Chapter 5 If Not A Sword, Then Magic!

[Three Years Later | Age 10]

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

“C’mon, Emilio! Swing back!”

Julius called out, swinging the wooden sword rapidly as he held his own training blade up like a shield, being pushed back as he backpedaled across the front yard.

“Ngh–I can’t when you’re being so aggressive!” He whined.

It always went like this, ever since he turned five and Julius decided he was old enough to begin his training in the way of the sword. Julius didn’t exactly know “restraint”, which resulted in him hardly being able to hold his ground against his energetic father.

It was a miscalculation he had made early on–by utilizing his prior knowledge from his first life in this one, he thought it’d bring him to a swift head start. He wasn’t wrong, but it also brought a caveat–

“Expectations.”

Since their child is a “super literate genius”, their expectations are high of me. For Julius, that’s apparently transferred into thinking I can become some sort of expert swordsman like himself. Sorry, dad, but I’m still just ten years old, you know! I don’t even have a single pube yet! I’m as smooth as an apple! He thought.

While defending against the fury of sword strikes from his father, his fingers were smacked by the wooden blade, prompting him to yelp and drop his weapons–THWACK.

“Ah–” Julius opened his mouth in shock.

In a blunder of a strike, the part-time adventurer accidentally struck his training sword against his son’s cheek.

“Ow…”

He had fallen to the verdant grass below, caressing his cheek that quickly swelled up.

Julius ran over, kneeling down beside him, “Sorry, kid–that was an accident, I swear!”

It wasn’t as though he didn’t want to learn swordplay, in fact, he wanted to take his new body to its physical limits, but–as time went on, he realized pushing his young body wasn’t going to give him the results he wanted.

“–“

“Please don’t tell your mother,” Julius held his hands together, pleading with a worried smile.

He squinted his eyes, realizing his dad was more afraid of the wrath of Treyna than the stinging his cheek received.

But, he got an idea:

“I won’t say anything…if you let me read one of the grimoires,” he said with a cheeky smile.

Of course, the existence of magic brought with it an insatiable curiosity towards its existence; how to wield it and use it effectively. Compared to swordplay, it was in another world of interest for him.

Julius blinked a few times, “Oh, that? Ha-ha! I don’t have a problem with that!”

“…You don’t?”

As he watched Julius stand, whose black breeches were stained with the residue of grass, a hand was extended down to him from his eccentric, youthful father.

“–“

He accepted his helping hand, being stood back up as he felt like a feather being hoisted by the strength of his dad.

“Your mother and I discussed it a few nights ago, actually. At first, we were worried it’d be dangerous for you to get a hold of magic so early. I mean, most people can’t grasp magecraft at all! But, you’re a bright kid. And because you’re bright…we trust you, Emilio,” Julius smiled brightly, ruffling his hair.

Going back into the house after they finished their afternoon sword training, he was taken upstairs where Julius brought him into the library. It was a small, dusty room with a couple bookshelves, but in this world, books were quite an extravagant item; pricey, at that.

It was built abnormally; the room was in almost an oval shape, narrow and compact.

Julius, who had more brawn than brains, retrieved the book from the top shelf, not even being able to read the text on the cover.

“This is the one your mother practically lived by when we adventured together,” Julius told him with a smile, dusting off the old, leather cover.

“Really…?” He looked on with curious eyes.

Julius smirked, “If you really think you’re up for it, I don’t mind you reading this. But…I doubt you’ll get anything from this.”

Thanks for the support, dad of the year, he thought.

“How about you show me?” He asked with a mischievous smile.

He knew well that his father was a man who lived by the sword, and definitely not a practitioner of magecraft.

Julius immediately began coughing, scratching the back of his neck and fidgeting–definitely unlike his eccentric, outgoing self.

“…You want a demonstration? You know I’m a swordsman, right? Maybe I can get your mother to show you–”

“I want you to show me, father,” he smiled up at him.

Julius began to sweat, not able to avoid the smile of his son as he sighed out, tapping his foot against the wooden floor.

“You know it’s not that I don’t believe in your smarts! It’s just that magic is a very tricky thing, ya’ know? I only know a couple spells myself–and it’s just basic crap–like this,” Julius said, presenting his level of magecraft as he pointed his finger across the room.

He watched curiously, looking up at his father’s extended index finger.

Julius focused, sucking in a breath as he filled his lungs, “Great lord of fire or whatever–gimme your strength and do something!”

From the half-baked incantation uttered from the lips of his skillful father, he watched excitedly, expecting a great burst of a fiery spectacle to come before–

Sizzle.

Manifesting from Julius’ fingertip was nothing but a small ember, hardly contained into a spherical shape before dissipating into ash, carried away by the subtle breeze.

They both were silent at the embarrassing display of magic. Even though Julius warned him his level of magic was low, his father was red at the ears, clearing his throat.

“As you can see…It’s a difficult thing to learn,” Julius told him, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Yeah, I can see that, he thought.

From that pathetic display of magecraft, Julius was quick to leave him alone in the library with the grimoire.

“Well, good luck!” Julius smiled, exiting the room, “–If you need help, don’t come to me! Well, if you need help with swordplay then…I’m your guy!”

“I know,” he smiled.

Left alone, he excitedly sat down with the heavy book, having to use both hands to open its dense pages.

“The Scripture of the Element King, Aelor.”

He had heard of the Element King in some children’s stories that Treyna read to him; he was quite the legend around the country.

Element King Aelor was apparently one of the “Foundational Mages”, one of the progenitors of magic who cultivated it into the spells we have today. This grimoire holds those teachings…the foundational spells that all mages should begin with, he thought.