Chương 10: Vol. 1 - A Prodigy Among Idiots

Wow! I feel great! I've finally awakened my astral core, ahh, my sweet little astral core. I feel so refreshed, I can even smell the trees and the lovely oxygen they give us… wait, what the hell?! TREES?! Why am I standing in the middle of a forest??? What the hell?! Why's my whole house collapsed!! Who there's to disrupt the peaceful home of the Great Assassin!! I shall hunt you down and murder you!!! Suddenly, two familiar faces ran towards me and hugged me, tears streaming down their faces." Kawa-Kun, you're ok…

*sob…" my beloved angel wept as if I had been resurrected. Meanwhile, my idiotic father wept, no, wailed, " Kawa-Kun, you're a genius, simply a genius!" I put on my best baby voice and asked innocently, " Papa, Mama, no cry, what wrong?" My father, for once, had a really serious expression. He held me by my shoulders firmly, and said, " Son, you have awakened. You are indeed special, powerful enough to destroy this house.

But never, never reveal the fact that you can wield starlight, not to anyone, not even your friends in the future. Only if we tell you that you can. We will tell you when the time comes." Startled by his sudden firmness, I mumbled, "Yes, papa…" Mama, stroked my head tenderly and smiled warmly, " You did well, Kawa-Kun. Aww, you're just so cute and awesome at the same time, just makes me wanna eat you…" my mother then started to drool on me unprofessionally, and eerily…" Yossssh! Time for dinner it is!!

I'm starving already!!" Papa showed his idiotic grin again. Sigh, idiots will always remain as idiots. ~~~~~~~~~~ Life seemed to go on as usual, just that my dad forgot all about his promise and would go on and on about what a prodigy I was… is it just me? But I feel like I'm the one taking care of my dad. Anyway, my parents managed to get the old party they were in to come back and help rebuild the house.

Apparently, years ago, my parent's adventuring group had a pact: if any of them ever lost their home, the others would gather to help rebuild — not just with wood and stone, but to make it stronger than before. The pact was sealed over a campfire after they narrowly survived a ferocious beast attack that destroyed their base of operations. The "Oath of Ashes" was their promise that no friend would ever be left to rebuild their life alone. My dad never thought he'd need to call it in — until now.

In a nutshell, I really, seriously think their party is a group full of weirdos. I have never met such a mismatched party such as them. Never, not even my deepest wildest dreams/ two lives. Dad clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder and gestured to the odd assortment of people scattered among the blackened remains of our home.

"Son," he said, "meet The Ashen Vanguard — the only idiots who ever followed me into dragon dens, collapsing ruins, and political traps." He pointed first to a broad-shouldered woman with sun-browned skin and short black curls, sleeves rolled up as she crushed herbs in a wooden bowl.

"Kara Vaelwyn. Healer. You can learn a lot of healing tactics from her. Kept me alive more times than I care to count."

"Twenty-seven," she corrected without looking up.

"And you still owe me for every single one." Next was a stocky dwarf standing with one boot planted on a timber beam, copper beard braided tight.

"Garric Stonebrand. Earth wielder. And your father owes me two beers a year until he's buried." Dad groaned.

"Here we go again…" He pointed to a small, willowy woman in a dark hood, blackish brown braid draped over one shoulder. Her eyes were the color of midnight, and her cloak seemed to swallow the light around her.

"Sylvara 'Silk' Marris. Shadow wielder. Once saved me by killing the wrong target."

"Still counts," she murmured, biting into an apple she definitely hadn't bought here. A middle-aged man with long, wind-tossed blond hair strolled up next, sword balanced across his shoulders. His grin was just as sharp as the blade.

"Torren Vale. Wind wielder. And the good-looking one — in case your old man forgets to mention it." Lastly, Dad nodded toward a tall, pale man with neatly tied black hair and round spectacles, faint static crawling over his fingers.

"Lysander Crowe. Fire wielder. I'll be fixing your father's architectural crimes before this place collapses again," Lysander said, already eyeing the foundation. Dad sighed.

"And that's them. My friends. My headaches. My family." Kara almost immediately scooped me up and rushed up to my mother and exclaimed, " Oh my god! Liora! It's been ages since I last met you! You're definitely doing well, right? You even gave birth to this little cutie pie… aww… who likes a coochie coochie?" That eccentric woman then tickled me so much that I nearly cried. But that wasn't it; she was NOT done. She threw her arms around me without warning, pulling me into a hug so tight my ribs protested.

