When I woke up in the morning, I immediately heard the news—we were going to a grand birthday party, the likes of which I had never attended before.
I've celebrated my own birthdays several times, but I've always preferred a simple gathering with my entire family. So this would be my first time attending such an extravagant event.
We were leaving today, as the party was happening that evening. After waking up, I headed straight to the kitchen, where Jun was preparing breakfast.
"Good morning, Azrael. What would you like to eat?" Jun greeted me.
"Whatever you think is best, Kuya Jun." 
I replied.
"Alright, sounds good. By the way, you're going to a birthday party later, right? Have you decided what you'll wear?"
"Not yet; I think Mom will choose something for me."
"Ah, I see. Well, whatever you wear, it'll suit you just fine," he said with a smile.
After our brief conversation, Jun placed the food in front of me, excused himself, and left me to enjoy my meal.
Since everyone was busy with their own tasks around the house, I decided to go out and train my magic skills by the nearby rice fields.
I brought along the Elderstaves that Claire had given me. It turns out that transferring mana from my body into the Elderstaves is more challenging than I expected.
To do this, you need to channel your mana from your body to your hand, where you hold the Elderstaves. The Elderstaves then absorb the mana and store it, allowing you to release various magic spells.
The Lumisyl wood, which the Elderstaves are made of, has the capacity to store large amounts of mana. According to a book I read, fairies protect the Lumisyl eldertrees to prevent them from absorbing too much mana, as an overload could cause a massive explosion.
The purple dust, on the other hand, is what enables the Elderstaves to absorb the user’s mana. Some people even mix purple dust into their weapons, making them powerful tools in combat. However, purple dust is incredibly expensive, so not everyone can afford it.
As I focused intensely, I could hear the chirping of birds and smell the fragrance of the wind-blown rice stalks.
Holding the Elderstaves with both hands in front of me, I watched as the tip began to glow. I wondered if it had absorbed enough mana for me to release a magic spell. Of course, I decided to give it a try.
"Water Splash Bullets!"
The tip of the Elderstaves glowed again, and a small amount of water trickled out.
"Huh?"
I was stunned. I had no idea why only a little water came out. I tried focusing again, but nothing seemed to happen. This was a lot harder than I had imagined. Just as I was struggling, Claire arrived.
"Using the Elderstaves is no different from releasing a magic spell without it. The only difference is that the Elderstaves allow for faster spell casting and increase the spell's power." 
Claire explained, though I still didn’t quite understand what she meant. I had used the same amount of mana to release 'Water Splash Bullets,' but it was as if the Elderstaves had only produced a blooper.
"Since the Elderstaves increase the spell's power, they require more mana than usual," Claire continued.
She extended her hand towards me, indicating that she wanted to take the Elderstaves. I handed it to her, and she held it in her left hand.
Raising it close to her face, the tip of the Elderstaves suddenly lit up.
"Water Splash Bullets!"
Countless water bullets shot out from the Elderstaves. The speed and force were so intense that the wind whipped around us.
Claire made sure not to aim directly at the rice stalks to avoid damaging them. She stood there, holding the Elderstaves with her hand extended, her hair and clothes billowing in the wind. She looked like a high-class wizard. I wanted to be as skilled as her when I grew up.
Claire then approached me, kneeled down, and smiled as she patted my head.
"That’s all you need to do, but remember, the more powerful the spell, the more mana you’ll need to put in, and the stronger the kickback will be. It could even knock you off your feet. So, make sure to practice from the beginning. Got it?"
She was so cool, I couldn’t even explain how cool she was.
"Yes, Ate Claire!" I replied enthusiastically as she handed the Elderstaves back to me.
"Alright then, I’ll leave you to it. I need to head to the nearby town. Make sure you practice hard."
"Yes, Ate Claire. Take care!" I called after her.
Claire smiled and walked away. I refocused on channeling my mana into the Elderstaves.
I practiced for hours until I was so exhausted that I collapsed on the ground.
"Wow, this is tiring. It's way harder than I thought. But I can feel a difference in the mana I’m channeling."
I stared at the Elderstaves, determination in my eyes. I was sure I could master this within a few days.
After a few more hours of training, I headed back home for lunch. I saw Clark and Craft training together.
"Kuya Clark! Kuya Craft! Can I train with you?"
"Oh, Master Azrael, where have you been?"
"Ah, hehe! I was training with the Elderstaves that Ate Claire gave me."
"Is that so? Do you want to try out the new dagger that Jun gave you?"
"Of course!"
I quickly ran inside the house and grabbed the dagger from my room that Jun had given me. My opponent was Craft, who was skilled in using kodachi and katana.
"Are you ready, young master?"
"I'm ready, Kuya Craft!"
"I won't be holding back, young master."
With those words, I tightened my grip on my weapon. In the blink of an eye, Craft vanished.
