0017. Becoming Head Of The Family

As Maya lifted the invisible barrier, the air around them seemed to relax, the tension dissipating. Jessica, with her usual calm demeanor, turned to Nile, who was still processing the weight of everything that had just transpired.

"Make caution a habit," Jessica advised, her voice carrying the authority of someone who had learned from experience. "The power you're handling isn't something to take lightly. You must be aware of the consequences of every action, especially when it involves something as delicate as your ASD."

Nile nodded, taking her words to heart. He could feel the pressure of responsibility weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Jessica continued, her gaze steady and reassuring. "The information packets that you'll store in your watch will always remain behind the screen. They won't be accessible until your ASD processes them and completely clears out any imprints left by others. Only then can the screen be opened, and you'll be able to see what's inside."

She paused for a moment, ensuring that Nile was absorbing every word. "Once a bundle appears in front of the screen, it means it's ready to be absorbed. But you must not absorb them hastily. Take your time. Meditate, calm your mind, and then slowly begin assimilating the bundle. Rushing will only lead to confusion or worse."

Nile felt the weight of her words and was about to respond when she added, "The first bundle you will encounter contains everything you need to know about cultivation up to stage 9 of Level 1. It's your foundation, so be thorough in understanding it before you move on to the next stages."

He stood still for a moment, realizing how much there was to learn, and how much depended on his ability to control his impulses.

"Thank you," Nile finally said, his voice quieter than before. "I won't forget this."

As the caravan began its journey once again, the rhythmic clattering of the wheels accompanied Nile's thoughts as he sat quietly within the wagon. He tried to enter a meditative state, but his thoughts remained too scattered, his focus not yet sharp enough. Sensing his struggle, Jessica chuckled softly from across the wagon.

"Don't try to copy Roni. He's been training for years, even before he could sit still like this. Not even I can do it as effortlessly as him." Jessica's voice held a note of caution, reminding Nile that true mastery over the mind takes time.

Nile nodded, understanding the importance of patience. 'One day, I'll be able to do it too', he promised himself, determined to achieve the same level of calm that Roni had mastered. His thoughts wandered to the days ahead—he had much to learn and many challenges to face.

The conversation in the wagon shifted as Jessica spoke again, her voice tinged with practicality. "I'll be attending the town school. Dad is going to look for jobs with flexible hours, and aunt Veena... Well, she says it's up to you to decide now."

Nile's gaze turned to Veena, his mother, who had been quietly watching the passing landscape. She met his eyes with a look of care and expectation. Nile's mind briefly flashed back to sis Reema—the previous head of the family. It was clear that the role had shifted to him now, and with it came a sense of responsibility he hadn't yet fully grasped.

James, sensing the weight of the moment, teased Veena with a laugh. "Lazy as always, huh?"

Veena rolled her eyes, but there was a softness to her expression. "I trust Nile to make his own decisions now."

Nile pondered their words, a surge of determination building inside him. Frost had left him a property in the town, a legacy that could be important in the days to come. He had already resolved that the first step would be to visit that property—his inheritance—and from there, he would plan his next move.

"First the property," Nile murmured to himself. "Then, we'll figure out the rest."

His mind focused, the swirling thoughts slowing down as he realized his journey had only just begun.

The caravan rumbled along the well-worn road, the steady pace of the oxen drawing them ever closer to the town. The sight before Nile was overwhelming—the camp sprawled across the plains outside the town's walls was like nothing he had ever seen. The area was filled with a mix of guards, villagers, and children, all gathered for the registration process. He had only heard vague details about the Protectorate and the official record-keeping system, but as he gazed upon the camp, he could not help but marvel at the scale of it all.

As the caravan drew nearer, Nile began to recall the information he had absorbed over the past few hours from the bundles of knowledge stored in his watch. Each packet of information revealed new details, filling his mind with facts and statistics. The camp itself was just the first step of a much larger process that involved the local guards and the Protectorate members who oversaw the registration of the children from all nine villages on the island.

The size of the town was another revelation. The information packets told him that the nine villages, each with a 9 km radius, surrounded the central town. The town itself, with a radius of 49 km, was the heart of the island, a bustling hub of activity and governance. But it didn't end there. The entire town island was part of a much larger system, with the capital city island housing the Protectorate City, a place with a radius of 149 km. He couldn't help but wonder, as the enormity of it all settled in his mind, how vast the Protectorate City truly was. He felt both awe and a deep sense of insignificance as he pondered the power and scale of the region.

The caravan entered the camp and immediately the atmosphere grew tense. A group of town guards stood gathered around Sid, who was holding court with his usual smug demeanor. The guards, loyal to Sid because of his influential family, hung on his every word. He was the son of the town mayor, after all, and he knew how to manipulate the system to his advantage.