《Red String》 Prologue - The Old Man By The Window "Riiingggg, riiingggg, riiinnnggg" "Tap" "Another day, another day" Riley muttered with a sigh as she turned her alarm clock off with a soft tap on its bell. It had been 4 years since she graduated college and moved to the city. Like many others, she moved from her small town in the countryside to hopefully make it big. Things weren''t going as planned though. Originally all was looking well, she had her new shiny degree in computer programming and theoretically, no shortage of job hirings. She learned the hard way though that skill in the classroom didn''t necessarily translate to the real world. She had a really good knack for pattern recognition which made it easy for her to know how to prepare for exams after observing how a professor constructed questions during quizzes and other minor assessments. Throughout her 17 years of schooling, not once did she ever need to actually think outside the box. All she had to do was think within the confines of what the professor wanted to see or hear. Anyway, after a few weeks of working with them, an employer would notice her lack of proficiency and replace her. After all, just like how there were no shortage of hirings, there were also no shortages of fresh graduates. This cycle repeated a few more times until she decided to give up. She couldn''t find it in herself to face the family that raised her so lovingly so she didn''t go back home to the countryside. Eventually, she was able to find work as a cleaner in a nursing home and has been working there ever since. All things considered, her situation wasn''t too bad. Though small, her apartment was in a pretty safe part of town. She had good neighbors and was able to make enough to eat three meals every day. She even had a bit extra to spend on her pin collecting hobby. Most importantly, this way she was able to trick her family into thinking that she was living the good life. Today was an ordinary day like any other. After psyching herself up for around 20 minutes, she took a bath, ate breakfast and with a heavy heartwent, set off to work. The Golden Gate Nursing Home was a modest one. Its size is around two thirds of the main building of your average high school with nothing too much to note in its design. It was however, very well maintained.The owner was very hands on and it was reflecting on the building. The paint always looked new and any chips on the wallpaper were fixed within the hour. The place had power and water even during power outages and the hired staff were all very friendly. "Morning Riley, how are you doing?" Sam, her manager, said with a smile as he met her by the front door "I''m doing my best as usual sir, so whats my itinerary for today" "Its a bit different from the usual. Mark called in sick today so we distributed his tasks amongst you guys. You''ll be in charge of the common area and kitchen as usual in the morning, but in the afternoon you''ll be in charge of the upkeep of all rooms on the third floor, including Mr. Perez room" "Wait that old man? Can''t I be assigned to someone else, you know he gives me the creeps" During her three and a half years working there, Riley had a lot of chances to get to know the residents and for the most part, she got along with them very well. In fact, the stories the old timers would usually share was something Riley began to look forward to daily, but Perez was a bit different. "Sorry Riley, its a bit too late to reshuffle the schedule now. Plus you''re not the only one who shares those sentiments"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Sam had a point. It wasn''t just her who was creeped out by Mr. Perez, a lot of the staff were too. No one would volunteer for the task so it had to go to someone. Riley was just the unlucky victim. "Fine, but you better treat me to a drink later" "Of course, as long as its only a bottle" ----- ----- "And do you know what happened next? He got up and ran for his life! Just from a few warning shots, can you believe it?" Mr. Stevenson laughed as he animatedly recounted his story to Riley as she was sweeping the floors of the common area. He was one of the most talkative among the residents of the nursing home and a day wouldn''t go by where he wouldn''t share at least one tale. "No way Mr. Stevenson, you definitely made that up!" The old man always had the tallest of tales and she was convinced they were all embelished. One weird story was believable but for this old man to have enough of them to recount every day for 3 and a half years? Now that was a bit unlikely in the eyes of the young cleaner. "Hey Mr. Stevenson, can I ask you something? How much do you know about the old man who lives in Room 202, Mr. John Perez?" "Honestly not much kid, that guy never talks to anyone. Even when others try to start a conversation with him, he just brushes them off." Mr. Stevenson said with a shrug. He was one of the most sociable of the residents in the nursing home, but even he had never heard the guy speak. "I thought so, that guy is like a ghost. The older staff say he just silently came up to our front desk one day, paid enough money to cover his stay for a hundred years, and checked himself in. I wonder what his story is" Riley pondered. For the most part, everyone in the nursing home was a pretty tight knit community.The staff and residents were more friends than anything. John Perez was the only exception. He never visited the common area or even spoke to anyone. The only time he''d ever leave his room was when he needed to bathe or get some sort of medical treatment he couldn''t receive in his room. Otherwise, he''d idle by his room''s window and just stare at the sky the whole day. ---- ---- Eventually after a few more hours of cleaning, chatting, and a lunch break in between, Riley couldn''t delay it any longer. She needed to start the upkeep of Mr. Perez''s room if she wanted to finish her shift on time. After giving herself a small pep talk she knocked on his door "Mr. Perez, its Riley. I''m here to clean your room" "..." "Thought so" Riley muttered under her breath. She didn''t expect the old man to answer, not after all this time, so she reluctantly turned the doorknob and entered John Perez''s room. Inside, a bony old man sat on a rocking chair beside his window while gazing at the sky. His eyes were sunken and it seemed like no area on his skin wasn''t riddled with some sort of crease or wrinkle. The room itself was almost empty as well. It had the necessary ammenities but that was it. John Perez had no personal belongings and he never requested any items for leisure like books from the staff either. The room was silent and monotone a stark contrast to the vibrant noise of the common area or even the iddle chatter of the old timers chatting with each other in the other rooms. It was as if it was an isolated space away from everything else in the nursing home, and this unsettled RIley to her core, but a job is a job and Riley needed food on her table. She went through the motions as fast as she could. Changing the bedsheets, scrubing and mopping the floors, adding bleach to the bathroom''s toilet, and so on. She did eventually finish and she spared no time collecting her things and getting ready to leave. "I''m done cleaning now Mr. Perez, Mark will probably replace me again for your usual cleaning next week" "...." "Well I''ll be off now Mr. Perez" Riley continued, almost jogging towards the door, but before she could leave something unbelievable happened. "Hey kid, don''t be like me, don''t give up just yet." Mr. Perez murmurred in a weak raspy voice. It seems that the long years of silence took a toll on his vocal cords. "Huh? What do you mean sir?" "I think you know." "Uhm, well thanks sir, I''ll keep that in mind" Riley replied, a bit confused as to what to say or think. She gave the old man a small bow, a policy of the nursing home, before leaving. "Don''t give up huh? From him it sounds weirdly convincing" "Maybe just a few more times, I don''t have much better to do anyway" ---- ---- The next day, Mr. John Perez would pass away. Due to his unique situation, the nursing home handled his burial. He was buried quietly without much fanfare in the local cemetery, with not so much as a funeral service held in his name. Over the coming years, no one would visit his grave. No one except a prestigious software developer who dedicated all of her success to him. Chapter 1 - John Perez The Dreamer (Part 1) I once read a novel that really stuck to me. I''ve honestly read an unhealthy amount at this point so I don''t remember its title or even much of its plot, but the main character''s catchphrase really stuck to me. It went something like "good people deserve to be rewarded for their hard work". It was simple and honestly not some new piece of wisdom, but it was powerful. ---- ---- ¡°Mr. Perez, its Riley I¡¯m here to clean your room¡± I was snapped out of my daze by the sound of an unfamiliar voice. From what I heard from the chatter downstairs, it seems the man who usually tended to my room was out with a fever and it seems she was the replacement. Well not that it mattered really ¡­. is what I was thinking until I got a look at her eyes while she was tending to my beddings. Obviously, I¡¯m no wizard or medium or anything like that so I can¡¯t really say for sure but if I was right in what I saw then this girl was interesting. It was a reluctant acceptance of her current situation. A resolve to give up trying to climb and just make do. Though the circumstances and reasons were probably different, it was similar to the conclusion I made many years ago. My parents were a pretty unique pair. