Chapter 5: Chapter 5: "I am Afraid"
"Look at Ame taking her first steps…." Ava's smile was without a limit.
Ame held her head high as she achieved the ability to walk in the fourth month of her birth. She turned to look at Kiel, who was watching her while sitting on Ava's lap with a smug expression.
Kiel wasn't surprised to see Ame already taking her first steps. Since birth, they were fed nourishing baby food after being breastfed by Ava, though only recently did Kiel notice he had been eating in luxury.
They also had nothing better to do, and even he, who had no interest in pursuing body cultivation had already strengthened himself. His bones were more compact, his joints more flexible, and his body was more vigorous.
Because he was a baby, it was far easier to cleanse his body. His pores from head to toe had already been opened. The impurities that remained were expelled out of his system in the form of stool and pee.
Obviously, Ame was the same, and the two of them grew up with pure bodies so it was only natural for them to grow faster than expected. It would've been stranger if they hadn't. Their parents didn't raise any question about their growth rate, thinking it was because of the food and the medicinal baths they gave the two that this was achieved.
[How do you like that? I managed to walk before you did!] Ame looked up at Kiel, her expression as smug as could be.
[Yes, congratulations on the fruits of your efforts and answering our parents' desire to make us stronger.]
[...I didn't think an honest compliment could sting.] Ame pouted.
[Why?]
[Oh, shut it, and walk already.]
Kiel tilted his head, confused by Ame's words.
But then he saw his mother, celebrating and sliding him glances, expecting something from him, "Oh," Kiel finally caught on.
Ame could only sigh, 'He's knowledgeable at a lot of things but stupid when it comes to common sensibilities.'
Flapping his arms up and down, Kiel demanded to go down to the ground.
"Do you also want to try and walk? Hmmm… ara? Look, Ame, your brother, can also walk now~."
Ava's eyes glistened as Kiel took his first step. Kiel looked at Ava and gave his Mother a nod, which caused Ava to squeal in delight.
Kiel saw this and his eyes shimmered without him knowing. He liked the feeling and wanted to take things even further, "Mo… there."
Ava froze, and with a trembling voice, she spoke, "K-Kiel, just now… d-did you just…."
Kiel saw the joy behind Ava's eyes; his heart jittered.
He wanted to see her smile some more.
"Mother...."
Ava became teary-eyed as she picked up her son, "My son just called me Mother…." Ava celebrated Kiel's first words with smiles.
Ame didn't really care about familial affection, but seeing Keil's vacant countenance caused her to feel defeated.
'He's looking down on me!' She thought to herself. Planting both feet on the ground, Ame slowly approached Ava with tiny steps. She reached out to Ava, tugging her clothes.
Ava's attention was stolen. She looked down and saw Ame, "I'm sorry, Ame, did I make you feel lonely~?"
"Ma... Mama!" Ame's undeveloped voice sounded out.
Ava heard Ame speak, and she lost it and began running about with a smile on her face, "My children can talk, already!" she announced to the heavens, with Ame and Kiel in her embrace.
Ame locked eyes with Kiel, who was on Ava's other arm. She had a smile on her face as she successfully stole Ava's attention; Kiel simply gave her a thumbs up.
[Good job.] he said in their mental link.
'Tsk…' Ame clicked her tongue ever so silently, which baffled Kiel.
'Did I do something…? Relationships as a sibling are hard to understand.' Despite his deep pool of knowledge, understanding others was still hard for him to do.
'I am not very good at this.'
When Noah returned from hunting, he had Ava prepare the milk that would be later given to Ava and Ame.
Ava told Noah what happened earlier that day, and Noah celebrated by playing Kiel and Ame. His joy overflowed.
Noah sat straight and crossed his arms, "Now, let us get to the heart of the matter… say, Father, my son."
Kiel tilted his head as she gave an answer, "…Father?" he said in a confused tone of voice.
Noah showed a subtle smile only to have it wiped away as she turned to Ame, "Come on, Ame… say Papa… come on, now… come on."
When Ame refused to do so, Noah became teary-eyed.
[You've got to be kidding me… he's jealous of his wife.] Ame sighed at the sight of her pitiful father. She turned to Kiel as she searched for an answer, and she only saw Kiel motioning to humor him.
"Pa... Papa!" an enthusiastic voice drowned Ame's visible sigh.
