The Wycliffe lands were in a province very far from any big cities. The closest town was Stellawood. The city and the lands were far southwest of the kingdom's capital.
The region, known for its agriculture, bordered the great forest. The journey would be quick, arriving in Stellawood in a single day.
Aric was looking outside as he asked his son, “Rowan, we are departing to Stellawood. What can you tell me about the city?”
Looking at his father, the kid answered, “Father, Stellawood is a small city to the west. It is one of the further mercantile outposts for the region. It was common for noble houses to use the city as a quick haven on their journey to Lumiur. Lumiur, “capital of the west” as some call it, is where most deals happen.”
“Well done. You haven’t lacked in your geography yet. But you forgot about some important details. Can you guess what I’m talking about?”
“Forgive me, father, but I do not know. From what I remember, those are the most important topics about Stellawood.” Rowan lowered his head and nodded.
Isolde interjected, “You are mistaken, Rowan. The most important part about Stellawood is where the city is and who handles it. Cities are always within the responsibility of an Earl. Stellawood is within Earl Thornebrook's territory. You must remember the family names of the region we are in. Otherwise, you may lose opportunities or disrespect a powerful family. A political suicide, if you will.”
“I’m sorry, mother. I’ll improve my studies!”
“Do not worry. Your mother is one of the best people I have ever met about the political struggles of nobility. You are still young, but these things will become more critical by the day after the ritual. Now, about the region's geography, let me expand your knowledge a little bit. Our lands are within Earl’s Cedric territory. Lords, Barons, and Viscounts all have their land. We all pay our tribute to the Earl, who then pays tributes to the kingdom on the region's behalf.
The Earl also has territories of his own, of course. But he oversees the development of his entire region, including our land.
The closer you get to the capital, the more the titles increase, but the idea of the political schemes stays the same. There are few places where big titles and lands exist the further from the capital you go. Can you tell me where they are?” Aric asked, now looking his son’s in the eyes.
“I remember Mother talking about those. The military zones and the mines.” Rowan answered.
Isolde smiled at her son’s answer. “Very good. We have three regions far away from where the capital is and controlled by Dukes. The first one is in the northwest. The forest we encounter close to our lands extends far up there. The difference is that over there, magical beasts attack the lands from time to time. In the south, we have a border with the wastelands. The region has little value; it is a desert, and its many tribes only make things worse. The region lives in a constant battle state. A duke also controls the cities on the border. And finally, the mines are part of the richest duchy outside the capital. Not only that, but they are also part of one of the grand duchies.”
“Wow! There are some powerful people out there. Will I meet them?” Rowan asked as his eyes showed genuine curiosity.
The smile on his mother's face became vicious, “You must never think the way you just did, Rowan. You should always think about how to be stronger than them.”
“I’m already strong. I’ll become the strongest, you will see, Mother.” he said as he displayed his arms in a power pose.
“Hahah, that is the spirit, my son.” said Aric.
“You do not fight every battle with your fists, son. To increase your power in politics, you must also be smart. Unlike your father…” Isolde rolled her eyes to what Aric had said.
During the caravan, the other servants from the cart talked to Bryn to pay their respects to him and Sylas. The fauns' incredible punishment was a first on the farm, and many thought it unfair.
The difference between servant and lord was significant. Whether the servant was a faun, human, or otherwise was irrelevant to them. They were all under the humanity levels for the lord’s family.
Bryn realized that the social dynamics in the new world were like feudal lords on earth. Nobility may differ, but the day-to-day at the lands were the same.
Stellawood was a simple city with small walls to protect the merchant’s caravans. The area of the town was large, with many warehouses close to the gates to stock grain and animals. As a city used as a stop to Lumiur, there were few inhabitants.
At the entrance, guards did a security check on Lord Aric's carriage. After confirming the credentials, all carts went inside.
From the gate to the church was only a couple of minutes.
Aric extended his hands outside the carriage window and said, “Chief, tell the servants to prepare their children for the ritual. I’ll go in with Rowan and Lady Isolde. After we leave, we’ll meet with the viscount at the main building of the fortress.”
