I headed to my father's place.
　He seemed more uptight than usual.

'How's the tart, Roug, how's the tart?'
'Training is going well. In just two years, he's developed into the same grade as the guys from the branch family. ........Her eyes and motor skills are good, but as far as talent goes, she's beyond ordinary. The reason she is growing up so quickly is because of her tremendous enthusiasm and perseverance to keep working hard. I'm amazed by Tart myself.
'Hmm, if Lugue says so, there's no doubt about it. But that's not what I'm asking.
''........At the moment it's White. In addition to the two years of surveillance, we've been probing him on a regular basis, incorporating him into our daily conversations, but as always, he's just a former village girl.
'Was I overthinking it? The encounter with the tart was too convenient, and I was a little suspicious. That a competitor was a spy sent to steal Touahade's technology.

My father was suspicious of the tart.
　I couldn't help it, but I had been too ready to meet her. It's not normal for a magician who couldn't be found even if I searched all of the Touahade territory with these eyes, to happen to be the target of a muzzler in another territory and meet her while hunting in the mountains. It's normal to think that it was set up by someone else.
　For example, a competitor who found out that I was going around Touahade looking for magicians would send a magician spy to steal their skills.
　I thought about that line myself.
　But in the past two years, the tart has never shown any such pretense. If he really is a spy, his abilities exceed those of my father and me.

''Father, is that all you need to talk about?
It's not. That's not the point. Lug, today's training is special. It's a training exercise, but it's also a test. If you survive today's test and another long ordeal, you will be made a man and entrusted with a real job as an assassin's nobleman, Touahade.

At last, it seems the time has come to test whether I have the wherewithal to wield the blade as the behind-the-scenes towahade to mutilate the country's diseases.

'I accept. What do I have to do?
"Today's exam will be over in a day. ....fight me, rogue. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, just show me what you can do.

Easy to understand.
　Then let's challenge my master, my father, with all the skills I've trained for him.

◇

The exam had already begun.
　The test takes place in the forest. Even if you call it a simple match, it's a battle between assassins. They don't show up in public and strike each other head on.
　They seek out their opponents while hiding from each other and aim to strike a surprise.
　In this game, the one who finds the enemy first has an overwhelming advantage because he can make a one-sided attack.
　They are concentrating their attention and concentration to avoid missing any traces of the slightest thing, while disappearing from sight.

I jump to the side. An arrow was stuck in the position I was in. A short arrow, from a bowgun.
　The surface of the shiny black dagger was coated with poison. It's a deadly poison, and if you only snatched it, a normal person would be in bed for three days. ........So that's how serious my father is.

''........I was confident in my ability to get rid of the signs, though.

How did they find out my position?
　On the contrary, this one hadn't even been able to get an idea of the enemy's position.
　However, with the trajectory and angle of the arrow, I was able to determine the position of the archer.
　About fifty meters away from here, to the southeast.

You can't let him get away with it, so you run with your magic power.
　I'm overwhelmed by the amount of magic power I possess and the amount of instantaneous energy I can release. In other words, I'm overwhelmed in terms of both speed and power.

The mountains are overgrown with plants and trees, and it's hard to run without a foothold.
　So we use our signature move. Kicking off the tree trunks and using the branches to move through the air. If you kick the branch, it will break off, but he uses an advanced technique to cover the branch with magic just at the moment he kicks it.

I could see it. As soon as I see it, I throw two knives from my pocket.
　My main armament is the knife. I always carry several titanium alloy-made knives with me. The shape was devised so that it could also be used as a throwing weapon.
　The knives fired by the arm strength strengthened by magic are fast as sound.
　One of the knives was dodged and one was flung away, but he closed the distance between them.

When I slashed at him with my spare knife, he was swept away by the picked up knife and immediately aimed at my throat with his hand sword.

He narrowly ducks and unleashes a kick. The kick seems to have been read, and the opponent's elbow and knee caught me and broke me.
　I stifled a scream, swung out while pinned, and blew it away.
　If I had stood on a stick like that, I would have been choked on the spot.

When I looked at my opponent, he disappeared into the forest again.
　Focusing the magic power on the broken leg to strengthen its self-healing power. If you broke it so cleanly, there's no need for surgery, you can leave it to self-heal. Together with the effects of [Super Recovery], you'll be healed in a minute.

''........Utterly, a monster?''

I'm stronger and faster than you, plus I'm using first-world technology for Touahade's assassination techniques.
　And yet, I'm still being played for a fool.

I know why. My opponent is reading my every move.
　The creaking of my muscles, my heartbeat, my pupils, my sweating, my breathing, my eyes, my scent, the flow of my magic, my every move.
　Because he has the world's best medical technology and knows the human body inside and out, he is able to see our movements.
　As expected of the current head of Touahade, Kian Touahade.
　I learned my skills from him, and I can do the same trick.
　In fact, the amount of knowledge I can combine with the knowledge of my past life, I even surpass my father in terms of knowledge and the number of cards I have.
　But my father tricks me by faking even the signs that I should read.
　This one tries to fool me as well, but somehow he sees through the fake completely.

........I hate to say this kind of thing, but I guess it's a difference in experience.
　My confidence that I was the best assassin in the world in a previous life is about to be shaken.
　So I suppose that's why I feel this way.
　I know there's still room for improvement, and I can still be strong.
　I'm lucky to be my father's son.

But enough is enough. I'm going to win.

Close your eyes and concentrate on your senses.
　They are manipulated so that you can chase them from here. You wait for him to move.
　There are two killing intent in the vicinity.

The first killing intent flies in.
　It's a knife. It's my favorite titanium alloy knife that I threw earlier.
　As soon as I flung it off, another one flew out of my blind spot. I twisted and ducked at an unreasonable angle and timing.
　I don't know how he managed to throw two knives almost simultaneously from completely different directions. What I do know, however, is that neither of these two were my true intentions.

