Though I turned 15 on the 9th day of Noxtranus, the 11th month of the year, nearly another month and a half passed before my mother came to our little fort all by her lonesome.

Though the celebration was far more remarkable than anything I'd gone through thus far, not much happened after. On that day, a course of events transpired in ways that were similar to my fifth birthday. My father appeared at our compound to beckon me back to the estate. And after hours of feasting and festivities, the staff and my family all gathered around to give me gift after gift after gift.

From Ebbet, I received an unassuming bedroll that was nearly as soft and plush as the woobie Giorno made. An item that would remain with for as long as possible. Gerolt, on the other hand, gave me something that would probably not be used, at least by me: a bow and quiver that he purchased for a high price, coupled with a complete butcher's set. And then there were my father's gifts, which seemed to know no bounds.

First was a train that was completely identical to his. A seemingly useless thing to have once I left the Empire. But with my core awakening on the horizon, I couldn't help but feel excited as I dragged the massive machine into my shadow. His second gift was my very own boat. A yacht by all accounts. Though it was far smaller than the craft we rode to the mainlands on, it was still more than enough for the seven of us to ride comfortably in. His third and final gift was an absolutely monumental horde of coins he claimed to be my savings account. A trust fund, essentially. A pool of wealth my parents had been investing in since I was first conceived. In his words, the underground of these realms runs ever-deep; yet below that lies the Darkworld: a place so far beneath the surface, metals become as common as dirt. Because of that, what had been my daily allowance was only one one-hundredth of the money they'd been setting aside for me. And even that fraction had been rebated by my father.

It'd been years since I last checked my wallet. After spending so much on the mana wells, I needn't a reason to check it. Thus looking at it now was numbing to the mind. Even for royalty. Looking back, however, my income had been large from the start. Still, I couldn't help but retrace my second life and go through each and every transaction I've made thus far; not that there were many to begin with. At three, tenday weeks per month coupled with a daily allowance of 1,000 gold coins, my 'allowance' equated to 30,000 gold a month. The product of that and 13 months a year equated to an annual sum of 390,000 gold. Multiplying that by five years, until I was ten, brought my balance to around 1.95 million altogether. Reducing my three veteran vassal's pay of 3,900 gold a year, for five years, brought that down by 58,500 gold, equating to around 1.98 million. And after spending 600k on external wells, that went down to around 1.29 million. Another four years of paying my vassals with no allowance brought that down to about 1.23 million. More like 1.21, after making a few purchases here and there for the tinkerer's competition. The last year of allowance and paying five vassals finally brought my sum total back up to about 1.6 million.

Now, however, I received the first five years of my allowance, plus the other 99 parts he held on to. In short...

[Wallet: 549,819,600 G.C.]

I know the Empire was wealthy, but even that gave me a moment of surprise. As extensive as my father's gifts were, however, my mother had yet to give me anything. As such, I couldn't help but feel a little hopeful as I stepped out of the compound to meet her.

My vassals seemed surprised to find such an esteemed lady walking around the woods in the middle of the night. But I knew better than to think of what I assumed to be a quite old drow in such a light manner.

"Gather yours and Your Lord's things and return to the estate. The departure for the Iron Mountain is at dawn." She regally snapped, prompting them to rise from their knees and scramble back into the compound at once while my mother gestured me to her side.

While my mind moved at near lightspeed, I calmly stepped into line beside her and started on a slow trek back to the estate. 'Finally.' I grinned in euphoria at the thought of finally awakening my cores and putting the laundry list of spells I've imagined to the test.

<<I've rarely seen you so filled with mirth.>> Mother giggled in her native tongue.

<<I am only excited to show you these things I have gathered.>> I sang. Then threw a bit of shade on the ground. <<I have been wanting to show you this.>>

Much to my delight, she affectionately gushed over the wagon the moment I brought it out. I made sure to give credit where it was due and told her that Ed, the neurotic one, was the creator. She praised him for his efforts and me for having the insight to recruit such a skilled individual at a young age before settling inside and calming down; if only a bit. Her eyes wandered around the carriage, yet her focus remained on me. Almost... waiting for me to talk. So I decided now was as good a time as any to voice my theories to her.

