Chapter 199

“Your grandmother, Ursula, was not the type of person to shy away from challenges. She’d practically raised herself after her parents died at the hands of monsters and built herself into a formidable adventurer,” Elena began.Nick listened quietly. His maternal grandmother was a subject he knew little about, despite her being the founder of the Stalking Gait style that underpinned their family legacy.

He recognized this as a way to distract him, but it was still information he was curious about. Anything that could give him a greater understanding of Prestige would be valuable to know, even if he questioned why it hadn’t been mentioned earlier during their conversation about his father’s advancement.

“She spent many years roaming through western Berea, going from the tallest peaks of the northern ranges, fighting against the rebel clans, to the muddiest pits of toxic swamps in the deep Sunlands. Her talent for breathing techniques soon developed into a unique style, something very few people can ever claim.”

Nick hummed. He knew that much, at least. Most adventurers he’d encountered were not anything to write home about, and while that might have been because they were on the edge of nowhere and the real talents preferred to live it large in the cities, he suspected it had more to do with how difficult it was to keep growing without a comprehensive understanding of one’s path.

Developing a skill like the Stalking Gait, not just as a breathing aid as he did, but as a true martial art, must have placed his grandmother far above her peers.

“Some people thought she was destined to become great, and when she was still young, she was even offered to join more than one martial order, from knightly ones to less savory ones." Elena continued, sounding reluctantly amused. Apparently, Ursula had been quite the character.

“She ended up not joining either and returned to Floria pregnant.”

Nick made a noise of curiosity. While his grandmother wasn’t often discussed, his maternal grandfather was never mentioned.

“Oh, don’t look like that. It’s relatively common for female adventurers. They travel all around the kingdom, have relations with many people, as does everyone with enough power. She just happened to have bought a contraceptive potion that didn’t work as well as it should. She never even knew the name of the man who sired me.” Elena explained in a matter-of-fact tone, leaving him stunned.

He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it hadn’t been that. Yet, if that man had been in the picture, he would have heard about him.

“When she returned to Floria, she secured a more stable job as a martial instructor for the local militia for a time. You already know that she ended up taking in Akari after discovering her talent. However, despite the stability of that job, she loathed it.”

Although her tone was detached, it was clear to that she still had many conflicting emotions about that. Nick remained silent, giving her the space to talk through it.

“She resented not being able to keep growing. She’d been around level eighty when she got pregnant, and over the years of taking care of us, of teaching, she only managed to achieve a few more. Nothing like the pace she’d once maintained. So when we’d grown enough not to need her direct attention, she decided to return to the field.”

Nick hummed to show he was listening, but his mind wandered to what he knew about his mother. Elena, too, had delayed her personal growth to focus on raising a family. Yet, her decision was deliberate; she genuinely wanted children. Was it all an act of rebellion? Had she devoted her life to this path simply to prove herself better?

Although he could see her spirit, discerning which memory was linked to which emotion proved difficult. This conversation stirred up many old feelings, and Nick doubted that even she understood exactly what she was experiencing.

“It wasn’t easy at first. Though you never really lose your stats with age, your instincts are quick to dull. She’d polished her skills, yes, but the worst she’d fought was an alpha thunderhoof. The first time she delved deeply into the Green Ocean, she almost died. She came back with a festering wound that nearly took her then and there. And I’d never seen her so happy.” Resentment surfaced alongside shame for feeling that emotion.

“Never once did she regret her recklessness. She was back to doing what she loved, and she wouldn’t stop for anything.”

Elena took a moment to gather herself, feeling deeply emotional. She sipped her now lukewarm tea and let out a gentle sigh. “Sometimes, I wonder what she’d think of me, someone who has chosen to languish while she was forced to.”

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“I may not know her, Mum, but I can assure you she’d be proud of you. You're an incredible person, both in combat and in life!" Nick said with conviction, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The parallels between Ursula’s recklessness and his were quite clear, and he now understood why Elena had been so hesitant to send him off.

She smiled gratefully before continuing her story. “It took a few years for her to grow enough to approach the boundary. At that stage, gaining levels becomes more difficult, and she wasn’t reckless enough to only farm experience from monsters that could provide a quicker return. But eventually, she got there.” Her voice suggested it was more of a death sentence than a remarkable accomplishment.

“I’m guessing she took some time to get ready, right?”

“She prepared, yes. She wasn’t stupid. And it was still too much. She went out into the southern forest to get those last two levels she needed, and met something.” Silence hung heavily. Not even the breeze dared disturb them under Nick’s command.

Eventually, Elena took a deep breath and continued. “She never told me what it was. Just smiled and said she’d been stupid to attack something that was so clearly beyond her skill.”

