Soon night came to Stormerga, and Ethan was sitting on his now clean bed.
His eyes were closed, and he hesitated for a second before making a decision and watching 1500 points disappear from his savings in the system store.
[Your current breakthrough chance is 85%.
System: Starting in 3... 2... 1...]
Ethan listened to the system's messages but didn't worry because he was preparing himself. He had talked to the system a bit that afternoon and now knew that the chances it showed were not absolute and were nothing more than a rough estimate based on data from many people, not taking into account Ethan's great talent.
The real chances of him making it to the advanced level of the awakening stage were probably infinitely close to 100%.
Soon, the advance began, and Ethan concentrated as he moved his mana around his body.
Just like last time, Ethan felt intense pain as a colossal amount of mana entered his body, his muscles twitching, and he grunted as he tried to hold it all in and help the system as much as he could.
The difference was that this time he had more experience, and although he had only trained for a short time, it had been enough to really deepen his control over the mana, resulting in a much smoother progression than the first time.
Of course, Ethan didn't get carried away; he knew very well that breakthroughs within the same stage were much easier than those at different stages and that he would probably suffer a lot if he tried to advance to the foundation stage.
"Uh... Ah..." Ethan inhaled deeply before exhaling, his eyes still closed, and a faint, suppressed pulse of mana spread through the room as the system finished working on his advancement.
[System: Breakthrough successfully completed; use your new power well].
Immediately after the system's message, he opened his eyes and felt that his mana reserves had increased by more than 50%, and even though the awakening stage only worked on the mana heart and not the body and meridians, he still felt much stronger in his body and his ability to use this power in battle.
As soon as he was sure that everything was all right, Ethan got up, grabbed his equipment, and walked to the door of his room.
He was going to meet up with Robert and the others to discuss how they were going to steal the crystal, but his steps stopped the moment he reached for the doorknob.
His breathing became heavy, and mana exploded in his body as he drew his sword.
With a burst of strength and speed, he turned and advanced, swinging his sword at a lone, shadowy figure by his bedroom window.
Ethan's sword struck the figure, but nothing happened, as if the force had been immediately neutralized and even the inertia created by the speed of Ethan's attack had been completely negated.
"'Powerful... Congratulations on your breakthrough, Ethan. Your father wouldn't be proud, I'm sure, but your mother would." The figure spoke in a strangely familiar voice as it revealed itself to Ethan.
It was a tall man with a dignified face, blue eyes, and black hair.
"You... how?" Ethan asked, still in shock, as he walked away in quick steps, his body only stopping when it hit the wall of the room at his back.
"You can change your body, your face, and your hair, but not your soul. For an ordinary Awakened, this might be something that goes unnoticed, but for someone who has dedicated their life to studying magic and knows it so well, noticing your existence is as natural as breathing."
"Ah..." Ethan sighed as he realized that there was no way; killing David was something far beyond his abilities, and even running away from him was just a dream.
In the end, he could only laugh bitterly as he spoke. "It's good to see you, Lord David... How is little Arthur?"
"He's fine," David smiled, "but not as little as he used to be and already showing the qualities of a worthy heir... He's been asking a lot about you since his father disowned you."
"I understand..." Ethan spoke, his voice and face still strange at meeting an old friend who still treated him so normally.
A deafening silence filled the room as the two men stared at each other.
"Ethan..." David broke the silence with a slight hesitation in his voice as he thought about the next words to come out of his mouth. "About what happened... I'm sorry I didn't intervene, but I..."
"It's okay," Ethan interrupted David's words. "There was nothing you could do; I know that; I know the rules of the game."
"I'm glad... I don't know how you came back; I don't know if you made a pact with a god, a demon, or some remnant of a specialist lost many ages ago.
But I want you to know that it doesn't matter; your father may be dead, but my alliance with your house still stands, my troops are at your disposal to recover what is rightfully yours, and I will even defend you personally before the king for the crime of parricide."
David spoke, his words sincere enough to move Ethan, who had forgotten that in this world of cruel men, there were good-hearted men who would give their lives to defend those they loved.
"Thank you, Lord David. I promise to do my best to repay your kindness in the future."
"Don't worry about repaying me, young man; our alliance should last another 200 years according to the agreement made by our ancestors, and while it lasts, it is my duty to help you." David laughed at Ethan's words, and his eyes went deep as he turned and looked at the great city that lay beyond Ethan's bedroom window.
"About your grandfather, he's still on the wild eastern island." David spoke, his expression heavy, as he remembered another old friend.
