2 and a half years later
MC POV
Today is my birthday, and I'm 3 years old. Some might ask what I have done in these 3 years? Other protagonists achieve godhood before they're 1. What have you done?
Well, I simply enjoyed my life. Why would I struggle when I'm the biggest cheater to ever exist? I can have anything I want. I can become as strong as I want. I'm just one purchase away from becoming the strongest existence in the multiverse. But where's the fun in that? I want to enjoy my life, I want to experience everything this world has to offer, and every other world I visit in the future, I want to enjoy them all. Being an all-powerful entity might be fun for some time, but it'll soon become boring.
So I decided to only use the power system of the world I'm currently in. And I'll only buy improvement abilities that make me stronger based on my efforts. Or abilities that help me become stronger faster. Of course, I'll not deactivate any of my defenses; I'm not risking my life for a bit of enjoyment. With self-imposed limitations like these, I can both enjoy my multiverse journey and keep myself absolutely safe.
Of course, if any of my loved ones, like my mother, is in danger and I'm not strong enough, I'll break all of those rules and buy whatever I need to protect her.
That's the benefit of having a broken cheat: I can do whatever I like whenever I like. It's up to me.
During my internal monologue, I didn't notice when my mother came to my bedside and started caressing my hair. I looked up to her.
"Good morning, Mom!"
"Good morning, sweetie, and Happy birthday. Now, freshen up, breakfast is ready."
"Yes, Mom. Coming."
I jumped down from the bed and completed my morning rituals as fast as I could. As I sat at the dining table, my father started talking.
"Say, honey, since our son is already three years old, shouldn't we send him to a hoikuen?"
"You really think our son needs a nursery? He is too mature to attend a nursery, even a kindergarten will be too easy for him."
"Ok, yochien it is. I thought you'd be unwilling to send your baby boy to a kindergarten and homeschool him."
"Humph, my boy can easily Learn anything he wants, but social interaction is important as well. He rarely talks to anyone other than me, and he is reserved even around you. So he needs to socialize."
As my father and mother talked about my imminent torture in a children's preschool, a better topic emerged from my father's side.
"Well, his grandpa was talking about him visiting the dojo for sword lessons, what do you think? Should we send him?"
"It doesn't matter what you or I think, it'll be his choice. Tell me, son, do you want to learn Kenjutsu? You should know that your father's family is a samurai family. And it's tradition to learn Kenjutsu from a young age. What do you think? Wanna go to your grandpa to learn?"
"Will you be proud of me if I learn Kenjutsu?" I said in a cute voice. I want to learn, but I also want my mom to think I'm doing it to gain her affection. It's two birds with one stone.
"Of course I'll be proud. If my son learns to defend himself, I'll be very proud. But remember, just because you can fight doesn't mean you can bully others. I don't like bullies, ok?"
"Ok, mother. I'll never bully anyone. And I'll learn Kenjutsu to make you proud."
"Hey, what about me? I'm your father, you know, you should ask me as well." My father said with a sullen face from the side.
"Ok, father. I understand."
"Hey. What do you understand?"
" I'll ask your opinion in the future." I placate him. I don't really mean it. After all, Mother's approval is all I need, since Father listens to everything Mother says. That Simp.
"Good, good."
I really like this family of mine. We are not very rich, but my dad earns enough to live comfortably. Mother is the boss of this household. She, as a housewife, keeps the family united and ready for any future struggle. So the last 3 years of my life were very anticlimactic.
Nothing supernatural. But I know things will change very soon. And it'll be really fun.
The very next day, my dad took me to my grandpa's house. It's not that far, and a short car ride later, we are at our destination. It's a traditional Japanese house twice as big as our own. And I could see a signboard with the Kanji for our family's name written above the front gate.
As soon as my father parked the car, I could see my grandma and grandpa waiting for us. My grandma took me in her arms and carried me inside while father and grandpa talked.
"So finally. My grandson will start his sword lessons. What took you so long?"
"Well, Dad. Amaya wanted him to grow up with love and care. And not like a soldier training for war. Allowing him to learn Kenjutsu from the age of 3 is the best you'll get."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. But since he's my grandson, he'll learn to use a katana in no time. So your job is to bring him to the dojo before 6 in the morning. Understood?"
"But the dojo is at least 4 km away from our house. And what about breakfast?"
"As I said, you'll make sure that Arata reaches the dojo before 6. All his food will be personally prepared by your mother. You won't have to worry about that."
"Ahm, I was talking about my own breakfast…"
"I don't care."
As father and grandpa were bickering on the other side, grandma was feeding me her handmade desserts. Ah, I love being a kid.
Next day
Damn! It's 5 in the morning, and Father is already rushing me to get ready. Mother looks troubled since today is the first time I'll not be eating her breakfast. But we still reached the dojo before 6, so grandpa was satisfied.
As my father took his leave. My sword lesson formally began.
"Hakuōki Arata. Do you know why you are here today?"
"Sword training?" I half asked in a cute voice.
" No. You are here to learn how to be a true samurai. And the first step, even before leaving to use a katana, is physical training. So from today onwards, even before you have breakfast, you'll run 2 laps around this courtyard and then learn to swim for 20 minutes. Only then will you be allowed to have any food. Understood!?"
"Um, yes, grandpa."
"Good. And from today onwards, you'll address me as master. Got it?"
" Yes gra… Master."
"Hmm. Now start running."
"Yes, master."
The courtyard wasn't too big. You can easily play volleyball here. So I easily run two laps around it without breaking a sweat. Perks of having accelerated growth, I guess.
"Good, as expected from a Hakuōki. Well then, from tomorrow onwards you'll run for 10 laps. Now, how much do you know about swimming?"
"Um, I can float in a bathtub?" I can swim really well. But I can't say it now, can I?
"Ok. Take off your clothes and jump in. If you think you are drowning, tell me."
"Can I get something to help me float?"
"No. It'll only hinder you from learning."
"Ok." Guess I can't fake it that easily.
The water was cold, but I started swimming sluggishly anyway.
"Good. Now don't breathe too fast or you'll drown, breathe in and hold for a few seconds, and then slowly let it out. Repeat it and you'll not drown."
As I did what he said, I realized that I actually do the same when I swim.
"Good. Very good. Now keep kicking the water with your leg and use your arms as wings to move."
"Ok." Then I did everything he asked for the next few minutes.
"That's enough for today. Now come out."
"Yes." Finally, I could see grandma holding a towel and waiting for me.
"Now dry yourself and get ready for breakfast. I'll wait for you."
The food was the best. Grandma's cooking is just perfect. As a gift, I gave her a vector shield as well.
After breakfast, I found my grandpa in a spacious wooden room filled with typical equipment that can be found in any other dojo I've seen in anime.
"Get dressed and take this bokken (wooden katana). I'll teach you how to hold a katana." He gave me a white kimono-like dress and a small wooden katana.
We learned the katana for the next few hours, and then my grandma taught me how to read traditional Japanese.
Then we had lunch together, and lastly, grandpa taught me martial stance.
In the evening, my father came and took me home. Although it seemed pretty tiring for a 3-year-old to do all that, I, with an adult mind and a supernatural body, didn't really feel much. And I kinda enjoyed it.