"Ah!"
Thud.
The axe struck the wood, but not deep enough to split it in half. Kael gritted his teeth and struggled to pull it out, his face twisting with effort. After a few seconds of struggle, he heard a low chuckle behind him.
"Too much force and stop making those weird noises, they only disrupt your breathing rhythm."
Ronald stepped closer and, with a firm gesture, pulled the axe free and handed it back to him.
"Aim for the grain. That's where the wood is weakest. And this time, no unnecessary movements."
Kael took a deep breath and lifted the axe again, determined to apply the advice he had just received.
Focusing on the grain, he tightened his grip on the handle, inhaled deeply, and this time controlled his movement. He raised the weapon above his head before swinging it down with precision.
Crack!
The strike wasn't perfect, but it was precise enough to create a split in the log.
"Better. Now, finish the job."
Kael quickly lifted the axe again and, with a second, more confident strike, the log split cleanly into two halves, falling to the sides.
"See? Strength is important, but if you don't use it properly, it's just a waste of energy."
Kael nodded, still slightly out of breath but feeling a sense of pride. He watched as Ronald resumed his work, splitting logs with the same effortless precision as before. After a brief hesitation, Kael gathered the courage to speak.
"Ronald, do you think I'll ever be able to sense mana?"
At the question, Ronald stopped and looked him in the eye with an unreadable expression.
All the village children attended a small academy funded by the Baron, where they received basic education. Those who showed talent were guided onto the path toward a greater level of strength.
Humanity had developed two methods of using mana, securing its place at the top of the food chain. The first was physical enhancement, used by soldiers and warriors to strengthen their bodies. The second involved forming a core to store mana, which could then be manipulated to cast various spell, a path followed by mages.
The two paths were distinct and incompatible. Moreover, one couldn't simply choose their path; it was their body that determined their aptitude for one or the other.
Regardless of the path, those with talent started at the Novice rank, which was divided into four stages: Basic, Intermediate, Hight, and Highter, just like all the ranks that followed.
However, the road to power wasn't meant for everyone. The essential requirement was the ability to sense mana, an ability not everyone possessed... just like Kael.
At his age, if he had the potential, he should have already been able to feel it. But nothing. This didn't mean he couldn't awaken it in the future, but the more time passed, the slimmer his chances became. And even if he eventually managed to sense mana, he would still lag behind his peers.
"Who knows."
Ronald's response was casual as if he hadn't given it much thought. But when he noticed Kael's dejected expression, he rubbed his neck awkwardly and sighed.
"Anyway, I'm pretty sure you'll get there."
Kael looked up, caught off guard by those words.
"...What makes you think that?" He asked, unconvinced.
Ronald took a moment before replying, setting his axe down beside him. He crossed his arms and studied Kael with an unreadable expression as if carefully weighing his words.
"I mentioned this a long time ago, but you were probably too young to remember. The place I found you, and everything connected to it, was so insane that I seriously doubt you don't have the potential to develop that ability."
At the mention of his past, Kael's eyes lit up with curiosity. But before he could ask anything, Ronald raised a hand to stop him.
"You're still too young to know certain things. When the time comes, I'll tell you."
Kael huffed in frustration but didn't press the issue. His relationship with Ronald was... peculiar, to say the least. But the man treated him well, he made sure Kael's room was always warm, gave him larger portions of food, and trusted him enough not to question his whereabouts all the time. All these little gestures earned Kael deep respect, and he saw Ronald as a mix between a mentor and a father figure
"Fine... but you still haven't told me when I'll be able to sense mana."
Ronald sighed, rubbing his neck in exasperation.
"Why are you in such a hurry? You're only ten years old."
"If I don't start training now, it'll take too long before I can set off on my adventures!" Kael declared excitedly.
"Adventures, huh?" Ronald repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Exactly!"
Kael raised the axe into the air as if it were a sword, planting one foot on a log. His mind was already drifting into imagination, picturing himself standing atop a mountain, ready to challenge the world.
"I'll travel across the continent, visit the New World, fight monsters and even reach the rank of Saint!"
"Ambitious, I'd say," Ronald chuckled.
The first three things Kael mentioned weren't too far-fetched, but becoming a Saint was not something one could aspire to so easily, especially considering that, across the entire continent, there weren't even ten of them.
"You planning to become a hero too?" Ronald joked.
"Yes! Just like the great adventurer Black Tail!"
