[5 months later]
"Hey Norn, Aisha, your big brother's back!" - I greeted my little sisters affectionately, taking advantage of this quiet moment.
Finally, after months of working as a tutor, I was finally granted my month off. At first, they didn't want to let me go, especially Eris, who by this time has turned 10.
But I finally managed to return to my small village.
It's not that I miss the village, but on the other hand, my little sisters are here, so of course I want to come back.
I won't say I didn't feel a little sentimental after being greeted with so much love from Zenith, Lilia, and Sylphy, but hey, that passed quickly and I quickly snuck into the babies' room.
"They're cute, aren't they? Of course they are, they take after their father" - Paul said suddenly, trying to act cool, but I just looked at him before greeting him and turning my attention back to the little ones.
I wasn't surprised to find Paul here, and no, that doesn't mean Paul and Zenith have gotten back together, but Zenith doesn't want her daughter to grow up without seeing her father, so she lets Paul visit them more often, according to a letter she sent me.
It might seem suspicious, but I doubt she's hiding that she's getting back together with Paul while I was away.
"So, how was everything in the Boreas?" - Paul asked suddenly.
"Mmm, everything's fine, some problems at first, but it all got sorted out" - I replied while playing with the girls.
"And your sword training? You must have learned a lot from Ghislaine" - he asked again.
"Good. Although Ghislaine always says I'm like you, because I have a talent for the sword, but I don't dedicate enough interest to it as I do with magic" - I replied, looking at him and I couldn't deny that it bothered me to be compared.
Paul has talent that he wastes by not wanting to train and by chasing skirts, which is stupid since he practically lives in a world where if you're not strong then anyone can kill you, that's why he's stuck at the advanced rank despite having enough talent to reach the Saint rank and with luck and a lot of training, a sword king.
I, on the other hand, am more dedicated to learning magic and my preference is for spears, not swords, besides, I don't think I have the talent that Ghislaine says I possess.
Previously, I was only a little better than the others, thanks to being reincarnated and all that, but after obtaining my mental space and having gone through body refinement, my learning abilities increased much more.
"Oh? So how about a fight? It's been a while and I want to see how much you've improved" - Paul said with a smile, looking happy.
I looked at him, even though I just arrived and I'm supposed to be "tired," the truth is I'm pretty bored, that trip only allowed me to study the grimoire and I really didn't find anything interesting to keep me entertained, just magical theories that made me think I was studying for an extremely difficult exam.
Despite my increased mental capacities, it's really still difficult to keep up with the complex texts of the grimoire after entering the adept mage rank.
If the apprentice mage level was like studying at a children's school, the mage level was like high school, then the adept mage level is like university studies.
Of course, it's just a rough and somewhat bad comparison from how I see it.
Despite my thoughts, I quickly replied to Paul with a. - "Fine, but I'll use magic."
He smiled, seeming to have expected no less.
[In the outdoor patio]
After deciding to have a fight, we headed to the patio. Zenith and Lilia had brought Aisha and Norn with them to watch the show, I suppose.
Although I don't think it was a good idea, but they're the mothers, and if they brought them then it's fine.
"Are you ready?" - Paul asked, holding his sword with an arrogant smile on his face, looking like he was just going to play with a child.
Of course I recognize that and I can tell that's just his way of getting under his opponent's skin.
You see, Paul masters the three sword styles of this world at an advanced level. It's no exaggeration to say he's a Quasi-Saintly, but he hasn't reached that level yet.
"Of course" - I took up my fighting stance, unaffected by his arrogant appearance, although I did notice something.
It seems that in this time Paul didn't just sit around doing nothing. I can see that somehow his touki has increased and his almost non-existent control has improved quite a bit...
'Although he's still not a Saintly' - I realized. In these months I've seen many swordsmen in the city, from beginner level to a few Saintly level.
Five to be exact and using my enhanced eyes I could perceive their style of touki control. It's not like the advanced rank who can unconsciously increase their physical abilities or the durability and sharpness of their weapon.
Their control is more fluid and focused.
And Paul is reaching that level...
'It seems that this single life made him focus on other things' - I thought. Paul had two options: drown in his sorrows or improve as a person.
And it seems he chose the second... That's good.
"Alright, here I go," he finally said nonchalantly, but suddenly he moved in a burst of speed and approached me very quickly.
I was surprised, not too much since I'm a little used to Ghislaine's speed, but I was still surprised because Paul was really going all out.
And no, Ghislaine hasn't fought me seriously, but she also doesn't hold back as much after she realized that I can react a little to some of her base speed, yes, base speed, without touki included.
I moved quickly, avoiding the side cut and used a gust of air to push him back a bit.
But Paul, with his experience, reacted quickly and cut through the gust of air, preventing it from sending him flying.
Of course I'm holding back, if it were a real battle, I doubt Paul would have been able to do that and of course I don't doubt that Paul is also holding back a little, even if it's just a bit.
But leaving that aside, I didn't stay still and moved to attack Paul.
He prepared to counterattack, but I used a mud spell stolen from Rudeus to make him lose his balance and causing him to only be able to defend himself.
Clash
"Oh, Kiel that's dirty play" - he commented nonchalantly as the swords clashed.
Not because I had done anything wrong, but so that I could be distracted by his voice.
Because Paul, after that, using his strength, pushed me away and I, who was not trying to show that I was super strong, let him get away while he took advantage and pulled his foot out of the mud.
I jumped back a few steps as I watched Paul prepare to attack again, but this time I decided to use another move stolen from Rudeus.
Making me raise my hand quickly forming a ball of earth and throwing it at Paul.
"Come on, you need to do better than that if you want to win, Kiel" - he commented after I cast the spell and effortlessly moved his sword and destroyed it.
I smiled, because of course, that's what I was looking for, the earth ball, upon being destroyed, scattered a cloud of dust.
"Argh!!" - Paul yelled as he rubbed his eyes, which had been hit by particles of dirt.
I didn't waste the opportunity and quickly headed towards where Paul was, who although he was scratching his eyes irritably, he remained alert since as soon as I got close enough, he attacked me.
I did the same mud spell causing him to lose his balance again and hit him hard on his hand, causing him to drop his sword.
After that and although he wanted to defend himself, I hit him in the stomach.
"Huuff" - I knocked the air out of Paul's lungs and he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.
"I won!!" - I commented as I pointed my sword at Paul's neck and raised my free hand in the air.
I won't deny that even with tricks and advantages, it made me very happy to have been able to beat Paul, but hey, if I had lost, it would have really made me think about what I was doing with my life all this second life.
But anyway, a win is a win even if it's with tricks and superior advantages over your opponent.
The only important thing is that I won, period.
"Well done Kiel!!"
"Good fight, young master"
Needless to say, the ladies of the house were more than happy to see Paul beaten and quickly congratulated me.
I smiled, but internally I shrugged, it's not my problem.
"How did you get so good?" - Oh? It seems Paul recovered the air in his lungs.
"Of course by training a lot," I smiled arrogantly like he did before as I looked at him and saw his aggrieved face with red eyes.
I'm not going to let him forget how he miserably lost to an 8-year-old...
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Hi, long time.
I really didn't think it would be so long without uploading a chapter, but I finally managed to finish it even though I didn't make much progress in the plot.
By the way, that ff that spoke... in the end I ended up uploading it, I couldn't stand it and uploaded it, it already has 3 chapters and I'm starting to write the fourth.
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter and if you want, come by my other ff.