Things changed after what happened at the ceremony. Although nobody said anything to me directly, I knew there was some disappointment within the family regarding my results.
But I didn't care. I was not going to waste my life trying to impress those people. I was going to follow my own dreams.
"Okay… now what do we know about my talent and affinity?" I thought.
I have a yellow talent and a wood affinity. Although it is rare, it is not considered very powerful. But I will somehow have to make it work.
From Aron's memories, I knew that after the ceremony we were allowed to enter the family martial arts library.
Although wood is not considered strong, it can still be used in combat. If I could do things like the characters from an anime I used to watch, then a lot of things could be possible. But I didn't know if similar techniques even existed in this world.
I had to make sure I used my time wisely.
I sighed and thought,
"Maybe I should go to father and ask for help in finding techniques that suit me."
Just then, mother entered my room. Most likely she was here to talk about the same things I had been thinking about.
"How are you, my child?" she asked softly. "I was really happy to hear that you made friends with Henry and Kim. They will be the future of the country, and I think they like you too."
I wasn't really interested in owing favors to others or relying on them, so I replied,
"Nothing like that will happen. I will grow stronger myself, so I don't think that way."
Mother smiled and said,
"Good. I have already asked your father to look for some wood-affinity techniques. Perhaps he can borrow some from his brothers, or maybe he can find a qualified teacher for you. Your father is paying attention to this matter."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"And you should also go to the library. Now that you are eligible to enter, you might find something that suits you there. But remember—do not disturb others. Even if you are from the main family, they will not tolerate disrespect. Do you understand?"
"Yes, mother," I replied.
"I'm not foolish enough to do something like that. But you mentioned teachers earlier… who took Henry and Kim? Do you know anything about that?"
"You don't need to worry about them," she said. "Their teacher is highly qualified, and the place they have gone to is secret. Even I don't know the location. But I am sure it will be beneficial for them."
She then looked at me with a gentle expression.
"So if you want to stand even somewhat close to them, start training, my child. But don't push yourself too hard."
Although she said those words, she knew there was a huge difference in talent between Aron and his friends. They were worlds apart. But after seeing the determination in my eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
I hope you are right, my child, she thought silently.
---
After she left, I began walking toward the library.
"Okay… I have to follow this route, then go up the stairs. The central building should be the library," I muttered while looking at the buildings around me.
The buildings looked somewhat like Buddhist temples, although their architecture was slightly different.
I stepped inside the martial arts library and began searching through the different sections. After some time, I finally found the section related to wood-affinity techniques.
I didn't have very high expectations, but I was still disappointed when I saw it.
I sighed heavily.
There were only four techniques.
Better than nothing, I guess.
Mother had told me earlier that the wood affinity was rare, and the family didn't possess many techniques related to it.
I started looking through the names of the techniques and found something interesting.
The first technique was called:
[Agrani Shield]
This technique was developed by the hero Agrani. In this technique, the wood element forms a shield around the user's hand. The size of the shield can be adjusted slightly, although not by much.
Although defensive techniques were good for safety, it wasn't what I needed right now.
I was already living inside a palace. I couldn't be safer than this.
Right now, I needed offensive techniques so I could properly utilize my wood element.
Then another thought crossed my mind.
Maybe I should become a knight as well.
From everything I had learned so far, knights were not very different from mages. The main difference was that knights focused more on strengthening their bodies and used physical techniques and weapons along with elemental power.
To confirm someone's talent for knighthood, there were separate tests apart from the ceremony. However, the elemental affinity remained the same.
Knights used their physical techniques in combination with their elements.
For example, a knight with fire affinity would be extremely effective in close combat when using fire techniques compared to someone with wind or water affinity.
"Maybe I should check if I can join knight training too and become a magic-swordsman," I thought.
That would give me more power and protection when fighting different kinds of enemies.
However, the versatility of a magic-swordsman came with a cost.
It took much more time to master both magic and physical combat. Knights also spent a large amount of time performing intense physical training to increase their body's durability.
I took a deep breath.
"I have to choose carefully now… so that I don't regret it later."