Chapter 27

November 20th.

In the only temple in Rasmor Village, Einos and Jean's wedding ceremony was taking place.

Grandfather had invited a priest from the town of Bogwood for their sake. The ceremony proceeded in a solemn atmosphere.

The wedding itself was a simple affair, merely receiving the blessing of the human god, but the subsequent reception was grand.

Einos was dressed in a formal suit based on the military uniform of the Calm Empire, a gift from his father, and a fine sword lent by his grandfather hung from his waist.

Jean wore a white dress given by her mother, and white flowers adorned her bright red hair.

(Einos may not be a seven-year-old boy, but he looks like he's being dressed up. I thought Jean was a quiet girl, but she's quite beautiful. Mother, Claire—Sharon's mother—and Lidi, who are all beautiful, made me not notice... )

The two headed to the Black Pond Inn in their wedding attire.

Although the carriage was a cart, they still received blessings from the villagers one after another, and the two waved shyly in response.

Upon arriving at the Black Pond Inn, the banquet began immediately.

Grandfather seemed to want to hold the reception at the manor, but I suggested holding it at the Black Pond Inn.

Einos is in a position similar to his father's adjutant, and Jean's main job is to help around the manor, so both have little interaction with the villagers. I proposed to my father and grandfather that this was a good opportunity for them to interact more with the villagers.

The villagers knew that Jean was the daughter of Nicholas and Kate, who helped with the village's administration, and a large number of people gathered, as if it were a harvest festival.

The banquet began with Grandfather's speech, but in the Rockhart family's style, which dislikes formalities, the banquet proceeded in a relaxed manner.

Various gifts were presented to the two, saying they were grateful to Nicholas, and they piled up like a mountain. There were cheeses and other ingredients, bundles of wool yarn, and simple baskets made of vines. Although they were not expensive, they were made with heartfelt effort.

The sight of this surprised both Grandfather and Father.

Nicholas is quite observant of small details, which is why he is popular among the villagers.

He knows who has a poor wheat harvest and who has a good bean harvest, and he advises on bartering. He even had Guy, who enters the forest, collect medicinal herbs for children who are sick and deliver them.

It was only when I started working with him that I realized this, but I doubt even Father and Grandfather knew he was so well-respected.

(Actually, I think Nicholas is a capable person who is too good for the Rockhart family. He is considerate and can infer a lot from a little... )

I was looking at Grandfather's still surprised face.

(Grandfather was right to send him to study in Doctus. But I don't think Grandfather realized how much Nicholas was respected...)

At the reception, Einos was drinking until he was completely drunk.

(I wonder how the first night will go. I didn't really think about it that far...)

Even I, the mastermind behind this reception, didn't think about what would happen at night.

(I believe Mother or someone will take care of it...)

The reception continued until night, but we children returned to the manor around three in the afternoon.

On the way back, Mel and Sharon seemed to be more attached than usual, perhaps inspired by Jean's appearance.

Seeing this, Lidi said, "You're so popular," with a sneer and turned away.

I thought it was unnecessary for her to be jealous of children, but it was amusing, so I left it alone.

As expected, that night, she acted more affectionately, as if she wanted attention.

(She really has the mental age of a four-year-old. Elves are said to have ten times the lifespan of humans, but does their mental growth also take ten times as long? If so, the numbers add up...)

As I was thinking this, Lidi noticed and said, "Are you thinking something rude?"

I deflected by saying, "I just think Lidi is cute," but she pouted, saying, "You were thinking I'm childish, weren't you?"

(That's what makes you childish... but it's fine. It's cute in its own way...)

I don't know how Einos and Jean's first night went, but from the way they got along well the next day, it seems to have gone well.

In December, cold winds blew through the hills, and Rasmor Village quickly took on its winter appearance.

The sky was covered with heavy gray clouds, and the earth was dyed gray and brown. The hills, which were so colorful in summer, had turned monochrome.

The frost had descended on the hill where the manor was located, and the breath of the horses walking in the paddock rose in white puffs.

With the shorter daylight hours, morning training now took place in the dark.

In the magical lighting devices prepared by Grandfather, my brother and I trained hard.

My swordsmanship level had risen to three, and I felt that the forms of my practice were starting to take shape, though vaguely. However, the moment I saw Grandfather's practice, I realized the stark difference and acknowledged that I still had a long way to go.

I had some questions about levels, so I asked Nicholas.

