《The emotionless soldier's reincarnation》


 Chapter 1: The emotionless soldier

    CHAPTER 1


    I¡¯m a 40-year-old soldier, a man who¡¯s spent most of his life in service to his country, full-time on the battlefield, away from home.


    I have a wife and two kids¡ªa boy and a girl¡ªthough they feel more like strangers than family.


    Today, after months of fighting in a brutal civil war against rebels, I was given a week¡¯s rest. The bodies from both sides are piling up, but the death toll doesn¡¯t faze me anymore.


    I¡¯ve killed hundreds myself. They call me the ¡®Killing Machine¡¯ at camp, and they¡¯re not wrong. After all these years in the military, I¡¯ve taken countless lives, but I¡¯ve never felt a flicker of regret.It¡¯s as if emotions never found a home in me. Maybe it¡¯s because I grew up in an orphanage without parents, constantly fighting, never making friends. Even back then, I was feared.As a result the other kids stayed away, too afraid to get close.


    I never felt emotions the way most people do. Even on my wedding day, my expression was cold. It was an arranged marriage, a way for someone to get rid of me from the orphanage. I wasn¡¯t there for the birth of my kids¡ªand I didn¡¯t feel a thing.The only time I ever felt a flicker of emotion was when I read fantasy novels to my son. There was something about those stories¡ªworlds of magic and heroism¡ªthat stirred a part of me I thought was dead. Sometimes, I¡¯d even read them alone, when I had nothing else to do.


    As I walked through the streets, I paused when a news broadcast caught my attention on a row of TVs for sale. The date flashed across the screen as they wrapped up the report.


    "July 27, 2024."


    It had been three years since I last saw my family.


    After that brief pause, I grabbed a few random gifts¡ªa doll for my daughter, a toy sword for my son, and something resembling jewelry for my wife. I made my way back to the small government-issued apartment, the place we called home.Although it wasn''t very spacious it was enough for my family to live in since they were only 3.


    When I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the apartment was engulfed in darkness. The silence was thick, unsettling. Maybe they¡¯re asleep, I thought, though doubt lingered in the back of my mind. I checked our bedroom first¡ªempty.


    I moved to the kids¡¯ room, but it too was eerily vacant.


    They must have gone out, I assured myself, sitting down on the worn couch to wait. Minutes stretched into hours, but no one returned.


    After two hours of waiting, I couldn''t stand the stillness any longer. I grabbed my coat, ready to search the streets, when I ran into one of the neighbors.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back,¡± she said, her expression conflicted. ¡°You¡¯re the owner of this house, right?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I nodded slowly, feeling the chill of her words.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± she murmured before disappearing into her own apartment. When she returned, she was holding a letter, her hand trembling slightly as she passed it to me.


    ¡°Who gave you this?¡± I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡°Your wife,¡± she replied quietly. ¡°She left it with me... about a year ago. Told me to give it to you whenever you came back.¡±


    My hands felt stiff as I unfolded the letter. Her handwriting was familiar but cold, the words written with a finality that hit me harder than I expected.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore,¡± it read. ¡°You weren¡¯t here¡ªnever here for me or the kids. I¡¯ve left, and I¡¯m not coming back. We need a life without you.¡±


    I stared at the words, trying to summon some sort of feeling. Anything.


    I knew I should feel something¡ªgrief, regret, anger¡ªbut there was nothing. Just a hollow space where emotions should be.


    For the next six days, I wandered through my thoughts, searching for a reason to keep going. I became a soldier to provide for them, my family. It seemed like the right thing to do, like something I had to do. But now...


    Now, I realized I never needed the money. I could¡¯ve lived in poverty. That¡¯s how I spent most of my life anyway.


    The day after, I returned to camp like nothing had changed, though everything felt different. I went through the motions, but the question lingered¡ªwhat was my purpose now?Each day at camp passed in a blur. I found myself spacing out during drills, my movements slower, less precise. It was like my body was still functioning, but my mind was somewhere else¡ªlost.A week later, news reached us: the rebels were mobilizing again. We had two days to prepare before the attack came. Then just the next day we were attacked. Although it was a surprise attack, there was no panic, just the same routine of gearing up for battle. But this time, I felt the weight of it¡ªheavier than before. Then just the next day we were attacked


    I was stationed on the front-lines, the chaos of battle erupting around me¡ªgunfire cracked in the distance, the sharp smell of gunpowder filled the air. My rifle kicked against my shoulder as I fired at enemy soldiers, dropping ten of them almost without thinking.


