Luka became alarmed! "Don't touch my mother!"
The rabbit grinned. Since Bel read the boy's memories, the demon king knew that Juliette was Luka's bottom line. [Well, you know what to do.]
"Fine! I'll form a contract with you!" Luka said with gritted teeth. He knew that Bel had pushed him into a corner. "Tell me how!" he huffed in anger.
[Put a drop of your blood on my head.] Bel answered.
Luka bit his tongue and licked his finger. He pressed it against the rabbit's head. A black line sprouted from the blood connecting the two as Luka felt a foreign presence in his mind.
"This is just like a video game!" Luka marveled as the message dissipated.
[Compared to your previous life as Michael Bauer, you could say that.]
"You read the memories of my old life?" Luka asked in shock. His reincarnation was his biggest secret, and Luka never told anyone about it!
Bel chuckled. [Don't worry! Your secret is safe with me! Besides, interdimensional foreigners enter and leave Zaleron frequently, some willingly while the rest against their wishes. There are probably dozens of reincarnators living in your world right now. And I wouldn't be surprised if there is one or two in your domain. Now get some rest!]
However, this evening's events excited Luka, and he barely slept a wink until daybreak.
At dawn, the door opened, and Juliette stuck her head through the doorway. The mother saw her child hugging a white rabbit in his sleep. Juliette gently shook his body until Luka awoke.
"Good morning, Luka. Where did that rabbit come from?" she asked cautiously.
"Good morning, mother! This animal is my familiar, and his name is Bel!" Luka introduced the rabbit.
Juliette frowned. She understood that magicians often formed contracts with familiars, and each side benefitted from the relationship. Her husband, Tsunka, had an owl as a familiar. But the mother didn't expect Luka to contract one at four years old! "Since that rabbit is your familiar, I expect you to feed and clean it properly," she said with a nod.
Juliette gave up the notion of separating the two because the familiar was a faithful servant who would protect Luka with its life. Thus, she viewed the creature favorably.
"I will, mother!" Luka agreed with happiness.
"Now, wash up and go down for breakfast!"
"Yes, mother!"
Luka quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed his clothes. When he got out of his bathroom, the bunny was waiting at the exit and tapping his foot impatiently.
[You sure took your time!] Bel complained.
"Well, my mom is a stickler for cleanliness," the boy replied sheepishly. Luka picked up his magical companion, carried Bel like a stuffed toy, and exited the room.
The ill-tempered Bel felt tempted to bite Luka's arm and make the boy release him. But the familiar worried that the servants would catch him and turn the rabbit into today's lunch. Thus, Bel ignored the discomfort and kept his jaws shut.
The demon king's red eyes darted from side to side as he began to memorize the mansion's layout. Frankly, the place was quite luxurious with crystal chandeliers on the ceilings, lush carpet covering the floor, beautiful paintings adorning the walls, and expensive-looking furniture, including the dining room that Bel entered with the young master.
When Luka tried to put Bel on the seat to his left, Juliette pointed at the floor behind him. "There's a bowl of sliced carrots for your pet," the mother said.
"Oh, what an adorable rabbit!" a maid gushed as she took Bel in her arms and pressed him against her chest.
The child winced and braced for her to scream when Bel bites the servant. However, there was no scream! Luka watched in amazement as the familiar became well-behaved while nudging his head against the worker's bosom. [Pervert!] Luka screamed in his mind as black lines appeared on his forehead.
Bel winked at the boy and sent a smirk to Luka's mind. [You're just jealous of my charm!]
[Whatever!] Luka huffed as he turned his attention to his breakfast of toast with scrambled eggs and honey tea.
Juliette ate quickly and soon rose from her seat. "I'm going to work now. For today, an old friend of mine will oversee today's training," she said. The swordswoman dressed immaculately in a purple blazer, white dress shirt, and a red bow over a brown skirt that modestly covered her ankles. She bent her neck and kissed her son's forehead. "Be good!" Juliette said and departed from the hall.
