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The Welton family’s training room was very spacious.
And the floor was made with a special type of metal which was designed to withstand the power of a Sword Master, like Count Welton.
‘Come to think of it, I have never been here.’
When he was younger than now, Count Welton could bring him here a few times. But it wasn’t for training, just to walk around with little Jamie.
Perhaps because of that, the training hall seemed rather unfamiliar to him.
Even though he had been in this house for 7 years, not once did he come here by himself.
Jamie entered the training hall and found the back of a man.
Count Welton.
He was wearing his training attire but the air around him was different.
“Here?”
The Count said without looking back.
At his level, knowing who came wouldn’t be that difficult.
“Yes.”
“Coming here means that you are determined to prove yourself.”
“I told you I am sincere.”
“Right. Sincere. That's a good thing.”
The Count picked up a wooden sword.
“I will deal with you with this one. You can use everything to get this sword out.”
It was just a sword, but if the person holding it was Count Welton, that changed everything.
Jamie gulped.
The pressure he felt from the Count wasn’t violent, but it was a refined terrifying feel.
‘Same level as Sable. No, maybe higher.’
He couldn’t be sure as he never saw the Count give his all, but there was no way his father was inferior to Sable.
Was he this strong?
As a Sword Master, he knew his father was strong and maybe on a higher level than Beryl.
“I won’t use aura.”
If a Sword master used an aura, then even a wooden sword would be a deadly weapon.
And how could Jamie who had never even touched a sword handle the Aura Blade?
It could be a brutal cut which would be deadly.
Although the Count wouldn’t take the chance with his son.
“… are you saying it is fine to use magic?”
Jamie knew too, but asked just in case to check.
“Whether it is magic or sword, anything is fine. If you can block my sword by any means, I will teach it to you.”
The Count meant to say that blocking his sword wouldn’t be easy.
Even once.
Block a wooden sword without aura.
But the one holding it was a Sword Master.
‘I need to destroy that sword.’
Not difficult.
If there was no aura, then a wooden sword is just a piece of wood.
“Are you ready?”
Raising the mana around, Jamie answered.
Even Black was summoned to assist him.
“Yes.”
The Count turned at Jamie’s answer.
Expression extremely serious, and so unfamiliar as it was Jamie’s first time seeing that face.
The Count took a step ahead.
“Here I come.”
The signal to start.
That was the last consideration Count Welton could show.
And Jamie once again felt that terrifying feeling take over his body, red alarms ringing inside.
Just one sword.
However-
‘Are you really going to kill your child?!’
Jamie was startled to see his father approaching him straight with the wooden sword.
Was this what it meant to show his determination?
Jamie clenched his teeth despite the cold sweat running down his body.
‘No. I am going to show you my determination. Black!’
Kik!
Black controlled the flow of mana.
Destroy the wooden sword.
Furthermore, inflict damage to Count Welton.
That was what the Count wanted.
Jamie concentrated mana on his fingertips. A magic already memorized.
‘Destroy!’
[Death Forefinger]
He didn’t take his eyes off the wooden sword.
Jamie thrust the index finger condensed with mana at the wooden sword.
Just before the collision, the two forces intertwined creating a gust of wind.
He couldn’t understand how his father was channeling power into a wooden sword despite not using aura.
“I’ll break it!!”
The index finger touched the wooden sword.
If he breaks it, it would his victory-
“Told you I wouldn’t use aura.”
The Count said softly.
The wooden sword looked bizarre.
Jamie’s eyes widened at the moment which seemed to violate the laws of physics.
“Swords aren't so simple.”
The sword which has been wielded tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions of times continues to evolve and transcend everything else.
“It will hurt.”
The illusion of time passing.
Jamie smiled.
“I told you I was sincere too.”
[Left hand of Ruin.]
A darkened left hand pointed towards the wooden sword which flew.
A magic which blends with dark magic.
However, this wasn’t black magic, yet it showed the same power of destruction.
And this time the Count’s expression changed.
Crack!
A pleasant sound.
And the Count’s eyes widened.
‘The wooden sword…!’
Broke.
It was a brief moment of panic at the unexpected but Jamie’s attack didn’t end there.
As if breaking the sword wasn’t enough, Jamie stretched out his left hand for Count.
Reckless behaviour.
But the Count liked his son.
However, that didn’t mean he would lose the dignity of the head of this family.
Grab!
He grabbed his son’s wrist with ease.
Jamie’s expression turned bewildered. It seemed like he had the chance to attack.
“Did you think that could happen?”
“…”
Seeing that there was no answer, it meant that the son was sincere.
