After they done eating, they camp their own tent and prepared their sleeping bed. Theo went to the place Ulrich was because something came to his mind about many questions that he didn’t find the answer. He saw Ulrich and asked him about it.
“Grandpa I have a question, what is aura root? I heard it many times to father and mother but I still don’t understand how it works” Theo said curiously.
Ulrich was little bit surprised when he heard Theo question out of nowhere.
“Before I tell you, it is a good thing, grandson, that you did not hide your curiosity and that you question everything that you didn’t understand and looked for the answers. Don’t throw away your curiosity, because it was a powerful tool we have as a human” Ulrich said. He appreciated and genuinely happy that his grandson is growing up to the right direction.
“Yes, I will remember your words grandpa” Theo said with respect and admiration. He believed that learning to the older people experience, make you think a better solution to a problem when you become older because of their past experience.
Ulrich looked very satisfied to the answer of Theo. he remembered the question Theo want to ask him.
“Aura root you say, what you understand about aura root? I will help you fill in what you don’t understand or lacked of information” Ulrich said gently.
“I only knew that before the toddler become 7 years old, he or she as much as possible should open his aura root because it was impossible to open it when became 6 years old above. I knew that opening the aura root is harder than what people think and many young toddlers trained early as much as possible to open their aura root early on and had a higher chance to become aura warrior. I also knew that talent grade is important, when opened the aura root, your talent will be showed by the quality of your aura in your wrist and feel it. The talent grade is consisted of A, B, C, D, E, and F. A talent grade is the highest talent and F talent grade is the lowest talent. There also levels of aura root, they consisted and called the first aura root, second aura root, third aura root, fourth aura root, and the last level is fifth aura root. The aura root is the producer of aura force that can be used as a weapon, it can be sword, blade, bow, spear, shield and even our body can be use by the aura force to strengthening.” Theo said what he knew.
“You knew already very well about the aura root, but there some information that you still didn’t know, first the training we do is about tempering the body of toddler to be acceptable for him to endure the power of aura force because the body of young toddler cannot contain the power of aura force and there also another method for you to become absolutely become much better aura warrior than the average aura warrior if you took and eat that fruit, you will know it while we are going to that place” Ulrich smile and said mysteriously.
‘I really hate the way of their speaking, they always stopping or not saying their point and make things mysterious and irritating. I’m talking to a npc or what? Is this a side quest that I should find and search by myself?!’ Theo felt irritated and annoyed. ‘Like father, like daughter’ Theo thought but he calmed down himself.
“Yes grandfather, I understood” Theo said.
“Yes, talent is one of the factors that important but don’t rely too much in the talent because talent without hard work there will be no progress and don’t be lazy to improve yourself!” Ulrich said to Theo.
“Yes grandfather, I am going to keep your advice in my mind.” Theo said.
Ulrich looked proud and happy that his grandson is learning fast to his teaching.
“Then grandpa, what aura level you are right now?” Theo asked. He was curious to what aura level his grandfather.
“Don’t ask that to anyone because that is unspoken rules that we don’t ask someone about their aura level, it’s like asking their hidden secret and pointing a blade on their neck” Ulrich said.
“Yes grandfather” Theo said and nodded.
“Very good, I will tell you since you are my grandson. I just recently breakthrough fourth aura root” Ulrich said proudly and confidently.
“Wow, congratulation grandfather. You are amazing I never thought that you are fourth aura root” Theo said. he was amazed that his grandfather was fourth aura root and he was curious how powerful is that level.
Ulrich felt embarrassed and pleased when he saw Theo reaction. He said “ahem, it was nothing you can also achieve what I achieve if you work hard and put your heart without giving up”.
“Anyway, I’m not the only one who achieved this level to this whole continent and I still had a long way to achieve fifth aura root” Ulrich said humbly while grinning. Theo looked to the reaction of Ulrich. He laughed internally. For a moment something come to his mind when he heard Ulrich said.
“I also have question, grandfather. Is there a higher level than fifth aura?” Theo asked that came to his mind.
Ulrich was in the deep thought to Theo question about higher level than fifth aura.