“Yes, my Lord. I’ll organize everything.” the chief answered, opening the carriage door for them to get down.
Waiting outside were two men, both wearing beige tunics. One of them stepped forward to receive the lord and his family.
“Rowan, come. I’ll introduce you to the reverend… Hello Cleric Darragh, how are you?” Aric said.
“Lord Aric, it is always better when you arrive. I hope Lady Isolde also came with you today?” the cleric answered.
“Yes, mister Darragh, I’m here.” she answered.
“Of course. Today, we have a special day. Our Rowan completed eight years old, and we brought him to perform his ritual with you.”
“Ohh, what an honor. We’ll take care of him, don’t you worry. Where is the gentleman about to take part in the ceremony?” Darragh asked.
“Rowan, get down. This is Cleric Darragh. He handles all church matters here at Stellawood and the viscountcy.” Aric used a hand to help his son down from the cart and the other to show which cleric he was referring to.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Cleric Darragh. I’m Rowan, and I’ll be in your care today.”
“Nice to meet you, Rowan. It looks like you have a lot of potential. How about we go inside and prepare the ceremony for your passing age?” Darragh asked.
“Definitely. Also, we brought some servants to perform the ritual as well. I hope your team can help us with this request.” Aric said, glancing at the caravan behind them.
“Do not worry, Aric. We are bound by oath to perform the ritual with anyone above eight years of age. You… Go organize whatever is needed.” Darragh ordered the other cleric.
“Thank you again, Darragh.”
The family went inside the church while other priests went to organize the servants.
Bryn kept looking around the church for his first experience in a city in the new world. The main buildings are made of stone, others of wood with some type of clay.
“Dad, where are we? Who are these people?” he asked.
“We are in the church of Stellawood. One of the cities in the west. Here is the main city for our farm. It’s uncommon, but sometimes I accompanied the Lord to purchase some animals. These people are priests in training. They look weak with that robe, but the higher your role in the church, the stronger you must be. It wouldn’t surprise me if the main priest here is more powerful than Lord Aric himself.”
“Interesting. Is joining the church a good thing?” Bryn asked.
“It comes with a lot of limitations. Your routine would be under the control of the church, but there are benefits. You could train, study, live, and eat, all at the expense of the church. Many folks enter the church to escape life in slums or as servants.” Sylas answered him.
“Seems like a good deal…”
“Don’t count your chickens just yet. We are not allowed to join the church. They have a strong only humans' policy.” Sylas complimented.
“That makes no sense. If other races exist, why not accept them as part of the church?” Bryn asked.
“That I don’t know, son. All I know is that we can participate in the ritual just the same; you will see.”
As both father and son talked, the guards and priests called the servants out individually. Like Sylas and Bryn, each child could enter with one guardian for the ritual. Therefore, pairs lined up one after the other, waiting for their turn.
As Bryn’s turn was about to arrive, Lord Aric, Rowan, and Lady Isolde came out of the church, talking with someone.
“They look delighted. Especially that imbecile, Rowan… And look at that priest... I would confuse him with a warrior if my dad had not told me they were strong. He is both higher and stronger than Lord Aric... Also, he is wearing the same beige tunic, but I can see white armor under everything..." Bryn thought.
“Great, a faun about to do the ritual. You do know that the ceremony's impact is irrelevant for fauns, don’t you? Do you still like to perform it?” the priest in front of them said, annoyed at the double in front of him.
“Thank you very much for your input, my Priest. But we want to perform the ritual, please.” Said Sylas.
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“Go on ahead. What a waste of my time. I wish I were performing the young lord’s ceremony; I would remember the day for the rest of my life.” The priest said.
“Sir priest, could you explain why that is?”. Said Bryn with a smug face.
“They will announce it soon enough anyway. It is no secret. Young Lord Rowan received the “Blessing of Strength” during the ritual. That is a sign from the heavens that he will be a strong noble and an even stronger knight.” said the priest.
Bryn simply nodded without fully understanding what the man said.
“Now come. I’ll perform your ritual.”
