Kael discovered that progress could be annoyingly difficult to notice. He stood in the middle of the living room, breathing a little harder than usual as he finished his final set of wall push-ups. His arms felt tired, but they weren’t shaking, and he could maintain his position without constantly correcting himself.
When he had first tried the exercise, he had struggled to complete even a few repetitions without bending his back or losing his balance. Now, after several training sessions spread across the past few days, the movement felt more familiar.
He stepped away from the wall and rolled his shoulders. "That’s better," he said.
From the sofa, Sera glanced up from her notebook. "What is?" she asked.
"The workout," Kael replied.
"Did you finish?"
"Yes."
Sera raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you standing there looking surprised?"
Kael considered her question before answering. "Because I didn’t feel like I was about to collapse this time."
Sera smiled. "That’s an improvement."
"Exactly. Finally, someone appreciates my achievements," Kael said.
"I appreciated your achievements when you managed to stand up after your first workout," Sera replied.
Kael shook his head as he reached for his towel. "That was a low point in my life."
"You brought it upon yourself," Sera reminded him.
Kael wiped his face and sat down on the sofa, leaving a little space between himself and Sera’s notebook.
He had completed his squats, wall push-ups, and marching exercises without rushing. He had also taken short breaks between sets instead of treating rest as a sign of weakness. His legs still felt some strain during the squats, but he had managed to keep his balance and maintain a steadier pace.
It wasn’t a dramatic change, but it was enough to encourage him.
"How’s your work going?" Kael asked as he settled into his seat.
"Pretty well. I’ve been trying to finish a few sketches, but I still need to make some changes," Sera replied.
She turned the notebook toward him.
Kael looked at the page. One of the designs had more detail than the sketches she had shown him before.
"This one looks different," he observed.
"It is. I’m trying another style," Sera explained.
"Do you like it?" Kael asked.
Sera studied the drawing for a moment. "I like parts of it. I’m not sure about the rest yet."
"Then keep working on it," Kael encouraged her.
She gave him a small smile. "That’s the plan."
Kael leaned back against the sofa. He had promised himself that he would take his training seriously, but he had also promised Sera that he wouldn’t build his routine around his own goals alone.
They had been testing their household schedule for several days, and while it wasn’t perfect, it had made some things easier. They no longer had to guess who would handle every meal or wait until the last minute to decide when to shop. They still had difficult nights with Noah, but at least they had agreed to adjust their plans when necessary.
The same approach needed to apply to training.
Kael glanced at the clock before speaking. "I was thinking of training tomorrow morning too."
Sera closed her notebook halfway. "Does that fit the schedule?"
"I think so. I don’t have a shift tomorrow, and Noah usually settles after his morning feed," Kael explained.
"Usually," Sera repeated.
Kael smiled. "I know. Nothing is guaranteed with him."
"Good. I just want to make sure we’re not treating my time as the part of the schedule that can always be moved," Sera said.
Kael sat up. "You’re right. What did you want to do tomorrow?"
"I was hoping to spend an hour or two working on my sketches. I’ve been making progress, and I don’t want to keep stopping every time something else needs to be done," Sera explained.
"Then let’s plan around that. I can take Noah after breakfast while you work. I’ll train before that, provided we’ve both had enough sleep," Kael suggested.
"And if Noah has a difficult night?" Sera asked.
"I’ll postpone the workout or move it to another day," Kael replied.
Sera nodded. "That sounds fair."
Kael thought about the arrangement for a moment.
He had initially imagined that he could train whenever he found a spare moment. But in practice, a spare moment could disappear quickly when there was a baby to care for and a household to manage.
Having a schedule didn’t mean every activity needed a fixed time. It meant they both knew what mattered to the other person and made an effort to protect that time when possible.
"Maybe we should add a note to the chore list," Kael suggested. "Personal time counts as part of the schedule, not something we fit in only after everything else is finished."
Sera looked pleased. "I like that."
Kael reached for the notebook and wrote the note on a spare piece of paper.
Personal time: Each parent should have regular time for their own goals. Adjust the schedule when necessary, but don’t assume one person’s time matters less than the other’s.
He showed it to Sera, who read the note before nodding.
"That should have been on the list from the beginning," she said.
"At least it’s there now," Kael replied.
"True," Sera agreed.
They added the note to the refrigerator beside their chore schedule.
After lunch, Kael returned to his training menu. He wasn’t planning to do another workout. He simply wanted to review his progress and check whether the system had recorded any changes.
The familiar interface appeared before his eyes.
[Combat Training Menu]
[Available Training Options:]
Shadow Boxing
Basic Swordsmanship
Endurance Training
Family Training
Kael selected his status.
[Status]
Strength: E
Speed: F+
Endurance: E+
Basic Combat Mastery: 10%
He stared at the numbers. Nothing had changed.
