The sun was directly overhead when Peter and his father exited the forest and entered the grasslands.
"Come, I will be teaching you the proper way to skin a creature once we get home," Joseph said.
They silently closed the distance between the forest and home after that.
By the time they crossed the main gates and walked into the garden, Peter's head was protesting heavily. Keeping Mana Sense active the entire time had been stressful for his brain. It had to process twice the usual amount of information while the skill was in use.
Deciding to give it some rest, he opted to take a nap.
"Hey, Dad," he finally said when Joseph returned with a small knife from the toolshed.
"Yeah?"
"Maybe some other day. My head is hurting," Peter admitted, unable to stop a pained expression from appearing on his face.
In an instant, Joseph's eyes widened in understanding.
"Yes, yes. Go rest. We will have plenty of opportunities in the future to teach you such things." He quickly placed the corpse and knife aside and rushed Peter to his room.
Peter felt a bit bad—his father had been very excited about it.
…
Peter was alone in his room when his eyes fluttered open.
He didn't try to get up right away, instead choosing to reflect on the events of the day.
Tomorrow, he would begin practicing Mana Sense again—gradually increasing the duration. With enough time and training, he could eventually keep the skill active at all times.
I shouldn't have used it for so long. That had been one of his mistakes today.
He evaluated his options. An increase in intelligence should result in greater processing power for my brain.
At higher levels, Mana Sense could function as a temporary substitute for a clairvoyance skill—at least until he designed one himself. Eventually, it would expand into a sphere of awareness, granting him complete knowledge of everything within its range.
Another thought crossed his mind. I need to think of a present for the anniversary too.
It wasn't until dinner that he realized the full extent of his foolishness.
…
Peter forced himself to swallow the extra salty rabbit soup while observing the table.
The light from the mana lamp illuminated most of the dining room. No one had spoken a word since dinner had started.
Mariah's rage shimmered in her movements as she ate. The handprint on Joseph's left cheek made it clear what had transpired while Peter was napping. She was furious.
"You will not be going back to the forest anytime soon," she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"But why?" Peter asked.
Her fist slammed against the table, making him jump in his seat.
"No means no, Pete," she said, her voice trembling as she struggled to restrain her emotions.
Joseph sighed softly, setting his spoon aside.
"Mariah," he said gently, stepping in to continue the conversation on Peter's behalf. "It was just fatigue and a slight headache. Likely from a combination of depleting his mana pool so much for the first time and overusing his skill."
Mariah looked ready to rebuke him, but he continued before she could.
"It was bound to happen someday. Happens to everyone plenty of times. He's not hurt." He sighed again.
"He was not ready, Joseph. I thought you were just going to let him observe. That is the only reason I let you take him," she said, looking betrayed as she continued.
Mariah's voice trembled with unwavering resolve. "My child is not going into that forest again until I am sure that something like this won't happen again."
For the first time, Joseph raised his voice to match hers.
"He is not just your child. He is our child. You were not the only one who lost two of her babies."
His eyes widened when she flinched back.
When the tears came, both he and Peter were already out of their chairs, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"Forgive me, my love. I lost my cool for a second just now," Joseph murmured, his gaze downcast.
His hands moved gently, wiping away her tears. "You have to understand me. I can't let you stifle our son's potential by overzealously protecting him."
"I don't want him to hold you accountable for his weakness when he will need strength."
He stroked her head carefully, his touch soothing. Peter simply held onto her.
"I don't want to lose him," she whispered once she had calmed down, the tears finally ceasing.
Peter remained still as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"Neither do I," Joseph admitted. "Just for your assurance, we can keep him away from the forest for a few more years. But if he wants to train, you cannot stop him."
Mariah's grip on Peter's shoulders tightened. "Fine," she relented.
…
3 days later
Peter ran in the hallway, opened the door and looked back.
"I will be going then", He yelled, in a hurry.
"Fine but try not to inconvenience anyone", Mariah yelled back after he closed the door.
As he ran on the road, slightly cold but pleasant wind caresses his body making him feel refreshed.
His breaths came in a fixed rhythm as he ran to the village entrance.
Both sides of the path were full of green sprout that were recently grown.
Birds flew across the deep blue sky from the forest, making their way above the grassland into the deep red horizon in search of food.
The village looked beautiful with the added background of the morning sun.
Soon he reached the gates and witnessed the usual duo of old and young guard.
"What got you so riled up early in the morning, brat?", The old man said, yawning in his palm.
"My friends will be leaving the village so I wanted to spend some time with them. In a bit of hurry right now, see you later",
Gates were open. Peter did not stop but explained while disappearing in the village.