<<Forced what?>> Her head instantly recoiled something not far off from disgust. In turn, I explained my theory much as I had to my Great-Grandfather and carefully judged her reaction while doing so. Though, to little avail. She had an excellent poker face. As expected as a drow of her age.

'How old are you, anyways?' I squinted at her.

<<What you call, 'forced expansion' is but one of the three most important pieces of elven knowledge given to the denizens of Maru.>> Mother explained. <<All knowledge given to them are methods of empowerment. Yet they are capable of being performed by all creatures in the universe. One of them is what you call this... forced expansion.>> She almost giggled. But not in the way one would think. <<Another ability is something capable of being wielded only by humans. A ritual they call the Core Awakening Ceremony.>>

'That checks out.' I nodded, asking. <<And the last?>>

<<Class Evolution.>> She calmly stated. Then began explaining before I could begin to ask. <<You have been told countless times you are a Sorcerer, no? That is one of your classes.>>

'One of them.' I scoffed to myself. <<And what exactly is forced expansion?>> I asked.

In that instant, her poker face broke. It peeled back into a subtle and intent gaze that implicated that something had been confirmed by what I'd just said before reverting back to unbridled amiability the next instance. A shocking contradiction in relation to her actions. Wherein she calmly reached into the folds of her robe to withdraw a cylindrical object that was roughly the size of an empty toilet paper roll. Only made of a crystalline material that held back a thick soup of vibrant blue-white energy. Additionally, there was something I instantly recognized: a spider-shaped brooch. Imbued with the same thick mana as the Well. It was quite a dark surprise, considering my mother never wore anything of the sort. It was always silks and robes of the same purple moon color as her skin and eyes.

<<Judging from your expression, I would say you know what this is.>>

<<A mana well.>> I nodded. <<But from what kind of creature?>>

<<A Youteran divine beast.>> She calmly said. <<Have you ever looked at my well, my Son?>>

<<In passing.>> I shrugged. <<I operated under the assumption that it was… invasive.>>

<<No more invasive than gazing upon someone in the dark.>> She shrugged in turn. <<If it is something you can blatantly see, why would you not look at it?>>

<<Fair point, I suppose.>> I shrugged, lowering my eyes to focus on the glowing 'heart' beneath the folds of my mother's clothes. It was… large. Huge, in fact. Nearly twice the size of mine and brimming with the same blinding, blue-white energy. Mana. Yet far different from the cobalt-colored fluid surrounding us.

<<You may have heard that a human can have a well no larger than the twelfth grade. This possibly causes you a bit of confusion, seeing as your well is larger than that of the largest humans. .>> She paused, eliciting an affirmative nod from me before she continued. <<The truth is this: Elves and all other creatures from Youtera can possess far larger wells that contain far higher concentrations of mana. The nature of our Tree of Life is mana. Thus our limit is much, much higher. Mine is in the twenty-fifth grade.>> She gestured to herself. <<You have been estimated to match the size of my well. Though the device used to do so measured you wrongly, at a D-12. A half-drow such as yourself should have at least a fifteenth-grade well. Though, your particular circumstance may prove to be much higher.>>

My brow inquisitively raised at the sound of her words. Yet, I could say nothing as she held the Well up in my face and said. <<Pouring your mana into this will forcefully withdraw the contents of your well and combine it with what's already inside. But only temporarily.>> She coldly warned as she placed it in my hand. Despite its size, it was curiously light in my hand. Almost like it wasn't even there at all. <<After a few minutes, the contents of that mana well will force their way back into your spirit.>>

<<How does that help?>> I looked up at her, shaking my head in confusion.

