After spending two full weeks buried in the musty pages of old books about mana control, I decided it was finally time to put theory into practice. My tiny hands had flipped through four thick volumes—dense with knowledge, scribbled annotations, and diagrams beyond my age. But I absorbed as much as I could. Now, it was time to test it.

Today, the field behind our house basked under the morning sun, golden light trickling through the leaves as I made my way across the grass. My small wooden sword, gifted by Dad, rested firmly in my grip. I had started practicing with it, just a few weeks after my third birthday.

As I stepped onto the open field, I spotted Dad at a distance, swinging his real sword with practiced grace. I grinned, forgetting for a moment that I hadn’t told him what I planned to do.

I took a deep breath and raised my wooden sword in front of me, holding it with both hands just like Dad always did. Then, I focused—not on the sword, but on something deeper.

Aura.

I had read how it worked, its similarity to the ki I used in my previous life. I tried to emulate that same focus, that same inner ignition. It was my first real attempt, so I didn’t expect success.

But then, something stirred.

A subtle warmth swirled within me. The aura flickered to life, faint and fragile but real. My eyes lit up. With newfound energy, I began practicing some swings, slow at first, then sharper, more fluid. I focused the aura into my legs and,

“Haa!”

I leapt, rotating in mid-air, my small body doing a full 360-degree spin, my sword slicing through the air in a perfect circular arc.

I landed, breathing heavily, chest rising and falling with excitement and exhaustion.

‘Yup! I did it! Now it’s confirmed… I can use aura just like I used to use ki.’

Riding the wave of success, I tried a few more basic swings—sword movements from my previous life’s training. But it didn’t take long for my energy to wane.

“Huff… huff…”
‘I’m tired… This body—it’s still too weak.’

That’s when I heard a voice behind me.

“How did you awaken your aura…? And what were those swings just now? I didn’t teach you that.”

Startled, I turned. Dad stood there, wiping sweat from his forehead, his sharp eyes focused on me.

‘Ah… I forgot Dad was here too…’

I quickly replied, “I always saw you concentrating before swinging the sword… so I just tried doing the same. Then I felt something… and it worked.”

Dad frowned thoughtfully. “Hmm… and those swings? They were too precise for a guess.”

I scratched my head and offered a nervous grin. “Oh, those? I just… made them up?”

His eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced. But after a moment, he simply said, “Alright. Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to control it properly.”

‘Huh? Seriously? I thought I’d get scolded… It’s dangerous after all…’

Then, without thinking, I added, “Oh, and I also… formed my mana core.”

Dad blinked. “Don’t joke around. You’re still just three years old.”

“I’m not joking!” I puffed my cheeks, a little annoyed. “I really did!”

To prove it, I focused, channeling mana through the pathways I had developed. A moment later, I wrapped my body in a thin film of shimmering energy. It clung to me like invisible armor, humming softly.

Dad stared at me, stunned. His eyes widened as he instinctively sensed the mana surrounding me.

“How… how did you do this?”

I hesitated, trying to explain it in the simplest way possible. “Remember when you told me there were books in the storeroom? I found a box filled with old books. They were about the continent, magic, aura, and creatures. I read them all, even though I didn’t understand everything. But I learned from them.”

His eyes softened, surprise slowly giving way to amazement. “Those books… they belonged to your mom. She used to read them during her adventuring days. She tossed away a lot too.”

Then, he looked at me again, more seriously. “And your mana core? How did you form that?”

I paused, choosing my words carefully. “I read about the mana rehabilitation method, but I didn’t just follow it, I modified it. I broke it into smaller stages and trained using those. That made it easier for me to handle.”

“…Okay,” he said slowly. Then, without another word, he turned back to continue his own training.

‘Phew… that was close. I handled that pretty well.’

‘I’m sorry, Mom… Dad… I can’t tell you the full truth yet. But I promise… I will, someday.’

Then, I decided to try again, mana control, just to confirm it. I focused. Just like before, mana surged, coating my body. The armor of energy returned, warm and protective.

Just then, the rhythmic clatter of hooves reached my ears.

A beautiful, polished carriage pulled by two black horses stopped in front of our house. Its fine design and golden trim marked it clearly as a noble’s carriage.

The door opened, and out stepped a man in noble attire. His movements were elegant, his voice deep yet kind as he approached me.

“Oh, are you Rayon? The one Robert told me about?” he said with a smile. “You’re as cute as he described! But… Why are you playing with a wooden sword? Shouldn’t children your age be doing something else?”

He paused, eyes narrowing as he looked more closely at me.

“…Oh? What do we have here? You’ve awakened your aura. Not only that, you’ve formed a mana core? At your age?”

Before I could answer, my Dad appeared beside me. “Liam! It’s been a long time, my old friend.”

The nobleman grinned. “It really has, damn it. Too long.”

Dad raised an eyebrow. “But how did you find us? I never told you the way here.”

“I became the head of the family last year,” Liam replied. “Connections, you know.”

They laughed, old friends reunited. A few moments later, Mom stepped out and greeted the nobleman warmly. They all began chatting while I sat quietly, observing.

Then, Dad turned to me and said, “This is one of the fifteen Swordmasters of the kingdom, Sir Liam Ronhard.”

I stood and bowed slightly. “My name is Rayon Krater.”

Liam chuckled. “Polite too. A rare child indeed.”

He looked at Dad. “How did he awaken the aura… and form a mana core? That’s unheard of at his age.”

Dad glanced at me, pride mixed with curiosity. “He came to me just today and told me about it. He said he’d been watching me train, and reading books. Then… he altered the mana rehabilitation method, formed his mana core, and awakened aura.”

Liam stared at me, brows furrowed, then finally nodded. “You have a genius child, my friend. Intelligent too.”

Mom’s eyes sparkled as she smiled down at me, proud and warm.

Dad chuckled. “Yeah… I know.”

Liam’s tone turned serious. “That’s actually part of why I came. There’s a job for you in the capital, guard duty, a good one. I’ve already reserved a place for you. Please, accept it and come live with us.”

Dad hesitated. “That’s… a big decision. I’ll need time to think. I’ll send you a letter.”

“Make sure it’s before next week,” Liam said as he turned toward his carriage. “I wish I could stay longer and catch up, but there’s so much work piling up.”

Mom and Dad tried to convince him to stay for lunch, but he politely declined.

As the carriage disappeared down the path, Mom turned to me with a mischievous smile.

“Well, young man… You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, don’t you?”