A week had passed since Father first introduced me to the Valenhart family’s unique Rune Magic.
Ever since that day, I had practically shut myself inside my room.
My daily routine became surprisingly simple wake up, eat, study, read, sleep, and repeat.
Stacks of books slowly piled up on my desk, their pages filled with ancient symbols, magical formulas, and countless notes that I had scribbled down whenever an idea struck me.
At first, the concepts were difficult to grasp.
The language of runes was unlike anything I had ever learned in my previous life.
Every symbol carried meaning, intent, and magical properties that intertwined with one another like pieces of an enormous puzzle.
Yet…
The more I read, the more everything began to click.
It was almost as if my mind had been built for this.
Whenever I stumbled across something I couldn’t understand, I would seek Father out in his study.
“…Father, why does the Third Foundation Rune destabilize when paired with the Seventh Inscription?” I asked one afternoon, pointing toward a complicated diagram in the textbook.
Father looked away from the documents he had been reviewing and adjusted his glasses before taking the book from my hands.
“Hmm… That’s because the Seventh Inscription amplifies mana flow beyond what the Third Foundation Rune can stabilize. Normally, you’d need an intermediary rune between them.”
He expected that explanation to end the discussion.
Instead, another question escaped my lips almost immediately.
“Then… if I altered the ethernano pathway here and engraved a compression glyph before activation, wouldn’t it produce the same stability without adding another rune?”
Silence filled the room.
Father blinked.
“…Where did you even come up with that?”
“I… just thought it might work.”
For a long moment, he simply stared at me before a slow smile spread across his face.
“…It would.”
His expression turned into one of pure disbelief.
“I only mentioned that principle once…”
From then on, our discussions became longer.
One question became five.
Five became ten.
Sometimes they lasted until the servants informed us dinner had already been prepared.
Each time I returned to my room, I organized everything I had learned before diving back into another book.
Father never once showed impatience.
Instead, he answered every question carefully, correcting my misunderstandings while encouraging me to think for myself.
As the days passed, even he couldn’t hide his astonishment anymore.
“…Luke.”
“Yes, Father?”
“I’ve spent years studying Rune Magic, and even I needed months to understand what you’ve learned in a single week.”
He let out a quiet chuckle before shaking his head.
“I knew you possessed talent… but this is beyond talent.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder, pride evident in his eyes.
“You’re a prodigy.”
Hearing those words sent warmth spreading through my chest.
A prodigy…
If only he knew the truth.
After all, I wasn’t exactly starting from zero.
Although Rune Magic itself was completely new to me, I still retained the learning habits, discipline, and analytical thinking from my previous life.
Compared to a normal Eight-year-old, I had decades of accumulated experience.
I also have the blessing of wisdom.
It was…
a cheat, in a way.
Even so…
I had still spent countless hours reading, memorizing, and understanding everything.
None of that effort was fake.
So, hearing Father acknowledge my hard work filled me with a strange sense of satisfaction.
“…Thank you, Father.”
A few days later, Mother discovered just how much progress I had made.
She happened to overhear Father asking me about several fundamental rune structures during breakfast.
To her surprise, I answered every single question without hesitation.
She stared at me with wide emerald eyes before turning toward Father.
“…He understands all of that already?”
Father nodded with a helpless smile.
“He has nearly mastered the introductory volume.”
Mother gasped dramatically before clasping both of my cheeks.
“My precious son!”
She hugged me tightly, almost squeezing the air out of my lungs.
“I knew it! Luke inherited his intelligence from me!”
Father sighed.
“…Amy.”
“What?”
“You do realize he’s my son too.”
Mother puffed out her cheeks.
“Yes, but clearly he inherited the best parts from me.”
“Oh?”
“He has my intelligence. I seem to recall being the top graduate of the Royal Academy. And I married you despite that.”
“…I fail to see how that’s relevant.” Father said while sighing.
“It means I was smart enough to choose the best husband.”
Father opened his mouth, then quietly closed it again.
“…I concede.”
Mother flashed a triumphant grin before gently ruffling my hair.
“My little genius.”
My face immediately grew warm.
“P-Please don’t call me that…”
“Oh my, he’s blushing.”
“He certainly is.”
Both of them laughed while I wished I could disappear beneath the dining table.
Still…
Embarrassing as it was, I couldn’t stop the small smile forming on my face.
Being praised by the people who loved me…
felt nice.
Far nicer than I expected.For the first time in a long while, I truly felt that my efforts—cheat or not—were being recognized.