“I don’t know, I only meet one fifth aura root in my whole lifetime but there is a folk tale legend that sixth aura root was seen before and many times more powerful than fifth aura root. It said that they can topple mountain and slice the river into two. They’re well known as a walking calamity and disaster but for the past century no one have been achieved the sixth aura root and only the fifth aura root is overlord to every region or kingdom but fifth aura root was also very rare to be seen” Ulrich said.
Theo processed the information that he heard for the first time. “Do you know what aura level father or mother, grandfather?” Theo asked and curious what aura level his parent was and the lord of the clan.
“I don’t know because I been away for years and I didn’t ask them about their improvement but the last time I knew is that they are both third aura root” Ulrich said.
“Oh, is that so. In any case thank you grandfather because of you many of my question was been cleared and answered” Theo said thankfully and respectfully.
“You don’t need to thank me, it’s my part as a guardian to train you and as your grandpa to help you as much I can” Ulrich said affectionately to his grandson.
Theo appreciated that his grandpa is thoughtful, good-natured, easy-going, and patience person to explain him about the answer to his question. He was grateful. At least there was a normal person who thought right in the mind. [1]
Ulrich looked that it was already late of night. “It’s already late, go sleep now because your training will start at 8am after we finish eating” Ulrich said.
“Yes grandpa, I will go now” Theo said. They said good night to each other and slept to their own tent.
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Next day early morning.
A bird chirping can be heard to Theo ears while he was sleeping, the sun was shining and it was a fine weather today.
Ulrich opened the tent and said “wake up and stand up the breakfast is ready” Ulrich loudly said.
Theo got up slowly up and a dazzling light surprised him when he opened the tent.
He saw from a far that a simple wood table was built, he saw porridges and breads was on the table.
He come to the table and sat. he saw that May put a milk to his glass. “Lady Eliza, order that you need to drink milk every day even though you are in the outside young master” May said respectfully.
“That’s good for you Theo as you still young and need to be healthy. Drink it and don’t waste any drop of it” Ulrich said strictly to him.
Theo nodded to Ulrich and he said “Yes grandpa”.
Theo ate the porridge that taste subtly nutty and earthly. After that he ate the bread that so hard to crunch and chew by his own little teeth. He drank the milk after he finished eating.
After Theo done eating, he didn’t notice that they already left and done eating their own food. His grandfather also already left after he done eating.
He went to May and Red that fixing the carriage and organizing the food reserve. Theo asked them if they saw Ulrich where he went, they pointed the direction where he was. Theo went to the direction where his grandfather to inquire what training he should do.
He saw that his grandfather is already waiting for him to come to this massive field that has a lot of thin grass. “You’re already here. I’ve been waiting for you to come but I realized that i forgotten to inform you where the place your training will be” Ulrich said. He was embarrassed and cough awkwardly.
“But you come your own without being informed, maybe I overthink too much” Ulrich said.
“…” Theo. He was speechless.
“We are going to make it easy for you because your body cannot handle the heavy training” Ulrich said.
Theo nodded because it was common sense and it was already weird for a toddler to train as a toddler body.
“Before we began our training, stretch every part of your body for 30 minutes and do it every day as the utmost first exercise” Ulrich said strictly. Theo began stretching exercises and felt that the training was so easy.
After Theo done stretching for 30 minutes Ulrich said something to him.
“We start your training. you first to do is running, do you see those blossom tree from afar?” Ulrich asked. He pointed to where the blossom tree he talking about.
“Yes, i see those blossom tree grandfather” Theo said. it was very far when Theo saw it.
“Run there to the blossom tree and back here to this place while still running” Ulrich said.
Theo thought it was easy even though he had a young toddler body. Ulrich saw the reaction of Theo and knew what he is thinking.
“Do it 20 times!” Ulrich said.
Theo looked somewhat surprised and his mouth opened big like a circle. ‘Is this family had somewhat problem to their own mind or I’m just normal in this family in the beginning?’ Theo thought. He was also thinking another thought if he was adopted and his parent didn’t tell him about it. Theo jokingly thinking his circumstance.
“RUN!!” Ulrich shouted. Theo was flabbergasted to Ulrich shout, he instinctively run and his body moved by own and ran.
