After we were given the command crests the conversation died. Mother did her best to comfort me, but the most disturbing part was her face. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes were fierce. Halcroft occasionally took notice smirking just a little before continuing to ignore us.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through her mind. Mine was occupied with my father’s death. The gore was nothing to me, certainly unpleasant but not traumatizing, not after being an ER doctor. However the speed Halcroft moved, it was terrifying.
I barely even saw a blur of motion and neither of my parents could react to whatever he did. He was in heavy plate armor yet in less than a second he killed my father, a capable warrior in his own right. I immediately understood why my mother was being so cooperative, there was simply nothing we could do to someone like him. Sparing the rest of the town his wrath… she had probably saved thousands of lives.
Although I worried other elves would not see it that way if they knew what happened. I wish so much I had the language to talk to my mother. To tell her she did what was right, what was necessary. However I doubted I could even string together a long sentence let alone discuss the horrible choice she had to make.
What mattered was that we were still together. I didn’t know exactly what these command crests did, but we would bide our time. I had always intended to become a healer eventually so I wasn’t too worried about them forcing me to be one.
Why they wanted to make a healer I had no idea. I vaguely knew that powerful healers were sought after and incredibly rare. Why they are willing to take decades to make a healer rather than just capture an existing one was definitely strange. My musing produced no answers.
It was on our third day of travel when Halcroft finally said anything other than inane pleasantries. “This is an order.” I felt the crest on my thigh burn. “Neither of you will make changes to your stats, skills, or classes, without the direct permission of a member of the Halcroft family.”
The burning continued for another few seconds then it subsided. My mother shot him a scathing look before she reigned her emotions in. She did not reply and there was an uncomfortable silence again. Halcroft began to read the same book he had been reading before.
I guess I now knew some of what a command crest did. I apparently couldn’t hurt myself and Halcroft’s family, if he was to be believed, and I had to follow direct orders. I wondered if the phrase ‘This is an order.’ was required. It made sense to need a code phrase, otherwise an errant sentence could lead to tragedy.
---------------------
Two weeks came and went and we were informed we would be arriving at Duke Halcroft’s manor in no more than a day. I finally had his rank, and he was a duke. That a man of such high standing could casually cross borders and raid a forgein town was astounding to me.
I didn’t think Ysara, my home nation, and whatever nation we were going to were at war. If they weren’t before then I imagine whatever he had done had permanently ruined foreign relations with the primarily elven nation. However with how quickly my parents reacted I have a feeling something like these raids have happened before.
*Your class Elven baby has upgraded to Elven juvenile.*
*You may now assign stats and skills.*
*You gain 4 class skills slots.*
*One-half of the experience gained as an Elven baby will be automatically applied to Elven juvenile.*
*Level up. Elven juvenile level 1. You gain 1 physical stat, 1 mental stat, and 1 free stat.*
*Level up. Elven juvenile level 2. You gain 1 physical stat, 1 mental stat, and 1 free stat.*
…
*Level up. Elven juvenile level 20. You gain 1 physical stat, 1 mental stat, and 1 free stat.*
*Your class Elven juvenile has reached its maximum level, excess experience will be applied to its class evolution when it is unlocked.”
*Elven Heritage has leveled up several levels, level 20.*
*Main skill Learning Languages has become a class skill.*
*You gain the passive main skill Learning, level 1.*
My eyes went wide at the cavalcade of notifications. I had no idea what triggered it but my class upgraded. What was really shocking was that even though only half the experience I had was applied to this class it still immediately maxed out. That meant I had gained 60 total stats to spend, nearly quadrupling my total stats once they were assigned.
*You have gained access to the Playing passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Meditation active class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Knives passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Pretty passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Cute passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Insight passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Deception passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the First Aid active class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Medicine passive class skill.*
*You have gained access to the Herbalism passive class skill.*
New skills? Lots of new skills. It was strange to see medical based skills being offered. I hadn’t actually done anything medical in this life. I had to assume Herbalism was offered because of my being around mom in her shop. I felt myself blush a bit at being offered the pretty and cute skills. I mean I was cute, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be cute.
The knives skill on the other hand brought darker emotions. I had never intentionally taken a life before. Now in my second life at only 2 years old I was a killer. A part of me still couldn’t believe I had actually succeeded. Unless you get the angel perfect it is really hard to stab something into someone’s brain even with the backing of all my body weight.
