“Maki, you are definitely a prodigy. The way you swing the twin swords, the feints, precise strikes, and flawless judgment combined with those fast movements turn you into one of the most difficult opponents I’ve ever faced in my life. You’re devilishly skilled.” Sers is my favorite sparring partner among my two brothers, and he thinks the same.

  “You should have gotten used to all this by now, Sers. This entire month we’ve been training with Maki every day, and he keeps surprising us more and more. If he keeps this up, I’ll stop thinking of him as a child.” Ritmo always sees things from a different angle than us; we’re much simpler.

  The three of us sit down to laugh and talk about our duel. A month has passed since my birthday, and every single day I’ve been training alongside my older brothers.

  Ritmo bought some collars, spending almost all of his savings. The collars create a layer around each body; this layer absorbs damage from physical, magical, or willpower-imbued attacks. Once the adjusted limit is exceeded, it creates a red protective layer, indicating the end of the duel.

  “I’m still amazed by these collars. After every training session, the pain disappears. You can train to the limit without fear of getting injured or injuring someone during practice.” We tried them the day after my birthday, and I couldn’t believe it. They’re a marvel of technology combined with magic and runes.

  “Yeah, I was surprised the first time at school. They allowed me to improve my aggressive style quite a lot without fear of ending up badly injured.” Sers’s fighting style is ridiculously brutal. He tries to cut corners by avoiding attacks or blocking them head-on with his axe.

  “It’s very similar for a mage. We always try to fight from as far away as possible—we have the advantage of distance. But if someone gets close enough, we’re in trouble. This collar allows us to practice evasions or quick judgments to escape close-combat fighters without fear of dying in the attempt.” Ritmo is quite competent. In his school’s last tournament, he placed in the top fifteen. He wasn’t strong enough to qualify for the interschool tournament, but being among the top fifteen in his academy shows his control and strength.

  “Maki, have you thought about your future? You turned eight a month ago. I might be rushing the topic a bit, but I can’t get the future achievements you could reach out of my head. I don’t want to belittle our territory, but your growth will be very limited within our towns.” Ritmo is the future heir; he’s always thinking about what’s best for the territory.

  He brings up the same topic daily to see if I’ve changed my mind. A week after the three of us started training together, he raised it again during lunch with our parents. He wants to take me to the Count’s territory.

  He proposed to our parents that I go with him to Weri County for the remaining two years he’ll be living in the Count’s territory. In those two years, he plans to absorb all possible knowledge and then return to our small territory to implement it—worthy of a proper heir.

  Our parents were somewhat reluctant to let me go so young, but after a few days, they made a decision that was completely unexpected from my point of view: Maki will decide his own future.

  I’m an eight-year-old child. Why give me that kind of freedom? I don’t behave like a child, I don’t think like one, and I definitely have more ability—but I’m still a child.

  “I haven’t made a decision yet. Honestly, I want to spend more time at home with our parents and grandmother.” I’d be lying if I said I’m not tempted by the benefits being offered, but I still feel too young.

  “I don’t want to pressure you about it. Just try to look at the pros and cons. Your cube will fully form in less than a week. You’ll be able to properly train after your ceremonies, and you’ll gain many more benefits by going with me.” Ritmo doesn’t give up easily; his way with words makes it hard to refuse.

  “I understand perfectly. I might have a mentor there, but our parents and grandmother can guide me here at home.” I try to counter my older brother.

  “You’re still a child, but you should have noticed already—lately we see much less of our parents and grandmother. We’re expanding the territory a bit, and monster activity has increased over the past two weeks. They won’t have enough time to train you.” I’d heard something about that. Apparently, they want to expand our second small town, where the population doesn’t exceed four thousand.

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  “Maki, you’re awakening almost two years earlier than ninety-five percent of the people in this world, and a mid-rank Amethyst Awakened wouldn’t stand a chance against you right now. Once you obtain your magic, I can’t even guess how strong you’ll become.” Hearing this from Sers surprised me. He usually stays quiet or adds only a few comments on this topic; he probably doesn’t want to get involved or pressure me.

