“Is this part of ‘the usual’ that happens every year on Soar’s birthday?” Fila asked.

“Well, on Soar’s birthday and every other time they’d come to visit,” Mom answered. “It started out as games of sorts, but somehow, they changed into a variety of tests to check on his progress.”

“So, not only Soar’s father but his old hunting party had also trained him over the years … that actually explains a lot,” Darida commented as he looked over to Zalfes, who nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, except whether they were ‘games’ or ‘tests,’ even against a kid like me, they never went easy and always won so one-sidedly, like how it will be soon when Sam beats me in our usual arm-wrestling match,” I said with pessimism as I warmed up my arms, eliciting a hearty chuckle from the brawny baldy we called Sam.

“Aw, come on, Soar, if we went easy on you, then you’d never improve, and you certainly have been doing so over the years! You may have a thing for magic, but it’s important to keep your body in shape as well!”

“Though, I can’t really say these arm-wrestling matches are really such indicators for checking one’s strength,” Seal commented while shaking his head.

“Besides, this year’s different, since Soar’s gotta look good in front of his new girlfriends,” Weiss teases.

“I am not his girlfriend!”

“Huh? But, Onelri, after what we went through together with him, we’re his friends now, right? Friends that are girls? Isn’t that what the playboy was trying to say with calling us Soar’s ‘girlfriends?’”

“I-It is not like that, Fila! ‘Friends’ and ‘girlfriends’ are completely different!”

“… Uh, my name is Weiss, and where did you hear the word ‘playboy?’”

I ignored the noise in the background as I got into position with Sam across a wooden table that was left behind when the building was still used as an inn. Considering the differences in height as well as how tall the table was, Dad had to create a block made of sand for me with Earth Magic to use as a stool. With our elbows on the surface for support, Sam and I locked our right hands. Putting the two of them together, one would clearly see how much I was at a disadvantage already from how Sam’s hand was big enough to completely envelop my small, still developing one.

“All right, boys, are we ready? Sam, you better not break Soar’s poor arm, somehow,” Lilia said as she held our hands, acting as the referee.

“No promises.”

“… Soar didn’t actually break his arm in this, did he?” Fila whispered to Mom.

“Nah, he’s just trying to get under his skin.”

“Good luck, Soar! Kick his butt!” Flomi exclaimed.

Everybody’s fairies were pretty much doing their own thing. Some were mingling, others were watching the match, especially mine who were clumped together in one group so others didn’t see them in their combined hide-detection spell.

“We’ll start on the count of three,” Lilia announced before Sam and I adjusted our grips to get more comfortable. “One. Two. Three!”

“!”

“?!”

As soon as Lilia let go, I tried to pull Sam’s arm toward my side with everything I got. Normally, up to then, with my small stature, I couldn’t even get him to budge. Not even at 50% of his full strength, he was still as a statue.

That time on my 11th birthday, though, was the first I had ever seen such an expression of shock on Sam’s face as his grip gave a little, and so before I could get in the lead, he quickly straightened himself up and put more effort into his force until we were back at the starting point.

Sam slowly pulled me down to his side of the table within seconds.

“Sam’s the winner yet again!” Lilia exclaimed while holding Sam’s fist in the air.

“Aww, and I thought Soar actually had shinyhead for a moment there,” Fila said.

“Actually, it looked a bit that way to me, too. Sam looked quite shocked,” Seal pointed out with a hand to his chin.

“What do you think, Sam?” Dad asked him.

Sam took a moment to grab his wrestling arm and open and close his hand while staring at it. “… Either he’s actually getting quite strong, or I’m starting to get old. His sudden power surprised me for a moment there. You didn’t use strength-enhancing magic, did you? I know your old man taught you.”

“No, that was my base strength at full blast.” That’s what I said, but that wasn’t actually true. I got surprised how caught off-guard Sam was at the beginning, myself, and I was a little afraid of how I’d be viewed if I actually won on accident. So, just as I was close to taking a good lead, when I felt he was exerting more pressure than usual, I pretended I was being overtaken from behind and lost slightly on purpose.