Black Tail was a legend in the New World. According to the stories, he had once faced and defeated a lesser black dragon, an achievement that earned him his name. Even more astonishing was the fact that, despite not belonging to any major guild, he had managed to reach the rank of Saint. His adventures were countless, battles against terrifying monsters, rescuing the innocent. A true hero among adventurers.
Only a moment later did Kael notice the shift in Ronald's expression. His face twisted into a bitter grimace as if he had just tasted something unbearably sour.
"...Are you okay?" Kael asked, concerned by the expression Ronald was making.
"It's nothing..." the man muttered, shaking his head. "Just... don't mention that cursed name again. Ever."
"Why? Don't tell me you knew him?"
Ronald snorted, crossing his arms with a dark expression.
"Knew him? By the gods... I think I'm the only one who truly did."
Kael narrowed his eyes slightly, then crossed his arms and sighed.
"Pff, sure, and I'm the prince of some unknown kingdom."
Ronald blinked, slightly surprised, before murmuring something.
"You might be..."
"Huh? Did you say something?" Kael tilted his head.
"Nothing, just talking to myself." Ronald shook his head, then clapped his hands. "Anyway, less talking, more working! That firewood isn't going to chop itself."
Kael sighed, grabbing the axe with a resigned look. "I still don't get why I have to do this. You'd be way faster."
Despite his complaints, he got to work, splitting the logs with determination.
"What? You'd let an old man like me do such hard labor?"
Kael shot him a skeptical look, not believing him for a second. Ronald always called himself old and weak, but Kael was certain he was in better shape than most men.
"Don't look at me like that, it's the truth," Ronald insisted, though the twitch in his lips betrayed his attempt to appear serious. "Jokes aside, this is good training for you."
"Really?" Kael asked doubtfully, raising the axe to split another log.
"It might not seem like it, but it's great for strengthening your back and learning how to maintain a stable stance after every swing."
Kael had to admit it made sense, though he still wasn't convinced it was the best way to train.
"But at the academy, they already teach us how to use a sword."
"And that's a good thing. They want to give you the basics as soon as possible. But remember, your body is the foundation of everything. The stronger it is, the better you'll be able to harness mana."
Kael nodded, though a doubt remained in his mind.
"I thought mana was what made our bodies stronger."
"It does… but only to a certain extent." Ronald crouched next to him, picking up two pieces of wood of different thicknesses to illustrate his point. "Mana allows you to push past your limits. The more you train, the further you extend those limits. That's why two people of the same rank can have vastly different levels of strength."
As he spoke, he demonstrated how the thinner piece of wood broke much more easily than the thicker one, even though they were from the same tree. Kael's eyes widened in realization.
"So that's why you're so strong, even though… uh…"
"I can't use mana anymore?" Ronald asked, understanding the source of Kael's hesitation, everyone in the village knew about it by now.
Kael nodded, worried. He had learned that this was a delicate topic, so even though he was curious, he had never dared to ask about it.
His concern, however, proved unnecessary as Ronald simply laughed and ruffled his hair.
"Kid, you're way too young to be worrying about what an old man like me might feel."
"B-But aren't you sad or… I don't know, angry?" Kael asked hesitantly.
Ronald sighed. After a moment of silence, as if choosing his words carefully, he finally spoke.
"At first, I was," he admitted. "You see, maybe you don't understand it yet, but losing the strength that once allowed you to move without limits… it eats away at you from the inside. Nothing feels the same anymore, everything loses its meaning. That's why most people go insane or, worse, take their own lives."
Kael tensed, but Ronald smiled at him reassuringly.
"But unlike them, I didn't exactly feel the same. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy," Ronald clarified before continuing. "During that time, I had a lot to think about. But when I looked back on my life, do you know what I saw?"
Kael shook his head, unsure.
"Absolutely nothing," Ronald sighed.
"I spent my whole life chasing strength, striving to reach the top. But in doing so, I lost everything I had. So I thought… what was the point of all that power if I had no one to protect, no goal to strive for? It was that thought that helped me move forward."
When Ronald finished speaking, he observed Kael. He could see that the boy looked confused, unsure of what to say, but that was fine. Kael was still young, with a long life ahead of him. Even though Ronald didn't want to burden him with such heavy topics, he wanted him to remember this lesson.
"Kael, remember this: It's good to become strong, and you should never give up on it. But don't make it the sole purpose of your life. If you do, you'll miss out on so many wonderful things. Trust these words from an old man."
"Alright! I'll become strong and have fun too!"
Seeing his boundless energy, Ronald nodded in approval, wondering what the future held for the boy. But for now, his thoughts were more focused on Kael's upcoming fifteenth birthday, and everything that would come with it.