The Rochelot Barony stood as a testament to centuries of power and prosperity. Its towering spires, adorned with banners bearing the emblem of a rearing polar bear with a crystal horn on its forehead, loomed over the sprawling lands below.
The barony was established by Gofreid Taney Rochelot, the founding father of the Rochelot Noble family, some five hundred years ago. He raged on the western battlefields of the Etobearis Kingdom, a realm reigned by bear-folks and bee-kin.
But that's the story of another time; for now, we shall focus on what's within the grand halls of the Rochelot estate.
Within these prestigious halls that harbored the Rochelot family laid Yvanna Crelon Rochelot, the 18-year-old heir to this illustrious lineage, reclined on a plush divan, her icy blue eyes fixated on the flickering flames in the hearth.
Yvanna's snowy white hair cascaded over her shoulders, a stark contrast to the rich burgundy and black of her noble attire. Flanking her on both sides were two regal maids, one with the standard curved horns of the Minotaur-kin and the other with the fluffy white ears characteristic of the Polar Bear-kin.
"Yvanna, my dearest, the time has come for the awakening ceremony," murmured Elara Rochelot née Crelon, Yvanna's mother and the family matriarch, a woman with a stern demeanor and a face that could make children quiver.
"Your family is eager to see what gift you manifest in the ceremony. Though it doesn't really matter what it is; you are talented enough as it is."
Yvanna sighed, her oversized frame slightly shifting on the divan.
"Why even bother, Mother? I have everything I could ever want. Can't I just laze around like a true polar bear?"
Elara sighed, her aged eyes twinkling with exhaustion and irritation.
"How many times have I told you that we, the beast-kin, are not the same as mere wild animals? As the nobles destined to lead them, we bear the responsibility of guidance. The Rochelot legacy hinges on our strength and the gifts we inherit!"
Unknown to her mother or anyone, was the fact that Yvanna had been born with a rare and powerful ability—the Multiverse Market. A gift that allowed her to open trade with people across the multiverse, a gift that has yet to begin functioning but it did the role of a 'gift' nonetheless.
What was the gift that had Yvanna's mother so worked up?
Well, it all stems from this world, the land of 'Elros.'
Elros, a world hundreds or maybe thousands of times larger than the Earth, which is occupied by an unregistered number of species.
However, even this vast number of species could be divided into a manageable number.
First were, of course, the Humans.
The most populous and most likely the plainest race, which occupied the central plains of the Usune Continent. They built mighty cities, delved into magic, and wagged war with anyone who disagreed with them. Altogether, a major pain in the ass.
However, unlike the other races, they didn't possess any special abilities such as the raw strength of the Bear-folks or the magical might of the Bee-kin. But they bred like crazy and outnumbered most of their neighbors.
They had about half a dozen empires and ten times as many kingdoms united under three factions called The Church of Light, The Cult of Night, and The Magi Council.
The Demons.
Equally as populous as humans and hundreds of times as diverse. They occupied the Northern Icy wastelands. In fact, they were the original occupants of the central plain before being driven off to the icy cold. They built war cities, Strongholds, Keeps, and Dungeons, and constantly raided all other species in search of resources. Pain in the ass number two.
Unlike humans, they were not one single species but a multitude of species such as Goblins, Orcs, Minotaurs, Ogres, Succubus, etc, etc, etc. Each species had its own kingdom, in case of some an empire, and they were united under two factions. The Demon King faction was constantly in trouble and the Daemon Clan faction repeatedly came to their aid.
Then there were Elves.
Scarcely ever seen in cities or towns, they gained the elusive reputation of forest dwellers and their beauty became the target of slave traders before one of their Empires came into light and dealt such a heavy blow against the Human Cult faction that they were left alone in their South-Western Forests. The elves were expert magicians and enchanters but were later found quite talented with swords.
Just like the Demons, the elves too have a multitude of sub-species such as Dark-elves, Light-elves, Night-elves, Nymphs, Oceans-elves, sirens, Banshees, etc, etc, etc. Each species had a Kingdom and some even had an Empire. They were united under the High-Elves clan and the Council of Star Elves.
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The fourth would be Beast-kin.
The beast-kin, a populous race and a self-sufficient one that fought off any attack from the Church of Light and the Demon King Factions. They occupied the North-Eastern and the Eastern lands, a diverse land consisting of frozen plains, deserts, grasslands, forests, and a whole other bunch of stuff. Different species had different expertise, the Bear-folks were expert fighters while the Bee-kin were master magicians.
They lived in kingdoms divided by their species, such as a kingdom of Bears, one of Felines, one of Canines, Elephants, etc, etc, etc. Not so surprisingly, they were united under the Lion-kin and the Elephant-kin.
As for what made Nobles, well, 'Nobles,' was the fact that they were not ordinary animals. For example, the Rochelot territory was made of Polar-Bears-Beast-kins while the Rochelot family themselves were a magical species of polar bear called the Ice-Horned Bear. They were multiple times stronger than a normal Bear-kin and more susceptive to mana.
Fifth were the Dwarfs.
There wasn't much known about them except for the fact that they lived in the South-Eastern Mountains and delved deep within its pits for precious and rare metals. They were rarely ever spotted in cities and that too only because they wished to trade weapons with nobles in exchange for food and liquor.
