A few days had passed. My daily routine in this house is to wake up, eat, train, sleep. There's free time after training and before sleep, but I don't know what to do most of the time so I just either practice the techniques I learned that day, or rest in my rooms.
Both of my bodies learned a lot of techniques since that day, but for some reason, I feel like most of them can be improved a bit... It's weird, back when only Carine watched father demonstrate the techniques, I always thought it was already perfect...
The techniques we learned are actually pretty easy... The explanation is easy to understand and the demonstration of the technique is also easy to understand. I think father and mother did that to make sure we're not overwhelmed with learning, wonder when we'll learn the advanced stuff.
The other students seems to have a hard time, even though for most of them, this is not their first time practicing the techniques. Are they slacking off or something? That's a spoiled noble kid for you...
"Carine, be careful with the soup, it's hot"
"Okay father"
The training is paused so we can have lunch right now, the other students are also having lunch in the training hall provided by the maids. Feyt also gets lunch from the maids, but for some reason, Feyt's lunch is more luxurious than the others... It makes me feel superior, yes... But they're all glaring at me for it...
"Grrrgh... That kid!!"
"He's just a commoner, why is he that good?!"
"Grgh~ He stole Carine away from me~~"
I can hear their whispers, they're angry with me for some reason, must be about the lunch... But what's that about stealing Carine away from him?
...
After lunch we went back to practice.
"Alright, for the rest of the day we'll be practicing physiques"
"Understood master!"
Mother pulled out a bunch of stone dumbbells. He gave each student a pair.
"I want each of you to do at least 30 lifts"
"Hah~~"
"So much~~"
The students started complaining, but both of us started lifting. It's quite heavy but we managed to lift it properly, thank god for dad's dumbbells gift, I could train how to lift it to at least not embarrass myselves in front of everyone.
"Stop complaining and go to work!"
The students are silenced and got to lifting the dumbbells. Mother is scary when it comes to practice.
"Oh~ Carine and Feyt~ That's a good way to lift it! Keep it up!"
"Understood mother!"
"Understood Madam Sareid!"
...
"Hah~ Hah~"
"Hah~ Hah~"
Carine managed to pull it up 38 times, Feyt managed to pull it up 42 times. Most other students can pull it up at least to 35, some reaching 48. They're all stronger than me physically... Well it makes sense since they're older than me, but still, I need to get stronger.
Both of my bodies are exhausted now though~ We're leaning on each other's backs.
"Carine, Feyt, you two may rest now. Good job for the training today"
"Understood father"
"Understood Sir Sareid"
Both of us stood up at the same time, also leaving the room at the same time.
"I can't wait for a bath~"
"I want to rest in bed~"
We limply walked to our rooms.
...
"So, they're that strong already despite being only 13 years old huh?"
Kyrat observes them as they leave the practice hall, the other students are either laying down from exhaustion or are preparing to leave to their rooms.
"They're as close as ever huh?~ Can't wait for them to finally get together right Peyna?"
"Yeah..."
"Hm?"
Kyrat is confused, she usually pouts whenever Carine's love life is mentioned. Now she's just staring at them blankly?
"Peyna?"
"Huh? Oh, what is it dear?~"
"Maybe you should go get some rest..."
"Y-Yes, I guess I will~"
Peyna left the training hall.
Kyrat watches her as she goes...
"...I hope it's nothing serious..."
As Kyrat cleans the practice room, putting away the wooden swords and mattresses.
"Oh right, I should probably write Fayn a letter"
Dear Fayn,
Your son is doing well in his first week, he has learned some of our advanced techniques even. Both Carine and Feyt are close too, they usually sit near each other during practice. As for our promise that day, I have checked Feyt's Talents. He has [Enhanced Hearing] as well as one other Talent. I'm sorry but I couldn't tell you about the Talent in question, but I assure you that it is nothing bad. I am hiding this for his sake and I hope that you understand.
Hope you and your family are doing well,
Kyrat Sareid.
Dad's is reading aloud the letter we just received.
"Looks like Feyt is doing well there"
Mom looks worried though.
"But what about his Talents? I'm worried..."
Yeah, the way that Sareid guy is hiding it is a bit suspicious...
"He said he's keeping it a secret for his sake... Maybe we should also keep it a secret?"
"Yeah, maybe we should Fait..."
"Alright, keep that a secret from everyone then... But [Enhanced Hearing] huh? I guess my guess was correct"
Dad looked proud.
[Enhanced Hearing], it's a common talent like [Enhanced Sight] or [Enhanced Smell]. It doesn't do much really, just enhanced your ears a bit. Nothing too crazy like being able to hear where the enemy will attack from just by hearing the sound, or catch invisible enemies with only hearing it's footsteps.
But Feyt's [Enhanced Hearing]. It's something else... He said his ears hurt a lot in loud places, and no other kids with [Enhanced Hearing] have experienced that problem. Mom also told me how her friend wanted Feyt to play the piano at her pub sometimes, something about him being a "Musical Genius".
