Rudeus Greyrat
Currently, if I were to express my abilities using this world's standards, they would look something like this:
Rudeus Greyrat's Abilities (Age 6):
• Swordsmanship
Sword God Style: Beginner Level
Water God Style: Beginner Level
• Offensive Magic
Fire Element: Advanced Rank
Water Element: Saint Rank
Wind Element: Advanced Rank
Earth Element: Advanced Rank
• Healing Magic
Healing Type: Advanced Rank
Detoxification Type: Advanced Rank
Healing magic is also divided, as one might expect, into seven ranks. It is composed of four branches: Healing, Barrier, Detoxification, and Shin-geki (Divine Strike).
Unlike offensive magic, it doesn't have flashy titles like "Fire Saint" or "Water Saint." Instead, a more direct nomenclature is used: "Saint-tier Healing Mage," "Saint-tier Detoxification Mage," and so on.
•Healing, as the name implies, is magic for curing wounds. At first, it barely allows one to close minor cuts, but it is said that upon reaching Imperial Rank, one can even regenerate a lost arm. However, even at Divine Rank, one cannot resurrect a living being that has already died.
•Detoxification, as the name also suggests, is magic that eliminates poisons and diseases. As one levels up, it becomes possible to even create poisons or manufacture antidotes. Spells to remove status ailments are only available starting from Saint Rank and are considered quite difficult.
•Barriers serve to increase defense or generate protective walls. Simply put, it is support magic. I don't really know the details, but I assume they work by stimulating the metabolism to accelerate the recovery of light wounds, or by generating chemicals in the brain to block pain. Roxy couldn't use them.
•The Shin-geki ("Divine Strike") branch is magic specialized in inflicting effective damage against spectral monsters or evil demon races. However, it is a secretive type of magic, kept under guard by the warrior priests of the human race, and it isn't even taught at the Magic University. Roxy didn't know it either. I've never seen a ghost, but it is said that they do exist in this world.
The problem is that if I don't understand the principle behind the spell, I cannot cast it without an incantation, which is quite limiting.
In the first place, the only reason offensive magic allows for voiceless use is because its principles resemble those of physics. But I don't know if the other branches of magic have similar principles. I know that mana is something akin to a universal element, but I don't understand what specific type of transformation allows for this or that effect.
For example, what would be called psychokinesis in my world: lifting objects from a distance or pulling them toward oneself. It seems like something that could be reproduced with magic, but since I wasn't a psychic, I haven't the slightest idea how to recreate that phenomenon.
Incidentally, I only have a blurry memory of the process by which a wound heals. I suppose that's why I can't use healing magic without an incantation.
If I had medical knowledge, perhaps I could use it that way.
And therein lies the problem.
Daiki can.
My older brother, who, in some way incomprehensible to me, managed to decipher the principle behind healing magic and can now use it voicelessly. Completely. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
No words. No incantation. Just pure intention and knowledge.
I stood there watching, gawking like an idiot.
"How...?" I could barely articulate.
Daiki looked at me with that characteristic neutral expression.
"Visualization of the state prior to the injury. Command to the mana to replicate that state. Similar to elemental magic, only the 'element' is living tissue."
He said it as if it were obvious. As if anyone could do it.
But I couldn't.
And that... that frustrated me in a way I hadn't expected.
It wasn't exactly envy. I was proud of my brother. Genuinely impressed by his capacity. But also...
It also made me feel inadequate.
Because if Daiki could decipher the principles of healing magic with pure logical analysis, why couldn't I? I had knowledge from a previous life too. Thirty-four years of accumulated experience.
But apparently not the right kind of knowledge.
The same must apply to many other things: if one has prior experience, one could probably reproduce them through magic. And if I had practiced sports, I might have progressed more with swordsmanship too.
Thinking about it that way... What a wasted life I led before dying.
No, wait... it wasn't a waste. It's true I didn't work or go to school. But I wasn't in hibernation either. I immersed myself in all kinds of games and hobbies. While others busied themselves with their studies or jobs, I dedicated myself completely to that.
And that knowledge, those experiences, that way of thinking acquired through games, can also be useful in this world.
Or at least, they should be...!
Well, right now they aren't serving me much, to be honest.
Especially compared to Daiki's methodical and analytical approach, which apparently can decipher any magic system given enough time to observe it.
While I was training swordsmanship with Paul, an involuntary sigh escaped me.
I thought he was going to scold me for sighing so blatantly, but Paul just looked at me with a curious expression.
"What's wrong, Rudy? You look frustrated."
"It's nothing..."
"Is it about Daiki again?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Was it that obvious?
"I'm not jealous of him," I said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "Just... frustrated with myself."
Paul stuck his wooden sword into the ground and sat down, patting the dirt beside him in invitation.
"Sit. Let's talk."
I obeyed, letting myself drop next to him.
