Arthur and the servant finally arrive home. Arthur heads to his room while the servant goes to meet with the Duke.
Once in his room, Arthur examines his talent again.
Name: Arthur Malcolm
Level: 1
Strength: 12
Intelligence: 11
Agility: 10
Skill: Sword Mastery (Level 1)
Accounting (Level 2)
Etiquette (Level 2)
Close Quarter Combat (Level 2)
Talent: Avatar (Level 1)
Arthur took a close look at his Status Window, the stats that he got was quite pitiful as it was only a little bit higher than 10 which is the normal number for someone who just awakened.
The skill level was also a little bit too low for someone from the Duke house with a lot of resources although he rarely got them.
Arthur then tries to touch the skill of the status window.
Sword Mastery: Increase comprehension when learning the sword. Increase the damage when using the sword as a weapon,
Accounting: When working with numbers or money, increase the efficiency of the work.
Etiquette: Increase Charm a little when using the skill.
Close Quarter Combat: Increase damage when fighting using a fist or in close combat.
After Arthur looks at his skill then the next thing is the talent that he has.
Avatar: You can create an Avatar.
'That's it?'
Arthur is dumbfounded when he reads the description of his talent.
'What the f#ck is that? Even I know without seeing the description that I can create an avatar, but, what the hell!'
Arthur kept thinking about that description and finally concluded that he still understood nothing.
Arthur thinks of just using the talent and takes a look at it slowly. But, in the end, he stops because he thinks that he needs to wait until he gets out of here and looking for a place with more privacy.
Thinking about his talent again, Arthur thought that maybe it is the same as a clone where you can create a clone of yourself for some time. But, then again he denied the thought as the name itself is different.
'Maybe it can last longer?'
That's what Arthur thought. Knowing that the name and the description of the talent is far different than Clone.
'So, I need to think about the name more. What's Avatar?'
Arthur starts to dig deeper into the word avatar itself, about the meaning and about what it represents. Then, Arthur suddenly got hit by an enlightenment.
'Avatar or incarnation! I can create incarnation which also means that I can create another body or another me. But, different from Clone which will disappear in a set amount of time, mine will not disappear unless it is killed or maybe I will it too. Isn't that overpowered?
But, wait, there's no way I can just create an incarnation or avatar without a price. That would be too overpowered even mana alone would still not be enough to create one.
Then, the price would be my stats! That's right, that's the only possible way.'
Deep in thought, he realizes the potential cost of his talent—his own stats.
Interrupted by hurried footsteps, Arthur's reverie is broken. The butler enters, summoning him to his father's study.
Arthur then saw the person as walks into the room. It is the butler who was with him in the awakening ceremony.
"Young master, the lord summoned you to the study room right now."
The butler said after he bowed towards Arthur.
The butler did this out of respect as Arthur is still counted as his master right now and also because this bow might be his last one knowing what would happen to Arthur after this.
"All right."
Arthur then prepared himself as he knew that his next move depended on what would happen next.
He might get out of this house easily or he might not even live to the next day. It all depended on what his father thought, the father whom Arthur had only seen less than the number of fingers on his hands.
Arthur then walks out of his room with the butler following behind him closely. The study room where Arthur's father is in right now wasn't that far from his room.
After walking for a few minutes, Arthur and the butler behind him already arrived at the study room where his father waiting for him.
Before Arthur entered the room, he took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what's gonna happen next. Arthur then knocked on the door, he then heard the sound of his father speaking from inside the room.
"Come in."
After Arthur heard that, he took another deep breath as he entered the room. Arthur can see a middle-aged man sitting on the chair behind the desk filled with a lot of documents. The middle-aged man is of course Arthur's father, Daniel Malcolm, the head of the Duke Malcolm family.
"I heard that you've awakened your talent. Can you tell me what's your talent?"
Daniel spoke as he took off his glasses and put down the document that he just read.
Arthur can feel an invisible pressure as his father looks at him. He starts to feel nervous just facing his father.
"It's Avatar."
Suddenly, the pressure starts to lessen and when Arthur takes a look at his father, he sees that his father still looking at him but then his father lets out a sigh.
Arthur then understands that his talent is not a good one. Arthur feels even more nervous even though the pressure is gone.
"You should know what will happen next."
Daniel stops for a moment and it makes Arthur even more nervous.
"Sigh.. Forget it, I can give you a way out of this. Maybe it's because I killed too much lately or it's because it's your luck. You never talked about your family outside and the people who know you are too little to make some noise.
So, I'll give you a choice. You can try and make me change my mind about the Avatar talent that people call a Gold digger or you can just get out from this house and erase Malcolm from your name and never come back here again."
Without a beat of wait, Arthur gave his choice.
"I'll take the second one."
Arthur didn't hesitate for a moment and chose the second option. He doesn't know enough about his own talent to make the first choice and he's not someone who gambles his life on something he doesn't know.
"Smart choice."
Daniel then looked at the butler before he said.
"Give him some money enough to leave this place and also make Arthur Malcolm's name disappear from this place."
"Yes, my lord. Now then Arthur, if you can please follow me next."
The butler doesn't even wait until they leave the room to change how he talks to Arthur.
Arthur doesn't mind it though as he knows what it means and the butler only doing his job properly.
"Thank you for everything and this may be the last time I see you, can I say something?"
Daniel looks at Arthur and nods his head as he knows that the person in front of him isn't someone who would do something stupid from the way he look at him until now.
"Father, I'll never regret to born into this family. Although it is only a short time for us to meet face to face like this but, let this foolish and unlucky son give you one last bow as a gratitude to let me be born and live until now."
Arthur then bowed his head. Arthur knows that his father, Daniel doesn't have other choice but to do this. Being an aristocrat is good if you have a good talent or at least not a shit talent. But, once you have a shit talent, then your only choice is to die.
His father, Daniel is already one of the most kind aristocrats that he knew. To let someone like him leave is the best proof.
Daniel looked at Arthur with interesting eyes.
"If only you had a good talent, Arthur, then Malcolm's house would become so much greater than now. But, there is no 'if' in life."
Daniel then let out a sigh as he looked at Arthur with pity. Daniel really like Arthur now, but he can't risk the life of the people in this family for one person.
"I know, you did this because of the lives of the people who depend on you and I chose this to save my life. So, we're both no different. It's not your fault and I can't do anything about my talent. Maybe fate playing a joke on both of us.
Then I hope that Malcolm's house will be always glorious as it is now."
Arthur then looks at the butler and then nods his head showing that he is ready to go.
The butler then starts to walk and guide Arthur to leave the room. Arthur then take a last look at Daniel and gives him a nod before he walks out of the room.
"Sigh... What a pity, a good boy fucked by fate."
"Then why don't you save him?"
"The risk is too high. Avatar talent may sound good but, the effect is shit. Moreover, it needs a lot of investment for it to be just barely useable and it's not even as good as some normal talent like a fire mage or a talent that boosts a weapon."
"But, you know your other sons aren't good at leadership and management."
"I can still teach them and even if that isn't enough then i just need to make a better one.
Maybe just like he said, fate playing a joke on us. A boy with a good potential for a leader has a bad talent while those who don't fit for a leader have a decent talent."
Daniel looks at the corner of the room as someone stands there from the very first start of Arthur's entrance.
The man wearing a cloak almost covers his entire body leaving a pair of eyes as he looks back at Daniel.
"Then, let me protect this place for a little while longer. Who makes me become your brother in the first place? Sigh... Now, I can only hope that somehow you have a good successor."