As I saw the black abyss fill with light. I never contracted with any of the gods of my world, so I was curious what my afterlife would look like, but as the light cleared up, I realized I wasn't dead. But before I could take in my surroundings, I was hit with a headache; it wasn't a typical headache either it was like a part of my memories were being closed away behind two unmovable doors and closed away. I could still remember my life, my experiences, my sword techniques, and many other things, but there were gaps in my memories.
For example, when I thought about my three siblings, I couldn't remember how they died. I couldn't remember the faces of people who appeared multiple times in my memories. I couldn't remember what seemed to be important people in my life, but I remembered most things about regular people and the most important people. It was just vital details I could remember. There were so many gaps in my memories.
I fell onto my knees, holding my head from the tremendous amount of pain, just attempting to remember some events caused.
"Young master Leo! Are you alright?"
As my headache calms down, I think to myself that voice it sounds familiar.
"Victor?" I respond.
"Yes, young master, I'm here; just relax."
At this point, my headache had subsided. The main reason I was still on my knees looking at the floor was because of my shock.
This was impossible I hadn't seen Victor since I left the main household after being branded the failed swordsman. I quickly stand up as the worried Victor is talking to me. But I ignored him. Whats is going on right now is more important than whatever victor has to say, so I proceed to analyze my surroundings, and if the memories I have left serve me right, I was undoubtedly in the main household.
I then looked at victor and realized that he looked almost as young as when I left the main household.
"Victor?"
"Yes, master?"
"What's today's complete date I've seem to have forgotten?"
"What? Young master, did you hit your head? The new years just recently passed, so I would understand if you were confused with the years but to have forgotten the whole date?"
"Victor, tell me the date." At this point, my patience was wearing thin considering the strange events that seemed to have been unfolding.
"Of course, master, I apologize. Today is January 6th, year 47, on the Margreta calendar."
Thats impossible if this were the 47th year, that would mean I was currently only ten years old. Does this mean I've somehow been sent back in time?
After a couple of minutes of thinking and Victor looking at me anxiously, I decided to test a couple of things.
"Victor, I'm not feeling well. I plan on taking a nap for the rest of the day. Please don't disturb me unless the matter is urgent. Understood?"
"I understand. Please call for me if you don't feel well."
After Victor finishes speaking, I rush to my room. I think to myself if I really have come back in time with my knowledge of swordsmanship and, more than technically, my aura... It should still be as powerful as it is supposed to be in the future. So I meditate on my knowledge and understanding of the sword; as I do, I realize I've retained my knowledge and understanding of the sword. While my body might not be strong enough to withstand the power of my aura and the vastness of my knowledge, this doesn't change the fact I've just been granted an enormous gift. Not only that, but I remember the thousands of types of swordsmanship I had learned in my past life. If I had to rank myself, I could easily already be considered in the realm of a 2 to 3-star warrior without my aura, which is truly impressive.
In this world, the star system didn't really perfectly estimate your strength. In other words, a 7-star warrior could decimate a 9-star warrior. It would be easier to explain the ranking system like this; a 9-star warrior may have lots of destructive power, but a 7-star warrior may have great technique. Even though their attacks arent as powerful, it isn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities for a 7-star warrior to destroy a 9-star warrior; some people dont seem to realize this, though. I like to think about it like sports. While numbers can show a lot about a particular contestant in a competition, they dont say everything; some competitors have intangibles that can't be quantified.
This is one reason I've always disliked the ranking system used by most countries, although they do come in handy. But at the same reason, all of this information was the reason that I was excited about my new discoveries. At this point, my older brother Aldrin should be 20 years old. He would be ranked as a 3-star warrior, my second brother Mars would be two years older than me and should barely be ranked as a 1-star warrior, my sisters Rosaline and Rose would be 14. Both should be able to be a weak abomination meaning they would both also probably be 2-star warriors, at the very least, maybe mid-2-star warriors.
This meant I was already about as strong as Aldrin, and with my knowledge and technique, I was probably way stronger even though we should be in the same ranking.
I laughed, realizing all this. Maybe it really is possible for me to become the world's greatest swordsman. My parents and siblings should find out about my incompetence in magic till I start learning the mobeal families' swordsmanship.
My parents... At this point, my dad was one of the strongest men in the world; very few people ranked past the third star existed, but my father, Aldrich Mobeal, the swordsman who could conjure miracles they called him, was a 7-star warrior and the pride of our family. For a good reason, I suppose, considering that I couldn't surpass him in my past life, I think to myself, slightly angered.
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But thats okay because in this life, I will surpass him.
But before that happens, there are some things I need to do. I need to acclimate myself within this younger, weaker body. I also need to reinforce it so it can handle aura and so that I can begin to practice using that aura fusion technique I've been mastering and used to fight Aldrin.
I get in the position to meditate, and I start to release aura into all parts of my body equally, and then I start to spread aura equally in all parts of my body. Balance is one of the essential things in swordsmanship, both in terms of handling a sword and aura, so I had to balance out the distribution of my aura, so this body isn't torn apart by a large concentration of such a powerful aura. Once I finished, it felt as if my body was burning up, but at the same time, my body felt relaxed, and I felt like I was able to move more freely.
Why I still wouldn't be able to use a lot of aura in this body, I would still be able to use some without putting myself at risk. I grinned, knowing that when I finished adapting to this body, I would be close to a 3-star warrior.
Next, I covered my body in a thin layer of aura, and I inspected myself. I was able to do it with ease, so that means that the strength of my body does not affect the use of my aura. I then collected my aura back into my body.
