'Now I am regretting the choice I made, ' Astrael thought while his leg burned as he ran around the training ground.
Today morning he was excited to train, as he had seen in anime in his past lives, like Saitama, he would be powerful, but reality is not what you think. It's merciless.
'No! Don't be such a crybaby!' he gritted his teeth, while his lungs heaved and his heart beat.'Train for your family'
"Young Lord!" Captain Avalon's stern voice like a whip sounded from behind. "What are you waiting for? It's only the second lap, forty eight more to go. Move!"
"Y-Yes, Captain!" Astrael gasped, forcing his burning legs back.
Near the weapon racks, a group of guards paused their sparring, watching Astrael.
Joe nudged Xyler, jerking his chin toward Astrael. "Hey, what do you think? Will the Young Lord be able to run or not?"
Xyler snorted, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "No! Give him two more laps, and then he will be finished."
"Wanna bet?" Joe grinned, pulling a few copper coins from his pouch. "Ten coppers, he will collapse by the fifth lap."
"You're on!" Xyler took out the same amount of coins from his pouch. "Fifth lap? He will be done by the fourth lap."
The clink of coins drew others. Baldric, a veteran with forearms like tree trunks, joined in. "Four? Too generous. I'll wager fifteen coppers he quits before finishing the third lap!" He slapped his coins into Joe's palm.
Lysander, younger and leaner, shook his head. "You're all underestimating him. Saw his eyes when he talked to the Captain yesterday. Twenty coppers says he reaches sixth lap before dropping."
Gareth, leaning on a spear, chuckled. "Six laps? Sentimental fool. He is a 4 year old kid on top of being noble. Saw his soft hands. Ten coppers he doesn't complete three laps." His coins joined the growing pile in Joe's hand.
Only Kael, the quietest of the group, watched Astrael with narrowed eyes as the boy passed them again, red faced but jaw clenched.
"He's stubborn," Kael murmured. "Thirty coppers. He will complete ten laps before he stops."
A collective whistle went up. "Ten? On a noble brat?" Gareth scoffed. "You've gone soft in the head, Kael!"
"Or maybe I see something you don't," Kael replied evenly, adding his coins to the pot Joe now cradled like treasure.
Astrael, oblivious to the wagers against him, focused solely on running.
The guards' laughter and clinking coins blurred into the haze of his exhaustion. The third lap brought stabbing cramps in his sides. The fourth lap made him think of quitting. As he ran past the betting group for the fifth time, his vision got dizzy.
Xyler elbowed Joe triumphantly. "Told you! Pay up when he drops next round!"
But Astrael didn't drop. He swayed, stumbled, yet somehow kept moving in the vast field.
His breath became ragged. Each step became agony, every fibre of his body trembling. The initial excitement had curdled into bitter regret. 'Why did I think I could do this?'
Captain Avalon watched from the center, arms crossed, with a stern face. He offered no encouragement. "Fifth lap, Young Lord. Straighten your back!"
Astrael whimpered but obeyed, forcing his spine upright through sheer will.
The betting guards fell silent, their amusement fading into something closer to unease as the small lord passed them again on the sixth lap, still upright, still moving.
Lysander nudged Xyler, a question in his eyes. Kael just watched, a flicker of respect replacing his usual face. The coins in Joe's hand suddenly felt heavier. The training ground held its breath, waiting to see which would break first - the child's body or his newfound resolve.
On the tenth lap, Astrael's eyes got hazy. His legs were trembling. Finally, he fainted on the spot. But the ground never struck him.
Captain Avalon, with his startling speed, caught him before he fell, lifting him effortlessly."Enough," Avalon murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft, as he carried the sweat-drenched, unconscious child.
He looked down at Astreal's flushed face, the resolve in his eyes before he fainted. " Fifty laps were a test for seasoned men, not for 4-year-old boys.... yet you ran 10." A rare flicker of approval warmed his stern face. "Stubborn as a sharp sword. Just like your father. Good"
Near the weapon racks, a stunned silence had fallen over the betting guards.