They have their sub-species like gnomes and are led by a council of High-Dwarfs and Dwarven Lords. That was all there was to know about them.
Sixth, the Draconian People.
They are the most ferocious beings known to have driven humans out of their place of origin in the Southern Plateaus. The war was brutal and it is said that the current might of humanity is less than a tenth of what it was before their war with the Draconians.
Like dwarfs, there wasn't much to know about them except for the fact that they dwell in the far Southern Plateaus and are powerful fighters and mages. They hoarded precious metal and thus were eternally at odds with the Dwarves, Humans have already given up on retaking their homeland but sometimes raid the Draconians so they are at odds with Humans too.
Similar to the rest of the species, Draconians have sub-species such as Lizard-folks, Crocodile-kin, Dragonet, Wyvern, etc, etc, etc. They are united under four major factions, the Ice Dragon Empress, the Fire Dragon King, the Council of Elder-Dragons, and the Council of Ancient Dragons.
Not really aggressive, but their existence is a pain in the ass nonetheless.
Seventh, the merfolk.
They were most likely the most elusive species that dwelled in the ocean around the continent. They are expert magicians and pirates, and also traded fishes with port cities around the continent.
Similar to the other species, they are divided into sub-species such as Fish-men, Shark-kin, crab-folks, sea serpents, etc, etc, etc. They are led by the Whale-kin who are the strongest of them all, and if the rumors are to be trusted, they are quite the looker too.
And the last would be the Monsters.
Unlike the beast-kin nobles who are descendants of magical beasts, monsters are wild animals that have awakened the ability to control mana or Aether within themselves. This ability makes them a formidable foe for all those who cross them.
They roam across the globe, be it the human territory or the demons or the draconian, it matters not, all have to face the said monsters.
These monsters live individually, as a pack, or in a designated territory called a 'nest.' They are led or rather commanded by the Seven Mythical Monsters. The Unicorn King, The Phoenix Lord, The Pegasus Queen, The Sphinx Master, The Basilisk Empress, The Sea King Kraken, and The Lord of the Sky Griffin.
Well, that's enough about the geographic details, now let's move on to the real question.
'What exactly is this so-called 'gift'?'
The 'Gifts,' as it was called, was a unique skill that every living being possesses, and with a little help from their patron deity, there was a chance that they may awaken it.
For example, the current Pope of the Church of Light is known to possess the gift of 'Faith' that allows him to channel people's faith to strengthen his training as a Mage or as a temporary boost while fighting.
The King of Bear-folks possesses the gift of 'Channel' which allows him to channel the strength of his most loyal retainers into himself for a limited amount of time.
Yvanna's father, Eustace Aubert Rochelot, is an exceptionally tall man, standing at nearly 9 feet. He has a unique gift called 'Tundra.' This ability enhances his fighting and training ability in an extremely cold environment. However, this gift also has a hidden benefit that is known to no one except his family- it can enhance the combat capabilities of his troops. That's why he is called 'King of Ice,' well, the title might also be applied because he could use ice magic despite being a warrior.
Yvanna's mother, Elara Rochelot (Crelon before marriage), is also a well-renowned fighter. Her gift, called "Hunt," is a well-known one that causes fear in those who face her. It allows her to lock onto a target and multiply her physical statistics by a percentage equal to the number of successful hunts. Once she sets out to hunt her target, she becomes a true monster.
Except for the unique ability that the gift grants, it also boosts the physical capabilities of the receiver by many folds. It increases the capacity of Mana or Aether, whichever the receiver pursues, multiple times while also increasing the concentration of the same.
Yvanna's gift, the 'Multiverse Market,' was awakened as soon as she was born; consequently, her strength and aptitude were far beyond that of an ordinary child, making her a genius in the eyes of all bear-folk lords. Her father was overjoyed when the teachers checked her potential and made sure to provide her with all the resources she needed.
Her eldest brother was about to lose his claim as the heir, but instead of anger, he was happy not to have to do all the bothersome stuff and ended up joining the Royal Army. Her second eldest brother was staying at the capital of the kingdom, preparing to join a knight's order and gain his territory through merit. He too was overjoyed when he heard the news.
As time passed by, Yvanna progressed rapidly in the path of Aether, but one day she ended up fighting a monster beyond her capability and was injured. The priests and apothecaries said that it was a minor injury, but she somehow ended up remembering her past life as an overworked teacher who died from a heart attack caused by irritation.
Once she recovered her memory, her demeanor changed completely. The hardworking noble heiress was no more; in her place was a lazy brat who camped in the library or went fishing with a rod, truly, the shame to the entire bear-kind.
But she wasn't entirely lost; she still practiced her Aether flow, allowing her to progress far beyond the limit of a talented person.
'Good times.'
*YAWN*
The awakening ceremony loomed, and Yvanna couldn't be bothered. The grandeur of her lineage and the expectations of her family held little appeal to the newly transformed young woman who now preferred the simplicity of fishing by the river or lazing in the library.
She stretched her arms and seemed to contemplate standing up but ultimately her laziness got the better of her and she laid down on the divan, returning to her sweet slumber.
'Gotta make up for all those sleepless nights!'