    But even as I fought, my mind drifted. What¡¯s the point? I thought. What am I fighting for?


    My lapse in focus gave an enemy the opening they needed. I saw the muzzle flash too late. A bullet grazed my leg, and the sharp pain snapped me back to the present.


    I managed to dodge the worst of the shot, but my leg throbbed with pain, slowing me down. My aim faltered, my movements sluggish.


    Before I knew it, five enemies had surrounded me. I tried to fight back, but my body was too slow, my shots going wide. I was cornered.


    A sharp pain exploded in my back as a bullet tore through me, followed by the deafening barrage of gunfire. I fell to the ground, helpless.


    This is the end, I thought, a cold certainty sinking in.


    But then, something stirred deep inside me¡ªsomething I had never felt before. Fear. Not just fear, but the raw terror of dying. My body trembled, and for the first time, I didn¡¯t want to face death. I wanted to live.


    My vision blurred, and I could feel my body growing numb, but my mind clung to that one overwhelming sensation: fear.


    Everything faded into darkness. An endless black void swallowed me whole, and I drifted, weightless, without direction or purpose. Time lost all meaning.


    Then, far in the distance, I saw it¡ªa faint, glowing light. Desperate, I reached for it, pulled toward it by some unseen force.


    The next thing I knew, I could feel again. My eyes fluttered open, and I was no longer a soldier.


    A woman cradled me in her arms.


    CHAPTER END

 Chapter 2:New life

    CHAPTER 2


    A woman was looking down on me with a smile that gave me a strange, unfamiliar feeling I couldn¡¯t explain. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and she looked like she was in her 30''s.


    What¡¯s happening? Didn¡¯t I just die? Where am I¡ªand who is this woman? I tried to push myself up, suddenly aware I was lying down. But no matter how hard I tried, my body refused to respond.


    I tried to move my hand, but only my fingers twitched faintly. Am I paralyzed? No¡ªthis wasn¡¯t paralysis. I died... or did I? Could someone have saved me?


    The woman, still smiling, said something in a language I couldn¡¯t understand. Her gaze shifted to the left as if she was talking with someone, and I, with great effort, managed to turn my head in the same direction.


    Turning my head felt like the hardest thing I¡¯d ever done, but I managed it. A man was there, smiling at me. He had grey eyes and black hair. He, too, appeared to be in his thirties.


    What is going on? I had died, hadn¡¯t I? None of this made sense. The words they were saying were just noise to me, incomprehensible sounds. Worse still, I could barely control my body¡ªit felt like moving through thick mud. Despite it all, these two seemed happy, maybe even a couple given their similar age.


    As I pondered about this, I heard a loud creak. Forcing my head to turn again, I saw a small girl, perhaps four or five years old, entering the room.


    The girl spoke to the couple, who smiled warmly at her. The woman gently lifted the child onto her lap.


    Suddenly, everything around me became unbearably loud. I felt something warm sliding down my cheeks¡ªtears.


    Huh? I was crying, why?


    This was followed by a powerful headache-Then everything blacked out again.


    -------------------


    Weeks passed after this confusing scenario but I understood what was going on. I had been reincarnated. From what I remembered of the fantasy novels I''d read to my kids, reincarnation meant dying and being reborn into a new life, often in some fantasy world. It sounded absurd, but here I was, living it.


    Over the weeks, I learned more about the people who had first appeared before me. They were my family¡ªmy mother, Lora Ashford, my father, Gale Ashford, and my older sister, Elara. I had been named Kael Ashford and I had been showered with love these past weeks, especially by my mother and sister. Every time they smiled at me, I would feel an unexplainable warmth in my heart. Maybe this was what was called happiness?The foreign language they spoke began to make sense over time, as if my mind was gradually absorbing it. Though I couldn''t speak yet, I could understand much of what they said.


