The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

{Why did you end it now? It was starting to get interesting!} Greed fumed.

"I’m exhausted," Klaus replied, panting heavily.

{More importantly, how did you modify my swordsmanship technique?} Greed sounded a bit impressed despite himself.

"Well, you can’t really call it a modification. I just applied about 10% of the original technique to suit my body’s condition."

{10%? Ha! That was barely 3% of the original power.}

"Perhaps," Klaus conceded.

Rick looked pale and shaken. ’To think his sword technique could match the 12th Crown. Just where in the world did he learn such a terrifying technique?’ he wondered.

’Now that I think about it, Ludovic also used a very violent sword technique back in the day. Did he perhaps learn it from him? Ludovic was a genius; creating such a technique could be possible for him. Hmm, what a shame,’ Rick thought, contemplating Ludovic’s current condition.

"That was very impressive, trainee 401," Rick said with a validating smile.

"Thank you, sir," Klaus replied politely.

After the little spar, Klaus sat down on a bench, trying to catch his breath. Rick joined him, offering a flask of water.

"You’ve improved while sparring with me," Rick remarked. "But there’s still room for growth." Continue your saga on empire

"I know," Klaus replied, taking a sip of water. "I need to be ready for whatever comes next, now that I’m an official trainee."

Rick studied him for a moment, then nodded. "You’ll get there. Just keep pushing yourself."

"I sure will," Klaus said, getting up from the bench and heading towards the gym.

"You sure you still have enough energy for physical exercise?" Rick asked.

"Well, that was my purpose for coming here. Might as well get it done before heading home," Klaus replied, scratching his cheek.

"Good!" Rick said, letting Klaus continue on his way to the gym.

When Klaus entered the gym, Nicholas suddenly reappeared next to Rick, catching him by surprise. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"What the... When did you get here?" Rick exclaimed.

"Just now," Nicholas replied, his eyes fixed on the gym entrance.

"Your mother really should stop teaching you to sneak up on adults."

"She never did," Nicholas replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

"So, what do you think of him?" Rick asked, genuinely curious. Before Nicholas could respond, another voice answered, making Rick jump.

"He’s not half bad."

The voice belonged to Erina, the main instructor and Nicholas’s mother.

"What kind of mystic technique do you Davoss people learn to appear out of thin air?" Rick grumbled, feeling slightly humiliated by the surprise.

"Ah, it’s just a small trick my son taught me," Erina said, laughing. Her musky voice gave Rick goosebumps.

’I’m sure it’s probably the other way around,’ Rick thought, suspecting Erina was lying about Nicholas teaching her.

"As I was saying, what do you think of him?" Rick repeated, looking directly at Nicholas to emphasize the question.

"His movements were out of place. He lacked proper footwork technique, and his body wasn’t moving fluidly compared to his fight against Alex’s older brother," Nicholas replied, still watching the gym.

"Well, that’s probably because his body hasn’t recovered from yesterday’s events," Erina said. Despite her blind eyes, it seemed as if she could see everything.

"I don’t think that’s the reason. I gave him a high-grade potion before our spar," Rick countered.

"Somehow, his body didn’t absorb the potion," Erina replied, surprising both Rick and Nicholas.

"How is that possible?" Rick asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"I’m not sure. It’s probably a side effect of his body constitution."

"Now that you mention it, I remember during the Sword Selection Ceremony, his body looked sick and weak," Rick said, recalling the event. ’Perhaps he didn’t fully recover from his condition,’ he thought.

"But to handle himself against me, despite his body still feeling fatigued, he’s really a little monster," Rick said, finding Klaus even more impressive.

***

After pushing his body to its limit, Klaus only stopped when the sun was at its zenith. He exited the gym looking like someone who had been running all day, drenched in sweat. His silver hair, which he had tied into a chignon, had come loose and now fell to his shoulders. Despite his tired appearance, Klaus still looked like a masterpiece carved by the gods.

’I have to admit, this kid is stupidly good-looking,’ Rick thought, watching Klaus approach.

"Are you done?" Rick asked.

Before Klaus could reply, he thought to himself, ’I could swear he wasn’t alone. Did I sense wrongly?’ He looked at his instructor, who was sitting alone on a bench. "Yes, sir. I’m done. Now I need some proper rest," Klaus said.

’I know it won’t do much for your body, but...’ Rick thought before throwing another high-grade potion to Klaus.

"Ah, thank you, sir." Klaus accepted the potion and left the Lionhart Youth Training Ground.

***

"Why do you keep disappearing every time he approaches me?" Rick asked, even though he was sitting alone.

"I’m just doing like my son. I don’t know why he’s avoiding that little monster. I thought that since both of them were monsters in their own right, they could become good friends. What a shame," Erina said, appearing next to Rick.

This time, Rick didn’t act surprised. He was starting to get used to it.

"And where did that other monster you call a son run off to now?" Rick asked, not seeing Nicholas appear out of nowhere.

"Hmmm, he probably went to the gym. I guess he was waiting for it to be empty."

"What a shy kid," Rick said, laughing a little.

’I’m curious to see both of them clashing with real swords. It will be a sight to see,’ Rick thought, feeling impatient for the official training to start.

Rick let his thoughts linger on the potential clash of ’monsters.’ Klaus had shown remarkable progress in such a short period. His determination was something Rick hadn’t seen in many trainees. He wondered if this drive stemmed from a past Klaus hadn’t shared or an ambition pushing him forward.

Erina’s voice broke his train of thought, "Don’t be so eager for that clash, Rick. Both need to grow in different ways before they’re ready for such a battle."

Rick nodded, acknowledging her wisdom. "I know. It’s just... Klaus has this spark, and I’m curious to see how it ignites."

"You will, in time," Erina replied. "For now, let’s focus on nurturing that spark, ensuring it doesn’t burn out too soon."

***

The afternoon sun dipped below the horizon, casting long, languid shadows over the training ground. The day had been long, filled with unexpected revelations and subtle surprises. The vibrant hues of twilight bathed the scene in a warm, golden glow, hinting at the promise of new beginnings and the lingering echoes of hard-won progress. The atmosphere was thick with the day’s accomplishments, each shadow a testament to the trials faced and the growth achieved. As the sky deepened into shades of orange and pink, the sense of fulfillment was palpable, a quiet satisfaction settling over the grounds like a well-deserved rest.