Maybe, that "other Talent" is something related to hearing too? Maybe the effects of that other Talent stacked with his [Enhanced Hearing] and gave it a boost? It's very possible... No, it's the only possible explanation... But what is his other Talent? Maybe something about music? Or just another [Enhanced Hearing] for some reason?
Gah~ My brain is overheating~
"I'm just glad that my dear Feyt is doing well there"
"Yeah, no doubt he's growing some muscles"
Hmm, I doubt they'll let Feyt grow muscles too much... If your muscles get too big, your flexibility will worsen. Thus building up physique is good, but too much is not advised when you're using a sword. Dad doesn't know that of course... Maybe I'll keep it a secret.
"Oh yeah Fait, you're going on another errand right?"
"Yep, I'll be leaving this evening"
"So soon?"
"Yeah, I have to finish early if I want to come home early"
I lied, I just can't wait to explore that mysterious floating island... If the rumors are true at least...
"Well, alright, we'll be waiting for you"
"Okay mom! I'll go prepare my gear in my room for a bit"
"Sure dear"
I went into my room.
I made sure my diamond spear is safe in my waist bag, extra money in my pocket, clothes to disguise myself in my bag, a mask that can let me see wider angles, etc. Most of these are gears for adventuring, and most of these are artifacts I found while adventuring. I keep them all in the bag so it doesn't look suspicious.
Now that I think about it, my adventuring gear is starting to look crazy...
Back when I started my first adventure, I only equipped myself with a wooden stick with a kitchen knife tied at the end... It was a pathetic spear... But it sure gave me nostalgia~
I opened a region map and lay it on my table.
"Now which is the shortest route to the north~"
I want to investigate the rumor about that floating island to the north immediately, I also want to finish a few errands along the way.
"Hm?"
I'll be passing through the capital city on the way it seems... Maybe I'll visit Feyt there~
I wonder if he's given the necklace to that girl already? Nah, he's too shy~ Maybe I'll tease him about it~
"Oh~ Carine and Feyt~ That's a good way to lift it! Keep it up!"
"Understood mother!"
"Understood Madam Sareid!"
...
"Hah~ Hah~"
"Hah~ Hah~"
Both of us stood up at the same time, also leaving the room at the same time.
I wonder why nobody has questioned their uncannily similar behaviours
"...I hope it's nothing serious..."
Yep, DEFINITELY nothing serious, it's not like she's being brainwashed or anything
Or just another [Enhanced Hearing] for some reason?
That isn't that far off the mark unlike last time
I wonder why nobody has questioned their uncannily similar behaviours
They didn't think much about it, rather, people like Kyrat misunderstands it as "Young Love".
I am kinda surprised Kyrat is so oblivious to his wife. She keeps acting suspiciously just after spy with mind control power was found... I wonder what could have happened
blinded by his love for his wife
I will say, tread carefully when it comes to misunderstandings. For trivial things they're fun but for bigger ones they can get annoying for some people quickly. A solution in other novels is that they initially have the misunderstanding but figure it out later down the line without it having to be spelt out for them. Another method is creating legitimate reasons for the misunderstanding- which you're doing affectively for the young love thing, but when Feyt hears his sister talking about weird things he should have more thoughts than 'huh, weird.'
Another example for brainwashing and possession specifically, in a novel I read the person who got possessed also had a big family blow up right before, so no one questioned it much when he started avoiding people.
There's also the 'give and take' method. When a character does one stupid thing, they also do something really clever soon afterwards to balance it out. Especially if the stupid thing had plot consenquences. An example is in Aladin when his pet monkey stole a gem and triggered the Cave of Wonders to collapse. Immediately afterword, the monkey sneakily stole the lamp back when Jafar tricked Aladin into giving it to him.
Wanted to write about this. The only annoying aspect of the story for me currently...
"But what's that about stealing Carine away from him?"
Seriously...?!
Why is this so often with some reincarnation stories where the mc was an adult but then suddenly gets stupid/naive to a facepalming degree. He even mentioned in an earlier chapter before knowing these types of stories, and then not connecting this cliche situation/sentence. ugh.
@floxer Well there's also the possibility their mental age regressed a bit, making them less skeptical.
This Fait part I have no problem with. It is clearly related to the MC story and without it we'd find her sudden arrival in the capital weird or forced. Even the talk of equipment is telling us that fancy magic items exist. The mention of a disguise is probably important too.
I complained about her last POV scene quite a lot, but this one was good and did a lot right.
Thanks for the chapter
Both of my bodies are exhausted now though~ We're laying on each other's backs.
That's not what "lay" means. Or what "on" means. Because what you've described is physically impossible. If he's lying on her back, it's physically impossible for her to also be lying on his back.
Perhaps you meant that they're sitting, leaning against each other's backs?
Yeah, the word "Leaning" escaped my head for some reason, fixed!