The man had definitely needed to die, he was a fucking slaver. I didn’t feel bad about killing him specifically, but killing in general was just… not great. Knowing I had prevented that man from having a future was daunting. I’ve gone from saving lives to taking them.
I ignored that train of thought. Without someone to talk to, thinking about it more would just be harmful. Ruminating on a necessary action would not be healthy for me.
I didn’t say anything about my class upgrading, I didn’t want Halcroft deciding my stats and skills. Just thinking about it felt so violating. At the same time I couldn’t really do anything with my options due to his order.
I did notice with my leveled up Elven Heritage and the new Learning skill my mana regeneration was dangerously low. I only regenerated 3 mana a day, everything else was fueling my passive skills. I decided, as an experiment, to attempt to assign one of my mental stats to animus just to get me some wiggle room in case a skill levels up.
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It immediately occurred to me I had no idea how to do that. Thinking at the system seemed to show me whatever I wanted before. So I thought about assigning stats.
Unspent Stats: 20 Physical, 20 Mental, 20 Free
Mana: 24/24
Mana Regeneration per day: 34 (-31)
Strength: 2
Agility: 3
Vitality: 4
Animus: 3
Magic: 2
Manipulation: 2
A menu popped up in my vision obscuring it partially. I considered the animus stat.
Animus: This grants you mana and mana regeneration. Animus increases the durability of enchanted items you create. It also allows you to use more powerful enchanted items. Helps resist the ability for others to identify you granting them progressively less information, you can voluntarily lower this resistance. Additionally, it resists the creation of magical effects within your body, you can voluntarily lower this resistance. Each point grants 10 mana regeneration per day and increases your mana pool by 2.
This was the one, I would just thi- crippling pain. I began to scream as the crest lit up with power. I spasmed and nearly fell from my mother’s arms. I vaguely heard talking, then I blacked out.
After what seemed like minutes but was probably only seconds I awoke. I felt tears running down my cheeks and slowly the people talking came into focus. At least I knew what happened if you attempted to disobey an order.
“-level 20 already?” Halcroft finished what he was saying. “Absolutely amazing, Alea here truly will be the prized possession of my family.” Anger flared in my mind, but I was still too exhausted from the pain to do anything.
I was to my mother’s chest and she was making soothing noises in my ear. “It’s alright.” She cooed.
I groggily pushed away and looked up at her. Her caring actions were contrasted sharply but the death stare she was giving Halcroft. She looked down at me and she relaxed just a bit.
“My lord.” She said through gritted teeth. “If your… magister is right, that means her mana regeneration is very low. She needs more animus.” The words were neutral but anger laced them all. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what happens when a person’s mana regeneration becomes negative.”
Halcroft glanced at Daniel who nodded at his lord. “Right, Alea, assign enough of your mental stats to get your animus stat to 10 as soon as you recover.”
I hid in my mother’s bosom not wanting to look at the slaving bastard while I followed his orders. I attempted to assign the stats as ordered and this time instead of a sickening bone shattering pain I felt good for just a moment. It wasn’t much but I knew it was caused by the crest since I felt it warm pleasantly. These things were a true abomination of magic. Positive and negative reinforcement can be very insidious over a long time.
My mana regeneration increased to 73 each day while my mana went to 38. I also took note of the fact that when you assigned a stat that gave mana you gained both minimum and maximum mana. Could be useful in an emergency.
*Learning has leveled up, level 2.*
Wow, learning was an expensive passive skill 3 mana regeneration each level. I quickly checked what the skill did.
Learning
Prerequisite: Sapience; Be a Juvenile or adolescent of your species or display a strong dedication to learning new things.
Type: Species, Knowledge
Passive
Skill cost: 3 mana regen/level
You have lived two lives and spent most of both learning, with this skill you will learn almost everything faster. You learn skills (system and nonsystem) 1% faster per level, additionally learning increases your ability to understand and synthesize new knowledge gained. Does not affect class leveling rate.
Wait… the system knew I’ve lived two lives?! That meant whatever controlled the system also knew that I reincarnated with all my knowledge intact. Would I be suddenly disappeared by some god-like being? I held my breath and waited for several long beats. Nothing.
