The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary - 11 - Back From the City

After Orion left his personal warning on me, my will and promise to regain back my original strength had only been refreshed.

If a person like Orion can just come by with his warning all willy nilly, then he has another thing coming on his next visit.

fours days have passed since I’ve returned back to my home from the city and during that time, I would always go back to the middle of the monster-filled forest to train my body for four hours a day.

I didn’t want to let my siblings see what I do each day with training. That’s why I would always leave around early in the morning.

The [Death-Set Training Method] wasn’t the type of training that would really give a great impression on a person. It was a form of abuse on a whole other level.

It consisted of 10,000 perfect swings, 1,000 squats, 1,000 push-ups, 1,000 Sit Ups and a 20km run as an end.

And this was just the basic level.

Once I’ve undergone this training for a month, I’ll be sure to develop a body good enough to take on the 2^nd stage of the pure core development.

And once I’ve gained the 2^nd stage, I need to increase the difficulty of the training by ten times more for another month.

The basic level may seem impossible, but because of the 1^st stage of the Pure Core, it’s not unthinkable to do it in just four hours.

***

Inside the family workshop.

“I can’t believe you really went out of your way to buy us gifts. Are you sure you should be spoiling the others like that?” asked Theresa as she was looking towards me as I was carving a handle for a new sword I was making.

“It’s fine…we still got around five gold coins worth in our savings. That’s more than enough to last us a month and a half if we spend it right.” I said as I turned to her with a calm look, as to try and not burden her.

“Since there’s not a lot of customers going to be coming here, I’m assuming that you’ll go to the City instead to sell your swords?” she asked.

“Maybe…if we can’t get a single customer here in the shop for another half of a month, I’ll consider going back to the City.” I said.

“Who did you sell your swords to anyway? I mean, you’ve only been there for a day…I can’t believe you sold it that fast at a price higher than I would have imagined?”

“I sold it to an adventurer at the Samsel Guild.”

“Really? Hmm…I don’t know anything about the guilds, but thankfully there’s someone rich enough to actually buy your swords.”

“Yeah.”

In times like this, we would just converse from time to time, expecting for a customer to come around.

It’s nothing but peace all day around.

“…Oh hey, um speaking of our savings. What are we going to do about Theodore?” asked Theresa as she was looking somewhat nervous.

“…What do you mean?”

“While you were away at the city, I saw him use magic for the first time. It seems like he was keeping it a secret from everybody.”

“…” I wasn’t so shocked.

It was around this time that Theodore showed promise in using magic.

Back in the past, after the village was invaded by the bandits, we left and went to the city.

During that time when we were sleeping in the slums, it was so cold at night that we barely could survive…

And in that time, Theodore showed his skill in using magic to ease our pain. He created a small fire that helped the entire family survive.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked.

“Yes…I was a bit scared, but it seems that he was using some kind of fire magic to make a fire in the kitchen.”

It seems that he’s been showing his talents yet again.

“What do you think we should do?” she asked as she looked worried.

“…people with the ability to use magic are rare. No one here in our village is even capable of using magic.”

“Right…”

“Theodore is young. He’s only 14 years old…for someone to use magic at such an age, we should try to cultivate his talents.”

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

“Hear me out on this, but I’m saying that we should send him to the magic academy there in the city.”

“What? Don’t you think you’re being to hasty here?”

“…”

No I’m not.

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time…

Ever since he showed his talents to us back in the past, he always dreamed of becoming a proper mage. But we were dirt poor back then…so he could only dream.

But in this second chance at life, there’s a chance for him to finally commit to his dream.

“I don’t know if I’m being hasty, but I’m just saying what’s on my mind.”

“Is there really a magic academy in the city?” she asked.

“…There is. I think the tuition there was about twenty gold a semester.”

“WHAT!?” Theresa screamed at the price.

“Don’t scream so loud…it’s just a suggestion.”

“T-twenty gold…that’s a lot.” she said as a nervous sweat dripped from her cheek.

“The Magic Academy at the city is a private school, so you can expect it to be quite a pricey school.”

“Who usually goes to that academy?” she asked.

“Well, giving birth to a child that’s magically talented is a roulette’s game. I mean look at us, the only person who had the talent was Theodore and no one else. So anyone can really just join. It can either be a person of nobility, or a person from a common background like us…”

“Oh, I thought that magicians were mostly nobles? I mean you hear stories of their accomplishments all the time.”

“Well, that might be because some nobles adopt children who have an affinity for magic.”

“I see…”

“Well, anyway. It’s up to Theodore if he wants to attend the academy.”

“And if he does?” asked Theresa as she was a bit worried looking.

“…Then we’ll support him in any way we can.” I said with a confident look.

“Do you think we can afford that kind of school?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, just leave this to me.”

At night when we were all having dinner, we started conversing with each other.

“So, how’s the book I gave you?” I asked Theodore as he was slurping on his stew.

“It’s pretty good. I never really expected that you would give us a gift back from the city. Father rarely ever does something like that.” he said.

“Well, father was never the type to give gifts.” I said as I continued eating.

“I really like the dress that you gave me, big bro!” said Thalia as she smiled from ear to ear.

“I’m glad you did, and Tilly, what did you do today? Did you play with the neighbors?” I asked the youngest.

“We did, but only for a little bit.” said Tilly as she sounded a bit down.

“I heard that a new nun well be coming to visit the village to start teaching the kids. Maybe Tilly can start going there to learn to read and write.” said Thomas.

“A new nun?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’s been a while since a new nun was able to come by the village.”

