World 01 Arc 01 Ch. 03 – The 'Creature' in the Bath

W1.A1-3: A Mother’s Sacrifice—the “Creature” in the Bath

“No, Daniel! You are a master swordsman! How can you be defeated so easily?” I scolded myself, determined not to succumb to my current predicament.

A spark of inspiration ignited within me, and an idea began to take shape. “That’s it! A sword!” I exclaimed, shifting my attention to my struggling rod that had started swaying uncontrollably.

Closing my eyes, I envisioned myself wielding a sword. The familiar sensations that I had honed through years of grueling training came rushing back, and I immersed myself in an imaginary scene where I dueled with formidable adversaries encountered during my journey.

Entering my familiar swordsmanship stance, the energy of a master swordsman surged through my veins. I reached a state where I could control every millimeter of the sword’s movement.

Taking a slow breath, I released my mana, feeling a sense of accomplishment for the progress I had made, even during my week-long travel. “It won’t be long before I become a Grandmaster.” My lips curled up as I decided to examine the condition of my meaty sword.

“Damn it!” I cursed. “Why is it even harder now?”

Suddenly, a warm sensation buzzed in my chest, and a voice resonated in my ears, almost mocking in tone. It roughly translated to, “Well, what did you expect would happen to your little stick if you deluded yourself into believing it was a sword? Have you ever seen a limp sword before?”

The disdain in those words was something I could tolerate, but there was one thing I couldn’t let slide. “How dare you call it a little stick? Sure, it may not be as long as you, but it’s thicker! Get it? Thicker!” I retorted, defending my pride.

The buzzing in my chest suddenly stopped, as if the occupant was checking whether my remark was correct or not.

Swoosh! Sling!

Before I could react, a black light came out of my chest and soared into the air with incredible speed. Not even allowing anyone to register its appearance, the black light came cutting through the air as a buzz sounded, which roughly translated to: “Is that so? Then I just had to carve it a bit to make that statement untrue.”

“Ata-ta-ta-ta-ta!” I panicked and quickly caught the black light before it could fulfill its words.

The black light dispersed, allowing me to see the appearance of a long black sword. It was not a rapier, but the sword was too thin to even be considered fit for swinging. But only I knew about the real power contained in its seemingly weak and lean body.

“Calm down, now!” I placated it by moving my finger along its flat surface before grumbling, “You’re my companion sword. How can you even bear to harm your master’s treasure?”

The sword trembled lightly. “Then don’t compare me to that thing ever again!”

“Alright, alright,” I consoled. “You are both equally valuable to me.”

The buzzing ceased momentarily before resuming with a hint of indignation. “I can’t believe I just felt happy being treated equally to that grotesque thing!”

After its protest, my dear sword transformed back into a black light, retreating into my chest as if it had no face left to show. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for averting any potential conflict between my two swords.

Turning my attention to the remaining matter, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awkwardness. “Why are you so unruly today?”

Somehow, the thought of being in the same bath where I had glimpsed my mother’s nudity earlier had stirred desires I hesitated to acknowledge. “Must I take matters into my own hands?” I pondered reluctantly, finding it challenging to revert to old habits after being with a woman for nearly a year. Additionally, I couldn’t bring myself to defile my mother’s bath.

“Forget it. Perhaps it’s only because I’m giving it too much attention,” I reasoned, accepting this explanation as I reclined against the edge of the bath, seeking relaxation once again. Another ten minutes passed, and I attempted to clear my mind of distracting thoughts.

“Just calm down already, you insatiable troublemaker!” I muttered in frustration, acknowledging the persistent nature of my desires.

Realizing that sleep might offer respite from the relentless barrage of thoughts, I decided to rest until my mother called for me. I turned around, nestling my head on the soft grass surrounding the pool. The warm water enveloped my body, gradually easing the tension within.

With each passing moment, my consciousness drifted away, and I surrendered to the peaceful embrace of slumber.

……

“Place it over there,” Celine instructed the young maid, indicating where to set the food tray. Once the maid left, Celine closed the door and placed the bag she was carrying on the ground. She glanced at it for a moment, a hint of hesitation crossing her face. However, she quickly dismissed her hesitation with a scoff, reminding herself of her rights as a mother.