Ulrich was grinning “this is only a beginning grandson and we need to polish that body of yours” Ulrich said. Theo shivered in his spine when he heard clearly what Ulrich said. He wanted to cry in this situation and thought that this will take 4 years of suffering.
Theo was running for many hours and he looked very exhausted and worn out.
From a far, May and Red were watching patiently and observing Theo training. The two of them had their own struggle and difficulties to their own life and they knew each other since childhood when they living in orphanage.
May was the earliest to came in the orphanage of Azert castle between the two of them, she was only 3 years old that time when her father and mother died in her own eyes. They living near to the border of Ambiens kingdom and a conflict broke out with Asier Kingdom, which their family was also affected because of this conflict. She hid by her mother in the cabinet while her father sacrificed himself fighting outside to buy time for May to hid and she glimpse through the hole of the cabinet that her mother was being raped by many men that wore armor and they smiling that looked hideous because of blood all over their body. After they satisfied and done to her mother, they tortured her for information while her mother didn’t say anything and only give false information to them. She saw how they slowly tortured her mother and killed her after. That hideous men left when the allied four clans arrived.
The Asier soldier hurriedly left to that village while leaving behind their horrible massacred in that village. At that time Heiner was serving in the military to accumulate experience and he was assigned to come this village along with four clans. While he was searching if there still someone alive, he heard a young toddler loudly crying, he went to that direction and saw a man near the door that was impaled and many of body parts was missing. Heiner was horrified internally to what he saw and he opened the door when he still heard the crying of a child in the house. He saw the young toddler girl that was crying and his eyes was blank with blood all over her hand and hugging the body of her mother. The mother of May was so unrecognizable with a lot of blood all over the body that looked tortured for long and her private part of her body was bleeding. Heiner wanted to throw up he ate this morning but he forced himself to not throw up and he helped the young May by her side and buried her parent with her. He took her after and went to the orphanage of Azert castle to take care him by caretaker in the orphanage. He also visited her once a month if he had time and talk to her while the young child May was staring blankly and doesn’t talk after the trauma that happened to her. After many years of visit there was progress and May eyes began to come back to life and with a lot of energy but she still haunted by that memory. Now, this is the May that overcome the struggle of being haunted by trauma and use it as a weapon to progress herself.
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Red was only 4 years old when he became orphan and live in the orphanage. He lived and born in the Azert Castle but his family doesn’t live comfortably, they live in the small house with his mother, father and his 3 years old younger sister. His father was alcoholic, gambler, and always abusing his mother. They live constantly by fear because the lender always visits them because of money loaned by his father and they are the collateral if they don’t pay on time. One day, his mother stood up to speak up to his father addiction and about his debt. They had argued for many minutes and his father at the time was intoxicated by alcohol and hit his mother angrily by the alcohol bottle and his father took a knife and stabbed his mother 7 times while cursing or swearing at her. She was bleeding and her face looked flabbergasted and shocked that she didn’t expect that he can do this to her. He and his younger sister saw everything that happened, every stabbed of his father was like echo to their ears. They hurriedly left to the house and reported to the soldiers, his father was arrested and locked him up while they became orphan and lived in the orphanage and meet Heiner in the orphanage by coincidence because Heiner always visited once a month in the orphanage for May. Now Red was working to Heiner and pledged his allegiance to Heiner for her younger sister to have a better life, to live a better house, had money for her education, she can eat 3 times a day and they never be starved again.
They saw that Theo was already done running 20 times. They were surprised because they thought it will take a long for him to finish the 20 times of running. They never expected that Theo had a good stamina and Ulrich didn’t say anything because he thought that praising to much might became Theo a arrogant person.
“Rest for 20 minutes and we began to the next exercise you should do” Ulrich said. Theo lay in the grass and he appeared breathless by running.
‘This family was truly insane and doesn’t think normally’ Theo thought while breathing. He felt that he was recovering fast and he think maybe it was normal since he was another world anything is possible.
After 20 minutes, Theo was completely recovered and he was breathing normally. Ulrich was little shocked internally but he didn’t say anything.
“Good, we will begin your next exercises” Ulrich said. Theo only nodded.
“Do 100 jumping jacks…” Ulrich said many things Theo need to do that make him shocked and dizzy. Theo really wanted to cry because it was to intensive training for him.
