Dinner is torture. The lady and Cecelia are here and Marie keeps zapping me whenever I become too engrossed in my meal. I need to sit up straight, nibble at the food and pay attention to the conversation. Did you gain new skills, yes. Zap. Yes ma'am. Any progress on your aura.
“I gained a skill that will help me resist its effects. I started to be able to move the aura without needing to rely on my emotions.”
“Excellent Sara, take your time with it, Marie has informed me that this is rather dangerous work.”
“Yes, mother.”
I'm pretty sure they can see the slap marks, but they don't bring it up. The conversation continues as I slowly nibble my food. As I said torture.
You have gained [Resist Lightning] Basic 2
Gain 1 exp
You have gained [Atlas Noble Etiquette] Basic 3
Gain 1 exp
After the meal, I'm given a bath. It's nice and warm, and drying off is instant when you can just disappear the water. I asked Marie about it.
“How does that work?”
“Water made by mana only lasts as long as the spell is maintained. It's why you shouldn't try to drink magic water, at most your body will simply absorb the mana and you'll still be thirsty.”
“So anything made by mana will revert back to mana over time.”
“I'm no mage, I've heard it is possible to use mana to transmute objects into other objects. Anything else would require more mana than any human could wield.”
“Will you be teaching me spells?”
“When your mana manipulation reaches the competent tier, your magic education will begin.”
With that I'm in bed.
You have gained the skill [Weight Training] Basic 1
Weight Training - through continuous lifting of weights you are stronger
Basic - your str stat allows you to lift more
Gain 1 exp
-----
I woke up the next morning with a new notification.
You have gained [Arcane Mana Core] Basic 2
Gain 1 exp
I wasn't trying to level it. I told Marie during the morning exercises.
“We will bring it up at breakfast. I'm sure the Lady or the Captain will know what to do.”
-----
“Your mana reserves were full, but your body is still passively generating more mana, before the core you would simply breathe out whatever excess you had, now instead it simply goes to your core. Marie bring the lightning trainer. Sara you can't gain aspected magic skills yet, at most this device will raise your [Mana Manipulation:Self] skill but it will burn off your mana. Try to keep a quarter of your mana in reserve. That way your core won't keep growing until we want it to.”
“Thank you, mother”
“Of course, Sara”
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 4 unallocated stat points
Today is my day of rest as Cecelia had put it. I'm in a carriage now. It's not all that fancy, just a rental. We're heading to Hotna, the village I was born in. I'm rather bored. Marie is sitting across from me. She was not enforcing the rules today, she told me she's allowed a rest day too. Cecelia is steering the horses, as the carriage is rented, a driver would have been extra. Cecelia made a comment about the lady pinching coppers. I pop open my status screen
Tier 1 : Human lvl 5 - 4 stat point unassigned. [NOTIFICATIONS]
Title:[Voiceless Tier 1 Adventurer]
Str - 14
Agl - 18
Per - 23
Con - 10
Cha - 17
Men - 31
Int - 40
Soul - 62
Skills: [English] Intermediate 9 [Math] Intermediate 8 [Yell] Apprentice 3 [Speak:Common] Competent 3 [Running] Apprentice 8 [Tough Skin] Basic 8 [Status Screen] Apprentice 9 [Tell Lie] Basic 9 [Mana Manipulation:Self] Apprentice 4 [Arcane Mana Core] Basic 2 [Arcane Mana Sight] Basic 5 [Resist Pierce] Basic 1 [Fire Tender] Basic 9 [Sword Arm] Apprentice 1 [Atlas Noble Etiquette] Apprentice 7 [Read:Common] Apprentice 5 [Resist Lightning] Basic 6 [Resist Mental Attacks] Basic 6 [Strength Training] Basic 5 [Write:Common] Basic 4
Earned Titles: [Voiceless Tier 1 Adventurer]
When I gained [Write:Common] I asked Marie how to write the words hello and then world. She didn't get it, I did though. It was a nice memory two days ago.
When I had leveled I had asked Cecelia if I should assign my stat points. She agreed with my guild master that I should wait another week and only do one level per week after that. I think avoiding searing soul pain is a great idea too. I'm eager for the increase to my mental fortitude but I temper myself with the thought of how much stronger my aura will be.
