Mushoku Tensei: The Fool Magician

Under her stunned gaze, every single one of them successfully cast the Water Ball spell on their first try.

Roxy fell silent. She was deep in thought.

Roxy was shaken.

Letting out a sigh, the helpless expression on her face turned into a wry smile. She found it hard to believe that all three of them were prodigies.

"Do you know any intermediate magic?" Roxy asked.

This time, Roy didn't hold back. He nodded and said, "The books we've read only cover up to intermediate-level magic. There's no information on anything beyond that."

"I see..." Roxy exhaled in relief. Quietly encouraging herself, she adopted a wise, authoritative tone and said, "Honestly, being able to cast intermediate spells at your age isn't that remarkable. Especially you, Roy—you mustn't let it go to your head."

She then began a detailed explanation of advanced magic and its nuances. To her credit, Roxy was an exceptional teacher. Her explanations were clear and easy to follow.

The morning passed quickly. After lunch at Paul's house, Sylphy returned home, while Paul insisted that Roy and Rudeus practice their swordsmanship.

"A man must always have a sword in his heart, to protect what matters most." Paul declared.

Roy didn't recall the entire speech, but those two lines stuck with him.

The afternoon was spent on formal swordsmanship training, mostly focusing on swings and form.

For example, they practiced on wooden training dummies in the yard, checking their posture and strikes. They also sparred with Paul to learn footwork and balance.

In this world, swordsmanship was held in high regard. Starting with the fundamentals was certainly a good approach.

Here, heroes were always swordsmen. Occasionally, someone might wield an axe or hammer, but those were rare exceptions.

No one used spears. Spears were considered the weapons of demons, specifically the despised and feared Superd Tribe, who wielded tridents. This association turned spears into a symbol of evil. Books often depicted demons as ruthless killers, indiscriminately taking lives.

Perhaps because of this, the swordsmanship here was far more advanced than anything Roy had encountered before.

If someone became a master, they could slice through rocks with a single strike or unleash sword energy to attack from a distance.

In fact, Paul himself could cleave a boulder in two with his sword.

Curious about how it worked, Roy flattered and cajoled Paul into demonstrating the feat multiple times. Seeing his son, a budding mage, applaud with such enthusiasm probably lifted Paul's spirits.

However, no matter how many times Roy watched, he couldn't grasp the technique's essence.

When he asked Paul to explain, the response was less than helpful. "It's just about stepping forward with a humph and slashing with a whoosh! That's the feeling."

Paul was undeniably skilled, but he was a terrible teacher.

Still, through sheer practice, Roy started to make progress.

Each time he swung his sword, an inexplicable instinct guided him—how to strike most effectively, how to maneuver most naturally, and how to recover smoothly.

It was as though his body inherently understood the golden ratio of every movement.

Every strike hit its mark, targeting weak points with uncanny precision. The more he practiced, the more this intuition became second nature.

One day, he confessed his confusion to Paul. "I don't know why, but I always seem to have this sense of what the best move is."

Paul fell silent for a long time. His eyes glistened with emotion as he finally said, "Your talent for swordsmanship is extraordinary."

Fortunately, there was still Rudeus, whose talent, while present, wasn't quite as monstrous. This gave Paul some consolation.

Having a son who was too exceptional could really dent a father's pride.

In this world, there were three main schools of swordsmanship.

The Sword God Style emphasized offense, prioritizing speed and striking first. Its philosophy was that the best defense was a good offense. If the opponent wasn't defeated in a single blow, the style encouraged hit-and-run tactics until victory was secured.

The Water God Style, in contrast, focused on defense, with an emphasis on parrying and counterattacking. Masters of this style were said to be able to block all forms of attacks, even magic and ranged weapons. This style was often favored by court knights and nobles.

The North God Style was more akin to strategy than traditional swordsmanship. It had no fixed forms but instead adapted to circumstances with cunning and improvisation. Practitioners often used tricks or deceit to win, making it popular among mercenaries and adventurers.

Paul was highly skilled in all three styles, achieving the rank of Advanced Swordsman in each.

Advanced Swordsmen were far from weak. Other than Sword Kings and Sword Gods, they were among the best. Unlike magic, which could be mastered quickly with innate talent, swordsmanship required years of relentless practice to improve.

Time flew by. By the time Roy and Rudeus finished their training, the sun had set, and night had fallen.

This day wasn't just significant because Roxy arrived. It was also the day the temporal energy had fully accumulated.

[Temporal Energy: 100/100]

[A one-star small world is now available for capture. Proceed?]

That evening, Paul and Zenith prepared a lavish dinner.

The table was laden with roasted chicken steaming with a tantalizing aroma, golden bread fresh from the oven, and hot soup made from an assortment of unknown vegetables. Small dishes were arranged neatly, filling the hall with warmth and mouthwatering scents.

"This smells amazing." Roxy muttered, staring hungrily at the spread. It was perhaps the best meal she'd had in a year.

As everyone began to eat, Roy elegantly savored the chicken. The juicy meat melted in his mouth, bursting with flavor.

"Not bad at all." He thought.

Then Paul, as if suddenly remembering something, said, "We don't seem to have any spare rooms left."

It was true. Roy and Rudeus had always had separate rooms, but the house wasn't very big, and its capacity was limited.

Hearing this, Roy's eyes lit up.

He subtly shot a glance at Rudeus.

Rudeus paused mid-bite, blinking as if to say, I see what you're getting at.

***

Bonus Chapter:

100 Power Stones = 1 BC

300 Power Stones = 2 BC

500 Power Stones = 3 BC

700 Power Stones = 4 BC

1000 Power Stones = 5 BC

***

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