Rereading these next few dozen pages now, I can't help but be amazed at how atrocious my handwriting was—borderline gibberish—those were stressful times.
So, let's start with a time skip.
Six years since the start of my new life, Toph has finally grown up from a toddler to a child. She could form full sentences and understand words at a fast pace and even got used to operating around the estate without her sight. She still needed me and some of the newer attendants to care for her at times, but she could comfortably move anywhere without any issue.
"Hey, Ren."
"Yes, Milady?" I asked as we walked through the hallway of the Beifong estate; she was very insistent on holding hands, even in her parents' presence.
She briefly stops as she looks out the window, listening to the sounds of children playing outside the residence.
"I want to play with the others!"
I winced as Lord Beifong immediately retorted with a firm "No."
I had no issue with letting Toph spend time with the other children—if anything, I personally thought that she needed more people to talk to. But it was clear that Lord Beifong saw things differently.
After the assassination attempt nearly two years ago, the man of the house has since then stopped holding back when it comes to shaping his daughter for the future. Even if it meant manipulating her understanding of the world around her.
From the proper mannerisms of honoring and respecting the dead, to etiquette in walking and eating, to how she was allowed to interact with people outside a carefully selected circle of attendants and servants, every time Toph asked why she was required to do these things, she was given the same answer.
"This is just how it's done."
For lack of a better word, Lord Beifong was gaslighting his own daughter.
"... The Lord has spoken. I'm sorry, Toph."
I held back a sigh as I watched her enthusiasm fade. "Oh," she mutters as she resumes walking to her next class.
I've been trying to convince the Lord to at least give her some breathing room. Especially when it came to the fun stuff. Like playing ball or "sightseeing" around Gaoling to get some fresh air. Maybe even go swimming, though we both decided that it was a bad idea.
More than that, I wanted him to explain things to her. Actually explain the reasons why this and that are required, why some lessons mattered, and let her form her own opinions about the things she was being forced to learn.
Every time I brought it up, he gave me the cold shoulder.
Damn bastard.
Don't get me wrong, our relationship wasn't bad. Good, actually. He was a nice guy—like an uncle that gives advice at times when you meet him. A good employer. By most measures, a great father; it's just that he was a manipulative son of a gun.
"This is just how it's done." What a load of crap. That's just an excuse to keep his daughter caged under the guise of protectiveness.
I turned to the nearby attendant. "Could you ask the kitchen to prepare some poached fruits and dried nuts?" Toph might appreciate a few of her favorite snacks, something to lift her spirits.
The attendant bowed deeply. "Yes, head butler."
My eye twitched at the title.
Right, that. My current reputation is something that I'm on the fence about. While I appreciate that I no longer attracted open hostility with the news of my recent promotion and actions done to protect the Beifongs, I do not enjoy the looks of jealousy and admiration that came my way.
Spirits, I hated this new attention.
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After combing through every task that I was assigned to handle, I finally had some time in my hands for some alone time. So, sitting in a wooden shed in the middle of the night, I began my daily exercise of Chi manipulation.
Good news. My Chi reserves do grow with time instead of being determined by birth. Thank the Spirits for that one. At my current rate of growth, I'd say that I would have at least twice the Chi reserves in about five years' time?
I really need to find a way to quantify my Chi into units. It'd make experimentation and tracking much easier.
Bad news. Techniques. At this point, I'm just eyeballing techniques left and right. While I can safely say that my level of proficiency when it came to Chi Enhancement was at a good level, when it came to my Fire Bending… Not much progress was made.
Sure, I can now throw streams of fire for a longer duration of time, but it was inconsistent and weak. Hearing stories of the war from other ex-military men that were now employed as guards, my comprehension of Fire Bending was shallow compared to the likes of actual Fire Benders.
I need to get some kind of manual. A Fire Bending scroll, to be exact.
The problem is that it's practically impossible to get it into the Earth Kingdom. Hell, if anyone from the Fire Nation leaks information on even basic Fire Bending stances and guides, it's a straight sentence of up to 20 years in prison. For something so little to have such a harsh punishment, it'd be foolish for anyone to try and smuggle it.
My self-taught Fire Bending could only take me so far. If I were to compare my techniques… I was still at the beginner level, while an actual Fire Bender with proper training would reach intermediate if we had the same amount of time training.
At this rate, I might as well train to be a martial arts-wielding Non-Bender instead.
Sighing, I continued my exercise with physical training. Squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, crunches, deadlifts—even without using Chi to passively strengthen my body, I was progressing better than I was expecting for a guy my age.
What kind of teenager could honestly say he could break stone with his bare fist, all without using any Chi? This was raw power, baby.
If you asked me what my greatest strength was, though, it wouldn't even be that. It was endurance. I was pulling twelve-hour shifts like it was nothing, and even after carving out an hour or two of training deep into the night, I still had enough stamina left to handle the next day's preparations before going to bed.
I don't think that's normal. Bender or not.
… Eh, who cares? It's certainly working out for me either way.
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A/N: OMG, I didn't realize that the cover for this fic was that scuffed! How did I not notice that *sobbing in laughter*
NEXT UPDATE: 15 March, Sunday
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