As they entered by the side of the church, Bryn found himself in a tall ceiling room, stone arches all around him. The glasses were spotless, but no drawings or colors were on them.
“OK, the ritual is straightforward, but sometimes you can feel nausea during or after it. Some even claim to hallucinate.”
“I’m ready. What do I need to do?” Asked Bryn.
“Nothing… I’ll project magical energy into you with this regulator, and you will understand soon enough.” said the priest.
“Magic?? I’m a faun, so magic was one of the things I was expecting in the world. But is he giving me magic? I have so many questions right now-” thought Bryn.
“As expected, many have the same face whenever I say magic. Be ready.” As the priest ended his sentence, air accumulated around both. The priest focused his energy on the device in his hands and pushed Bryn’s back with it. The flow of energy from the priest through the device and into Bryn became visible to the naked eye.
Bryn’s mind started spinning as his life and memories were played like a movie. After everything he had lived finished, a weird feeling grew in his body.
“OK, the ritual is complete. You should be feeling a little strange; it’s normal. Try and focus on that feeling. You should have unlocked the ability to use the appraisal skill. It is the lowest kind of magic, so don’t think much about it. The biggest benefit is the possibility of further analyzing yourself, others, and items. But you cannot use it in people or things much stronger than you. Try it out on yourself and later on me.”
Bryn: “OK, I’ll try.”
Bryn's eyebrows furred as he said the word out loud.
**Appraisal**
Name
Bryn
Lvl
1
Race
Faun
Titles
Blessed by Lugh
Blessed by Flidais
Status
Strength
1
Intelligence
1
Dexterity
1
Agility
1
Vitality
2
Luck
2
Skills
-
The priest used the skill at the same time as him.
“Dad, what is this??”
“Yeeees, I can finally comprehend a little more about that pesky level 1 when I looked at myself in that pond of water when I was young...” was what passed in Bryn’s mind as the table appeared.
“Those are your status, my son. They are only visible after someone performs the ritual. I couldn’t see yours until now…” Sylas said.
“What a waste. I don’t believe how lucky you are and how unlucky I am. You, a lower race, received a blessing. That is so useless. People will mock me when they find out.” the priest complained.
As the priest complained even more, Bryn focused on the “Titles” part of his status. There were two titles listed:
– Blessing Description –
Lugh’s Blessing
By having a tremendous experience in life, accepting it, and having the will to keep learning.
Base intelligence +20%; Skill Experience +10%
– Blessing Description –
Flidais’s Blessing
All living animals have their ways; as a faun, you do too.
Base dexterity +10%; Skill Experience +10%
Bryn’s eyes were moving through his status nonstop. He tried to use the skill on the priest, but nothing happened.
As he used the skill on his father, similar information appeared.
Name
Sylas
Lvl
1
Race
Faun
Titles
Blessed by Flidais
Status
Strength
17
Intelligence
14
Dexterity
15
Agility
11
Vitality
18
Luck
13
His eyes grew, looking at his dad’s status.
“Dad, you have a blessing too”! The same one as I do.” he said.
“Hahah, every demi-human has Flidais’s blessing. What is amazing is you have received Lugh’s as well. Tell me, how much do your blessings add to your status? Even though you are a mere faun, who won’t be able to use them to the fullest… For heaven’s sake.”
“What do you mean? Can’t you see their description as well?” Bryn asked.
The priest could not wait to get rid of the two. “Stop wasting my time! If I could see the descriptions, would I ask for it?” He said, facepalming himself.
“Wait a moment; if this person can’t see them, I shouldn’t tell him the truth. Why must I tell people the details about my status? Basic MMORPG logic: hide your information as best as you can.”
“Aren’t all the blessings the same?” Bryn asked once again.
“You know nothing… Blessings vary from person to person. The same god can offer a multiplier effect on you or your status, give you extra status, or both. Titles are usually all the same, but god’s blessing can vary between individuals.”
“Incredible! And how do I know if a blessing is good or bad?” Bryn said, looking at his own hands.