Bel waited for a few minutes longer and then hopped onto the table. [Tell your maid to give me what you're having. And add some bacon, too! I hate carrots!]
"Why do you hate carrots? You're a rabbit!" Luka exclaimed.
[Technically, I'm a demon; but I'm accustomed to eating a regular human diet.]
"How come?"
[As a demon king, I had many human slaves who served human cuisine. It was much better than the bland slop that demons ate.]
Luka was about to retort when he noticed the servants giving him a weird look.
"Why is the young master talking to himself? Did a ghost possess him?" a maid whispered with a frightened face.
"Hush!"
Luka decided to humor the two women before they spread nasty gossip about him. The owner pointed at his rabbit and explained in a friendly manner, "This is Bel, my magical familiar, who communicates with me via thoughts. He's brilliant but picky about his food. Bel wants what I'm having plus some bacon."
"Right away, young master!" the maid curtsied and entered the kitchen to relay Luka's order.
The cook rushed to make the meal, and a maid returned with a tray several minutes later.
Bel's eyes turned starry with excitement as he inhaled the intoxicating aroma of fresh bacon! [Now, this is what I call a meal!] He said and started munching on the food.
The servants stared with horror as they watched the tiny animal devour the big dish of food within seconds!
Blurp! The glutton patted his bulging stomach. [Excuse me.]
Luka sighed as he continued eating his meal with the proper manners of a noble. The child ignored Bel staring at his plate. "If you eat more, you'll become fat like a pig!" Luka warned.
[Cheapskate!] The rabbit turned his head aside with a snort.
When Luka finally finished his breakfast, he left the dining room and headed for a small garden behind the manor. Luka tilted his head to stare at the brightening sky, and then he took several deep breaths to enjoy the fresh scent from the flowers. Luka held out his arms and started stretching his body; soon, the child lost himself in his movements.
Suddenly, Bel interrupted Luka. [You have company.] The companion warned.
The child ignored this warning to finish his last set of stretches. Then Luka turned toward the observer and discovered a man wearing a black shirt, matching pants and boots, and a blue jacket. The newcomer carried a sword and a dagger, and his long face reminded Luka of a radish.
"I apologize for interrupting your exercise. My name is Alberto Tom, and I'm your new swordsmanship instructor," the visitor explained curtly.
Luka offered a fist-over-heart salute and bent his head slightly. "I am Luka Heavensfell, and I'll be in your care."
Alberto pulled out two wooden swords from his storage ring and handed one to Luka. "Since you already warmed up, let's have a spar to help me understand your capabilities and figure out what to teach you," he proposed.
The child accepted the sword and took the basic stance with one foot leaning forward slightly, and the back foot pointed thirty degrees out. Luka held the practice sword in a two-handed grip.
The new instructor was inwardly impressed because he found no holes in Luka's defense. Alberto lunged forward with a jab at the child's hand to make him drop the wooden sword.
Clack! Luka hopped back two steps and simultaneously parried the strike.
The adult was undeterred by the block and took another stride forward. This time, Alberto aimed his jab at the child's stom
ach. Instead of blocking, his target tumbled forward and jabbed his sword at the instructor's crotch!
Alberto's brows rose at the dirty tactic. Fortunately, he read the move in time to react. The instructor jumped over Luka and whacked the child's rear! But the man took care to reduce his counterattack to a quarter of his normal strength.
Wham! Luka winced at the blow and rolled away to put some distance from the assailant. He turned around to face the tormentor and resumed his guard stance.
Alberto dropped his arm, and his practice blade pointed at the ground. "That's enough for now." He pulled out a small jar from his storage ring and tossed it to Luka. "This is an ointment for the wound. If left untreated, the bruise will affect your training."
Luka rubbed his rear and winced when he felt it sting. He noted that Alberto declined to apologize for hurting Luka.
Alberto pointed to a nearby tree. "Go behind that tree and apply the ointment now," he ordered.
The child departed, leaving Bel behind to accompany the instructor.
