章 4: 4. Family and Strange Ki.

Baby.

Infant.

Toddler.

Little one.

Annoying grubby nightmare.

It's really not easy being one. Especially not when you're a 28 year old, magic knight captain. There's not enough head crushing. Not enough cigarettes. And way too much mushy food. Like whaddaya wanna do? Kill the baby by feeding him this...this...cowfeed??

Who the hell needs this shit. I'd like to meet the guy who made mushed peas a thing. And I'd love to crush his head and put cigarette up his ass. If I ever find this guy, that is. He's probably rotting away in his grave right now. I'll probably take a piss on it.

Tch. What the hell can I do now. I'm not getting any productive work done. Not that I'm ungrateful for this everlasting Saturday, but I need to see this country.

This country is different from the Clover kingdom. Just a feeling other than the obvious hints like the people's clothes and stuff, and the way my family does things...yes they are my family. I... They... They make me feel like I have a place to belong again. The only place I ever belonged to was the black bulls. Or so I thought, but. This place. It's pretty nice too.

Oh and, we have servants. Guess I'm a noble now. Another one of my most annoying nightmares. Though, the people I've been in contact with are nothing like nobles. My dad, Karasawa Eien, is weird. He's dumb too. Almost like a less screaming Asta.

And I remember when he gave my brother the birds and bees talk. My brother Karasawa Kenji, is seven. He really shouldn't have heard all these details, but dad laid it on him straight. And the details were, well, twisted.

For example, my dad said, "If she does not do what you desire, her friend you shall acquire".

I guess my mom heard that, cuz it was a week before I saw my dad in the house again.

Speaking of my mom, she's definitely the one I like most in this family. Karasawa Mirai She's a no-nonsense woman. She doesn't talk much and she doesn't show many emotions other than a really pissed off face that dad had to face almost every day, and an occasional smile she'd give me or Kenji. Other that these she almost always has a straight face. And she's sassy. Very sassy.

She says meaningful things too, like, "If you can't find the right path, make your own path", and, "As long as you leave without any regrets, you know you've lived a fulfilling life". See. Cool right?

My brother Kenji was seven. A few days ago he had the birds and bees talk. And, well, he was never the same. He used to be like Asta, loud and obnoxious, and he always had a smirk on his face. But now, he was different. He was always looking at the sky, lost in thought. Been there kid, don't worry, you'll cope with it soon.

Other than that I've been trying to sense ki again. But it's different now.

The moment I could sense ki I began training the ability again.

Yea. That's right. From scratch. Damn baby brains. It'll take me at least five years at full speed. If I started at an older age I could probably grasp it way faster. Even Asta learnt to fully use ki in less than a year. If that musclehead can do it, anyone can.

But ki doesn't just come from feeling, it comes from experience. Experience in the world. From daily life and interaction with people, to life and death battles, all of that is required experience.

Everything in creation gives off a specific energy. A kind of force. A feeling. The main concept of ki is sensing energy. But to integrate ki into a fight, first you need an understanding of yourself, then your surroundings, and lastly, your enemy.

Otherwise sensing is all you can do. You know your opponent is there, but not their next move.

So ki is best trained when you have some understanding of yourself, and your surroundings. You also need battle experience, and a firm grasp on intent intentions.

That's why people have a better understanding of ki the older they get, as in, the more experience they have. And right now, my body is completely untrained. I don't even remember how I used to move my katana, it's in my head, but that's all it is. Since movements executed in combat are mostly instinct and muscle memory, I'm basically all theory and no practical in terms of swordsmanship.

Great. Just great.

And a very strange thing I've noticed, is that the ki here is different. I've done my hardest to feel the ki of my family. The ki here is not the same as I remembered it. The ki in the people I've felt, my family and our servants. It's different.

The ki I've observed is more, well, more chaotic than the bulls' hideout. It's almost like it has endless potential. Almost like it could be turned into a weapon of sorts. Almost like it could be physically manifested. That's all I've been able to figure out anyway.

It's not that I can't figure out anything more, it's just that I don't give a crap. Exactly. Definitely. I'm just not trying my hardest on this never ending Saturday they call childhood.

But even now I realize. I'll eventually have to get off my ass and deal with shit. Wait, that's pretty much taking a dump. Again.

But even now I realize. I'll eventually have to deal with a lot of stuff. Beginning with this 'Family and Strange Ki'.

Just which country exactly is this place? What is the strange ki? Can ki really be physically manifested? Oh well, who cares. It's Saturday for the next few years. Though I really need a cigarette, I'm getting kinda antsy from the withdrawal, even though there's really no withdrawal.

But the thing, I have to take care of something crucial, something that could start wars. This warm feeling...

In my... Diaper.

End of Chapter.

_________________________________________

Drop a stone 😁