Chapter 134

Nick awoke to the gentle sound of purring and a warm weight on his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Talbot, who nudged his head against Nick’s hand.Despite the aches he still felt, a smile tugged at his lips as he stroked the sleek fur. The pain in his coils was entirely gone, and what remained behind was only some soreness. Soon, his mana channels would fully recover, and he could wield his magic again.

After a few minutes of petting, Nick reluctantly pushed himself up. He dressed in his simple clothes and made his way downstairs, where he found his mother standing by the counter and greeted her with a yawn.

She placed a jar in a basket, and upon seeing Nick, she stepped forward, kissed his forehead tenderly, and said, “Good morning, my son. Today, your father and I will be out all day, but I’d like you to take it easy.”

Nick offered a nod as he sat down. “I’ll be visiting Arthur, as I mentioned during dinner,” he said.

Elena smiled, placing a plate with bacon and eggs before him. “Take it easy, dear. And if you get too tired, swing back by the Town Hall. Oh, and before you go, please take this basket. I’ve prepared some of the jam that Arthur likes.” She gestured towards a woven basket on the counter filled with preserves and pickled vegetables.

After breakfast, which Nick ate quietly before washing his own dishes, he lingered for a moment longer to pet Talbot one last time. “Watch over the house,” he murmured. The cat snorted as if that was obvious, then disappeared into the back of the house, probably heading off on his rounds.

Nick stepped out with the basket secured under his arm, quickly diverging from the main path.

According to his father, Arthur’s home was at the farthest edges of Floria in the southern fields. Nick chose to take a walk through nature, preferring solitude and time to mull over the questions that had been plaguing him.

He wanted to ask Arthur many questions about the System's cryptic mechanics, particularly how it determined class advancement and allocated Exp points.

So far, no one had been able to provide him with clear answers, and the mystery gnawed at him. Yet, he hesitated, as he wasn’t sure how casual he could be with the man. Yes, they had fought together in the dungeon, but he’d exchanged only a few words with him away from strategic planning.

Ultimately, he decided to ask only about Paths and let everything else come up if the mood permitted. Additionally, he was curious about what Arthur wanted in the first place. He imagined it had to do with what happened during the dungeon raid, but he didn't know specifically what.

The path wound through the southern fields, the tall grasses swaying gently in the breeze as they neared a cluster of well-tended land. To Nick’s surprise, Arthur’s home was a well-kept estate.

Vast, fertile fields stretched around it, and everything—from the neatly crafted wooden fences surrounding the property to the sparkling clean windows—spoke of great care.

It was difficult for Nick to reconcile this image with the gruff, battle-worn old adventurer with this. Perhaps Arthur had changed with time, or maybe his harsh exterior concealed a meticulous nature.

Before he could approach, however, a sharp voice rang out, “Get off the fields!” Startled, Nick looked up to see a young woman stomping toward him. She was no older than twenty, and her rolled-up sleeves revealed tanned skin and well-defined muscles beneath a simple tunic. Lightning crackled around her right fist, making it clear that she wasn’t joking around.

“Sorry!” Nick called out, raising his hands in apology. He hopped away from the soft earth, moving quickly toward the main path while she grumbled under her breath.

As he got closer, she pinned him with a glare, “What are you doing here?”

Nick gestured vaguely toward the estate in the distance. “I was invited by Arthur,” he explained.

She peered at him for a long moment, wrinkling her nose before finally barking, “Stay there!” Then, with a purposeful stomp, she turned and marched into the house. A minute later, she reemerged, huffing, “My grandfather will see you now.”

Nick frowned in surprise—her grandfather?

She looked nothing like the old man, apart from the visible musculature and use of lightning. Still, he shrugged. It wasn’t that important.

The interior of the building was as immaculate as the fields outside. He was led through a corridor lined with portraits—mostly somber depictions of battles and heroic exploits—and Nick noticed a distinct absence of family-related ones.

In a spacious sitting room, the skeletons of great beasts hung as trophies on the walls. Nick’s gaze lingered on the skull of a wyvern, and he couldn’t help but recall the recent stampede in which Arthur had slain it.

In the center of the room, Arthur was seated in a luxurious leather chair. He cradled an amber liquid in one hand, swirling it slowly. He still looked haggard, but his recovery was noticeable compared to how he had barely been able to walk when they returned to Floria.

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The young woman took the basket from him at Arthur’s gesture and hurried away, though she remained within earshot. The old man’s eyes then met Nick’s, reminding him that he was extremely dangerous despite the casual clothes and weakened state.

“Thank you for the gift,” Arthur said finally. He then gestured for Nick to take a seat. Once Nick had done so, he added, “I apologize for Rose’s behavior; she’s never quite learned her manners. The remnants of the urchin she once was are far too deeply rooted.” He waved a hand toward the young woman, whose expression hardened in a huff before she stomped out, leaving them in a moment of relative privacy.

Nick remained quiet, uncertain about how to handle the situation. He didn’t particularly care if Arthur had adopted the girl, but their relationship didn’t appear to be very easy-going.

Finally, Arthur broke the silence. “I called you here to talk about what happened in the dungeon,” he said.

Nick nodded, carefully hiding the grimace that tugged at his lips. He had many questions, but he also had a lot of things he would like to keep private. If this was to be an exchange of information, he’d probably walk away with less than he’d have liked.

“Soon, Floria will be swarming with people. Even though the dungeon was destroyed, news of its discovery will spread, and the frontier will no longer be overlooked. Once they learn about the crystal forest within the Green Ocean, interest will skyrocket, even if some will be disappointed that we destroyed it so quickly.” Arthur continued, taking an unexpected direction.

“It’s certainly a unique place,” Nick agreed.