I went along with these things knowing I’d lose against him from the beginning, but with how far I had improved up to then, if I actually had applied strength-enhancement magic in my arm, I’d likely beat him within seconds. I didn’t realize then how significant my C+ rank in strength was for one in my age.

“No way, Sam actually got surprised? He must be getting old. Okay, Soar, you’re facing me now. It’s time you go up against some fresh blood.” Weiss immediately took Sam’s place and had his arm up and ready to go.

I looked over to Dad for confirmation.

“Well, I don’t see why not, just for comparison,” he answered while shrugging.

I followed Dad’s gesture and set myself up for round 2 against Weiss.

“Get him, Soar! Kick that playboy’s butt!”

“Beat that playboy!” Onelri and Fila exclaimed, respectfully.

“Looks like that little show he put in front of you earlier is affecting his rep with the girls more than we thought, huh?” Sam asked Flomi.

“Yeah, it’s a shame I don’t go out with guys of his type, either.”

“… Sheesh, crush my spirit, why don’t you?”

“And with that said, we’ll start round 2 on the count of three!” Lili exclaimed as she held our hands together. “One. Two. Three!”

““…””

The round lasted only a few seconds, ending with Weiss’ right arm pulled to my side.

“… Ah ha ha, you know, it might’ve looked easy then because I’m left-handed. Come on, one more round with the other arm. I’m sure it won’t be easy that time.”

~~

““…””

“Just what has this world come to when a guy like me loses to a kid in an arm-wrestling match?” After getting beaten twice with both hands, Weiss sat in the fetal position at a corner of the building. Weiss’ Darkness Fairy, instead of consoling her Chaperone, only shook her head with crossed arms in disappointment and shame while other fairies were snickering behind his back.

Whether they were contracted or not, fairies tended to be a little mischievous with people on some occasions. Depending on the character, they can either be easy-going and light-hearted, or they can even be a little antagonizing. Despite some of their more mature, woman-like appearances like Shadina, they can be pretty childish in moments like those. My fairies weren’t any different, especially when aimed at me if they giggled at something stupid I did, but I knew they didn’t do it out of malice and so I learned to laugh at myself from those times.

During that time, however, they did not hold back in busting their gut at Weiss’ misery. It’s amazing they were even still able to hold their hide-detection spell up while being that open about their emotions.

“That’s really amazing, Soar! You beat a hunter at an arm-wrestling match!” Fila exclaimed.

“I guess, but it’s just Weiss, you know? Not really something to brag about compared to Dad or Sam here.”

The sad thing was that compared to Sam, I only used about 65% of my full strength, and yet I still managed to beat him easily both times. Weiss’ strength must’ve been ranked around E that time, or I don’t think he’d even be in the hunting party at this point if it was any lower.

“Yeah, he looked like that kind of guy the first time I saw him.” [Onelri]

“It is Weiss we’re talking about.” [Mom]

“Yeah, it’s just Weiss.” [Lilia]

“No doubt about it.” [Seal]

“Oh, yeah?! Well, I’d like to see you try it, pretty boy!” Weiss exclaimed, looked to be having enough of the biggest roast I had ever seen in both of my lifetimes.

“Actually, I thought it’d be time for us to move on to Soar’s next test.”

“All right, sword practice! I’ve been looking forward to this for a while!” I exclaimed while pumping my fists.

“I say that, but … it’s a little past the appointed time I asked her to come. I told her how to get here, did she get lost?” Seal muttered to himself.

“… Huh?” Who’s ‘her?’

Just as I was wondering, a few knocks were heard from the front door.

“I got it!” I exclaimed before rushing to the door. When I opened it … “Ah! Ms. Renne! Good morning!”

