Edwin sauntered into the ring with confidence. Unlike Lucien, Edwin could pose a real challenge. It’s been a few months since he turned 12. So, now he could sense and accumulate mana into his core.

Perhaps, he has also learned a few mana skills. Alaric smirked. Let’s see whether you are a match for Rowan.

Since Alaric still couldn’t wield mana, he was naturally at a disadvantage. At least, that is how it appeared to the onlookers.

However, infusing the bones, muscles, and organs of his body with the subtle energy generated by his root chakra for the past year and a half had made them far stronger than a typical 9-year-old.

He could channel the accumulated subtle energy in his root chakra to give Edwin a surprise. However, that would be cheating. And, there were too many eyes on the match.

He resolved not to use it even if it risked his defeat. We’ll see.

As both of them assumed their positions in the center of the ring, the crowd erupted in cheers for their favorites. It seemed even Captain Farrow had arrived to witness the fight.

Oddly, Alaric noticed Captain Farrow and Instructor Gauvain glaring at each other coldly before exchanging forced smiles.

A moment later, Captain Farrow turned his gaze to Alaric, sending chills down his spine. As if he was saying, “You better not lose, kid.”

Oh boy…they are both here to measure who is the better teacher and who has the superior student. If I lose, Captain Farrow will skin me alive.

“What’s with that expression…Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you, bastard,” Edwin sneered. So, he caught the concerned look on my face and thought I was afraid of sparring with him. Alaric chuckled inwardly.

“That’s a good excuse in case you lose, big brother.” Alaric simply laughed. Edwin’s face morphed into a ripe tomato. “I’m not your brother…and I won’t lose to you.” He practically spat the last words.

“Commence fight!” the referee barked.

Edwin instantly burst into motion, clearly using some type of movement skill fuelled by mana. It was enough to catch any 9-year-old off guard, except for Alaric. He was accustomed to sparring with Rowan, who was older and sharper than Edwin.

Alaric sidestepped the strike and countered. Their wooden swords collided, and Alaric felt the impact reverberate through his elbows.

He’s stronger than Rowan when he’s not serious…but slower.

Edwin unleashed a flurry of strikes, one after another, but none even brushed against Alaric’s clothes. After some time, Alaric noticed Edwin sweating and gasping for air.

He’s pouring too much mana into each strike. Does he want to hurt me that badly?

“Finally showed your true form, bastard,” Edwin growled between ragged breaths. “Stop cheating and running — fight me like a man!” he shouted.

Alaric simply shrugged. “You’re just…slow.”

Edwin charged again, but Alaric effortlessly evaded his attacks with impeccable footwork.

Suddenly, Edwin changed his stance, and the rhythm of the fight shifted. Now, he mixed feints with actual strikes. Of course, it was still nothing spectacular.

When that didn’t work, Edwin used some type of skill that flushed his face with a pinkish hue. Aah...a physical-enhancement skill? His speed surged, and his strength multiplied.

Now, we’re talking. The physical boosting skill resembled what Fenrir and Theon employed but was far less refined.

However, it did improve the challenge. Alaric could no longer rely solely on footwork to dodge. He had to parry or block each strike. Every blow carried enough force to numb Alaric’s hands.

However, it still wasn’t enough to overwhelm him. How could it be? He had endured similar sparring sessions with Rowan for months.

Frankly, Alaric was simply waiting to check just how strong Edwin was compared to Rowan. To say he felt a little disappointed in his half-brother would have been an understatement.

Rowan was miles ahead of Edwin due to his superior footwork, speed, and technique.

Alaric decided to end the match. He lowered his guard and pretended to be open. Edwin, as anticipated, seized the bait and lunged forward, landing a strike on Alaric.

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Alaric swallowed the pain but prepared for what was to come next. As Edwin pressed into his guard to strike the same spot again, his overconfidence cost him.

Alaric swept Edwin’s foot out from under him and hammered his wrist, elbows, and temple in quick succession. For the first time, he revealed his true striking speed. Edwin crashed to the floor, unable to support his weight, and screamed in pain as Alaric’s final strike connected.

“Stop…” The referee barked, “Alaric is disqualified. Edwin wins.”

For a moment, nobody made a sound. Then, Lucien and Edwin’s friends erupted into cheers. Alaric simply smirked and began walking out of the ring.

When he spotted Rowan and Captain Farrow, they both wore smug expressions. Instructor Gauvain, on the other hand, glared at him with a deep scowl.

“Stop, you scum. Striking below the hip with your foot is illegal. You cheated,” Edwin shouted, his voice trembling with both rage and pain.

Alaric pivoted to face him. “Of course, I did. I’m a bastard, remember…” He shrugged nonchalantly, “And, for that, I lost the match.” He smiled. Officially, that is.