We had left after breakfast. I practice holding my aura closer. Marie is always alert when my aura is denser. At the ready to slap. I think she is disappointed that she hasn't had the need for it the last two days. She still zaps me though when I slouch. Sadist. After the day of no slaps Sencea declared the rest was up to me and the best of luck. She also told me not to go to the tavern until I didn't leak any aura or she would spit in my drinks.
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After borderlining my emotions, I take a break and use my lightning trainer. Its two rods with a mana interface on one of them. Put in mana, you cause magic lightning to arc to the other. Over time you're to replace the catching rod with your hand to get a feel for lightning then you switch it around and start trying to create lightning magic for the catching rod. In the end, you use no rods and just generate the current and catch it with your hands. Unfortunately those skills are for competent tier [Mana Manipulation]. Which is a combo skill of [Mana Manipulation:Self] and [Mana Manipulation:External], external requires a competent self as well. It's competent all the way down. Watching the rods, I can see the arcane mana travel towards its tip then disappears. Then the lightning arcs.
For me, the rods are a distraction that keeps my mana from topping off and occasionally I get a level for self. I alternate between those two activities.
We arrived outside the village barrier around noon, the horse must be of a decent level. The old fool is the one who is waiting at the border, a few words pass between him and Cecelia, the carriage is led forward. The old fool is talking to some boy, then the boy runs off. I turn my head to look at Hotna, it seems mostly the same but with less people, I am hoping they are just staying indoors. Cecelia had told me to adjust my ring back to [Voiceless] and to set my soul to fifteen. Best to avoid attention.
We arrived at my home.
-----
Cecelia knocks on the door, steps back and waits. It doesn't take long, Tom is the one who opens the door. He looks like he's lost weight.
“Hullo, miss, is there anything I can help you with?” His politeness increases as he sees the carriage and Marie. I speak first.
“Hello Tom”
He's startled when he hears my voice and looking at me makes the blood drain from his face. He reaches for me yearning but pulls back from the shame. Before he can retreat, I have him in a fierce hug. He is crying and so am I. There are sorries from him and it's alrights from me. I blame the title more than Tom, he may hog the bed and points my title out but he is still my brother. Emotions spent, we both take deep breaths and head in. He murmurs a question on how I got so strong, I simply laugh.
It's fairly crowded in the outer room of my home. Tom asks if we need anything before rushing into the bedroom. There are some voices, then out barges father, his right arm is a stump at the elbow. He looks to have lost even more weight than Tom. Seems I have emotions to spend afterall.
“Sara.”
He hugs me one armed. The crying begins again. Father isn't sobbing like I am but I feel wetness hitting my back all the same. When I found the bottom of the well of my tears he puts me at arms length to get a better look at me.
“You've grown bigger.” He tilts his head, and then “You have a white dot on your eye.”
All I can do is nod my head and bite my lip. Cecelia steps forwards.
“Emil, this is not a reunion, I've come here to formalize the adoption of Sara into the house of Maxwell.”
Straight to the point, maybe it's a guard thing. Father takes his chair. He looks at me, I give him a shaky smile. Tom doesn't know what to say.
“Tom, can you go to the fountain for a bit?”
Tom nods and heads out. After Tom is gone, father speaks again.
“Why does the Maxwell family want my daughter?”
“Sara has begun growing a mana core, this is the first step before tier two human. While her skills lag behind her peers, her current stats and the mana core leads the Maxwell house to believe she will be a powerful mage when she comes of age.”
That's the first I heard of that. Father's eyes widened at that.
“But she [Voiceless], she is not part of the system.”
Cecelia looks at Marie, Marie nods and pulls out a familiar stone.
“I take it you understand what this stone is Emil, Sara if you would.”
I touch the stone.
Tier 1 : Human lvl 5 - 4 stat point unassigned. [NOTIFICATIONS]
Title:[Voiceless]
Str - 19
Agl - 12
Per - 23
Con - 10
Cha - 17
Men - 31
Int - 40
Skills: [English] Intermediate 9 [Math] Intermediate 8 [Yell] Apprentice 3 [Speak:Common] Competent 3 [Running] Apprentice 8 [Tough Skin] Basic 8 [Status Screen] Apprentice 9 [Tell Lie] Basic 9 [Mana Manipulation:Self] Apprentice 4 [Arcane Mana Core] Basic 2 [Arcane Mana Sight] Basic 5 [Resist Pierce] Basic 1 [Fire Tender] Basic 9 [Sword Arm] Apprentice 1 [Atlas Noble Etiquette] Apprentice 7 [Read:Common] Apprentice 5 [Resist Lightning] Basic 6 [Resist Mental Attacks] Basic 6 [Strength Training] Basic 5 [Write:Common] Basic 4
Earned Titles: [Voiceless]
It's showing the ring version of my status screen. My father wouldn't be able to read [English] anyways.
