REDA | Chapter 03

~Chapter 03~ 

Even though Calix was a troublemaker, he had shown talent for swordsmanship from a young age.

Their mother and father noticed this early and started training him themselves.

“Oh?”

Thankfully, Duke Lux showed interest.

The House of Lux wasn’t just famous for its high status, but also known as a family of expert swordsmen.

Duke Lux himself had fought in wars in his youth and achieved great honors.

Swordsmanship was very important to the House of Lux.

With a curious expression, Duke Lux looked at Calix.

“Also, Calix was personally trained by our mother.”

“By Mary?”

Yes. Their mother wasn’t just the wife of a knight—she also had the blood of the House of Lux and had been trained as an heir. She was very skilled with the sword.

That’s why she chose to teach Calix herself instead of hiring a swordsmanship tutor.

Though Calix caused trouble and ran away from most lessons, he always took sword training seriously.

He had natural talent, and since he truly enjoyed it, he improved very quickly.

As a result, despite being only seven years old, Calix had impressive sword skills.

And—

“Calix learned the Lux family’s sword style.”

“This boy?”

Duke Lux looked doubtful.

Usually, seven-year-olds only learned the basics. The Lux sword style was especially complex—even naturally gifted people found it difficult.

Their mother, who had great talent, only mastered it fully at age eighteen.

But Calix was different from the start.

Their mother began teaching him the Lux sword style early on.

Ruby knew who her grandfather was because her mother explained the origin of the sword style during Calix’s training.

She had pointed to a picture in a noble encyclopedia book.

“This sword style belongs to the House of Lux. That man is your grandfather, Duke Lux. I may not see him anymore, and you might not meet him either, but I want you to know who he is.”

“Then, are we part of the Duke’s family?”

“No, not exactly.”

When Ruby had asked that question innocently, her mother had replied with a troubled smile.

Even though Ruby was young then, she could tell that the reason they couldn’t meet Duke Lux was because of bad blood between him and her mother.

“Then why do I have to learn this?” Calix had asked.

“Because this sword style is part of your identity.”

“What does identity mean?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older.”

She had pinched Calix’s nose playfully and brushed it off with a smile.

Back then, Calix didn’t even understand the word “identity,” but when it came to swordsmanship, he was a natural genius.

So now, at only seven years old, he could perfectly perform the Lux family’s sword style.

“This child is the only one who can truly inherit the sword style of House Lux.”

“There are plenty of others who can do that.”

“Are you sure? I bet there’s no one else who can perform it as perfectly as him. If he continues to grow, he might even surpass the current style and create a new path.”

“You’re just talking about possibilities.”

“I can prove it right now. If you’re not sure, just ask him to show you.”

Ruby looked at Calix with confident eyes.

“You can do it, Calix, right?”

“Why should I?”

“Don’t you want to become stronger?”

That hit Calix’s weak spot exactly.

He had a strong sense of pride and a competitive spirit, especially about swordsmanship.

Ruby knew how to use that part of him well.

“If I show my sword skills to Grandpa, will I get stronger?”

“Of course. Grandpa will recognize your talent and help you grow even stronger.”

Ruby’s confident voice made Duke Lux scoff.

“Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

They headed straight to the training grounds.

The knights training there paused to watch as Calix stepped into the center.

Just in case something happened, Ruby asked the butler, Balt, to look after Maria and Sasha, and she followed them to the training ground.

“Begin,” said Duke Lux.

Calix, no longer looking like a mischievous child, gripped his wooden sword seriously.

He took a deep breath to calm his excitement.

“Hup!”

With a shout, Calix began his sword movements.

He started by showing the basics as he moved around the training area, gradually speeding up.

Even the way he stepped changed.

Instead of simply stepping on the ground, he now seemed to float lightly as he spun and swung his sword.

Even people who didn’t know much about swordsmanship could tell his movements were special.

He advanced and retreated as if facing an invisible opponent.

Sweat began to bead on his forehead, but Calix showed no signs of tiring.

In this moment, he wasn’t focused on pride or competition. He was entirely absorbed in his sword, moving like water—naturally and beautifully.

‘This part of him is really admirable,’ Ruby thought.

It was a pity that once he put down the sword, he returned to being a wild child. But when it came to swordsmanship, Calix was completely serious.

Ruby glanced at Duke Lux.

He was watching Calix with a focused expression.

“What do you think?” Ruby asked.

“It’s true. This child has mastered the Lux family’s sword style.”

Duke Lux immediately recognized the technique.

His eyes darkened.

The sword style Calix just performed was exactly the same as what he had taught Mary, without a single mistake.

“Calix’s abilities don’t stop here. If you let him spar for real, you’ll see even more.”

“Who is he going to spar with right now? He may be talented, but he’s still just a seven-year-old. I can’t put him against an adult.”

“Calix can handle it.”

Duke Lux didn’t reply. He just kept watching.

Calix’s sword technique reached its peak.

At this point, his movements were so fast and precise that even experienced knights struggled to keep up.

“Whoa.”

“How can a kid move like that?”

“Hey, he’s better than you.”

“Shut up.”

The knights of House Lux murmured in amazement.

Ruby wasn’t as skilled as Calix, but she had learned swordsmanship for self-defense. So she could tell his performance was nearly over.

Calix didn’t lose focus until the very end.

His swordplay was smooth like a dance.

His strikes had no hesitation.

Even the sweat dripping down and his steady gaze were perfect.

Finally, Calix imagined his enemy falling and stopped with his wooden sword pointed at the invisible opponent’s neck.

“Huff… So, what do you think, sis?”

The knights around him burst into applause.

It wasn’t forced—it came from pure admiration.

“Well done, Calix.”

Ruby walked over and wiped his sweaty face with a towel.

Her little brother hadn’t let her down.

Now, surely, he had left a strong impression on Duke Lux.

With hopeful eyes, she looked at the Duke.

Still with his arms crossed, Duke Lux clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. All show and no significance.”

𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆🌷Luna🌷͙⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