Months had passed before Edward was finally able to start sensing his Qi flow.
It hadn't been an easy task, he had to push himself daily to gain control over his infant body, which stubbornly refused to obey his will.
Even when he finally managed to control his movements and began exercising specific muscles to build strength, he still had to deal with the constant hunger followed by sleep.
His body was still that of a newborn, so of course his stamina was equivalent to that of a baby. Not to mention the constant embarrassment of being stuck in an infant's body.
Nana's intervention helped during the worst parts, like feeding or diaper changes, but he couldn't just shut off his mind all the time. That might start drawing unnecessary attention.
His relationship with Eliza had grown stronger, to her, he was already like a biological son. Edward, too, had come to see her as his mother.
His relationship with the Duke, however, hadn't progressed much. There had been a small improvement when Edward became useful for political purposes, but things were still cold between them.
Though the Duke never said it outright, it was clear he was deeply disappointed by Edward's class. That only added to Edward's anxiety, he wanted to grow up fast and shove his success in the faces of all those who had underestimated him.
That feeling had become his main source of motivation. He couldn't wait to see the shock on their faces. He could already imagine them saying things like, "But he's just a Crafter, how is this possible?"
That feeling wasn't new to him. In his previous life, the same kind of contempt had driven him to become the top student at the military school and later at the cadet academy. So he focused even harder on his training. And, of course, that accelerated his development.
He was still only four months old, but now he could crawl a few meters and sit up by himself. Edward found it ridiculous how satisfying that progress felt. Really? One of the great achievements of his life was being able to sit up on his own?
One day, during another session where he sat in a Buddha-like pose to strengthen his back muscles, he finally began to sense something he recognized as his Qi. That burning in his back muscles could be mistaken for fatigue, but when he focused, he could tell it was something different.
Maintaining his meditative posture, he concentrated on the sensation. He could feel something accumulating in the atmosphere and being absorbed through the muscles in his back.
It felt like when you eat a really spicy pepper and your whole mouth starts to burn. As he continued to focus on the sensation, he noticed the burning spread throughout his body. Now, he could clearly perceive it as his Qi Flow.
Following the same strategy he'd used for other energies, he created a mental image to help him visualize the flow. He now perceived the Qi as a green energy stream being absorbed by his muscles.
[Finally. I was starting to think we'd be stuck here for years,] Nana said sarcastically in his mind.
[You say that, but I know you're impressed by how fast I finished,] he replied, teasing her.
[Now you need to start training to perceive all three flows at once,] Nana began explaining the next steps.
"A kid meditating?" a male voice said suddenly, one Edward didn't recognize.
The sudden interruption startled him so much that he couldn't hold back his infantile instincts, and he began to cry. He rarely cried, but sometimes he had to let it happen, after all, it was only natural for a baby. Still, he felt deeply embarrassed to be crying just from being startled.
"See what you've done? Be more careful, Edmund," Eliza scolded the owner of the voice that had startled Edward. She picked him up and began comforting him to stop the crying.
"This brute who scared you is your uncle Edmund," Eliza said, introducing Edward to his uncle.
"Nice, the brat's lucky he got our family's looks. At least he'll grow up to be a handsome guy," Edmund said.
[Your uncle is really something. Would you be like that, when grow-up?] Nana teased in his mind.
[You remember that he is not my biological uncle, right?] Edward asked.
[Yeah, you weren't lucky this time]. Nana replied. Really, she had fallen for that guy's charms so quickly? Edward had to admit he was handsome, but still.
"If he took after James, he'd still be handsome," Eliza tried to defend her husband.
"You really did fall for your husband. They say love is blind, after all," Edmund teased.
Eliza responded by playfully slapping her brother's shoulder. She wouldn't admit it, but she was happy their father had sent him. Now that her aunt Eleonora had left, she felt lonely in the villa.
She adored Edward, of course, and there were plenty of servants, but aside from the Duke's occasional visits, she had no one to talk to.
Each of the Duke's wives had their own villa on his lands. The family only came together for special occasions, like Edward's naming ceremony.She didn't enjoy the company of the other wives, but sometimes even the veiled insults they threw at one another were a welcome break from the tedium.
"So this is the brat who's going to become the next Duke of Lemeria," Edmund's words snapped Eliza out of her thoughts.
His statement also caught Edward's attention. He was intrigued by the sudden appearance of this uncle. The Duke had mentioned something like this before, but it had been months, and Edward had forgotten.
"You shouldn't say things like that so openly, the walls might have ears," Eliza warned her brother.
"How can you live like this, constantly worried about being spied on in your own villa?" Edmund seemed genuinely outraged.
"It's not as bad as it sounds. Just be careful when talking about Father's and James's plans," Eliza replied, trying to downplay the uncomfortable reality she lived in.
"If that's what you want. But I've already told Father, and I'll tell you: if those snakes try anything against us while I'm here, I don't care about their families' political influence. I'll put those damn witches in their place," Edmund said with conviction.
Eliza couldn't encourage his hot-headedness, but she was happy to have someone around who thought like her.
"Fine, but you'll be the one dealing with the consequences," she replied, trying to hide her satisfaction.
"Deal, Captain," he said with a mock salute.
It was an old joke between the siblings, a playful way of dealing with Eliza's bossy nature.
"Aren't you all adults? Will you never grow up?" Eliza grumbled.
Edward couldn't help but laugh at the exchange between his mother and his uncle.
"See? He liked it. Isn't your mom bossy, Edward?" Edmund said the last part in a ridiculous baby voice.
Which made Edward laugh again, causing Eliza to get even more annoyed with her brother. Her response was immediate: she smacked Edmund on the head with a sharp flick.
"Ow! That hurts, you know?"
Edward laughed even harder. The two adults were acting like children, while he was trapped in a baby's body. He couldn't feel anything but amusement at how pathetic, and hilarious, the situation was.
[A pity, all that beauty, but he's nothing more than a child] Nana commented, her voice making her disappointment clear.
Edward didn't say anything, but he was pleased. During these months he had grown accustomed to seeing Nana as his sister. So obviously he was jealous.
"Oh, you liked that, didn't you, you little rascal? Just wait until you grow up a bit, I'll pay you back during your training," Edmund said playfully.
Training? That caught Edward's attention. What had his uncle come here for, exactly? The Duke had only said he would send someone with a troop of fifteen knights.
[You're screwed] Nana commented and Edward agreed.
"Father really wants him to be trained?" Eliza asked, clearly anxious.
"He's a Lionheart. Regardless of his class, wielding a sword is his duty," Edmund replied seriously.
"But won't he have trouble learning the family's techniques?" Eliza still wasn't sure this was a good idea.
"No one expects him to become a Sword Saint, but he needs to learn enough to teach others at least," Edmund explained.
Eliza wasn't entirely convinced, but she knew that if this was her father's will, there was little she could do.
Edward, on the other hand, was thrilled. He was eager to learn every detail about this world. He couldn't wait for the training to begin.