<<Alone, it doesn't.>> She giggled softly and reached back into her sleeve to hand me a large flask. "A cup of this potion will unbind the restrictions on your mana pores. Fully, for a few minutes. And permanently, to a lesser extent>>

<<I see.>> I nodded, taking the potion. 'It's like a capacitor mixed with a compressor. Or...' <<I place all of my mana into this external well, mixing it with the mana within. With the potion, my spiritual well will recharge before that mixed mana returns. Forcefully.>> I added, staring at her for confirmation and getting nothing in return. <<...compressing the mana within my well. Or expanding it. Or both.>> I shrugged.

<<Correct.>> She nodded, showing the smallest hints of pride.

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<<But then that begs the question.>> I shook my head in confusion. <<What is denser than a diamond?>>

<<That is the human within you speaking.>> Mother harrumphed in laughter. <<You think of the energy in your body as a material. As a substance akin to water or crystals. While partially true, the Weave is much more, my Son.

<<Mana.>> Mother exclaimed. <<In its purest form, mana looks like this.>> She gestured to both her well and the one grasped in my hand. <<Energy that we of the Fey call, Arcana. Or Arcane Mana.>>

<<And I'm supposed to have this… arcana? You're just… giving it to me?>> I hesitantly asked. It seemed the sheer shock of her compliance was getting to me.

<<You seem surprised.>> She giggled, following a subtle nod and long pause.

<<I just expected some sort of resistance, is all.>> I sighed.

<<I am not fickle and dishonest like your Great-Grandfather.>> She huffed. <<Knowledge is power, as I am sure you know. Why would I not bestow such a thing on my beloved son?>>

<<Then, you'll tell me anything?>> I intently squinted.

<<I intended to tell you the truth behind your existence when you became of age.>> She nodded. <<That time is now. All you need to do is ask. Though, I expect you to have more knowledge than I do in regard to some things.>>

<<Okay then.>> I nodded. <<What do you know of gods?>>

<<I know of many.>> She blankly blinked. <<I know of you. And like you, I am a Cleric to one. Though, the one associated with you is the reason why I am here. He is the reason why any of us are here. He is why we elves do the things we do. However cruel or illogical they may seem.>>

'Ah.' I nodded internally. 'So they don't worship Telin as he said. They just do his bidding.'

<<I see.>> I finally said. <<So then, why are you here?>>

<<Almost fifteen centuries ago, a series of portals or gates opened across each of the inhabited realms.>> She explained, cueing my series of nods and affirmative grunts. <<It took us ten centuries to learn the secrets of the gates. The moment we did, we closed them. Then spent a hundred years culling the intruders from our realm. Orcs, demons, humans; none were spared from our crusades. In the process, we grew to understand more of ourselves than we could ever hope to imagine. We learned of mana, magic, and our nature as Children of the Fae. After the culling, we had risen to the pinnacle of existence on the Mortal Plane, surpassing even dragons and demons. And it was at that time when an eternal deity known as Telin made himself known to our people.>>

She paused as if she were waiting for some type of reaction on my part. I however was too engrossed in the story to feint any type of surprise. It wasn't as if she'd have believed my lies anyway. Instead, I could only ask questions.

<<What did he look like?>>

<<After his presence faded.>> She continued with no regard for my question. <<We spent years convening to understand just what our species had witnessed. After many years, we learned that he appeared to each of us in a different way. He spoke to all of us in a different voice. And most importantly, he gave each of us different tasks.

<<High Elves were tasked with finding gifted mages. Particularly a mage with barrier magic, but also Jamettus Deapou and others, to empower them through ritual; binding their magic to their bloodline in much the same way as yours. Elves of the Forest were instructed to travel across Maru and share these secrets of elven knowledge with the humans. meanwhile, we drow were told to inform the humans of the Darkworld and the bounty of wealth within, we helped cull and secure their world, and we were tasked with reopening the Marulean gate at a specific time, at a specific location.