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say I never saw anyone even remotely similar to them ever again in my life. No they weren¡¯t particularly smart, talented, or good looking. In fact their shortcomings in one or more of those areas lead to a myriad of problems in my life long after they are gone, but that''s besides the point for now. Anyway, what really set them apart from the rest is how much they loved and cared for each other It''s honestly to the point that it''s hard to comprehend without being there and witnessing it yourself, but to put it simply they were the type to not offer a single drop of charity to others but they were also the type to take a bullet for each other without a second thought. They knew that the other had their back come what may. As the product of their love, they shared this love to me as well. There are thousands of instances I could give to try to explain this, but one memory really sticks out to me. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. You see we weren¡¯t well off at all and lived in a pretty bad part of town. We had a small space made of stray slabs of wood that could barely be called a house and there were frequent water and power outages. One time, a water outage had gone on for around a week and we were down to our last pail of water. It was dinner time and I was about to dig in to the stale bread we¡¯ve been having on repeat when dad stopped me. His voice, his exact words, they still ring clearly in my mind after all these years ¡°Son, we wouldn¡¯t want you to get a sick stomach. Go get some water from the pail and wash your hands first¡± Mind you I was around 5 years old during this time so I didn¡¯t really question it. It was only much later when I realized the gravity of what they did. We had one pail of water left, even before that, mom and dad were already mildly dehydrated, rationing the water and giving most of it to me since they didn¡¯t know when the water would come back on, but instead of using it to quench at least a bit of their thirst, they insisted that their child splash half of the remaining supply left on his hands, just to reduce his chances of getting a mild tummy ache. Now rinse and repeat to the many other household problems they faced during their lifetime and you get to grasp a bit of an idea on how they treated each other and me. It wasn¡¯t the smartest decision I know, as I said they weren¡¯t the smartest bunch. Though it did perfectly demonstrate the type of mentality, the type of selflessness they showed to the few people they considered their own. It was a sort of obsessive love, where they¡¯d willingly and happily go through any amount of torture just to ensure a bit of comfort to their loved one. Some people might call it disgusting, others might call it toxic, but to me their unconditional love was nothing short of beautiful. It''s a shame they left me so soon. Chapter 1 - John Perez The Dreamer (Part 2) Their love was strong but short lived. I mean I guess with their self-sacrificial nature it was only natural. They passed away from a disease I never got to learn the name of when I was 15 with not a single penny to my name. Their memory however would forever live on. Survival was hard, especially in a neighborhood where every man was out for himself. No one truly wanted to help you, just use you. I¡¯d find small ways to earn from working part time in construction sites, to serving as a drug runner, and everything else in between. The labor itself was hard, but dealing with adults who constantly wanted to swindle you of the majority of your cut, or just kill you outright and take the whole thing made it worse. It was a lifetime¡¯s worth of luck and a half that I survived that shithole. That and the sheer will to survive and find someone like my family. Someone who would have my back like my parents did during those years of my childhood. I promised myself back then on my parent''s grave that if given the opportunity to have that sort of person in my life again, I¡¯d never turn back. I¡¯d protect them with my life, fight the world for them, and become a monster if need be. ¡°Keep moving, keep struggling, keep surviving and you¡¯ll eventually meet them.¡± That''s the line I recited like a madman, again and again and again. Eventually, I scrounged enough funds and skills to start up a small automobile repair shop and brought myself out of the slums. It was really hard at first but I used everything at my disposal to ensure its success. From sleepless nights of constant reading and practice about not only the mechanics of vehicles but on the economics of business, to using more unscrupulous means to lower the reputation of my competitors. Before I knew it, I was 65 years old and my small auto shop had become a household name. Through it all though, I never achieved what I truly wanted in life. Surviving and succeeding was a means to an end, a means to achieve my main goal. What use is a life after all if it''s lived in cold solitude? It''s not like I never gave people a chance, in fact I suffered an uncountable number of losses because of it, but I never did find that person I so desperately wished to find. It was a cruel loop of Ietting someone into my life, giving them my trust as I so desperately wished them to be deserving of it, and then them jumping ship when better things were in sight.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I still remember them all so vividly in my mind. Jackson, I took a beating in his place and shared my rations with him during my years in the slums, only for him to cut all contact with him the moment some high ranking member of the mafia took interest in his skills. Amelia, I took her in from the slums during a pretty significant growth period of my business. Gave her a position as manager of one of my branches only for her to sell out some dirty laundry I had to a rival. Olivia, Sophia, Noah, James, Alex, Liam, Daniel, Sophia, Charlie, Evan, Clark and so many others throughout those long long years Eventually I got sick of it and gave up. I got sick of it all. I sold the business to the highest bidder. Walked into the first nursing home I saw, and paid all the money I got from the sale to the front desk. Looking back, I had a decent amount of life to live left back then. These 15 years spent just brooding, maybe I could¡¯ve spent them struggling a bit more. Shit I¡¯m pretty pathetic aren¡¯t I. So many in my position would have dreamed of getting dealt the hand I got dealt later in life, yet I wasted it. Well I guess there¡¯s little I can do at this point. I can feel it, I don¡¯t have much time left. Probably a day, or maybe a week at most. ¡ª-- ¡ª-- ¡°I¡¯m done cleaning now Mr. Perez, Mark will probably replace me for your usual cleaning next week¡± The girl¡¯s voice snapped me out of my little daydream. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be off now Mr. Perez¡± I couldn¡¯t do anything now that it''s too late but not so much for that young lady. Maybe it was this regret that drove me to speak, for the first time in a long time. ¡°Hey kid, don¡¯t be like me, don¡¯t give up just yet¡± Just those few words caused my vocal cords to hurt like hell, but it lightened up my chest if only a little bit. Honestly I wasn¡¯t expecting much. I mean why take advice from a creepy decrepit old man who you met for the first time? Still I wanted to tell her the things I desperately wanted to tell my past self. Even if there''s no one to support you, no one to cheer you on, struggle, struggle till the pathetic end until you maybe get lucky and achieve your goals. That''s what us humans do best after all. "Huh? What do you mean sir?" "I think you know." "Uhm, well thanks sir, I''ll keep that in mind" With that, the young girl left me back to my thoughts. I sincerely hope she lives a life with no regrets. ¡ª-- ¡ª-- Now all that reminscing left me a bit sleepy, but a quick nap will probably fix me right up. Seriously though, I know I said I could have struggled a bit more but damn it all to hell. Was it all really too much to ask? Just one person who would care, who I could trust my back with. It seems that whatever powers that be deemed that too much. Damn it, just what were all these 85 years of life for? Chapter 2 - An Unfamiliar World (Part 1) By the time I dozed off, I remember having a pretty strange dream. I was floating in a pitch black space when an orb of light, no bigger than a basketball but almost blinding in its darkness, approached me and began to speak. It flickered with each change of intonation, as if somehow trying to make the weird phenomenon look natural. ¡°Aw don¡¯t sulk on me now, fine I¡¯ll especially give you another chance. You¡¯re pretty lucky you know, its not everyday I get inspired by a piece of mortal literature. I¡¯ll even give you a special gift so you don¡¯t have to go learning whole language systems from scratch again¡± ¡°Huh, second chance? Mortal literature? Gift? What the hell are you talking about¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll see. Just promise me to do your best out there. After this, it seriously won¡¯t matter no matter how much you sulk. It will be game over¡± ¡ª-- ¡ª-- ¡°Master, mistress. It''s done! It''s a boy!