Two years had passed since Moro's decision to stop Shinichi's magic training.
Two years that brought significant changes to the small Sunvolt family's life.
Without the burden of becoming the perfect heir, Shinichi finally got to experience something he had never received in his old life.
The simple happiness of a child.
And the genuine love of a family.
"Shinichi, wake up, dear! Today we're going to bake a cake together!"
Stelle's gentle voice woke him from a sound sleep.
The warm morning light streamed through his bedroom window, illuminating Shinichi's face who was now seven years old.
Shinichi rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed. A small smile carved itself across his still-sleepy face.
"What kind of cake, Mother?"
"A birthday cake for your father. Tomorrow's his 45th birthday," Stelle answered while gently pulling back Shinichi's blanket.
"We're making it as a surprise, so don't let him find out!"
Shinichi nodded enthusiastically. Since two years ago, activities like this had become the routine he looked forward to most.
Cooking with Mother, gardening, even just chatting casually in the afternoon.
Simple things he had never experienced in his old life.
In his previous life as Shinjiro Shun, he had never felt this kind of warmth.
His parents divorced when he was only ten years old, and his life transformed into a small hell.
His mother left with another man, leaving him alone with a father who became a monster.
His father, once gentle, changed into a cruel figure. Every day, young Shinjiro had to face rage, beatings, and harsh words that destroyed his self-worth bit by bit.
No warm embraces in the morning.
No happy laughter during meals together.
No one who cared whether he was hungry, cold, or hurt.
Only fear, loneliness, and emptiness that ate away at his small soul every day.
But here, in the Sunvolt family, everything was different.
Even though Shinichi had weaknesses in magic, even though his grandfather had given up on him, Ryose and Stelle never stopped giving him their love and attention.
Perhaps even more than before.
In the kitchen, Shinichi stood on a small chair so he could reach the counter. A small blue apron wrapped around his tiny body.
"Alright, now we mix the flour with the eggs," Stelle said while guiding Shinichi's small hand holding the wooden spoon.
"Slowly, dear. Don't rush it."
Shinichi stirred the batter carefully. Several times flour spilled onto the table, but Stelle just laughed and helped him clean it up.
"Mother, why don't we just use magic to make this cake?" Shinichi asked innocently.
Stelle smiled and gently stroked her son's head.
"Because what matters most isn't the result, Shinichi, but the process."
"When we make something with our own hands, with love and care, it becomes far more special."
"Besides," Stelle added while playfully pinching Shinichi's cheek.
"Mother loves spending time with this beloved child of mine."
Shinichi's cheeks reddened. He lowered his head to hide his broad smile.
This feeling... the feeling of being loved unconditionally... still felt foreign to him even after seven years.
But a pleasant kind of foreign.
"Mother," Shinichi suddenly whispered.
"Yes, dear?"
"I... I'm so happy to be your son."
Stelle fell silent. Her eyes grew misty hearing those innocent words from her son.
She hugged Shinichi from behind, kissing the top of his head gently.
"I'm so happy to be your mother, Shinichi. So, so happy."
That afternoon, Ryose came home earlier than usual. He carried a large bag filled with various items.
"I'm home!" he called from the front door.
"Father!" Shinichi ran toward him with a wide smile.
"Hey, little champ!" Ryose lifted Shinichi high into the air, making the boy laugh freely.
"How was your day? Did you help your Mother?"
"I did! We made a cake for Father's surprise tomorrow!"
"Oh no! Don't tell me I already heard the secret!" Ryose pretended to be shocked, making Shinichi laugh even harder.
Stelle came out of the kitchen smiling at the father-son interaction.
"Welcome home, honey. Why are you home early today?"
Ryose set Shinichi down and handed his large bag to his wife.
"Because I have special plans for this weekend," he answered with sparkling eyes.
"We're going camping in Silverleaf Forest!"
"Camping?!" Shinichi jumped with excitement.
"Really, Father?!"
"Of course! It's been a long time since we went on an adventure together. And I think it's time Shinichi saw more of the world."
Stelle looked slightly worried. "But, Ryose... Silverleaf Forest is dangerous. There are lots of monsters there..."
"Don't worry," Ryose gently squeezed his wife's hand.
"We'll only camp in the safe areas."
"I already surveyed the location last week."
"Besides,"
"Shinichi needs to learn about the outside world."
"I'll protect him with my life if I have to."
Shinichi watched his parents interact with a warm feeling in his chest.
In his old life, he had never seen his parents care for each other like this.
All he remembered were fights, screaming, and finally the divorce that left him alone.
But here, he saw what a family should be.
How parents should love and protect each other.
...
...
The weekend arrived quickly. Shinichi woke up early in the morning, too excited to sleep any longer.
He helped Ryose prepare the camping equipment like the tent, sleeping bags, cooking gear, and food for three days and two nights.
"Don't forget to bring your warm jacket, Shinichi," Stelle said while packing spare clothes into the bag.
"The air in the forest can be very cold at night."
"Already got it, Mother! I'm all set!" Shinichi bounced beside the door, impatient to leave.
Ryose laughed seeing his son's enthusiasm. "Alright, alright. Let's go before this boy explodes from impatience."