Ulrich do this is because he wanted to know what is the limit of Theo body.
Theo do it even though he was reluctant and he thought maybe they wanted to kill him by exhausting to his limit.
After many hours, it was already afternoon and Theo had already done his training and was exhausted. May and red already prepared the food in the table, the food in the table was porridge, bread, and chicken. Theo was happy that there was chicken in the menu on the table. Theo eats it like it was his last food, he found it somewhat delicious including the porridge that for some reason was delicious on his taste. He finished the porridge, chicken, and bread without wasting a drop or food on the table. It is his first time that eating felt somewhat he was in heaven and he appreciated the time they were eating that he wanted to cry.
After they done eating and resting, Ulrich called Theo. Ulrich was holding a long sword that was shoved in the middle while he was holding in the end of the hold sword. He was like a general that fought hundreds of battles and a general demeanor that you can rely of.
Theo was astonished when he looked to his grandpa and he felt excited because he knew that he will began learning that he wanted.
“Before we began to our training, your mother and father hand me this to give it to you for your training” Ulrich said and picked the silk that covered something. He handed the silk and Theo opened it, he looked to the two short swords that on his hand and it was fit to him. he felt joyful and very excited. He unsheathed the short sword, a sharp and clear sword that can see his reflection and he was smiling when he saw his reflection.
“You will use that short sword in our training from today onward and don’t lose it. Take care of it for it not become rusty short sword. Treat it like your another organ and your family that you can rely on” Ulrich said.
“I understood grandpa” Theo said. Ulrich was satisfied that his grandson understood his implying.
“Now we began our training” Ulrich said and he sheathed his long sword. He only stood there like a statue. Theo was confused to this situation as to why his grandpa sheathed his sword.
“Attack me with your utmost can and attack me with killing intent that your life depends on it” Ulrich said.
“Fought until your last breath because it will only be two choices in this fight, I die or you die today!” Ulrich said coldly with killing intent.
Theo felt shiver on his spine, his heart thumped faster than before, and he is sweating furiously. He thought that his grandpa was talking truthful to him that he will die if he didn’t fight until his last breath. His thought somewhat blanked when he thinking what he should do.
“Are you standing there like a fish chopping on the board, I already killed you many times in these few second” Ulrich said grinning and let his killing intent suffocate Theo.
Theo was really dazed and didn’t know what he should do. It was his grandpa and he can’t do something that can hurt him. Ulrich is little disappointed but he knew that it was his first time he experienced this so he understood that he didn’t know what to do.
‘I was just a little bit expectant that he can overcome this, maybe my foresight was wrong’ Ulrich thought.
A few second later when Ulrich began thinking to change his training because maybe it was intensive to Theo but he felt that something was moving and coming to him. He looked to Theo that holding the two short swords and was running to where he was.
Ulrich looked to the face of Theo, he was gritting his teeth that he even accidently bit his lips and it was bleeding. Ulrich looked to Theo eyes that resolutely wanted to kill him.
Ulrich smiled and laughed. “That’s it, use your instinct to kill me Theo or you will die to my sword that you cannot even imagine!” Ulrich said.
Theo slashed his sword to Ulrich like his life was depend on it but it was clumsy movement. Ulrich laughed joyfully and dodged every slash of Theo attack, Ulrich killing intent intensify and Theo felt suffocated that he was breathless every time he attacked. e gritted his teeth and intensify his attack also. If the short sword doesn’t work, he used his leg like acrobatics and swinging his small body but it was very clumsy footwork. Theo was moving by his instinct and subconsciously attacking. While Theo was attacking many times, Ulrich was laughing, dodging his attack, and didn’t attack even once. After 20 minutes long, Theo was exhausted but his killing intent still intensify and subconsciously moving by his own instinct tiredly.
Ulrich thought that it was already enough and he hit Theo with his hand on the Theo neck for him to faint. Ulrich was happy and amazed that his grandson had a potential to became a best aura warrior. Ulrich let Theo slept on the grass and just wait for him to wake up on his own.
“You really had the blood of Azert flowing in your vein” Ulrich said and left after.
Theo was sleeping soundly in this grassy land and it was windy that his blond hair was fluttering.
