Note: Don't let your imagination run wild

.....

That afternoon the streets of Steinriver City were like any other day, packed with people passing by with their matters.

In one of the food stalls selling various kinds of kebab meat, quite a lot of people, young and old alike, waiting for their turn to be served. Some began to get angry because they still hadn't got their turn and started to scream impatiently.

“Hey, old man! I've been waiting here for a long time. When is my turn?"

Shouted a middle-aged man who stood at the very end of the crowd. He said that, lying with his eyes open. After all, his position at the very end showed he came last.

"What's wrong with you? I'm a woman with a small child, but I haven't had my turn yet. Now you're the one who came late and want to cut line, where's your shame?” grumbled a fat mother with a runny-nosed brat beside her. The middle-aged man in question immediately glared at the woman, and then joined his voice with others.

Several of them had thought the same, to make trouble by cutting the line in front of them. It's just that on the other side of the street, not far from here, several dark-armored security officers were patrolling to make sure no disorder occurred. And that's more or less prevented some people from carrying out their bad ideas.

"Excuse me! Please step aside, give me a way out!”

A man's deep voice came from the innermost circle of the crowd. He was a middle-aged man, probably older than the previous shameless man. But from his stature and body, this bald man was not someone to be trifled with.

Not much to say, the people in front of this bald man immediately gave enough space for him to pass. After all, if one person came out, maybe they could sneak into the front line.

This bald man immediately left the crowd with plenty of kebabs in his hands, which were probably enough for three to four people to eat at the same time.

A moment later, he arrived in front of certain buildings not far from there. It was a contrast to see because the situation of this building was so quiet, unlike the street in front of it.

Of course, this building was a branch of the city's security officers for the western district. A place that many people tried to avoid because if you entered there, either voluntarily or forcefully, it meant you were in trouble. Because of this, the building was the quietest and safest place along this street.

Some people who accidentally noticed the direction of the bald man's going would think he was a member of the security officers. So they did not dare to stare at him for too long. Too bad, they couldn't be more wrong, though.

He did not stop at the entrance. He continued his steps up the stairs towards the east side of the building.

There was only a boy, about ten years old, sitting there in leisure, watching the people milling about. His mouth was never idle. His right hand was always ready to put snacks in his mouth when it had stopped chewing.

Several leftovers were strewn at his feet, a sign that the boy had been there for quite a while. Somehow, that much food could fit on a body that was almost five feet in height.

The bald man who watched the scattered trash glanced at the kebab in his hand, the corners of his lips twitched. He wondered if what he bought will be wasted.

“Ah, Uncle, you have arrived. And here I wonder what I will do when my snacks are almost finished?”

The boy turned back and greeted the arrival of the person he was waiting for with his boyish grin.

“Only you would say all of this food are just snacks. This amount would be more than enough to feed someone else for a day,” the bald man shook his head in disbelief, “Here is your favorite food.”

"Thank you, Uncle."

The boy accepted. He took a kebab skewer and offered it to his uncle.

"Uncle, do you want some?"

"Don't pretend to be polite with me, I won't take food from a kid," the bald man refused, then he sat down next to the boy.

"What do you mean by pretending to be polite, I'm very sincere here."

Even though his actions were read by the bald man, the boy would not admit it.

"If you want, this one is for you."

The bald man looked at the one kebab skewer that was offered to him, then glanced at the remaining dozen skewers in the boy's hand. That way of holding it was like protecting something from a thief, 'You can only take this one, nothing more!' kind of gesture.

'What a miser!'

The bald man shook his head, "Well, you can have it for yourself, my stomach doesn't agree with lamb meat."

"You don't want it? It's your loss then."

Even though the boy said it like that, his happy face by being able to save a kebab skewer betrayed his words.

"So, how was your training?"

The bald man started a new topic, didn't want to continue with the food issue, or else he would become irritated himself.

"Hmm, just so so, I guess. Dad has been quite busy for quite some time, so he can no longer train me and my big sis. So, I can only repeat what he had taught. I mostly focus on physical training," the boy replied in between his chews without caring.

“Yeah, your father has been quite busy lately. He has to handle many things that fall into his hands on behalf of the empire as an active member of Royal Aegis,” the bald uncle continued.

"Hmm?" the boy raised his eyebrows looking at the bald man beside him, full of curiosity.

“Uncle Goto, what do you know? Come on, say it. Don't stop in the middle."

“You brat, it's not for you to learn such a thing too early. Your mom and dad never said anything to your sister, it's still too early even for you, Aria," Uncle Goto ruffled the boy's short black hair.

Aria just snorted, not expecting such an answer, “You adults are the same, you love to play riddles. You're not fun."

"Haha, don't be like that. It's all within the scope of the rules. No need to rush, just take it, step by step. Now your job is just to learn as much as you can; develop your abilities as many and advance as possible."

"As you grow up, you will start to learn all kinds of new things, especially about this world. Just be patient until that time comes,” Uncle Goto tried to pacify the boy beside him.

"Rules?" Aria muttered under his breath.

“Again, how about your training?”

Uncle Goto tried to change the topic again because the previous course of the conversation ended up not being what he expected it to be. He didn't realize that he was the one who made it that way.

