Chapter 11: The End of a Quiet Life
The blonde man was the first to break the silence.
"Your stats are higher than average. Especially since I heard you’ve never trained."
He paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered his next words.
"I suppose that explains why you fell unconscious right after your awakening. Your body needed time to adapt to your high potential."
A small, knowing smile curved his lips, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Tell me," he continued, his voice steady and deliberate, "aside from your stats, what else do you think is different about your stone slate compared to the stone slate of another newly awakened child?"
I considered his question carefully, my eyes drifting back to the words inscribed on the stone slate.
I took a slow breath, letting the silence stretch just enough to feel the weight of every gaze in the room. Then, with an almost lazy grin, I answered:
"The SSS potential?"
"Hahahahahah."
The blond man broke into laughter, a rich, unrestrained sound that seemed to ripple through the tension in the office. For a brief, fleeting moment, even my father’s lips curved ever so slightly, the faintest hint of amusement breaking through his stern facade.
"This may actually be fun," the blond man said, laughter fading into a bemused grin. His finger traced a particular section of the glowing stone slate, tapping lightly for emphasis.
"First, your title. Normally, a person only gains a title once their core reaches S rank. The only exception is for those with SSS potential, like you. And with a title, certain attributes are automatically granted based on the nature of that title."
He paused, his gaze lingering on the words inscribed across the slate.
"Yours are healing and barrier. But understand this, your path will not follow the same rules as ordinary healers and barrier users. The way you develop and strengthen these abilities will differ greatly from what others experience. For most, it is a gradual climb, predictable and well‑trodden. For you... the steps will be steeper, the rewards far greater."
His finger tapped another section of slate once more, and a faint, knowing smile played at his lips.
"But most importantly, is your special constitution. Everyone awakens with only one special constitution. Even SSS potential holders have only two special constitutions. But you, Alash... I believe you are the first human in history to awaken with three special constitutions."
Hearing his words reminded me again of the weight on my shoulders. My gaze lingered on the shimmering slate, the glowing letters searing their meaning into my mind, and I couldn’t suppress the tightening of my chest.
’Damn system,’ I thought bitterly, ’why didn’t you tell me about those earlier?’
A familiar, exasperated voice rippled through my consciousness almost instantly.
[Don’t blame me. It’s actually your fault.]
I blinked in annoyance. ’My fault? How is this my fault?’
[If you actually read the books in the library instead of using them as a literal lullaby and falling asleep after two pages, we might have known about those details.]
I felt my eye twitch as I imagined the system’s tone, dripping with self‑satisfaction. It wasn’t wrong, but that only made my irritation worse. My silence was its own admission, and I could almost feel the system smirking in the recesses of my mind.
’Fine,’ I conceded inwardly, trying to ignore the heat rising to my ears. ’From now on, I’ll actually read... maybe.’
["Maybe" is not acceptable, Host.]
’We’ll see,’ I replied, letting my thoughts drift back to the weight of the slate in my hands. The reality of my situation loomed like an unshakable shadow, and yet, even in that heaviness, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of stubborn amusement.
The system sighed within me, weary and resigned, as if it had already begun preparing for the battles it knew I would sleep through.
My father’s voice broke my silent argument with the system.
"Don’t think too much about it, Alash. You may have a higher potential and more special constitution than anyone, but it won’t mean anything if you don’t work hard and train." His tone was stricter than usual, carrying the weight of authority that brooked no argument.
His gaze shifted to the blonde man sitting beside me. With a knowing nod, he acknowledged him before returning his piercing blue eyes to me.
"This is why I have asked Valerian to teach you the basics before you go to the academy," he said, his voice firm and resolute, leaving no room for protest.
I felt the weight of his words settle over me, heavier than any silence the system could conjure.
I immediately realized that Valerian was the name of the blonde man beside me.
But what held my focus was ’before I go to the academy.’ From what I knew, I would only be eligible to attend the academy in the year I turned fifteen. Which meant that Valerian would be teaching me for the next five years.
With my high intelligence, I quickly grasped what this truly implied. Valerian, known as the best healer in the entire kingdom, could not possibly remain at the Duke’s estate for five consecutive years. Which meant one simple, unavoidable truth: I would have to leave my comfortable bed and follow him wherever he went.
At that thought, I remembered the look my stepmother had given me just yesterday. A slow, dawning comprehension settled in my mind, she must have been the one to give my father the idea. By sending me away under the guise of personal tutelage from the kingdom’s greatest healer, she could keep me far from the estate.
Now, with me awakening an SSS potential, her scheme became perfectly clear. With me gone, she could freely pave the way for her own son to secure the position of heir without my presence looming over the household.
I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. My peaceful life of avoidance and quiet sleep was already slipping away, and I had only just begun to understand the weight of the world pressing against me.
But deep inside me, I knew that was the most ideal way for me to grow stronger even from parting with my comfortable bed.
"I understand, Father."
I stood up, turning to the man beside me, and offered him a respectful bow.
"Thank you for taking me under your care, Master Valerian. How much time do I have before we leave?"
Valerian’s approving smile deepened as he watched my expression shift from surprise to understanding. "It’s good that you caught on quickly," he said, his voice calm but firm. "You should prepare immediately because we will be leaving in the afternoon."
His words struck like a bell in the quiet of the office, echoing in my mind.
’Afternoon.’
I had expected days, perhaps even a week to arrange myself for this sudden uprooting of my life. Instead, I had only a handful of hours before I would be leaving behind my room, my bed, and the quiet refuge I had always known.
Before I could form a response, my father moved with measured precision, reaching into his desk drawer. He set a small object before me on the polished surface, a simple silver ring that shimmered faintly with runic etchings, catching the sunlight that filtered through tall windows.
"This is a storage ring," he said, his voice low and deliberate. "Use your mana while wearing it and think of the item you are holding in your hand to store it inside."
I reached out slowly, my fingers brushing the cool metal as I lifted it from the table. The weight was subtle but undeniable, and as I slipped it onto my finger, a faint hum resonated against my skin, like a whisper acknowledging my touch. A pulse of mana followed, instinctively channelled through the bond, and I felt an odd pressure, space folding, opening, an invisible pocket waiting to be filled.
Curiosity overcame my lingering hesitation. I picked up the stone slate from the table, focusing on the image of it in my mind as I willed it to vanish into the ring. In the next heartbeat, the slate dissolved into a soft shimmer of light, leaving my hand empty.
I couldn’t help but blink in surprise, glancing at the small silver band on my finger. "It really worked."
Valerian’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. You’ll need it. Carry only what you can store and nothing more. Mobility will serve you better than clutter."
My father’s sharp gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, his hand resting against the edge of the polished desk. "You leave today, Alash. Do not waste time clinging to comfort. Your future, and the weight of your name, demand that you act."
The words settled over me like a mantle I could not shrug off. I nodded slowly, absorbing the reality that my quiet days of drifting through life were ending.
I turned the ring slowly on my finger, feeling the faint pulse of mana respond to my thoughts. In a few hours, I would step beyond the familiar walls of this estate, and for the first time, I would have to carry my own world with me.
’So much for an afternoon nap,’ I thought grimly, even as a strange, reluctant excitement flickered in my chest. This was my first step into the life I could no longer sleep through.