    My mother and sister rarely left my side, constantly doting on me, telling me how cute I was and how I''d grow up to be strong. My father, when he returned from work, was just as affectionate. My father, I soon learned, was a mage. A mage was someone who could use magic. Not the kind of magician you¡¯d see in a stage show back on Earth¡ªhe wielded real magic, controlling elements like water, fire, and even healing injuries. There were many kinds of magic, some unique to certain races and clans, but my father¡¯s magic was tied to nature and healing. He often used his magic to help the village farmers by watering their crops, but he also took on other jobs suited to a mage. Adventuring, he called it¡ªguilds would assign tasks like guarding important people or hunting dangerous creatures.Since adventuring sometimes required travel, my father preferred to stay close to home for our sake. He mostly hunted monsters and animals around the village¡ªthese creatures were the primary source of meat for villagers.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Happiness was the first real emotion I¡¯d felt in this new life. The only other time I¡¯d felt something so powerful was when I died. That moment had somehow unlocked a floodgate of emotions, but I needed more experiences to trigger them.


    Although it was weird that my parents were younger than me, I didn''t mind it. I actually was happy that I had parents who cared for me because I didn''t have that kind of care and love I had right now in my past life. Surprisingly, it was easy to accept this new life, and the love that came with it.


    My sister Elara had learned basic magic from dad and would sometimes show me the spells that she learned.


    For a person to conjure a spell they need two things, mana and the incantation. Although it was rare, some people didn''t have mana and unfortunately, I didn''t have mana. Those without mana, however, often developed abilities around the age of three to five that would be checked by a doctor with a defining ability. There were some unlucky souls who had neither, but I hoped I wouldn¡¯t be one of them.


    I was actually excited to practice magic but when I heard my father said that he couldn''t feel mana in me and I wouldn''t be able to use magic, I was a little sad but I was also happy because I could experience these two emotions after all I had made a goal to experience emotions to the fullest but that may be a bad idea. But I was still excited for what kind of ability I would get.


    ------------------


    Half a year had passed, and yesterday I finally managed to crawl for the first time. The frustration of not being able to move my body as I wanted was unbearable at times. I¡¯d spent months trapped, my limbs sluggish and uncooperative. But now, at least, I had a little control over my body, though not enough to be fully free. I still couldn¡¯t control my basic bodily functions, which was another strange frustration. Imagine being a grown mind in a body that can¡¯t even handle something as simple as bladder control.


    Today is Elara¡¯s birthday, and my mother was planning a small birthday party for her, and now she was going out to the shop to get the last few things. I had never left the house before, so she decided to take me with her, putting me on her back and securing me with a scarf. The thought of getting outside thrilled me¡ªI¡¯d finally get to see more of this new world.


    We lived in a village called Rivenwood. From what I had overheard, it was a small, peaceful place tucked away near a quiet river. As soon as we stepped outside, I was struck by the clean, fresh air. The scent of the air felt so much more alive than the polluted air of the world I had left behind. The houses were simple, made of wood and stone, giving the village a rustic, timeless feel. It reminded me of the countryside villages from my old world, where people lived freely unburdened by the hustle of city life.


    As my mother carried me through the village, I took in everything around me. Children played games and merchants called out, trying to sell their goods to passing villagers. Farmers were hard at work in their fields, their hands stained with soil as they tended to their crops. It was simple and I could sense the peaceful life style here.


    My father was among the villagers, performing one of his spells. He stood near the crops, his hands raised as a soft rain fell in a specific area, watering the plants. It wasn¡¯t a downpour, just a light drizzle, controlled perfectly by his magic. As soon as he saw us, his face lit up with a smile, and he waved enthusiastically. I still found it fascinating how seamlessly people here used magic for everyday tasks. Back on Earth, magic was just a fantasy¡ªa trick. But here, it was part of life, and my father wielded it with ease. Other villagers waved at us too, calling out friendly greetings to my mother.