The real life came from above. Unlike the two knives that dared to kill me to distract me, this one was a blow that completely killed my attention until this moment.
　My father falls with his own knife in his backhand. There is no way to avoid it because you ducked in an impossible position.
　So I don't avoid it. I barely avoided the kryptonite, let it pierce my shoulder, and then hit my neck with the third one I had been hiding, ignoring the pain.

''I finally won.''

He declared while suppressing intense nausea and dizziness. ........The knife was also firmly coated with poison. Truly relentless.

''Looks like it. To be defeated by a twelve year old child at all...................after being held back. This was still supposed to be the strongest of all time, though.

My father pulls the knife from my shoulder and gives me the antidote, then wipes the wound and lets the magic flow through it, healing the wound.

'I take no chances with you, sir.
''Isn't it tame to dare to use magic to enhance your physical abilities only to the extent that you can compete, and not use your strongest magic skills?''
'It would make this fight meaningless,' Father said. It is a training, but it is also a test. If you overwhelm him with force, you won't be able to take away his skills. That is not training.

Yes, my father went out of his way to say it was training at the beginning, and he even went so far as to say that it didn't matter if he won or lost. It's clear that he's telling us that it's not about winning, but about learning skills through training that's more important.
　My father smiles good-naturedly.

Yeah, it's a training exercise. Lugues are right. I'm proud of him. He saw through what I meant when I first said, 'It's a training, but it's also a test. It's not about winning or losing, it's about the qualities we're seeing in this test. .... an assassin must never lose sight of his objective. If you only think of defeating me, you're not worthy of it. Well, there's nothing more to teach Lugues. It will take me at least twenty years to learn the art of medicine and assassination, and I've already told him what I need to tell him about both.
'No, I'm not there yet. In fact, I still can't beat your father with my skills. In fact, this time I've just won a bet that almost cost me my life.

Yes, today's battle was also overwhelming.
　I couldn't pick up my father's attention; on the contrary, he was always aware of my position.
　Even in close combat, there was nothing good about it except for the last.

'I've taught you what I'm going to teach you, and I'm ready to practice. All that's left is experience. From now on, you'll have to walk on your own two feet. Find what you need to do to be strong. .... and as I promised, I will eventually give you a test. It will be a test of your strength outside of battle. And when it's over, it's real war. We're going to have a rogue do the killing.

The final test, what would it be?
　Perhaps even simple medical science, but not assassination. Other than that, the elements necessary for Touahade will no doubt be tested.

◇

After the training was over, we cleaned ourselves up in hot water and changed clothes.
　Since we fought in the forest, our clothes from earlier are covered in mud.
　After changing, I go outside with my tart.
　He greets the lords. As the next lord, I tried to make time to talk to the lords as much as possible.
　I'm also twelve years old. It's about time I was aware of those things.

''I made and spread the fertilizer like Master Lugue said, and we had a good harvest this year.
That's good to hear. Next time you have a surplus of prey, you can trade me. The leeks Lack grows are good.
Yes!　By all means. That's it, but first, a thank you for the fertilizer. I'd like to have Master Lugue eat it.

Lack hands me a fresh spring onion.
　Another of the lords came running towards us.

"My cow, my cow seems to have hurt her hind legs. Can you please heal her?
Yeah, let's go.

It's a rush.
　We tried to provide simple treatments at no cost.
　However, if you show too much power, they will be dependent on you. I'm adding and subtracting in that area.
　I guess you could say it's just a way to gain popularity in order to eventually rule this land.

In this world, the power of the aristocracy is strong.
　This is because the aristocrats are special beings with magical powers, protecting their domain from demons.
　Compared to ordinary people, their overwhelming superiority leads to faith.
　That's why the people follow the rule of the nobles and pay taxes.
　However, force alone cannot hold the hearts of people together. Thus, selling favor and face steadily is also necessary for the smooth management of the estate.

◇

Then the sun was setting by the time we returned to the mansion.

''Thank you for your hard work today, Lug-sama. You're still very popular as always.''
'That would be desirable, but I've been given too many souvenirs. Hopefully we can use them up before they go bad.

The baskets are filled with crops, cheese, and other things that were given to him by the lords. He refuses as much as possible, but does not ask to be allowed to thank them.
　He is relied upon because he is a student of medicine, and also because his knowledge of his previous life makes him somewhat bright in agriculture, and because he is able to use the four attributes of magic to do quite a bit of heavy lifting.
　The last time he used his water magic to fill up the reservoir with water because it had dried up after a long period of drought, he was revered as if he were a god.

Some noblemen consider magic as sacred and use it for farming, but I disagree.
　Convenient power should be used in a convenient way.
　Oh, speaking of which.....

Is this bag full?

He opened the bag, and it was filled with a large amount of foul stones.
　The more magic power you use, the more magic power you get.
　That's why I was always dripping magic power to balance the amount of magic power of 【Super Recovery】.
　But that's too wasteful. I was thinking about how to use my magic power effectively while consuming it.
　That's why I started this.
　I thoroughly analyzed the foul stone that Dia gave me when we parted, and I succeeded in creating a magic spell to generate a foul stone half a year ago, and since then I've been making foul stones incessantly, storing magic power in the foul stone I created whenever I have time.

In addition, the explosion caused by the runaway of the foul stone has been investigated and verified, and it was found that the power of the explosion can be tripled by putting in multiple attribute-converted magic power at a certain rate.
　This is also one of the trump cards for killing brave men. ........the third most powerful attack method in my hand.
　Let's move the bag full of magic-filled Foul Stones to the storage room and prepare another bag, creating Foul Stones in it and filling it with magic power one by one.