Chapter Six – Whispers Beneath the Veil
11 days had passed since Aveline Caelthorn summoned Sylph.
The Duke's mansion was as busy as ever. Servants rushed through the marble halls, guests came and went with smiles, and the scent of flowers drifted through the open windows. From the outside, nothing had changed.
To everyone in the Caelthorn estate, Aveline was still the quiet, well-mannered daughter of the Duke — a polite ten-year-old who liked books and rarely caused trouble.
But that wasn't the full story.
Because when the house grew quiet, Aveline wasn't sleeping. She was training.
Her "System" — the mysterious interface that had appeared ten days ago — was always active in her mind, quietly monitoring her mana flow.
Sylph hovered near her shoulder, her tiny wings glowing faintly as she whispered,
> "System energy increasing… Mana circuit stable."
Aveline lowered her teacup slightly and smiled. "Good. Let's keep it that way."
When her mother entered the room, Aveline immediately straightened and turned a page of her etiquette book. Duchess Selina smiled warmly, thinking her daughter was just studying manners again.
> "You're such a good girl, Aveline," her mother said. "Always so diligent."
"Thank you, Mother."
As soon as the door closed, Sylph let out a soft giggle.
> "You're getting better at acting normal."
"I've had practice," Aveline replied with a small smirk.
---
Rumors spread quickly across noble circles. The children who completed the Affinity Ritual were the talk of every dinner party.
> "The heir of House Dravon awakened lightning!"
"The prince's flames burned gold — how incredible!"
And then, inevitably—
> "Poor Lady Aveline of House Caelthorn. No element, they say. What a shame."
Her mother always frowned when she heard that. Her father just sighed and said, "Power isn't everything."
But Aveline heard every whisper. Every fake smile. Every pitying tone.
She smiled back at them, always polite, always calm.
But in her heart, she stored every word like fuel.
> "You'll all eat those words one day," she thought.
---
The Garden at Night
When the mansion went silent and the moon was high, Aveline snuck out to the back garden.
Barefoot, she stepped onto the cool grass. The air was crisp, the flowers faintly glowing under the moonlight. It was quiet — the perfect place to train.
> "Sylph," she whispered.
The fairy appeared, her small body shimmering like blue light.
> "You're really doing this again? You've trained every night since the ritual."
"And I'll keep training," Aveline said simply.
She raised her hand. Circles of faint light appeared around her, covered in glowing runes.
The air rippled — and her summons appeared.
Ignis, the small salamander, tail burning low.
Althea, the angelic healer, her wings faint but radiant.
And Nyx, the dark wolf spirit, eyes shining silver in the dark.
They weren't at full power yet. Their bodies flickered slightly, like they were half-transparent. But they still kneeled before her.
> "We are not yet whole," Ignis said in a calm rumble.
"I know," Aveline replied. "That's why we keep going."
She started her training routine — mana compression, circuit stabilization, summoning endurance.
The blue glow around her pulsed rhythmically.
After a while, her vision blurred slightly. Sylph frowned.
> "Master, that's enough. You're still ten. You'll burn yourself out again."
"I don't care," Aveline said, breathing heavily. "I wasted a lifetime doing nothing. I won't do that again."
She finally stopped when dawn started to rise. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but her smile was calm.
> "Good work, everyone," she said softly.
Ignis and Althea bowed, and Nyx dissolved back into the shadows.
Sylph floated behind her shoulder as she walked back to her room.
That morning, when her mother came to wake her, Aveline looked peaceful — as if she'd just slept through the night.
---
Far away, in the royal capital, noble tutors were busy training the kingdom's new generation of mages.
Everyone talked about the talented children. Lightning, fire, water, wind — the capital was full of excitement and rivalry.
And Aveline's name came up too — but only as a joke.
Prince Lucien, her so-called fiancé, was especially cruel.
> "Aveline Caelthorn?" he scoffed to his friends. "She failed the crystal test. I'll pick a real mage as my partner someday."
His friends laughed loudly.
None of them had any idea that the "powerless" girl they mocked had already surpassed every one of them — they just couldn't see it yet.
---
The Monster in the Woods
It happened a few days later.
Aveline was sitting under a tree near the edge of the estate, reading one of her favorite history books. It was a quiet afternoon — birds chirping, wind blowing softly — until the ground suddenly trembled.
"Earthquake?" she muttered.
Then came the roar.
From the forest, a fangboar — a large beast with mana-charged tusks — burst into the clearing. The guards shouted, rushing forward with swords drawn.
> "Beast attack! Protect the young lady!"
Aveline crouched behind a tree, her heart racing.
The fangboar slammed into a guard, tossing him aside like a doll. Their attacks barely scratched its hide.
Sylph appeared, her voice urgent.
> "Master, we can stop it in seconds. Just say the word!"
Aveline hesitated. She wasn't supposed to use magic in public. No one could know.
But when she saw one of the maids trip and fall — and the beast turn toward her — she clenched her fist.
> "Sylph," she whispered, "activate summon."
A blue magic circle appeared behind the tree.
> "Summon: Nyx."
The shadow wolf appeared instantly, its silver eyes glowing. In one smooth movement, it lunged forward.
The guards froze as the boar suddenly collapsed, its body wrapped in dark mist.
> "What just happened?!"
"It's… divine protection!" one knight shouted. "The heavens protect the Caelthorns!"
Aveline stayed behind the tree, quietly watching.
> "Return," she whispered.
Nyx's form faded back into the shadows, leaving no trace behind.
That night, Sylph landed on her shoulder with a teasing grin.
> "You couldn't resist, huh?"
"They would've been hurt," Aveline said.
"Still… you smiled when Nyx hit it."
"...Maybe a little."
---
That evening, her mother noticed her yawning at dinner.
> "You've been reading too much again. You'll ruin your eyes, sweetheart."
"I'll rest soon," Aveline replied with a calm smile.
Her father chuckled. "Always so hardworking. You'll be running this house before you're even grown."
Aveline smiled, pretending to be shy, but her thoughts were elsewhere — on the power quietly building inside her.
When her parents said goodnight and left her room, she turned toward the window.
The moonlight fell across her desk, illuminating a small silver pendant she kept beside her bed — a reminder of the game world she once played in another life.
---
A soft chime echoed in her head. The familiar interface appeared in glowing blue text.
> [Energy Synchronization Detected]
[Summoner's Circuit: 15% Stable]
[New Skill: Mana Compression – Active]
[Quest Updated: Strengthen Core before Academy Evaluation.]
Aveline blinked. "Academy Evaluation? That's six years from now…"
Sylph floated up beside her. "Looks like your System's already planning ahead."
Aveline leaned back on her bed, arms folded behind her head.
> "Then we'll be ready long before that."
She stared at the glowing window above her.
> "The world still thinks I'm weak," she murmured. "Let's keep it that way for now."
Sylph smiled faintly, landing on her shoulder.
> "Until it's time to surprise them."
"Exactly," Aveline said, smiling back.
---
Outside, the Caelthorn estate was silent under the moonlight.
The wind was calm, the sky clear. But if anyone could see the flow of mana, they'd notice thin blue lines of energy running through the ground — all leading toward Aveline's room.
Deep beneath the mansion, something ancient stirred in response.
Veltheris was peaceful tonight. But that peace wouldn't last forever.
Because the "powerless" girl was already rewriting the world's balance — one quiet night at a time.