<<Yet these were only the most specific tasks. In the grand scheme of things, every elf was tasked with preparing for the arrival of Telin's Champion. Elves of the Frost; of the Sea; of the Woods; Dark; Desert; Mountain; Sky, and High. All were tasked with preparing the realms for you. But only I was tasked with retrieving that.>> She pointed to the well in my hand. <<Only I was to then travel through that Marulean gate. I was to then find the Royal Beloved by Darkness. I was to sire a child with that man. And then, I was to bless that child with material wealth, love, knowledge, and power, until he attended the awakening ceremony. I was to then give him the well I acquired so long ago, and pass along the mark of his people.

<<That brooch will signal your station to any elf old enough to know the truth behind Telin's Intervention. Though I am sure you will rarely need it. Unfortunately, however, I am not the one tasked with teaching you our ways.>>

'Sounds like the buildup to a bad story.' I snorted internally before she continued.

<<I will be leaving this place with you, Son.>> She wearily sighed. <<I am to return to Youtera as you are to head to the Imperial Capital and awaken your affinity cores. Once you mature as an elf, you are expected to come to Youtera to study the art of mana forging. I will not be the one to retrieve you for this. However, I am tasked with teaching you. Wherein my tasks will finally be complete.>> She wore a hopeful expression with those words.

I mean, she probably has. 'I could only imagine why.' I internally shook my head, then turned to her again. <<And what of the ceremony?>>

<<As I said, in addition to teaching humans about… forced expansion.>> She giggled again. <<The high elves were tasked with sharing our technology with humanity.>>

'Technology?' my ears perked up.

<<The first was a construct that would awaken additional affinity cores in humans with Slush Wells or higher. One simply needs to deposit the required amount of mana into the construct, sending a pulse out into the heavens and in turn, depositing their cores. The humans believe the gods or the divine beasts of the Mortal Plane to be the source of their power. But… well, I am sure you know.>>

<<Yes.>> I nodded. Though I'm sure it wasn't as she assumed. Telin was a science nerd, like me. The driving force behind it may have been magical, but my rebirth clearly showed some sort of automated process being used to decide upon my lineage and other factors of my birth. It would only stand to reason he'd use the same method to distribute cores to humans instead of picking and choosing each one as he did with me. What parameters that system used, was the only question that remained.

<<And of the classes?>> I asked. <<You mentioned something about evolution.>>

<<Like divine beasts,>> She said. <<There are divine trees. Trees of Life give rise to all creatures in each realm. From the edge of the sky to the depths of the Darkworld, these trees spread. Trees of Knowledge are not commonly viewed as trees but as towers; such as Corvus. Finally, there are Trees of Mana, the divine trees we elves grew to master. Before we had to rely on knowledge passed down through generations, we learned to see the paths one needed to take to evolve. That was when Telin appeared to us, demanding we share this knowledge with all other sentient races. Though, it seems the one we shared it with hasn't shared it in turn.>>

<<It's like my Great-Grandfather said, the academy has a monopoly on knowledge.>> I commented aloud, then waved the matter aside and leaned in a bit over the table. <<One more question. Ever since I could remember, I've been having the same dream while I meditate. Is that normal?>>

<<Ah.>> Her head rocked back as her eyes filled with either melancholy or nostalgia or perhaps both. <<It is said that we elves dream of our primordial selves during our adolescence. Our past lives, from a time when we were more than just elves. That said, I doubt that is the case for you, my Son.>>

"Hmm." I scratched my chin in contemplation. <<Going by that logic, it would be safe to assume I am dreaming of my ancestors. The beginning of my human lineage, perhaps? Or an important part of it, at least.>>

<<I have no way of knowing.>> Mother calmly shook her head.