Alberto looked at the pet but discovered it was glaring at him. The amused man returned the look, and the two became involved in a staredown! The human realized this animal wasn't a simple rabbit; it was probably a magical creature or even Luka's familiar! Thus, Alberto stayed a respectful distance away from the rabbit. If he hurt the precious animal even in self-defense, Luka would probably dismiss Alberto out of anger.
When the boy returned a few minutes later, Bel hopped over to greet him. However, the rabbit purposely wiggled his rear at the man.
Alberto chuckled at the creature's antics. "Is that your pet?" he asked while pointing at the rabbit.
"This is Bel, my familiar," Luka explained.
"He's very protective of you. He gave me a death stare while you were away," Alberto said with a laugh.
The Luka reached down and carried Bel in his arms.
The familiar opened his mouth and made a biting gesture at the observer.
Alberto understood Bel had threatened to bite him; the adult shook his head because Alberto felt it was beneath him to bother with a mere pet. Instead, his mind focused on coming up with an appropriate lesson plan for Luka.
Frankly, Alberto was very impressed by the young boy's poise and flexibility in changing tactics on the fly. It was easy to block an attack. But what comes after was the crucial point of this exercise. The boy's jab at his crotch was unexpected, and only Alberto's extensive fighting experience allowed him to make a counterattack with perfect timing. He marveled at the work Juliette put in to build up her son's foundation and fighting instinct.
After a moment of silence, Alberto said, "I'm only here to train you in the mornings until lunch. Another tutor will take over in the afternoon."
Luka's brows knitted. "Okay." His mother usually kept the child in the dark regarding his daily schedule. Moreover, she never sought his input when Juliette made the arrangements. Thus, he was used to the adults making his schedule already.
"During our time together, we will prioritize raising your swordsmanship and physical strength and stamina. When you make your public debut at the Ceremony of Blessings within a year, there will be a big red target on your back. And you can't always rely on bodyguards to protect you. That's why I want you to take my lessons seriously because it's a matter of life and death for you," Alberto explained in a firm tone of voice while looking directly into his pupil's eyes.
"I understand, teacher," Luka nodded.
"Good! Now, pick up your practice sword. I want you to swing it 100 times. And then we will have another spar," the instructor said.
The pupil frowned. "By the time I'm done swinging the sword, I'll be dead tired!" Luka protested.
Alberto grinned. "That's the point, Your Grace! For this week, I want you to improve your stamina and sharpen your focus as you fight while experiencing physical exhaustion. There will be times when the enemies overwhelm you with superior numbers. In those situations, you must dig deep and find a way to overcome your physical limitations. That's what 'mind over body' means," he lectured.
"Fine!" Luka sulked. Thack! He swung the wooden sword. "One!" Thack! "Two!" Thack! "Three!"
Once the student made his one-hundredth swing, Alberto attacked!
Luka was facing his teacher and already tracked the adult's movements. The child raised his arms to block the overhead strike! Wham! The force of the blow pushed him back several steps. Luka gritted and lunged forward with a jab. Bam! His sword flew across the garden. Luka stared at his hands, which became numb from Alberto's heavy blow.
Alberto trotted across the garden to pick up the sword. Then, he returned to stand in front of his student. "Your hands can't hold a sword right now, and you must improve your grip strength. Here's an easy exercise: make a fist and squeeze as hard as you can for three seconds. Then release for three seconds and flex again. Do this daily whenever you have free time, and eventually, your hand grip will improve."
Alberto stored the practice swords. "I want you to run fifty laps around your estate. This exercise will improve your stamina." Clap-clap! "Start running!"
Luka shook his head; nonetheless, his feet started moving. Surprisingly, the instructor ran next to him!
[Have fun!] Bel sniggered and waved his paw at the two.
Chapter 4
Ceremony of Blessings
The year after Luka reach his fourth birthday could be described in one word: hellish. In addition to morning sword practice, Luka received more formal lessons on noble etiquette, dancing, social conversations, and other teachings in preparation for his public debut. Consequently, he treated his bedroom as a sanctuary and forbade the workers from entering.
