Mother's trial [1]
Coming out of the bathroom, Ardyn changed into black pants and a crisp white shirt.
He grabbed the Crystalice brew and took a sip, savoring its refreshing effect.
It cleared his mind and the fatigue pressing down on him.
Moving to the window, he gazed at the snow-covered expanse of the Draymore Duchy.
Finishing the brew, he placed the cup back on the tray and left his room to meet his mother, who would likely be in her office.
His father was in Revel City, defending their duchy from the void beasts, leaving his mother to manage the internal affairs.
So, she spent most of her time in her office, immersed in an endless sea of paperwork.
As Ardyn walked through the corridor, maids and knights bowed respectfully.
When he reached the office door, he knocked twice before stepping inside.
The room was lined with large bookshelves on both sides, and at the far end stood a curved desk with piles of neatly stacked papers.
A head popped out from behind the papers, only to quickly duck back down as if trying to pretend they hadn't noticed him.
Why does she act like a child?
He wondered.
Only the sound of a pen scratching against paper echoed in the room.
If only Dad was here, it would be easier to convince her.
But he wasn't and waiting for help wasn't going to get him anywhere.
Moving closer to the desk, Ardyn said firmly.
"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore."
"If I'm always sheltered and protected, I'll never grow stronger."
Her soft purple eyes finally looked up, a flicker of concern passing through them as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip.
"But the missions at the camp might put your life in danger," she replied gently.
"If you want to get stronger, I'll help you myself."
Her warm gaze made it hard to argue, but he held his ground.
He understood her fear—she had lost so much during her childhood, and now she was terrified of losing him too.
"Yes, I can get stronger here," he conceded, watching as relief softened her expression.
"But I won't be as strong as those who risk their lives. Without facing real challenges, no matter how much I grow, it will be meaningless."
His voice was resolute as he added,
"And you know that better than anyone, Mom."
She frowned, the worry etched on her face deepening.
After a long pause, she spoke again, her tone more serious.
"Then prove it."
He tilted his head in confusion - Prove what?
"Prove that nothing will happen to you," she continued.
"How?" he asked, his brows furrowing.
Her answer was calm but sharp:
"By defeating a terror-rank void beast."
His lips twitched in disbelief.
Terror-rank void beasts were rank-2, while he was currently just an initiate—stage 1 elemental.
While it wasn't impossible for an initiate to kill a terror-rank beast, it was extremely difficult.
It would require complete mastery of their skills to stand a chance.
And that was the problem—he wasn't anywhere near that level yet.
Still...
I'll defeat it, even if it means sacrificing an arm or a leg in the process - he thought resolutely.
After all, there were elementals who could easily reattach limbs.
His lips parted, the words forming on his tongue—until her next sentence made his breath catch.
"Without a single scratch."
"What?!"
That's impossible.
***
Ardyn walked out of the office with a tired expression.
After nearly an hour of arguing, they finally reached an agreement.
His mother agreed to specify which void beast he would face.
It was a critical concession, as there were countless types of void beasts—some well-documented and others entirely unknown.
Knowing the type of beast in advance was a significant advantage.
The beast Ardyn had to face was 'Dreadspine' — a black, wolf-like creature with jagged crimson spines and a tail with serrated edges.
Among the known terror beasts, the Dreadspine ranked in the top 20.
For an individual to face it alone, its threat level would rank in the top 10 due to its exceptional speed, whip-like tail, and ability to launch spines at its enemies.
Next, they discussed the timeline.
Initially, she insisted that he must defeat the beast in a single attempt.
However, after he argued about the sheer impossibility of doing so without a scratch, she relented and adjusted the terms.
He would have up until his departure for the camp to succeed.
Five days.
During that time, he was allowed a single attempt each day, whether he used it or not.
That meant he had, at most, five opportunities to complete the challenge.
Although It wasn't ideal, it was better than her original, unforgiving terms.
Ardyn tapped twice on the Arcband on his wrist, and a translucent screen appeared before his eyes, displaying his current stats:
————
[Ardyn Haze]
• AGE: 14
• RANK: Initiate [22%]
• TYPE: Tri-elemental
[Affinity]
• Darkness
• Illusion
• Space
[Core]
• MANA CORE - Level 1[12%]
• DARK CORE - Level 1[23%]
• ILLUSION CORE - Level 1[23%]
• SPACE CORE - Level 1[20%]
[Skills]
• Illusion
— Mirage Clone [Mastery - 67]
— Mindweft [ Mastery - 20]
• Darkness
— Ebon Chain [Mastery - 69]
— Black Sun [Mastery - 56]
• Space
— Gravity Field [Mastery - 63]
— Void Shell [Mastery - 70]
— Implosion [Mastery - 45]
[Haze eyes]
• Passive ability
—Threads of emotion
————
"I need to completely master my skills before facing it," he said, staring at the screen.
I can do that if I spar with the knights.
But for that, he needed someone's permission — Luella.
Luella was his mother's personal knight and the trainer responsible for overseeing new recruits whenever his mother was occupied with paperwork.
If he wanted to spar with the knights, her approval was essential.
But..
Ardyn's stomach churned at the thought of asking Luella for help.
His face twisted into a grimace, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Because...
30 minutes later.
When Ardyn asked for permission, Luella raised an eyebrow, her smirk turning downright devilish.
"You want to spar with the knights?" she asked, her tone dripping with mockery as a sly grin spread across her face.
"Then call me 'older sister.'"
She crossed her arms, her teasing gaze fixed on him.
"Go on, let me hear it. Or should I take this as you giving up already?"
She enjoyed teasing him far too much.