Chapter 4: Chapter 3 Permission
'Twack!!'
A sound of a two wooden sword hitting each other echoed.
One of the wooden sword flew out in a distance disarming a blonde haired child who was now sitting on a ground with a disbelieving look on his face.
With one look on his blue eyes and fair skin, you can tell that this boy has inherited a good genes from his parents making him stand out of his peers.
"Damn it! Why is that I can't win?"
Locke look at the boy standing in front of him.
This child has an unnatural silver hair not that of old people but a beautiful pure silver colour. His eyes are like finest polished saphire gem, and his fair skin has an foreign vibe that does not belong to mortal.
He has a look of arrogance on his with eyes saying that what was happening is inevitable.
Its been three days since Locke sneaked-in in this courtyard, he was curious at that time about the rich family that has just moved in this village more than a month ago.
It was then he saw Darren training in the courtyard and began thinking about making the boy his lackey, and become his great backer. Bragging it to the others.
After some argument, the boy told that if he can defeat him he will become his subbordinate.
But the result was his humiliating defeat by the very basic sword technique he mock.
Unable to accept his defeat he asked a rematch for the next day.
He got home and begun studying the sword technique his father left behind.
Even if most of the words and illustration are too profound that he couldn't understand most if it, he manage to dicipher the few forms and movement and that itself is a testament of his talent in the way of the sword. Especially a technique that his father created which of high level.
All of this however did not change the outcome of his inevitible defeat for three consecutive days.
No matter what form he use and what attack technique he tries to pull, all ended with the wooden sword flew out of his hand.
And finally after three days he admitted that he was weaker than Darren and couldn't defeat him no matter how frustrating it was.
Darren has a mocking look on his face clearly having fun bullying the child.
It was clear to see that he has power to overpower trained teenagers with his strength but currently fighting a six year old child turning seven. He nothing but a bully.
This is his revenge against Luke who once cornered him into joining their party in the past and he currently taking it out against his child.
Satisfied torturing the lad for three days, he ask him,
"You want to know why?"
Locke look at him.
He is curious to know how Darren who was younger than him was this strong.
"Because I'm a genuis! Thats why."
"..."
Hearing those words made Locke stunned.
Then he laugh loudly right after.
"Ahahaha...!!"
Locke never thought the words he said towards his peers that made them irritated was now being spoken on his face. How ironic this is.
After a good laugh he asked Darren;
"Hey Dan, your strong. I want get stronger too, can I train with you? I'll be subordinate from now on if you agree."
Hearing that Darren thought for few seconds and replied.
"Altright lad, since your sincerly asking I will share some of my unfathomable wisdom to you to grant you a bit of strength."
"Really! Thanks a lot!"
"But tell me why do want to gain strength?"
"I want to be the strongest Mercenary!"
"Mercenary? Don't you want to be an adventurer or hero like your father?"
"I used to, but my mother told me not to live in his shadows. So I took the next best thing, and I heard it pays a lot higher."
'Its that simple huh.'
"Alright kid, before anything else I will warn you that once you go training together with me you will be left behind by your peers. Your level of strength will grow at snail pace but in exchange you will be able to gain a greater qualitive increase in your strength for each level. This is a big decision and you can't decide this for yourself, you will have to ask your mother for permission."
"I don't understand most of what you just said but I'm already made my decision, and you talk like an old teacher. I will ask my mother when I go home, it still early so can we start now?"
An excitement look appeared in Locke's face.
"Fine. How much time did you spend training the basic sword technique?"
"Hmm?... I studied it about less than a day, trained with it about two days when i mastered the forms. Why?"
Darren rubbed his temple as if listening to someone questioned a very common logic.
"Who guiding you on your training?"
"No one I think. At first I was learning at the training grounds for village guards, theres a retired soldier guiding kids at our age. But all he teaches us is basic sword technique, theres nothing new to learn. So I stop attending after three days."
"I see. Its not the teachers fault then. Let me ask you this the, do you know the background and how the basic sword technique was created?"
"No. Is it important? Its just a basic, my dad's technique is much more powerful than it."
