Morning sunlight streamed warmly through the window lattice, dispelling the languor of the night.
Rudeus rolled out of bed and headed straight for the wardrobe, his steps light.
He pulled out a clean, neatly pressed white shirt and carefully spread it across the wooden tabletop.
After repeated practice over this period, he had grown increasingly skilled at inscribing magic circles. It was time to try more advanced composite magic circles.
Rudeus gathered pure mana at his fingertip and pressed it lightly against the fabric of the shirt.
The slightly cool mana flowed slowly from his fingertip, tracing precise patterns between the fibers without damaging the fabric in the slightest.
First, he carefully inscribed a basic temperature regulation circle in the very center of the shirt, ensuring that the temperature around him would always remain comfortable;
Then he turned to the back and layered on a ventilation circle to keep air circulating at all times, so it would never feel stuffy.
Next, I layered a self-cleaning circle, a repair circle, and a light defensive circle over the temperature regulation circle.
I also inscribed a small expansion and contraction circle in a concealed spot below the collar, allowing the shirt's fit to be adjusted at will to suit any body shape.
Mindful of the mana supply, he added a ring-shaped mana storage circle around the shirt's hem.
It could store every bit of excess mana that normally leaked from his body, turning it into a hidden reserve of energy.
Even after reaching this point, I still wasn't satisfied. Gritting my teeth, I inscribed the hardest circle to control, a hyper-efficient mana conversion circle, at the central junction of all the circles.
It could magnify the effect of every trace of mana fed into it tenfold, putting an end to any worries about running out of mana.
He couldn't help grumbling inwardly, Now Mom will never have to worry about me running short of mana again!
After all that work, the super magic shirt was complete: pleasant in spring and autumn, warm in winter and cool in summer, fireproof and waterproof, resistant to blades and spears, washable without washing, wear-resistant, and impervious to dirt!
From the outside, it was indistinguishable from an ordinary white shirt, its fabric smooth and clean.
There were no conspicuous patterns whatsoever, but once he put it on and gently fed it a trace of mana-
A warm yet refreshing sensation swept over his entire body in an instant. Neither cold nor hot, it was supremely comfortable.
A transparent mana shield, so faint it was almost invisible, slowly enveloped his entire body.
It was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet possessed tremendous defensive power. Even a full-strength blow from a King Rank powerhouse could be reliably blocked.
Moreover, the magic circles he had inscribed did not act on the garment alone; they used it as a medium.
All their magical effects were applied in full to the wearer, providing protection and enhancements over a full 360 degrees with no blind spots.
Because inscribing the magic circles demanded extremely high precision, and he had yet to master it completely,
He could only sacrifice speed and work meticulously to ensure the effects. By the time all the circles had stabilized completely and fitted together perfectly, the sun outside had climbed to its zenith. Before he knew it, it was already noon.
The soft clatter of kitchen utensils came from downstairs. Presumably, Lilia had just returned from shopping in town and was busy preparing lunch.
The sound of cloth rubbing against a blade came from the hall. Paul had finished patrolling the forest and was sitting in a chair, carefully polishing his sword with a focused expression.
Before long, light footsteps sounded at the entrance, and Zenith walked in from the courtyard, a smile on her face and a few flower petals clinging to her skirt.
The flowers and plants in the courtyard were presumably growing well, putting her in an especially good mood.
Everyone in the family had their own duties, and the atmosphere was peaceful and warm.
Rudeus was getting restless from having nothing to do. His gaze shifted to Paul, who was concentrating on polishing his sword.
In that case, let's earn a little extra~
Rudeus crept on tiptoe around behind Paul, held his breath, quickly gathered mana at his fingertip, and called softly:
"Water Ball!"
A round ball of water instantly took shape and struck Paul's freshly polished, gleaming blade with a splat.
Clear water ran down the cold blade, instantly soaking Paul's cuff and leaving a spreading wet patch on the front of his shirt.
Paul's body stiffened abruptly, and his formerly good-natured, relaxed expression darkened in an instant.
