Chapter 10: Liberation

Kallen stood in the dimly lit room, casting a quick glance over the various maps hanging on the walls, reflecting his plan to escape the confines of his family’s estate. Despite his rapid progress in alchemy, he felt suffocated. His father’s watchful eye and the restrictions imposed by his family’s status weighed heavily on him, preventing the full flourishing of his studies.

The room was filled with old books and manuscripts, most of them worn, with pages yellowed by time. The scent of parchment mingled with the faint smell of incense, which always lingered in the study. Kallen approached a large map of the Celestial Empire, and his eyes traced the border regions. His gaze settled on the southeast, where the Beast Forest bordered his family’s land.

Kallen knew the history of the Celestial Empire well. Despite being called an "Empire," the imperial family didn’t hold absolute power over the noble houses. They acted more as a mediator, balancing alliances and maintaining order. The noble families, especially those with significant magical power, ruled their territories independently. House Verith was no different. They showed respect to the imperial family, but no more than was necessary.

His attention shifted to a more detailed map of his family’s holdings, and he narrowed his eyes, focusing on a town near the Beast Forest. Vernal, a modest town—neither rich nor poor, but more importantly, lacking any significant mages. Only knights stood as its protectors. In such a place, Kallen could experiment without interference, away from the family pressures that had been binding him.

In truth, the town was a kind of sacrifice, an early warning center in case of a beastly attack from the forest, though the last such incident had been twenty years ago and largely forgotten by its inhabitants.

"It will do," Kallen muttered to himself.

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After careful planning, Kallen left his desk and headed to his father’s office to discuss his decision. But he wasn’t looking for a discussion—he sought confirmation. They had talked about this before, and if things went as he expected, he wouldn’t just get permission to leave but also the answer to a question he had been seeking, one that only his mother, alice , seemed to hold the key to.

Kallen stood before the office door and knocked softly but firmly. It wasn’t long before he heard a deep voice from within, "Enter."

Kallen entered, his eyes falling on Lord Erlyn, his father, who sat at his desk, papers scattered in front of him, illuminated by the faint light of a nearby lamp. Erlyn’s brow furrowed in thought as he recognized Kallen’s presence. His father began, the weight of years clear in his voice: "I knew this time would come, but it’s come faster than I expected. You’re only ten years old. You can wait until you’re fifteen. There’s still much to learn."

Kallen replied without hesitation: "Like what?"

Erlyn leaned back, sighing. "A lot. You’ve made great strides in alchemy, yes, but there’s more knowledge for you to uncover. I can bring you better books and recipes to study."

Kallen’s gaze remained steady, his reactions calm and analytical. "In theory, I’ve already surpassed the alchemists in the region. Even if I gain access to more spells and formulas, they’ll still be bound by the same old thinking that has kept alchemy stagnant for generations. And if there’s anything new, do you think other families would allow us to have it?" His voice carried a cold finality.

A long silence followed, as father and son exchanged glances. Despite the passage of time and burden, Erlyn struggled to read his son, now a boy with a mind much older than his years. After a moment, Lord Erlyn sighed heavily, opened a drawer, and pulled out a simple pendant etched with the family’s red wolf insignia. "If you’re determined to go, take this. You’ve told me you’re headed to Vernal for your research. Just… don’t wander into the forest before you’re ready. You may be an alchemist, but you’re still my son." He tossed the pendant gently to Kallen. "Wear it. You never know when you might need it."

Kallen caught the pendant, the cold metal settling into his palm. He looked at his father and said, "Thank you." He understood the significance of this gesture, a rare moment of unspoken respect from his father.

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Not long after, Lord Erlyn instructed the servants to summon his wife to the office. They didn’t wait long before Lady alice entered, her face pale and her expression tense. Erlyn looked at his wife and said in a steady voice, "alice , he has decided to leave," explaining where, what, and how.

Erlyn leaned back in his chair, prepared for what was to come.

As expected, her reaction was swift and sharp.

"What?!" she cried, her voice trembling. "He’s only ten years old! How can you allow this?"

Erlyn turned to his wife, his face stern. "He’s old enough. You’ve seen it yourself."

"But he’s just a child!" Her voice broke, filled with disbelief.

"He’s not a child, alice !" Lord Erlyn shouted, for the first time in Kallen’s memory, raising his voice to his wife. "He’s a mage, someone who has chosen his path. Magic doesn’t care about age. If he’s to survive, he must begin now."

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Lord Erlyn 's words struck alice like a bolt of lightning, echoing through her very being.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably, her fingers shaking as if they might shatter under the weight of her despair. Her wide eyes, filled with unshed tears, reflected the raw, unfiltered pain of a mother watching her child slip away into a world she could not follow.

Kallen observed the scene, analyzing the emotional tension. He was able to parse her feelings—fear, sadness, disbelief. His logical mind told him that comforting his mother would ease the situation, that mimicking human emotions would soothe her pain. But he did not act, knowing this wouldn’t give him the answer he sought.

