Third Person POV

[You are all healed up. Get back to it.]

Alaric glanced at his arm, seeing the burn marks gone, his skin as smooth as ever. With a sigh, he wiped the sweat off his forehead using his shirt, bracing himself for another round of punishment.

For the past few days, it had been an endless cycle: get burnt, take a healing potion, repeat. And in that time, a few things had become painfully clear to him.

First, the 10 stat points of his mana don't just look low. They are abysmally low. For the way he is training, at least.

For the first few days, Alaric could barely manage to form a fireball with two loops before it'd blow up in his face. If he dared to attempt a third, the results were… messy.

Worse still, his reserves were so pitiful that even attempting the third loop made his brain foggy and sent a stabbing pain straight to his chest, like his sternum was trying to revolt.

Lately, his mana reserves have started to increase. Slowly, but most certainly. The formation of three loops was finally possible but that was his current limit and the beginning of his second problem.

The moment he tries to create more than three loops—

*BOOM!*

[Woohoo~ that's a new record. You lost the nail on your middle finger.]

Alaric stared at his hand, then held up his injured finger, flipping it toward the panel. "Here, have a good look at it."

He repeated the process of taking a healing potion and cleaning the blood from the floor. "With how many times I've done this, I'm starting to wonder if... maybe I'm enjoying the pain?"

[People will accept you, don't worry. (✿◡‿◡)]

'I didn't mean it that way!'

Dropping onto his bed, Alaric exhaled sharply, staring at the ceiling. The [Sound Barrier] shimmered for a moment before collapsing, but he couldn't care less.

[We're not done for tod—]

"Just shut up." He said in a tired voice, shutting the system and turning to his side and closing his eyes, "If I keep working like this… It won't work."

Winter was finally here, its icy fingers tightening their grip. Snowfall had become a daily visitor, starting lightly in the eleventh month and slowly building as the year crept toward its end.

At first, the snow barely dusted the ground, barely enough to bury the soles of your boots. But by the last month, it would pile up, high enough to reach a grown man's knees.

Winter was the season for people in the Avalon Kingdom to huddle indoors with their families, while trade routes turned treacherous under thick layers of ice and snow.

Farmers, outside of the lush Region of Growth, could do little during these frigid months—there was simply nothing that would grow. With no crops to sell and little to transport, merchants and the transport sector saw a sudden drop in work.

Obviously, seasonal jobs generate a bundle of wealth but not everyone is lucky or capable enough to begin and continue doing this. So winter also brings the disheartening news of many deaths in the kingdom.

Prince Avalon had a team of cultivators that he specifically trained for this time of year. Their duty was simple yet crucial: ensure that no one went hungry, even the poorest families in the most remote villages. These cultivators didn't just deliver supplies like clothes and food—they kept the routes clear, battling back the snow so towns and villages wouldn't be buried under the weight of winter by becoming hardly accessible until the beginning of spring.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Alaric was up early, reading a news article that was written for the sole purpose of highlighting the act of kindness being done by the royalties.

Recently, Alaric's days had been filled with lounging around, mostly under the doting care of Xironia. She always found excuses to spoil him, happily skipping her work because, in her mind, nothing was more important than family. And it wasn't just her. Even Novius and the maids would drop by throughout the day just to see him. Alaric had become everyone's favorite excuse to slack off, and no one even felt guilty about it.

Lazy? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely.

Alaric looked up at the wall clock before throwing the newspaper and running down to the main hall.

As Alaric quickly trotted down the flight of stairs he noticed Lily and he happened to meet her gaze. The moment Lily looked at Alaric she clicked her tongue. She was in the cleaning duty but now that she saw Alaric, she took quick steps towards him that threw Alaric off-guard for a second.

Lily stopped in front of him and leaned in, her face so close that Alaric felt her breath as she huffed, "Young Master, you'll catch a cold hanging around here like that," she scolded, already fussing over him.

In no time, Alaric found himself being dragged back up and bundled up in a warm sweater before Lily let him return to the hall.

Alaric's slim body was lost under the layers of warming cloth. Alaric did agree that it was a chilly day but right now he wondered if he would be feeling the return of summer early.

That is until he stepped out.

A single breeze was enough to make Alaric thank every fiber that was in his garments. He looked around, the silver-grey sky was stretching far into the horizon, the top of the trees and bushes covered in white snow. Alaric settled himself down on the steps that led inside. He noticed a few guards, they were laughing, but soon his gaze went to the entrance to the estate.

He sat quietly for a while, the cool morning breeze brushing past him, carrying with it the mouth-watering scent of breakfast being prepared wafting into his nose. His stomach growled, but he remained glued to his spot, watching the black metallic gates.