[Emotion Points +300, from Paul]
The corner of Paul's mouth twitched, and a vein throbbed faintly on his forehead. He turned to Rudeus with a dark expression and spoke through gritted teeth, enunciating every syllable:
"Ru-de-us! If you've got nothing better to do, I don't mind using this wet sword to wipe the water off on your butt!"
"Haha, Father, there's really no need for that~"
Having achieved his goal, Rudeus backed away, laughing as he teased:
"As a swordsman, using your sword for something like that would dishonor a swordsman's dignity. It wouldn't be appropriate at all~"
With that, he turned to run, but he was a step too slow. Paul grabbed the corner of his shirt in an instant!
In his panic, Rudeus had no time to think. He immediately fed mana into the magic shirt he was wearing-
"Ping!"
A crisp sound of vibrating mana rang out as a pale blue mana shield sprang up. Its powerful rebound knocked away the hand Paul had clamped around his shirt.
Rudeus seized the chance to break free and dashed behind Zenith. Clinging tightly to her leg, he poked his head out and made a face at Paul, his expression full of mischief.
Paul froze, evidently not expecting Rudeus to have a trick like that. Then his anger flared even higher, and he glared at Rudeus from behind Zenith and roared:
"Rudeus, are you asking for a beating?! Get over here! I promise I won't beat you to death!"
"Anata! Don't you dare yell at Rudeus!"
Zenith immediately stepped in front of Rudeus to protect him and sternly rebuked Paul. With one hand, she gently pressed Rudeus's head against her leg and stroked his hair.
Hiding behind Zenith, Rudeus smugly made faces at Paul and deliberately rubbed his cheek against Zenith's soft, firm leg, making Paul turn livid.
Paul was too stifled to speak. He could only turn away resentfully, pick up the sword cloth again, and bend his head over the blade.
He rubbed several times harder than before, the sound of cloth scraping against the blade piercingly harsh and full of frustration.
With his back to Rudeus, he spoke mildly in a gloomy voice. "Rudeus, you'd better wash your butt clean after lunch and wait until this afternoon, when I... Ow!"
Before he could finish, Zenith raised her hand and brought its edge down hard on the back of Paul's head.
"Anata! Don't threaten Rudeus like that!" Zenith frowned, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"G-got it..." Paul covered the back of his head, looking deeply aggrieved, but he didn't dare argue and could only obediently agree.
Seeing Paul, a father with no authority to speak of, reduced to such a sorry state and kept completely in line, Rudeus secretly laughed to himself.
At lunchtime, the family gathered around the dining table.
Paul held his bowl and wolfed down his food noisily, without a shred of decorum.
Rudeus also dug in, planning to have a proper swordsmanship match with Paul after the meal.
Zenith's brows immediately knitted as she watched Paul's crude table manners.
Without another word, she raised her hand and slapped him on the forehead again, sternly scolding him:
"Eat like a gentleman! Look at your table manners-you're setting a bad example for Rudeus!"
"But Rudeus is also..." Paul looked aggrieved as he tried to defend himself.
"Talk back again and I'll take your bowl away!"
Paul fell silent at once. Head lowered, he quietly shoveled food from his bowl without another word, angry but not daring to say so.
Sitting nearby, Rudeus smiled until his eyes curved, and even the food in his mouth seemed to taste better.
After the meal, Rudeus and Paul faced each other in the courtyard.
Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows. A breeze carried the delicate fragrance of flowers and grass.
Paul put away his usual playful grin, his expression becoming deadly serious. His right hand rested firmly on his sword hilt as he said in a low voice:
"Rudeus, I won't waste words on you today. Feel a swordsman's wrath with your own body!"
Before he had finished speaking, Paul pushed off hard and shot forward like an arrow from a bow. At the same time, his sword hissed from its sheath, a flash of cold light bearing straight down on Rudeus!
Rudeus reacted quickly, immediately activating the support magic Wind Walk.
Mana surged through his body, and he suddenly felt light as he dodged swiftly to the side, narrowly avoiding the fierce blow.
