Under the unfettered pressure radiating from the lady of house, the father folded instantly.
With a slight cough, Cassian returned to his seemingly serious father persona. Eyeing the kid with a strict and disciplined expression.
"Listen up, kid. The first thing you need to know about being a Knight in this world is…"
He let the words hang in the air, shifting his gaze toward the front door.
Noticing that the scary woman was no longer there, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Brushing off the speck of dust in his shirt, Cassian continued.
"Strength! Strength is what matters! As long as you have enough," Cassian flexed his biceps in a Jojo pose. "You can achieve anything!"
Lucian's jaws didn't drop, it just hurts because of how many times this Father of his completely broke his common sense and expectations.
The comical view of his father, wearing a pink shirt and trying out various pose like a Jojo character made his eyes hurt.
He wanted to burn down his eyes and seal it off with a super shoe glue. How he wished he had Fenghuang Down to erase this memory of his.
Also, muscles and strength is enough? Is his father talking about making him a muscle head battle junkie?
There is no way he would go down the muscle head route!
Yes, he would love to have a good physique, but a total muscle head? No way!
"Cough! Father… Are you really sure that muscles can solve anything?"
Lucian felt the urge to slap out several documents telling why muscles only won't solve anything directly into his father's face.
His father, meanwhile, just paused his actions and bore his eyes directly into Lucian's, looking at Lucian as if he was a weird fish.
'You're the odd one here, Dad?'
Lucian roared deep within his mind, though he didn't dare to say it out loud because he knew one thing.
Lucian and his Dad bonds like siblings, very much like how normal father and son would show their socialization. But ultimately, he is still his old man, so this old man of his will definitely plummet him to the ground if he said that.
"Tsk tsk tsk. My boy. You're still very green! Muscles is the foundation of a Knight or Valkyrie. If you don't have enough muscles, you can't punch a Honkai Beast! That's why you must embrace the love of muscles! Unless…"
Cassian's voice trailed off. A threatening look creeped in from his face.
His eyes were glowing ominously, like an asura gazing at its prey, waiting for the right time to slaughter it in half.
Lucian's mind, of course translated those words at a fast rate. His face flushed red in anger, looking like a boiled shrimp, he retorted back.
"Hah!? Who is the bent here?! Bring it on, old man! I'll show you who is the bent one here!"
Cassian's face reverted in a smug look, clearly his provocation deemed success.
He can finally teach this little shrimp some lessons about muscles and strength.
"Come! My boy! Show me strength, worthy of an Aurelius!"
A surge of irritation amplified Lucian's anger.
'To hell with this! If I can't do even a single scratch on this irritating father of mine, I am not worthy of my name!'
In a fraction of second, his back suddenly glowed neon blue with white and pink hue.
In that sudden burst of light, his momentum suddenly increased, launching his body towards his father slashing the Pulse Katana Type-19 in a horizontal motion.
A flicker of astonishment dawned on Cassian's eyes, though he easily sidestepped and flicked the katana with ease, disrupting Lucian's momentum.
He followed it with a light tap on Lucian's head, easily subduing the kid to the ground.
Lucian stared blankly at his father's towering frame, his mind still haven't caught up with what happened.
Chuckle
"This is why I told you. Muscles are the foundation of Knights and Valkyries. Without proper muscular training, they cannot subdue a Honkai Beast."
The father stretched out his left hand to his kid, motioning him to stand up.
"Stand up kid! This is just the beginning! I shall thoroughly train that body of yours to become the perfect vessel of muscles!"
A burst of inspiration erupted on Lucian.
Now he knew why his father meant that, as long as he has enough muscles, he can defeat Honkai Beasts!
The muscles his father was talking about wasn't the singular meaning, rather, a collective meaning. An expression to be told in discipline.
Muscles aren't just muscles. They are the disciplinary properties of the mind, soul, and body.
They are the foundation of ones true strength!
Cassian saw the dawning expression on his son's face, nodding silently as he saw his son's face.
He was in a blissful mode. It seems that his son managed to put it into pieces. The disciplinary principles of ones muscles.
Very good!
Lucian naturally took his father's extended arm.
Though his father suddenly let go.
His father's face suddenly turned into disappointment.
Lucian's mind short-circuited, not knowing what his father even meant by that.
Though he had no time to gloss over it as his father suddenly pulled him up.
And his face dramatically changed from disappointment, back to blissful expression.
"Well then, my boy. This is the start of your journey to the west, becoming stronger as the oceans could enveloped. Now then, call me Grandmaster! As we shall extend our hands and embrace the start of the journey!"
Cassian dramatically blurted out his speech, slowly and skillfully rubbing his chin.