It was painfully clear to all the adults that in a real life-or-death encounter, Edwin would have already been dead. But Alaric didn’t care about official victories. This whole duel had been a farce from the start.

***

Alaric and Rowan were currently in the dining hall, sharing dinner. They had begun eating their meals together a few months ago, and nobody really objected. Almost everyone knew they were friends.

And if the lord of the estate didn’t prohibit their camaraderie, no one else had the right to interfere — except Captain Farrow.

Fortunately, the guard captain approved of their friendship and lately, he had started acting like a father figure to Alaric. Except during training. Then, he transformed into an unyielding taskmaster.

“You were taking it so easy on your big brother…” Rowan said between bites of roasted chicken. “I spotted so many openings, but you just kept defending.”

Alaric finished his chicken stew and let out a satisfied burp. “I wanted to assess what the instructor taught him…” He locked eyes with Rowan and smirked, “And how he measured up to my arch-rival.” Alaric winked.

“Oh, is that all?” When Alaric didn’t elaborate, Rowan jabbed his arm with an elbow. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging…spill it. What’s your verdict?”

Alaric pretended to think a little by cupping his hands on his chin. “Hmm, Edwin is much better than Lucien…but his training lacks depth.” Alaric clicked his tongue. “Not fit for real-world combat.”

“And? That’s all?” Rowan feigned anger.

“Well, I suppose you are a little better than him,” Alaric teased and shoved a slice of apple into his mouth.

“Just a little?”

“A teeny-tiny bit.” Alaric pinched the air between his thumb and index finger to mock Rowan. But his friend wasn’t having it. Rowan retaliated with a mana-infused punch to Alaric’s elbow.

“Ouch, what was that for?”

“Don’t pretend like that hurt you.” Rowan positioned himself to smack him again.

Alaric quickly raised his arms and grinned, “Okay, okay... You are a lot better than Edwin.” That seemed to light up Rowan’s face. He dipped another chicken leg in some sauce and tore into it.

For a while, Rowan and Alaric chatted about a few other things. However, when they finished their dinner, Rowan finally asked Alaric what he planned to do next.

“So, are you finally coming to the knight’s training ground tomorrow?” Rowan’s expression wavered with doubt, but excitement gleamed in his eyes at the thought of his friend joining the training with the other squires.

After turning 12, Rowan had been spending most of his time training with the squires. He only ever saw Alaric during their evening sparring sessions and shared meals.

Unfortunately, entry into the knight’s training grounds was restricted until one turned 12 and unlocked access to mana. Since Alaric was still 9, he had been barred from training there.

“Yes. Father has given me permission to train with the squires,” Alaric said playfully. Rowan pumped his fist and exhaled the breath he’d been holding.

“Now that you’ve demonstrated your strength against Edwin, there’s no reason to hold you back,” Rowan let out. Alaric was also looking forward to sparring with the squires.

“Are there any strong opponents?”

“Well, most of the squires are older than us, so they’re naturally stronger, but...” Rowan’s expression darkened slightly. “The Knight Commander’s squire is especially strong.”

“Well, look at that...” Alaric nudged Rowan. “It seems my friend has another rival.” Rowan was not amused but let out a laugh.

“No, he’s more like an arrogant prick,” Rowan muttered. “Well, less arrogant than you. Nobody can beat you in that regard.”

This time, Alaric playfully smacked Rowan’s side.

***

Alaric opened his eyes, shifting his focus from his steady breath to the world around him. He had completed his nightly meditation but still needed to take stock of things. Tomorrow, he would step into the knight’s training ground.

The count had granted him permission.

Frankly, he was more excited about training alongside Rowan again. He’d had minimal interaction with the knights of the estate. Unlike the guards, who mingled freely, the knights were minor nobles who clung tightly to their dignity.

He could already picture the disapproving frowns and snide remarks he would face when he entered the training grounds.

He opened his training journal and recorded today’s progress:

Weighted push-ups (10 kg ) - 50

Weighted Squats (30 kg) - 100

Weighted Pull-ups (5kg) - 20

Weighted Plank time - 5 min

400-meter timed lap - 1:15 min

Running -12 laps

Weighted Rope climbing (5kg) - Can climb easily.

Alaric grew bored of performing the same exercises again and again, especially since he could perform them effortlessly. So, he decided to up the challenge by utilizing weighted objects such as sandbags and sacks of grain.

It was a far more effective method for building strength. Of course, he’d need to wait till he hit puberty to gain a bunch of muscles.

However, strength training at such a young age would allow him to sharpen his nervous system responses and enhance the flexibility of his tendons and ligaments. With his body continually strengthened by root chakra, the risk of injuries like pulled muscles or overstrained bones was now minimal.

Alaric shut his training journal and lay down to sleep. He needed to rest to prepare for what was to happen tomorrow.