Once I finish messing with the capabilities of my aura, I call for Victor to arrange a wooden sword in the training room for me. Although I ask to be left alone, Victor insists on supervising me, I guess, because of the event that occurred earlier today.
While in the training room, I grab a wooden sword and face one of the many dummies in the room. I decided against using aura since Victor was supervising me. All I wanted to test was my abilities within this small body; after all, the center of gravity and balance in the body of a little boy compared to that of a man were entirely different. I decided to try the swordsmanship I invented in my past life against the dummy.
Divine swordsmanship, I called it. The point of this art of swordsmanship I invented was to inflict as much damage on my enemy as possible. It was a more strategic fighting style, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and it changed according to my situation. I readied my sword in my right hand and swiftly attacked the dummy reinforced with magic. Slash at the kneck, slash at the right shoulder, slash at the right knee, stab in the stomach, and all this in the blink of an eye. As the dummy is sent back flying, I dash towards it and continue my combination attacks.
This is... Fucking horrible... How am I so weak. My endurance is almost non-existent. I am almost tired out, my speed is barely enough to keep up with a dummy I sent flying with the strength of a child, and my strength is barely enough to send the dummy flying in the first place. The only reason I can even send the dummy flying is because my technique is good. I stop attacking the dummy and think.
Im going to need a lot of training if I want to become as powerful as I was before. First, I should start with endurance training, I guess. As I think to myself, Victor walks up to me.
"That was amazing young master!"
"Really?" I ask, slightly surprised. Even servants in the castle were all at least 3-star warriors, and Victor was 4-stars; since he was a direct servant of one of the Mobeal family's descendants, it was kind of like a safety precaution. Each servant of the house had been given their rank directly by my father. Although it might not seem like it, but the gap between each level of a warrior is usually significant. Think about it like this while an 8-star warrior mage might have the destructive power of a country, a 9-star warrior mage has the destructive power equivalent to a continent; of course, a 7-star warrior mage may not have as much destructive power they may be able to defeat a 9-star warrior based off of the difference of something as simple as the time it takes one to cast there spell. While the 9-star might be the stronger warrior, there are many other factors other than strength that effects a battle.
But this is also why I was surprised that Victor thought what I had shown was impressive because he was a skilled warrior.
"Yes, really, I what you just told me was technique close to that of your older brother and strength and speed that surpasses that of your 3 other siblings."
While my technique wasn't perfect due to my body, I guess Victor was right. I was being too hard on myself, considering I'm in the body of a kid. Actually, what I just showed Victor could even be considered unparalleled talent in swordsmanship for someone my age, so I felt somewhat proud.
"Thank you, Victor. That means a lot." Victor had always been good to me and saved me many times in my previous life. Victor, right now, was 42 years old; he used to be a knight before he retired and decided to work for my family. I am hard on him sometimes, but not out of bad will. I really do care for him. He was more of a father to me than my father was in my last life since victor was also essentially a pure swordsman.
"Victor?"
"Yes, young master?"
"I want to get stronger. Stronger than anyone else in the family."
"I know you want to become the greatest swordsmen, right? I believe in you if that helps you accomplish your goals."
Thats when I realized something; this is around the time I decided I would become the greatest swordsman. Could it be a coincidence I was brought back to this time?
"Victor, can you leave me to practice for the rest of the day? I feel a lot better now."
Victor looks at me a bit worried, but in the end, he agrees and leaves the room. And I continue to practice my swordsmanship and perfect my balance and aura.
***Victor***
The young master really is impressive to think he was able to use a sword like that all along. Has he been practicing? I should report to the lord and lady Mobeal about their son's talent. Information on new competition in the line succession is of the utmost importance.
***Aldrich Mobeal***
With sweat running down all parts of Aldrich's body, he repeatedly cast multiple spells without the use of his hands as he duel wields 2 great swords.
If one couldn't see Aldrich's greatness just by witnessing this seen they could be considered blind very few warriors could cast spells without using their hands, fewer could cast multiple spells at a time, and even fewer were magic swordsmen, and if you wanted to go even further, I doubt that there were any that could do it with one heavy great sword in each of there hands. Aldrich was a monster worthy of being called the swordsman who could conjure miracles because he himself seemed like a walking miracle, to begin with.
As he is training, someone knocks on the door of his training area.
"Who is it?" Aldrich responds
"It's me, Master Aldrich, Victor. I come with some news."
"Come in."
"Thank you for allowing me into your sanctuary."
Sanctuary was underselling Aldrich's training room to Aldrich. This was a place of true miracles in this immense room he has trained for years and become one of the strongest men on earth. It was an entirely white room so large you couldn't find the end of it and so bright it was almost blinding if you weren't used to it. It was a peaceful place, but thats why whenever Aldrich was training in it, it was a place that exuded power since it made Aldrich's presence almost seem godlike.
"Why have you come?"
"Came to tell you your son Leo has shown talent in swordsmanship."
"Of course, he is one of my children. Why did you deem this important enough to interrupt my training?" Aldrich says as he continues to swing his sword with extreme focus.
"Because at the level he is now, I would probably deem him a high-end 2-star warrior, maybe a 3-star warrior."
"How is that possible? You must be confused that child has yet to even practice the family swordsmanship like his other siblings and isn't able to use aura and has yet to be taught how to utilize mana."
"I'm sure master he is at least on the level of his two sisters."
"Such an increase in power in such a short amount of time isn't possible... I will talk to him myself, but that is all. You are dismissed, Victor."
"Yes, sir, thank you for your time."
Victor exits the room leaving Aldrich to think.
"Hmmm, a possible second genius is bearing his fangs in our family interesting." Aldrich smiles and laughs by himself.