0006 Mad Boy and Mad Man

Outside the village gate, facing the National Highway, a crowd had gathered. Various wagons, carriages, and horse-drawn carts were lined up, all ready for departure. In one of the luggage wagons, a woman with white hair sat with a child lost in thought. Unlike the other villagers bustling with excitement, exchanging departing promises and farewells, these two seemed to be isolated in their own world, distant from the commotion around them.

After a long moment of silence, Nile snapped out of his reverie and turned to his mother. "Mama, do you have anything else you can tell me?"

His mother's expression grew distant. She had been quiet for a long time, and her eyes clouded as though remembering something she wasn't sure she should share. "I can't tell you anything more about them... not yet. You're not ready for the knowledge."

"I understand," Nile replied, his gaze softening. "But I wasn't asking about them. I was asking about your darkest time. I remember we've always lived in this village, but... what happened before?"

His mother sighed, her fingers tightening on the jade box she had been holding. "Oh, child... I really don't want to tell you about it. But... it's something you must know, whether it's today or tomorrow. First, promise me something."

"Anything, Mama."

"Promise me you will remember what I've taught you—to lead a happy life and not let ambition, revenge, or darkness ruin it. That no matter what happens, your actions and your life will be defined by your happiness, not by any evil."

Nile nodded solemnly. "I promise, Mama. I'll live my life the way you've taught me—without dark emotions."

"Very well," his mother said, her voice soft but filled with weight. "Listen carefully, then."

"Once, there was a handsome young man who fell in love with an equally beautiful woman. They loved each other deeply and soon married. The man took his wife back to his family home, and the woman, a poor village girl, followed him eagerly. But when they returned after years of traveling, the man discovered that his family had already arranged a marriage for him with another powerful family. They separated the lovers, and he was forced to marry the woman his family had chosen for him.

On their wedding night, the man told his new wife all about his previous love, even revealing that she was pregnant with his child. The two women, though separated by circumstances, met and decided to live together as a family. Months passed, and the child was born."

His mother paused for a moment, her face shadowed with sorrow. "The child was born with a unique gift. But blinded by his desire for power, the man... your father...tried to dug out the child's birth imprint that is equivalent to snatching the soul, believing he could gain that power for himself. When mid process the soul broke apart only giving him half of it he got sonsumed by madness, he sought to kill the child and his mother, so no one else could ever possess such power."

Nile's heart raced with anger, his fists clenching. "Such a madman! Mama, how could you fall in love with someone like that?"

His mother's voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with regret. "Oh, little child, when did I say I fell in love with him? It wasn't me who loved him... it was your mother. I am your stepmother, Nile. I was the arranged wife."

Nile's world seemed to shatter. "What!?" He stared at her in disbelief, his mind unable to process what he was hearing. The anger he had felt just moments before turned into confusion. "You're... not my mother?"

His stepmother sighed deeply, wiping away the single tear that had fallen. "No, Nile. I am not your mother. I am the woman who was forced to marry your father."

Tears filled Nile's eyes as he crawled toward her, his voice trembling with emotion. "Don't say that, Mama. You are my mother. Please."

His stepmother embraced him tightly, patting his back gently. "Alright, alright, that's enough of the dark talk for today, my child."

After some time, Nile quieted down. His mother watched him, her expression softening as she realized how much he had endured already. She pointed outside the village, where the road stretched out toward the National Highway.

"Look there, Nile," she said, her tone shifting from somber to practical. "That's the National Highway leading directly to the central town. From there, we can teleport to Island Number 112, which has developed into a city. That's where we're going to settle until you've outgrown the strength that can be developed there."

Nile looked outside, observing the other villagers preparing for their departures. "Okay, Mama... but why do so many children leave for the town every year, especially those between 9 to 10 years old?"

His mother smiled slightly, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Well, you see, in our nation, children begin their education at the age of four. By the time they reach 9 or 10, they either complete their village education or fail it. If they fail, it's better for them to live their whole lives in the village. But those who pass can move on to study for another three years in the town."

Nile nodded, his curiosity piqued. "And after that?"

"After that, if they pass, they can move to city colleges. And if they succeed there, they can move up to the nine Great City colleges. From there, they can attend the Capital College and the Royal Academy in the capital of our nation. There's a rule in our land: every child must go through these steps of education. Even a royal prince starts in the village, then goes to town, then to the city, and so on."

"So, Mama," Nile asked, "will I be studying in the town school?"

His mother chuckled lightly. "No, silly boy. Where will you get the money to study? We'll be staying on your friend's property. Now that he has left it to you, we will live there and try to maintain the establishment to cover our needs."