"You'll be starting with a simple task," Ray said as he took a log, half as long as his son, and placed it on the ground near Davin.
"I want you to pull this log from here to that tree over there," he added, pointing at a random tree in the distance.
"…" Davin frowned as he looked at the distant tree, over a hundred meters away.
'This is child abuse! Aren't there children's rights in this freaking world?'
[What's that, host?]
'!?'
"That's the only task you have to do for today," Ray said with an award-winning smile, similar of a scammer who had just hoodwinked their next victim.
'System? According to how my dad seemed earlier to be acquainted with the chubby noble, why didn't she help him open a dojo or something for training people? Instead, here we are, pulling shitty logs and boulders up a freaking hill.'
[Maybe it's because your father is doing this without her knowledge. I mean, he mentioned earlier that this was his secret domain. And the way the Lady of the Manor was insisting that he be the head knight, I think she would gladly help him train more young men in the village to become swordsmen.]
'I see… and by the way, do you have intel about this world and how things work around here?'
[Not yet, but I am constantly looking for more information about it.]
'So you brought me to a random world without knowing if it's on the brink of destruction or not!'
[Apologies, host…]
[Yes, books. I spotted some in the village's center. We'll make sure to grab a good one on the way back home.]
'Alright. Now back to log pulling.' The boy tightened his hold on the rope and prepared for a hard pull.
[Don't pull it too rashly, host.]
'Huh? Why?' Davin replied as he used all the strength, he could muster to tug the log forward. But to his father's and his own surprise, the log was pulled off the ground and smacked the boy's back, making him yelp in pain.
[A full-grown normal human usually has a strength attribute of ten. When that person works hard on their strength, they can build past it over time.]
'What does that have to do with the damn log hitting me?'
[Your current strength attribute is eight, almost equal to that of a normal full-grown man. That log is lightweight. If you pull it hard at your current strength, it will come flying towards you.]
'You should have said that sooner!' the boy thought as he rubbed his back.
[My bad…]
"Are you alright?" Ray asked his son, who seemed unaware of how strong he actually was.
"…" Davin shook his head as he gave his father an upset look.
"I can't believe you're this strong…" Ray said with a wry laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
'Is this a sign that he's going to be a talented genius?' He had a wild hunch that made his heart beat faster in excitement!
"Sir Ray! We've finished warming up!" A young man with short dark brown hair and brown eyes announced from behind the father-son duo.
"Good. We'll move on to sword practice," Ray said as he calmed his excited heart.
He then walked toward the group of four who had passionately decided to learn from Ray how to wield swords.
That's when the young men noticed a small kid who was busily examining his backside.
"Umm, Sir Ray? I think a kid followed you…" one of the youths with black hair pointed out.
"He is my son," Ray declared proudly as he glanced at the little kid, who was now staring at the group of four who had chosen his 'useless' father as their mentor.
'I pity them.'
[You shouldn't.]
'Why is that? I mean, if mother can beat father black and blue, what about these guys?'
[It is true that your mother is quite formidable. But if you haven't noticed, your mother relies on magic, while your father relies on brute strength. That makes him a person whose growth has no bounds.]
"Really! No wonder he looks strangely familiar…" one of the young men said as his gaze shifted between Ray and Davin.
"He has my good looks, right?" Ray commented with a smirk.
"Indeed, Sir Ray!"
'No bounds?'
[As long as he pushes his body to its limits.]
'Damn, I think I'll stick with mana then.'
[…]
"Shall we start?" Ray said as he picked up a wooden sword. All four boys nodded and immediately lined up in front of him.
They all held similar swords to Ray's and stood in a fighting stance, each giving two meters of space.
"Since you've all unlocked your auras after two years of hard work, I think it's time I begin teaching you how to control it and imbued it in your attacks," Ray said with a smile.
'Huh? Aura…' Davin wondered as his ears perked up.
[This might be helpful.]
"Mana resides originally in our surroundings, but as we train our bodies, the raw mana—or should I say chaotic mana—is absorbed by our bodies, making us stronger in the process…" Ray spoke as he swung the sword in his hands in a rhythmic fashion.
"The mana is usually integrated into our muscles and bones and stored there. But for you to use it, you'll have to release it from within your body," he added as a blue hue radiated from his skin, slowly covering his whole body and causing the group of boys to gasp in amazement.
"There are various methods to release aura, but the simplest—and the one I'll teach you—is through breathing…" Ray continued as he stopped swinging his sword and stood still.
He then pointed it upward, and gradually, the blue hue on his body began climbing onto the sword in his hands.
"Here comes the hard part: aura control and execution. But with time, you'll get it…" Ray added with a smile. With a single swing, the aura that had collected on his sword dissipated into the air.
"Now we'll start with the simple part: aura sensation, the ability to feel mana within your bodies…"