“Just what is he?” I thought to myself. He seemed to always be around the ‘burial site’ ever since the first time I saw him.

I tried to communicate with him. But as he walked towards me, I would run away along with Kyrstal. He would then stop in his tracks and look for beasts to kill around the site. I could see a trace of disappointment in his gestures, much like my dream with the goddess, but this man did not seem to have a mind, much less a soul with his appearance.

Because of him, my training was cut short, not that I ever defeated a beast in the five years I’ve been here. But I was planning to do so eventually.

It was peaceful because the figure practically cleared the area of beasts, but I didn’t want to let the goddess down. Sure, I wasn’t under her protection. That doesn’t change the fact that I was hiding out of cowardice.

It had been about seven days since the mysterious figure occupied this area. It was time to move. I finally gathered enough courage to face it. If I didn’t move now, my legs would give out of fear and paralyze me at the thought of being sliced in two. So I didn’t think. I stopped all my thoughts and before I knew it, I stood toe to toe with the shadowy man, leaving Krystal to watch at a far tree to her dismay.

Upon closer inspection, the man was wearing clothes. He had steel boots, covering his knees to the tip of his feet. He wore black pants made of some sort of synthetic material. At his waist was a big, brown belt, slightly tilting on his hip, covered in medals of honor. From his fingers to his elbows was another set of armor similar to his feet. He had a black dress shirt unbuttoned to his navel and a coat whose collar had the fur of some beast, whose unoccupied sleeves flowed to the wind.

The gaseous shadow seemed to cloud his whole appearance, but he was definitely a human or race of some kind based on his wear.

His pressure overwhelmed me as he stepped closer… and closer.

My legs gave out and I fell to my knees. I looked up towards his face, searching for his eyes, only to gaze deeper into the blackness.

“… Why do you not have mana?”

The voice was disembodied and cold. He was serious. If I lied, he would cut me where I am.

“I-I don’t—“

Before I finished, he unsheathed the white blade and held it at the nape of my neck. My blood trickled down my chest. He was furious at me. At my weakness.

“You have been chosen to inherit my king’s swordsmanship by the order of Myra, the love of his life and guardian of his grave.”

‘T-The king’s swordsmanship’ I thought to myself. So the goddess was a queen. And this form I have… then….

“As weak as you are, she has already given you his constitution out of pity. As it is a request from the queen herself I cannot deny her demands and have been awoken from my slumber… But you disappoint me, boy.”

“Huh?” I was only ten years old. Fighting these beasts on my own, was I weak by his standard?

“A worthless kid like you—“ The shadowy figure said, full of scorn.

“I am not worthless..! My father has rejected that name and so will I! I am Ares!” I said interrupting him. ‘That is no longer my name. I am no longer worthless. I am the son of Knight Commander Gillius, Ares.’ I told myself, reaffirming my identity.

“Hmm… You are not spineless after all… But that does not change the fact that you’ve failed to kill a beast for five years according to the queen.”

His voice seemed amused and felt like it was smiling (and laughing) at me, though I could not see his face. It was just a feeling. The same feeling father had when he found out Sirana had a talent for the sword. He looked at me as we stood there for a few minutes. He was examining me, but I could not say for sure. He finally looked towards my missing arm and let out a sigh. He retracted his blade from my nape and I tried to gain distance as fast as possible. We stood there, eyeing each other. After a while he twirled the white sword in his hand playfully. Finally willing to break the silence, he spoke. Despite his disapproval of Ares, he seemed excited to gain a student.

“I am General Astercoth and I shall decide your worth, not your father, Ares.” He said warmly.

As much as it pained me to realize it, my father was not with me right now, only the man that could kill me at any moment.

Astercoth formed a blade out of his darkness and threw the white sword at the ground near my feet. I thought of picking up the sword and running away, but I had a feeling he would murder me the moment I turned my back. Looking at the sword, it lost the blue stream it had in Astercoth’s hands.

“Pick up his majesty’s blade. Your training begins now.”

I picked up the sword, but the stream did not return. In fact, the blade itself darkened. ‘What’s going on’ I thought to myself, squinting at the sword.

“Prepare yourself.”

Astercoth took a step and appeared in front of Ares, punching him in the face as a warning.

“Concentrate on your enemy!” Astercoth yelled.

The king’s constitution activated before impact and I flew across the island. My body smashed through so many trees, into a pack of wolves feasting on an injured beast.

“You have a lot to learn.” Astercoth was leaning against a tree to his right. He shook his left and right in disapproval. But he seemed happy?

One of the wolves jumped at me as I looked towards him.

And so the training began.