Mi hands a small box to me and I take a look inside. A small container and a white translucent coin that looks normal at first sight, but is the artifact Zerpen.
The use for this coin is currently unknown but the fact that it absorbs mana at an incredible rate already proves that it is an artifact.
Some nobles have speculated that it might improve the innate cultivation rate of people and have scrambled to secure it. Although it took longer than expected, Ardeus managed to smuggle it into my hand
I pour mana into it for testing, it greedily sucks up everything to the last bit. It's genuine.
I smile.
The real purpose of this coin...I know it. Now other than this coin, I will need the artifact of Heptasus and Irina. Heptasus is a ring that is said to be Pyro's treasure while Irina is a pair of broken arrows.
These three will be the key to "that" tomb.
Storing the items in my mana storage, I follow Mi back.
Back at the mansion, the maids greet me with glee. "Young Master, the lady is waiting for you in her office." A maid at the entrance says.
I smile and nod. "Thank you."
...
The atmosphere is tense and I can sense it outside the room. I knock on the door. "Mom, it's me."
"Come in."
I swing the door open and find my mother glaring at the letter on the desk. My siblings are gathered on the couch at the side and my father is anxiously sweating in the corner of the room.
Walking in, I ask "What's wrong?"
Mother turns her attention to me and sighs. "Loi, does an adventurer communicate very much?"
"Doesn't everything, including adventurers, require communication skills?" I reply.
My mother heaves a sigh of relief. "I suppose you understand a little. Do you know how to act at a noble party?"
"Not exactly," I say. "I've come into contact with nobles but those are usually commissions. They treat E-Rank trash like me worse than the horse pulling the carriages."
I can feel my mother's anger but she isn't showing it. As a runaway princess, she must have attended several events like this.
"Loi, do you remember anything about the nobles from your past life?" Says my mother.
"Pretty much except the Viscount Kesler family," I say. I had no choice but to keep up with their achievements during my academic and adventuring days. Countless people gossiping about the same thing over and over, I could remember it without even trying to.
As an adventurer, I need to keep in touch with the noble's activities to find the best time for reaping the maximum reward.
...
"Alright. Dear, can you bring the kids and play with them? I have something to discuss with Loi." My mother says.
My father nods.
"Papa playing with us today?!" Christina exclaims in excitement.
"Yep! What should we play today?" My father asks as they walk out of the room.
*thud*
"Have Mi told you about my origins?" My mother asks.
"Yes, except for the location."
My mother smiles. "Why would I inform you of a place I wouldn't want you to visit?"
...
"Do you know what nobles do when they attend a banquet?" My mother says.
"I...am not sure."
"I see. Even if it is Prince Kaney's birthday, you will be the second majority of attention. News of your achievement has spread to other countries and you know the nature of the nobles in this country. They fear commoners. They will attempt to embarrass you as much as possible." My mother frowns. "We can choose to attend without you. Do you want to do this?"
"We've come this far, I don't want to back out," I say without hesitation.
My mother closes her eye and ponders.
"Loi..." She opens her eye. "It's been harsh, hasn't it? In your previous life."
?
I've never seen my mother like this before. She stares down while fidgeting with her hand. "I'm worried." She says.
"Recently, you've been going around doing things yourself. Do you think I wouldn't notice?"
!
...
"I..."
All words stuck in my throat, I don't know what to say.
"If our luxury comes at the price of your suffering, we will forfeit our title."
"But-"
"Why are you doing this?" My mother asks.
"I...simply want to give all of you a comfortable life, one where we can be happy," I say.
"You know that's an impossible dream."
"It's still worth a try."
...
A silent awkwardness fills the air.
"Tell me everything that happened in the future, I know you left out some parts." My mother says.
?!
I reluctantly fill in my mother on the dark part of the future.
She sighs and covers her face.
"I'm sorry for hiding it..." I say.
Without replying, my mother stands up. I expect her to leave the room yet she walks to me and hugs my head.
...
I widen my eyes in shock.
"You idiot...don't do that..." She says. Drops of water drip onto my scalp, my mother is crying?!
...
I hold in my tears.
Within minutes, my mother recomposes herself and sits opposite me. "I was afraid." She says. "Afraid that something will happen to all of you. Thus, I was satisfied with our mundane life where each of us can laugh happily at the dinner table. But..."
Killing intent?
My mother glares at the table with her fist clenched.
She takes a deep breath and looks up into my eyes. She smiles. "If my eldest son has such courage, I as your mother, should too."
?
"Honey, I want to protect our family with you. Don't try to bear everything on your shoulders."
"H-Huh?!" I exclaim.
She isn't mad? But instead-
"I am mad but at myself." My mother says as if I thought out loud. "Your father is a musclehead and a worrywart when it comes to political schemes so we should keep this from him for now."
I smile as my mother smiles. A huge knot was untied in my chest.
"We only have 5 days left until the ceremony, I will begin teaching you how to act like a noble and what present to pick for the next 4 days starting now." My mother says.
5 days?!
They were supposed to send it to us 2 weeks before. Well, it is what it is.
"Oh yes, congratulations on your breakthrough to the Core Formation realm." My mother says.
"Thank you."
Suddenly, an abrupt panel pops up.
------------------------
Due to a change in future events, Irina's quest has been revised.
Irina's role has been reclassified as a sub-antagonist.
------------------------
!!!!!
...What is this?
===============================
Irina stares at the floor half-dazed from whatever pills and drugs her mother has been feeding her. She's chained in her bedroom all wounded and dirty.
"Eat this! Eat this! You will get stronger and kill that commoner bastard!" Says Mideus, feeding Irina a mana demon pill, a disgusting brown pill with green roots enveloping it. It is a deadly pill that exponentially increases the mana capacity by converting their life essence to internal energy.
In addition to abuse, Irina has been constantly brainwashed by her mother to bear hatred against Loi and everyone related to him using strong magic.
Clifton on another hand has been tortured and forced to swing a sword without any rest for 3 days before he can eat or sleep. However, even with his fragile and thin body, his sanity stays intact thinking about how he can save his sister and escape.
"Huff...shit..." Clifton mumbles. He knew that his mother would react negatively to the battle but not to this lunatic extent, the kind mother from before is gone. What the hell happened?
"That's enough, young master. Prince Kaney's banquet is a few days away, take the time to rest. Your mother expects great results from you to kill that commoner." A servant who came into the room says. He is locked in a dark empty room with the only source of light from a candle at the edge of the room.
Clifton grits his teeth as the servant dispel the restriction on his meridians and locks connecting the rusty sword to his arm. The servant has soulless eyes with no light in them, did Mideus do something?
...
Clifton grips the sword tightly with his bleeding palm, the mark of the handle is deeply engraved into his right hand.
"Young master-"
Clifton takes the chance to attack the servant she retaliates easily and deflects his sword away, breaking the rusty sword.
"Young master, stop your futile resistance." She says.
...
Suddenly, a rush of cold mana fills the air.
?!
"What-"
Clifton instantly appears behind the servant and stabs her, enhancing his rusty blade with 7 layers of ice. The ice pierces through her and splits open, making the servant into a bloody gore mess.
At the moment, Clifton's blade is being deflected away, he took that chance to consume the last elixir pill that he kept in his mana storage for backup. It's now or never.
Yet, Clifton is at a loss. He wants to save his sister but his mother might be feeding her those weird things at this moment.
"God damn it..." Clifton curse.
He does not have a choice, at his current state, he wouldn't even be able to fight one servant without gaining the upper hand. He has to find help, but who? All the nobles are at his mother's side.
...
For now, escaping is all that matters. Clifton thought. He quickly left the room.