¡± ¡°Thank goodness. Pass him over here, I want to see my child¡¯s beautiful face.¡± ¡°Right away mistress!¡± By the time I woke up, I was in a situation I never expected in my life. I wasn¡¯t in the nursing home any longer, heck I probably wasn¡¯t John Perez anymore either. I was¡­.a baby cradled in the arms of a woman. She looked of European descent and by my guesses, probably in her early forties. Blonde hair, blue eyes, clear skin aside from a few wrinkles that were starting to develop, and a tired but peaceful face. She had this proud look on her as she looked at me like I was a precious treasure to her, but something felt a bit off. ¡°Adrianna, let me have a look at our son as well¡± ¡°Of course husband¡± And with that I was passed over to a man that looked like an ogre. He was very muscular, almost to the point that I was worried he¡¯d snap me in half and as if to complete his physique, he had military cut fiery red hair and a stern look on his face that was covered in all sorts of scars. Like the woman, he looked to be in his early forties and like the woman he looked at me like I was a precious treasure. At his gaze, I again felt that strange feeling. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. From this higher vantage point, I was also able to get a better view of my surroundings. I definitely wasn¡¯t in a hospital, that''s for sure. The best way to describe the place I was in was like the medieval castles you¡¯d see in movies. Instead of concrete, the walls seemed to be made of stone and in place of wallpaper, tapestries of all kinds littered the walls. I felt stupid for only noticing it then, but the clothing of these people looked like they were from a time period long past as well. It seems I¡¯ve found myself somewhere in the past. ¡°Greetings little guy, one day you¡¯ll be raising the banner for our Ronwen family. Work hard and be strong for that day.¡± The gruff man said while smiling and tickling my stomach with his large pointer finger. He said it in a playful, joking manner, befitting of a father talking to his newborn son for the first time. Well it''s not like I can answer you sir so please make do with whatever noises I¡¯m making right now. ¡°Well Lucia, Adrianna will need her rest. Go get Julius cleaned up and settled in his room.¡± ¡°Right away master¡± With a deferent bow, the old lady took me from the ogre-like man. ¡ª-- ¡ª-- As Lucia got me cleaned up, I had one major discovery. I wasn¡¯t in the past. I probably wasn¡¯t on Earth at all. I expected her to bring me to some riverside or maybe a shower made from something similar to the water distribution technologies, but the reality was something I never could have expected. She brought me to an empty room in the castle and prepared a wooden basin. She placed me inside it, and then she recited a sort of phrase like those buddhist monks you saw in shaolin temple documentaries, but at a speed too fast for my young ears to properly perceive and then¡­.. Warm water flowed from her hand. No you don''t get it, warm water flowed from her hand. It seems the surprise was quite apparent on my face, to the point that Lucia noticed it despite my underdeveloped features as a newborn. ¡°Surprised young master? What I did was a simple application of mana emission. Don¡¯t worry the heir to the Ronwen Dukedom, your bloodline will offer you much more talent than my humble self who only has below average aptitude in mana output. A simple spell like this will be like breathing to you¡± She said as she gave my forehead a soft rub with her thumb, continuing to carefully bathe me. Mana emission, below average aptitude, mana output. Ronwen Dukedom. I guess I had a lot to learn. Though it seems unlike last time I won¡¯t have to fight tooth and nail for my life, so it seems I¡¯ve got time to learn Still the disembodied voice¡¯s words seemed quite alarming ¡°Just promise me to do your best out there. After this, it seriously won¡¯t matter no matter how much you sulk. It will be game over¡± Assuming he wasn¡¯t some hallucination, he probably was the reason or at least had a hand in my rebirth. In any case, his words weren¡¯t to be ignored. Do my best huh? I guess he¡¯s right. It''s better to be safe than sorry. I¡¯ve received a second chance to fulfill my long cherished wish, I can¡¯t slack off just because I¡¯ve been given a bit of leeway. Chapter 2 - An Unfamiliar World (Part 2) It''s been nearly 7 years since I¡¯ve arrived in this strange new world. My mother and father seem to be quite the busy people, so I¡¯ve only been able to see them during birthdays and other special occasions. It''s pretty funny really, to think that placing importance on one¡¯s day of birth is a practice that could span not only across nations but across worlds. That being said, it''s not like they left me to fend for myself. I was assigned lots of caretakers when I was a baby and by the time I turned 3, I was assigned tutors to teach me the ways of the world and given access to whatever books in the estate¡¯s library I wished to read. Thanks to all that I¡¯ve learned quite a few things in the process. Firstly the territory I¡¯m currently in, the Ronwen Dukedom, is one of the strongest forces of the central continent and covers the whole of the continent''s northern sector. The continent¡¯s politics works almost exactly like the noble hierarchies of old. With independent lords having their own respective lands that they rule, while ultimately answering to the Reinhardt royal family. The royal family¡¯s influence covers the whole central continent, with their power being relatively unchallenged barring a few minor rebel groups. Aside from the central continent, there''s the southern territories ruled by the Demi-human Alliance, the eastern territories ruled by the Roswell Magic Republic, and the western territories ruled by the Red Dragon Clan. All of which apparently oppose each other and keep each other in check due to a variation in cultures and beliefs. This variation also brings about distinct fighting styles in each continent.n If given the chance, I do hope to visit them all and see what this world has to offer. Of course, that''s only if and when I achieve my goals. But honestly, just by reading these books and lectures I still can¡¯t believe it, I know it''s rich coming from someone that literally jumped across worlds but demi-humans? Dragons? It''s just hard to wrap your head around, and surprisingly enough, it isn¡¯t the most interesting part of this world. It''s the substance called mana that permeates every inch of this world and revolutionizes the people¡¯s very way of life, from simple cooking to warfare ¡°Young master, that''s enough reading, you have a big day tomorrow, remember?" With a reprimanding tone, the old lady grabbed the book on noble customs that I was reading. I mean I couldn¡¯t blame her. Though there were no clocks in this world, it would be easy to estimate that it''s already near midnight and engraving bad sleeping habits into the young master could end with her losing her head. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Eh? just a bit more Lucia, please?¡± Still it''s important that I soak up everything I can as quickly as possible. I can¡¯t just assume everything will go smoothly or that things will always be as they are. I learned that the hard way back then¡­.mom and dad just disappeared so fast. ¡°No can do young master, please go to sleep for both our sakes!¡± ¡°Fine¡­.