Then, one evening after finishing another lesson on rune theory, Father closed the book with a soft thud.
“You’ve progressed far enough in your studies.”
I tilted my head.
“…Does that mean there are more advanced books?”
Father laughed.
“There are.”
His expression became more serious.
“But knowledge alone won’t keep you alive.”
He stood and walked toward the training grounds outside the manor’s window.
“A noble of House Valenhart must be capable of protecting both himself and those under his care.”
Then he turned back toward me.
“Starting next week…”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“…I’ll begin teaching you proper combat.”
For a brief moment, my heart skipped a beat.
Combat.
Not reading.
Not studying.
Magic used in battle.
Real training.
An excitement I hadn’t felt since arriving in this world bubbled up inside me.
“I’ll do my best, Father.”
“I know you will.”
As I watched the fading sunset paint the training grounds in shades of crimson and gold, I couldn’t help but grin.
Books had laid the foundation.
Now…
It was finally time to learn how to fight.
The very next morning, while darkness still lingered outside my bedroom window, someone shook my shoulder.
“Luke… Wake up.”
A familiar deep voice pulled me from the warmth of my dreams.
I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow.
“…Five more minutes…”
A chuckle escaped my father’s lips.
“No. Training starts now.”
I reluctantly opened one eye and squinted toward the window.
The sky was only beginning to brighten with the first hints of dawn.
“…What time is it?”
“Six in the morning.”
“…Six?”
I sat upright so quickly that the blanket slipped off my shoulders.
“What kind of insane person starts training at six in the morning?!”
Father crossed his arms and laughed heartily.
“A swordsman.”
“I’m not even a swordsman! I want to become a mage!”
“Then a mage who doesn’t oversleep.”
I let out an exaggerated groan.
“This world has no concept of child labor…”
Father ignored my complaint and smiled.
“Get dressed. Unless you’d rather I carry you outside wearing those pajamas.”
My eyes widened.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I absolutely would.”
“…I’m changing!”
I scrambled out of bed before he could prove he was serious.
Several minutes later, after hastily putting on my training clothes, I hurried outside toward the training yard.
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of dew-covered grass.
Birds chirped peacefully from the nearby trees.
Standing in the middle of the yard with his arms folded behind his back was Father.
The moment he saw me, he nodded.
“You certainly took your time changing.”
“I only took a few—”
“Your punishment is simple.”
He pointed toward the large path surrounding our estate.
“Ten laps around the house.”
“…What?”
“Ten laps.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“B-But Father! That’s unfair! You literally woke me up five minutes ago!”
He remained expressionless.
“The battlefield doesn’t wait for sleepy soldiers.”
“I’m not a soldier either!”
Father sighed dramatically before reaching behind his back.
Somehow…
Somewhere…
He produced a wooden sword.
“…Where did that even come from?”
Instead of answering, he casually swung it downward.
Crack!
The wooden blade slammed against the ground with enough force to leave a tiny fracture in the hardened dirt.
I froze.
“…”
Father smiled kindly.
“So?”
“…I’m running!”
Without another word, I turned around and sprinted as fast as my little legs could carry me.
Behind me, I could hear Father’s laughter.
“And don’t skip any corners!”
The first lap wasn’t too bad.
By the third, my legs began protesting.
By the fifth, I wondered if I had somehow offended the gods in my previous life.
Our estate wasn’t exactly small.
Including the training grounds, garden, and surrounding paths, the property covered roughly one and a quarter acres.
Running around it ten times was practically torture for an eight-year-old.
Still…
Something felt strange.
Although sweat dripped down my forehead and my muscles burned, the exhaustion never became unbearable.
Each time my breathing grew heavier, I could feel energy slowly returning to my body.
My heartbeat steadied faster than it should.
My aching legs recovered little by little while I continued running.
It was subtle…
But unmistakable.
My blessing.
The accelerated stamina recovery and enhanced adaptation were already beginning to show their effects.
By the time I crossed the finish line after nearly thirty minutes, I was breathing heavily…
…but I wasn’t collapsing.
Father looked genuinely surprised.
“Hm.”
He examined me from head to toe.
“You’re tired…”
“…Obviously.”
“But you’re not gasping for air.”
I proudly puffed out my chest.
“Told you I was amazing.”
His lips curled into a grin.
“I’ll increase it to fifteen laps next time.”
“…”
My confidence evaporated instantly.
“Can I take that statement back?”
