Forgotten Conqueror Book One-From RoyalRoad.com by Za1d3

Chapter 44 - Pride & Joy

  In the blink of an eye, It was already Lokil the 5th turn, and the end of Alivai.

The Paltos family sat around the dinner table. In front of them was a modest but lavish feast.
Stuffed and roasted qorkos glazed with the sweet extract of kargiz fruits from the previous year, sautéed slices of dronnon meat seasoned and cooked to perfection, a meaty stew with plenty of diced vegetables, a pan of sliced mulse bread, a small bowl of boiled qorkos eggs, and soft roasted derilt root slathered with butter to top everything off.

"Thanks mom." Seeing the abundance of food for just the four of them, he realized the occasion. It was to celebrate his 9th birthday that passed two days ago while he was still at the academy.

"You're welcome. Go ahead and eat whatever you can. We'll save the leftovers for tomorrow." Adalina replied with a warm smile.

"Mommy, Anish eat too?" Anise questioned from her spot on the table.

Adalina chuckled, hearing her daughter's question. "Yes. You too, honey."
Taking a slice of the sautéed meat, she cut it into small bite sized pieces and put them on Anise's plate along with a slice of the mulse bread. Breaking off the qorkos wing, Adalina picked off the meat and added them onto her daughter's plate before filling up her own.

Seeing the plate of food, Anise was ecstatic and began digging in.

"Use your fork darling." Adalina told her daughter, seeing that Anise was picking at the food with her tiny hands.

"I heard Lord Varath is finalizing a trade agreement with the hunting town of Thurllton. How is that going?" Kaidus asked Troyle, as he picked up one of the meat slices and placed it onto his own plate.

"Quite good. The town's been doing really well ever since they got rid of their bandit problem. If everything goes as planned, it may even become an exclusive contract." Troyle replied, consuming a spoonful of stew. "How's school coming along? Not as busy as before, I presume?"

"Yea. I'm understanding more of the subject matters, so the class works have gotten lighter." He casually replied while eating.
Not being mages themselves, Troyle and Adalina rarely questioned him in depth about his school and classes. When they did, they didn't understand his explanations.

"That's good." Troyle nodded. "Anything we can help you with?"

"No, but thanks."

"Kaidus. Your mother and I may not be mages, but let us know if we can do anything for you."

"You two don't need to do anything, dad. You all being here is enough." Kaidus replied with a joyous grin.

"Hahahaha. Alright." Troyle returned a wide smile of his own.

Hearing her father's laughter, Anise looked up with a curious face. Her mouth slathered with oil and pieces of food.

"You're growing up way too fast...." Adalina muttered, a cheery smile on her face.

After dinner, the four moved to the living room. The sun had set, but the room was well lit by candle light.

"Your mother wanted to wait until you were older, but I got mine when I was around your age. You are more responsible than I was, you should be fine with this." Troyle spoke, taking out something elongated and wrapped in cloth from underneath the low-rise living room table. The sound of metal could be heard as Troyle placed it in front of Kaidus.

Kaidus unfurled the cloth. Inside were two swords: each the length of his arm. The swords were neither intricate nor did they look too costly, but he could see they were well-made.
Unlike the broad double sided swords many of the knights use, the two swords were single edge swords. Both were slim, and had slight curvatures to them without any guards. The design of the swords were simple but effective in their practicality, and is the type of swords used by mercenaries who favor speed and ease of movement.

"Waaah! Shword!" Anise's eyes widened at the two new swords. "Ish Kai gonna be knight?" she questioned with excitement.

"Not yet." Adalina smiled and picked up her daughter to make sure Anise doesn't get hurt.

"These are for me?" Kaidus asked, looking at the swords.

"They are, honey." Adalina answered him.

"I know that you may not need it since you are a mage, but it would give me peace of mind that you can defend yourself without using magic. Also, it's important that you train your body." Troyle replied. "Go on, pick them up."

Kaidus touched the deadly metal. Sensations hidden away resurfaced, bringing about recollections of the past. Of an old friend. He quickly suppressed them, focusing on the matter at hand.
He gripped the two hilts and lifted. With their lean design, the swords were quite light. Even though they are as long as his arm, he held one in each hand comfortably.

"How do they feel?" Troyle asked.

"They feel okay. A little long though."

"Don't worry about that. It'll be fine in a year or two." Troyle grinned.

"Dad."

"Yea?"

"Are you going to teach me the Formless Blade Style?" Kaidus asked. It was the style that Troyle uses.

"I am." Troyle's grin widened.

"But dad, I'm not ambidextrous like you." Kaidus notified his father of a large difference between them.

"That's perfectly fine. There are many practitioners of the Formless Blade Style who aren't. Being ambidextrous just gives you a slight edge over the others."

"I see. Alright." Kaidus affirmed with a bright grin, conveying his excitement.
Troyle has been wanting to teach him swordplay for over three years now, but Adalina had been against it because of how young he was. From the look of things, it seems Troyle was able to persuade Adalina somehow.
He could not hide behind his mother anymore, and his father's would not allow him to refuse. Kaidus accepted his fate with a smile.

"Great! We can start tomorrow." Troyle was thrilled at the chance to bond further with his son.
Adalina muffled a laughter, seeing how happy Troyle looked.

"Are you not going to Lord Varath's tomorrow?"

"The lord is waiting for words from Thurllton and there are a few preparations left, so I've asked for the next couple of days off. He also extended an invitation for the whole family to go visit. How about it?"

"Maybe before I go back to school..." Kaidus replied hesitantly.
Troyle gave a shrewd smile, seeing Kaidus' reaction. Adalina giggled, knowing exactly what the visit would entail.

Kaidus sat on his bed, deep in thoughts.
It's been two whole turns since his first attempt to contact his remaining familiars. Zion had arrived, but the other two were nowhere to be found. He had tried to resummon them four times, but there was never any answer. The more he thought about what may have happened to them, the more uneasy he became.
Kaidus closed his eyes, entering into a state of calm. 'There is no way anything thing could have happened to them.' He reassured himself. Vishan rivaled Hasen—his most powerful elemental—and Feziel was the sturdiest of the four.

Focusing on the lost familiars, he once again pushed forth his mana, pouring it out and into Lagus.