Year 1.

"Huff! Huff! Fuck... How hard is it to build a fucking boat!!"

"You’re getting it! Just—" Circe touched a piece of the boat, and several parts fell off.

"… Fuck me… how the hell do people make fucking planks!! Oh shit, I need nails!! Why didn't I think of nails!!! Why am I so fucking dumb!!! I can make magic tools, but not a fucking boat!"

"Maybe you're spending too much time out in the sun... Also, I just noticed, has your voice gotten deeper?"

"It’s called puberty, and everyone goes through it alright!" He then works on the boat and whispers to himself. "Thank fucking god she is not my type."

Year 2.

"So I built the boat with wooden nails and damn good planks, but now… I don’t know where to sail. Nor do I have a sail… shit."

"Why not test the ship? I doubt the first boat you make will be any good."

"... Okay," he said as he pushed the boat out into the sea.

It drifts out before getting ripped to shreds and sinking into the water.

"… Yeah, that was going to happen," Cirrus said, sighing.

"Also, it wasn’t even close to the barrier."

"…. If only we had metal."

"Metal? Wouldn’t that weigh the boat down?"

"…" Cirrus turned and looked at her. "Please, for the love of all that is holy, tell me you have a source of metal."

"… Yes, but don’t get angry at me! They didn’t even use metal for stuff like that! Just weapons, armor, and farming tools!"

"…God dammit."

Year 3.

Bang!!

Bang!!

Bang!!

"Finally!! Some ore! But what ore is it?" Cirrus goes and takes it outside, where Circe was making some potions. "Say, do you know what these are?"

Circe didn’t even take a glance at them.

"Do you think I would know? Sure, I’ve been on the island for a long time, but I picked herbs and the like. Didn’t you say you were a blacksmith?"

"Uhh, more of a learning apprentice. If anything, I’m more of an inventor than anything… ah fuck my boots!!"

"Your boots?"

"Yeah, I made them so I can run on the water by creating a frozen plate of ice to kick off from! Ah, shit, it's gone!! Lost to the sea~!" he said dramatically.

"… You have lost some sanity in this mine, huh?"

"Probably yeah."

Year 4.

"Haaaaa… several months of hard work to make an electrically powered paddleboat. After several failed smithing methods, it's ready to sail!!"

"And I made a bunch of food for the long voyages!" Circe said with a smile.

"Now that it’s done, um… do you want to come with me?"

"… I thought it would be obviously a yes? You are my contractor, and I want to see the outside world!"

"Well, then you have all your stuff?"

"Nope! I don’t want to slow the boat down, plus the most valuable thing I have is my knowledge."

"Then let's get that fresh sea breeze!"

Before they set off, they rechecked the boat, and for his last stop, Cirrus headed back inside the cave and picked up Brilliant Nightmare.

With a deep sigh, he cleans off the dust.

"We're going home, old friend… they going to fuck me up."

He clicked it into a one-handed sword and walked outside to see Circe waiting on the ship, which was on the beach.

Walking down to the beach, Cirrus loads everything into the ship's hold, and Circe inquires.

"So, how are you going to push the ship out to sea? It’s rather big."

"Like this."

Cirrus jumps down and goes to the back of the ship.

"Come Hecton!!"

Several black and red arms grow from Cirrus’s shadow, and along with him, he lifts the ship.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

"Whoa!! You could do that!?"

"Yeah! Of course, it’s really hard to do detailed work, so I don’t really use it much."

After walking a fair bit into the sea, the ship floated.

He jumps on and walks to the front of the ship.

"Now to break the barrier!"

"Not to boast or anything, but my barriers are very strong! Nothing can get past them!"

"… You know nothing is perfect, right?"

"Hm? How so?"

"Well, in life, if something is perfect or unbreakable, you obviously haven’t found—" Cirrus's magic circle appeared before him as he held out his hand. "Its flaws!! (Sing your Vespers, Swords of Damocles) [Dia Dikastí̱s]!!!"

Three swords of thunder emerged from the magic circle and fired off, sending a boom crackling through the sea and striking the barrier.

"See, I told you it’s!—!!"

"Wait for it."

"What are you—!?"

The swords push forward more and more. The barrier gets cracks all along the surrounding hit area until eventually.

CRACK!!!!

The barrier breaks.

"Whoa!"

And the wind returns to the island.

Whoosh!!!

Whoosh!!!

Whoosh!!!

Cirrus walks to the back room of the ship and sits on a chair with two metal rods next to him.

"Circe!! Make sure to tell me what’s happening!!"

"Alright!"

Circe goes up and stands at the top railing.

"Now it's time to get moving! (Sword of Damocles)!!! (Damocles)!!"

He holds his hands out with his magic circle in each hand as electricity goes through and pushes the paddles.

The paddles at the side with the metal lining began to move and push the water faster and faster.

"Big whirlpool ahead!! Turn to starboard!"

"(Damocles)!!"

Turning the paddles to the right, they continue to push forward and out to the open sea, pushing through the viscous pools of swirling water.

After two days of sailing, Cirrus was gazing out into the open sea with some food.

Nom!

Nom!

‘… How long will I be at sea? I should have asked for seafaring lessons from Poseidon. It would also be easy if Nox would fly me... How will I even say it to her? Would I just say, 'It’s been a while.'.'

‘Cirrus?’

"… N-Nox!? You can hear me!"

‘….’

"Shit! Shit, um, I’m out at sea! Can you find me?"

‘I’m on my way!!’

Cirrus couldn't help but feel happy. He quickly went and woke up Circe.

"Hey! Circe! I managed to contact Nox!"

"Hm… hm? What you what?"

"I managed to contact Nox! She should find us eventually!"

"Are you sure you’re not… hallucinating?"

"I’m sure as hell, Circe! Maybe it was your barrier that blocked the signal? I mean, you never had a contractor on your island, right?"

"No, but…" her eyes widen. "I never did!! Oh, my Hecate!! We're finally going to go to the mainland!!"

After a while of waiting at the ship’s bow, Cirrus spots a familiar white owl.

"Heeey!!!" he waved.

Nox then dove, and she transformed back, diving into his arms with tears running down her face.

"CIRRUS!! CIRRUS!! I-I MISSED YOU!!!"

Cirrus warmly hugged Nox as she cried into his shoulder.

"Words… Cannot tell how much I missed you and the guilt I had for leaving you for so long…"

"Cirrus! Cirrus! I never stopped looking! And your voice! You are becoming a man!"

Cirrus caught something in the corner of his eye, a sail a bit off in the water.

"Did you bring a ship?"

Cirrus walked up to find a white-haired Renard all grown up and jumping toward him.

"Cirrus!!"

Childhood End- Volume 1 Complete.

Next volume, Teen Years.

NotOriginal

So volume 1 is finished. I like to thank you guys, who stuck around and those who favored the chapters that you liked. It means a lot. If not, that's fine if you didn't.

Before I start the next volume, I wanted to do a little Q&A if possible. If we have enough questions, if not well I'll just answer them in the comments if not oh well.

The next volume starts on Friday.