<<I was merely thinking aloud.>> I reassured her with an open palm before bowing in thanks. <<Thank you, Mother.>>

<<Hmm.>> She softly purred before leaning closer over the table. <<With the completion of this task, your blessings have been cut short. Now, I have one question for you, my Son. What is it that Telin's Champion seeks?>>

<<Knowledge.>> I snorted out a laugh and shrugged. Causing her to recoil abruptly in shock. The jig was up, after all. <<I have no wish to rule or conquer anything. Nor did Telin bring me here for any specific purpose, other than to live freely. The guild and empire I plan to form are only a means to an end. A way for my friends and followers to live peaceful lives while I explore these realms and learn everything I can.>>

<<And what if, when you have explored and learned, you dislike what you saw, and what you learned turned your heart sour? What happens if you see only misery and misfortune throughout your days? If you find others hating you for your mere existence, what then?>>

<<If and when I explore everything there is to explore, I will create a quiet place to call home and live out the rest of my days surrounded by my friends. If the latter comes true>> I shrugged again. <<Then, I will work to remake the realms around me into something a bit more exciting.>>

<<Such as?>> Mother leaned closer.

<<Something entirely different.>> I shrugged. <<As such, I cannot know. But it will be something that resets everything. Something that changes the paradigm, or at least gives me something else to spend a few lifetimes exploring. As I said, I have no wish to rule over anyone. Nor was I born in this universe to bring judgment on anyone, only to live freely. Thus I will combine my knowledge and this universe's magic to birth an empire capable of granting people the freedom to live as they wish. I do not care what happens outside of that.>>

<<I see.>> She sighed almost in relief, then motioned to stop the carriage and proceeded to disembark.

Following a long, spine-popping hug, she pulled away to step off towards the woodline. Only to stop at the edge and turn to look over her shoulder.

Looking closely, it wasn't hard to see a subtle quiver running down her spine, a sudden glaze in her eyes, and a noticeable wavering in her voice as she said. <<This is the last time we shall see each other until you come to Youtera. Always remain proud of the fact that you are drow. And never let anything best you. From the bottom of my heart, I love you, Amun of Odissi. My beloved son.>>

<<I love you too, Mom.>> I called after her fading afterimage.

After a few moments of standing idly in the snowfall, I climbed back into the wagon and resumed the journey to the estate in silence, gathering my thoughts until well after Karu halted at the walls. My mind continued racing, even after my vassals arrived and we entered the estate to hear the elated greetings and comments from the staff regarding the upcoming ceremony. Unsurprisingly, my father was nowhere to be found. I highly doubted my mother's disappearance came from left field. But that didn't change the fact that the man obviously loved her, and was now heartbroken.

Looking back at my own conversation with the deity, his mention of luck directly implied he'd be challenging me or assessing me in more ways than he described. In what way exactly, was my biggest guess. It could have been something as simple as changing the paradigm, something as cliche as killing my family, or something as predictable as placing millions of lives at risk for the sake of judging how I would react or perhaps test my morals. On the contrary, it could have all been an elaborate hoax to make me paranoid; or he could do nothing but watch and see what I'll do with absolute power. Considering his meddling with the elves, I couldn't help but think of my father and wonder if his love was due to Telin's influence as well. Unlikely as that seemed. It's been said time and time again that humans knew nothing of elven knowledge. But that was just that- hearsay. He could be a subconscious actor in Telin's play without even knowing it. Or, he could simply be another elder soul. A seed of consciousness that was as loving and caring as he'd been in every life he'd lived up to this point.

Regardless of what was true, I couldn't exactly tell if I'd be sad or enraged if he were to die. And despite me being a bit saddened by her abrupt departure, such feelings were extended toward my mother as well. While they gave me a lot, I hadn't exactly spent a lot of time with them growing up. I've bonded the most with my vassals. Day in and day out. For a decade now at this point, we've trained, learned, and lived together. I could safely say I'd be veritably pissed if they were to meet an untimely demise. An inevitable effect of me personally training them, I supposed.

But then again, it wasn't as if death would be the end for them.

On the contrary, death was simply a new beginning.

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