    Eventually, we reached the marketplace. My mother began picking out items for the party¡ªfruits, vegetables, bread, and even some sweets for Elara¡¯s birthday. I watched as she interacted with the vendors, always with a warm smile on her face. Everyone seemed to adore her, and it wasn¡¯t hard to see why. Her presence brought light and warmth wherever she went. It was in these moments that I truly understood how emotions had the power to connect people. The way my mother¡¯s smile brightened the faces of those around her showed me just how much joy a simple gesture could bring.


    As I observed the marketplace, something else caught my attention. Groups of people walked by, carrying weapons on their backs as if it was normal. They looked rugged, confident, and ready for battle. I guessed they were adventurers, the same as my father but they were different, they surely weren''t mages. Something about the lifestyle of adventurers intrigued me, and for the first time, I felt a spark of ambition. I wanted to be like them and the idea of becoming an adventurer took root in my mind.


    As my mother continued shopping, I noticed something else. The monetary exchange of this world. I thought people would trade object but villagers used three types: copper, silver, and gold. Gold was the most valuable, and from what I gathered, just one gold coin could sustain a family like ours for weeks. The system''s of this world wasn''t that complex but it was fun learning them.


    With the shopping finished, my mother and I began the journey back home. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited for the future. I had a loving family, a safe home, and an entire world to discover. It was a strange feeling¡ªcontentment. But it was also something I wanted to hold on to. For the first time in either of my lives, I felt like I belonged.


    That evening, we celebrated Elara¡¯s birthday. The house was filled with laughter, the rich scent of delicious food, and the warmth of family. I watched as Elara opened her presents, her eyes wide with excitement. My father even performed a small magic show for us, he made different small earth statues and with some fire and water magic performed a small magic trick. It left everyone in awe, even me, though I was beginning to understand how magic worked.


    As the night came to a close, I lay in my crib, staring at the ceiling. This new life, this new world¡ªit was a gift. I didn¡¯t know what the future held, but I was determined to embrace every part of it. From learning about my family and magic to understanding emotions and connections, I felt like I was starting over in the best possible way. And I was ready for whatever came next.


    CHAPTER END

 Chapter 3: Ability

    CHAPTER 3


    Three years passed in a flash with small but meaningful things happening. The first time I truly felt a sense of belonging was on my first birthday¡ªa simple celebration, but it filled me with warmth. It showed me that this family had accepted me and it gave me a big sense of belonging.


    Learning to read and write in this world¡¯s language was another milestone. At first, the symbols and grammar felt foreign, but with time¡ªand a little help from my parents¡ªI began to grasp it. Every new word felt like a small victory, a step closer to fully understanding this new life.


    Now, at three years old, I found myself eagerly counting the days until my ability appeared. Every child awakened their ability between the ages of three and five, and the waiting was excruciating. It wasn''t exactly known when an ability would appear but when it was near there would be some symptoms that would appear and recently, I had begun feeling the telltale symptoms¡ªwaves of fatigue, a lingering heat in my body, and bouts of nausea. It was a strange, uncomfortable sensation. It felt like the worst kind of cold and stomach bug rolled into one, but I knew it meant my ability was on its way.


    In my free time, I had taken to reading the old books scattered around the house, hungry for knowledge about this world. The more I read, the more fascinating¡ªand dangerous¡ªthis world seemed. One particular history caught my attention...


    This world was once unified. It was a place that every race used to live in together but, approximately 2000 years ago a fight happened between the 10 strongest fighter in the world, they were called ¡®THE 10 JADES¡®. They had divided into two groups of five each and the it is said that the battle was even until, one of the jades became neutral. No one knows why they fought, but the battle was so fierce that it split the world into six continents...


    The world was now split into six vast continents. The Human Continent, with its sprawling cities and kingdoms- located south, was a place of constant political maneuvering. The Elves inhabited their own lush forests on the Elf Continent which was to the east, while the Dwarves crafted their homes deep within the mountain ranges of the Dwarf Continent which was above the Elf continent. The Demon Continent, wild and untamed, was ruled by scattered demon clans and it was located to the west. Above them all was the Sky Continent, home to the dragon folk who soared through the clouds. And at the center of it all was the Central Continent, a neutral ground where all races could gather.