“What else can I say. Right now I can only focus on physical training. Archery practice, but without the arrows, it couldn't be called archery at all. All I can train is the endurance of my arm and my stationary stance.”

“Sword training, but using a wooden sword. It's even more useless. I'd better practice swinging a stick instead."

"Practicing martial arts with my bare hands, but none of the guards that I partnered with are serious about using their strength. In the end, I won by overpowering them."

"Isn't that ridiculous? Adults are beaten by a kid in terms of power? They really couldn't have acted any better.”

Aria bit hard on his kebab, annoyed that almost all his training ended up as a joke.

"Don't be like that, training with a weapon is very dangerous without being accompanied by a professional. Even though there were some quite skilled people among the guards, they weren't used to training someone. No one dared to take that risk. As for the other…”

Uncle Goto didn't finish his words, instead of looking at this boy strangely.

Indeed, each of the guards who became Aria's sparring partners didn't put theirs all into it. But that doesn't mean their defeat was just an act.

Each of them was quite impressive on the physical abilities of a six-year-old boy. It's just that his size was quite big for a child his age, which made people often think he was a ten years old boy.

"Well, don't worry about those things. Soon, you will activate your spiritual space. You no longer need to be passive when it comes to your sister, Rosalind.”

Uncle Goto tried to comfort him by placing his anticipation on his near future in front of him.

Hearing that, Aria's eyes brightened. He was quite curious after several years of being tortured by those closest ones to him who could manipulate spiritual energy, but it was always far from his reach.

However, that would not be the case any longer. Tomorrow, just like his sister a few years ago, he would also attend the Spiritual Enlightenment Ceremony.

The dark times where he was always bullied by Rosalind every time his sister was frustrated to see her physical abilities were repeatedly surpassed by him. His sister would prank him every chance she got.

Tripping him when he walks by manipulating the grass and plants around his feet; he would lose one or two fish every morning he caught them, only to appear on his sister's plate at breakfast; or the most annoying one was to make him pass the afternoon training session by making sure he was spent.

It would be a lie if he said he had no anticipation for tomorrow. He had often imagined that he could overcome his sister's pranks, thwart her every attempt, and make that frustrated expression appear on her face.

Of course, he never intended to bully her back. Yes, he's also equally naughty, it's just that it's limited to puns. After all, he was a gentleman. A gentleman used his brain, not his brute. Aria smiled proudly inside.

“Finally I can be free from that devil's grip,” Aria said in a low voice.

'Only you said your sister is a devil. To others, she was like a little angel. While yourself is considered as a little devil.'

'Oh no. Not quite like that, at most a little devil ghost. Ah, that was too much title to put on him.'

Uncle Goto chuckled inwardly hearing his words. But it was this pair of siblings that caused his master's residence to become much more lively.

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. Mother said that I shouldn't be playing outside for too long, we will head to Grandpa's house early this time.”

Aria remembered his mother's message this morning. He got up in a hurry and ran.

But only a few meters, he stopped. Suddenly he turned around. With his right arm still holding the uneaten kebab, his left arm was busy picking up the leftovers scattered around his seat just now, making sure nothing was left, making it spotless like before.

"Uncle, let's hurry!" finished, he immediately ran to his house, leaving his Bald Uncle behind.

“What a restless kid,” Uncle Goto shook his head, also getting up.

“But he is very sensible, what a good kid.” He smiled as he ran after the boy who was already far ahead.

He was quite surprised, how a boy could run that fast but still didn't forget to stuff the meat into his mouth. He even suspected that the boy had innovated a new feeding technique just to adapt it so he could keep eating under any circumstances.

…..

"Your father couldn't make it in time because he's still busy with all his matters."

"Rosalind too, because there is intensive training at the academy, she also has to attend it and stay in the dormitory for the next week."

Alisa broke the news to her son who had just arrived at home, still with his kebabs in his hand.

"Oh? That's new."

Aria was quite surprised, not expecting the both of them to be absent. Even though they had breakfast together this morning, there was no one telling such a thing.

Okay, he understood his father's predicament, sometimes urgent and important things could appear suddenly. So, he was not surprised by that.

But for Rosalind... She's pretty much talkative, she could tell whatever.

Even if he didn't want to hear it, she would force him to be her solo listener, like it or not. And that's why he was quite surprised.

Alisa nodded, observing her son's expression. She was quite afraid that he would be disappointed.

Even though he was quite mature for his age, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She wished the whole family could come together for him. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

"It's okay mom. So just the two of us will go this time?"

Aria reassured his mother with his broad smile. He didn't mind such small things like this, he wasn't a crybaby.

Knowing that her son was sincere with his words, Alisa was relieved. If she had noticed the slightest hint of disappointment in her son, she would feel very guilty.

"Okay," Alisa gave her son a big hug.

"Oh, where have you been? You reek of sweat," she pretended to be annoyed with an exaggerated response.

"You need to get yourself cleaned up and get ready to go. Let's see, because this is our first time going just the of us, let's make it your first date with your old mom."

"You must be feeling so honored, Young Man,” Alisa gave a playful wink to her son.

"MOM! You talk nonsense!”

Aria's face turned red with embarrassment and immediately left the place before his mother continued with her next teasing.

"Hahaha…"