The days quickly blur past after the letter from the Academy.
Nothing of note happens, save for me dedicating more time to reading and taking fewer breaks.
With the exams being just a few weeks away, I make sure to revise old materials I have read before, while catching up on books I haven't yet read.
There are simply too many books to read in preparation for the Academy's exams.
Most who attend this school have been preparing for such an occasion for years.
Noble children already get private tutors before seeking the formal education of the Royal Academy. As such, they often have no problem with passing the bar that the entrance exam sets for its new entrants.
In such a situation, I am quite an anomaly.
I only started studying three months ago, so I'm way behind compared to my peers.
Also, since the Aditi Household is a Mid-Rank Knight Household that focuses more on the Knight Academy than the Royal Academy, I would have been in an even worse position due to a lack of proper materials to study.
If not for my Uncle Damon, the situation would have been really bad.
Regressed or not, I am bound to fail if I do not appropriately prepare for such an exam. If I do not have appropriate information, I am nothing more than an ignorant old man in a child's body.
Such a thing is indeed strange, but it isn't worth a lot.
Besides studying, I also continue to tutor Selicia in the art of combat. At this point, I have already begun introducing warriors into the training.
At first, they were hesitant to cross blades with the Young Lady of the Household. However, after explaining that they would only be using wooden blades, and I would take responsibility for any mishaps, they loosened up slightly.
Of course, just because this is training doesn't mean I intend for them to go soft on Selicia.
In fact, after the first round with her, many of the warriors quickly realized that they couldn't afford to hold back in their fights with her.
Doing so would only embarrass them, since she would easily decimate them.
With Selicia gaining more combat experience with the warriors, my role in her training has been minimized to an extent.
Thanks to this, I can study more while also listening to Craig's soothing melody.
I didn't realize this in my past life, but Craig is truly a child gifted by the heavens. His talent isn't limited only to the art of combat. He is actually gifted in the art of music and all manner of craft as well.
It appears he has some kind of photographic memory, as well as full-body coordination, making the series of possibilities endless.
In combat, he is bound to be a beast.
In arts and crafts, his learning speed and performance will surely outstrip his peers.
In all he does, this boy is destined to prosper.
Not only is he a fast learner, but his body naturally adapts to every obstacle, and he overcomes them with sheer ease.
Such a boy can truly become anything he wants to be—his potential is endless.
How could such a child be born into the Aditi Household? Such an exceptional individual is undoubtedly destined for even greater heights!
To think I actually made him waste his life in battle in my first life…
As I go over these thoughts on this particular day, exactly one week after receiving the letter, Craig suddenly stops playing his music and gives me a serious look. Then, he tells me something astounding.
"Big brother… let's have a spar."
"Hmm?" I raise my head from the book I'm reading and give him a quizzical look. "Are you serious? What's suddenly brought this up?"
Craig shrugs nonchalantly and jumps to his feet. "Nothing. I just feel like fighting a little today."
How surprising!
To think that Craig would be the one who suggests a fight between the two of us. I would be lying if I said I haven't been the slightest bit curious about how skilled Craig is at this point in time, but I never had the intention to explore this with him.
I have already told myself: Never will I make this boy fight when he doesn't want to.
But since this is what he desires, I have no reason to refuse.
I jump to my feet and pick up a blade.
He does the same.
Both of us wield wooden swords and move to the center of the training field.
Selicia has just concluded a match with one of the strongest warriors in our Estate, and she managed to win by just a hair's breadth. Just as I suspected before, despite being more skilled and talented than the warriors, they still have more advantages that grant them a high possibility of winning—or, at least, making things difficult for her.
Selicia won this fight, but she had lost before.
Still, with every fight she experiences, she is bound to grow even stronger. Right now, there's very little I should be teaching her. Instead, she should accrue more combat experience before we move to the next stage of training.
'Right now, Selicia is taking a break, so the training field is free. Did Craig notice this earlier? Is that why he suggested we fight at this exact moment? I wonder how long he has been thinking about this…' My mind flows quietly as I watch him take his stance, and I also take mine.
Since my regression, I have not fought a single battle with my younger brother.
I wonder… just how strong he is now.
"Come!"
WHOOOSH!
Like a slithering serpent, Craig lunges at me with unreal ferocity.
His movements are fluid and sharp, closing the distance between us in a flash. As unbelievable as it is, I have to admit it… he is already faster than Selicia.
He leaps into the air as soon as he reaches me, his body sharply ascending like a hawk.
Then, he twists his blade like a whirlwind, not even halting in any of his movements, to land a perfect first strike.
"Guh…!" My legs press against the ground as I block the attack.
My brother is only eleven years old, yet the impact of his wooden sword causes my bones to rattle. What a guy! What a monster!
'He reinforced the force of his blade with the swirling movement earlier, adding to its weight through sheer speed.' I calmly analyze his earlier movement as well as my current situation. 'None of his movements were meant to be flashy.'
There is clear intent in them.