    The Sky Continent floated above the others, home to true dragons and humanoid dragons which were called dragon folk, winged beings that ruled the skies.


    The Central Continent, situated at the heart of the world, was a neutral territory where no single race held dominance. It was the crossroads of trade, diplomacy, and adventure, where anyone could enter without needing permission¡ªmaking it a melting pot of cultures and intrigue.


    While it was possible to visit other continents with special permission, most chose not to, fearing the prejudice they might face. They also preferred to live on their own continents for the same reason. Humans, elves, and dwarves shared enough similarities to avoid much of this, but the Central Continent remained the preferred meeting ground for all. As for me, the thought of seeing every continent stirred something deep inside me. The urge to explore, to uncover the secrets of this vast world, was overwhelming. Perhaps it was a passion carried over from my previous life¡ªa desire for adventure that I couldn¡¯t ignore.


    Each continent, except the Central Continent, was governed by its own rulers. On the Human, Elf, and Dwarf continents, kings and queens maintained order through established monarchies. The Demon Continent, however, was ruled by scattered demon kings¡ªpowerful, but few in number. In contrast, the Sky Continent had no permanent ruler. There, the strongest warrior claimed leadership, but power shifted often, as new challengers constantly rose to the throne.


    And that was the gist of it.


    After days of feeling drained and feverish, the symptoms finally subsided, and with them, the hope that my ability had awakened. My parents noticed the change too and wasted no time¡ªthey took me to a local doctor, one said to have the power to recognize abilities. The doctor we visited was no ordinary physician. He was an elf with a unique ability of his own¡ª¡®Recognition.¡¯ A former adventurer, he''d traveled through the Central Continent and seen countless abilities during his journeys, lending him a wealth of experience. My parents seemed to be good friends with this doctor. Maybe he was also the one who delivered me?The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Sitting in the doctor¡¯s office, my parents and I waited in tense silence. The doctor examined me carefully, his eyes narrowing in concentration. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke. "I¡¯ve identified Kael''s ability," he said, his tone thoughtful, "but before I explain, I need a quick test to confirm my findings first."


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± asked my father with a little worried but he relaxed fast. Probably a sign they were good friends.


    "It¡¯s nothing serious, just a quick test," the doctor reassured us. "I promise, there¡¯s nothing wrong with Kael." He led us outside to a small field nearby, where he used some earth magic to set up a stand of some kind and placed an apple on top. Handing me a rock, he said, "Now, Kael, aim for the apple and throw this with all your strength."


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the test was for, but I nodded, ready to find out. As I aimed at the apple, something strange happened. A glowing circular mark appeared on the fruit, like a target, its center perfectly aligned. Instinctively, I knew that¡¯s where I needed to throw the rock. The target wasn''t that far and I was sure I could hit it if I threw the rock with only little force. Drawing on memories of my past life, where I¡¯d honed my aim countless times, I steadied my hand. With a deep breath, I threw the rock with all my strength to the target, trusting my instincts.


    The rock shot through the air with a speed I expected, striking the apple dead center. It split cleanly into two perfect halves, the force of the impact sending pieces flying. My parents gasped in astonishment, while I stood frozen in awe of what I¡¯d just done. The doctor, however, only smiled, as though he¡¯d seen this outcome before.


    "Impressive, Kael. It seems you¡¯ve got an ability called ¡®Precision Sight.¡¯ Apologies for the sudden test, but I couldn¡¯t resist¡ªI''ve never come across an ability with a name like that in all my travels."


    He explained that his ability couldn¡¯t fully identify what ''Precision Sight'' could do¡ªjust the name. That¡¯s why he had to test it. His ability only identifies things that are already known in this world. He gave an example: if he came across a plant, his ability might only reveal its name, not whether it was poisonous. That usually meant the plant hadn¡¯t been discovered yet by the world. The same happened with my ability¡ªit gave him the name but no details, so he needed to test it out. He explained that if he had even a small clue about an ability, his power would fill most of the details automatically.


