"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm a boy. I got that sausage dangling between my legs like you three." Licht replied nonchalantly. The three boys that were previously harassing him, turned a bright shade of red.
"W-what? A girl s-shouldn't be saying t-things like that!" The haughty boy cried out in a panic. Licht ignored their protest and tried checking their status with his skill [Appraisal]. His inner self was shocked. All he saw were their names. He didn't see any skills or notes about them. He had specifically leveled his [Appraisal] skill for this. If he were to encounter a monster it would look like this;
Name: [None]
Species: Emperor Wolf Beast
Gender: Male
Level: 47
Hp: 4465
Mp: 9400
Skills
Blood Claw; Emperor Pressure, Blood Wolf Berserk.
Note
You have already seen the limits of this monster. What is one more?
Yes, he had gone searching for another wolf beast, but that's beside the point. Why didn't they have any information on their status, Licht pondered on this for a moment. Arne, on the other hand, felt humiliated. He was sure that Licht was a girl, and now he, the son of a Marquess got humiliated and he might sully his family name.
"So, you're a boy, huh?" He sneers out to Licht. Although Licht, saw it as an interesting change of character, he didn't question it any further, nor did he want to.
"You're such a pansy! You would be better off as a girl, in fact, girls would have it much better than you will. Who would even want to be with you?! I know your mother is dead, father told me. Maybe you can go join her there!"
A truly interesting change in character, but the last few statements bothered Licht. He looked at them, his eyes even more lifeless than they usually are, and terror overcame their senses.
Was this really a child, they thought.
"I don't mind what you say about me, I can defend myself very easily. But my mother can't, so please don't make me kill in front of such a large crowd. It would get messy." Licht deadpans. The air becomes heavy as Licht's killing intent runs like wildfire.
"There's an intruder!" A voice yells and the panic in the lobby swells. Licht comes back to his senses and clicks his tongue. He partly regretted his actions, losing control of bloodlust would cause a panic and question his identity as a child.
Fortunately, hardly anyone would believe children when trying to get some proof. Licht thought, but that doesn't mean that they were off of his 'Maybe kill' list. But with luck on Licht's side (literally), there was an actual intruder. He took a relieved breath and decided the end of that. Though he didn't notice a curious pair of blue eyes staring at him in awe.
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A few years passed and Licht continued with his monotonous lifestyle. Every single day, he went out to hunt for monsters to increase his level, he gained more skills from devouring the monsters that he killed, and once every week, he made a new weapon to help with his weapon proficiency, which eventually became a skill. Licht, now officially ten years of age, woke up with a sense of dread.
"Urgh! What am I going to do?" He muttered tiredly. After he turned 5, he had continued with his normal routine and he reached the max level a year later. But that wasn't enough for him, he needed more if he was going to protect his family. So, he kept at it. But a few months ago, his status had become.... weird. One could barely read anything in that hologram of glitches. It was quite a dilemma for young Licht.
"Do I ignore it and continue? Is it a virus or is it that the system crashed and can't project any more figures?" He came up with countless possible reasons, but none of them felt right to him. Taking a deep breath, Licht placed his head in his hands.
*Knock Knock*
"Young Master, we need to get you dressed for the event. May we come in?" The nervous maid called out. Yoalia always felt uncomfortable when around her Young Master. To her, he was unusually quiet and well-mannered for a child and this irked her. Many maids and servants in the household could probably agree with her too.
"Come in." A confident voice calls. Licht sounded suspiciously similar to a girl, but some would miss the slight rasp to his voice that hinted, just a bit, his masculism. Three different maids saunter in, with clothes in hand, and brighten up the room.
"What is the event you speak of?" Licht asks. Yoalia and her friends shiver at the aura he gives off. To them, he was more of a general than an actual child.
"The coming of age, Young Master." Yolia took the initiative to answer. Her words were stiff and curt, obliviously spelling out the word uncomfortable. But Licht did not mind any of that.
"And what is this coming of age?" He asked once again.
"When a child reaches the age of ten, they receive their occupation as well as their personal status boards," Yoalia answers briefly. She had already started sweating buckets and she wanted to leave the room as soon as possible.
"You may continue with your duties." He stated. Licht had been previously told that, the older he gets, the more he is expected to act as a lord. This was to keep the servants of the house in check. Licht, now dressed, watched as the maids leave in a hurry. Though, his eyes didn't stray from the door, like he was waiting for someone. But soon a knock was heard from the door, and his mother came in.
Lyra Hershold had always been a beauty, with her golden locks that flowed like a divine river. However, today she was dressed unlike herself. She had always preferred simple clothes, and today she wore a white princess dress, that puffed out the waist. Licht noticed his mother was uncomfortable, it was clear from her expression. But he could see the determination in her eyes, so he chose not to speak of it.
She smiled at her son; she knew that he was not an average child. He had done excellently in the classes taught by the tutor and in less than 2 years, he had finished all that was meant to be taught to him. He knew what was right from a very young age and never caused any trouble. Lyra looked up to the heavens, knowing that her friend was always watching over Licht and her, and she smiled in a daze.
Licht was lead through the hallways, to the front gate, where a carriage was sitting. He was driven in first and his mother behind. In the carriage, awaited the remaining members of the Hershold family. The seats of the carriage were perpendicular to the direction in which the carriage moved. On one side, the male members (except Gerald) were sat; and the remaining at the other. Gerald was not present for the event, he had gone back to the Capital to resume his duties. And far in the Capital of the kingdom of Aria, in a small dorm for the elite knights, Gerald wailed in despair.
"Why couldn't I get one more day?! A few hours would have been fine! I can't miss Licht's coming back of age! Someone, please put me out of my suffering!" Gerald cried in pain.
And over a thousand kilometers away, Licht shivered. He felt uneasy for some reason, though he had a feeling that he did not want to know of the reason.