Noah jumped about in celebration, tossing and kissing his children out of joy. Noah rubbed his bristled face on both his children's faces and while Kiel hugged him back, Ame fought back.
Kiel could hear her curses inside his head, but he could tell that she was beginning to enjoy it.
'I'm starting to get infected by Kiel!' Ame cursed at her brother.
Ame was a grown-up, and unlike Kiel, she matured emotionally and physically, thus finding it embarrassing to embrace her current state, and she fought the thought of being an infant to be pampered like the last warrior standing on a battlefield.
[Get back! I am the Hands of the Heavens. I will not stand to endure this embarrassment.]
But as Ame pushed Noah away, she failed to notice she was smiling.
The family enjoyed dinner full of smiles. Ava and Noah had the twins talking, helping them get used to words.
In their bassinet, Kiel and Ame lay.
Ame was rambling as she rubbed her face, [The pain is still there... Kiel, do you know any technique that increases regenerative capabilities?]
[Yes, the strong-]
[It would be best if the technique does not turn me inhuman.]
[...I have nothing. Everything else has a chance of limiting your cultivation, and I have yet to remodel a technique.] Kiel said, downcasted he could not fulfill his sister's desire.
Ame didn't care and just let out a breath and closed her eyes, preparing to sleep.
Kiel raised his brows, [Aren't you going to cultivate tonight?]
[Can't focus. Besides, even if I don't want to admit it, your method of spiritual circulation will help me improve faster in the long run. I'd just choose to sleep.] Ame said, already initiating the process.
[I see... oh yeah, I grasped more of the laws this time. I should be able to give you the palm technique I promised you in seventy-nine years.]
[Oh, it got reduced by a hundred years since last month, that's good to know.] Ame opened her eyes again, [You do realize you don't have to give me anything, right?]
[And allow you to fight with your techniques that sacrifice the body? You will destroy yourself before you even get to those Sovereigns.]
[...I see, or are you just saying that to again postpone your own cultivation?] Ame asked, [I am thankful for what I receive, and I already understand that what you can give with your knowledge about techniques and methods are far more advanced than what I encountered in my previous life. I am improving ten times faster than I thought because of your help, Kiel, but are you doing this to avoid facing indecisions?]
Kiel stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking, how different this life is from before, [...in the past, no one could read me. But, it appears I am more of an open book to you.]
[Yeah, having shared your psyche helped a lot.] Ame grumbled.
The two had only been together for four months. But their thoughts were always together, without being separated. They understood each other far more than they were willing to admit.
Ame especially spent a lot of time trying to read Kiel.
[You are straightforward in everything, but when it comes to the topic of cultivation, you tip-toe around the matter. You focused on strengthening your body without cultivating to avoid that, right?]
[I just don't know how to approach... living with choices.] he bitterly laughed.
Ame once again closed her eyes, [Take it from someone who spent her life in the crossroads of decisions, if you spend too much time thinking and not acting, when you finally decide to do so, everything will be far too late. Then, you can only watch from the side, thinking, "if only I did something earlier," it is not a good feeling.]
Kiel could feel a hint of sadness and loss from her words.
[...thank you for that...]
The night ended with Ame feeling a little tired, but she fell asleep, smiling, leaving Kiel alone with his thoughts.
'What is it that I want?'
It was midnight when he finally got the chance to sleep.
The next day, Kiel went out with Ame. They were being watched by Ava as to not have any kind of accident.
At this time, Noah was preparing to leave and hunt when he saw his children saying their goodbyes to him. Feeling the strength of an entire Legion, Noah set forth to hunt his biggest game.
"Rabrul! Get ready; I'm taking your heart!" he cried as he flew away with astonishing speed.
Watching his father leave, Kiel stared at the blue skies.
[Huh... had the skies always been this big?]
Only now, when he did not hold the world at his hands, did he get to see how vast it was. It astonished him, and he asked Ame for confirmation as if he had not looked up to the skies even once.
But she did not give an answer.
Ame felt that she shouldn't say anything and, thus, she didn't utter a word.
It could only be answered by his own interpretation.
He sat on the grass patch that Ava carefully trims every morning and looked into the distance.
The way he sat made him seem like an aged person despite his infantile vessel. It seemed comical for Ava as she smiled at the sight of this and just watched him from behind.
Kiel thought about it and reminisced about his life before and compared it to now.