"Your brother is exceptional," Paul began. "I'm not going to lie to you about that. At his age, I wasn't even half as competent with a sword. And his ability to combine magic and swordsmanship is... well, it's something I've only seen in Divine-level masters."
"I know," I muttered. "That's why it frustrates me."
"But Rudy," Paul put a hand on my shoulder. "You are also exceptional. In completely different ways."
"It doesn't feel like that."
"Because you're comparing yourself in the areas where he is strongest," Paul pointed out. "Daiki is a prodigy with the sword. You are a prodigy with magic. He can use voiceless healing magic. You reached Water Saint rank at age five. Something most mages never achieve in their entire lives."
"But..."
"No buts," Paul interrupted me. "Listen to me well. Being brothers doesn't mean being identical. It means complementing each other. Daiki has his strengths. You have yours. Together, you are stronger than apart."
I processed his words in silence.
"Besides," Paul smiled. "Daiki trains like a man obsessed. I've told him a thousand times that he overdoes it. If you trained with that intensity, you'd probably faint from exhaustion."
That drew a small laugh from me.
"It's true. My brother is... intense."
"'Intense' is an understatement," Paul laughed. "The other day I found him training at midnight. Midnight! I literally had to drag him back to bed."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Your brother has a problem." Paul shook his head. "A problem that I understand, because I had it too at his age. But even so, it is worrying."
I stayed there thinking about that.
Daiki trained obsessively because... because he had something to prove. To himself more than anyone else.
I didn't have that drive. My motivation was different. More... relaxed, I suppose.
"Father," I spoke finally. "Is it okay that Daiki and I are so different?"
"Is it okay?" Paul looked at me with genuine surprise. "Rudy, it's perfect that you're different. Imagine if both of you were obsessive swordsmen. Or both reclusive mages. It would be... unbalanced."
"Unbalanced?"
"As a team, I mean. Because that's what you are, right? A team. You, Daiki, Sylphiette. Three siblings with complementary skills."
A team.
I hadn't thought about it exactly in those terms, but... it made sense.
"Thanks, Father."
"Don't mention it. Now get up."
That afternoon, I went to the tree as always. Sylphiette was already there, practicing voiceless magic. Small breezes of wind swirled around her hands.
"Rudy!" She greeted me with that bright smile that made me feel warm inside. "Look, I'm improving."
"I can see. Your control is much finer."
"It's thanks to you! Your teachings are the best."
I blushed at the compliment.
Act normal, Rudeus. Normal. Like always.
"W-well, it's just a matter of practice..."
At that moment, Daiki appeared. As always, with his practice sword at his belt and that serene expression that made it impossible to know what he was thinking.
"Sylphiette. Rudeus." He greeted us with a nod.
"Brother Daiki!" Sylphiette ran toward him. "Did you finish training with your father?"
"For today, yes."
"Can you show me that mana reinforcement again? The one from last time."
"If you want."
Daiki positioned himself in front of a nearby young tree. He took a deep breath. For a moment, everything was still.
Then he moved.
The cut was clean. Precise. And when the wooden sword impacted the trunk, there was a sound like distant thunder.
The tree split cleanly, falling to the side. Then Daiki healed it using healing magic.
Sylphiette clapped excitedly.
"Amazing! Someday I want to be able to do that!"
"With practice, you will," Daiki replied with that characteristic quiet confidence.
I watched in silence.
Not with envy this time. But with... appreciation, I suppose.
Father was right. Daiki was exceptional at this. And I was exceptional at other things.
Together, we complemented each other.
"Brother," I called his attention.
"Yes?"
"Do you ever compare yourself to me? With my magic, I mean."
Daiki looked at me with a curious expression.
"No. Why would I?"
"Because I..." I paused. "Because I compare myself to you. With your sword. With your voiceless healing magic. And it frustrates me not being able to match it."
Daiki walked over and sat under the tree, inviting me with a gesture to do the same.
"Rudeus," he began once we were seated. "When I watch you practice magic, I see something I will never be able to replicate."
"What?"
"Creativity. Innovation. Combined magic that you invent on the fly. Tactics that would never occur to me because my mind is too... structured."
"But you can use voiceless healing magic..."
"Yes. Because I deciphered it as a logical system. I dismantled it piece by piece until I understood the mechanism." He paused. "But you reached Saint rank in Water purely through talent and intuition. Without the need for exhaustive analysis. That is... that is something I do not have."
"Brother..."
"We complement each other," he continued. "You think in ways I cannot. I think in ways you cannot. Together, we cover more ground than apart."
Sylphiette, who had been listening in silence, sat down next to us.
"And me? How do I complement you?"
Daiki and I exchanged glances.
"You," I began. "You have a natural affinity with wind that neither of us has. And you learn incredibly fast."
Finally, Sylphiette broke the silence.