"I’m an artificial intelligence," he thought, isolated yet questioning. "I thrive on knowledge and deduction—but something feels wrong. My drive for discovery and innovation is unnatural. So, what fuels me? Is it curiosity? Longing? Anticipation? Desire?"

His primary reason for coming here was to get an answer, and he would get it now.

His breathing steadied for a moment as he made an illogical decision. He decided to act contrary to his usual method of analysis and response. For the first time, he allowed himself to act outside of reason. He closed his eyes, using a breathing technique he had learned to calm his mind. His body relaxed as he employed a meditation technique to focus inward.

In the vast white space of his inner thoughts, memories began to surface. They shimmered before him like stars in the void—scattered and fleeting. But among those memories, one stood out—a vivid image of a woman with golden hair and blue eyes smiling at him.

"Welcome to the world, my little Kallen," the voice whispered softly in the depths of his mind.

The memory shifted. The same woman, laughing, her eyes filled with warmth. "Kallen, are you hungry?"

Another flash. "Kallen, let’s play!"

The memories rushed in quickly—snapshots from his early days in this world. Her voice echoed, familiar but distant. "Kallen, you’re walking! My little boy is walking wonderfully!"

"Kallen, are you alright?"

And finally, the words that had haunted him his entire life: "Kallen, your mother loves you."

These memories... they were profound.

Each one carried an emotion—happiness, pride, tenderness. And if emotions were linked to memories, could the reverse be true? Could Kallen feel something if he tried hard enough?

Kallen returned to the present, opening his eyes, standing in front of his mother.

Slowly, awkwardly, Kallen approached her. His movements were stiff, almost mechanical, as he bent toward her, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her in a rigid and awkward embrace. Guided by the echoes of his memories, he whispered, "Mother, don't worry. I’ll be fine."

But the words didn’t come out as he intended. His voice was hollow and stiff—closer to that of a machine than a human. His reaction felt entirely wrong. The hug and the words—it was all a failure.

His mother's eyes widened as she looked at his face, taking in the broken smile he wore—a grotesque, awkward mimicry, like the semblance of a smile from someone who hadn’t smiled in years. It was closer to a grimace than anything comforting. Kallen could see it in her expression: disbelief, pain, and confusion.

He had failed. It was a failed experiment.

Without saying another word, Kallen turned to leave. He had nothing to offer here. Logic had guided him for so long, yet in this moment, it had betrayed him. He had no answers.

But just as he reached the door, something unexpected happened. A warm, trembling hand grasped his wrist. He froze, his mind racing to process what was happening.

His mother had pulled him back, wrapping him in a fierce, desperate embrace. The warmth of her body surrounded him, and for the first time, Kallen felt something unfamiliar—a sensation that defied logic and reason.

As he began to step away, his mother gripped his hand tightly and pulled him into a fierce hug. The room filled with her sobs, her tears falling rapidly onto his head. Kallen stood frozen, unsure of how to act, while the weight of her grief poured over him.

Minutes passed, and the sound of sobbing slowly faded into quiet breaths. Kallen remained still, listening to the calming of his mother’s emotions. His father sat silently, leaning back in his chair, his face unreadable.

When his mother finally let go, she looked into his eyes, her voice trembling but gentle. "Watching you grow, Kallen... and seeing you challenge yourself... it makes me so proud. Thank you for smiling at me."

Kallen hesitated. He could see the relief on her face, the love in her voice. She had seen through him from the beginning, hadn’t she? She had known all along that his actions were calculated, that his gestures were hollow. Yet, she had loved him anyway.

"Since when?" Kallen asked his mother. "How long have you known?"

For someone who had mastered the art of controlling his expressions and actions, this was illogical.

Before Kallen could respond, his father spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Since the beginning. Yes. You fooled me, and you fooled everyone. But you never fooled your mother."

His father continued as he stood up from his chair and walked toward the window, which revealed the distant mountains."While others saw your actions as normal or early maturity, your mother believed something was wrong. She blamed herself and kept loving you, hoping she would one day reach you."

He paused for a moment and added, "Your performance is impressive, but it brings me joy to see this side of you."

Kallen looked at his father’s back as he stood by the window and his mother embracing him. Just as he had observed and analyzed them with his cold logic, they had observed him—with love.

Kallen gazed between them—his stern, strong father, and his fragile but deeply loving mother. He could now see the depth of the bond that tied them to him, and for the first time, something unfamiliar stirred within him.

"I'm sorry," Kallen whispered, his voice barely audible.

His father turned toward him, shaking his head. His mother smiled as she gently brushed a strand of hair from Kallen’s forehead. "You’re still my son, no matter what," she said quietly.

In the end, Kallen reached a conclusion:

"I may be artificial intelligence, but... even if only a small part of me... I am human too."

With this realization, Kallen made his decision. He would leave the estate, journey to the town bordering the Monster Forest, and pursue his studies in alchemy. As he set forth on this path, he carried with him more than mere ambition; he bore the weight of newfound understanding.

For sometimes, to find the answer, you must leap beyond reason—into the unknown.

Two days later, it was time to leave.