First, "level" is officially called "occupation level." It represents the level of the "occupation," such as a swordsman, and is displayed as the lower of the skill level (e.g., swordsmanship) and the hidden experience level.

In other words, the skill level represents the proficiency gained through training, but even with proficiency, a lack of experience results in a lower occupation level.

I found this curious, but my swordsman level was the same as my skill level. When I asked Nicholas about this, he said that when you train under a master like Grandfather, this can happen.

I don't understand the logic, but I can feel it intuitively.

Training under a master with rich combat experience allows you to gain experience, thus raising your experience level. Even if you have a high level, if the teaching method is poor, your experience level may not rise, so I think this is the right approach.

He also taught me some rough guidelines.

For swordsmen, levels 1 to 5 are amateurs who know the basics. Levels up to 15 are new recruits in the army. Levels up to 30 are typical professional soldiers. Levels up to 50 are veterans, and levels above that are considered masters.

Incidentally, Grandfather's level is 75, which is considered a master level. In the mercenary world, which is merit-based, it is at the upper level of the third rank.

(If the character creation settings are correct, I should have the talent to reach level 80 in swordsmanship, and my learning speed is three times that of an average person, but I don't really feel it. Mel is almost keeping up with me, and Dan isn't far behind. What's going on...)

I was a bit discouraged by my swordsmanship level, which was not rising much.

When I asked Grandfather, he said that being level three at four years old is an impossible level, but I felt depressed to be evaluated as an amateur after half a year of training.

On the other hand, my magic levels were rising steadily.

Thanks to consuming magic power almost to the point of depletion every day, my light and wind magic had risen to level two, and my fire, wood, water, and earth magic had risen to level one over the three months since September. My dark and metal magic levels had not risen, perhaps because the images were not conveyed well.

As Lidi said, it seems that raising your proficient attributes makes it easier for the other attributes to rise.

On December 13th, the first snow fell.

At dinner, Father announced that Mother was pregnant.

After being examined by Dorothy, the healer who also serves as a midwife, it was determined that she was in her fourth month and was expected to give birth in June of the next year, 3007 in the Tria calendar.

This announcement excited the maid Molly, who exclaimed, "Congratulations!" and was about to start preparing for the birth immediately.

Seeing this, Grandfather said, "Calm down, Molly. It's still more than half a year away," and the table burst into laughter.

(A younger brother or sister... In my previous life, I only had an older brother, so I wonder what it will be like. It might feel more like having a child or grandchild rather than a sibling...)

If it's next June, it will be two years after I was summoned, as the god said.

This means that the child to be born could be the one "sent by the god." If I am to meet this person, the most certain way would be for them to be my sibling.

If it's a younger brother or sister, it won't be unnatural to protect and guide them.

I hope the child to be born is not the one sent by the god. If someone is trying to eliminate this child, it means their life is in danger.

The child might suffer, but I am more concerned about the misfortune that could befall this village and this family.

If the child is "the one guided by fate" from the moment of birth, how would I feel? Could I genuinely bless the child's birth?

After hearing about Mother's pregnancy, such worries swirled in my chest.

After dinner, I went to talk to Grandfather and Father. Honestly, it was a heavy burden to talk, but I had mentioned the child I was to guide six months ago. It was uncertain whether they remembered, but I had to tell them.

I went to Grandfather's room with Father. They seemed to notice my unease but said nothing, encouraging me to speak.

"Previously, I mentioned that I was told by the god to guide the one who will save this world. That person is expected to be born next year."

They seemed to realize immediately.

Father murmured, "So, the child in Tanya's womb is the one sent by the god?"

I shook my head. "No, there's a possibility, but that's all."

"But given that you are here, isn't it most natural to think that the child will be born here?"

It seems Grandfather had reached the same conclusion.

"I don't know until the child is born, but I remember being told that if we meet, there will be a revelation. I don't know what form it will take, but at least I will recognize that I should teach and guide them..."

"Both Matt and I had forgotten about this. What do you think Tanya should do?"

After a brief hesitation, I replied, "I think it's better not to tell Mother."

Honestly, I wasn't sure which was better. But since the child to be born might not be the one sent by the god, I didn't want to worry Mother unnecessarily.

"That's true. If Tanya realizes it, that's different, but there's no need to give her unnecessary worry. Matt, what do you think?"

Father lowered his eyes and remained silent for about ten seconds.

