Chapter 61: Secrets

Chapter 61: Secrets

Chapter 61 - Secrets

Waking up to the first ray of sunlight peeking through his window, Kai wondered for the hundredth time if he should find something to cover it. But there was little point when he had to get up at dawn.

With eyes half closed, he put on a shirt and walked out of his house. The smell of salt and the crashing of the waves greeted him more strongly than usual. Today the tide was high and he only had to walk a short distance, before being faced with the crystal sea.

This is the life.

He stretched his limbs briefly and sat down by the shore to meditate. It had been a month since he came back and Kai deeply appreciated these few quiet moments.

Every day, his body and mind were pushed to their limits by his teachers. He was constantly tested and told to always perform better. And yet, life at the estate was easy. He didnt have to make difficult choices or worry about anyone else. There was no time or energy for that. The only thing that mattered was how much further he could push himself.

The first few days had been especially hard. He had been diligent with his training in Greenside and gained a lot. Maybe that was why Elijah wanted to bring him down a peg, pointing out each tiny mistake he made with the weapon stances and increasing his physical training.

A pointless attempt to not let him get cocky with his successes. It would have probably made sense if he were a normal child, but it was completely unnecessary with him. He was the personification of modesty and his cheekiness a deliberate choice. No amount of humbling was going to stop him from giving sassy responses to Elijah.

When he was not completely exhausted, he spent every moment silently swearing after the aggravating butler. It had worked wonders for his mood.

Practicing Alchemy with Dora had also been challenging. His improvements in that field had been the biggest and her demands had grown proportionally. Contrary to Elijah, Kai didnt think there was any ill intent, Dora seemed just excited to move to more interesting experiments and exercises.

No one mentioned the events that had transpired before he got back to the estate. There was not much more that could be said. This was the life he chose and he had to make peace with it. Their answer had been clear: if he wanted to be free, he needed to become stronger.

Time seemed to fly as Kai sat cross-legged by the sea. Exactly an hour later, Elijah's shadow appeared over him.

Time to get on with it.

Without waiting to be told, Kai began to run. The first two laps of the bay were without mana, then he was allowed to use it as long as his reserves didn't go below 90%. He would need all of it with Dora later. While the higher mana density around the estate helped, it was never enough.

Kai took a moment to appreciate the privilege of running on sand and not pebbles. He didnt need to continuously scan where he stepped, afraid to encounter a sharper rock positioned at the wrong angle.

The wind blew in his ears as he sped along the beach. He remembered how long it felt the first time he had to run its length. Elijah always increased the distance, adding time limits and giving him weights to carry, but he had grown to appreciate a good workout. The feeling of weightlessness as his small body exerted much more strength than he should be capable of.

In Greenside he had kept a low profile, here he was free to let go. Elijah would throw him judging gazes regardless, why not jump with all strength for meters in the air? What was the point of training if he didnt enjoy the results?

He still had a lot of room to grow stronger as his body matured, but so would his weight. He would need to keep improving his race to do the same. It felt almost like his body could defy gravity as he jumped in the air. For now, this was the closest he could get to flying. If there was a way to achieve flight, he would find it.

Stop messing around, I wont count this lap unless you focus. If you have so much energy, run faster.

Is that all youve got? Ive seen grandmas with more grit than you.

Kai clenched his teeth but didnt let himself get provoked. The unsaid rule of their confrontation was that Elijah was only allowed to counterattack if he made some obvious blunder. His collection of bruises made him wince every time he went to sleep.

Elijah continued to taunt him, pointing out his minor mistakes that didnt warrant punishment. Putting a little too much strength in a lunge, Kai immediately knew he fucked up. As expected, pain exploded in his forearm a moment later.

"Blessed spirits!" Kai stepped back massaging where he had been hit. Was it necessary to hit me that hard?

You were getting sloppy and left yourself exposed. Pain is the best teacher. If you dont want to get it, you just must do better. Elijah replied, covering a yawn with his hand. The butler looked up at the sun. I guess we can stop here for today. Virya wants to see you.

Hurrying to take a shower and make himself presentable, Kai walked towards the pavilion where he knew Virya would be waiting for him. The high tide had brought the water not far from the structure, but not even the wind dared carry a droplet of water inside.

As usual, the mage was skimming through a large tome as she drank her morning tea. Kai made sure to not disturb her as he sat down. He helped himself to the breakfast prepared for him chewing quietly.

Are you still committed to your decision? Your training is not going to get any easier and youll need to take more difficult decisions in the future if you want to keep growing. People may ignore Kai the talented villager, but they will take notice of your progress. Virya suddenly asked, moving her penetrating orange eyes on him.

Taken aback, Kai took a moment to answer. Yes, Im sure this is what I want. I thought my decision had been final.

Her gaze examined him a few seconds longer. It would be disappointing, but youve proven an acceptable amount of determination. You are now free to change your mind. There is no shame in choosing to undertake a different path if you dont want this any longer.

This was the third time she called for him since he came back, but they had never talked about what happened. He was surprised she was bringing this up now. Could he go back to his family and use what he learned here to lead a comfortable life?

No, thats not me.

Before he came here, a quiet unremarkable life in the archipelago had its charm. Now that he had touched upon something more, he knew he could never go back. He could only do his best to ensure the person he became was someone the old him would have liked.

Im sure of my choice.

Virya's lips curved upwards slightly. Excellent. Then I suppose I should answer your questions. I wasnt lying when I said the knowledge could put you in danger. But at this point, it could do more damage if you didnt know.

Kais heart skipped a bit. There were only a few questions Virya had refused to answer since he came, but she could only be referring to his blessing.

Sure she had his attention, the mage continued. If there is a thing every religious organization on Elydes has in common is that they dont like when people poke around and ask dangerous questions. I wont ask you to swear to never speak of this outside of my estate, but be sure there will be consequences to pay if you do.

Favor is inextricably linked to divine entities and the workings of the Guide. You cant truly understand one without some knowledge of the others.

A high seventh stat is going to be one of your biggest advantages over your peers. There are ways to engineer situations and set people up for success, but the Guide cant be fooled. Those born at the highest echelons of society will have to spend ten times the effort to achieve the same results.

Now then where to begin