¡± "Young master, you''re really quite the unique child. In my 40 years of service to this territory its only with you that I''ve seen a 6 year old so infatuated with books, no matter the subject. Come to think of it, I don''t think I''ve seen you do anything else aside from reading in the moments you aren''t sleeping or eating" "Its just your imagination Lucia, now give me some peace and quiet so I can sleep" I had to relent. This old woman here has been the closest thing to family I¡¯ve had since arriving here. It''s clear that she¡¯s been with me more out of a sense of duty to the dukedom than any actual care, but still I owe it to her for all of those diapers she¡¯s changed¡­among many other things. Plus she¡¯s right, it''s unclear if it¡¯ll affect tomorrow¡¯s result but she¡¯s right, it is best to be well rested. The ways the warriors of this world make use of mana to fight can generally be divided into 4 general branches: Mana intake - the ability to take mana into yourself and apply it to strengthen your body among other things. Its aptitude is decided by how quickly you can do it Mana storage -the ability to store mana inside yourself for long amounts of time. Its aptitude is decided my how much mana you can store Mana manipulation and release - the ability to release collected mana stored inside you or manipulate existing mana from the environment. Its aptitude is determined by the spend of manipulation and release as well as the amount of environmental mana you can control. I find it weird that these two categories are grouped together, but I hear that they make use of the same bodily faculties, so good performance in one usually ends up in the same for the other. Mana processing - the ability to mold mana into more complex forms. Its aptitude is decided by how far away from its original state you can manipulate mana into. Aptitude is divided into no capability, below average, average, above average, unique, and generally and for warriors, it''s believed that what decides your highest potential is your highest ranking aptitude, regardless of what the aptitudes of the other 3 branches are as though the disciplines can overlap, major prowess in one area usually trumps whatever combined achievements in other areas. If you get one unique aptitude and you''ll have the potential to be a nation level disaster, while receive nothing but below average aptitudes and your maximum potential will supposedly never go too far beyond ten or so well trained warriors regardless of how hard you train. Tomorrow is my 7th birthday and as per what seems like tradition in this Dukedom, my parents will be hiring an expert to assess my mana aptitude. Of course, being born with even average capability in even just 1 of the four branches is already an extreme blessing in itself for the common folk. Its a blessing given only to one in every one hundred people and would probably allow you to live life in relative comfort. I''ve been born as the son to Duke Ronwen though, one of the strongest of the central continent, so I''m not stupid enough to think the same logic applies to me. Chapter 3 - The Aptitude Test (Part 1) ¡°Young master, wake up, it''s time to get prepared. Come on now, the master and mistress will be here soon¡± ¡°Alright Lucia, just give me a moment¡± The familiar sight of my bedroom greeted me as I woke up. It wasn¡¯t as lavish as some of the places I stayed in later in my past life, but for this time period I can imagine just how luxurious something like this would be. A king size bed, a fully furnished study, and of course bookshelves covering the walls. There''s even a large window by my bedside that overlooks the territory. Overall, from my location there isn¡¯t much to see though. Just wooden houses and farmlands as far as the eye can see. It seems that due to some historical reasons, the capital city of the Ronwen Dukedom was located quite a distance away from the main estate. ¡ª-- ¡ª-- By the crack of dawn, I was bathed, combed, and dressed in formal garments, which was made up of a complex layering of tunics and coats. Damn it, if I had my way I would have bathed by myself, but Lucia¡¯s water magic was necessary as a water source. Screw this magic over reliant world¡­. As I stepped out of my room, I was immediately greeted by the sight of my mother and father who continued to wear those proud expressions on their faces. ¡°Son, keep calm and remain dignified as befitting of a Ronwen¡± Alaric Ronwen, my father, said in a soft but firm voice as he give me a pat on the shoulder ¡°Oh Alaric, you don¡¯t need to pressure him, I¡¯m sure Julius knows exactly what he needs to do¡± ¡°You¡¯re right Adrianna, I was foolish, its natural that our boy will perform well¡± And with the pep talk of my parents finished, we made our way to the main hall, where our guest was waiting. ¡ª-- ¡ª-- It seems that in this world, testing aptitude is an art form in itself performed by only a few well trained individuals. They make use of devices called testing stones, which glow when touched. There were 4 varieties of testing stones, one for each branch of magic and to test one¡¯s aptitude in a branch you simply needed to hold the corresponding stone and see how much it glowed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Now that''s where the expert came in. Since there was no measuring device for light intensity, it was their job to serve as human scales to quantify how bright the light glowed. They would then assess which of the 6 aptitudes levels one belonged to based on this measurement. ¡°Ahh so this is Young Master Julius, Duke Alaric, Lady Adrianna, the two of you have sired quite the dignified young heir, I can sense his confidence and boundless wisdom from here¡± ¡°You flatter us esteemed master¡± In front of me stood an old man, he wore a dark blue cloak with rune like engravings on his sleeves. A satchel was slung over his shoulder, containing 4 stones of different colors, which I assume were the testing stones. It seems these testers were of a higher status than I thought, I knew they were looked upon well by society for their skills but to stand and chat on equal footing with Duke Ronwen, now thats something else ¡°Now shall we commence the test right away? I¡¯m sure the proud parents are excited to see where this boy¡¯s talents lie¡± ¡°Of course esteemed master, we wouldn¡¯t want to take too much of your time either.¡± My mother answered as she almost failed to hide the excitement in her tone. ¡°Then right away, I shall get the stones prepared¡± As he said that the old man took the 4 stones out of his satchel and started polishing them with a cloth and a special gel. From what I¡¯ve read, it''s to make sure the outsides of the stones are completely transparent so as to not cause any minor errors in the measurement. As he began his polishing, the old man began to make small talk with my parents. ¡°If I may be so bold, Duke Ronwen, make I ask what your results were during your aptitude test?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything grand esteemed master, I scored a unique in mana processing and below average in the three other branches¡± As expected of the Duke, he was acting humble but to be born with unique aptitude would mean that you had the potential to topple nations on your own. Then again, he also had a point as well, for most people being born with that sort of aptitude would be a miracle on top of a miracle which not even one in a million people receive, but for someone of his stature it was the bare minimum. Anything less and his very position might have been threatened. ¡°I believe my son will greatly surpass me. With his temperament I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was born with generational aptitude. Grahahahaha!¡± My father replied with a large smile on his face. By the time they finished their short exchange, the stones were ready. ¡°Only one way to find out, right sire?¡± ¡°Of course of course¡± The old man carefully laid the stones in front of me, and handed me a green colored one. ¡°This one is the testing stone for mana intake, little lord. Please hold it in your dominant hand ¡° I took the stone from him and it began to glow. Chapter 3 - The Aptitude Test (Part 2) The stone glowed around as much as your average LED bulb. I wonder how well I fared. ¡°Mana intake, average aptitude.¡± ¡°Grahahaha the boy is already doing better than me!¡± My father roared excitedly. It seems he was pleased by the first result. ¡°Go on Julius, onto the next one¡± I was then handed a red stone. It glowed just about as much as the green stone, if not slightly brighter. ¡°Mana storage, average aptitude¡± It seems that minor light fluctuations don¡¯t influence the final judgement of the reader. ¡°Though it''s nothing grand, the average aptitudes will help to complement whatever your unique branch will be.¡± My father added with the same loud and booming tone. Next I was handed a white stone. It seemed to be the stone for mana output and manipulation. Yet again, my aptitude was determined to be average. My father was relatively calm despite the results that were nothing of note for noble standards so far, albeit perhaps slightly disappointed for not seeing anything groundbreaking. That''s because my results were just about expected so far. Still there it is again, that off feeling I¡¯ve been getting since coming over to this world. Next I was handed a dark grey stone, and at this my father¡¯s eyes lit up ¡°That''s the aptitude stone for mana processing. It''s the branch that has been the specialty of the kingdom¡¯s nobility for decades and the reason for our dominion over the central continent. Go on son, I¡¯m willing to bet we¡¯re in for a surprise.¡± With those words of encouragement, I was handed the dark grey stone and it¡­..glowed as brightly as an LED bulb ¡°Huh? Oh um, mana processing, average aptitude¡± The old man said, surprised, almost doubting his own eyes, but his reaction was nothing compared to my parents¡¯. Their eyes, their demeanor. It shifted completely. Across history, the kingdom¡¯s nobles never had really good mana channels for manipulating mana or mana organs for mana storage. What they did have was exceptional brains, that lead to extreme levels of processing power. My father didn¡¯t mind my previous average results and was even slightly pleased by the average results because I was not really meant to be anything special in those branches, but for a noble, the firstborn of Duke Ronwen no less to have only average computing power?This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t have cared too much if I scored a ¡®unique¡¯ on any of the other branches or even at least an above average, but that wasn¡¯t the case here either ¡°Esteemed master, are you absolutely sure about your measurements?