Chapter 19 - Strengthening the heart focal

Everyone looked at Lisa with dumbfounded looks for a few more seconds before Sif yelled out, "My son almost died just now, and you want him to do that again?! Have you gone mad?!"

Lisa stayed calm and ignored the death stare she was getting, knowing Sif was just worried about her son. Although she was surprised by the fact she actually felt two stares that promised eternal damnation for suggesting Hati do that again, the second one coming from the young maid she had met for the first time today. 

Erik and Leif only had questioning gazes, waiting for an explanation. Ignoring the others, she focussed on Sif in an effort to calm her down, "I didn't mean he should do it right away. 

When it comes to a wound like this, I can only provide supplementary help, meaning It will take at least a year for his heart focal to heal completely. Only then would it be safe for him to try again. Unfortunately, this is the only method I know for dealing with this issue."

Sif, having not calmed down at all, started yelling again, "How is this dealing with the issue?! You're just telling him to keep almost ki-" But before she could finish the irrational tirade born from the stress of almost losing her son, she felt a kiss on her cheek. 

Looking to the side, she saw the pale and weak-looking face of her son. She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging Hati, so it was easy for him to reach her. His mouth was formed into a bright smile as he said in a still, slightly weak voice, 

"Thanks for worrying about me, Mother. But I'm fine, really. How about we just listen to Aunty Lisa's explanation before we decide anything?" 

Narrowing her eyes at her son but having internally already calmed down by her son's display of affection, Sif said, "Can you not be so mature for a second? A mother is allowed to freak out when her ten-year-old son almost dies, and someone suggests he do it again. Even if that someone is you, Aunty Lisa." 

At those last words, she went back to glaring at Lisa, even if she did it with less intensity than before. Lisa rolled her eyes at that and said, 

"I never suggested he has another brush with death." To be honest, had it been anyone else, she would have long since left, considering Sif's attitude. But she actually cared about Sif quite a lot, as she had been the spirit companion of Sif's mother in the past. 

She also helped quite a lot back when they were searching for a cure for her lethargy, and she was the only person outside of Leif and Hati who currently knew about her sloth shard.

Continuing her explanation, Lisa said, "Some people would actually consider Hati's situation a blessing rather than a curse." Quickly continuing to stay ahead of the obviously incoming protests from Sif and Astrid, she explained. 

"What I mean is this: there are very few methods in the world that can strengthen the foundation of a focal point. But damaging it during awakening and then healing it back up is one of them."

Erik nodded when she said, "Right, I've heard of that aswell. The parents would purposely injure the heart focal during their child's awakening and heal it back up, then repeat until this method can't strengthen the heart focal anymore. It takes away precious cultivation years for the young Einherjar, but that can be solved with some expensive resources. 

Barely anyone actually practices that method, though. It's obviously quite brutal towards the child and could easily go wrong as the amount and precision of the applied force is very important. 

Apply too much or miss the focal point, and the child likely dies. Apply to little force, and the focal point is still damaged, but the awakening isn't stopped, which would likely result in crippling the heart focal, ending the child's Einherjar path, assuming they survive."

Only Astrid was particularly upset at this information. After all, the adults in the room all had ages that ranged from 300 to 1500, and they had seen plenty of terrible things in that time. Meanwhile, Hati had also seen some of the worst things an intelligent being could stoop to, having lived as the ruler of a criminal empire back on Earth. 

Astrid, however, had heard plenty of horror stories back at the slave markets, but nothing that was essentially child torture. Realising the situation, Hati quickly adorned the same upset expression as Astrid made. Couldn't let his family get too suspicious about his intelligence and maturity after all.

Sif merely shook her head at the cruelty of this world before she said, "Did you have to say all that in front of the kids?" Turning to Hati, she kissed his forehead and said, "Don't worry. Mother will never harm you." 

Outwardly, Hati smiled brightly and said, "I know, Mother." Inwardly, he was smiling wryly as he thought, 'You say that now, but what if you find out I have been pretending to be something I'm not all this time? 

Not to mention the cruelty I myself have performed in the past. Not that I would ever hurt children, of course, but still, I've always done whatever it took to get what I want otherwise.'

Erik, meanwhile, was scratching his head as he said, "Perhaps you're right, sorry about that. Still, perhaps it's best they learn more about the world's cruelty now rather than when they are already out there." Sif snorted at this and said, 

"Hmpf, who says they have to learn about it? I'll just keep little Hati by my side for the rest of our lives. Since he has this condition, he might as well not become an Einherjar; I'll just protect him instead!" Everyone in the room rolled their eyes upon hearing this. It seemed like almost losing Hati brought out her inner smother.

Lisa, deciding it was time to pick up the explanation again, said, "Anyway, cruelty of the world and questionable parenting practices aside, let me finish my explanation before you decide Hati's future. 

Elemental dissonance provides the perfect amount of force at precisely the right time and place for strengthening the heart focal. Although it is still painful and dangerous, it is much less so than when performed by another person. Besides, the worst has already come and gone. 

After his heart focal heals up, it will be stronger than before, and the next time he tries this, he'll suffer much less. If I am present at the time aswell, there is almost no danger. And after the second time, he won't even really need me anymore."

Sif snorted again and said, "Hmpf, that still sounds way too dangerous. And what's the point of doing this anyway if the elemental dissonance keeps him from awakening?" Lisa answered, "Well, as the heart focal grows stronger and stronger, eventually it will be able to handle the backlash of the elemental dissonance. 

At that point, the two elements will be locked in the heart focal together, and one of two things happens. Either one of the two elements dissipates and becomes unusable, or it merges with the embryonic form of the spirit core inside the heart focal, causing that element to be added to the spirit core after it is formed. 

This is also one of the few known ways to increase the elements available to the spirit core. A lot of people have actually tried to induce elemental dissonance artificially, but, to my knowledge, no one has succeeded." She purposefully did not mention the small change of the two elements continuing to clash while locked inside, causing the Einherjar to explode. 

She did not want Sif to stifle Hati's future out of fear of the minuscule chance a mishap would happen. Had Hati known about this, he would have thanked Lisa from the bottom of his heart.

Hearing all this, Sif bit her lower lip as she wasn't sure what she should do here. On the one hand, she didn't want to block her child from becoming an Einherjar. On the other hand, she didn't want him to risk his life for it either. 

She felt a small hand on her cheek as she looked at Hati. He looked at her with a smile before he said, "I want to do this, Mother. From what you and the others have told me so far, the path of an Einherjar is already filled with danger. I'll just face it a little earlier than most. 

Besides, I don't want to stay as a weak mortal all my life. I want to grow up, become stronger and forge my own path." He didn't want Sif to fight him on this, so he threw in a little guilt, "Won't you let me do that, Mother?"

Sif looked into her son's eyes for a little longer and saw the determination in them. She sighed and looked away, "We'll talk about it more later. We still have a year before your heart focal is healed, and you can try again." Smiling at her, knowing she had basically given in already, Hati said, "Sure, Mother."