    "That¡¯s why I needed the test. Now, let''s move on to what I¡¯ve discovered so far. Now, as I mentioned, your ability, ''Precision Sight,'' is something entirely new to the world. I¡¯ve managed to uncover a few things about this ability, but it¡¯s not much. This is the first time I¡¯ve come across such limited information, so I¡¯ll tell you what I know. You¡¯ll have to discover the rest on your own.


    "One clear use of this ability is in combat. It would be particularly effective for an archer, though even as a swordsman, Kael could pinpoint his enemies'' weak spots with precision. It also has potential applications beyond combat. It can be useful in any situation where accuracy and focus are needed. With training, Kael could develop this ability even further, perhaps to see things at great distances or even detect minute details others might miss." He spoke to my parents, assuming I wouldn¡¯t grasp the details. But I understood every word, and my mind was already racing with ideas about how to use this ability. It opened up so many possibilities. I didn¡¯t want to be an archer¡ªsupport roles weren¡¯t my thing in my previous life. I was always a frontline fighter, so naturally, I leaned toward becoming a swordsman. Still, learning archery could be useful too.


    My father took a moment to absorb everything before nodding. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure he gets the best training possible. Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    What did he mean by that? We couldn¡¯t afford ¡°the best¡± training. We weren¡¯t poor, but hiring a tutor would cost at least five silver coins a month. If we only had ten or so gold coins¡ªthat¡¯s about a hundred silver¡ªthen training for two years would wipe out our savings. Oh, right. I forgot they could probably earn that money back in a year or two. Maybe the lessons Ela gave me on math were paying off after all. Well, I¡¯d leave that to my parents.


    ------


    Back at home, the atmosphere was celebratory. My sister, Ela, was particularly excited about my ability after my parents briefed her about it. "Wow, Kael! You¡¯re going to be amazing! You¡¯ll be able to hit anything perfectly! Maybe you¡¯ll become a famous adventurer¡ªor even a knight!"


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her excitement. The idea of becoming an adventurer did sound appealing¡ªit had always been my dream in this life. But that would have to wait at least 10 or 15 years. For now, I wanted to understand my ability better¡ªand maybe get a deeper sense of myself along the way.


    Over the next few days, my father started teaching me more about the world and its history (even though I already knew most of it). Meanwhile, my mother left saying she would find me a teacher. It¡¯s been three days since she went.


    He also shared stories from his time as an adventurer, telling me that if I ever followed the same path, I should come to him for advice whenever I needed it.


    That evening, a carriage pulled up to our house. I was outside, practicing my aim by throwing rocks at birds (an old habit). I had hit three in a row with the help of my new found ability when I noticed the carriage.


    It''s door opened, out of it came my mother with one other person. I couldn''t make out if it was a man or a woman because they were wearing some kind of armor but it seemed the person was a knight who ever it was. I thought that this was probably who will be my teacher since that was why my mother had set out.


    "Hey, Kael! Mommy¡¯s back with your new teacher," she said, lifting me up in her arms. Right, I¡¯m still just a kid, aren¡¯t I? As she held me, she said, "Say hello to your new teacher¡ªmy sister, Bett Lucidea.She¡¯s a knight from the kingdom nearby and an excellent swordsman." As my mother spoke, the knight¡ªmy aunt¡ªremoved her helmet and gloves, smiling warmly at me. That gave me the same feeling I felt when my mother and Ela smiled at me.


    "Hello, Kael. I¡¯m your aunt Bett, and I¡¯ll be your new teacher," she said, her smile never wavering. She looked like she was in her twenties and resembled my mother closely , with the same hair and eye color, but she was a bit taller and had a stronger build.


    I responded the way I thought a normal kid would. ¡°Hello, Auntie. I¡¯m Kael Ashford.¡± As I said it, a strange feeling ran down my spine. I didn¡¯t realize until later that it was embarrassment.


    That night, my mother told my father she had brought Bett to be my tutor. He accepted it happily, as did my sister. And just like that, Aunt Bett became my teacher.


    CHAPTER END

 Chapter 4: Master and training

    CHAPTER 4


    BETT¡¯S POV


    ********************


    My name is Bett Lucidea, and I serve as a knight in the kingdom of Instasia. It¡¯s a small, obscure kingdom you likely wouldn¡¯t even find on a map.