They departed in a small horse-drawn carriage pulled by two brown horses. The journey to Silverleaf Forest took about three hours from Alveron.
Throughout the trip, Shinichi couldn't sit still. His eyes gazed in wonder at every scene they passed a vast grasslands, clear streams, rolling green hills.
"Father, look! That bird is bright blue!" he exclaimed while pointing at a bird flying above them.
"That's an Azure Swallow," Ryose answered with a smile.
"They only live in areas with pure mana."
"Their presence indicates that this area is still natural and healthy."
"Wow! I wish I could fly like them!"
Stelle, sitting beside Shinichi, gently stroked his head. "Someday, dear. Who knows, maybe you'll find a way to fly with your light magic."
Shinichi fell silent for a moment. Since his grandfather's decision two years ago, he had stopped training magic intensively.
But his mother's comment reminded him of his dream that had been buried.
"Mother, do you believe I can become strong someday?"
Stelle looked into her son's golden eyes seriously. "I don't just believe, Shinichi."
"As your Mother, I'm certain."
"Strength isn't always measured by how powerful our magic is."
"Sometimes, true strength comes from a heart that never gives up and the love that pushes us to keep moving forward."
Ryose nodded in agreement. "I believes in you too, Shinichi."
"No matter what others say."
Small tears gathered at the corners of Shinichi's eyes.
Words like these...
unconditional support like this...
Still felt so precious to him.
...
...
Silverleaf Forest greeted them with breathtaking beauty.
Tall trees with silvery leaves glittered under the sunlight.
The air felt fresh and cool, filled with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers.
They set up their tent in a small clearing not far from the river.
Ryose taught Shinichi how to pitch a tent, start a campfire, and various other basic survival skills.
"The most important thing when camping is understanding nature," Ryose said while showing animal tracks in the soil.
"Nature isn't an enemy we must fight, but a friend we must respect."
"What does that mean, Father?"
"It means we must learn to coexist with nature."
"Taking only what we need, not destroying or polluting the environment, and always being grateful for what nature gives us."
Shinichi nodded seriously, trying to understand every word his father said.
Night fell quickly after that. They sat around the campfire, enjoying a simple dinner cooked over the embers.
The night sky in the forest was far more beautiful than in the city. Thousands of stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across black velvet.
"Father," Shinichi whispered, leaning against his father's shoulder.
"Are there other worlds up there in the sky?"
"Perhaps," Ryose answered while gazing at the sky.
"This world is vast, Shinichi. Even Eltheria is only a small part of what exists in this world."
"Maybe out there are many people like us, also sitting under the same sky, dreaming about adventure and a better life."
Stelle joined the conversation. "And who knows, someday we might explore those faraway places together."
"As a family?" Shinichi asked with sparkling eyes.
"As a family," Ryose and Stelle answered in unison.
Shinichi smiled broadly. His dream of becoming strong had changed.
Before, he wanted to become strong to prove himself to the world.
Now, he wanted to become strong to protect this small family he loved so much.
The family that gave him unconditional love.
The family that never gave up on him.
The family that taught him the meaning of home.
...
...
On the second night of their camping trip, something unexpected happened.
Shinichi woke up hearing rumbling sounds from the direction of the forest.
He stepped out of the tent and saw strange lights flickering among the trees.
"Father! Mother!" he called in a low voice.
Ryose and Stelle immediately emerged from their tent.
"What is it, Shinichi?"
Shinichi pointed toward the light. "Strange light over there. And there was a rumbling sound earlier."
Ryose frowned. He knew this forest well enough, and a light shines like that wasn't normal.
"We need to be careful," he whispered.
"It could be a monster roaming around."
But as they observed more closely, the light didn't appear threatening.
On the contrary, the light seemed... warm. Like soft moonlight.
"Father, I... I feel like something is calling me from there," Shinichi suddenly whispered.
Ryose and Stelle exchanged glances. There was something strange about their son. His golden eyes glowed in an unusual way.
"Shinichi, what do you feel?" Stelle asked gently.
"I don't know... but it feels like... like there's a part of me over there calling me out," Shinichi answered confusedly.
"Like something is missing and now it's waiting for me to find it."
Ryose fell silent for a moment, then made a decision.
"Alright. We'll go there. But stay close to me, and if I say run, you run immediately. Understood?"
Shinichi and Stelle nodded.
Carefully, they approached the source of the light. The closer they got, the clearer it became that the light came from a large crystal embedded in the center of a giant oak tree.
The crystal shone with a warm white-gold light, exactly the same color as Shinichi's eyes.
"What is that?" Stelle whispered.
But before Ryose could answer, something even more amazing happened.
The light from the crystal began to resonate with Shinichi's body. A thin golden aura started to envelop his small form.
And for the first time in his life, Shinichi felt his mana flowing perfectly.
Not forced.
Not painful.
But natural, like breathing.
"Father... Mother..." he whispered with wide eyes.
"I... I can feel my mana core..."
And that night, in the middle of Silverleaf Forest, beneath the light of the mysterious crystal, Shinichi Sunvolt began a new chapter in his life.
A chapter where he would discover that being the 'weakest' might only be the beginning of something far greater.