Now the only ones left sitting within the small corner of the lobby area, Ional, and his mother had left with Rushel for the awakening ceremony. My father gently patted my head as we waited, he used to do this all the time when I was a baby. Honestly, he needed to understand I was no longer a child.

“Just understand that although the gods truly do exist, men's hearts and minds can never truly align perfectly with their intent. Through lies and deceit, God's true words can never truly be revealed to the masses.” My father said. Strange that he assumed I would even be able to understand what he was saying, presuming I was just a ten-year-old child. I guess somewhere down the line, he had begun to treat me differently than most children.

Looking around, many curious gazes were directed toward us. Well, for commoners, we were dressed rather expensively, and my father's handsome appearance wasn't exactly much of a deterrent either.

A number of the braver children actually stood up and began walking towards us, a group of two girls and a boy. The boy in particular was in a way, rather handsome. With light blonde hair and blue eyes, he appeared princely. One of the two girls gave me displeasing glances as they walked towards me. Both were pretty and looked identical. With matching blue hair and eyes. Twins?

“Hello, are you from Snowpeak City? Can't say I've seen you around. What's your name?” The boy asked, barraging me with questions. At the very least, It didn't look like he had any harsh feelings towards me.

“Tene, No we came from further south for the awakening ceremony,” I responded. One thing, I couldn't let them know was my lineage, so I excluded my family name.

“Im Tilok and these are my close friends, twins Apenti and Metri,” Tilok said, introducing himself casually. The girls by his side softly nodded their heads in greeting, though I could neither particularly liked me, one more than the other. Though, I couldn't ascertain why.

My father had already taken out a book and began to read quietly, I could feel his gaze on my back every once in a while, it looked like he wasn't doing much reading after all.

“I see, so your new to the city? Perhaps we can show you around after the ceremony?” Tilok asked kindly. There was a particular way he spoke that seemed to evoke the sense that he was genuine and truly just wanted to help out a newcomer to the city.

“Tilok!! Why do you only ever help the pretty girls!” One of the twins, honestly, I couldn't tell which was which since they both wore the same clothing, grew annoyed and shouted.

Well, I take that back.

She looked like the type unable to control her emotions. The other sister, however, didn't stop her at all. It looked like this Tilok child was already somehow instinctively a playboy at such a young age. His future certainly looked bright in one regard at the very least.

Pretty? Well, I did take after my mother and father so, I guess she wasn't incorrect. But it still left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth for some reason, as if I unconsciously didn't like being called that.

“Metri, You need to be friendlier with people your own age. That's why your sister and I are your only friends.” Tilok said. I couldn't tell if he was being oblivious or trying to ridicule the girl.

“Tilok!! Y-y-you” Stumbling on her words, Metris face began to boil red in embarrassment.

“R-relax Metri, I just thought it might be good to make some more friends before we enter the academy,” Tilok said, realizing he had gone too far. Apenti on the other hand looked at their situation and just sighed. It looked like this was a regular occurrence.

Why are they still here?

They had honestly just been wasting my time. After what felt like a couple more minutes of trying to appease Metri, Tilok finally turned back towards me.

“Sorry about that Tene. So will you be attending the academy this year as well?” Tilok asked, giving me a friendly smile as if he hadnt just been ignoring me for the last ten minutes.

“...More than likely,” I responded lukewarmly, my interest in the group almost completely evaporated into dust.

“I couldn't help but see you talking with Ional earlier. I would keep your distance from him if I were you.” Tilok said casually as if he had uttered such words a hundred times before.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Oh, why?” I responded curiously.

“Mother said his mother was a street whore, and his father is a drunk!” Metri cut in loudly and obnoxiously. Neither Tilok nor her sister went against her words though.

To be honest, I more or less expected such a story from the son and mother pair, from watching how they were treated or their attire. But really? Just that? I had begun to peg the pair as a murderous duo or something similar.

“And? What else?” I asked.

“...” The group of three looked at me like I was an idiot or hadnt heard them correctly. I could hear my father chuckle softly under the cover of his book.

Are you reading a book or not?

“Where you start off isn't tantamount to where you'll end up, or where you are now. Im sure those snobby nobles look at you in a very similar regard, correct?” I asked.

“That's different.” For the first time, Apenti spoke up.

“There's nothing wrong with picking who you associate with. The nobles aren't wrong either, what would they gain from associating with the average commoner? I would do the same in their shoes. Ional or whatever his name is, is at the bottom of the bottom down here.” Apenti said. Hmm, she sure did have strong opinions about a child.