Craig's cold jade eyes flash with a gleam of excitement, but his expression remains calm.
Dull… unfeeling.
Yet sharp and precise. An absolute force of nature!
I see it now….
He is in the zone.
In this trance-like state, warriors are said to be elevated to a completely different level and are able to draw out their maximum power constantly. They receive inspiration from everything around them and attain a form of enlightenment.
In this moment, as he faces me, Craig has become one with his blade.
'I have only entered this state a few times in battle, but all of that happened in life-and-death fights, where I thought I would die. How exactly does one achieve it when merely sparring with their brother?'
This is yet another indication of my brother's talent.
It is simply too scary!
After stabilizing my position and canceling out his force, I reinforce my stance and push him backward, causing his small body to fly away from me. However, he quickly regains control, flips in mid-air, and secures a perfect landing.
The moment he lands, though, I am waiting for him with a powerful swing of my blade.
He dodges easily, whipping his blade towards me in a flash.
I shift my sword and block, but he becomes a blur and strikes at my legs, which I decide to dodge instead of parrying. He presses forward and becomes more aggressive, attacking my form even more.
I keep retreating, marveling at his form and technique.
Is this what natural inspiration looks like? Is this the power of talent? I can't help but shudder in wonder at the magnificence.
I do not approve of my past self's actions, but this is one of the reasons why I was so hard on Craig back then. Someone with this level of innate talent born into a Knight Family… clearly, he ought to be a Knight.
But Craig truly does not enjoy fighting.
He was probably bursting with a lot of inspiration, so he decided to let off some steam and fight with me. After today, it will be an incredibly long time before he asks me for another sparring session.
As such, I should treat this as a one-off event.
We continue fighting, and I continue retreating, refusing to interrupt the beautiful movements he is showing me. He never displayed this level of variety in my past life, and it's easy for my experienced eyes to see why.
'He… is actually using the various moves of the warriors that Selicia has been fighting with!'
Despite hardly paying any attention to Selicia's training, it seems his eyes unconsciously picked up the movements, and now—in this trance-like state—he is replicating them perfectly. The reason he is even able to fight so well with me, and why I have to defend against most of his attacks, is that he has also studied my movements.
Indeed! All the training I did with Selicia is also burned into his memory!
As such, every parry and evasion I make can be fully predicted by this boy. To ensure I do not lose any momentum, I have to rely on new moves or simply move faster than he can react to.
But, just doing this isn't enough.
At this rate, he is sure to acclimate before I can tire him out.
Craig has a sturdy foundation already.
His morning and afternoon trainings have given him well-toned muscles, and as someone who is fond of running around, he has a lot of stamina. Due to all of this, I have no confidence in a drawn-out match.
I also have great stamina due to training, but I only train for three hours a day.
Plus, I'm not nearly as talented as Craig.
Right now, my physiology and wealth of experience are my biggest advantages, but Craig still disregards them to a large extent.
Seeing all of this creates boundless joy in my heart, as well as immense love.
"Craig… you are amazing!"
As his long, jet-black hair dances in the air, I smile and utter those words to him.
Then—
SWOOSH!
—I counterattack, knocking his blade back while swiftly attacking his feet with a sweeping kick.
He loses his balance for a moment, but I take advantage and stab his stomach with the dull hilt of the wooden blade.
"Guh!" Saliva pours out of his mouth, but I smile mercilessly at him.
He twists his body in the air, still trying to find momentum in such a precarious situation.
But why would I let him?
I charge forward and grab him, pushing his small frame to the ground while also twisting my blade to his neck, so it constricts it in a flash.
All of this happens within seconds, and the end result is clear.
I now sit above Craig, my wooden blade pressing on his throat. His hands and legs are obstructed by my weight pressing against them, so despite squirming so much, he can't move properly.
As skilled as Craig is, he still loses to brute strength.
At least, for now.
"Do you admit defeat?" I ask him with a smirk.
At that moment, his stoic mask cracks, and his jade colored eyes regain their warmth.
He makes a silly smile, rubbing his head apologetically while sheepish giggles escape his lips.
"Yeah… you win again, big brother."
I swiftly pull away from him, rising to my feet while also helping to lift him up. I can feel his callouses from the grip, and a wry smile forms on my face.
Craig seems to notice my expression, and he rubs his long black hair rather awkwardly.
"Looks like I can't hide it from you, big brother…" He laughs aloud. "I've been a little more serious with training now that father has decided to start teaching me personally."
'Hmm. Just as suspected. Is this—?'
Craig's face is childlike and cute, but a certain darkness obstructs it. He gestures for me to come closer, and I lean in only for him to whisper some words into my ears.
"Father has approached me with an offer to become Heir…" Once those words echo softly, I am able to confirm the situation.
It is as I suspected from the very start.
My parents aren't simply going to let me do what I want, after all.
Craig pulls away, having a genuinely innocent expression on his rather conflicted face.
"… What should I do, big brother?'