My face was immediately smothered in the warm, soft prison of her ample bosom. Stars danced in my vision as I flailed like a drowning man. I'm suffocating! I can't breathe! Was this how I was going to die — embraced to death? Suddenly, a pair of warm hands picked me up from that evil woman's bosoms. Ahhh, I can finally breathe! My hero! I turned my head, to say my beloved hero… Garrick? Hmm, friendly dwarf I suppose. My idiot father then clapped his hands, bringing everyone's attention back to him."

Now off to the juiciest news you'd ever hear! Drumroll please… My dear son is a prodigy! He's an all-element wielder, whooo! Guys, amazing right?" *Yap yap yap, crow flies by… Dead silence… Kara stops whining, Sylvara stops chewing on her apple, her apple just drops on the floor. Dead silence. Torren speaks up first, " Renar, we know you love to joke, but uh, this one's just gone too far…" He looked around and chuckled. Everyone starts to chuckle really awkwardly… My mother and I just smack our foreheads.

Wasn't he the one who told me to keep this a secret?

"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong, he's really a prodigy! Look, Kawa-Kun, show them." My idiot father protested. For the sake of him not losing face among his party members, I will tolerate this today, but just today, don't you dare push the limits my idiot father. I settled into the quiet, legs folded, spine straight. The world beyond my closed eyes faded until there was only the steady rhythm of my breath.

My hands rested lightly on my knees, thumbs and index fingers touching to form a small circle — an unbroken loop. Warmth gathered there first, a faint tingling that pulsed with each exhale. It was like holding a tiny sun between my fingers, the rest of my body slowly falling into harmony with its glow. In that stillness, the air felt denser, charged — as if the space around me knew I had let go of everything else. Slowly, I visualised each element clearly in my empty mind. Fire burns, but only to illuminate.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Water flows, but only to nourish. Earth holds, but only to steady. Wind moves, but only to guide. Healing restores, but only to remind. Starlight touches not the flesh, but the fate beneath it. When I opened my eyes again, seven glowing elements surrounded me. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Shadow, Healing and lastly Starlight. And all the adults were idling me… as if I was some premium meat?

No, I'm not exaggerating or anything. Those idiots were just staring at me, mouth agape, drool dripping from their mouths. This is making me really uncomfortable… Before I could even react, Kara swept me into her arms, squeezing me like she was trying to crush the air out of my lungs. My face was yanked straight into the soft, suffocating embrace of her chest. Heat rushed to my cheeks, my arms flailing uselessly as I tried to peel myself free. Too close! Too soft! Too— My breath hitched. I can't breathe!

I'm actually going to die like this! Stars prickled at the edges of my vision, and I wasn't sure if it was from lack of oxygen or the sheer embarrassment." Aww, I can't believe this cute little thing is a genius. I'm gonna teach you all the healing spells know to you, cute little Kawa-Kun, even the forbidden ones, you're just so irresistible…" Kara cooed as she ruffled my head. Torren snaps back to his senses next, he apologised, " Sorry Renar, I really didn't know…"

"It's fine Torren, just leave it be. Next time, beer's on you!" My idiot father shook it off." Hahahahaha" And they were buddy buddy again. On the other hand, that weirdo Sylvara, was inspecting me though I was a new toy that she could play with. Creepy… but… kinda cute with her jumping around, so curious about me. They all left as soon as the construction ended. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Lunch time came round the corner, and I settled down into my old wooden chair, preparing to slurp up every last bit of my scrumptious dinner.

Today, we're eating Orvax Stew, that's basically ox tail back on earth, just that this is way more delicious and every bite of the Orvax lets your teeth sink into a chewy piece of orvax that's just lets let's the meat just melt in your mouth, bit by bit, as you savour every part of the orvax… so delicious…" BANG" That sound jolted me out of my vivid description of my beloved orvax stew, breaking the peaceful tranquility. I turned to my father. It was him.

With a single, thunderous slam of his hand against the table, he seized the room's attention. The sound rang out like a war drum, leaving no room for doubt about who held authority here." Liora, I have decided, I will teach Kawa to be a good celesteblade; he has the natural talent for this. It's best if he becomes one." My father's voice boomed, showing who reigned in authority here yet again. But mama wasn't going to back down.