“You already took too much of my time. There is nothing you can do with your blessing. Fauns are much weaker than the other races. You will soon realize that. Now leave. I’m embarrassed even to tell people that you got a blessing. They will mock me for a long time!” said the priest, guiding both Bryn’s and Syla’s shoulders towards the door.
“Thank you, sir priest, thank you very much. Thank him as well, Bryn, then we must go.” said Sylas.
Bryn: “Thank you, sir priest. I learned a lot with you today.”
As the priest organized the room, all the Wycliffe family's servants participated in the ceremony. A thought crossed his mind.
“I forgot to ask him again about his blessings. Well, it won't have good use in a faun anyway. People will blame me if I tell them a faun got a blessing... Usually, blessings go from 1-3%, 5-15 base status, or both... It wouldn't change his race's low-status standard even if he received a strong percentage blessing. I know he didn’t receive a base status blessing, so I’ll just let it be. ” thought the priest.
Sylas tried to speak to Bryn about his feelings and whether he was ok, but the young faun couldn’t listen to his father. Each step was a step filled with curiosity.
“There are so many possibilities. First, I need to understand how to increase the LVL that appeared in my status. The next thing is, can I update my status by LVL or by training? Skills too... How do I get them? Does this mean I’m in an MMORPG? Are there more people like me in this world? Even if there are, do we have any advantage over the people from this world? From what I saw, everything is very much similar-”
Interrupting his train of thought, the guards started to line everyone again. From how they spoke, it was necessary to register the results for the Lord. Apart from Bryn, one other kid had received a blessing as well. His blessing was one of agility, but what shocked Bryn was the difference in details.
The kid’s blessing gave him +5 agility and +4% base Agility. When the guard heard that, he immediately asked for the Chief and was frantic.
When Bryn’s time came, the guard saw both blessings in the title area. He again called frantic for the chief to use appraisal.
“You idiot, every demi-human has one blessing. Calling me just for that is idiotic.”
“But chief, this faun has a second one!” said the guard.
“What? The heavens sure are playing jokes with us today. Two servants with blessings and one of them a faun who won't enjoy the blessing's potential…” said the chief, incredulous.
“I know. The kid with the “blessing of speed” will have a bright future, but the faun received the “blessing of intelligence”... What is he going to do with that?”
“Sylas, bring your boy over here. I need to record his status for the lord to check.” ordered the chief.
“Of course, Chief. Bryn, come. The chief is going to use appraisal on you.” he whispered.
Presenting himself before the chief, Bryn said. “Hello, Chief. What should I do?”
“I can see you have two blessings since you passed the ritual. Let me translate them for you. Flidais is a blessing of demi-humans. Every demi-human has a preset style of blessings, so I'll know if you lie to me. Lugh’s blessing, also known as the blessing of intelligence, so again… There's no reason for you to lie to me. What are the blessings descriptions?”
Bryn smiled at the chief’s words. He had no idea about that, and the lie he had prepared would not work anymore. “You are correct, chief! Amazing, I have so much to learn…” He said to gain time before thinking of anything new to say.
Interrupted by the chief, Bryn had to focus on his answer again.
“Stop talking about random things. Tell me the descriptions, faun.”
“Yes, sir. My demi-human's blessing gives me 1% dexterity. My intelligence blessing gives me 2% intelligence.”
“A waste for everyone involved. The gods sure like to mock you, faun. Percentage-based blessings are the rarest, but 1 and 2 % are the absolute worst of all. On top of that, you are a faun. Your race has the lowest status among the known races. The Lady’s punishment was not enough, and now even the heavens also punish you.” said the Chief.
“I’ll do the best I can, Chief.” was all Bryn could answer.
“It is useless to explain…” thought the chief as he said, “Go to the cart, you two; we are heading back.”
As soon as all servants got in the carts, the caravan started to head back to the farm. The chief and a few guards went in a different direction towards the middle of the city. Meanwhile, Lord Aric and Lady Isolde were speaking with the Viscount Thornley.
“The word blessing could never be more right for you, young Rowan. I propose a toast for the future Royal Knight Rowan. May his battle name be Stone Fist Rowan.” Said the viscount.