My eyes widened as he suddenly appeared at my side. I managed to block his attack, but the force of it sent me flying.
I regained my balance after being thrown back, but Craft was already by my side again, attacking. I blocked it this time and wasn’t knocked back.
I quickly retreated, vanishing from Craft’s sight, but unlike me, he could keep up with my speed.
We exchanged attacks, but Craft was so fast that I struggled to keep up. So, I decided to use wind magic.
I channeled wind magic into my feet to help me move more freely and become more agile.
But I ended up in a disadvantageous position, with both my hands on the ground and my feet in the air.
Craft was about to strike me, and the only solution I could think of was to attack him with wind magic from my feet. Caught off guard, Craft was blown back.
Before he could regain his balance, I rushed at him, moving at incredible speed, thanks to the wind magic I had applied to my feet.
But just when I thought I had won, I was wrong. A chunk of rock suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my dagger. I lost my balance, and Craft disappeared from his previous position.
In an instant, he grabbed my hand and disarmed me. I fell backward, and Craft pointed his weapon at me.
"You’re defeated, young master," he declared.
Clark suddenly spoke up. 
"Alright, that’s enough. Craft wins again."
Sigh. I lost to him again. This keeps happening. I was so close to winning, but the outcome never changes.
Craft extended his hand to me, and I took it.
"That was impressive. I didn’t know wind magic could be used like that. Where did you learn that?"
"Haha! It just came to me in the middle of the fight," I said, grinning.
"You're quite clever in battle, young master."
"Is that so, Kuya Clark? Haha! That’s good to hear," I said, feeling pleased.
After a bit more conversation, I excused myself and headed inside the house to change.
When I entered the house, I saw Mom looking at me with a serious expression. I could feel a powerful aura coming from her.
“Uh... Hey, Mom! Haha, hello! ”
“Where have you been? ”
“Uh… outside? ”
“You’re drenched in sweat! Just look at yourself; you’re dirty.”
“Hehe... sorry, Mom. I was training with the Elderstaves that Ate Claire gave me, and I had a sparring match with Kuya Craft.”
Sigh. “Alright, go rest for a while. Wipe off that sweat, and after you’ve rested, take a bath. We’ll be eating soon.”
“Yes, Mom! ”
I quickly ran upstairs to my room and shut the door behind me.
“Whew. Mom is really scary when she’s angry, but at least I got away this time.”
I took off my dirty clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket, then grabbed a towel to wipe myself down. 
As I dried off, I sat near the window, watching the birds flying outside. Standing by the window, I admired the view from my room.
This place is beautiful—so peaceful, with a lush variety of plants and flowers. I took a few moments to soak in the scenery before heading down to take a bath.
After freshening up, I found the table already set for lunch. Craft and Clark were seated, while Jun was still setting out some of the dishes. Dad was home too, since we were leaving after lunch, and Ate Claire had just arrived from town.
I quickly ran back upstairs to change and then hurried down to sit beside Dad.
“Are you excited, Azrael? ”Dad asked.
“Yes, Dad.”
After lunch, Jun and the others started clearing the table. Mom and Dad went to their room to get ready, while I helped clean up.
When I finished helping, I went back to my room to change. As I opened the door, I saw the clothes I was supposed to wear neatly laid out on my bed. 
I quickly put them on. They were simple but clearly made from expensive fabric, highlighting their high quality.
I stood in front of the mirror examining myself. For the first time, I realized... I’m actually quite handsome, hehe.
I struck a few poses in front of the mirror, imagining all the girls I might meet tonight. After a while, I finally headed downstairs, where Mom and Dad were already waiting.
“So, are we ready to go? ”Mom asked.
“Yes! ”I answered, my excitement evident.
Dad summoned his guardian—a large, fluffy cat named Neko, with thick fur and a gold-plated carriage attached to its back. I sometimes forget I’m a royalty, so I’m still surprised by the luxurious things we have.
Neko was so cute and fluffy that I couldn’t resist hugging it. Its fur was softer than my pillow.
Neko belongs to the legendary guardians bloodline. Despite its cute and gentle appearance, it’s fearsome in battle. That’s what Dad said, though I’ve never seen it angry.
“Alright, that’s enough, son. Get inside the carriage,” Mom said with a smile.
I waved goodbye to Neko and climbed into the carriage. Once inside, I waved to the rest of the family.
“Bye! I’ll bring back some cake for you all, and other delicious treats too!”
They waved back at me with smiles.
“Young master, I’d love some cake. Don’t forget about me! ”Craft called out.
“Of course, Kuya Craft! ”I replied.
“And I want a bottle of fine wine,” Ate Sen added.
“Uh… Haha, sure, Ate Sen! ”I said, though I worried about where I’d find the expensive wine she wanted.
After some final farewells, we set off. I kept waving until I could no longer see them.