¡± My father asked with a slight shake to his voice. My mother was right beside him, shaking slightly and refusing to look at me. ¡°Yes there is no mistake, Duke Ronwen¡± ¡°I see¡± My father replied in a flat tone, all the excitement and boisterous laughter drained from his body. ¡°Then he is no son of mine, or yours, right Adrianna.¡± ¡°That''s correct I don¡¯t know who that child is¡± Ahh now I get it, where that off feeling came from, why their ¡°sweet and loving¡± gazes never felt warm to me. They were different from the parents of my past life. It was conditional on that fact that I could bring honor to the noble family. Now that I¡¯m a stain to the name, I¡¯m nothing to them. ¡°Julius Ronwen, no Julius you are hereby stripped of your noble title and exiled from this household. Guards take him away¡± Just like that huh? It was that easy for you to just get rid of me. I could see it on their faces too, they weren¡¯t hiding any hurt for exiling me or any other hypocritical feelings like that. They simply wanted me gone and they felt no remorse in leaving a 7 year old to fend for himself. Before I could say anything in protest, a sack was put over my head and I was dragged away from the main hall. ¡ª- ¡ª- I felt myself being dragged away and into a carriage. As I was thrown onto the floor, I heard a familiar voice on the seats above me. ¡°Young master, can you hear me¡± ¡°Lucia is that you?¡± How fitting. Lucia was the maid that''s been assigned to me since the beginning, of course she¡¯d also oversee my last moments as a Ronwen. ¡°Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be able to help you in your situation young master, I¡¯m sure you understand why.¡± Lucia was a lady that was raised to serve the Ronwen household ever since she was young, it''s natural that she would prioritize her loyalty to the household rather than to a kid she only raised for a while. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not stupid, I understand.¡± ¡°But on account of our 7 year partnership, I shall brief you on your current situation. As a stain on the Duke¡¯s lineage, he¡¯ll be erasing all traces of you from the family registry. The Duke deems it an affront to noble pride if he were to kill you and spill the blood of his own flesh and flood so instead he plans to bring you far away from his domain, to the slums on the outskirts of the kingdom. From all the books you¡¯ve read, I¡¯m sure you know what that place is like, correct? The duke wishes for you to die there, whether the causes are natural or not.¡± ¡°Here''s some final advice as your caretaker. It''s unlikely that you¡¯ve learned Ronwen mana arts since the tomes are locked away even more zealously than the temple¡¯s holy scriptures, but if by any chance you do learn mana arts, keep a low profile and don¡¯t let it be known.¡± ¡°Most especially, don¡¯t let anyone find out about your aptitude. Its low by our standards, but incomprehensibly high by most. Unless you want to undergo a fate worse than death, guard the secret with your life.¡± ¡°Um thanks, I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡± The advice she gave was much appreciated, barring some common knowledge, but the tone she said it with, it''s like she was conversing with a stranger she felt some slight pity for. It''s kind of expected that she would treat me this way, but it still hurts a bit you know. She was the closest thing I had to a mother in this world but even she would turn a blind eye to my struggles the moment she was ordered to. Damn it, damn it, damn it¡­..I¡¯m still alone. I''ll survive, I swear I''ll survive until this all just becomes a bitter distant memory some day. Chapter 4 - An Unwanted Homecoming (Part 1) It''s been roughly three months since I was exiled. My place on the floor of the carriage has been pretty uncomfortable and the soldiers have been treating me pretty roughly, much to Lucia''s apathy. The bag on my head is only taken off my head twice a day, so that I can eat and to make sure my muscles don''t atrophy and my eyes don''t start getting blinded by normal sunlight. Those thirty minute walks were wonderful. Even if I was still bound and the soldiers stuck to me like glue, it was much much better than the cold hard floors of the carriage. By the chatter I hear outside it seems it will take around 2 weeks more from reaching our destination. It seems my father wasn''t magnanimous enough to provide a mana processing specialist that could increase the speed of the cart, so the horses are travelling at the usual, pretty slow pace when compared to modern vehicles. Though I guess I shouldn''t really be looking forward to getting to the place I''m headed to, if its anything like the books I read and the experiences I had in my past life. According to the books in the library, the slums are a lawless area that covers around one fourth of the central continent¡¯s southern sector, or around one sixteenth of the central continent as a whole. Similar to earth, it''s a place where all the outcasts of the central continent gather, from murders and exiled nobles like me to those with simply no place to go. It is a large area that spans around 150 000 square kilometers, and is composed of shaky structures on top of shaky structures with only maze-like alleyways to navigate between them. The images I¡¯ve seen of it through books suggest it looks very similar to Earth¡¯s ¡®Kowloon Walled City¡¯, simply on a much much larger scale. Through the years the slums have apparently developed their own laws and government, though not much is known about the specifics. You¡¯d think that the royal family wouldn¡¯t let something like this be. A new government is being built right within its borders after all. Though I think the kingdom turns a blind eye for 3 main reasons.The first is convenience. It''s a convenient place for the nobility to conduct activities that need to be kept secret like purchasing drugs, or hiring assassins. The second is the area itself. The slums are built on what''s essentially a desert, with very little natural resources to be found. In other words, it''s a trashy, inadvantageous area that the kingdom doesn¡¯t necessarily want to spend time managing. But the third reason is probably the most significant, it''s the chance that a grandmaster level warrior and a formally established mana art exist within the slum¡¯s borders. I mentioned that aptitude significantly determines your maximum potential, however the actual strength one has as a fighter is measured differently. Generally within the central continent, strength is divided into 6 ranks: Third rate - has the strength to take on around 10 elite fighters that do not have the ability to manipulate mana. It is believed to be the maximum potential for those that have below average aptitude. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Apprentice - has the strength to take on around 10 third rate warriors. It is believed to be the maximum potential of those that have average aptitude Adept - has the strength to take on around 10 apprentice level warriors. It is believed to be the maximum potential of those that have above average aptitude Master - a significant leap from adept level strength, masters have the ability to level whole sectors on their own. It is believed to be the maximum potential of those that have unique aptitude. In the central continent, it is believed that only the three dukes and 4 generals of the royal guard posses this level of strength Grandmaster - godlike existences that can level whole continents on their own. It is believed to be the maximum potential of those that have generational aptitude. In the central continent, only the head of the royal family, Lionel Reinhardt has this incomprehensible level of strength. The separation between aptitude and actual strength was established because of course, you needed to train and be given the proper resources to be able to even have the chance to reach your full potential. As you go up the ranks it gets harder and harder to improve, so much so to the point that 90% of those with low level aptitudes reach their maximum potential of third rate while only less than 1% of those born with unique aptitudes ever reaching the rank of master, with most being stuck at adept for their lifetimes. That''s the case for most in the central continent except for the royal nobility, which have around a 95% success rate for them and the soldiers of their domain to reach their full potential. This is one of the main reasons why there have been so few notable rebellions in the kingdom¡¯s history, as though there may be hundreds of geniuses born every day among the billions of people in the known