After that little incident, Amy and I left the training ground together.
The rest of the day passed peacefully.
Just like always, we drank some fresh juice after training, washed up, had lunch together, and spent the afternoon playing games around the estate. Nothing particularly exciting happened, but I enjoyed days like these. They were calm, relaxing, and filled with laughter.
Before I knew it, evening had arrived.
As usual, the three of us gathered around the dining table for dinner.
Mother looked at me with a gentle smile.
"So, how did today's training go?"
I happily began explaining everything that had happened.
I told her about my progress with Space Affinity, how I had successfully applied space manipulation to my Ice Spears, and how Astrid had praised the idea.
Mother listened quietly without interrupting me.
By the time I finished, a look of surprise had appeared on her face.
Then it slowly turned into one of pride.
A warm smile spread across her lips.
"I already knew my son was a genius," she said softly.
"But don't overdo it, Gray."
Her voice remained gentle, yet carried the seriousness only a mother could have.
"I don't care how strong you become."
"The only thing I truly care about is the safety of you and Amy."
"So don't push yourself too hard."
She reached over and gently patted my head.
"Strength isn't everything."
"Don't miss out on the fun parts of life just because you're chasing power."
She smiled warmly.
"The last thing this family lacks is strength."
"If we truly wished it, even the royal family would have to take a step back."
"So enjoy your childhood."
"Leave everything else to your mother."
Her words warmed my heart.
I smiled and nodded.
"I know, Mom."
"But I really enjoy training."
"I love creating new spells."
"I like experimenting with different ideas."
"And learning new sword techniques is fun too."
I grinned.
"Besides, we always finish training around lunchtime."
"After that, Amy and I spend the rest of the day playing together."
"So don't worry."
"We won't overwork ourselves."
I turned toward Amy with a smile.
"Right, Sis?"
Amy nodded immediately.
"Of course."
"I'm enjoying training too."
Then a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"And besides…"
She looked toward Mother dramatically.
"Do you really think someone as lazy as Gray would train this much if he didn't enjoy it?"
She burst into a quiet laugh.
I immediately protested.
"Hey!"
"You're the lazy one!"
"I'm a very diligent person, thank you very much!"
I crossed my arms with a proud huff.
Amy didn't miss the opportunity.
"Oh really?"
She rested her chin on one hand.
"I seem to remember someone falling asleep in the middle of the training ground."
I immediately pointed at her.
"That only happened twice!"
"I was waiting for your training to finish!"
"I just accidentally fell asleep!"
"Stop bringing it up already!"
I huffed indignantly.
Amy couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.
Even Mother began laughing softly.
Watching the two of them laugh together made me realize something.
Mother wasn't worried about how talented I was.
She wasn't worried about whether I would become stronger than everyone else.
She was simply worried that Amy and I would push ourselves too hard trying to become stronger.
She didn't want us carrying expectations on our shoulders.
She had already become one of the strongest people in the world so her children could live freely.
If we couldn't even enjoy our childhood…
Then everything she had worked so hard to achieve would lose its meaning.
Understanding that made my heart feel warm.
The cheerful atmosphere returned as we continued eating dinner, talking about our day and laughing over Amy's endless teasing.
By the time dinner ended, the three of us had completely forgotten about training and simply enjoyed spending time together as a family.
After clearing the table, I stood up and stretched.
"Good night, Mom."
"Good night, Sis."
Mother smiled warmly.
"Good night, son."
Amy waved lazily.
"Good night, lazy little brother."
I rolled my eyes.
"I'm still not lazy."
She only laughed in response.
Shaking my head helplessly, I walked back toward my room.
Tomorrow would bring another day of training.
Another day of learning.
Another day of growing stronger.
But for now…
A good night's sleep sounded far more important.
The next morning, I woke up at exactly 5:45 a.m.
I blinked sleepily before glancing at the clock.
"…I have fifteen extra minutes today."
Usually, I would head straight to the bathroom after making my bed, but today I had a little spare time.
After neatly making my bed, I looked around my room.
Since coming to this world, I had always told the maids not to move my belongings unless I specifically asked them to.
Whenever someone changed the location of my things, I would end up wasting time trying to remember where everything had gone.
So cleaning my room was something I preferred to do myself.
"Let's organize it a little."
I started with the family photographs.
One by one, I dusted the frames before arranging them neatly in places where they were easy to see.
Looking at the pictures naturally brought a smile to my face.
