Three years had passed.
Now, at three and a half, Azrael could walk on his own and speak the language of this world, though his vocabulary was still somewhat limited. He had never been good at picking up languages, after all.
"Auntie's coming again today?"
"Yes my son, go meet her in the front courtyard for your magic lessons."
"Okay, dad!"
Seriously… playing the role of a sweet little kid every day is exhausting.
Azrael's father spoke with a calm, steady voice, but beneath it was a heaviness, the kind that came from pain he wasn't ready to show.
He carried it in silence, he had to. He was the man of the house.
Over the past five years, his mother's illness had steadily worsened, despite all the doctors and mages the count had brought in, and the countless elixirs she'd been given to drink.
Confined to bed rest, her body had grown frail and practically weightless, her lips dry and cracked, the color and warmth stolen away.
It was no surprise the estate had fallen into disrepair. The countless elixirs, treatments, and hired specialists had cost them a fortune.
It was no wonder his father, Count Sonnenfall, had fallen into a depression.
I'll figure something out to cheer him up later. He needs it. Even if he won't say it himself.
"My adorable little apprentice! Have you been well?"
"Auntie! I've been practicing my magic!"
With the grace of a ballerina and the energy of someone half her age, Persephone leapt from the horse-drawn carriage, excitement lighting up her every movement.
She's far too energetic for someone in her thirties.
Every month, she made the two-hour journey from the capital to their rural estate, to spend the weekend teaching her nephew magic.
Anyone watching would've called her insane. Who tries to teach magic to a baby barely able to walk on his own? However, after examining the few-month-old Azrael, she realized something was off.
Not only did the baby possess a mana heart, something that should have been impossible, but the amount of mana inside him was endless.
Such a thing was called a Dragon Heart, named after the mana cores possessed by the dragons of this world. It was the first time Persephone had seen one with her own eyes. Individuals like this only existed in myth, and no one understood how the phenomenon occurred.
You know, I thought magic would be easy. Just wave my hand, say a few words, boom boom, fireball here and there.
I have to focus all my brainpower just to gather air particles, ignite them, aim them at something, and make sure they're actually hot enough to hurt.
It's taxing on this little body of mine.
"Let's see how much you've actually learned these past few years. Today's lesson won't be theory. It's going to be a practical."
She took a few steps away from Azrael, putting some distance between them.
"Okay, Auntie, I'm ready!"
His aunt knelt down, placing both hands gently on the soft grass beneath her.
The ground cracked.
A shape began to rise from the earth. Grass peeled away. Dirt surged upward, clumping and compressing as if invisible hands were sculpting a creature from the land itself. Arms. Shoulders. A hulking torso.
Its body was made of compacted stone and packed soil. Its head turned slowly, locking on to Azrael.
Azrael's face scrunched up in the most dramatic way a three-year-old possibly could. Eyes wide, mouth half open, eyebrows raised so high they nearly left his forehead.
What part of basic training is this!?
That thing's like fifty times my size. Couldn't she have let me fight something my own size first…?
Persephone stood, brushing her hands clean with a mischievous smile.
"Let's see how well you handle something that hits back."
The golem moved. Not fast, but heavy. Each step shook the ground like a falling tree.
His brain screamed at him to dodge even before the golem raised its fist.
He dove to the side just as the golems' massive arm came down, crushing the spot he had just been standing on.
The impact left a crater.
Is she trying to kill me?!
I have to fight that thing from a distance. There's no way I can beat it up close.
Once he gained enough distance, mana surged through him as he raised his hand, shaping it like a gun and drawing air to the tip of his finger.
Okay. Visualize the particles. Compress. Ignite.
Flames sputtered, gathering shakily at his fingertips.
The golem continued, charging forward towards him.
Azrael fired a ball of flame, the size of a basketball, straight toward the golem.
It hit. Smoke burst from the point of impact, curling around the dirt golem's body.
Did I get it?
It took a moment for the smoke and dust to clear. The golem stood there, completely unscathed, except for a small patch of dirt on its chest, slightly blackened where the flame had hit.
"That much won't even hurt it, Azrael. If you lose to a dirt golem, I'll be really disappointed."
Although a dirt golem was considered cannon fodder for the average mage, expecting a three-year-old to take down such a monstrosity was completely absurd.
I only know how to use fire magic… and it looks completely immune to it.
Use your head. Fire's not enough. What else can I try?
The golem had closed the distance. Its massive foot rose high above Azrael, ready to crush him in a single step.
Barely diving out of the way, Azrael hit the ground with a thud. But from where he landed, he spotted it. A clear angle for a counter attack.
I think I've figured it out.
Dodging between the golem's legs, Azrael narrowly avoided each crushing stomp. It tried to flatten him with sheer force, but he weaved and slipped through with grace.
For once, his tiny body was an advantage; he moved like a fly the giant couldn't swat.
Azrael timed it perfectly. Using compressed air like a hinge, the golem brought its foot down, the blast shifted its balance, sending the giant tumbling backward.
The golem crashed onto its back with a heavy thud, dirt and dust erupting around it. Disoriented, it flailed its arms, trying to pull itself upright—but with its weight and shape, getting back up was impossible.
It's my win.
Little Azrael placed his hand on the golem's head. Mana burst from his body in greater quantity than before. He superheated the golem, melting it down into magma for the killing blow.