world, next to none are able to get even close to their true potential. This miracle for the nobility, and misfortune in the eyes of those that desire change come about through mana arts tomes, special books that contain the insights of warriors of at least the master level on the nature of mana, and a proposed system to control it. With these tomes, you go from fumbling around in the dark to having a glorified textbook on an established mana control system that''s been the backbone of a noble family for a thousand years. When the nobility took over a millenia ago, any existing mana arts tomes the population had were confiscated. Without the tomes, no new masters were able to be born as well thus no new tomes could be written. A vicious cycle huh. The fact that one slipped into the slums could mean two things. The first is that a tome simply slipped through the grasp of the nobility through one way or the other. Or the second, scarier option. Someone was able to figure out how to get to the grandmaster level from scratch without any textbooks to guide them. A feat that hasn¡¯t been achieved since the dragons ruled over the known world. Either way, if there was a grandmaster and an army of warriors trained through the mana arts tome inside the borders of the slums then the Reinhardt Royal Family couldn¡¯t carelessly attack them. Afterall, with the existence of a grandmaster they might even lose if they attack in the enemy¡¯s home turf, and even if they don¡¯t they¡¯ll lose a great amount of military power. Something they cannot afford with 4 other forces surrounding them. Interlude 1 - The Journal of Duke Ronwen (Part 1) 5th month of the 1125th Year of the New Era Calendar, 1st entry: I am Alaric Evander Ronwen, 27th head of the great Ronwen noble family, and son to Julius and Isolde Ronwen. Recently I¡¯ve hit a roadblock in my training. I heard before from my late father that it was inevitable at some point for unique aptitude level warriors at the rank of master to simply stop being able to comprehend the contents of our mana arts tome after a certain point. After all, it was written by a grandmaster rank warrior. Trying to comprehend such an individual¡¯s most advanced teachings on mana processing without generational aptitude is like trying to get an orc to comprehend human science. That being said, I feel I¡¯m still not at my peak yet. Though it may just be an instinct, I feel as if my mana processing has still a bit of potential it has not fully reached, that there is at least one chapter of this book that I may yet still be able to read. At this level, small increments of power is everything, so upon consulting my advisers, I decided to start writing this journal among other things. According to them, it may help compartmentalize my thoughts or at the very least lessen the scattered thoughts in my mind. Either way, I judged that it could be a worthwhile endeavor. ¡ª- ¡ª- 7th month of the 1128th Year of the New Era Calendar, 4th entry Recently I¡¯ve learned of great news. Adrianna, my wife, is carrying our future son. His birth and growth are something I look forward to greatly. As much as I hate to admit it, my tenure as Duke has been nothing special in our noble family¡¯s thousand year history. My strength is average, being born with the same aptitude as my father and my grandfather before him, nothing like the legendary 1st. I was not born with particularly good political acumen either like the 17th, nor was I blessed with an eye for discovering talent to make up for my shortcomings like the 4th. In my childhood I longed to be like those esteemed figures who raised the family¡¯s status by leaps and bounds, or saved us through times of great strife. Though as I grew older, I realized that I simply did not have the capability to do so. My strength rose at roughly the same pace as all those that came before me, barring the first of course, and it took me years before I was able to hold my own in council meetings. Perhaps through the virtue of Adrianna¡¯s genetics that rival my own, that child may be able to carve his name in history and just maybe drag my name along with him as an anecdote. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡ª- ¡ª- 4th month of the 1129th Year of the New Era Calendar, 2nd entry: This child, it''s only been a few hours since he was born and yet he has already exceeded any expectations I had! Where do I even begin? I will start with the most remarkable event of today. When the child was being born, he caused a never before seen mana disturbance in the medical bay. Almost as if he was an unnatural existence breaking into the world. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t enough to affect Adrianna or myself, though all other staff in the bay lost consciousness and had to be escorted out as the child¡¯s birth caused the mana in the room to become thicker than oil. I cannot even begin to explain my astonishment. That scale of mana processing is something that was already close to the level of an adept warrior. Does the child have that much capability at such a young age? If he does, unification of the 5 continents might not even be a pipe dream. The raw power isn¡¯t all that surprised me either. The child didn¡¯t shed a single tear. He simply remained calm as Adrianna and I held him in our arms, and it may have just been my imagination but he seemed to be observing us and his surroundings, like a strategist planning for his next move in a battle. You''d expect a newborn''s wails to litter the halls of the castle on the day its born but that day, I never even got to hear his voice. Frankly it was a bit unsettling, almost like what I had in my arms was not a child, but it was also exciting to see that this early, his story was already noteworthy and not at all normal. It seems he did deserve to be named after my father after all, the man who made the most remarkable impact on my life. ¡ª- ¡ª- 10th month of the 1134th year of the New Era Calendar, 3rd entry: Lucia has sent her regular update on the boy and his consistency never ceases to amaze me. Lucia is one of the longest serving aides of the Dukedom and I would sooner believe news of the Holy Temple''s eradication than Lucia¡¯s fabrication of reports. According to her updates, the boy has practiced the same daily routine ever since he has been able to walk. He would wake up bright and early to stretch and run a few rounds around the castle grounds before cleaning up and attending the classes I assigned to him in the morning. After lunch he would then proceed to strength for around one and a half to three hours depending on the day¡¯s regimen and then spend the rest of the day reading books in whichever unrestricted area of the castle he fancied. The discipline the boy showed in itself would already be praiseworthy however an additional observation Lucia shared intrigued me even more. In her words, ¡°it seems everything the boy does is planned carefully beforehand and done with a purpose¡±. Before, it seems he would only do a third of the physical training he does currently, fearing that he may harm his future development, however when he learned of the Dukedom¡¯s advanced capabilities when it came to healing tonics, he increased it threefold. Lucia has also asked the boy about his reading habit during the afternoons. According to her though he simply smiled and changed the topict, to her dismay. Is this really just a 5 year old? How terrifying. Interlude 1 - The Journal of Duke Ronwen (Part 2) 3rd Month of the 1135th year of the New Era Calendar, 1st Entry: It seems Lucia finally realized the reason for the boy¡¯s habit. The little rascal was building relationships with all the castle staff. After 2 years of effort, it seems most of the castle looks upon him favorably now beyond a simple respect for his position. In between reading, he would strike up conversations with the staff in the area, asking about how their day went, their lives outside of service, and eventually when they got comfortable, even about any areas in their work they were dissatisfied with. Julius would then do anything his limited authority allowed to fix it. Thicker oven mitts for the cooks, blade sharpeners for the gardeners, sewing kits for the maids, and many more They were small things that cost him no losses but led to innumerable gains. After all, even if they were lowborn, they were still those that ran the household and ensured his safety. Being looked upon as a kind ruler was a good way to foster loyalty. First that mana disturbance during his birth and now this natural talent for diplomacy. Is there anything the boy can¡¯t do? Of course, it could just be a kid being as talkative and curious as a kid is but either way whether he plans for it or does it naturally, it¡¯ll serve him well in the future. Lucia also added some interesting additional input, in her words: ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I observed, my lord. I don¡¯t know if it''s only my imagination, especially given the age of the boy, but I believe he could have another motive besides simple childlike talkativeness or gaining good favor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve observed that during these conversations with staff, he would particularly focus on the areas of how the staff were raised, what their families were like, and how close they were to family members and friends.