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It was almost evening and the sun was on the way westward.
Theo woke up and he looked to his surrounding, he was confused what happened to him and why he was sleeping here.
For a moment he remembered that he was hit by his grandfather hand on the neck for him to be fainted. He remembered also that he was fighting subconsciously by his instinct. Thinking about it, Theo found it unbelieve that he can do that movement because he was not good using his body in his past life and it was his first time doing acrobatics movement. He even thought maybe he was imagining things but he saw the two short swords on his side and the place they fought where the grass looked stepped by foots.
He stood up and went to the place where their tent is placed. When he was walking along the way on the road, he saw that May was training her bow along with aura force. He saw May using three arrows at the same time and he saw the speed and power of the arrow that was shockingly terrifying. The speed of the bow is like the speed of lightning and a whipping sound can be heard by the ear. The power of the arrow was also astonishing that can penetrate the tree so deep.
The eyes of Theo are shining to what he saw that he was immersing on his own mind, as he portraying his future self with his short sword coated by aura force.
May knew that Theo was watching her and felt his presence from a far but he let it be and it also good as a motivation for Theo to kept going for him to achieve her level.
Theo was distracted watching May performance and doesn’t know that there was lurking shadow behind him with two eyes. A hand was placed on the shoulder of Theo. It was Red, Theo was flabbergasted and screamed by the shock.
“I’m sorry young lord if I surprised you but the dinner is already prepared on the table, please come young lord as the food may became cold” Red said respectfully.
“Okay, okay I understood” Theo said while breathing air for his heart that shocked to death.
Before he left, he tried to glimpse where May was training but when his head rotate to the place May was training, he saw that she was already standing behind him and was also coming along with them to go to the tents.
Theo was greatly surprised and wanted to scream but he covered his mouth. “My heart cannot take this every shock I experience, why everyone here is pretty weird?” Theo thought and put his hand to his chest calmed down his heart.
“I’m sorry young lord if i surprised you, I will fix myself and not stood behind you” may said apologized and bowed respectfully.
“No, it’s okay for me you don’t need to be sorry, just don’t be appeared out of nowhere and stand behind my back unnoticed and surprise me” Theo said.
“We understood” May and Red said nodded.
When Theo on the way to the tent, he heard a faint giggled of the two behind him and he smiled as he thought that he accomplished something good today. Before he thought these two was robot because they looked emotionless and didn’t show their emotion to everyone.
‘I forgotten that we are still human with emotion’ Theo thought and looked to the sunset from afar.
They went to the tent saw that Ulrich was already waiting for them to come and they began eating at the same time.
“You don’t feel anything wrong in your own body Theo?” Ulrich asked while eating to inquire if he had after effect when they trained. He felt that he did too much for someone as young as Theo.
“No, I didn’t feel anything wrong at all” Theo said calmly while he was eating.
Ulrich thought that this toddler had a great stamina and great recovery.
‘The blood of Azert family is really unusual, every descendant is really very talented. I guess the blood of hero Hetres Azert is still flowing in the vein of his descendant’ Ulrich thought.
When Ulrich was thinking about Theo, he thought about Hetres Azert that he read on the book when he was child and people still talked about his achievement through these years.
Two centuries ago, a baby was born in the era of war and in the lawless island of Bared. Hetres was born in the simple family while his mother was providing in their family because his father died in the war. He and his mother lived through feminine and Hetres walked and climb on the ladder by his own effort to build and unified the clan and stop the war that happening through the whole Bared Island. Now a name called Hetres Azert the ancestor of Azert clan and the hero that unified the four clans two centuries ago. He was a fifth aura root that unified the four clans through strength and mind. Now it was called Ambiens kingdom. He was feared by the neighboring kingdom or clans that forced to unify on their own because of fear to Hetres Azert. The three clans of Ambiens kingdom also feared him that he began called by everyone as a ‘The Calamity Hetres’ and when he was alive it was a peaceful time because no one dare to offend him and that was the golden age of Ambiens kingdom. If his enemy feared him, he was loved by the most people because of his righteous to the powerless people and helping them in needs.