"I also think it's better not to tell her. This is something we three should keep to ourselves."

Father seemed to feel resistance about hiding such important information from his wife, but in the end, he followed Grandfather's opinion that it would be better not to cause her worry.

With a heavy atmosphere, Father and I left Grandfather's room.

"Thinking about it, it might be better if the child is born here."

Surprised by Father's sudden words, I looked up at him.

"Here, we have Grandfather, Walt, and me. If you are to protect the child, there's no better place. You can protect both the child and yourself."

I felt a warmth in my chest, knowing that Father was concerned not only for the child but also for me.

"I hope the child is born somewhere else. I can't bear the thought of this place becoming a target for the one who will destroy the world."

Father said, "Yes, that's what I hope," and placed his large hand on my head.

I parted ways with Father in front of my room and was left alone.

(The next seven months will be tough. If it were a year or even half a year later, it would have been better... But I will do what I can to protect the child. That's all I can do...)

The next day, I increased my training regimen.

It was a significant burden on a four-year-old's body, but I wanted to do as much as I could.

Grandfather, noticing this, quietly advised me.

"There's no need to rush. Both Matt and I are here. You should trust your family more."

"That's true, but..."

Before I could argue, Grandfather pointed out a harsh reality.

"Even if you rush now, with this body, and only half a year, you can't do anything. You'll just end up breaking your body. You should know that."

He was right. Even if I rushed now, I couldn't do anything. If my power was needed, I would have been summoned earlier.

I should have the necessary power when it is most needed. Rushing and breaking my body would be counterproductive.

I nodded and returned my training regimen to its original state.

However, the next day, Grandfather announced a change in the training method.

"Dan's swordsmanship level has been at two for quite some time. From today, we will add striking practice to the training."

At this time, Dan's swordsmanship level was two, while Mel's was already three.

From today, during the afternoon training, we would practice striking with Grandfather or Walt as opponents.

Initially, they wouldn't counterattack, but if the strike was poor, Grandfather would strike as punishment.

Even with just a wooden stick, the thought of being struck without armor, only in a simple cloth outfit, was frightening.

Yesterday, I was so anxious, but now that the training involving pain was about to start, I felt a bit cowardly.

In December, it gets dark around four in the afternoon, so we joined the village watch's training for the afternoon session.

The men of the village watch seemed to find it amusing that a small child with a cute wooden sword had joined. They smiled at us but quickly tightened their expressions at Walt's angry voice.

"From today, Lord Zacharias and the squire's children will join the training! Don't show them any embarrassing moves!"

We stood in front of Grandfather, ignoring the village watch.

I started first.

I held the wooden sword in a standard stance and, with a high-pitched child's voice, shouted and struck at Grandfather's sword.

I closed the five-meter distance in one swift motion and swung my sword from above.

The sound of hard wood clashing was heard, but immediately after, a blow landed on my back. I fell face-first to the ground, hitting my nose hard.

"Don't take your eyes off after striking! I taught you to immediately move away after striking!"

I endured the pain and answered, "Yes!" before quickly standing up and putting distance between myself and Grandfather.

(It hurts! Grandfather is ruthless. A normal child would cry. No, I would cry too.)

Satisfied that I had moved away, Grandfather called Mel's name.

I returned to where Dan was waiting, still holding my sword, but Dan's face was pale, and he looked like he was about to cry after seeing the merciless strike.

"It's okay. Grandfather is holding back. It hurts a bit, but it's not unbearable."

I tried to reassure him, but when Mel was similarly knocked down in front of him, he sniffled.

Then it was Dan's turn.

He seemed scared after seeing Mel and me being knocked down, and his movements were stiffer than usual.

His striking speed was slow, and Grandfather struck his back without blocking with his sword.

"What will you do if the enemy engulfs you! I always say that fighting is about spirit! Attack with the will to die!"

Dan, half-crying, stood up and struck with all his might.

His sword hit Grandfather's, making a good sound, but immediately after, Grandfather's sword struck his back.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your eyes on the enemy?!"

Dan, crying, stood up and, like me, put distance between himself and Grandfather while holding his sword.

The training continued without Grandfather striking again.

Dan's movements improved significantly compared to the initial stiffness, and he remained vigilant after striking.

(Indeed, when something is drilled into your body, you can't help but remember. But Mel's movements are excellent. In two or three months, she might surpass the others.)