“Good morning, Soar, and happy birthday,” she greeted before kneeling to my level and we exchanged a hug. She might’ve been my teacher while we were in the classroom, but since she had known me for as long as Mom and Dad had and the time we spent together in our ‘extracurricular lessons,’ we were pretty much family to do something like that outside of school. I say we were family, but I still had an attraction to her as a woman with her beauty, intelligence, and maturity. The cute fox ears and tail are like bonuses to me. She was one of the few who treated me more like an adult than others and was straight with me on things I needed to hear. I appreciated that sort of kindness from her.

If I actually was 11 years old in body and mind right now, I wonder if my ‘puppy-dog’ crush on her would persevere up to that point and so on, I thought.

“Sorry that I arrived a little late,” she apologized after we broke off the hug.

“It’s fine! We were just getting to the swordsmanship … test?” I trailed off as I looked to the side and noticed she had an unfamiliar guest with her.

It was a kid around my age, slightly taller than me, a human with medium-short scarlet locks and matching eyes, wearing dapper clothing suited for a young male of nobility. There was a Fire Fairy hovering behind the boy, alongside Ms. Renne’s Companions, and behind them was an experienced human maid in black and white with a Darkness Fairy and a Water Fairy of her own hovering alongside her.

The moment I laid my eyes on the boy, though, as he was slightly taller than me, the first thing I saw on his face was scorn, like he was looking at something disgusting he had just stepped on.

Well, this is new.

“I got late because I was helping these two make their way here. From what I had been told, I guess they have some business with you?” Ms. Renne asked.

“Ah! Lady Agnes! You have made it!” Seal exclaimed from behind me.

“A thousand pardons, Master Galveston, but Milady was so entranced by the shops on the way over that we lost our way. Lady Renne was kind enough to lead us here when she saw us in a bind.” It was the maid who said that while bowing deeply.

“And you said you were fine getting here on your own by foot … well, since it’s so unfamiliar from your home, I suppose it makes sense to be enamored.”

“Seal, do you know those two?” I asked him.

“I will make the introductions. All of you, please come inside,” Seal said, to which the group responded in kind. The boy … or girl as Seal referred her, let out a huff through the nose as she passed me.

What’s her problem? I thought.

“Oh! I see we have some new faces here, too!” Ms. Renne exclaimed at the sight of the girls and their families.

“Allow me to start things off. This is Lady Agnes Zanri, the only daughter of Reskondant Kingdom’s Knight General, Tristen Zanri, and the maid who’s escorting her, Melissa Walters.”

““HUUUUH?!”” Everyone who wasn’t my parents and Dad’s former hunting party exclaimed. Fila, Onelri, and I only stood there confused.

“Knight General’s … d-daughter?!” Darida exclaimed.

“I was guiding such an important person?!” Ms. Renne added.

“I was appointed to be Lady Agnes’ sword instructor while her father is busy with work,” Seal continued. “She’s my only other ‘student’ who I’m teaching my swordsmanship to. I have mentioned Soar’s name and his prowess and the lady expressed an interest to meet with him. It took quite a bit of convincing towards her father to make this arrangement in private, that’s for sure. Lady Agnes, this is the young man I’ve told you about, Soar Osmis, the only son of my great hunter colleague, Gullivan Osmis.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Agnes,” I greeted with a hand out, offering a shake while remembering my manners in front of nobility like Seal taught me. I was still taking in the fact that ‘boy’ was actually a girl. The short hair and clothes really threw me off. Her behavior toward me had been rather uncalled for, too, but I thought I’d try to mend things a little if I showed I didn’t mean any harm.

Sadly, my attempt ended up in vain as she furrowed her brow at my open hand.

“Put that filthy thing away. I do not make such contact with commoners from the countryside,” she stated with every word dripping with venom.

I could’ve sworn something inside of my head snapped the moment that comment passed through my ears.

… Oooooh, if only this ‘filth’ can be smacked onto your face right now. Despite my violent thoughts, I shakily turned my head to my parents. “Mom, Dad, were you aware of this?”

