Chapter 8

When the new spring arrived, Little Richard had also shed his childishness. The hunting knife at his waist was no longer just for show. He began to follow the village hunters into the mountains, though he did not venture too deep into the forest and did not stand on the front lines when facing monsters. The tasks assigned to him were mostly assisting, setting traps, and dealing with the prey, but at least it showed that he was now a hunter. Blacksmith Bobby was very happy, as Richard's hunting knife was made by him over several nights, using several pieces of treasured steel. Every time Little Richard used it to kill a monster, Bobby would be delighted for a long time.

Hunting always carries risks. The coastal mountain range hides an unknown number of monsters, and occasionally, lost monsters from the deep mountains would wander into Rutherlan Village. Little Richard encountered a Gray Magic Wolf. This was a genuine second-level monster, which even the village chief had to take seriously. When he encountered the magic wolf, Little Richard was only accompanied by two village hunters. It was a tough battle, and all three were seriously injured, but in the end, they dragged the wolf's corpse back to the village. What impressed the villagers was that throughout the life-or-death struggle, Little Richard remained exceptionally calm and composed, responding without error, and even the best hunter could not have done better. Moreover, if it weren't for Little Richard cutting the tendons of the magic wolf's hind legs, the outcome might have been different.

No matter what, Little Richard faced many dangers that year, and he always remained calm and composed, handling situations appropriately. No matter how dangerous the situation, he never shrank back.

At the age of nine, Richard learned courage. This year seemed to be the easiest, as children in the mountains never lacked courage. However, the courage his mother taught him was different. Richard achieved it, and from then on, his mother no longer called him Little Richard but "My Richard."

"My Richard is already a real man!" Every time she saw Richard, Elaine would always say with a smile.

But one day, Richard stood up straight and replied, "A real man also needs wisdom!"

Elaine was surprised and looked at Richard seriously, asking, "Tell me, who told you that?"

"It's written in a book!" Richard said.

"Which book?" Elaine asked patiently. Even a magic apprentice has extensive knowledge, so Richard had already learned several languages from Elaine, including an ancient and obscure one. Reading was no longer a problem for Richard, and he had even read several introductory magic books during the dull winter, but Elaine did not remember any book containing such a phrase.

"It's the book in the attic. There are many interesting things in it. I first realized how vast the world is," Richard said excitedly.

"Is it that book?" Elaine recalled something and then smiled. "That book is indeed very interesting. My Richard, a real man certainly cannot lack wisdom, but perseverance, strength, and courage are even more valuable. My Richard is so smart; he won't lack wisdom when he grows up. So, Mom wants to cultivate these qualities in you first, understand?"

"Also, happiness!" Richard interjected.

Elaine smiled and patted Richard's head, saying, "Yes, also happiness! Has my Richard been happy these past few years?"

Little Richard shook his head and said gloomily, "Not always. Piro bullied me, and I also hate breadfruit. And, Mom, what kind of person is Dad?"

Elaine's face changed instantly, and then she said gently, "Your father is a real man..."

Richard immediately continued, "I know! He is also the worst villain! The one Mom hates the most!"

Elaine smiled. Every year, Richard would ask this question several times, and she always answered the same way. Now Richard could recite it by heart. However, Richard was a smart child and could sense the deep hatred in Elaine when she mentioned his father. Over time, Richard also came to hate this father.

Because many times, Richard would wake up in the middle of the night and hear his mother crying softly.

A child's logic is simple: his mother loved him the most, and he loved her the most. What his mother hated, he also hated. Every so often, Richard would ask about his father, partly out of curiosity, as his mother would tell him more about his father as he grew older. On the other hand, Richard wanted to learn more about his father to avenge his mother when he grew up. As for how to do it, he was still a child and had no idea, but this matter was deeply etched in his heart.

However, this time, Elaine did not tell Richard more about his father, only saying that the time she spent with Richard's father was very short, and that was all she knew.

"One day, you will understand your father very well," Elaine suddenly said for no reason. As soon as the words were out, her expression changed, as if something was tugging at her heart. Elaine herself did not know why she said this.

Richard keenly sensed that his mother's mood had suddenly worsened, so he quietly stuck out his tongue and said, "I'm going to read a book," and ran to the back room. That was Elaine's study, and next to it was the laboratory for concocting potions. The books in the study were not many, mostly basic magic, introductory potions, and knowledge about the continent's history, geography, and culture, fitting for Elaine's status as a magic apprentice. Richard liked to read there in the evenings. There was a magic lamp in the study, and the light was not very bright. With Elaine's limited magic power, it could be filled once to last a whole night. Since oil was expensive, the only people who could keep a lamp lit for a long time at night were the village chief, the blacksmith, the strongest hunters, and Elaine.

In this simple yet warm little room, Richard quietly spent his childhood.

In those thick books, he saw another world, one much broader, more complex, higher, and more magnificent than Rutherlan. Little Richard quietly thought that when he grew up to be the village's best hunter, he would take his mother and leave Rutherlan to see the world beyond the mountains.

Elaine sat alone in the living room, hearing the rustling of pages being turned. Little Richard was reading diligently again. He had already mastered the basic magic knowledge very well but had not yet started learning magic. Elaine even forbade him from practicing meditation. On the continent, to become a good magician, one generally starts with initial meditation at the age of four or five, thereby accumulating enough mental power by the age of ten to begin learning magic and cultivating magic power. However, Little Richard did not feel this was wrong, as he knew nothing and believed his mother was always right.

Elaine sat quietly, as the memory of saying one more sentence tonight had quietly opened the door to many sealed memories, which could not be suppressed.

Her head began to ache, and she gently rubbed her temples, sighing almost imperceptibly. Her gaze fell on the calendar on the table, and she suddenly saw a prominent mark. In a few days, it would be Richard's tenth birthday. Ten years old is the boundary between a boy and a youth, and at thirteen or fourteen, one is almost considered an adult.

Unconsciously, ten years had already passed?

Elaine stared at the flickering light in the magic lamp, the brass body polished to a shine, reflecting her face. She was not beautiful, only considered attractive, but in Rutherlan, she was one of the top beauties. Ten years had passed, but time had left no trace on her face. If it weren't for her clothing style, which had become more like that of a middle-aged woman, no one would remember her age. If a stranger saw her, they would surely think Elaine was just in her early twenties.

The face reflected in the brass lampshade was actually unfamiliar to Elaine, and too ordinary, because when she was born, she did not have this face. A long time ago, she never imagined she would live such a simple, hard life for ten years. But watching Richard grow up day by day, she felt a deep sense of fulfillment in her heart.

Elaine walked into the study and looked at Richard, who was engrossed in a thick monster guide, and smiled, "My Richard will soon be ten years old. Mom has prepared a special ceremony to celebrate my Richard growing up."

"Yay! Will there be gifts?" Richard jumped up, showing that he was still a boy.

"Yes, it will be a gift that will follow you for life. But you need to rest well these few days, understand? It's very late now, time to go to bed."