Hearing these words, Ethan's expression changed to a scowl, and he spoke with contempt and anger, "I don't want to hear anything about that man. He promised to save us; he had the power to do so, and yet he let us die at the hands of that damned man.
He's nothing but a good liar who deceived his grandson and his own daughter with false promises when he realized that the man my mother chose was a monster.
These words were sincere from the bottom of his heart, but they didn't please David, who stiffened and raised his voice.
"Your grandfather loved you with all his heart! I understand that you hate him, and honestly? I don't know how I would feel if I were in your position, but you have to understand, Ethan, that your grandfather made mistakes with the royal family and ended up in a position from which he could not recover.
There was a blade around not only his neck, but your neck, your mother's neck, and the necks of all the men who followed him! He had responsibilities—responsibilities he couldn't deny.
I can move my troops now because protecting the title of an ally is one of my responsibilities, the only difference being that I can deny that responsibility at the cost of nothing more than a fraction of my prestige.
If your grandfather were to deny this responsibility, it would mean the death of him, all the soldiers and families under his protection, and the extermination of his own family.
You've never experienced the cruelty of the royal family firsthand, Ethan, so I understand why you can't understand why your grandfather didn't go against the king's word and take you and your mother from that bastard's clutches.
But I promise you, every day of his life since his mother's death and his own death has been an endless torment, and he's suffered enough for his own sins to still be hated by the only family he has left that he believes is dead."
David's sermon lasted only a moment, but for Ethan, it seemed to last for hours, his shoulders shaking as a flood of emotions overtook his heart.
From the depths of his mind came the memories he had tried so hard to forget: his mother, her loving smile and gentle embrace, and even his grandfather, who always brought the best gifts.
He was a kind and honorable man; Ethan knew that, but how could he hide the pain? How could he not hate someone for whom he had waited for years, suffering terrible tortures, hoping to see his grandfather's troops surround his father and beat him to death?
It's easy to understand the irrationality of hatred, but it's the very fact that it's irrational that makes it so hard to forget.
"I don't know what to say." Ethan finally broke down, a single tear running down his cheek as he struggled to contain the feelings in his heart: hate, longing, sadness, and melancholy, all mixed together in his chest like a demonic and painful concoction.
"Then don't say anything, son." David grabbed Ethan's shoulders and continued with a look that seemed to pierce the young man's soul: "I have a small port on the coast and a fleet that delivers supplies to the wild eastern islands every few months; the next shipment is due to leave in a few days.
Get on that ship and find your grandfather. He may only be a mercenary captain, but he has nearly 700 elite soldiers under his command. Become his heir and take control of these men before you return to the central island, not as a mere mercenary captain but as a lord ready to reclaim his family's lands."
Ethan listened to Richard's proposal and considered it carefully.
His grandfather was a great warrior, probably one of the ten strongest in the Kingdom of the Eternal Isles, and of course it would be an incredible advantage to be at his side, especially considering that his grandfather's army, though smaller in numbers, was by no means weaker than David's.
When he thought rationally, Ethan thought it was the smart thing to do, but when he thought with his heart...
He didn't know...
'What a joke. Do you have any ideas, system?' Ethan mocked himself; he was technically the heir to a being that was above even the gods his people worshipped, but still he was stuck in family drama.
[I am technically a part of you, and I can feel your feelings and your pain. From what I know of the human mind, you need time to clear your head. David is right, and holding on to hurt from someone who didn't help you because they simply couldn't help you is foolish.
Talk to your grandfather and work things out with him; that's the only way to resolve this.
Human emotions are complex, and despite the relative autonomy granted to me by my creator, I'm still unable to fully understand them].
Nor are humans... Ethan sighed to himself and turned to Richard before making a decision.
"I need time. Let me finish this mission, and I'll make a decision."
"Fine, take all the time you need." David said this before giving Ethan a light tap on the shoulder.
He would have preferred that the young man just accept it once and for all, but after what he'd been through, just the fact that he was considering accepting his offer was enough to make David happy.
Before leaving Ethan again, David stopped his steps, turned, and waved in the air, a single talisman appearing in his hands.
"It's a communication talisman; it's directly connected to me. When you make your decision, you can use it to contact me." David handed the crystal to Ethan before turning and walking away, his body disintegrating into crystals of light that flowed through Ethan's open window.
Ethan continued to stand there, staring at the horizon beyond the window.
He was tired of it all, but he still had duties to fulfill.