“What happened to the last nun? Sister Eclaire?” I asked.

“Don’t you remember? She died of old age a few months ago.”

“Huh, to think it would take months before they could find a replacement for her.”

“Don’t you remember when we tried playing in the dirt, she would scold at us.” said Theresa as she was reminiscing on the past.

“I do, but usually I was the one being yield at while you and the other kids ran away.” I said as I thought back to the past.

Here in our small village where about our population was nearing the five hundreds, to make sure that we had enough of a starting education, the church was able to send a nun to teach us about reading and writing.

Our village has a small school jut fit enough to actually host 50 students each year.

Now, out of all of us, the only sibling who hasn’t learned yet on how to read or write was Tilly, the youngest.

“Are you excited Tilly? A new nun is going to be teaching at the school.” I said.

“I don’t know…” she said as she sounded a bit dis-interested.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I miss mom and dad.” she said as she looks down, not looking to us as we looked worried for her.

“…”

“…”

It’s been a few days since we lost our parents. To honor their lives, we had their names engraved on a tombstone. Because their bodies were burned with the other victims to the plague, we couldn’t recover a speck of their ash or bones. All of those who were burned were simply buried together in the cemetery.

Sometimes on the days where the sun was nearly setting by, we would visit them.

I can understand why my sister would feel a sense of loneliness. I too would feel empty from time to time when I would come by their empty rooms.

It’s a bit regretful that I couldn’t regressed further back into the past to stop everything from ever happening…but I had no control over this weird event.

To see the reactions from my siblings, I couldn’t help but feel saddened by this.

“…Tilly, how about tomorrow, we all go out and have a picnic.” I said.

“…”

“That would be great, lets do it.” said Theresa as she backed me up on the idea.

I don’t really understand why I said this, but it was an attempt to try and focus on something more positive.

“I’m in!” said Thalia.

Everyone else sounded positive to the idea, except for Tilly who still misses our parents.

But there was nothing I could do for her except let time settle her heart to the pain of losing our loved ones.

The next morning, I packed a small basket with food and essentials for the picnic. The early rays of the sun barely lit the horizon as I finished tying the straps on my boots. The air outside was cool and carried the faint scent of the woods that surrounded our village. Today wasn’t just about escaping our routine—it was about trying to bring some light into the hearts of my siblings, especially Tilly.

I glanced over at her. She sat quietly near the door, hugging her knees. Theresa was beside her, whispering something comforting. The others were already outside, eager for the day ahead.

“Come on, Tilly. It’s a good day to be outside,” I said, my voice softer than usual.

She looked up, her large eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and reluctance. For a moment, I thought she wouldn’t bud.

But then she stood, hesitantly brushing off her dress. I gave her a small smile and patted her head.

“Let’s go,” I said, trying to sound cheerful.

We set off towards a small clearing near the forest, a spot where we used to play as kids. The walk was quiet at first, the only sounds coming from the rustling leaves and the distant chirping of birds. Thalia skipped ahead with Thomas, pointing at every interesting rock or flower they came across, while Theresa and I walked at a steady pace behind, keeping an eye on Tilly.

When we reached the clearing, the place was just as I remembered it—soft grass beneath our feet, with tall trees forming a natural barrier from the rest of the world. I spread out the blanket, and the others began setting up, unpacking the food we brought.

“Look, Tilly,” Thalia said, holding up a small wildflower she had picked. “Isn’t it pretty?”

Tilly nodded, but her response was still subdued. I sat down next to her, offering her a piece of bread.

“I know things have been hard lately,” I said quietly, keeping my voice low enough that the others couldn’t hear. “But we’re still here for each other. That’s what matters.”

She stared at the ground for a moment before taking the bread, nibbling on it slowly. Her small hand rested on mine for a brief second, a silent thank you.

As the day went on, things started to feel lighter. Thalia and Thomas chased each other around the clearing, laughing and pretending to be adventurers battling imaginary monsters. Theresa sat nearby, watching them with a small smile on her face, while I leaned back against a tree, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face.

Tilly eventually joined in, albeit quietly, picking flowers and arranging them in a small circle. Seeing her engaged, even if only a little, felt like progress.

“Do you remember the last time we came here?” Theresa asked, sitting down beside me. “It was before everything… before Mom and Dad got sick.”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice low. “Feels like a lifetime ago.”

She sighed, hugging her knees. “Do you ever wish you could go back? To when things were… easier?”

I looked at her, knowing exactly what she meant. “Every day.”

We sat in silence for a while, watching our siblings play. The wind rustled the leaves above us, a soft reminder that time kept moving, no matter how much we might want to hold it still.

“At least we have this,” Theresa said, her voice barely above a whisper. “At least we have each other.”

I nodded. No matter what happened, we had to keep moving forward—for ourselves, and for our family.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the clearing, I stood up and stretched. “Alright, time to head back.”

The others groaned in protest, but I shook my head. “Come on, we’ve got chores to finish before nightfall.”

We gathered everything up and started the walk back home. Tilly walked close beside me, her small hand slipping into mine. I squeezed it gently, a silent reassurance that I was here for her, for all of them.

When we got back to the house, the air was filled with a sense of quiet contentment, something we hadn’t felt in a long time. Tilly went to bed with a soft smile on her face, and for the first time in days, I felt like things might be okay again.

As I lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this peaceful moment wouldn’t last forever. There were still challenges ahead—Theodore’s magic, my secret training, and the ever-present danger of what was to come.

But for now, I let myself rest, knowing that tomorrow would bring another day of struggle, and another chance to protect the ones I loved.