It’s Beautiful - Stella Jang

I woke up in the morning much like any other day. I'd spent most of the night cultivating, followed by a short nap to refresh myself. Cultivating was killing two birds with one stone, in the sense that I got plenty of rest while at the same time, improving my mana core. I could feel the next stage was approaching which is why I didn't slack off.

The nap was however, entirely for my vanity. I'd noticed that while cultivating removed the feeling of tiredness, the body would eventually show signs of fatigue. Fortunately, I could cheat with healing magic to freshen up.

After having started puberty WAY ahead of schedule, I experienced the normal symptoms. I began to go through hormonal changes which spurred acne and physical maturation(^_-). Acne wasn't a big problem but I wasn't a fan, especially when I could do something about it with water and healing magic. Although it might seem like a waste of time to develop spells just to improve my appearance, I didn't care. I liked how I looked and wouldn't withhold care.

I tried not to let it get to my head but I really had great genetics. I was currently just over 185cm tall and had a lean, muscular build, a result of all the physical training I'd done. My hair now hung just under my ears and my skin had darkened as I grew up, now a light peachy tone, lacking any blemishes.

My appearance was very pleasing but even more so because of my body's functionality. My fighting ability had far surpassed any single being that I knew of which was comforting. The monsters—which were usually larger versions of normal animals with a few exceptions—that left the forest and attacked settlements were no match for me. The distance between me and them was a problem though. When I was around, I killed any monsters that I could see with my now developed mana sense without alerting anyone, but the rest, I left to the army that had been established to address the problem.

I could now stretch my mana sense in a full net of about 1km in radius but I could go much farther if I whipped it around like a string. With the string technique, I could go about ten times as far albeit awkward and a bit slow, so it wasn't fit for close combat.

As I sat up in my bed thinking of my progress, I heard the tweets of some song birds outside so I got up to look out my window. It was fall but the only difference from any other season was what day it was; seasons didn't have much an effect here.

After freshening up in the bathroom, I donned a simple white tunic with black pants and headed downstairs for breakfast. These days, I often ate breakfast with just my mother because of how busy my father was with designating supplies to the migrants. My mother was also busy at the time but while father was the face of authority, my mother dealt with budgeting and organization so she worked from the home office. My mother was a very smart woman.

When I arrived in the dining room, it came as a surprise when I saw the two of them discussing business at the table. Although a surprise, it was a pleasant one so I happily accepted it and sat down with them. They both greeted me before the food was delivered by Giselle and another maid. Giselle hadn't changed much in appearance over the years which was a testament to her. My parents had aged but in my opinion, their age suited them as they were wise and respected individuals.

When the senior Lord Byron had arrived in the spirit lands, he lost a lot of influence as father was widely accepted here as the leader. If he tried to take his position, there would've been a lot of backlash so Lord Byron senior basically retired.

Because of my immediate family's rise in importance, we'd been designated as the head household so our available resources grew along with our power in society. With all the newly arrived nobles in the spirit lands, came many who were looking to curry favour with us because of the expected outcome of the war coming to Paloma, the mainland in Korinth. This made me grateful for my relative seclusion but I knew it wouldn't last.

After breakfast, my father explained that when going around today to do his job, he wanted me to come shadow him to learn. As a young noble, I knew that this day would come but my parents really liked taking their time. Maybe I should just join the army and climb ranks until my parents respect me. That plan would probably work, but I'd definitely end up revealing my magic sooner than later which was not something I could risk at the moment. The only one who currently knew was Levi but I wanted to tell my parents. With the war coming around, if I didn't use my magic, it'd be like fighting without my arms. I was a force to be reckoned with so if either empire decided to attack, I wouldn't hold back.

—

My father's routine largely consisted of providing resources to help the poorer migrants survive. Many had used their life savings to flee Paloma so they often lacked shelter and sustenance. I understood the need to help but I found issue with my father who was only treating the symptoms. I suggested that we find jobs for the migrants where bed and board are provided but they also receive some money. This way, they could contribute to the development of our settlements while at the same time becoming self sufficient.

My father scrunched his face up at first but then showed an expression of awe. Geez, I forgot how regressed this society is, at least in comparison to modern earth. My father readily implemented my suggestion while praising me for my intelligence. Although it often sounded like he was praising himself, "I knew it was a great idea for us to get you a tutor from such a young age". I was going to say something about Mr.Adler being crazy but I decided to let him have his moment. He was proud of me in some aspect.

After walking around what looked like slums for a few hours, allocating resources where necessary, my father took me to a reception hall in the middle of Craith. The building acted as a city hall where an increasing number of individuals worked to govern the region. My father explained on our way there that we'd be meeting with some high ranking nobility from Paloma who'd recently arrived. They were quite wealthy so it was beneficial to have a good relationship with them.

The city hall had an office for my father where we'd be meeting with the nobles. After entering the foyer, the office was a straight shot from the door which we entered. Inside, there was a large fancy wooden desk sitting across from what looked like a sitting area where there was a satin couch and two chairs sitting around a coffee table. The couch was occupied by two individuals who stood up upon our arrival.

On the right, was an older heavyset man with a greying handlebar moustache and a wispy collection of hairs that failed at hiding his pale scalp. Next to him was a young girl that I suspected to be around twenty years old. By all my definitions, the girl was very pretty. She had long coiled black hair that was woven into an elegant pattern draping over her shoulders. Her skin was a deep brown, almost black that looked smooth as marble with cheekbones that were high on her face and gave her full lips a constant slight smile.

I can tell that if I were in any way attracted to women, she'd have caught my eye. They introduced themselves as Graham and Yalena Ouma respectively, Yalena being Graham's daughter. After returning introductions, Yalena approached me with a cheeky smile saying, "it's nice to meet you Charlie".