Vale woke up in the morning. He stared at the ceiling and recalled the people he met yesterday and the things he learned. Suddenly, he thought about Celine, his new friend, and the Blackwyn family, who had stayed overnight.
After looking around his room, he noticed that neither Lucy nor Roland was there. He got out of bed, washed up, dressed in clean clothes, and headed out to find the Blackwyn family.
On his way, he saw Lucy walking toward his room. When she spotted him, she smiled and greeted him.
"Good morning, young master," she said.
"Morning, Lucy," Vale replied. "Where were you?"
"I'm sorry, young master. The Blackwyn family left early this morning. I had to help the other maids prepare their things and pack up," she explained.
"Oh, I see…" Vale said, disappointment creeping into his voice. "Why did they leave so early?"
"Their estate is quite far from Brindlehallow, so they had to leave early," Lucy said, then added playfully, "Why does young master sound sad? Was there someone you wanted to see before they left?"
Vale realized she was teasing him about Celine. Lucy had noticed them talking at the party last night and couldn't resist having some joke with him. Unlike the other maids, Lucy was close to him and often joked around when they were alone. Vale appreciated her company it was enjoyable and comforting.
As they walked toward the dining room, Lucy said, "Oh, I heard Lady Nina invited you to Theymisis before she left."
Vale froze for a moment. That witch invited me to her city? A chill ran down his spine.
When they reached the dining hall, it was empty except for a few maids preparing his breakfast. Before he turned four, Lucy or Myra always brought meals to his room, but after that age, he insisted on joining the family at the table. That decision made his grandfather and mother proud.
Today, though, neither of them was there.
"Where is everyone, Lucy?" he asked.
"Lord Vandrel left for the Hallowmount borders," she said. "There have been reports of strange magic beast roaming that area for two days now, so he went with Sir Dominic and some guards. Lady Aeris is in her room working on documents."
"I see. What about Roland?"
"He went with the Blackwyn family toward the Brindlehallow border. Once they cross it, he'll return."
Vale sighed. "So everyone's gone except you, huh?" he said with a laugh. "Alright then let's eat first. I'll think about what to do later."
After breakfast, Vale returned to his room, thinking about how to spend the next six years before his awakening. A few minutes later, Lucy came back carrying several wrapped boxes.
He didn't need to ask what they were gifts from the guests. He had completely forgotten about them. Lucy made several trips bringing them in, and not long after that, Roland returned and greeted him.
"Welcome back," Vale said.
When all the gifts were piled up, Lucy said with bright eyes, "Let's open them, young master! I want to see what's inside."
Vale chuckled. "Why are you so excited? Alright, fine," he said, moving to the pile as Lucy sat beside him. Roland watched quietly while Vale asked, "Did the Blackwyns cross our border safely?"
"Yes, they did," Roland replied.
"Ah, short and sweet as always," I murmured, thinking aloud as I began unwrapping my first gift. It was from my mother, a small, elegant box.
"I can guess what this is. It must be jewelry."
When I opened it, Lucy gasped beside me. "Oh! It's a necklace! And such a pretty one too."
Inside was a silver necklace, featuring a beautiful star shaped curve set on a white stone. The star had strange patterns etched within it, almost like a magical symbol. As Lucy and I admired it, Roland spoke up.
"That's an enchanted item, young master. At least a Tier 1 artifact, made with a magic beast core," he explained.
"Really? Wow," Lucy said with wide eyes.
I examined it closely and then put it on. As soon as I did, I felt my body grow slightly lighter not much, but enough to notice.
Lucy turned to Roland. "What does it do exactly?"
"I can't say for sure," Roland replied thoughtfully. "It seems to improve your agility. If you feel lighter, that's likely its effect. But only someone with an Appraisal skill could tell you its exact properties. Still, I doubt your mother would give you something ordinary."
I nodded, still admiring the craftsmanship. Then I reached for the next gift.
"This one's from the old man," I said, already guessing what it might be. "I bet it's a sword."
When I opened it, I was right. A beautifully crafted longsword lay inside. I stepped back from Lucy and swung it carefully. It was light but perfectly balanced, with a deep blue grip and a rose shaped gem embedded near the hilt.
"It's a good sword," Roland said. "A Tier 2 sword, if I'm not mistaken."
"Really? How can you tell?" I asked. "You couldn't even identify the necklace's tier without Appraisal."
Roland smiled faintly. "Because I've seen this sword before. It once belonged to your father. Lord Vandrel gifted it to him years ago. It has no active skill, but two passive effects enhanced durability and the ability to adjust its size to its wielder."
"Wait, seriously? Wow. The old man really knows how to pick gifts," I said, swinging it again, feeling a pang of nostalgia. I had planned to ask my mother about Father after the party yesterday, but she'd been too busy. Maybe today, I'd finally get my chance.
As I admired the sword, I remembered what I had learned artifacts were made using materials infused with mana from beasts, plants, or rare stones called mana stones or Gem stone. Higher tier artifacts had more passive traits and skills. Tier 1 items usually had one passive, Tier 2s could have one skill or two passives.
While I pondered that, Lucy opened the next gift. "Hey! That's my present," Roland protested.
Lucy laughed as she tore the wrapping. Inside was a silver ring. I took it from her and slipped it on.
"It's a storage ring," Roland said before I could ask. "Made with space magic."
"Thank you," I said, impressed.
I tried to store my sword in it, but nothing happened. "Uh… how does this work?"
Lucy giggled. "It won't work for you yet, young master. You need to awaken first."
"Really? No way."
Roland nodded. "It's a Tier 1 storage ring. To use it, you must bind it with your mana after awakening. I gave it early because I expect you'll awaken before the age of twelve. You already show remarkable understanding for your age."
He continued, "There are three steps before awakening, mana sense, mana breathing, and mana control. Most people need at least six years to learn all three. During the Awakening Ceremony, they get the final push. Talented individuals can learn it faster, while others, who fail to master even one step, may never awaken at all.
"You've already achieved the first step at age six, so I'm confident you'll awaken early. Once you can control mana, you'll embed your mana into the ring. Your mana acts as a key only you can open it. If anyone tries to force it, ring will explode, destroying the contents."
"Wow…" I said, surprised at how valuable the ring really was.
After that, I opened Lucy's gift. She looked a bit nervous. Inside was a book about magical beasts nothing rare, just a basic reference volume. I could see she felt disappointed after Roland's expensive gift.
I smiled and said softly, "I know what you're thinking, Lucy. I don't judge people by the cost of their gifts. Even if you gave me nothing, I'd still be happy. This book is from someone who cares about me, so I'll treasure it."
Lucy's eyes shimmered, and she began to cry.
"Ah don't cry, Lucy!" I said, panicking.
"You're too kind, young master," she sobbed.
Roland sighed. "Stop crying. I'll buy you something."
Her tears vanished instantly. "Really?! You're the best, Sir Roland!"
"Hm," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Alright, next gift!" I said, laughing.
We continued unwrapping everything clothes, jewelry, more books. Once all the gifts were open, Lucy started organizing them while I turned to leave.
"I'll need to talk with Mother.," I said quietly and left.