    I was doing my duties as usual when my sister suddenly showed up.


    "Hey Bett" she said


    "Umm, hey? What are you doing here" I asked in confusion


    My sister smiled and said, "Well, Kael needs a teacher and I thought-who be better than you"


    "Kael?"


    "Oh, right," she added with a hint of sarcasm. "You only visited for a day and barely saw him sleeping, so of course you wouldn¡¯t know." Her tone suggested I should have stayed longer. She was clearly referring to her child¡¯s birth, which was nearly three years ago. "Well, Kael is my son," she continued, "and I need you to train him. Swordsmanship, archery¡ªwhatever works.


    "Wait, hold on¡ªyou just show up and expect me to leave with you? I need to get permission first."


    "Come on, you were a captain once here, weren''t you? I''m sure they would give you permission if you ask for it"


    She had a point. I may have resigned as captain, and despite my young age I¡¯m still one of the most respected knights in the kingdom, and getting permission wouldn¡¯t be hard.


    "Fine, but how long would I be training him?"


    "About four or five years, give or take," she answered casually.


    Sheesh, if I take this job, the pay will probably be low, but at least I¡¯d get to stay at their place, which is pretty nice.


    Well, because there wasn¡¯t any wars and things I needed to do, I accepted. Plus, I also wanted to see my nephew.


    Two days later¡ªone spent getting permission and preparing, and the other traveling¡ªwe arrived in Rivenwood, which thankfully wasn¡¯t far from the kingdom. As we approached my sister¡¯s house, I spotted a young boy tossing rocks in the yard. It had to be Kael. She had already told me about his ability¡ªPrecision Sight, a rare ability that let him pinpoint weak spots with remarkable accuracy. It was intriguing, to say the least, so I assumed he was honing his skills.


    Kael Ashford was a cute little kid, with his father¡¯s dark hair and his mother¡¯s bright blue eyes. That evening, I met the rest of the family, and we agreed to begin his combat training the next day. Ela wanted to join the training as well, though I thought she should focus more on learning magic from her father. Still, her curiosity about how people use magic in combat made me reconsider.


    The next morning, I prepared three wooden swords¡ªone for Kael, one for Ela, and one for myself. Kael¡¯s sword was short, suitable for his small frame, as he was only four years old.


    I planned to teach them the basics of swordsmanship for the first week. After that, I would train them separately. I would teach Kael some basics of combat and change to actual combat when he becomes five years old while I would teach Ela how to fight with magic and a sword. Although Kael was very little to learn actual combat, learning and developing an ability will help the person to be able to master it and use it to its full potential, or so the doctor said.


    The first week flew by. We trained for three hours each day, and I was genuinely impressed with Kael''s progress. For a 4 year old he was a genius. Although his sister got hang of the basics before him, it was only a difference of some hours.


    By the fifth day, they had grasped the basics, so I gave them the rest of the week off to prepare for the next stage of training.


    -----------


    Today was the start of the second week of training day. My sister had taken Ela to the shop so I was gonna train Kael alone. First I though we should start by testing how his ability would work and how to utilize it. With Gale watching us, I asked him to craft a simple training dummy using earth magic. Then, we tested how many hits it would take for Kael to crack it. At my signal he started attacking the dummy. He was only attacking one place and after five hits the dummy cracked. Although Kael had already achieved the goal, I instructed him to keep attacking the dummy until it completely broke apart. He struck the same spot again, and after two hits, the dummy split cleanly in half.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    After that we sat down to discuss what happened and maybe understand more about his ability to help us for the training in the coming days.


    ¡°So, Kael, tell me what you saw and why you attacked that one spot only¡± I asked


    ¡°Well, when I thought about attacking the dummy, I saw three spots that I thought I should attack. Two of them were glowing yellow while the other one was glowing red. I thought I should attack the red one because it was different than the other two. I did and it broke¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s why he attacked that one spot, I thought.


    With the information he gave me I thought of something. The three spots he saw were probably the weak points of the dummy. They glowed differently according to what an attack would do to them. We tried this with two other dummies and another color emerged: Green. With this, we deduced the meaning of each color.