I couldn't help but become slightly interested in her. Although I didn't agree with her worldview, she wasn't exactly wrong. After all, I had only become interested in Ional after I came to my own conclusions based on what I liked about his character. Just taking the facts of the matter, you truly wouldn't associate with him. Just as a noble wouldn't with a commoner.

Analysis.

Name: Apenti

Age: 10

Race: Human

Class: —

Special Skills:

Soul Link[ S ] - Lv 5

I couldn't help but be surprised by the appearance of a special skill within her status. Soul Link? It was an S-ranked special skill. Special skills in the first place were extremely rare and usually were only acquirable through years of skill evolution, blessings, or genetic acquisition from birth. With her age, it would have to be the latter two. The fact that I could see her status as I could, however, meant she was lacking in her own Analysis skill.

Just as I was going to analyze Tilok and Metri for their own statuses as well, the clamoring of footsteps could be heard from the coming corridor, signaling the return of the priest. Two more sets of footsteps followed briskly behind his.

“Well, even though we might not have given the best first impression, it was nice meeting you Tene,” Tilok said, giving me one last warm smile, Tilok took the twins with him back toward their seats. It looked like the group of three truly had no interest in being in his vicinity.

As the priest finally stepped into the lobby with Ional and his mother in tow, I couldn't help but notice a jubilant smile on Ionals mother's face. A stark contrast to her dark, grim look from earlier. The priest in contrast seemed to give little away, but compared to how calculated all his prior movements were, there seemed to be an extra bit of hop in his steps.

Standing back on the podium the priest didn't even call out the next participant.

“Im jubilant to inform you all that for the first time in over a hundred years and the first time in over a millennium, an apostle of the goddess herself has incarnated himself into the flesh of man and graced our pitiful existences yet another chance at a new beginning.” The priest said joyfully. I couldn't tell if he was truly joyful or just acting.

What is he talking about?

I quickly decided to use Analysis as the priest continued his rambling.

Name: Ional

Age: 10

Race: Human

Class: Hero of Justice Lv 1

Special Skills:

???

A hero class? I couldn't help but be slightly surprised. Although I couldn't see his special skills, which could be an effect of either that he had a class and I don't, or perhaps the hero class has a masking skill of some sort. Either way, the priest wasn't lying when he said once in a century, and the fact that it was aligned with our country's goddess only made it more special.

“A Hero Class, appointed by our goddess herself!” The priest finally said. Even though you really shouldn't announce such matters as an individual's class publicly, a hero class was a completely different matter. With the potential to annihilate cities or even countries in old tales, it was a class revered and desired by all.

Enemy countries would plot to remove such threats before they grow. Friendly countries would use everything in their power to ensure that such a force of nature not only coincided with the countries' interests but was successfully brought up to maturity. Normally, A hero class candidate wouldn't be announced publicly but kept secret instead.

However, the priest knew the customs of the country far better than I did. He probably had his reasons for announcing such a fact.

Shocked faces and gazes were instantly focused on Ional, the boy disregarded by all commoners alike.

“Really?! That kid that would beg for food on the roadside? A hero? Ridiculous!”

“He did always have a unique charm I couldn't quite put my finger on”

“Honestly, I'm happy for the boy. His family circumstances weren't exactly his fault.”

“...”

Different people had separate opinions on the matter, the parents being the most vocal. I couldn't help but notice Apenti staring silently at Ional from her seat, her expression unreadable. One thing everyone in the room knew for certainty though was that this ‘boy’ they had looked down on all along, would soon shine brighter than any other. I caught parents already whispering sweet words into their children's ears, more than likely words to befriend the future Hero of Justice.

“Enough! What rude yammerings towards our future savior.” The priest said angrily, shutting the mouths of those speaking up in the hall.

“Divine one, please await the servants on the twentieth floor. A change of clothes for yourself and your esteemed mother will be brought to you shortly. A welcoming party will surely be held tonight for your grace!!” The priest said, bowing his head softly towards Ioanal.

Looking at Ional, he seemed to have taken the changing of attitudes and sudden soare in power for himself as if it never happened. Acting and moving the same as before, with purpose and dignity. I'm sure that his goal hasn't changed in the slightest.

I couldn't help but smirk, looking at the buffoon of a priest attempting to ingratiate himself with Ional. Manipulating this boy from his goal would be near impossible, I could see why the goddess chose him.

Following the priest's advice, under the envious eyes of children and adults alike, Ional exited the lobby with his mother by his side.

“I'm happy for them,” My father said.

“Hmm,” I replied, trying to remove the smirk on my face as my father laughed softly behind me.