Arthur shook his head, his expression grave. “When they come, they will pay handsomely for the tales of our expedition. Mark my words: your actions will soon become common knowledge, and that is something you must consider carefully.”

A sigh escaped Nick’s lips. He wished nothing more than to keep his privacy, but as Arthur continued his explanation, it became clear that it would be a pipe dream.

“I can keep the adventurers from blabbing for a while, but sooner or later, the lure of money will outweigh any loyalty they might feel. Given the time it would take most to arrive, even if they left soon after learning about the dungeon, you can expect anything from a week to a month before you become a subject of interest.”

“Do you think I should leave, then?” If there was bitterness in his tone, Nick didn’t care. He’d known his actions would lead to ostracization, no matter how selfless, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Arthur’s expression softened, and for the first time, he looked at Nick like the child he was, “I’m not going to lie to you. It will become difficult if you decide to stay. Your father will protect you, and you have earned the respect of many with your actions, but given what happened yesterday… I’d suggest you make plans. Maybe I’m wrong, and things will blow over, but I’ve been around long enough to know a thing or two. You should start preparing for the eventuality that staying here will become too difficult.”

Nick pursed his lips, trying to come up with a counterargument. Unfortunately, everything he could think of felt hollow. If he had kept his head down rather than interfering yesterday, he might have been able to skate by. People would have thought the tales from the adventurers to be exaggerated, and when the soldiers under his father’s command, refused to corroborate them, they might have blown over.

Unfortunately, he had once again become a person of interest, and this time, most of the town was there to see it. Sashara hadn’t exactly attacked him, and he doubted people would regard him as heretical just from that, but it was undeniable that she had shown a personal interest in him.

“I suppose I should at least have a contingency plan.” He allowed.

Arthur stared for a moment before shaking his head with a chuckle. “You know, I’ve met people from all over the continent. Lizardfolk from the putrid swamps beyond the Giant’s Ranges in the north; Genius swordsmen from the Great Paladin Order of Lumia; Merfolk of the deep abyss. And yet, out of all of them, you are one of the most intriguing ones.”

His words weren’t meant as a threat, but Nick couldn’t help but tense up. Yes, he knew he was weird, but to go so far as to say he was so unique that all over the continent, he’d still stand out…

“Oh, don’t look so frightened. I was just making a point. Even if all anyone knows about you comes from observing, it’s pretty clear that you are not a regular kid. I’ve certainly never heard of a thirteen-year-old managing to take on an entire group of fae mages. Much less to summon a Prestige creature!”

“Twelve,” Nick murmured.

“What?”

“I’m twelve. I’ll be thirteen in ten days.”

Arthur ran a hand down his face, chuckling. “See, that’s what I mean. Anyone with an eye for the abnormal will be able to notice you are different. That’s not a bad thing when you live in a town so small that everyone knows each other, and their greatest exposure to magic comes from wandering D-rank adventurers showing off. But the people who are coming aren’t going to be country bumpkins. And while no one can harm you, their attention and questions will enflame the current state of affairs. You will become a pariah of sorts.”

Nick sighed. “I get that, yeah. I had hoped to have more time before I needed to leave, but I suppose I don’t get to be greedy.”

Placing his glass on a small table, Arthur leaned back. “You know, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Most children with some talent end up leaving their hometown. It usually happens a couple of years down the line, but you are certainly mature enough to handle it. I might even have some suggestions to make about possible destinations, though you should speak with your parents first.”

Nick kept silent. There wasn’t much he could do at this point. He still wanted to address the beastmen situation or at least ensure the rebellion had been postponed. After that, however, he had nothing holding him back. He wanted to stay in Floria to be with his parents, but just because he left now didn't mean he couldn’t return in a few years.

Seeing that he was still morose, Arthur clicked his fingers. “You know what? I don’t want you to leave with such bitter feelings. I know a kid like you must be interested in magic, so how about I teach you a spell? I never delved much into the theory, but lightning has always come easily to me. If you can master this, you might end up with a valuable tool, and I’ll feel less like a heel.”

That was a generous offer, especially coming from a man as powerful as Arthur. Even so, Nick decided to push his luck. “I wouldn’t mind learning from you, but could I ask a few questions first? If I have to leave soon, I should learn as much as I can. I won’t have anyone to ask then.” He did his best to maintain an innocent tone, leaning on his CHA, but something must have slipped through because Arthur snorted.

“You are a greedy kid, aren’t you? Very well, as a way to make the bitter pill go down, I’ll answer any two questions and teach you . How about that?”

Nick didn’t waste any more time. “What is a Path? The system keeps referring to it, and I imagine it must be related to my class and build, but I want to understand how it’s connected to my chances of ranking up into Prestige.”

Arthur stared for a moment. He then looked up as if asking for strength before nodding. “A deal is a deal.”

Then he waved a hand, and a sound similar to a sizzle echoed. Nick didn’t need to tune in with his senses to know that something like a privacy ward had just gone up. He looked around the room with curiosity but wasn’t able to spot any obvious ward stone.

“Now, as you have correctly surmised, a path is what the system refers to as your progression. It’s a combination of what your class allows, your ambitions, the significant events you’ve experienced, and the skills and spells you’ve developed. Whenever the system directly mentions a path in a notification, you should take it very seriously because it relates to your foundation. A weak path means your future advancement is virtually impossible. Even worse, a discordant path— something that can occur surprisingly often— means that even gaining experience becomes so difficult that you might only achieve a level in a decade. If your path is broken, you could try to learn as many spells as you like, but it won’t matter one bit. Not unless you fix it first, and I’ve only known two people who have done so out of thousands who have tried.”

Nick felt a chill at that. After all, he had recently received a notification that made no sense: a single Exp for participating in a Divine Summoning…