“No.”
The running was only the beginning.
“Push-ups.”
I dropped onto the ground.
“One… Two…”
After thirty push-ups came squats.
Then lunges.
Then pull-ups using a thick wooden bar installed between two sturdy posts.
Finally…
Core exercises.
By the end of it all, my entire body trembled with every movement.
While supervising each exercise, Father continued explaining the purpose behind them.
“Many people believe magic alone determines a mage’s strength.”
I struggled through another sit-up.
“…Isn’t that true?”
“No.”
He crouched beside me.
“A weak body cannot endure long battles.”
I continued another repetition.
“If your body collapses before your mana runs out, you’ve already lost.”
“…That… makes sense…”
“A healthy body improves concentration, mana control, endurance, and even reaction speed.”
He folded his arms.
“A true mage isn’t someone who only memorizes spells.”
He smiled proudly.
“A true mage tempers both mind and body.”
I silently nodded.
Maybe his methods were brutal…
But I couldn’t deny his logic.
So I endured.
Even after my arms felt like jelly.
Even after my legs threatened to give out.
I continued following every instruction until my body finally reached its limit.
Several exhausting hours later, Father finally nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s enough.”
I immediately collapsed onto the grass.
“…I think I saw my previous life flash before my eyes.”
Father laughed.
“Good. That means you worked hard.”
By the time we returned inside the house, the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread, eggs, and vegetable soup drifted through the hallway.
Mother was already seated at the dining table with a gentle smile.
“There you two are.”
She looked at our sweat-soaked clothes and sighed.
“I know exactly what happened.”
Father simply smiled.
Mother pointed toward the hallway.
“Go wash yourselves first. No arguments.”
Father nodded.
“Understood.”
I raised a weak hand.
“I second that…”
After cleaning ourselves and changing into fresh clothes, we finally gathered around the table.
The breakfast tasted incredible.
Maybe hard work really was the best seasoning.
Once breakfast was over, Father’s training ended for the day.
Mother took over.
She arranged several books neatly across the study table before smiling at me.
“So, Luke. You still wish to become a mage?”
I answered with certainty “Absolutely. I’m not changing my mind.”
She nodded approvingly.
“I’ll support your dream.”
A warm smile spread across my face.
“But…” She gently tapped one of the books.
“A mage who only knows magic is a fool.”
“Huh?”
“Knowledge creates opportunities.”
She leaned closer.
“If you understand geography, you’ll know the terrain before entering battle. If you study mathematics, calculating trajectories and mana consumption becomes easier. If you learn history, you’ll avoid repeating humanity’s mistakes. If you understand ethics, you’ll know when your power should—or shouldn’t—be used.”
“And if you master languages…” She smiled knowingly.
“…the world itself becomes much larger.”
I couldn’t help but admire her reasoning.
She wasn’t trying to stop me from becoming a mage.
She wanted me to become a wiser one.
“I understand.”
Mother gently patted my head.
“Good.”
The rest of the morning passed in quiet study.
She taught me the geography of the continent, introducing the neighboring kingdoms and dangerous regions where monsters roamed freely.
After that came mathematics, followed by history, ethics, and language.
Hours passed before I even noticed.
By the time our lessons ended, it was already lunchtime.
The afternoon was finally mine.
Without hesitation, I rushed back to my room and retrieved the stack of rune magic books Father had given me.
If morning training strengthened my body…
And Mother’s lessons strengthened my mind…
Then these books would strengthen the thing I wanted most, My magic.
I carefully opened the first volume, excitement bubbling inside me as unfamiliar symbols filled the pages.
“So…”
I whispered to myself.
“Let’s see what kind of secrets this world’s rune magic holds.”
That evening, after another peaceful dinner with my parents, I followed Father back to his study.
He noticed the book tucked beneath my arm and smiled knowingly.
“So… You’ve started reading them already?”
I nodded eagerly.
“I have a lot of questions.”
Father chuckled.
“Good.”
He pulled out two chairs and sat across from me.
“Then let’s begin your lesson in rune magic.”
My heart raced with anticipation.
The exhausting day had finally come to an end…
But for me It felt like my true journey had only just begun.
<Hey!
New Author here!
i just want to tell anyone who is reading this, thank you for taking a little time for reading my creation, this is just a little hobby for me.
hope you enjoy it and any comment, suggestion and opinion don’t be shy to tell me.
just be kind as much as possible that’s it thank you and i hope you have a nice day!>