Until the meeting concluded, the man in the black suit taught me various things about magic.

First, I learned that each Silveit strand can only perform one transformation at a time. Combining elemental transformations results in compound elemental transformations, and these compounds are influenced by the compatibility of the base elements.

Moreover, I found out that elemental transformations are significantly easier than form transformations.

Taking these teachings to heart, I decided to master the fundamental elemental transformations before my father returned. Although I already knew how to manipulate fire and wind, I focused on learning the remaining three elements.

“You’re truly amazing, Itsuki-sama. You’ve mastered all five elements so quickly,” the man in the black suit praised me.

“It’s all thanks to your teaching!” I bowed my head respectfully, surrounded by the shattered remains of practice dummies in the evening light.

Despite having his own duties, this man dedicated his time to teaching me magic. His guidance was invaluable, making him my third mentor after Renji-san and my father.

“Normally, exorcists start learning magic at seven and take about a year to master all the basic elements. For you to achieve this at five years old… It’s truly because of your innate talent,” he said, smiling warmly.

Before I could express more gratitude, the man straightened up suddenly. I turned to see my father, looking slightly worn out, approaching us.

“There you are, Itsuki. I’ve been looking for you,” he said.

“Papa!” I ran to him, and he lifted me onto his shoulder.

“Is the meeting over?” I asked.

“Yes, it ended a bit earlier than expected. What have you been doing?”

“I’ve been practicing magic. This man taught me a lot,” I replied, pointing to the man in the black suit, who bowed slightly.

“I see. Thank you for looking after my son,” my father said.

“It was my pleasure, sir. It was an order from Akane-sama.”

“Ah, Akane-sama,” my father nodded, understanding.

So the golden-haired priestess’s name was Akane. A very Japanese name for someone who didn’t look particularly Japanese.

“Itsuki,” my father began hesitantly, “I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?” I replied, curious about his uncharacteristic hesitation.

“Would you like to see what my job as an exorcist is like?”

“Your job… as an exorcist?”

“Yes. When I was around your age, I used to accompany your grandfather to his jobs. How about it?”

My grandfather… I had never met him. He might be one of the figures in our family’s portrait gallery, but I had never been close to those pictures. Seeing my older brother’s portrait among them made me wary of getting too close.

Setting those thoughts aside, I asked, “Is it okay for me to watch you work?”

“Of course. You won’t be in the way. Your papa is strong, after all!” my father laughed heartily.

“Will I be safe?”

“We’ll be dealing with a First or Second Rank demon, nothing too dangerous. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

I hesitated, contemplating the fear and the allure of seeing my father in action. Despite the fear, the desire to witness a real exorcist at work won out.

Gathering my courage, I said, “Yes, Papa. I want to see you fight.”

“Excellent! We’ll go tomorrow!”

His eagerness took me by surprise, but the immediacy reassured me that my resolve wouldn’t waver. As my father lifted me, he noticed the scattered practice dummies.

“And what happened here?”

I proceeded to show him my newfound skills in elemental transformations, leaving him astounded.

The Next Day

The following day, the sun was already high when my father’s phone rang. He glanced at me practicing in the garden and said, “Itsuki, we’ve got a job. Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir!” I replied, wiping the sweat off and quickly changing to follow him.

Behind our house, a black sedan was parked.

“You’ll sit in the passenger seat,” my father instructed.

“But there’s no child seat.”

“Just make sure to wear your seatbelt properly.”

I vaguely remembered that children under five needed a child seat. As I buckled in, my father took the driver’s seat, and I looked at him in surprise.

“Can you drive, Papa?”

“Of course. Your papa can do anything!” he replied confidently, though his answer was both reassuring and ambiguous.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Are we going to fight a monster?”

“Yes. We’re heading to a house where a First Rank demon has appeared. The police have already secured the area to keep civilians away.”

As we navigated the narrow streets of the residential area, I grew increasingly tense. My father’s calm demeanor contrasted sharply with my mounting anxiety.

We soon arrived at the destination—a typical house cordoned off with yellow “KEEP OUT” tape. There were no onlookers, which felt strange.

“It looks like a normal house,” I commented.

“Yes. Weak demons often appear in places like this.”

My father parked the car and got out, urging me to stay close.

“Don’t leave my side, no matter what happens,” he said sternly.

As we approached the entrance, a police officer greeted us. “We’ve been expecting you, Exorcist.”

“Sorry for the delay,” my father replied.

When the officer looked at me, I knew he wondered why a child was present.

“This is my son,” my father explained.

The officer nodded and let us in.

I was surprised at how easily we were allowed in. Do exorcists have that much authority?

Inside, the house was eerily normal, but my father warned, “Keep your shoes on. You never know what might happen.”

Following his lead, I stepped into my first battleground, feeling a mix of fear and excitement.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep