Author's Interference (Remake)

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Allen Family Manor

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Training Grounds

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The training grounds were located in the basement of the manor, a quiet place divided into different sections, each designed for specific types of training.

We were currently in the Time Alteration zone, a space reserved solely for the Allen family. It was created by the fifth Timeless, a master of magic engineering and time manipulation, a skill unique to the Timeless.

The room itself was a simple, cubic chamber made from reinforced quartz. Above, the ceiling was adorned with jade stones, arranged in a runic pattern, their smooth surfaces reflecting the quiet energy of the space.

I was standing slightly close to the centre of the room, receiving a scolding from my father, who stood in front of me while Alfred stood by his side.

Contrary to what I had expected, he didn't get mad at me for creating a mana heart, he was mad at me because I used his resources without telling him.

I wonder how he would react if he found out that I passed the trial of the Timeless. Should I tell him about it? I wondered, trying to find a chance to escape his scolding once again.

Although Moriarty wasn't using his projection to talk with me, I could feel him boiling in anger because of my thoughts.

"... And lastly you don't get your favourite foods for a month," Grey concluded his lecture.

Although the rest of the punishments were nothing grand but the last line caught my attention... No medium rare steak for a month?! However, I had no choice but to accept it; arguing with someone over something so pointless is a waste of time; I will just make sure this doesn't happen again.

"I understand, father," I apologized, maintaining a stern gaze towards the floor.

"... With that aside, let's focus on today's main objective. Today, you will have a chance to learn weapon arts; although weapon arts are for aura users, you are a Timeless candidate. So, being a mage won't stagnate your physical growth," Grey explained, fixing his gloves. "Now then, let's go over the art of battle, Alfred; please prepare the golem."

"As you wish, sire," Alfred replied, pressing a button on his codex.

CREAK

Suddenly, a circular hole opened up on the floor, revealing a wood-skinned humanoid creature with two green-coloured eyes that stood up and climbed its way out of the hole in a creepy way before the hole closed up.

"From now on, listen well and keep a note of my movements. At the end of this fight, I will ask you a question and depending on the answer you give me, I will decide whether or not to teach you weapon arts," Grey declared, walking closer to the golem.

The golem stood on guard as if a sudden instinct had taken over his very being forcing it to go defensive.

"That golem has a memory chip of the art of battle installed into it. As the first rule states that we should always assume that our opponents are better than us in every aspect no matter who they are, that golem has become wary of me," Grey explained, looking in my direction.

As soon as Grey turned his head, the golem lunged towards him, trying to deliver a solid punch to his face.

CREAK

But its attempt was a failure when Grey took a step to the back, letting the golem fall face flat on the ground.

"Rule two: if you know what is coming, lay a trap, don't walk in like an idiot... I think it missed that part."

Even though the golem was made through mana engineering by an experienced engineer, the wooden body that it had created some malfunctioning errors from time to time.

This is why the wooden golems were used to train newbies only as it would worsen the skills of trained fighters when they face a golem with incomplete knowledge.

"Rule three: bring a friend, this one is preferable," Grey stated, signalling Alfred to turn the golem into hostile mode.

With a single click, the golem stood back up and instead of lunging towards Grey, it rushed towards Alfred.

CREAK

The moment it got closer enough to deliver a punch thinking that Alfred was weaker than Grey, he got the same treatment as last time. However, instead of falling to the ground, it balanced itself and tried to deliver an uppercut on him which he dodged as well.

"Rule four: never repeat the same mistake twice in the same fight; if you ever make one, learn from it and adapt to your opponents," Grey continued, sneaking up on the golem from behind.

The golem, who was focused on Alfred, failed to notice Grey's presence and received a heavy kick on the left side of its wrist and got knocked away towards the ground.

"Rule five: beware of your surroundings, never let the slightest change in detail escape your eyes."

The golem got back up once again and turned towards Grey, making him its target once again.

This time, it didn't attack right away. Instead, it observed Grey from a safe distance by circling him.

"Rule six: know your foe; the more you know, the better you will do. Tell me the last rule," Grey asked, looking straight at me.