For a moment, disappointment crept in. He had been consistent, followed the exercises, and corrected some of his mistakes. He had expected at least a small increase in one of his stats, but the display looked exactly as it had before.
Kael rubbed his chin.
’Maybe I’m expecting too much again.’
He remembered how sore he had been after his first workout. At the time, he had assumed that pushing himself harder would make him improve faster. Now he understood that repeating a routine properly was more useful than exhausting himself once and spending the next day recovering.
Still, he wanted to know whether the effort was making a difference.
He reviewed the training records. The number of completed sessions had increased, and the system had recorded his recent practice, but there was no immediate stat reward for every workout.
Kael closed the display. "All right. I’ll keep going," he told himself.
He wasn’t going to change his routine just because the numbers hadn’t moved. His body already felt a little more comfortable with the exercises, and that was something he could measure without the system telling him.
Besides, he had barely started. He needed more practice before expecting meaningful changes.
Later that afternoon, Kael took over Noah’s care so Sera could continue working on her sketches.
She had settled at the dining table with her notebook, a few reference images, and her phone. Kael carried Noah into the living room and sat in the armchair near the window.
For a while, the baby remained calm.
Kael checked his diaper, made sure he was comfortable, and gently rocked him when he started making small noises. He had become more familiar with Noah’s habits, although there were still moments when he couldn’t immediately tell what the baby needed.
When Noah began fussing, Kael checked whether he might be hungry and paid attention to his movements. After a little adjustment, the baby settled against his chest.
Kael smiled down at him. "Look at that. We’re getting better at this."
Noah responded with a quiet grunt.
"You’re welcome," Kael told him.
He spent the next half hour looking after his son while Sera worked. Every now and then, she asked him a question about the household schedule or showed him something she had drawn.
Neither of them treated the arrangement as a favor. Kael had promised to give her time, and he intended to keep that promise. When Noah needed something, he handled it. When Sera wanted to concentrate on a particular part of her design, he tried not to interrupt her unless it was necessary.
After a while, Sera came over to check on them.
"How’s he doing?" she asked.
"Fine. He was a little restless earlier, but he’s settled now," Kael replied.
Sera looked at Noah, then at Kael. "You’re getting better at recognizing what he needs."
"I’m getting better at guessing," Kael admitted.
"Sometimes that’s what parenting feels like," Sera said.
Kael laughed.
Sera gently touched Noah’s hand before returning to the dining table.
"Thank you for giving me the time to work," she told Kael.
"You don’t have to thank me every time," he replied.
"I know. But I still appreciate it," Sera said.
Kael watched her return to her sketches.
He was glad she had something she could work toward that wasn’t directly related to him or Noah. He didn’t know where her interest would lead, and she hadn’t decided whether she wanted to turn it into anything more serious.
That was fine. She didn’t need to have every answer now, just as he didn’t need to know exactly how strong he would become. They were both allowed to make progress at their own pace.
That evening, after dinner, Kael returned to the living room and opened his status once more.
A notification appeared.
[Training Record Updated.]
[Basic Combat Mastery: 10% → 11%.]
[Progress Assessment: Minor improvement detected through consistent practice.]
Kael blinked at the notification. "One percent?"
He checked the message again.
It was only a small increase, and none of his physical stats had changed. His strength remained E, his speed remained F+, and his endurance was still E+.
Yet he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
He had spent the afternoon worrying that his training wasn’t doing anything. Now the system had confirmed a small improvement in his basic combat skills.
It wasn’t enough to make him a capable fighter, and he knew better than to assume the next increase would come just as quickly. But it showed that his efforts were being recorded.
Kael dismissed the display. "One percent at a time, then," he muttered.
He was about to put his phone away when Sera walked into the living room.
"What’s got you smiling?" she asked.
"Nothing much. I made a little progress with my training," Kael replied.
Sera sat beside him. "Did your stats increase?"
"No. Just a small improvement in Basic Combat Mastery," Kael explained.
"That’s good, isn’t it?" Sera asked.
"Yes. It’s just not as much as I hoped," Kael admitted.
Sera considered that for a moment. "Kael, you’ve only been doing this for a short time. You can’t expect every session to produce a result you can see immediately."
"I know," Kael replied.
"Then let yourself be pleased with the progress you do make," Sera encouraged him.
Kael smiled at her. "You’re right. I suppose I needed to hear that."
Sera leaned back against the sofa. "And tomorrow, you’ll remember that training isn’t the only thing you need to make progress with."
"My household duties?" Kael asked.
"Your household duties, your job, and your promise to let me finish my sketches," Sera answered.
Kael raised both hands. "I haven’t forgotten."
"Good," Sera said.
She gave him a satisfied nod before standing up to check on Noah.