Joe stared, mouth slightly agape, at the coins heavy in his hand. Xyler groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Ten... he actually made it to ten?"
Kael, his usual stoicism replaced by a faint, satisfied smirk, stepped forward. He extended his hand towards Joe without a word. The other guards muttered, shaking their heads in disbelief as Joe reluctantly counted out thirty coppers. "Told you," Kael stated simply, pocketing his winnings.
"Lucky guess," Gareth grumbled, though his eyes held a new measure of respect as he watched Avalon carry the Astrael towards the manor. "He got grit, I'll give him that."
High above, from the arched window, in the study room, Baron Kaelen Ravenastra lowered the boo he had been pretending to review. He watched the entire ordeal, his son determined figure staggering around the field, the guards placing their bets, and him getting fainted.
His knuckles had been white where they gripped the window during the last few laps. Now, seeing Avalon carrying his son, a complex mix of emotions stired within him.
Ten laps. Under Avalon's relentless eye. He let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"What fire have you kindled in yourself, son? And what path have I just allowed you to step onto?" The sight of Astrael's limp form sent a pang pain through him, but the sight of that stubborn, unwavering run held it at bay.
He turned away from the window, his expression thoughtful and grave.
Astrael, eyes blink. His body felt like tearing apart. Every muscle, shrieked in protest. He was back in bed, the familiar scent of lavender's.
A cool, wet cloth gently smoothed his forehead. his vision blurry at first, then saw his mother, Laira, seated beside him.
Her eyes were red rimmed, pale face with worry, but a trmilous smile touched her lips as she saw his eyes open.
"foolish boy," she whispered, her voice with worry and unshed tears. The wet cloth continued soothinh his forehead.
"You know, you scared us half to death. What possessed you? Why you pushed yourself so hard." Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the blanket covering him.
Astrael tried to speak, but only a dry voice emrged.
"Shhh, don't try to talk," Laira soothed instantly, reaching for a cup of water on the bedside table.
Gently, she supported his head, helping him take small sips. "Elara is preparing a restorative porridge. Doctor Harman has been summoned." Her fingers brushed his cheek. "Your father is... well, he's pacing downstairs. He is worried, though he'll never admit it readily."
Memories flooded back, the test of Cpatain Avalon."C-Captain...?" he managed, his voice still rough.
Laira's expression softened, understanding his question. "Captain Avalon carried you back himself. He said..." She paused "...he said you showed remarkable resilience. Ten laps, Astrael. He didn't expect half that." She sighed, a mixture of exasperation and profound relief. "But promise me, no more heroics until you are fully recovered? You must heal properly."
Astrael managed a weak nod.
Exhaustion pulled at him. But beneath the bone deep weariness and his mother's worried gaze, a small, fierce ember glowed. Ten laps. He'd done it. He'd pushed through the wall.
He had proven something, not just to Avalon or his watching father, but to himself. The path was brutal, yes. But he had taken the first, agonizing steps.
Then his mind stired, as he silently commanded in his mind,
"Status."
Host : Astrael Ravenastra
Age: 4 yrs
Race: Human
Title: Young Master, The One Who Defies Death, ???, ???
Class: -
Cultivation: Novice
Level: 0
Exp.: 0/100
Bloodline: Ravensastra Bloodline
-------------------------------
Attributes:
- Strength: 5
- Agility: 5
- Intelligence: 10
- Endurance: 4 -->5
- Vitality: 5
- Charm: 5
- Soul: 100 (LOCKED)
- SP: 0
(10 - adult human average)
-------------------------------
Skills and Abilities: [Appraise]
-------------------------------
'Holy fuck...for this much agony only for the the endurance to increase by 1 point.' Astrael cursed in his mind.
'Ahh....It's long path, but I will conquer.' He thought, as his eyes drifted shut again, lulled by his mother's presence and the sheer weight of his fatigue, the thought surfaced, clear and unwavering, 'I can do this.'