into its surface to increase the weight.
If it turns out to be too small of an increase in weight, I'd simply add a bit more. If it's too much, then so be it, I'll keep training with this kettlebell in a slightly lower rep-range until I adjust to the weight.
After doing that, I sat down on the grass.
I let out my breath, closed my eyes and focused my attention on my breath and the sensation that came from my body, beginning to meditate.
I continued doing this for a while until I felt that my breathing had returned to normal and I was ready for another set.
My training continued.
…
After finally finishing my strength training workout for the day, I brushed away the sweat from my face with a towel, then walked out of the gym.
Looking to the side, I saw two kids staring at me from behind the stone fence.
I slightly frowned.
This was happening sometimes.
Probably because of all the explosions and magical commotion that me and Roxy were causing (mostly me), there would sometimes be curious kids that would come to peek.
I called out to them. "It's a private property. Leave!"
After that I raised my finger into the air, created and shot out a fireball into the air.
Explosion!
Boom!
"Woah!"
"Cool!"
The kids marveled at the scene in the air and the loud bang.
"...Well, let's go."
"...Yeah."
The two looked at me with reluctant faces, then slowly began walking away.
By casting the spell was I actually making them come back here for more?
Oh well.
As long as they leave now and don't bother me.
By now people in the village already seem to know that Paul's son is a magical genius, being tutored by Roxy.
In the novel Rudeus was known as a 5-year old Saint-ranked Water Magician, so I guess, as long as I take basic precautions, there shouldn't be any dangers associated with some people knowing that I'm talented.
Furthermore, I could probably personally annihilate most kidnappers, if Paul himself was not enough.
"Young master Seraphim, have you finished?" Lilia asked me with a small concealed smile from the porch. She had been sitting on a chair outside and seemed to be sewing something.
"Yes. Now I'm just going to quickly wash myself outside."
Lilia softly smiled and said, "Young master, you are working very hard every day. How about you make some friends? These two seem to be interested in befriending you."
Of course, I was aware of it.
I was a cool, rich (relatively rich), strong and famous (maybe infamous?) kid of the only knight in the village. Other children would surely want to be friends with me.
But what was the point of wasting my time with some ~5 year old village kids?
If they had some degree of talent and potential for the sword or magic, then so be it. It might be worth raising them.
But for an average village bumpkin, it's unlikely they're worth the time. Each minute of my time is precious.
And there was also another more important point - I did not want to cause an influence that spreads outside of the household before I turn 5 years old out of precaution. Sylphy came to mind here, but I did not want to meet her just yet.
I shook my head at Lilia's words. "No. I don't need friends."
I could see Lilia smile wryly. "That's what you think, young master, but perhaps you should still try it. You might change your mind."
I shook my head again. "No, auntie, please stop it. I'm not interested in friends who are not into the same things as me."
At this, Lilia seemed to look a bit helpless.
We did have similar conversations before.
Lilia should have had my happiness and my best interest in mind, but I used various excuses to brush her off.
She kept trying to convince me to go out to play and make friends, but was also understanding and wasn't overly persistent when I declined her.
"I'll take a shower now. You'll teach me the Water God Style later, right, auntie?" I asked with expectations.
Lilia gently smiled. "As you wish, young master. Then I will go and finish preparing your meal. Your change of clothes is right here."
"Thank you, auntie Lilia." I smiled.
I called Lilia 'aunty', and especially if we were alone.
At first she declined it out of formality, but she seemed to like it a lot, so I kept at it.
Eventually, she gave up and accepted the situation as is, quite happily, I feel.
Lilia worked hard, and because of my obsessive training she had especially increased workload, so I felt I could at least reward her this way. Basic kindness and the feeling of being appreciated.
After separation from Lilia, I entered a small wall structure next to the gym with a stone platform underneath.
I took all my clothes.
I then spread my hands above my head and used Water and Fire type Melded magic - dual-casting the Waterfall spell and the Heat Hands spell.
Controlling the temperature of water to make it just luke warm, I poured it over myself to imitate a shower.
After quickly washing myself, I picked up a towel and dried myself for the most part.
I would still have another training session and shower later in the day, and did not want to bother Lilia with excessive laundry, so I put on the same underwear and only changed my clothes into something clean to wear around the house for the time being.
I came into the house and wolfed down a scrumptious second breakfast that Lilia had prepared for me.
As it's said: you gotta eat big to get big, motherf***er.
While eating I thought about my sword training.
Today Roxy had a day off and it was mostly a holiday. Zenith and Paul had also both gone out for some reason.
Regardless, later in the day I would still do swordsmanship training with Paul. There is a belief in this world that if you don't practice swordsmanship every day, there is no point in doing it in the first place.
While it of course was a bit exaggerated, I didn't mind.
I separated my bodybuilding and swordsmanship training throughout the day to spread apart my strength training and cardiovascular training, since what was proven to be ideal.
Apart from Paul who had shown me basic sword moves and that I sparred with, I also got Lilia to teach me the Water God Style swordsmanship techniques.
While Lilia was not as talented or strong as Paul, she was not a muscle-brain who mostly did things by instinct.
Her father is a leader of a Water God Style dojo and she had trained under him since young, even receiving tips from the Water God herself at one point.
While Lilia was not as talented or strong as Paul, she was much better at improving my technique and correcting my mistakes rather than Paul who mostly did things by instinct.
My swordsmanship was improving.
The only problem I had was that my sparring partners were so large in contrast to my own small body size that it was difficult for me to train my sword moves properly.
I don't feel it was the best kind of training, but for now that's all I had.
Since I would train intensively with the sword every single day, I had to control my fatigue and recovery. I wouldn't do intensive sparring sessions with Paul every day of the week.
Instead, sometimes I would instead just practice sword moves, in the air, on a wooden dummy or an ice statue, or do light technique-focused sparring with Lilia.
Right now, after eating my meal, I thanked Lilia for her work, then came to my room.
Using Gravity Magic, I made a pen float in front of me, and then I carefully controlled it to stay afloat either perfectly horizontally or vertically while trying to prevent it from shaking.
This application of Gravity Magic, which could be called 'Telekinesis', was very difficult to pull off. Despite how simple what I did looked, it was an extensively demanding mana control exercise.
It was one training method I adapted from the 'Mother of Learning' novel.
Gravity Magic was one of the things I was very serious about practicing.
It had many applications and was very difficult to counter.
The more I practiced Gravity Magic, the more I was amazed by its potential.
Among other things, Gravity Magic ignores Battle Aura, so it can turn most swordsmen into helpless targets floating in the air.
With just a wave of my hand, I can turn the Advanced rank Paul impotent as a melee-fighter, helplessly flailing his limbs around.
Just how overpowered was this alone?
Controlling the force of gravity in an area can also indirectly cancel most spellcasting - after all, if a magician can't even keep his waterball or icicle afloat, how can he keep controlling it?
It was rather obvious to me now why Rudeus never even seriously tried to learn Gravity Magic in the novel.
If he did, most of the fights following that point would be simply too easy!
Another forced nerf on Rudeus.
But I still knew to not bet my everything on Gravity Magic. There would always be people capable of countering it.
My training was holistic, so I wouldn't have any weak points.
Thinking of my magic training, it would soon be time for Roxy to leave…
Even though I knew this, I didn't plan to forcefully keep her here.
I had already grasped the basics of the Demon God language and there was little she could teach me anymore.
From my end, during this time I in turn helped her to get started on the path of shortened Incantations. However, trying to teach her Disturb Magic proved fruitless. I couldn't teach her anything more either.
It was probably best to just let her go, so she can reach the Kingdom of Shirone on schedule.