¡± ¡°The conversation would drag on nearly thrice as long on these sorts of topics than anywhere else, as if the boy was searching for a certain answer. Though given how this practice continues until the day I am writing this report, it seems he has not found what he was seeking.¡± Hearing Lucia¡¯s reports about this boy really put me at the edge of my seat. How I¡¯d love to give him fully access to the family¡¯s mana arts right this instance. It''s a shame that the family code prohibits it before an individual¡¯s aptitude test. ¡ª- ¡ª- 4th month of the 1136th Year of the New Era Calendar, 1st entry: Finally, the long awaited day is near, tomorrow in fact. I¡¯ve made sure to personally visit the Royal Reader¡¯s Guild in order to ensure only the best of the best arrive at my household tomorrow to assess my son and only with the best stones available in their vault.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Adrianna and I have cleared our schedules for the next year, in order to ensure that we can personally watch over the boy as he learns the basics of mana processing. Though we have no shortage of trainers, being taught by people who have gotten close to the pinnacle is still much more efficient, especially for a branch like mana processing which relies a lot more on theoretical concepts than other branches. Enough tonics for recovery and for boosting constitution has also been prepared, as well as caged beasts from the nearby forest for practice. Afterall, combat dynamics become different when facing monsters, so it''s necessary to train in both. Overall, everything cost around a fourth of the Dukedom¡¯s yearly budget, though I believe it was money well spent. The Dukedom will probably take a few losses this year, but objectively speaking, it will be nothing compared to the gains Julius will bring one day. ¡ª- ¡ª- 4th month of the 1136th Year of the New Era Calendar, 2nd entry: Tch, I made a large blunder. Maybe the biggest in this lifetime. I never even considered it. That trash, to think the very first in the main lineage to not be born with a single unique attribute would be the son I sired. To think I prepared so many resources ahead of time for that waste of space. How is that even possible? Then what was the mana disturbance during his birth, was that caused by an outside force? It''s no matter, it''s useless to speculate about now. No matter how hardworking he is, the boy¡¯s fate is sealed. He¡¯ll never be able to ascend past the adept level, and even a hundred such warriors will lose to just the pinky of someone at my level. All I can do now is try again. Adrianna and I are both still in our primes. Producing and nurturing another heir won''t be an issue. Fortunately, thanks to the code which I have a newfound appreciation for, the boy¡¯s existence hasn¡¯t been made public yet so the clean up will be easy. All the staff that met him are trustworthy, they won¡¯t utter a word until their last breath if ordered. I wanted to kill him right then and there to finally erase my mistake but the family¡¯s code as well as my pride as a noble didn¡¯t allow it. Instead I decided to exile him to the 3rd ring of the Southern Slums. There he will be the furthest away from anything that will link him back to the Dukedom. If I¡¯m lucky, he won¡¯t survive at all and that will be the end of my problems. As a precaution, I¡¯ve also ordered Lucia and two warriors with an aptitude for sensory type mana arts to stand guard by the border for the next 15 years. By then he would most likely be dead or begging in one of the many alleyways for scraps. Even in the worst case where he somehow found a way to thrive, by then anything linking him back to the Dukedom would be completely erased. 4th month of the 1136th Year of the New Era Calendar, 1st entry: That little trash, it seems he does have some Ronwen in him no matter how diluted it is. I recently received a report from Lucia that was delayed due to the great distance. They successfully dropped him off at the 3rd ring of the Southern Slums, and informed him of their surveillance by the borders, even exaggerating it a bit stating that they would be there for the next 20 years instead of 15. It was only when they reached the Kingdom¡¯s fort by the borders, their accommodation for the next 15 years, that Warrior Glen¡¯s satchel was missing. What a blunder. It seems over the months of the trip, the boy made it a point to look weak and out of spirit in order to lower their guards. Of course it isn¡¯t a valid excuse but I acknowledge that it could have happened to anyone. Afterall, who could last in other travel conditions while still having that much fight left in him. It isn¡¯t just a matter of motivation either. Guard down as they were, they were still well trained warriors at the Adept level. It would take quite the skill in sleight of hand to make off with such an object without the warriors noticing. Could that boy have been practicing for a moment such as that? He really could have been a monster if he wasn¡¯t so lacking in talent. Chapter 4 - An Unwanted Homecoming (Part 2) The way I was dropped off was a lot less inconspicuous than I thought. Upon arriving at my apparent destination, the sack was removed from my head and I was thrown out of the carriage and into an alleyway, but not before I was threatened to not to try to leave the slums as they¡¯d be patrolling the borders for the next 20 years To their credit, the alleyway was empty and my vision was blocked so I wasn¡¯t able to tell if they took any precautions to avoid detection on the way here. Anyhow, that''s not what''s important right now. One of the warriors Lucia was with was pretty sloppy. I honestly thought it would result in me getting caught and beaten or maybe something worse, but it seems the tricks I learned in the slums back on Earth served me well. By diverting attention to my thrashing legs when they were throwing me out, I was able to grab the satchel placed near where Lucia was seated and slide it under my shirt without anyone noticing. I guess the lethargic act during the months leading up to it was also a good investment. Well it''s a stroke of luck I won''t turn down¡­or at least it¡¯ll be a stroke of luck if I find anything useful inside. ¡ª- ¡ª- It seems that like the books said, this place was a maze. Honestly my limited knowledge could only take me so far. I wasn¡¯t necessarily able to read all the material on the Southern Slums since who would¡¯ve known something like this in particular would happen to me. Even if I did, not a lot is known about this place, probably deliberately given what the nobles use this place for. In short, I was completely out of my element. The alleyways I was dropped into seemed like a never ending maze. I¡¯d reach the end and turn the corner only to be greeted with the exact same, narrow and dirty corridor. I guess that''s not completely accurate. Each new corridor did have variety, with differing amounts of beggars sleeping on cardboard slabs or different varieties of small stalls selling everything from tattered rags that I could only assume were clothes to different varieties of goop that I could only assume was food. Through the variety though everything was strangely uniform, that''s what made it disorienting. The stalls and the people were new but it was like slapping a new color on the same wall, or in this case, the same long winding alleyway. Eventually after what was probably around an hour I found an empty corridor that led to a dead end. It seemed like a secure enough place to take a break and gather myself, given I only needed to be wary of one point of entry, so I settled at the far end and took a seat on the dirt covered ground. