Leo stepped into his mother's room. What should have been a lively room was now quiet and still.
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Leo walked through the room, past flowers and framed paintings that usually brought him comfort, and saw his mother sitting at the table in front, full of untouched food and tea, her back turned to him.
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The sound must have startled her. As she turned around, she looked composed, but Leo saw through her easily. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying for hours, and her fists were clenched, nails digging into her palms.
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"Mother.." Leo muttered, shaken by her state.
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Sophia stiffened.
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The moment he called out, she crossed the room and hugged him, much to his surprise.
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"Are you alright?" she said, her voice cracking as she knelt and hugged him. The facade of composure broke in an instant.
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By now, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Leo could feel his back getting damp.
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Yet he didn't care because, as she hugged him, the memories of what happened resurfaced: Gael's bloody body, the mage's impaled body, and the destruction caused, all because of a naive mistake he made.
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"I.. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to go out and look around because I thought if I told you or father, you wouldn't accept," Leo muttered weakly, his voice cracking.
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"But.. but then Raymond got stabbed protecting me and Gael was injured! A mage even got impaled, all because they were worried if they fought at full strength they would hurt me!"
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"I don't want to be this weak," Leo said, his voice breaking.
"won't let anyone get hurt because of me again."
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"There's no need to hold back the tears. It's fine, nothing will happen to you," Sophia said as she cupped Leo's face and smiled with tears glistening in her eyes.
Leo hearing this, felt a burning sensation in his face.
Trying his best to control his emotional state to no avail, a single tear fell to his chin then another and another, This kind of warmth didn't belong in either of his lives. And yet it was here.
Unfamiliar to this level of support leo hugged his mother tight sobbing away.
⠀
****
Hours later, Leo stirred, his face stiff from dried tears.
⠀
Sophia was playing with his hair when she saw his eyes open and smiled, saying:
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"You finally woke up. After all that crying, you have to be hungry, right?" She pointed at the table, now filled with hot food.
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Leo nodded and got up from the bed while Sophia followed behind him. He sat at the table and started eating, of course.
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"Look at my handsome boy eating so much. You're destined to grow bigger!" Sophia couldn't hide the smile and started feeding him, much to Leo's dissatisfaction after his futile efforts to resist.
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"Tomorrow you're going to meet your instructors for the first time, right?" Sophia said.
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"Yeah.. I don't know who they are, but I heard they're powerful. My magic teacher is also a professor at the academy, so they have to be good. I don't know about my swordsmanship teacher, though," Leo said, a little nervous about starting his training.
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"Well, eat a lot now so you have the strength for the start of your training!" Sophia said while grinning.
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The next day.
'Father told me I'll meet them in the training grounds,' Leo thought while thinking about the words of his father this morning.
⠀
While leo was walking to the private Training ground he saw multiple squares of soldiers Training in various things from formation to various weapons and tactics guided by the veteran instructors in front of them.
As he passed the training soldiers, he saw multiple armories from the main stone Armory holding the bulk of all the different weapons to smaller armories for specific units,
easily recognised by the signs above each one, with a horse and lance symbolising Calvary, Bow and arrow symbolising archers and more, Each in different parts of the vast grounds
⠀
As Leo stepped onto the private training grounds for the first time, he saw the walls full of training weapons ranging from swords and sabers all the way to maces, spears, and axes, all with a variety of types.
⠀
He looked around as he moved and saw the scene of two people arguing. One of them was a delicate-looking beauty with purple hair and gleaming green eyes wearing the robes of a mage.
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The other was a huge man with a defined, muscular body showing clearly under his white shirt and black pants, with long wheat-colored hair and brown eyes. His entire person was screaming strength.
⠀
Leo was surprised seeing the pair when he heard the topic of their argument.
⠀
"I'll train him first from early morning until late morning, then you get him. Get that through your thick skull!" the woman said, her face twitching with frustration.
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"No, the best time for physical training is the start of the day. I start first, then you begin. Having you first will hinder his growth!" the man said, not budging an inch.
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"Um.. excuse me, are you perhaps my instructors?" Leo said.
⠀
The two only then saw the small child who, from now on, would be their student, and the woman answered first.
⠀
"You must be Leo. I am your new magic instructor, Violet Griffin," Violet said as she bowed lightly while examining Leo.
⠀
"And I am Lucas Williams, your swordsmanship and physical instructor," Lucas said calmly as he also examined Leo.
⠀
"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me!" Leo nodded to the pair.
⠀
"Then, seeing your body, it's actually perfect. It looks like you really were born with an SSS talent. It seems it has even affected your body. It's like you're made to fight," Lucas said as he walked to the weapon rack and picked a wooden longsword.
⠀
"Let's test your strength," Lucas told Leo as he handed the sword to him, much to Violet's surprise.
⠀
"You're going to start now?" Violet said.
⠀
"I have to see his strength to formulate a fitting training plan. Now Leo, swing the sword as much as you can. Don't hold back your strength, show me your all," Lucas said.
⠀
Leo, who was given the longsword, was shocked at the rapid development but was quickly adapting and started swinging the sword, his technique horrible.
⠀
Lucas saw this and was a little disappointed. However, he noticed something incredible.
'He.. he's improving with every swing. That's incredible. How could he improve this fast when this is his first time gripping a sword?!'
Lucas frowned.
No,his grip was changing. Subtle, but real.
Ding!
[Swordsmanship talent experience +0.1]
The same notification showed up each time he swung his sword.
⠀
'System, why is the experience gained so little?'
⠀
Ding!
⠀
[Because of the host's SSS talent, he gains experience slower than others with weaker talent. However, the feats and strength he can do at each level of mastery is vastly better than those with equal mastery.]
⠀
'Oh, that makes sense. Then how much stronger am I than those at the same mastery as me?' Leo asked the system. However, he didn't get a response, but he didn't care as he was getting giddy at the thought.
⠀
Leo kept swinging until his arms ached, until he reached 150.
⠀
"Not even 200. How disappointing. Well, I guess you are tired after all. How about we test your mind!" Lucas grinned madly as he unsheathed an iron longsword with a beautiful eagle grip.
⠀
"What..?" Leo muttered, confused by what he meant.
Violet stiffened when Lucas reached for the iron sword.
"…You're not serious," she said quietly.
Lucas's smile didn't reach his eyes.
He tilted the blade, just enough for Leo to see his reflection shake.
Violet saw this and her eyes widened. She remembered this man's nickname.
⠀
The Harbinger of Madness!