He was silent through, and in the end, he came to a single conclusion... he was satisfied with this life. Though he was now weaker than he ever was, the fact remained that his life was more colorful than it ever did.
He got to feel small and insignificant.
But he was not one of a kind in this world.
He was no longer the Drifting Leaf but a Reed like everyone else.
Kiel felt appeased without anyone looking up to him in reverence or those screaming in terror.
[Ame... this is a good life.] he said as he turned to Ame.
[It seems like you found the answer to your problems.]
[I did.]
[Hoooh, what is it?]
[I don't want to cultivate.]
His mind was now clear.
He didn't want to cultivate because his own talent frightened him.
That it would once again open the doors to him unable to spend a life of mundanity.
Though the family he had this time around did not have anything and was shrouded by mysteries. But it was clear that he was now living with much more vibrant life.
And as he smiled, he accepted this life to his.
Ame yawned at his revelations, [Well if that's your decision. Don't worry, I can protect you easily.]
"Aiya, is Ame still sleepy? Come now, let's get back inside." Ava picked up both Ame and Kiel and brought them inside.
Being carried away, Ame closed her eyes, but she still talked, [So, what do you want to do now? Without cultivation, you have a lot of time to burn.]
[I want to read a book.]
Other than the knowledge he received from the Ouroboros, the cultivated curiosity to uncover mysteries remained.
[Is that so? Yeah, good luck covering that up with baby noises.]
[I'll try convincing Mother and Father in a year or so. But for now, why don't you tell me what you know about the world?]
[Sure... but... only after I take a nappppppp~zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.] Ame's words trailed off as she fell asleep.
With his thoughts, without any more indecisions, Kiel planned his life while living a life as a good son.
Kiel helped Ame with cultivation, and she taught Kiel about letters and the world.
Eleven months later, the twins finally became one year old.
Thirty more months later, when they reached the age of three, Ame requested to learn how to fight while Kiel read books.
Ava and Noah were flabbergasted by their choices. Their choices seemed reverse from what they expected, but the two only laughed.
"All right! I'll turn my baby girl into the strongest Goddess!" Noah roared.
"And as for you, my little Scholar, Mother will teach you the letters!" Ava ruffled Kiel's hair.
While the twins destroyed their parents' expectations, their fleeting days passed without any of them noticing, and another four years passed.
Kiel and Ame were now several years of age. His body was healthy, and his mind was a vault of unknown knowledge.
He continued living as a good son, compensating for the more rambunctious and livelier Ame. In the mundane passing of his days, Kiel had never been happier.
Without worrying about status and image, letting the days pass gave him untold satisfaction.
Stopping his cultivation after reaching peak Mortal physique when he was two was the best decision he made.
Kiel did not pursue mystical arts, simply a body full of vitality and life.
He was smaller than a grain of sand from who he was in the past, but Kiel was satisfied.
Humming, Kiel walked along the forest's treeline that Noah goes to every day. On Kiel's hand was a meter-long stick, his mind, at ease.
Currently, Kiel was watching someone else's life as he went on a stroll. It was the life of an undefeated Martial Emperor, one that ruled an Immortal Empire for a hundred thousand years.
The one Kiel was watching was his final and most glorious moment, the siege of his empire, where he dared to launch a sneak attack on the Coalition of Immortal Emperors he was at war with.
The Martial Emperor fought with a gallant smile and unwavering will using a single spear. He died only after he claimed all of the scheming bastard's head.
He died after succumbing to his injuries.
In the end, he died without anyone ever defeating him. A glorious life, one Kiel was envious of.
'His Spear is not bad.' Kiel praised the Undefeated Martial Emperor's spear. He poised his body as he felt an itch to move, 'It had been a while since I used the spear to train my body.'
His steps stopped, and Kiel faced a tree, 'Why not?' he shrugged to fulfill his desires.
Kiel took a half step and twisted the stick in his hand. The stick touched the tree trunk without so much as a hint of energy coming out of him.
Tap!
Nothing happened.
He then heard a voice inside his mind, [Kiel, come back home, Mama is looking for you.]
Kiel's attention was taken, and he turned his back to the tree trunk, [I am on my way, Ame.]
As Kiel walked away, the stick in his hand turned to dust, and the tree he tapped, as well as two others behind it now bore a clean hole.
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