“So she came back?” Nick asked, confused. Her initial words had him thinking Ursula had died in battle.

“Her body did, yes. But her mind… The failure to achieve Prestige when she was so close was too much for her. She was gravely injured, but she could have recovered. We didn’t have the money for a high-level elixir, but we could have pooled our funds and asked for help. But she had already lost the battle inside. Her body simply wasted away over the course of a year as she let herself go. Eventually, her wounds took her in the night. That was when I left with Akari. The morning after her funeral.”

Elena was clearly still grieving, although time and maturity had dulled her emotions. There wasn’t much she could do at that point.

Still, there was one thing Nick needed to know. “I’m sorry, I know this might be insensitive, but I didn’t understand one thing. Was it the loss that shook her so badly, or something else?”

She smiled bitterly. "I never received an answer either. Those who achieve Prestige either guard their secrets closely or have had such unique experiences that it’s hard to relate. My mother never shared what broke her. She chose to die rather than open up.”

It was early afternoon when he finished comforting his mother. They hadn’t talked much more about Ursula’s death, choosing instead to enjoy each other’s company, sipping tea and discussing lighter topics. Still, it was evident that she needed companionship, and despite Nick’s burning curiosity, he wouldn’t leave her after she had opened her heart to him.

Eventually, her somber mood lifted enough for him to feel comfortable leaving the house.

Even though he would have liked to march over to Arthur and demand an explanation, he had a prior commitment. If he played his cards right, he might still get an answer.

Reaching Ogden took only a few minutes. Nick didn’t summon great gusts of wind, nor did he fly there. His body had simply grown enough that the track that once took twenty minutes now took less than ten, without any rush.

Inside, he sensed Rhea and Ogden, and surprisingly, Elia was already there too. Usually, she took longer to show up, but the pleased aura around her indicated it wasn’t due to an emergency.

“I’m here!” he called from the front of the shop, then entered and headed toward the back.

“Bah, look at what you’ve done. Now I have sprogs popping out every other minute, as if this was their damn shop,” Ogden grumbled at Rhea, who merely smiled in amusement.

Nick waved in greeting and noticed that, despite his complaints, the old alchemist was not walking away.

“Sorry if I was late. This whole thing with Dad being taken for his Prestige trial has been messing with me,” he confessed. Being turned around by Marthas hadn’t exactly been pleasant, but it had served as a wake-up call.

No matter how much he had grown or how unique his abilities were, he was still far from the peak. He couldn’t just do what he wanted.

“I’ve heard of that,” Rhea acknowledged, directing a supportive smile at him. Nick nodded in thanks and then turned to the surprisingly quiet Elia.

“I know as well. The elders informed me after I was officially recognized as the miko by the community.” She said after a moment, a slight hint of awkwardness tainting her happiness.

She probably didn’t want to sound overly satisfied, given the situation he was in, but Nick didn’t let her feel bad. He hugged her, bonking his head against hers. “That’s great, I’m really proud of you.”

Elia pulled back, pupils wide, and cleared her throat. “Ehm, well, yes, it was thanks to you guys too. I wouldn’t have made it alone.”

“Are you saying we were right in refusing to leave you after the Hall of Healing?” Rhea teased, earning an eye roll that fortunately dispelled any remaining awkwardness.

“Yes, yes, you were right, and I was wrong,” Elia admitted, smiling faintly.

“I think I might be sick,” Ogden grumbled to himself, and Nick was momentarily struck by the absurd realization that if his suspicions were correct, this was a dragon considered to be a calamity by the dwarves who was currently pretending to be a grouchy old man.

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“Are you done with the counting of the loot, then?” Nick asked, trying to steer the conversation back on track and, more importantly, distract himself from dangerous tangents. He didn’t know what would happen should Ogden suspect he knew.

Perhaps nothing. His pact with the beastmen certainly hinted at his pacifist nature. But who knew if that would still hold true?

“We are.” The man in question said, losing his annoyed air and moving toward a chest as big as a hog. With a heave that was more theatrical than realistic, he lifted it off the ground and onto a low table before unlatching it.

When it opened, Nick was momentarily blinded.

The glint of gold coins was not something he was used to, and Ogden had positioned the chest in the perfect spot to catch a sunbeam.

After a moment of blinking, Nick started counting. At least three rows of gold coins and, beyond that, more silver than he had ever seen in either life.

Surprisingly, there were no copper coins; then again, those were typically used for small transactions, such as buying a meal at market stalls. Someone like Ogden, who dealt in potions and valuable ingredients, probably didn’t have that many on hand.

“Is that all for us?” he asked, unable to take his eyes off the glinting gold. His travel plans were still uncertain at the moment, especially until his father’s situation was resolved, but he could certainly think of many ways that much coin could make his life easier.