Chapter 65 - A Quiet Morning

Chapter 65: 65 - A Quiet Morning

The sheets felt unusually comfortable.

Adrien wasn’t sure whether they were actually new or whether his body had simply reached the point where anything softer than stone would’ve felt luxurious. After everything that had happened yesterday, lying beneath clean sheets with absolutely nothing trying to kill him felt almost suspiciously good.

Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was the accumulated lack of sleep, the battle, or the punishment his body had taken from Gaspard. Or maybe he had simply forgotten what resting properly felt like.

Adrien’s eyelids slowly opened.

Grey eyes adjusted to the day light coming through the curtains, and the first thing he became aware of was his body. A Healer had dealt with the actual injuries yesterday, leaving his ribs and everything else mostly repaired, but healing magic apparently couldn’t erase every consequence of getting beaten around a battlefield.

His muscles were sore almost everywhere. His limbs felt heavier than usual, and there was enough exhaustion sitting behind his eyes that closing them again seemed extremely tempting.

Fortunately, his Dragonic Physique was already working on it.

Adrien could feel the difference compared to the body he’d inherited less than two months ago. The fatigue was there, but it was disappearing unusually quickly, his body recovering at a rate that would’ve been impossible for an ordinary human.

’Give it a few hours and I’ll probably feel normal again.’

For now, however, Adrien remained exactly where he was.

He lay quietly beneath the sheets and listened.

No soldiers shouting outside. No alarm bells. No hurried footsteps running through the corridors. Absolute Mana Sense reached naturally through the surrounding rooms and courtyard, finding servants working, guards changing shifts and several stronger presences moving around Greymoor.

Nobody was fighting.

Nobody was dying.

Nothing appeared to be on fire.

’It almost feels suspicious that I’m allowed to have a peaceful morning after everything that’s happened.’

Adrien was beginning to think that way of life might have permanently damaged his expectations.

A familiar mana signature entered the edge of his perception.

His mother.

Adrien turned his head toward the door shortly before it opened. Evelyne stepped inside carrying a tray with bread, fruit, eggs and something hot enough to send steam curling into the air.

Her eyes immediately settled on him.

"Finally awake. I was starting to wonder whether we’d need to check if you were still alive."

Adrien pushed himself slightly higher against the pillows.

"How long did I sleep?"

"About sixteen hours."

He stared at her.

"Sixteen?"

"Nearly uninterrupted." Evelyne crossed the room and placed the tray beside the bed. "Considering the last few weeks you’ve had, I’d say you earned them."

Adrien reached for the edge of the sheets.

"Then I should probably get up."

"No."

He stopped halfway through pulling them aside and looked at her.

"I’ve been asleep for sixteen hours."

"And yesterday Gaspard Arquenay threw you around like he had a personal disagreement with your ribs." Evelyne folded her arms. "You’ve spent the last several weeks fighting slavers, travelling, nearly killing yourself learning spells and getting involved in one disaster after another. Stay in bed today."

"There are things I need to do."

"There will always be things you need to do."

"I’m the head of the family."

Evelyne looked entirely unimpressed.

"And I’m your mother, so lie down, Adrien."

He stared at her for several seconds.

’There really isn’t a rank high enough to win this fight, is there?’

Adrien reluctantly settled back against the pillows.

"Fine."

"Good, now eat while it’s warm."

Evelyne turned toward the door, though she stopped before leaving. "Rest. I mean it."

The door closed behind her.

Adrien looked down at the breakfast. He ate before doing the least physically demanding thing he could think of.

"Status."

The familiar translucent window opened in front of him.

[Name: Adrien Clairmont]

[Title: Bearer of the Severed Heart]

[Age: 18]

[Race: Human]

[Physique: Dragonic Physique]

[Core: Two Star]

[Unique Path: Absolute Magus]

[Talents Detected: 3]

[Talent: Absolute Comprehension | Rank: SSS]

[Talent: Bottomless Core | Rank: SSS]

[Talent: Absolute Mana Sense | Rank: SSS]

[Spells]

[Frost Lance | 1 Star | Refined 100%]

[Zap | 1 Star | Novice 8%]

[Ice Wall | 2 Stars | Novice 15%]

[Winter’s Reach | 4 Stars | Novice 26%]

[Lightning Bolt | 6 Stars | Novice 13%]

[Inventory]

[Umbral Root | Rank B]

[Type: Casting Focus]

[Effect: Swift Channel — Casting speed increased by 30%]

[Effect: Steady Hand — Mana lost during shaping reduced by 20%. Spell control improved.]

[??? | Rank SSS]

[Type: Grimoire]

[Affinity: Zephyr | Aspect: Lightning]

Adrien slowly read through everything.

Less than two months.

That was all the time he’d spent in this world.

He had arrived at his father’s funeral inside the body of an eighteen-year-old who had never awakened a Mana Core. Now he possessed a Two-Star Core, three SSS talents, a Unique Path, a Dragonic Physique, five spells and two items that would’ve been completely beyond the old Adrien’s reach.

’Not bad.’

Adrien leaned his head back against the pillow.

’Actually, that’s pretty fucking ridiculous for less than two months.’

Still, yesterday had made something very clear.

He could have all the talents in the world, but Gaspard had shown him exactly what happened when the difference in raw power became too large. Knowing what an opponent was doing didn’t automatically make his body fast enough to respond.

Two Stars wasn’t enough.

Not for the kind of enemies he was beginning to attract.

Adrien was still considering that when Absolute Mana Sense caught his mother’s presence approaching again.

The door opened.

Evelyne stepped inside without the tray this time.

Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"That was a remarkably short day of rest."

"I’ve reconsidered part of it."

"Already?"

"Garrick finished organizing the soldiers who remained from Arquenay." Evelyne leaned against the doorframe. "There are also officers, servants and several administrators who have formally chosen to enter Clairmont service. He thinks you should meet them."

Adrien stared at her.

"I thought the world could survive a few hours without Adrien Clairmont."

"It did."

"And now?"

"Now you’re required."

Adrien pushed the sheets aside.

"I knew that argument would come back to hurt me."

Evelyne smiled faintly as she stepped out into the corridor.

"Get dressed. Garrick is waiting in the courtyard."

Adrien swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, testing his body carefully. The soreness was already noticeably better than it had been when he woke.

Outside, dozens of unfamiliar mana signatures waited together beneath the Clairmont banner.

Yesterday, they had belonged to another house.

Today, they were his responsibility.