“Thank you very much, Viscount. Rowan will have much to do to ensure he utilizes his blessings to the fullest.” answered Aric to the celebration.
“You are too humble, Aric. Your boy here was born with a double blessing, and a good one at that. The heavens smiled at his birth: +15 and 7% base strength. I don’t think we ever had a blessing as good as his. Be sure he will always have a place here at the viscountcy.”
“It is incredible, yes, Viscount. Still, he must go through the royal academy like any other cadet.” added Isolde to their conversation.
“Fine, fine… Still, let's toast!” repeated the viscount.
**Knock knock knock**
“We are full of guests today. Please come in.”
“Mr. Thornley, Lord Aric’s guard’s chief, has arrived with the result of his farm's ritual,” said the viscount’s butler.
“Come on, Aric let the man inside and tell me the results as well…” the viscount provoked him.
Without a way to evade the viscount taunt, Aric answered, “Why not… please tell him to come in.”
Entering the hall, the chief bent the knee before the figures, waiting for his report.
“My Lord, Lady, Mr. Viscount.” said the chief.
“Go ahead with the report. Were there any unexpected blessings from the farm?” Isolde wanted to return to the viscount praising their son, so she was the first to hurry the chief.
“Yes, my lady, this year we were fortunate. Nolan and Bryn received blessings, speed, and intelligence, respectively.”
A clicking sound called everyone's attention as the dark red whine from Lady Isolde’s cup covered the wooden floor.
“Oh my, your wife sure is happy about the blessings, Aric. She can’t even control her cup! Hahah, another toast for your family’s future!!” said Thornley.
Embarrassed, Aric said, “Thank you, Mr. Thornley. Isolde, are you alright?”
The names and blessings hit her mind like a hammer hitting a nail straight in her forehead. Isolde's breathing started to increase pace.
“What are their details? Speak!!” She said as she got up from her seat.
“ISOLDE, calm down. Speak chief, were they good?” said Aric. He could only imagine what was going on in her wife’s mind.
“The Nolan kid received a double blessing, mam. +5 base status for agility and +4%. Bryn received +2% intelligence and +1 dexterity.” reported the chief.
“You will have a good generation of servants, Aric. I'm all ears if you want to sell them to me. None of them come close to your boy’s blessings, but they are good anyway.” said Thornley, raising his eyebrows repeatedly and hitting Aric lightly with his elbow.
“Thank you, Viscount Thornley… As you can see, I have things to prepare and deal with. Isolde, let’s go home.” Aric answered.
Isolde, still petrified, was in the same position as when the wine cup dropped. Her jaw was halfway open, one hand still in front of her face, as if sipping the wine.
“ISOLDE…” Aric said.
Chocked back to reality, she replied.
“Yes, my love. Let’s go home and prepare a celebration.”
Entering the cart, Rowan was the first one to speak.
"Even when the heavens smile to a faun, it cannot compare to a nobles’ blessings. Hahah, a mere 2% can help no one..." said Rowan.
"That is no laughing matter!! Those insignificant races already have a natural blessing. I'm sure it will be as useless as the one Lugh gave the faun. Still, he will think he is special. Aric, what are you going to do?" his mother asked.
"Isolde, stop. Our son received the highest blessing the region has ever produced. Neither you nor I am doing anything else to those fauns. They had their lashes and learned their place. If they stay where they belong, this will be the end of it. I cannot believe you embarrassed us before Lyonel Thornley because of a faun..."
With each word, her face lost color. Pale as a ghost, she replied.
She bit her lips from his words, and a bit of blood came out of the bite.
"I can't believe I lost control over the results. Thank the lord, the viscount was still not aware that one of the blessed was a faun. I regained my footing now. Aric, we are going to throw a big banquet at the mansion. It will reduce embarrassment with the viscount and announce our son's blessing."
"Now you sound like the woman I married. Good. Son, as a gift to you for an important ritual to our family, you will receive your first-ever battle horse. You will go after a magical beast as a mount or companion in the future... But for now, a proper horse will do."
"Thank you, Father!" Rowan answered.