"So... are we a team? Officially?"
"We always have been," I replied. "Since the day we met."
"Three siblings," Daiki confirmed. "Three different specialties. A balanced team."
Sylphiette smiled.
"I like that. Team Greyrat."
"Team Greyrat?" I repeated. "That sounds... actually pretty good."
"It is functional," Daiki added, which was his way of saying he liked it.
And so, under that tree that had become our territory, the three siblings tacitly sealed a pact.
Not with formal words. Not with elaborate rituals.
Just with shared understanding.
We were different. Complementary. And together, stronger than apart.
...
Daiki Greyrat
That night, while reviewing my training notebook, I added a new section.
•Swordsmanship
Sword God Style: Advanced Level
Water God Style: Advanced Level
•Offensive Magic
Fire Element: Advanced Rank
Water Element: Intermediate Rank
Wind Element: Intermediate Rank
Earth Element: Intermediate Rank
Healing Magic
Healing Type: Advanced Rank (voiceless - mastered)
Detoxification Type: Advanced Rank (voiceless - mastered)
Barrier Type: Beginner Rank
I reviewed the numbers with clinical satisfaction.
But what I had told Rudeus this afternoon was also true.
He had strengths I would never have. Creativity. Lateral thinking. The ability to see connections that my analytical mind overlooked.
[ANALYSIS: ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SELF-LIMITATIONS] [EVALUATION: HEALTHY]
I know, Analysis.
[RUDEUS SHOWS SIGNS OF COMPARATIVE INSECURITY]
I know that too. That's why I told him what I told him.
[YOUR HANDLING OF THE SITUATION WAS... APPROPRIATE] [EMOTIONAL BUT HONEST]
Thanks.
I closed the notebook and looked toward Rudeus's bed. My brother was already asleep.
In the bed parallel to mine, his face was relaxed. Peaceful. Without the tension he had been carrying lately.
Good.
He didn't need to be like me. I didn't need to be like him.
We just needed to be ourselves. And be there for each other.
That was enough.
[GREYRAT FAMILY]
[BALANCED TEAM]
[COMPLEMENTARY]
Yes. Exactly.
I settled into my own bed, letting the exhaustion of training catch up to me.
Tomorrow I would train for two hours with Paul. Then one hour of magic.
Exactly how I liked it.
"Goodnight, younger brother," I whispered toward Rudeus's bed, though I knew he wouldn't hear me.
And with that thought, I let myself be carried away by sleep.
...
Paul Greyrat
Breakfast was too quiet....
Normally, the table is controlled chaos. Rudeus talking about plants, Daiki chewing methodically while analyzing something in his head, Zenith serving more food than we can humanly eat....
But not today.
Today, Zenith was sitting with her back straight. Daiki ate with his head down, avoiding my gaze.
I cleared my throat.
"So... the weather is good for training, isn't it?"
"There will be no training today," Zenith said.
Her voice didn't sound angry.
"Eh? But Zenith, honey, Daiki is on an incredible streak, yesterday he almost mastered the..."
"Yesterday I found our son passed out in the yard at midnight," she interrupted me, looking up. "Trembling from exhaustion. Unable to walk to his bed."
I choked on the bread. I looked at Daiki.
"You passed out?"
Daiki didn't look up from his plate.
"Technically it was a temporary muscular collapse induced by mana depletion and extreme physical fatigue. I regained consciousness in less than five minutes...."
"Daiki!" Zenith exclaimed.
"...Sorry, Mom."
I wiped a hand over my face. Shit. I knew the kid was intense, but... Collapse?
"Son... I told you to rest. I specifically told you 'we're done for today'."
"I felt I could perfect the flow if I tried it a few more times," Daiki murmured. "I lost track of time...."
"Paul..."
"I know, I know." I raised my hands in surrender. "It's my fault. I should have made sure he came inside the house. I should have... I don't know, taken his sword away."
"It's not just about last night," Zenith continued. "It's about the intensity. He's six years old, Paul. Six. And you're training him as if he's going to war tomorrow."
"Because he has the potential!" I argued, though I knew I was losing. "Zenith, you have no idea. What he does... is unreal. If we don't nurture it now..."
"If we break him now, there will be nothing to nurture."
I looked at Daiki. He looked small in his chair. Despite his strength... And Zenith was right. We were pushing him to the limit.
I sighed, defeated.
"You're right. I got carried away."
I turned to Daiki.
"Listen to me well, Daiki. Starting today, there are new rules."
Daiki looked up, with that expression of contained panic he gets when his routine is changed.
"Rules?"
"One: Training ends when the sun goes down. No exceptions. If I see you with a sword after sunset, I confiscate it for a week."
...
"Two: Mandatory rest days. One a week. No sword. No magic. Just... playing. Reading. Being with Sylph and Rudy. Whatever, except training."
"But Father, progress stagnates if..."