With a sudden burst of anger, she stood up abruptly and slammed both hands on the table, the impact rattling dishes and sending a sharp jolt through the wood. Her voice rose immediately after, raw with frustration, " No, he has potential for being a celestial; there is no need for him to play with your damn swords. Besides, he has a natural talent for being a celestial more than celesteblade." Papa immediately stood up.

"Grrr" My parents stared at each other, giving each other an intimidating stare, hoping one would back down. Suddenly, they both turned to me, "Hoshikawa, this is about your future; you have a say in this." My heart thumped rapidly, du dum, du dum, du dum… I must resolve this quickly to finish my orvax stew and not offend anyone! Think, Hoshikawa, think…

"Papa, Mama, I think Papa can teach me how to be a celesteblade and sword fighting in the morning, and Mama can teach me magic in the afternoon. Evening and nighttime can be my free time. On the weekend, I want Mama to teach me how to read and write. Pweaty Please?" I hit them with my deadliest weapon—the puppy eyes. Both froze and let out a synchronized 'grrr,' before breaking into reluctant smiles.

'Of course,' they muttered in unison, turning away with arms crossed, still grumbling under their breath. But the argument was over. For the following days, my father taught me the basics of being a celesteblade by just handing me a really thin book. Sigh, what a real disappointment he is. He can't even teach me the basics of being a celesteblade… Anyway, I will forgive him just this time, just because I love reading. Let's see…

"The Basic Beginner Guide to Being A CELESTEBLADE""We shape the world with our hands." That's right, unlike celestials, we use hand incantations. Celestblades → Hand Incantations Their magic is integrated into swordplay — a hand sign in a mid-air strike Doesn't interrupt movement or reveal the spell until it's unleashed. Feels deadly and precise — almost like martial arts kata that double as spellwork. Works great for surprise attacks and battlefield adaptability.

After we beautifully perform our series of hand signs, our essence flows through our body into our weapon, such as our sword, for example. These are a table of hand signs we have that currently exist. Name Finger/Hand Position Description Polaris Fingers straight and together, palms facing forward, pointing upward like a compass arrow. Vega Right hand forms an "L" with thumb and index finger extended; other fingers curled. Left hand flat, palm down. Rigel Both hands clasped tightly, fingers interlocked.

Deneb Left hand open, fingers spread; right hand fingers curved, hovering just above left palm. Altair Both hands in fists with thumbs extended and crossed over each other. Bellatrix Right hand's index and middle finger extended; left hand cups the right fingers gently. Castor Both hands palm-to-palm, fingertips touching, fingers spread to form a diamond shape. Sirius One hand flat, palm facing up; other hand fingers tap lightly at palm's center.

Arcturus Both hands held in loose claw shapes, fingertips curved inward but not touching. Capella One hand with index and pinky extended; other fingers folded down. Aldebaran Right hand forms a circle with thumb and index finger; left hand fingers pass through the circle. Spica Both hands fingers intertwined, except thumbs crossed on top. Bellatrix (Alt) Both hands palm down, fingers together; thumbs crossed over one another. Mira One hand fingers spread wide; other hand's palm pressed gently against fingertips.

Alnitak Both hands form fists, knuckles pressed together. Procyon Right hand flat with palm inward; left hand index finger traces a line along right palm. Fomalhaut Both hands fingertips touch while palms stay apart, forming a small triangle. Antares Both hands fingers splayed outward; thumbs nearly touching, forming a heart-like shape. And that's all, men! I truly hope you get into The Knight's Holy Army!!!! HOSHIKAWA HOSHINO'S POV: Wow, that was short.

But I kinda know how to do the cool hand signs Papa did last time now! We began the rest of the morning doing sword training and lots of warm-ups. I bet I could have done that handstand with one hand if not for this damn useless body!! In the afternoon, Mama taught me how to use my essence wisely. She told me that as celestials, "We speak the world into being." Playing the role of her genius child, I visualised the Healing element clearly and healed the whole house. Oops, maybe that was a little too much.

At night, I read some books on gods. Apparently, there were minor gods and major gods. Only the strongest can remain as major gods for even after 10 years. Every 10 years, a new generation of minor gods will take over and become major gods. There used to be a major god called Valtheris, the god of entertainment. He was the strongest god who remained as a major god for centuries, but he mysteriously disappeared after The First Astral Civil War. Hmm… this seems interesting…

one day I'll be a major god and achieve every celestian's goal. And maybe I'll read a book on the war someday. Then, one day, at the very end of the year, my father broke it to my mum." Honey, I think it's time we get Kawa-Kun a proper tutor…"