One showed Mother holding me when I was still a baby.
Another had Amy standing proudly beside me with a bright smile.
There were several family portraits taken over the years.
Seeing them lined up neatly somehow made the room feel warmer.
After organizing the photographs, I tidied everything else.
Books were placed back onto the shelves.
Training notes were stacked neatly on my desk.
My practice clothes were folded properly.
Anything lying around was returned to its rightful place.
Once everything was finished, my room looked much cleaner than before.
"…Perfect."
Satisfied with my work, I headed to the bathroom, took a refreshing shower, changed into my training clothes, and made my way toward the dining room.
As usual, Mother and Amy were already waiting.
"Good morning."
"Morning, Gray," Mother replied with a warm smile.
Amy waved lazily.
"Morning, little brother."
The three of us enjoyed breakfast together while chatting about small, ordinary things.
The atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious, making the meal even more enjoyable.
After breakfast, Amy and I headed toward the training grounds together.
As expected, Astrid was already waiting for us.
She stood in her usual spot with her hands folded behind her back.
The moment we arrived, Amy walked toward her own training area to continue practicing her magic.
I also headed toward my usual spot, preparing to continue my own training.
Just as I was about to begin gathering mana, Astrid walked over.
She looked at me with curiosity.
"So, Young Master," she asked, "what's your plan for today?"
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"Are you finally going to create your Space Blink spell?"
I smiled and shook my head.
"No."
"I've decided not to attempt it yet."
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
I nodded.
"When I teleported the wooden sword and later my Ice Spears, I noticed something."
I pointed toward my temple.
"Whenever I teleported an object, I always had a clear image of its destination inside my mind."
"The location stayed fixed until the spell was complete."
I paused for a moment before continuing.
"But if I try to teleport myself…"
I looked down thoughtfully.
"The instant my body disappears, I'll lose sight of the destination."
"I don't know what will happen after that."
"What if I lose my sense of direction halfway through?"
"What if I appear somewhere I didn't intend?"
"What if I become trapped inside unstable space?"
I slowly shook my head.
"There are simply too many unknowns."
"So I've decided to create my perception skill first."
Astrid listened without interrupting.
"If I can accurately perceive the space around me, I'll always know exactly where I'm teleporting."
"That way, I can eliminate the biggest weakness of the spell before I ever use it on myself."
I smiled slightly.
"And besides…"
"I should also test the spell on animals or other living creatures before attempting to use it myself."
"I need to confirm that it's completely safe."
"My mother told me to prioritize my safety above everything else."
"So if there's a safer way to achieve the same result…"
"I'll choose the safer option every time."
After finishing my explanation, the training ground fell silent.
Astrid simply looked at me for a few moments.
Then she slowly nodded.
"…That's an excellent approach."
There was clear approval in her voice.
"You aren't letting your excitement cloud your judgment."
She folded her arms.
"Many people, especially talented young mages, become impatient after discovering a powerful spell."
"They rush ahead without considering the consequences."
"They see success once and immediately attempt something even more dangerous."
Her gaze remained fixed on me.
"But you did the opposite."
"You analyzed the spell."
"You identified its greatest weakness."
"And instead of forcing your way through it, you started searching for a solution."
A faint smile appeared on her usually calm face.
"That level of critical thinking is impressive, Gray."
She placed a hand gently on my shoulder.
"A powerful mage isn't someone who simply possesses great mana."
"It's someone who understands the limitations of their own abilities."
"And from what I've seen today…"
"You're already beginning to think like one."
Hearing Astrid's praise made me scratch my cheek in embarrassment.
"I don't think it's anything special."
"I just don't want to accidentally teleport myself into a mountain."
Astrid stared at me for a second.
Then a quiet laugh escaped her lips.
"…That's certainly a reasonable concern."
I grinned.
"So today's goal is simple."
"First, I'll create a perception skill."
"Once I can accurately sense the surrounding space, I'll begin experimenting with teleportation on living creatures."
"And only after I confirm everything is completely safe…"
"I'll finally attempt Space Blink on myself."
Astrid nodded with satisfaction.
"Good."
"Now that sounds like a proper training plan."
She stepped back and gestured toward the training field.
"Go ahead, Young Master."
"I'll be watching."
Taking a deep breath, I stepped toward the center of the training ground.
Today's objective had already been decided.
Before I could master teleportation…
I first needed eyes that could perceive space itself.