    Red- The most critical point.


    Yellow¡ªalso critical, but would likely require twice as many hits as the red spots to cause the same damage.


    Green- Better than attacking blindly


    I told Kael about it and it seemed that he understood. With this new understanding, I concluded the day¡¯s training, feeling satisfied with our progress. Later, Ela and Lora returned, and the day ended uneventfully.


    KAEL¡¯S POV


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    It has been quite sometime since my aunt became my teacher. It''s been a full year of training, and my progress is finally showing. I had become able to use my ability in a flexible manner. I often have slight duels with my aunt and father, as she believed real combat experience would help me grow.


    I was also nearing the age of 5 which seemed to be a big deal in this world and so was the age of 10 and 15. Elara, too, was nearing her milestone age of ten. Today was my rest day, and my father asked me to join him at the farm. I wasn¡¯t sure why he wanted me to come along, but I followed him anyway.


    The farm was close to our house so we arrived rather quickly. When we arrived, we saw a group of people gathered around one part of the field. My father entered the small crowd, and I followed close behind. They seemed to be discussing something and my father interrupted by saying, ¡°Did it happen again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is the eighth time this happened this week only¡± one of the farmers said.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going so I looked at the ground where everybody was looking at hoping to get some cluesOn the ground, I saw crops that looked as if something had sucked the life out of them. That gave me an idea why my father had brought me here. When I got my ability for the first time, the doctor had said that I could see details that others could miss so, maybe that was why my father had brought me here.


    ¡°Kael..¡± said my father and stopped, Yeah my guess was probably right.


    ¡°Sorry, but can you wait outside? I thought we¡¯d spend some time together, but it seems I need to deal with this first.¡±


    Huh? Didn¡¯t he bring me here to ask me to help him. Well guess I wasn¡¯t correct.


    Hmm?¡­.What the¡­ I was smiling, although it was faint I was smiling.


    It was the first time I felt he genuinely cared for me, not just using me for my abilities.


    But still¡­ I should help him, right?


    ¡°But dad, I can help.¡± I said. My father turned around with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Remember what the doctor said, I can see details that others could miss¡± I pressed, hoping to persuade him.


    My father put his hand on his chin and started thinking as if trying to remember. ¡°Hmm..Okay, but don¡¯t stress yourself okay¡± he said, kneeling to meet my gaze with worry etched on his features.


    Let¡¯s do this right the first time so we can have our bonding time, I thought, determination fueling me.


    I turned my attention to the plant, studying it closely, searching for any signs of what could have caused this. I examined the surrounding area for a while, and then something caught my eye near the plant. A weed. I pointed it out, and my father knelt to pull it from the earth.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?" he exclaimed with a surprised face "I have never seen a weed like this before!¡±


    It was a large weed, its roots tinged with a deep purple hue, unusual and striking, much like everything else in this world.


    ¡°It has mana flowing through it, seems like it is absorbing the mana and minerals from the soil, and it seems to be in an absurd rate seeing how much its grown¡± said my father in a worried voice.


    Hmmm?¡­. It seems like the soil in this world doesn¡¯t have only minerals but also some mana inside of it. That explains why the fruits and vegetables looked a bit different. It struck me how little I truly knew about this world.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, go and pull out every weed you find. We need to solve this problem, and fast. Don¡¯t let any slip by!¡± ordered my father and the farmers scattered.


    He turned around to me and said, ¡°Well thanks Kael, I¡¯m gonna help the farmers and we will have some time together later.¡± saying that he turned back around and went into the farm. I settled onto a nearby rock, watching him work amidst the sun-warmed fields, feeling a mix of pride and longing. I used to do some farm work to get cash as a soldier so it was oddly refreshing and familiar to see people do farm work. I actually wanted to join in but my body won''t probably be strong enough to pull out a lot of weeds.


    Overall, it had been a good day. I felt my father''s care for me and discovered one of my abilities¡¯ unique attributes¡ªthough part of me wondered if someone else would have found the weed eventually.


    CHAPTER END