"Three," Zenith interrupted. "If Lilia or I say you look bad, you stop. Immediately. No 'technically I'm fine'. You stop."
Daiki looked at both of us. Thinking as always. Probably looking for a legal loophole in the rules....
Finally, he sighed.
"Understood. Conditions accepted."
Zenith smiled.
"Good. Then eat your breakfast, honey. You need to recover energy."
Daiki went back to his food.
Zenith winked at me discreetly.
You barely saved yourself, Paul, that look said.
I returned a clumsy smile.
"By the way," Daiki said suddenly. "If I can't train physically on rest days... can I do mana control meditation? Technically it's not physical exercise."
Zenith and I exchanged a look.
"We'll talk about that later," we said in unison.
Rudeus let out a little giggle from the other side of the table.
"Good luck with that, brother."
"Yes. Lots of luck...."
...
Zenith Greyrat
"Daiki?" I whispered. "Can't sleep?"
"I'm calculating how much progress I will lose with the mandatory rest days," he replied without looking at me. "If I optimize the remaining training hours, I can compensate for approximately sixty-three percent..."
I sat on the edge of his bed and put a hand on his forehead. He didn't have a fever, but the dark circles under his eyes worried me.
"Daiki."
"...Yes, Mom?"
"Stop calculating for a moment."
He blinked, finally turning his head toward me.
"Why?"
"Because your brain needs to rest as much as your body."
I smoothed the sheets around him, tucking him in like I did when he was smaller. Well... even smaller. He was still six years old, although sometimes it was easy to forget.
"Mom... are you mad at me?"
The question took me by surprise.
"Mad? No, honey. I'm not mad."
"But at breakfast... your voice had that tone. The same one you use when Dad does something stupid."
I let out a small laugh.
"That's because I was scared. Not mad."
"Scared?"
I leaned in and brushed a strand of black hair from his forehead.
"When I found you last night in the yard... you weren't moving. You didn't respond when I called you. For a moment..." my voice trembled. "For a moment I thought I had lost you."
Daiki frowned, processing my words.
"But it was just exhaustion. Vital signs were stable. There was no real danger of..."
"Daiki," I interrupted him gently. "It doesn't matter how much you rationalize it. For a mother, seeing her son unconscious on the ground is... it's the worst thing that can happen."
"...I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to worry you."
"I know, honey." I caressed his cheek. "I know you just want to be strong. I know you have goals. But you're six years old. You have a whole life ahead of you to reach them."
"Time is a limited resource. Efficiency..."
"Time with your family is also a limited resource," I said, and saw his eyes widen slightly. "And I want to make the most of it. I want to see you grow. I want to be there when you become the strongest swordsman in the world, or whatever you decide to be."
Daiki stared at me.
"What if I don't manage to be the strongest?"
"Then I'll be just as proud. Because you'll be my son. That's the only thing that matters."
Something changed in his expression. That mask of calm he always wore cracked, just for an instant. And beneath it... I saw a child. A little boy who needed to hear those words.
"Mom..."
"Yes?"
"...Can you stay a little longer?"
I smiled, feeling my heart melt.
"Of course, honey."
I lay down beside him, and he cuddled up against me.
"Everything will be fine, Son," I whispered, stroking his hair. "Your mother just worries. It's what mothers do."
"It is an evolutionarily logical behavior," he muttered, already half asleep. "Offspring survival ensures genetic continuity..."
I shook my head. "Shh. Stop saying those weird words I don't know where you get from and sleep."
"...Okay, Mom."
Where does he get those ideas? I thought. The book Roxy gave him? Is Paul teaching him nonsense?
"I love you, my weird little warrior," I whispered, kissing his forehead. "Even if you sometimes talk like a crazy old man."
Finally, he fell asleep. Then I looked at Rudy, who was in the bed next to us.
"Jealous of your big brother?" I whispered, moving closer to him.
Rudeus opened one eye, looking at me with an embarrassed smile.
"Just a little, Mom. I mean... he gets all the attention with his crazy training."
"And do you think I don't pay attention to your magic practices?" I sat on the edge of his bed.
Rudeus blushed.
"Ah... yes. But that's not as impressive as passing out from training too much."
"Rudy!" I tapped him gently on the nose. "That is not a good thing. It worries me just as much as you do."
"I know," he sighed. "It's just that... Daiki always seems so sure of what he's doing. I... I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm just improvising."
"And you think Daiki isn't?" I looked toward the other bed. "He's just better at hiding it. But deep down, you are both my boys. My little geniuses."
Rudeus smiled.
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome. Now..." I opened my arms. "Are you going to let your brother have all the affection tonight?"
Rudeus didn't need to be told twice. He launched himself toward me.
My two treasures, I thought. So different and so alike.
May the gods protect them always. Because I will do everything in my power to do so as well.