I opened my eyes glancing side to side, nothing happened at all. Was the system automated? Was there no one at the switchboard as it were? Well cool sounds like I might have an unknowable sword of Damocles over my head, really the best kind.
Nothing I can do about the system potentially outing me to whatever god-like beings reincarnated me. Well Learning was pretty great so that was nice. I let my system fade.
“I did it…” I muttered into my mother’s chest.
“What was that?” Halcroft asked cheerfully.
“She said she did as you asked.” My mother repeated and I could practically hear the angry glare.
A minute went by in silence. Then just as I was about to nap Halcroft spoke up again. “What skills did you get Alea?”
Fuck, this guy did understand I was 2 right? Like yeah I can speak, but it isn’t easy. I turned away from my mother’s chest. Fearing the backlash for disobeying him I told him the entire list exactly. I didn’t know if the crest would activate without him explicitly making it an order, but I wasn’t taking a chance on something that didn’t really matter.
“Medicine and first aid? I believe those are the only two healing skills available for a child your age.” Halcroft looked to Daniel for confirmation.
“That is correct, my lord.” He confirmed.
“Good, Alea, assign medicine, mediation, and first aid to your empty class skill slots. Keep Learning Languages for now, you will need to learn several more refined tongues than elvish.” Well it just so happened those were some of the skills I was eyeing anyways. Still I didn’t like him dictating my life so casually.
I thought about assigning all three skills to my empty slots.
*You gain the passive class skill Medicine, level 1.*
*You gain the active class skill First Aid, level 1.*
*You gain the active class skill Meditation, level 1.*
I was about to tell him I did it when the system threw another notification up.
*Medicine has leveled up several levels, level 20.*
Wait? What? 20 levels in a skill without doing anything? The system even knew about what I knew. It awarded me levels just for already knowing more about medicine than probably anyone in this world. How was I going to possibly explain this? I immediately decided to stay silent about the level and just lowball my level if they ever ask.
“I did it.” I said, then without letting him respond I returned my face to my mother’s chest. The calming presence of my mother’s heartbeat washed over me. Being a baby had some very weird reflexes, but I also desperately wanted the soothing presence right now. Otherwise I’m confident I would start crying.
“Speaking of languages, which do you speak, Shalia?” Halcroft asked.
“I speak several languages, including tradespeech, Haka, Elowein, and Ysarese or elvish as you call it.” That last part came out scathing. “Those are the ones I can speak fluently, I’m passable in several more.”
“Good, I won’t need to bother hiring a language tutor.” He said. “You will teach her all those languages and except when teaching her you will both speak Haka as soon as Alea knows the basics.”
Mother just nodded in return.
------------------------
We arrived at the Halcroft manor the next day. It was more of a castle really, it had a massive outer wall with guards manning it. It had two turrets in the front with a ballista on top. In the back were two parapets. The building itself was made almost exclusively of stone and had three stories.
When we arrived Halcroft swept out of the carriage and began ordering the staff that had been awaiting his arrival around in another language. Eventually he switched to Ysarese. “Shalia and Alea Rothana are our honored guests. You will treat them as if they were visiting minor nobility. Find them a room and ensure they have all reasonable amenities they ask for. They will be joining me for dinner with the family later today. I want them washed and appropriately clothed before that.”
The head butler, a tall well-poised elderly man with sharp features and a literal fucking monocle, bowed deeply. “As you wish my lord. Caroline, Ashley, and Farva you will be seeing to their needs today, I will decide who is to be assigned to them permanently later.”
Three maids nodded their heads then one walked over to mother and I. “This way ladies.” She said motioning toward the main entrance. The other two women broke from the pack of servants off to do something to prepare for us.
Alea Rothana
Age: 2
Unspent Stat Points: 20 Physical, 13 Mental, 20 Free
Mana: 38/38
Mana Regeneration per day: 104 (-54)
Strength: 2 (+0)
Agility: 13 (+1)
Vitality: 4 (+0)
Animus: 10
Magic: 2
Manipulation: 2
Elven Juvenile: Level 20
Main Skills:
Learning (level 2): -6 mana regen/day
Elven Heritage (level 20): -22 mana regen/day
Identify (level 3)
Class Skills:
Learning Language (level 6): -6 mana regen/day
Medicine (level 20): -20 mana regen/day
First Aid (level 1)
Meditation (level 1)