If he had a long beard along with his flowing red hair, he would have looked like an ancient grandmaster, coming down from the heavens to teach mortals the Tao.
Lucian paid it no mind, and in fact, accepted it wholeheartedly, calling his father Grandmaster.
Because he felt that, it is just normal.
Genetics do wonder huh?
"Grandmaster! Please teach me!"
The young boy did a complete 180 degree bow, calling his father with great reverence.
Cassian blissfully nodded, commenting, "Very good, very good."
"Kid. Give me the katana. I want to inspect it for a little bit while."
Lucian stood up straight and looked at his father's serious gaze, then shifted towards the perfectly implanted sword on the ground.
Picking up the sword, Lucian tossed the blade towards his father, whom caught it effortlessly.
His father slowly traced his finger at the edge of the sword. Grazing his index finger towards the tip, checking the sharpness of the blade.
The scrutiny on his eyes vanished, forming slight amazement. It was because the sword was not that sharp rather, its components were built not to slice things, but to conduct something.
Pondering for a while, Cassian channelled some Honkai energy. As expected, the sword was then coated, channelling all the energy from its hilt to the edges.
'No wonder it looked familiar. It looks a lot like the Prototype Pulse Katana made by that guy, but this one is more practical and easier to use for combat. More efficient in conducting the energy. Though… where did this kid even got this weapon?'
The more Cassian thought about it, the more it becomes suspicious.
Even the Prototype Pulse Katana was still at the trial phase, yet this electromagnetic pulse sword on his arms are rather more stable and perfected.
Though, he didn't linger that much on it. He felt that whatever secret this kid of his holds, it will just give him a headache. So he didn't indulge his thoughts.
He tossed back the katana back to his son with his eyes focused at him, he added.
"Starting today, I'll train your physicality," Cassian's eyes bore deep on Lucian's, a menacing cold resembling a devilish math teacher's."There are things that you need to etch and engrave deeply on your mind. This is the rules I implement on all of my students, understand? First of all…"
Lucian nervously gulped at the mention of rules. Combining it with that menacing tone, his father sounded like a math teacher giving out assignments at the very end of the week, giving you endless despair.
"…Procrastinating is not allowed. If I ever see you slacking off, I'll throw you directly at your mother. Rest is allowed, but you must tell me before hand, got it?"
Lucian let out a low chuckle. Feeling a washing relief and slight amusement towards his own thoughts.
"The training regimen shall begin this day. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 kilometer run. No equipment needed, we will just lay out your foundation first so that your body will be accustomed to to the next regimen. We will double it on the half-a-year anniversary of it. So anymore questions?" Cassian added with a look of deep professionalism of an athlete trainer.
Lucian gawked at the mention of those regimen.
He didn't find it bothersome, since he knew that it's practically easy fitness exercise for people in here—at least those who are physically good—it's just that, it reminded him of a certain bald guy who gained the moniker, Caped Baldie.
It shuddered him to his deepest core. He can even feel his stomach churning in defiance, saying that he shouldn't do it or he will get one of the worst nightmares, mankind has ever faced.
The shiny head… baldness in short.
"Uhm… My hair wouldn't all out if I did this… Right?"
Lucian let out a weak, low, pathetic wail. His face screams in terror at the mere reflection of himself having a shiny, bald head.
His face contains grief and agony, begging his father not to continue it further without explanation.
Cassian's face perfectly captured Homelander's look upon Firecracker's dramatic speech of loyalty.
Cassian stands completely frozen, with a strained, deadpan eyes. His face contains bewilderment and secondary disgust.
'Are you serious right now, kid? If it really did have such an effect, would I have this smooth, long bright red hair, perfectly complementing my handsome physique that can instantly capture ninety-nine percent of the women I encounter? Impressive! Impressive! Truly my son with that line of thoughts!'
…In the end, we couldn't make out if he was really disgusted or proud of his son.
Like a grandmaster suddenly faced with such profound question that would shake the entire cultivation world, Cassian did what was best.
He grabbed Lucian on the calf and picked him up like a kitten, tossing him on the side.
"Listen up kid. I don't know what's on your mind but, that thing will never happen, now go! Do what I told you or else," Cassian picked up a tree branch on the ground. "You'll know what will happen."
"Oh shi-"
Lucian's PTSD flared up instantly, scared of truly getting beaten up on the backside, he hurriedly did a proper push-up posture.
Repeatedly bobbing up and down, continuing his training.
He felt his back suddenly gets a cooling effect and felt the slow fatigue vanishing, though he heard his father the second it came.
"Control your Stigmata! Don't let it activate! Or else, the training would be useless! This would also serve as a way to perfectly control your Stigmata, so get on with it!"