Bel accompanied his master everywhere; the familiar served as a vocal cheerleader during the day and a masseur at night. The demon sympathized with Luka and felt the adults were driving the child too hard. The rabbit became a feared tyrant who bit any worker that irritated him. But he was soft and gentle with the young master.
Duchess Silverblade appreciated Bel's protection of Luka and made sure that Bel received plenty of meat in his meals.
When a maid tried to serve Bel a bowl tainted with poisoned meat, the familiar recognized the scent and immediately grabbed the container out of her hand. He then turned around and made her swallow the poison!
The other workers were shocked when the woman's skin soon turned black, and the poisoner suffocated due to a swollen throat.
The steward, James Sample, launched an investigation. He borrowed truthtellers from the church to interview other staffers to discover the poisoner's motive. Eventually, they concluded that she worked solo and held a grudge against the familiar for biting her on several occasions.
The household employees became more paranoid of each other after this incident. They reported suspicious activities by coworkers to the butler, who took advantage to clean out the staff and dismiss known and suspected spies.
Finally, Luka reached his fifth birthday, and Juliette brought him to the church closest to the family estate. Per royal edict, upon reaching the age of five, every child in the Morninglory Kingdom must visit the Divine Church of Light. During this event, the organization would learn what skills and magic that Altima granted the child as her holy blessings. This appraisal ceremony would, in turn, shape the child's future and his family's fortune.
Luka was happy to leave his family estate for the first time. He rode a carriage with the family crest on its door. The symbol depicted a simple sun shining light over the land. Several dozen knights accompanied his vehicle on horseback.
As the family carriage drove around the duchy, people knelt and bowed to the vehicle. The subjects all recognized the Heavensfell symbol and realized the feudal lord was inside. The carriage stopped after a ten-minute journey. When Luka stepped out after his mother, he noticed a large crowd gathering in front of a simple-looking church.
The onlookers cheered. "He's here! Good luck, young lord!"
The guards made a path fo
r Duchess Silverblade and her son to enter the building.
An old but kind-looking man in a white robe greeted Luka at the door. "Hello! I am Father Roujan, and I will conduct your Ceremony of Blessings today," he said with a smile.
Luka made a perfect bow. "My name is Luka Heavensfell, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance," he replied.
The gathered witnesses nodded their heads in approval. "The kid has the same temperament as his father," someone commented.
"He carries himself like a real noble," another onlooker agreed.
Juliette smiled politely at them. She recognized many people present as her vassals. However, she declined to introduce any of them to her son and delay the ceremony. The duchess pulled Luka's hand and followed the priest to a small room on the side. "I'll be right outside," she said and released him.
"Yes, mother," the son replied. He entered the private chapel, and the priest quietly closed the door. Luka saw a small chamber six feet long and six feet wide with Altima's life-sized statue in front of the room. The goddess was descending from heaven and reaching out with her hand. To her side was a basin filled with water atop a pedestal.
"Young man, please put your hand in the holy water," Father Roujan requested politely.
Luka obeyed. The water felt cold but tolerable. Suddenly, a golden light emitted from the water! As he watched, words slowly formed above the basin:
"Name: Luka Heavensfell
Race: Human
Age: 5
Primary Class: Divine Summoner
Divine Summons: 0 (2 slots available)
Familiar: Belphesto (sealed Demon King)
Title: Godson of Altima, Heir of Heavensfell Duke House
Health: 100/100
Mana: 4,000/4,000
Stamina 500/500
Skills: Aristocracy I, Arithmetic II, Barehand Combat I, Etiquette II, Horsemanship I, Hunting I, Literacy II, Swordsmanship III
Traits: Critical Insight, Singleminded, Toughness"
The priest's jaw dropped because Luka's status card showed extreme talent, even better than the child's predecessor! Father Roujan knelt on the floor and raised his hands. "Thank you, Goddess Altima!" he shouted and prostrated before the statue.
The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Page 3