"Don't stop to talk," I answered him, as the golem lunged towards Grey from the back.

CREAK

Grey smiled slightly before turning around and grabbing the head of the golem before smashing it on the ground.

SNAP

The golem's head blew into smithereens and blew off in different directions.

"Why did you not use a weapon?" I asked, ignoring the wooden chips that scratched my clothes.

"What is a weapon? Is it just a tool to defeat our opponents? Is it a lifelong companion? Is it something that exists to just serve our purpose? At the end of the day, everyone has a different perspective on a weapon. A weapon isn't limited to just external objects, our body can be a weapon as well if we wish to use it like that," Grey explained, answering my question with a question and answer of his own. "A weapon isn't something that is limited to a single form, it can be formless as well. Almost anything that we consider a weapon can be a weapon.

"But not everyone can wield a weapon and achieve successful results. A weapon without a purpose might as well not exist. The question is... What do you wish to do with it? What is your purpose for wielding it?"

"I..." I tried to say something but stopped for a moment to think about the answer.

Honestly... Why did I even need a weapon?

To protect someone? Who would I protect? The Allen family is made up of powerhouses, why would it need my protection? Even if I did grow stronger than them, at that time, would I even need a weapon any more?

To kill someone? Why would I kill someone for no reason? What benefits would I get out of it? Even if I did have a reason, I wouldn't be the one to kill them, Moriarty has taken that burden off my shoulders.

To have something to rely on? I already have a lot of mental support from having Ryuk and Moriarty, I don't think an object can even hold a candle to them.

To defend myself? I already have Wally and my army of drones. I am also learning magic, would I need a weapon after that?

"I wish to bring change to this rotten world," I declared in a serious tone, filled with dedication. "And a weapon is just a tool that will help me achieve that goal."

... That's right. How can I forget? The only thing that I wanted was to kill the main characters and make this world a habitable place for the rest of the people who have lived in the shadows of the story till now.

"Like father, like son," Alfred commented in a jocular tone, and Grey looked at me in doubt.

I didn't wish for him to make the same mistakes as me... But who am I to decide his future? Grey thought as he changed his expression and smiled warmly. "We will start in an hour; take your time to choose a weapon that would suit you."

"A purpose to wield a weapon doesn't have to be anything grand, it can be for a small purpose as well. However, what it needs is a good definition from the heart because, without a purpose, strength has no meaning; always remember that," Grey explained, remembering some memories that he didn't want to.

"I will, father," I answered, before leaving the room with Alfred to choose a weapon.

The weapons that were meant for training purposes were kept in the room right next to the Time Alteration zone so that we didn't have to waste too much time grabbing something if our weapon broke.

The Armory was also a cubic-shaped room made of quartz and marble, as it wasn't used for training purposes like the rest of the rooms in the basement. It was filled with several weapon racks containing wooden swords, shields, daggers, polearms, bows, sais, whips and everything that can be called a well-developed weapon.

"Alfred, what do you think is the best thing to counter a sword?" I asked, examining the different types of weapons there were.

"Something to counter a sword? That is a problematic question since I need to know what kind of weapon you want; if it's a dual-wielding category, a sword and shield or a sword and dagger would suffice. However, you probably won't take many hits with a mage's physique, so we can rule out the sword and shield option. A sabre can be a good counter to a traditional straight sword as it has only one sharp edge, unlike a double-edged sword, and if you close the gap between your opponents quickly, it can easily win you the battle. Gauntlets can also be a good option if you can close the gap quickly. Blunt weapons are usually heavy, which slows down the user, so that is not a good option to counter a sword," Alfred explained, walking over to a weapon rack and bringing a sabre-like wooden sword to me. "However, for you, I would say that you should use a sabre."

"Why a sabre?" I asked, confused by his statement.

"For someone who has such a strategic and precise mindset, it would be easier for you to create openings and trick your opponents easily. Although this might be hard for you to handle at first, you will start to see why it is the best-suited weapon for you when you get used to it," Alfred completed his explanation, handing over the weapon to me, which I received willingly.

"... Thank you, Alfred," I replied, examining the wooden sabre in my hands. "I think I could get used to this."