" Thats not the point. Listen closely lad, the basic sword technique in the first place is not made for combat. This technique is formulated and improve generation after generation by countless swordmasters, its main purpose is to lay a good foundation for aspiring younger generation that threads the path of the sword. After prolonged practice of the technique it can strengthen ones body and enhance your joints flexibilty to withstand the strain of the advance techniques and greatly lessen the chance of being injured while performing one."
Darren observe Locke closely and noticing something he continued;
"Does your wrist and waist perhaps are in pain?"
Locke after hearing the explanation was enlightened and shocked when he heard Darren's question.
"How did you know? Is it related to not praticing the basic sword technique?"
"Good your not brainless as I thought. You tried to execute a red level sword technique earlier in our duels I thought you had already practiced basic sword technique for a long time now in which you aren't. The pain you are feeling is the result of forceful execution of the technique that your current body couldn't withstand. If you tried a few more times you will be paralyzed and become lame."
Locke become terrified hearing this. He almost doomed himself for life.
'Though it can be healed by a priest the physical and mental trauma will affect him for the rest of his life.'
"Your father's sword technique is called Thoughtless Blade because it doesn't consider the damage of the body sustained as long as it execute a powerful devastating strike. In other words, only those who had develop a strong physical resilence can practice it fearlessly. But you... you are only six to seven years old and you tried to execute a move that only fifteen years a old and above can withstand?"
Seeing the child fell silent he finally stop lecturing.
"Okay from today you shall stop practicing advance technique and return to basic. At our bodies age what we should focus on is our physical development. Tomorrow if your mother approved come hear at dawn, and we shall practice the basic sword technique I revised. For now.."
Before he could finished a voice interrupted him.
"Master Darren, Master Locke. I have prepared a snack."
"We'll be there."
He turned to Locke inviting him.
"Lets eat."
"Ok!."
Locke has been coming here to two days and has eaten many food prepared by butler Dom.
Not only it was delicious, any body ache he felt disappear after eating them and he become more energitec.
They returned to the gazebo and Darren ordered Dominique to go accompany Locke this evening to his house and ask permission for training him.
...
My name Joana Orin.
I'm a widow with a single child. My husband has passed away more than five years ago during the war.
Although it pains me that he left us early, I did not regret my decision marrying him.
Many said he was a hero but to me he's just helpless and homeless man. And out of countless woman out there trying to get his affection none of them, he said; that has entered his thoughts after every adventure he finished to return to, but me. Where I am is where his home.
Though many years has passed, but those words never lost its magic to bring a smile in my face.
Luke is an illegitimate of a noble, so after he died his father's family approach us wanting to take my son away to use his father's name and influence as a tool for politics.
I was in verge of losing custody to my son when all of a sudden everything worked out. That noble family suddenly stop approaching us and in some occasion they are somewhat terrified of us.
Well none of that matters now. After selling all of our property in the capital we moved here in the hometown of Luke's mother in order to distance ourselves from any political battlefield.
In five years that has passed, I watched my son grew up. And just like his father, he has the same proud and reckless personality. Everyone knows this boy's name all around town.
...
It was already sunset.
I am closing up my pharmacy shop when Locke returned with someone who dressed as a butler. The butler is a little familiar like I have seen him somewhete before.
He was taller than an average men with trimmed facial hair and beared that raise toward his ears, and he has a vibe that as long as you ask him something, he finished it with utmost efficiency.
"Mother, I'm back!!!"
"Welcome back Locke." I smile to my child then look at the man behind him. I was getting worried that my son has stirred up some trouble.
"You are?"
"Good evening Lady Orin." the butler bowed and continued to introduce himself.
"My name is Dominique, head butler of the Grimoire family."
"Hello, I am Joana Orin. Locke's mother. May I ask for your purpose that you visit my humble household." I replied politely.
The butler did not beat around the bush as he said;
"Young master Locke has requested our master Darren to join the same training regime as him. However the method of our master is quite different from the norm, that he will be left behind by his peers which may affect his childhood development socially. In exchange he could rise above others in the future. So I am here to ask permission to train young master Locke together with our young master."
"This.." Hearing something diffirent from what I expected with a bizzar request. I was lost for a moment.
"Mother please let me train with Dan." my son pleaded. As I was silent for a some time the butler spoke again.