“A-Aye, it was a shock to me as well when Seal told me while we were alone. He actually wanted to introduce her to you when they arrived yesterday, but from what the lass said, she wanted to spend time polishing herself after the long trip here for today,” Dad answered with a strained voice while Mom nodded in agreement. They didn’t make any comment about their own son getting dissed right in front of them, but both of their arms were trembling, desperately resisting to do something that put all of us in deep shit later down the line. Considering we were dealing with the daughter of the kingdom’s Knight General, their social status was nothing to be sneezed at compared to us, no matter how much she needed to be disciplined for such toxic comments.

“Polishing herself … wait, you mean?”

“I will get right to the chase,” Agnes then said before pointing her finger at me. “I will not stand to have Mr. Galveston waste his valuable time and teachings to such an ignorant boy while someone such as myself is more deserving to receive them. So, here is what will happen: we will have a three-round match to see whether you have as much right to continue receiving his tutelage as I do. If I win two of those rounds, then he will never show his face to you ever again.”

“I … don’t think that’s your right to call,” I argued.

“I thought it’d be interesting to have my two students have a spar with each other, considering their talents in the sword, but I didn’t expect things to develop like this,” Seal said, looking awkward at the events unfolding. “And unfortunately, even as a noble of a household myself, the Zanri family are in a higher position of social power than us of the Galveston name. If I refuse, my reputation as a hunter as well as the Galveston lineage’s will take a nosedive just by Lady Agnes’ word.”

“And if you refuse this declaration to a duel, then that will be an automatic forfeit and Mr. Galveston will belong to me,” Agnes continued before giving a sneer. “Basically, you have no choice in the matter. For filthy plebeians to fall under the nobles’ rules, that is your fate.”

“Stop being so mean to Soar, you—!”

“Fila! Stop!” Flomi exclaimed while locking Fila’s arms to stop her attempt to approach Agnes.

Onelri, meanwhile, bit her lower lip and looked down while her fists trembled, putting everything into restraining what she wanted to yell at Agnes. Both of her parents noticed this and tried to console her the best they could.

“So, what will it be? Humiliate yourself and lose in the grandest mess possible, or know your place and hand Mr. Galveston over willingly? It is your choice,” Agnes said.

I never really crossed swords with anyone other than Seal, Dad, and sometimes some of the latter’s ‘students’ in his hunting class. The students, by the way, weren’t really much of a challenge and actually avoided sparring with me at one point after I won on numerous occasions, so I was left with Dad most of the time. On some occasions of my secret hunts, I would run into goblins with a weapon of some form in their hand, but compared to Seal’s and Dad’s swordsmanship, those monsters were more like living practice dummies for me to play around with as I pleased, even if I was only using my dull practice sword at the time. I’d take them down with my magic once they started to get some sort of feel to my fighting style before they could really fight back, though.

It had been a while since I sparred with anyone around the same age, and since it was Seal’s only other student, under normal circumstances, I would have a lot of work coming for me all at the last minute.

But during that time, the circumstances were anything but normal.

As if I was back in my retail job on Earth with the difficulty level set at ‘master professional,’ I put on the best business smile I could muster despite my lack of experience in the practice. “Well, Lady Agnes, it would be a shame for you to leave so soon after you came all this way if I declined. If you see me worthy enough for your time, then I would be more than happy to have a match with you.”

“… So be it. Just remember that this decision you have made on your ‘special day’ will be your downfall.”

“Oh, I will remember it, all right.” I will remember the face you’ll make once I completely annihilate you, you snot-nosed bitch, I thought while my ‘business smile’ was still on.

I didn’t care how far apart our mental ages were or keeping my ‘maturity’ intact. I had never wanted to deliver so much karma and discipline to a deserving brat as I did then, and dammit, I would not let this chance to take advantage of my new young body to partially get away with it slip by.