“Why am I hesitating to open that boy’s bag? He’s my son! I can do whatever I want with his things. If he doesn’t like it, tough luck,” she muttered to herself, giving herself permission to delve into the contents of the bag. Without a blush, her curious hands began rummaging through its contents, pulling out a few pairs of clothes and some toiletries. Celine’s eyebrows furrowed when she noticed the dullness of the clothes.

“Why is he wearing such plain attire? How will he make a good impression and seize better opportunities?” she questioned, her frown deepening. After a brief moment of contemplation, she made up her mind. “Though we’re currently tight on funds, it won’t hurt to make him a few fine garments.”

With her decision made, she picked up the clothes, approached the door, and was about to knock when her hand halted midway. Letting out a sigh, she smiled wryly.

“Why am I hesitating over such trivial matters? Am I afraid that he won’t appreciate our previous way of interacting? But do I really need to change now that he’s grown up?” Celine pondered, her confusion fleeting. She quickly dismissed her doubts with a scoff, asserting, “No matter how much he grows up, he’ll always be that mischievous little rascal who screamed like a girl when I accidentally saw him naked.”

Her thoughts drifted back to their recent encounter in the bath, a mischievous smirk forming on her face. Celine whispered to herself, “That little rascal dared to embarrass me, huh? Let’s see if he still screams like a girl.”

With her spirits lifted, Celine swung open the door to the garden bath and stepped inside with a determined stride. However, instead of the expected startled expression, she found Daniel peacefully dozing off on the edge of the bath.

“This kid…” Celine shook her head, marveling at how exhausted he must have been. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she exclaimed, “Could he have fainted? I need to get him out if that’s the case!”

With concern etched on her face, Celine hurriedly approached the bath. As she neared Daniel, her voice caught in her throat, her brows furrowing as she slowly muttered, “These scars… There are so many?”

Daniel lay with his back exposed to her, revealing a multitude of scars of varying shades and sizes. The scars indicated that they were not the result of a single incident, but rather the accumulation of numerous experiences.

“What has he endured all these years while he was away?” Tears welled up in Celine’s eyes as she couldn’t help but wonder. “I only wanted him to become capable, not to risk his life like this.” Her gaze fell upon the scars, some of them nearly reaching his nape. Each scar, just a few inches misplaced, could have been fatal.

Just as Celine was about to call out to him, she noticed Daniel turning around. However, her relief was short-lived when she realized that his eyes remained closed—he was merely adjusting to a more comfortable position in his sleep.

“He seems fine. I’ll leave his clothes here and let him rest a bit longer.” Celine bent down to place the garments on a small wooden rack near the tub. As she stood up, ready to depart, her eyes caught sight of something in the water. It was not clear due to the steam, but there was something slightly protruding, directly in front of Daniel’s torso.

Worry consumed Celine’s thoughts as she feared it might be a snake or some other dangerous creature that had somehow found its way in. In her concern for her son’s safety, the usually astute Celine overlooked the fact that her garden was entirely enclosed, making it highly unlikely for any such creature to have entered. The weight of recent events and her son’s sudden return had momentarily clouded her judgment.

Celine cautiously moved around the perimeter of the bath, eventually positioning herself directly behind Daniel. She refrained from giving any warning, fearing that any sudden movement from her might startle her son and agitate the “creature” she had spotted.

As she extended her hand to swat away the presumed threat, her legs abruptly froze, and her expression became fixed. The loss of momentum in her lower body caused her to stumble forward, narrowly avoiding a collision with her son. Luckily, her physical fitness helped her regain balance. Her toned legs swiftly found their grip, while her slender, white arms flailed momentarily before steadying herself.

With her head hovering just above her son’s shoulder, she realized that a slight push would have sent her tumbling into the water alongside her naked son. However, any gratitude for avoiding the potential mishap quickly dissipated as her eyes focused on the truth— the “creature” she sought to protect her son from was an intimate part of his lower body.

‘This thing… It’s his, my son’s, his… so big?’

Her mind filled with a chaotic mix of thoughts, causing her face to turn a deep shade of crimson. Celine hastily straightened her posture, and swiftly retreated, back-paddling away from the scene with as much speed as she could muster.

“Damn it! I came here to embarrass him, and now I find myself in this situation?” Celine muttered in frustration, her bewildered thoughts echoing in her mind.