Ulrich had a respect to Hetres Azert because as one existence, he held the whole Bared Island for them to stop the war that happening to every corner and he also didn’t let his own power blinded him but he also used his own mind. He set example to everyone.
they finished their food and went to their own way. Ulrich called Theo because in the night he will teach him.
Ulrich was sitting in the tree stump and was waiting to Theo. Theo sat also on the tree stump near to Ulrich.
“From today onward, I will teach you what I knew about this world and I accumulated in my lifetime to passed on you” Ulrich said.
Theo nodded to what Ulrich said and he was excited internally to knew more about this world, bared island, and also the northernmost Fetrias main continent that said 30 times bigger than Bared Island. He expected that his grandfather had a lot of knowledge than what the books written.
“I think you already knew that there were 4 clans in the Ambiens kingdom that managing every territory of the Ambiens kingdom. In the Ambiens kingdom, The Azert clan territory was in the western region which is the border of neighboring kingdom and the frontline of the kingdom” Ulrich said.
“We are in the frontline of the kingdom?” Theo asked because he doesn’t know very well the geography of every kingdom in bared island.
“Yes, let’s say the Bared Island is a big oval horizontal Island. There are 5 kingdoms existed today, Ambiens kingdom, Hadden kingdom, Asier kingdom, Gemid kingdom, and Moyen kingdom. The Ambiens kingdom is in the eastern part of the island so that’s why the Azert clan was the frontline and shield of the Ambiens kingdom.” Ulrich said.
“Then what is territory position of other kingdoms?” Theo asked.
“Ambiens kingdom is the eastern part, Hadden kingdom is the central part, Asier kingdom is the northern part, Gemid kingdom is the southern part, and the Moyen kingdom is the western part. The Azert clan was bordered by two neighboring kingdom, Hadden kingdom and Asier kingdom.” Ulrich said.
“Grandpa I just noticed that you implying something that the Ambiens kingdom is not fighting the two neighboring kingdoms but the Azert clan alone, it just me or I’m just thinking wrongly” Theo said.
“That’s right, the current Ambiens kingdom is pretty complicated. The four clans were not very united even though we are in the one banner as a Ambiens kingdom, it doesn’t mean we are united. It’s only the name but the 4 clans were independent by their own territory, because of the neighboring kingdoms they have no choice but to unite by force. It’s like an alliance between the clans and the clans were independent to their own private property, soldier, law, tradition, and culture. The Ambiens kingdom itself is just a sand of castle” Ulrich said.
“That’s why the Ascot city which is the central of Ambiens kingdom is divided by four factions and the atmosphere is intense because of the fight between four side factions, they only moving by their own interest and benefit. The today Ambiens kingdom itself was holding by four hands to her own legs that was impossible to rise and progress” Ulrich said.
Theo was shocked to the information Ulrich disclosed to him and his knowledge about politics in the ambiens kingdom broaden. He never thought that the kingdom itself is fragile and divided by another group interest and he knew now that how dangerous their position as they were in the frontline of Ambiens kingdom.
“Remember this Theo, as you becoming a successor of Azert clan, don’t trust easily even if it was a person you know for a long time and keep your back in check. Always priority the bigger picture than blinded by short term” Ulrich said solemnly.
“Yes grandpa, I will keep your advice in my mind” Theo said.
Theo really don’t have interest to the position of lord Azert clan as he wanted to travel freely without shackle of chain and he wanted to see the world itself what it’s look like but situation doesn’t think the same as him. he had no choice but to come along with the wave of flow.
“Good, Good” Ulrich said. Ulrich continued to his teaching until it was the time to sleep.
Before Theo went to his tent, Ulrich said that they will continue their journey again and he should prepare early tomorrow but his training will still continue even they were moving by carriage.
Theo went to his own tent and lying down on his bed. He thought about what he learned today lesson. He began questioning himself why he came to this world and his purpose here. He thought maybe there are greater purpose he must to do as he was reborn here. He didn’t want again to repeat his mistake to the path without direction and only keep hanging to be alive without reason. Even if he faced a greater struggle every day or even the world dislike him for who he was.
He as a Theo, always still be himself till the end of his last breath.
Theo closed his eyes and began to sleep.
[1] [Author: Bro don’t know that his grandpa was already cooking him secretly to the dangerous place]