"Oh, here you are. I thought you were still asleep." Xironia's voice came from behind as she pulled Alaric into a tight embrace, lifting him into her lap like a stuffed toy. He leaned back against her with a wide smile. "Good morning, Mother."

"Good morning, good morning~" Xironia hummed, nuzzling her cheek into his fluffy hair. "Why are you sitting on the steps? It's cold out here. Let's move to the porch swing where it's cozier."

"But I can't see from there," Alaric whined. "Those little trees block my view."

Xironia smiled slyly. "So you call them little yet you can't see past them, hmm?"

Alaric pouted, earning a chuckle from his mother. Still, she made sure he was comfortable and wrapped up warmly since that was what he wanted.

"Don't worry, you'll be tall enough soon, sweetie."

Alaric returned his gaze to the entrance, content to sit in silence with his mother. The peace lasted only a few minutes before another voice joined them.

"Is it summer for you two? You'll both catch a cold," came a voice from behind them. Alaric didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He looked at his side as Novius plopped down beside him and Xironia.

"Good mor…ning" Alaric tried to greet him but his voice trailed off as one of Xironia's arms released him and cupped Novius's chin, pulling him in for a kiss.

"Eugh," Alaric gave them a deadpan look. He clearly heard a wet noise after he made the disgruntled sound, "Mother does not have a good influence on children."

Novius chuckled against Xironia's lips, but they lingered for a few more seconds before separating.

"If you know what a bad influence is, then you are already beyond saving dear," Xironia replied with a mischievous grin, her lips glossy from the kiss.

Alaric shook his head in a defeated manner, the overacting clearly evident.

"Good morning, son," Novius ruffled his hair with a smile, "You know it's cold outside, you don't need to wait here."

"Well then, explain what are you doing here?"

"I simply came to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"Uh-huh, sure."

Novius narrowed his eyes playfully at Alaric, "You think you are too smart, huh kid?," he lunged at Alaric, finding all the ticklish spots that he knew all too well. Alaric burst into helpless laughter, squirming to escape, but his resistance was weak. He still had a long way to go before he could survive his father's tickle attacks.

Alaric was left gasping for breath in Xironia's lap, she made sure he didn't roll out of her lap.

She chuckled, looking at his breathless son, the remnants of his laughs slowly faded in her lap.

"Al, she is here," Xironia said pointing towards the metallic gaye they had been staring at until a little while ago.

In an instant, Alatic shot up to his feet, practically vibrating with excitement as he ran on the paved path until he reached the center of the huge lawn.

Barely able to stay still Alaric bounced on his feet while looking at the approaching carriage.

The carriage driver chuckled at the child wrapped in layers of sweaters, he brought the carriage to a stop and hopped down to open the door.

"Lady Elowen, we have arrived," he announced, stepping aside after opening the door.

A beautifully adorned heel touched the ground first, followed by the graceful form of Elowen herself being revealed seconds later.

The insides of the carriage were dark, the curtains on the glassy windows didn't let light enter and the dark colored walls enhanced the darkness further. Before Elowen's eyes could adjust to the light outside she felt a sudden jerk and two small arms wrapped around her waist. "Granny!"

Elowen laughed, hugging him just as tightly. "Aw~ You look so adorable, sonny."

Taking her hand, Alaric eagerly led her toward his parents, who stood watching with warm smiles.

"Any trouble getting here?" Novius asked, gesturing to one of the guards to take the carriage to where the rest were parked.

"Not really," Elowen replied, her gaze turning toward Xironia, who was staring at her expectantly.

"Mother," Xironia chimed in, a hopeful glint in her eyes.

Elowen's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Yes, I am here for a month. AGAIN. Woman, you should try doing your own work. It's not as much as you make it seem. Just do it daily."

Xironia nodded with mock seriousness. "I should. I know, but you see, paperwork, ugh, I hate paperwork. I need some support while handling so much bullcrap. Also, it barely takes a few hours with your help so we can sit around leisurely after we are done."

"You might be the only one who I have ever heard saying that to me. Throughout my life."

"Daughter-in-law is a title that comes with many privileges. Hehe~"

Elowen could only shake her head at the shamelessness of this woman but her attention was quickly drawn back to Alaric, who tugged on her hand gently.

"Breakfast is ready. I'm hungry," Alaric said with an innocent pout, clearly wanting everyone to eat together.

"Of course, dear." Elowen replied with a smile, "But first…" her ring glowed faintly, and a small box appeared in her hand.

"Happy Birthday, Alaric!"