"Lady Orin doesn't have to answer right away. We will wait until tommorow for you decision."
Thinking for a moment, it was not weird to request as it was related to Locke's future and growth. But this training has something more than it seems as they asking me for my consent. My son also has an eager look in his eyes and I know that even if I dont give my consent he will do it behind my back.
"Sir Dominique, knowing my child I won't be able to stop him even if I dont give my approval."
I glared at Locke who loqered his head in embaressment.
"So may I first know how long it will take to show positive result on this training of yours?"
This is about Locke's future so i have first need to verify this if it was benificial to him.
"About half a year, although he wont be able to advance to beginner level Inner circulation, his strength will be on par to that of Red-level Primary Inner Circulation. This I guaranttee."
"That effective?" I was startled by that statement. If this true then it will bring good for my child.
"Mother please agree!! Please" hearing the butler's statement brings much more excitement to Locke.
"But..." As if reading my thoughts the butler interupted.
"About the expenses, Lady Orin don't have to worry. Our household will bear the cost."
This time I have a doubt. This is too good to be true. There has to be catch.
"Why go so far?" I questioned with cold tone.
With my late husband fame many has already reach out to us, offering many benefits all in exchange of something. Either to be a tool or giving up our inheritance. If not for the someone in the shadows protecting us and the warning from the five heroes, we would have been cornered or died.
"The truth is our young master Darren is the only sole member of our household after both of our master and mistress passed away. As overprotectvie as we are, we can't bear our master grow up on solitude and become an emotionless man as he grow up. This goes both ways for both of us. Master Locke shall acquire the opportunity to gained strength above others and our young master will grow emotionaly and socially."
After that we took a sit in our living area as we try to understand of each other's situation. After that I finally decided to give my permission, however I will monitor my child's development and situation in order not get taken advantage of. This I swore to myself.
"Thank you Lady Orin. We will do our best to not disappoint you."
After that he turned around and leave, while my son was smiling ear to ear, and can't wait for tommorows training.
...
I returned to our villa and I look for master Darren to report that we have gained the permission from master Locke's mother.
With all of the things I said to Lady Orin, most them are true.
I was still young butler in training when I first meet master Darren. I was in my early teenage years back then. The Reeves family are known to be the household of Magus. As their linenage produced eight magus throughout history.
Master has shown potential reaching this level, so he was nurtured, keep away from outside world and focusing on his magic training as it was thousand years ago since the last magus appeared. This is the reason why the six human kings are called blind pigs as they caused the death of a magus.
I was assigned to be his butler and accompanied him throughout his growth and I saw how terrifying the talent of master Darren.
Many things he made are able to cause collosal change in these lands we know of if it was brought to light. We might even fully explore this world given by our creator.
However the years of solitude has made him distant towards others, and with great distrust he destroy most of his creations, leaving the only evidence of them in his head, and showed few unreliable ones. He showed them that his strength is advancing to make them satisfied.
He never knew his parents as he was taken away by head of the household, he was only told to reach higher level of strength.
But with his means, he discovered that he wasn't really a part of the Reeves household. He was only their tool for their ambition and his parents was killed to silence them and avoid distraction from master Darren's development.
Yet he never flew out of rage instead, only showed a face of disappointment. Since then he never left the mage tower built for him, even when the war started and the Reeves household was in crisis he never cared or bothered by it.
I saw him becoming less human each passing year.
It was then a group of people approached his tower to request his support.
With a simple trick, he lost in a bet that caused him to follow them for a year. And in that single year master Darren changed. He become alive, he showed anger, joy, and tantrum each time he returned.
He recounts the things he experienced and been through whenever he returned in the tower. Although the contract of a year has ended many years ago, he couldn't help himself but felt worried to the friends he had made and followed them.
At that time he also begun his studies about the Rift and beyond. He studied human potential and soul, and I ended up become one of his subject for experiment which I agreed willingly.
However some things has to end.
And now is the new beginning for master Darren. The arrival of master Locke is a perfect timing for master Darren to live and grow up, though not in a normal way but its close to that.
I just hope that whatever master Darren has set himself to accomplish, he won't be alone.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
leoDvine
leoDvine Hope this is enough for introduction. Next chap about classification of strength level.
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