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I used this time to take a look at what I was working with. With the wear and tear from the journey, my clothes were pretty dirtied and tattered. Thanks to this, as long as I removed my upper coat, I didn¡¯t look too out of place with the tunic and shorts I had on. Of course some would probably still recognize it as clothing belonging to nobility but in the garbage dump of the continent where everything thrown away is repurposed, it isn¡¯t too out of place to see a child sporting half destroyed noble¡¯s clothes. Moving onto the satchel, the things I found inside proved quite useful. There was around 600 grams of preserved fruit and meat. If I rationed this, it could probably last me two to 4 days if I got really desperate. Though in this unfamiliar environment, eating a good amount to stay aware and energized would be preferred. There was also a small steel dagger that came along with a leather scabbard, likely the warrior¡¯s emergency sidearm. The reason why it was in his satchel instead of somewhere easier to access like his belt is beyond me, but I¡¯ll take what I can get. Rest assured I won¡¯t make the same mistake as mister warrior, this will stay in my pocket at all times. Aside from that there were 15 gold coins in the satchel, placed in a small pouch. This was no small amount of money, in fact it was a whole lot. This could have been the poor guy¡¯s living expenses for his whole twenty year stay at the border, assuming they weren¡¯t bluffing. In this continent, money was divided into gold, silver and bronze coins. A gold coin would be equivalent to a thousand silver coins, while a hundred silver coins would be equivalent to a bronze coin. As for the worth of a bronze coin, I¡¯d say its purchasing power is quite similar to around 50 American cents, though with how people value certain goods and services, pricing from what I¡¯ve seen so far can be quite different from Earth. Honestly, this would have been enough for me to live off of for a while, the problem is the ¡°size of the bill¡± so to speak. Using a gold coin to pay for something would be akin to waving a million dollar bill around, something I wouldn¡¯t want to do for obvious reasons, so for now this money is useless until I can find a way to use it. On another note, the last notable thing I found in the satchel was the warrior¡¯s training journal. Its worth to me as of now is quite ambiguous. On one hand this could be priceless. In this primitive dog eat dog world, might still be made right, especially so in these slums. If I want to eventually fix my situation, what I need first and foremost is strength. The wisdom and business acumen from my previous life will help, yes but in a world of superhumans that can level cities with a flick of their finger, the only true way to get your way is to hit harder than your opponent. To increase my strength I need a mana arts tome, but the journal is the next best thing. That being said, considering the level of the warrior and my cluelessness about how mana works beyond the bare basics, it''s akin to giving a college student¡¯s notebook to a preschooler. It will be in a note taking style of the writer, making it hard to understand from an outsider¡¯s point of view, and even with that aside the notebook won''t contain the ¡°main lesson material¡±, only whatever reflections the writer has. For these reasons, it¡¯ll probably be hard to gain nearly anything from it. Ultimately though, It¡¯ll be up to how much is inside, as well as how it''s written. All things considered I guess my starting point could be worse, but where to go from here? Everything is just way too uncertain, and one can¡¯t plan without background knowledge. As these thoughts were going through my mind, I heard an out of breath but firm voice from the open end of the corridor. ¡°Finally I caught up to you, you runt! How could you make an old man chase after ye for an hour!¡± Chapter 5 - The Noodle Shop (Part 1) ¡°What are your thoughts on making noodles for me kid?¡± The old man said with a smirk on his face. He looked to be around 60 years old, getting up there in age but still able to move around. He wore a pair of brown slacks, ripped so they only reached slightly below the knee, and a white lace up shirt similar to the undershirts you¡¯d see pirates wear in movies. He would¡¯ve looked like a pretty normal and unassuming old timer, if it wasn¡¯t for his long shoulder length hair colored with pink streaks, and the black heart tattoo covering his left cheek. He¡¯s probably the most eccentric looking person I¡¯ve met since crossing over into this world. ¡°What?¡± I honestly didn¡¯t know what else to say. I¡¯ve been dragged halfway across the continent for the last few months, thrown into the southern slums and now some weird guy is asking about noodles? ¡°Ahh ¡®pologies there. I must not be makin¡¯ much sense right now. Let me repeat myself, would ye like to work at this old timer¡¯s noodle shop?¡± I didn¡¯t answer, instead I stood up warily while clenching the dagger in my pocket, as he approached me with a careless gait. It seems he sensed my unease so he stepped back and put his hands in the air. ¡°Woah woah there, I get I¡¯m askin¡¯ this outta nowhere, kid. Tell ya what, I¡¯ll stay right ¡®ere and you can ask this old timer whatever yer curious about.¡± ¡°How did you find me¡± ¡°Well ye made quite the commotion passin by this sector''s streets. It don¡¯t look like much but we ¡®ere are a pretty tight knit community, we recognize our own and know when someone is an outsider. Twas¡¯ easy to know which turns ye took. All I had to do was ask around.¡± ¡°Oh¡± Well that was a bit embarrassing but at least I learned a bit of info about how the community functions. ¡°Anythin¡¯ else ye wanna know kid?¡± ¡°What do you mean by work in your noodle shop, and why me?¡± ¡°Well this old timer owns a pretty well known noodle shop round these parts, but I¡¯m gettin old and I think its about time I find a successor. Can¡¯t just let it burn when I pass. After all, the ol¡¯ shop¡¯s my legacy. I dedicated this life to it.¡± He said this with a certain seriousness mixed into his happy go lucky tone. He''s either one hell of an actor or this shop really meant this much to him. ¡°But why me, I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t any lack of manpower in a place like this. There are probably hundreds of free able bodies just like me in every alleyway¡± ¡°Thats where yer wrong kid, cause yer a noble aren¡¯t ya?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I-¡± Before I could refute him, he continued his case confidently ¡°No need to deny it kid, not just any outcast has adept level warriors personally oversee his exile¡± Hearing that made my heart sink. This was a big problem, someone noticed my exile, and along with it my identity and possible mana proficiency. It could trigger the attention of a lot of unsavory people no matter how you looked at it if this information were to get out, if it hasn''t already. ¡°Ah but don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve got no intention to expose my disciple candidat and I¡¯m pretty sure no one else noticed, I¡¯ve just had pretty good eyes since I was born to yer exiler''s misfortune¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Anyway lets go back to yer previous question. Since yer a noble or I guess former noble, you¡¯ve probably been trained in business and management since ye could walk. Though probably basic, its much more than most of the folk here ever get in their lifetime. Also yer status as an exile means ye most likely don¡¯t have affiliations elsewhere which is a lot rarer than ye think.¡± Surprisingly or unsurprisingly he evaded my question. Though I can¡¯t really call him trustworthy, I guess his words can calm down my worries for a bit. That aside, this would be a good opportunity. One of the most important things I need right now is a ¡°home base¡±, somewhere I can stay without needing to watch my back too much. I can¡¯t just roam around aimlessly forever after all. Being taken under his wing will also solve my money, food and information problems all in one fell swoop. Above all, assuming the things he said about his shop being his legacy is true, this man will be incentivized to earnestly take care of me, his best hope for his legacy, properly. ¡°Is that all of your reasons?¡± ¡°Heh, I like ye kid. Whatever yer cause for exile probably took a number on ya. It seems that any traces of childlike naivete is gone, but I guess that''s better for me since I¡¯ll have less to teach you. And to answer yer question, yes, thats all.¡± "..." ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, whatever ugly happenings you went through have probably discouraged you to trust in the kindness of people, so don¡¯t put your faith in that. Don¡¯t count on the kindness of my heart, instead believe in my selfish will to keep my name alive through that noodle shop.¡± ¡°So is that a yes or a no, kid?¡± ¡°Is that the way you¡¯re gonna talk to a seven year old? But yeah sure, I¡¯ll be the heir to your little empire. Nice working with you¡± With that, I stood up and offered him my hand for a handshake. Oh how I hope this guy isn¡¯t scamming me. Well even if the chances are high, I don¡¯t really have a lot of straws to grasp at, at this moment. ¡°Well the things ye experienced probably made you age 10 years in a day, I don¡¯t think I should be babyin¡¯ someone like that.¡± With that he took my hand and shook it. His grip was a lot firmer than I thought for an old man like him, it seems noodle making was a valid way to strengthen your arms. ¡°I¡¯m Julius, what should I call you, old man?¡± ¡°People ¡®round these parts call me Kenneth, but I guess to you I¡¯ll be master or maybe grandpa if you want, hehe¡± ¡°Not in a million years¡± This guys weird face and annoying quips aside, this situated seems to have taken an interesting turn. Kenneth huh? He knew exactly how to win me over, attacking my logical side and baring all of his motives on his sleeve so that I come around. These types of guys were the scariest kinds of competitors in my past life, those that knew how to "read the room" so to speak and make judgements on these sorts of situations with pinpoint accuracy, caused the worst loses to my business back then. Especially so when they were driven by something, like mister Kenneth over here.