Upon hearing those merchants attempting to pressure Inse using the debt, he had decided to tell Inse about his skills, disguising it as a blessing. Since she was one of the people he would be spending most of his time with, she would likely discover it sooner rather than later. Revealing it to her now would make using his skills more convenient for him.
"I think I have a way, Mother, through which we could pay off all the debt," Aarya said, smiling.
"Really?" Inse said, not believing him.
Aarya's smile remained undaunted. "Yes, Mother, but could you tell me how much exactly is the debt?"
"It's a hefty sum, dear. We have a debt of 3500 gold coins, and on top of that, there's an extra 750 gold coins in interest," Inse explained with a sigh, her tone reflecting her unease about the debt.
'Three thousand gold coins, fuck! How many times do I have to orgasm for that? And what's with that amount of interest? Where did my father use that much money? …' Hearing the amount of debt, his face twisted, and he started shouting and cursing in his mind.
Seeing Aarya's expression, Inse said, "See, it's too much. We can't pay for it. I should just…"
"I received a blessing last night," Aarya said, cutting his mother's words short. Inse looked at him in shock, which quickly turned to fear. Rising from her chair, she spoke in a frightened tone, "You received a blessing? Are you sure?" Perplexed by his mother's reaction, he simply nodded in response.
Observing his nod, Inse hurriedly came from behind the desk. Anxiety was evident on her face as she locked the study door and approached Aarya. Her actions resonated with her anxiousness, which was mirrored in her words. "Did you tell anyone else about it?"
Aarya, still not understanding why she was reacting like this, just shook his head. This seemed to ease Inse's worry to some extent. However, her apprehension remained as she emphasized, "You can't tell anybody else about your blessing. Do you understand? You can't."
Still not understanding, Aarya nodded in confusion. She became more composed after that. Seeing this, Aarya decided to ask, "Mother, why should we hide this? Didn't Emperor Lankra and the Saint of Filth both received blessings?" Seeing his confused expression, Inse decided to explain.
Inse spoke with concern, "You heard what those merchants were saying, right? They'd do anything to get what they want, and there are many evil people in the world even more so than them. So, if someone like that were to find out about your blessing, they might try to use it by any means possible. I'm not sure I can keep you safe if that happens. That's why, for the sake of our family and your safety, it's better if we keep your blessing a secret."
Seeing that Aarya was listening carefully, she decided to explain further. "As for Emperor Lankra and the Saint of Filth, they were some of the lucky ones who weren't taken advantage of in that way. Emperor Lankra was incredibly strong, so no one could harm him easily. The people loved the Saint of Filth because of his kindness and the sacrifices he made, and he was favored by the emperor and the citizens of the empire. But aside from the blessed individuals we read about in books, there were many others who had difficult lives. Some were chased down, made to be slaves, or used by others to fulfill selfish desires."
Upon hearing Inse's explanation, Aarya realized how naïve he had been. He had lived a somewhat sheltered life, and these weren't the things that would come to his mind first. Understanding Inse's concerns, he decided not to reveal his skills to anyone else.
Concluding her explanation, she asked, "Do you understand me now?"
"Yes, mother, I understand. I won't tell anyone about my blessing," Aarya said seriously.
Feeling assured that her son had grasped everything she had conveyed, her heart finally eased. However, she still regarded Aarya with concern.
Aarya also felt anxious after hearing Inse. Noticing this, she chose to redirect his focus by inquiring about his blessing. "So, what blessing did my little rabbit receive?" she asked with a smile.
She successfully captured Aarya's attention. Upon hearing her, he began to share his skills, saying, "Last night, a being made of light appeared in my dream and bestowed upon me a blessing. I can attain knowledge, artifacts, money—basically anything. However, in return for receiving these things, I have to..." He stopped, his cheeks turned red, and he continued in a low and fast voice, " do sex."
He decided to come up with this lie on the spot because if people who received just one blessing were treated in such a way, he could only imagine what might happen to him, having two blessings. 'The fewer people who know about it, the better.' Aarya thought.
Upon hearing this, Inse's eyes widened, and she asked with a mix of shock in her gaze and voice, "What do you have to do?"
Seeing her shocked, Aarya decided to explain quickly, "I have to have sex. Basically, if somebody makes me orgasm and I make somebody else orgasm, I can receive rewards in exchange. The rewards depend on how many times I orgasm or make somebody else orgasm." Aarya explained in short breaths, leaving Inse looking even more surprised, not fully comprehending what he said.
Saying this, his heart rate increased. He hadn't expected Inse to believe in his ability. 'Who would believe in an ability like this?' Aarya thought. He looked at Inse's face, which still held a hint of shock and doubt.
She sighed and asked, "Are you sure that's what the gods said? Do you even know what 'Sex' and 'orgasm' means?"
'What do you think? Your son is 14 years old and wanted to fuck you,' Aarya mused in his mind, but didn't look at her directly, only nodding his head in response.
She looked at him, still filled with doubt. "You're not lying just to have sex, right?" Inse asked, full of suspicion.