The Count felt absurd, but on the other hand he felt proud of his son.
“Where did you learn such magic?”
“I made them myself.”
“Hu-”
Did he reach a level where he could create such powerful magic?
Although magic was unfamiliar to the Count, he knew that developing a new one was tough.
Again, it was amazing talent.
No, this was no longer to be called talent. His son was an accomplished magician.
“And you still want to learn the sword?”
“It may sound cocky to my father, but I am not trying to learn the sword by acting like something. And I never saw swords as something easy.”
Both in the past and now, he had witnessed the power of swordsmen.
And it wasn’t something which could be simply dismissed.
Despite not using aura, didn’t Count Welton still manage to pressure Jamie?
Sure, Jamie still thought that magic is better.
“I am trying to learn because I need it for the future.”
“Future?”
“Yes. The future.”
“What future are you talking about?”
“This time. I have been through a lot. I have a talent for magic. And I know that better than anyone. But that alone isn't enough. We are going to have a tough fight. Father.”
“Jamie.”
“Father surely must have guessed that to some extent.”
His young looking son was already thinking of the distant future.
Maybe not distant, but it was a problem for adults to solve.
7 year old Jamie had nothing to worry about.
And the Count was going to say that.
“I am young, but I am not young. Even my father knows it.”
The Count was speechless.
What Jamie had said just broke his heart.
His son was different from his peers and he realized that early on, but still, he treated his son like a child because he desired him to be a child.
And Jamie was telling him not to do that anymore.
The Count looked at Jamie.
Jamie’s face was exactly like his firm resolve.
“It will be difficult.”
“I am prepared.”
“Let’s start tomorrow. Come here by six in the morning.”
“Yes!”
Jamie replied with a bright face at those words.
The Count smiled as he looked at that.
“Let’s go.”
A man with the impression resembling a hawk put his two daughters in his carriage.
The girl who climbed into the carriage with bold steps and a girl with graceful gestures got on.
The two girls with opposite personalities were Rebecca and Ash, the daughters of Viscount Balle.
The Viscount smiled as he looked at the children.
“Both excited?”
“It’s been a while since we were out!”
Ash jumped inside the carriage and shouted.
And Rebecca nodded shyly.
‘They come from the same belly but are so different that it is amazing.’
Viscount Balle shook his head looking at the different characters of the sisters.
“Then let’s go.”
At the signal, the carriage moved.
Ash, who was looking out the window, turned to her father and asked.
“Haiss must be huge right?”
“Probably one of the biggest in the east.”
“I am so excited!”
“By the way, wasn’t Ash close to the son of Welton?”
“Hm…”
At her father’s question, Ash rubbed her lower lip and pondered.
She first met him at the Eastern Noble’s banquet. And talked for some time but never contacted each other.
She tried to send a letter, but she couldn’t get herself to do it.
‘Maybe I should have sent it?’
Maybe then this situation would have been better.
When Ash didn’t answer, the Viscount titled his head and she shook her head.
“Ash?”
“Ah? Ah, ah, we are close. Probably… we are friends?”
“What is that supposed to mean? Are you close or not?”
“Anyway!”
Ash shouted and turned her head to the window.
The child wasn’t at puberty yet.
Watching his daughter act like this, Viscount Balle turned depressed. Although it didn’t suit him because of his hawk-like appearance.
The Viscount asked Rebecca, the eldest with a smile on his face.
“Did our eldest daughter meet the young master?”
“Yes? Uh…”
Like Ash, Rebecca pondered.
The Viscount sincerely pondered what the two daughters were thinking about the Count’s son.
‘No way.’
Although he had a good relationship with Count Welton, he wasn’t sure about the kids.
Still, as if something happened, both of them were showing weird faces. But on the way home from the Eastern noble’s banquet they seemed happy.
Maybe it was because they haven’t met in a while.
The Viscount came to the conclusion and smiled.
“We are going to get to know each other again and you can do it. And you don’t have to force yourselves to be like him and be friends, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to.”
At that, Rebecca tilted her head.
“It isn’t that.”
“Hmm.”
“Maybe because we are friendly, or maybe another reason.”
Rebecca put her hands on her chest.
Heart beating fast.
Ever since she met Jamie Welton in the woods five months back, this kept happening each time she thought of him.
Rebecca, who had never experienced it before, couldn't figure out why.
‘Want to see him again.’
And then she could figure out why her heart was beating faster.
Seeing his eldest daughter act like that, Viscount Balle sighed.
He really didn’t understand how his daughters were feeling.