Having a Stigmata is practically a cheat code, but having it activating each on every trivial matter such as simple physical training, would lose the value provided by the said thing.
Moreover, this training regimen was built entirely only for physical training without relying on Honkai Energy.
The progress would exponentially skyrocket by relying on the extreme self buffs of Stigmata, yes. But the core value of the training would be lost, that's why Cassian forbid the usage of Stigmata.
That's not all, by actively suppressing the Stigmata, the bearer can learn how and when to control the activation and flow of the Stigmata, gaining two birds in one stone.
Cassian's red hair cascaded through the wind, looking at his son with his burning amber eyes with a father's pride.
His son followed his instructions with absolute precision, not a single flaw in his execution. Which father wouldn't be proud? He can even smugly pick up this child and scrub him to his rival's face and say;
"Guhahahaha! Look! I won, didn't I? My son is infinitely better than your daughter! My son inherited all of my good genes! Not that this handsome man, Cassian, have any bad genes! Now feel free to lament on not having a kid with the same flair as mine! Guhahahaha!"
If his wife ever heard that train of thought, he would probably get dragged into the basement and get thoroughly disciplined.
Though, while he Cassian was thinking about that while watching over his son, another thought popped out on his mind.
'That two… Those are definitely Schicksal Valkyries… But who is that another woman with them? Hmm… I just hope they don't try doing anything stupid or else… I'll show these little girls that my fists aren't like that stupid Kaslana! My fists carries true Gender Equality!'
Yes, there are actually people currently watching over the two…
Those are…
"Hmm… Target confirmed but… Uhh… Is that really how Valkyries or Knights train?"
On top of a tall building, a beautiful young girl exuding elegance and beauty, wearing tight fitting french maid outfit watched the two Aurelius through binoculars.
She is Rita Rossweisse, currently bewildered by how the Former Schicksal S-Rank Knight was training his kid.
It wasn't the way how any Valkyries or Knights he knew trains young people.
Usually, they would do simple warm-ups then change to simulation fights or straight training fights, yet this Aurelius was actually training his son by using an old fashioned training regimen?
Was this even effective?
The little Rita knocked her head a few times but couldn't get an answer. So she just shrugged it off and continued their mission.
Her senpai, Ragna Lothbrok, just smiled wryly while continuing to supervise the Aurelius duo.
She too, can't understand the core of the training, because, most Valkyries and Knights she knew prefer real fights and Honkai Energy control to train their juniors.
But as an A-Rank Valkyrie, she knew that an S-Rank Knight wouldn't create a useless training regimen, therefore, she knew that the training definitely had a valuable result.
A certain meter away from the two, another figure was also observing the duo, dressed in a raven cloak.
It was Raven, impelled by Grey Serpent to watch the kid named, Lucian Aurelius.
Seeing the kid's unremarkable, except his 8/10 looks—8/10 because he is just a kid, and kids are of course a no go for her—totally crashed out her brain circuits.
She was cursing in her mind on how ill-fitting her current mission is.
How was she supposed to watch this uncharacteristic kid who only have his looks and uhh… good stamina?
This thing is illegal even for her work!
Though even if she was complaining, she remained to her professionalism. Because, if Grey Serpent had directly complied her to do a job, that should mean that it is serious business.
Therefore, aside from this good looking kid's outer appearance, he should have something hidden.
And she was gonna get on the bottom of it!
…Still, that didn't lessen her freight in her current mission, like… What will happen if she accidentally did something wrong? Would that gorilla man crush her skull in fit rage?
She still remember that tales about this particular S-Rank Knight.
Legend has it that, along with his two brothers(Best friends), they would crush anything on their paths. Even though they are from different factions, that didn't stop them from causing havoc.
One was a white haired man who brandished Knights, Honkai Beasts, Dead Soldiers alike with his flaming sword. What about the Valkyries you say? Well… Uhh… According to the scriptures… He gropes them…
The other one was a black haired man, carrying a one sided blade, a Katana, like an ancient swordsmaster. He was said to be very accomplished in swordsmanship that every Far Eastern Knights and Valkyries wanted to learn from them. Though, it was said that he liked building stuff more so…
The last one was… A gorilla. A red haired gorilla. Why? It was said that among the trio, this guy is the most unhinged of them all, cuz if the white haired guy was spamming flashes of searing fire, the black haired swordsmanship(not so much of a swordsman) was firing energy blasts and blades, the red haired guy just… Punches. Yeah punches. It was said that he literally wrestled against a Judgement-Class(?) Honkai Beast during his era.
True or not, either way, watching the red haired gorilla, specially when the said person glanced at them briefly before continuing instructing his son, sent chills down Raven's spine, gripping a familiar looking sniper on her arms.
...
(Hmmmmm…)