“A status screen but what language is this? I don't understand, I can see three different Common entries, can you read and write Sara” His eyes are looking at me with new wonder
My smile is fragile, “As of two days ago. Only enough to sign my name”
“Emil, Sara has had the status screen since she was five. She is an inherited, and this village has condemned her to a pariah title due to a simple misunderstanding. An especially cruel one.” Cecelia spat that last part out, there is real contempt in her eyes.
Father's eyes widened at the accusation. He looks away from Cecelia's eyes, sees me and then he comes to a decision. He is looking at Cecelia again, “I'll sign the contract.”
Marie pulls out the parchment. Father reads over the document then signs his name under Party forgoing rights to the child. Marie tells me where to sign mine, its under child name, and then Cecelia signs under the part for Party claiming child. The document floats in the air, flashes and then splits into three copies of itself. Marie takes two of the copies Emil takes one. I am still confused on why Cecelia signed.
“Welcome to the Maxwell family Sara, you are now officially my daughter.”
I sputter confused and happy, Cecelia got me in side a hug now, not too hard though, she is still wearing her breastplate.
“Mother knows you are more attached to me then her, if she was really planning her farce she would have referred to you as daughter by now. You are still to call her mother in public though, think of it as training [Tell Lie] to a proper noble level. I would caution you on calling her grandmother though, perhaps wait until your uncle Francis manages to have children.” She squeezes me a bit there.
Emil is looking at us with a sad grin. I pull away from my new mother, and then I ask the unsaid question.
“Why did you leave me at Grafteir?”
Emil shudders and begins, “When I was injured, I knew I was going to lose my arm. I felt a sudden wave of emptiness at the thought, my resolve broke.”
I go to interrupt him, I fear I know why, mother grips my shoulder urging me to hold my peace till the end. Emil continues.
“I knew I couldn't protect you, there were rumors in the village that drastic steps would need to be made and that you would be the first.”
The hand grips my shoulder tighter, it's starting to hurt but I say nothing.
“I had given you up to the wilds instead of the village elder. When I passed the cart I took the vest you left behind and smeared my blood and the wolf's blood on it. I had to convince the elder that you were dead, to prevent him from having people go search for you.” His face was in his hands now.
Mother speaks now, “What are these rumors, what did you think the elder was planning to do.”
“That he is selling the very young to slavers so he can buy food for the village. There are already missing children even now”
Cecelia is already opening the door, “Marie come with me, we need to have a conversation with Albert.”
They are out the door faster than I can process the idea of slavers. I had a sad smile for Emil, I know why he did it and why he was no longer father. I confide my theory to him.
“I think my aura may have hastened your decision. I originally thought it made everyone think I was worthless, but my teacher on all things aura told me that the wording implies that all those near me will just feel worthless, they may have an instinctual feeling that I am causing it which ultimately directs the feelings towards me. It's why she doesn't want me in her tavern, says I'd bum out the place”
He looks at me, not understanding.
“When I feel strong emotions my aura gets denser, I was quite upset when you were injured. I think that resulted in breaking you as well.”
He looks at me with hollow eyes at that.
"Is it as lady Maxwell said, that the village gave you this title, this aura?” The fear that he had given it to her was unsaid.
I give him a sad smile, he understands. I bite my lip, deciding to do something rather dangerous but necessary for both of us to move on. I pull my aura into a point that none leaks out of me. It's almost as if I'm holding my breath. Emil gasps. The burden is too great but I must say this to the man who was father.
“Even if I am voiceless, I'll still make it in the world, just you wait and see father.”
The man who will always be my father believes.
-----
My father is carrying me to the carriage. Even with one arm he is strong enough to do it. My little stunt had thoroughly exhausted me. He gently lays me against the carriage and goes to open the door. Something wet splashes against my face. It's warm, my father is crumpling to the ground, there is a man standing where my father was, something long is in his hand. My eyes open wide, that's a sword. Before I can get up or even scream, a hand is on my shoulder, a voice commands me in my ear.
“Sleep.”