As soon as he steadied himself, he poured mana into his blade, turned his wrist, and slashed at Paul's side-
A concentrated arc of blue sword qi whistled out, cutting through the air straight toward Paul's flank.
But Paul was worthy of being an Advanced Swordsman of the North God Style and a former S-rank adventurer. His reactions were astonishingly fast: almost the instant the sword qi reached him, he raised his sword to block.
"Clang!"
A crisp metallic collision rang out, and Rudeus's sword qi was effortlessly deflected. The force of it left him frozen in place.
That's ridiculous, isn't it? He actually deflected concentrated sword qi just like that?
Before he could recover, Paul attacked again without the slightest pause, every stroke fierce, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Rudeus grumbled inwardly, Is this what they call being as eager to kill your son as to return home? He's really going all out!
He hurriedly bent down, tapped his sword tip against the ground, mobilized all the mana in his body, and shouted:
"Wind Wall!"
He swung his sword sharply upward, and a thick barrier of wind shot up from the ground in front of him.
Paul's longsword thrust straight into the Wind Wall. Powerful wind pressure erupted instantly, flinging both him and his sword into the air.
But Paul had far too much combat experience. As soon as he was thrown up, he steadied himself, kicked hard against the Wind Wall with his right foot, and used the force to execute a clean backflip in midair. He landed firmly, agile and completely composed.
"Yare yare, Rudeus, is that all you can do, even when you give it everything you've got?"
Paul was breathing slightly hard, but a provocative smile curled his lips as he spoke with feigned ease.
"Same to you, Father." Rudeus refused to back down and shot back with a smile:
"You were jumping up and down just now, making all that effort, and you didn't even touch a hair on my head. How can you talk about me?"
After trading a few more barbs, they both focused at the same time, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Paul lowered his body slightly and turned his wrist, assuming the opening stance of the Sword God Style's Silent Longsword. The aura around him suddenly receded, his killing intent held in check, making him seem even more dangerous.
Rudeus was startled. Good grief! Is Paul really that determined to win? I've been learning the sword for less than a year, and he's already using the opening stance for a finishing move?
In that case, don't blame me for not holding back!
Strength Boost, Defense Boost, and Speed Boost-three rays of light instantly enveloped his body. He became incomparably light, and his strength and defense rose sharply.
Rudeus tightened his grip on his sword, stepped heavily forward, and swung to meet him!
"Clang!"
The two swords collided violently, brilliant sparks bursting out as a powerful shock wave of mana spread in all directions.
The grass beneath their feet was crushed, leaving shallow marks. Paul's eyes widened in shock, his face full of disbelief. Clearly, he had not expected Rudeus's strength to rise to such a level.
Rudeus, meanwhile, gritted his teeth. His arm had been numbed by the impact, and waves of pain shot through the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, as though it were about to split. He was holding on by willpower alone.
It was all because he had been too rushed to add Self-Healing Boost earlier that he was struggling so much.
After a brief stalemate, Paul slowly withdrew his strength. The shock on his face gradually gave way to deep delight as he looked at Rudeus excitedly.
"Rudeus, you're a swordsmanship prodigy seen only once in a thousand years! It would be such a waste to stay in a little country village. How about going to train at the Sword Sanctum? It's a sacred place that swordsmen all over the world dream of visiting!"
"No way-" Rudeus shook his head decisively without even thinking.
"Why? The Sword Sanctum could make you a top swordsman!" Paul asked urgently, looking utterly baffled.
"Father, as you said, it's a place dedicated to training pure swordsmen."
Rudeus put away his sword, his voice calm but firm.
"And I'm not a pure swordsman. I don't want to confine myself to a single path."
"At least for now, I don't need to go there."
"I see... You just don't want to go yet..." Paul murmured to himself. Though there was regret in his eyes, he did not press the matter any further.
"I'm going to play with Sylphie, Father. See you tonight!" Rudeus waved and turned to run out the gate.
"Ah, go on, then! Remember to bring that little girl home soon!"
Paul waved with a knowing smile.
Rudeus looked back and gave him a faint smile, then ran lightly toward the outskirts of the village.
"Of course. Sooner or later~"