  “Sers is right. We won’t force you to go with me—just think it over carefully during this last week before we leave.” Ritmo decided to end the topic quickly. We’ve been having the same conversation every day.

  My brothers will leave next week, and they’re hoping to see me awaken before they go. If my calculations aren’t wrong, I should awaken in a day or two.

  I’m extremely anxious for it to happen. I never thought I’d feel such desperation over this. I’ll be able to use magic and willpower, become much stronger in this world—the possibilities are endless this time.

  Lying in my bed, I can’t help but think about Ritmo’s proposal, as I do every day. I’d gain huge benefits if I went with him. I could train with a tutor and more skilled people, gain access to low-level medicines that help control magic and willpower, and observe different types of magic to learn from.

  Honestly, I do want to spend more time with our parents and grandmother, but that’s not the main reason I haven’t decided to go.

  The real reason is that I don’t want to expose myself too early to influential people. Ritmo trusts Count Weri and his son deeply—surely both are good people—but… I learned something harsh in my previous life: the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

  I’m being paranoid about this. Maybe everything would go well if I went to Weri County, but… what if there’s internal conflict? From what I understand, the next Count’s position hasn’t been decided—the dispute is between the two brothers.

  Ritmo has assured me that the succession is peaceful, that the brothers don’t hate each other and are competing fairly by achieving accomplishments. But I’ve experienced firsthand how people can change when they’re about to lose power, privilege, or status.

  A weak but promising link is the first to be cut. I was thinking about going to sleep when I felt someone walking toward my room, followed by a knock on the door.

  “Maki, it’s me, Sers. Can we talk?” Sers often comes some nights just to talk or spend time together, each of us lost in our thoughts.

  “It’s open, Sers. Come in.” I respond quickly. He stays quiet for a few minutes, lying on the floor, and finally speaks.

  “I don’t like thinking about such complicated topics related to a better future, and I don’t want to force you to make a decision you might regret later.” He takes a few seconds before continuing. “I just want to express my point of view—just listen to me for a moment.”

  “I want your happiness, Maki. I don’t want to see you carrying such a heavy backpack on your shoulders, brother. I know the benefits of going with Ritmo, and even if he seems a bit foolish sometimes, I also understand how someone with your talent could benefit other people or territories.” He probably knows something about the dispute to inherit Count Weri’s position as well.

  “Ritmo loves you as much as I do. He doesn’t want to see you suffer and will understand your decision at the end of the day. Just try not to regret it after you make it. I’ve been thinking seriously these days, and if I were in your place, I’d choose to stay home.” My brother looks somewhat relieved after saying that.

  “What’s best for you, from my point of view, is to grow stronger here and then enter an academy. Students usually enroll between thirteen and fourteen years old. There’s no minimum age, but you do have to pass each academy’s entrance tests.” Everyone wants to attend an academy in this world, especially a prestigious one.

  “You could probably do it at ten years old. You’d be very young, and it would bring more problems than benefits if you don’t have a good sponsor. We’re nobles, and no one without status will try to intimidate you. The problem is nobles of higher rank or extremely wealthy people.” Social and hierarchical problems exist everywhere.

  “Our rank is irrelevant compared to that of a viscount or higher. They have extremely strong people and the resources needed to make things look like accidents.” I’m surprised to see Sers talking for so long about such serious and complex topics.

  He pauses for a few seconds between each sentence, showing how serious he is about this matter. He usually speaks without much thought—this proves how much he cares about me.

  “Participate in Marquis Timal’s novice tournament at ten years old. That will open many doors. It’s a tournament with generous rewards, and the only requirement is being between ten and eleven years old. You’ll surely win it easily. I’m not telling you to show all your ability—just win it decisively. That will open many paths and give you more options.” I’ve noticed something in this world—there are many tournaments to demonstrate one’s strength.

  I never expected something like this from Sers. I’m grateful for having assimilated into this family. They all love me and are genuinely worried about me.

  “Thank you, Sers. I’ll think about my options throughout this week and make a decision I won’t regret.” I thank my older brother from the bottom of my heart.

  We talked for several hours about what the tournament is like and some topics related to the tournaments at his academy, until it was time to go to sleep.