After the theory lesson, physical training filled the rest of the day. Zeun skipped it, instead escaping to the library's comforting embrace. He sought refuge among stacks of books on curses, the ink clinging to his fingertips like promises of ancient knowledge.
It was already evening when he returned. Opening the door to his room, he froze. Lady Mira, regal and elegant, draped herself across a sofa in the dim light. Startled, Zeun blurted out, "What are you doing here?"
His brashness sparked a flicker of annoyance in her emerald eyes. "Boy, what's with the tone?" she queried, a single eyebrow rising imperiously.
Unfazed, Zeun held her gaze. "How would you feel if someone popped into your room uninvited? Just curious," he countered, his voice surprisingly steady.
Mira, momentarily deflated, couldn't muster a retort. Instead, she shifted the conversation.
"So, how was school? Did you learn anything interesting?"
Zeun scratched his head, his mind drifting back to the class discussion about the Status Window. He recalled his question, the one that sent ripples through the classroom:
"Teacher, what happens if someone signs a business contract before the Awakening Ceremony?"
As murmurs filled the room, Lisa, the teacher, met his gaze with a spark of intrigue.
"Ah, someone thinks outside the box!" she mused. "Well, in that case, the contract wouldn't work. Without a Status Window, a mutual connection is impossible. It would either bind the signer to servitude or become invalid, leaving the holder of the Status Window with unilateral control."
A shiver coursed down Zeun's spine. He realized how close he had come to falling into servitude. His gratitude swelled for the King and Lady Mira's kindness in not taking advantage of him.
Now facing Lady Mira, he bowed, joining both hands near his heart in a "Pranam" posture. Zeun had been genuinely surprised to read in one of the library books that "Pranam" with a bow (of three different types) was one way of showing respect in the Tejas Empires. This form of greeting was also accepted across the Aisa Continent.
"Thank you for recommending me to the Kindergarten," he said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
Mira, surprised by his sudden formality, let out a soft chuckle. "Thank the King, child. Without his permission, I couldn't have gotten you in."
Zeun remained bowed, his head hung low. Lady Mira, surprised by his continued formality, broke into a warm smile.
"Enough of that, young man! Your new home is prepared, though I must apologize for its location. It's a bit far from the city walls, so I hope you can find your bearings."
She glanced around, a touch of amusement lighting her eyes. "It seems all the closer quarters were already snatched up."
Zeun straightened, confused. "I understand, Lady Mira, but why would someone of your stature grace a commoner like me with your presence on this ordinary night? Surely, if you needed something, a simple order or a call to one of the maids would suffice. Why take the trouble to visit yourself?"
He tilted his head, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "And while I am grateful for the mansion, there's no need to apologize to a commoner like me. It feels... undignified for you."
His words, a genuine mix of gratitude and bewilderment, tugged at the corners of Lady Mira's lips. This boy, so young and raw, possessed a strange kind of integrity that intrigued her. She saw glimpses of her own childhood in Zeun: a curiosity, a potential, a spark waiting to be fanned into something more.
With a gentle sigh, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Zeun," she said, her voice softening, "the world is not as rigid as you think. Sometimes, even the most esteemed ladies find it worthwhile to connect with those beneath them. Besides, this is not just about fulfilling a duty; it's about offering a chance, a path forward."
Her gaze locked with his, the emerald depths holding a promise unspoken. "Consider this a small step, Zeun. A seed planted in the fertile ground of your potential. Whether it blossoms into something magnificent or withers away, that choice, ultimately, rests with you."
Zeun stared, bewildered. 'What's wrong with her? What does she want? And what's with this jumbled mess of words she's speaking?'
And with that, Lady Mira, leaving behind a trail of unspoken possibilities, took her leave. Zeun, alone in his room, stood bathed in the afterglow of her visit. The seed was planted, the question now echoed in the silence: would it bloom?
After the Lady left, Zeun took a lukewarm bath, a practice he maintained for his health. He then settled into a lotus position on his bed, holding a mana stone as his mother, Helena, had taught him.
Since he hadn't formed magic circles yet, he needed to mobilize his mana regularly for hours to prevent it from solidifying in his veins—a drawback of having saturated mana veins before age 10.
Meditation helped circulate mana using the power of his mind, which offered a huge advantage: it increased his control over mana, making him more efficient and proficient when forming magic circles in the future. Those with saturated mana veins had a head start and a significant advantage over others.
Zeun breathed out excess mana from his body, and the denser mana particles were attracted to the mana stone in his hand, a phenomenon called Manatic Property.
Manatic PropertyThis is the magnetic property of mana particles, where higher-density mana attracts lower-density mana with a purity of ≥95% and tends to reach saturation level of 100%+.
Next, he absorbed mana from the crystal in his hand, drawing it up from the tip of his foot, through his legs where mana veins were visible on the skin's surface, indicating the intense exercise his mana veins were undergoing. He circulated the mana from his feet, directing it towards the base of his spine, where it was partially absorbed into his testicles. For the first time, he felt a different sensation in his penis.
'What's happening?' Zeun thought. 'I've been practicing this same technique for more than two years, but why am I feeling something different this time?'
The boy's eyes widened in shock as he felt the unfamiliar weight in his pants. He was scared witless. Confusion and curiosity washed over him as he hastily made his way to the nearest mirror. His heart raced as he cautiously unzipped his pants, revealing his penis, which appeared noticeably thicker than before. His mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions—disbelief, excitement, and a hint of apprehension.
"What... how... why?" he stammered, his thoughts swirling with questions about this sudden change. Unsure of what to make of this magical growth, he couldn't help but feel a mix of fascination and unease at the mysterious transformation of his anatomy.
~~
Zeun couldn't ignore the prickling discomfort in his gut anymore. It had been a week of nose-deep dives into dusty tomes of discarded grimoires and fervent lessons at the school, yet the heavy weight in his lower abdomen persisted.
"Is Mom's technique really mana circulation or dick cultivation?" Zeun sighed, a playful chuckle escaping him despite the confusion. "But it's good, right? Which man doesn't want a bigger sword? Heh heh..." If any ladies had witnessed that devilishly cute smile, adorned with two ruby-red gleaming eyes peaking between his long, silky hair, they would surely have blushed.
He pushed the sensation aside, attributing it to the gnawing worry over his mother's curse. He hadn't paid it much mind before, consumed by the desperate search for a cure. Days of relentless searching had yielded no cure, but this search was not a waste —a wealth of knowledge about the shadowy element—darkness. Unbeknownst to him, this newfound understanding would prove invaluable in the coming days.
A weary sigh escaped his lips. "Should I bury myself in the library again?" he thought. "Or...pay a visit to Clara and that intriguing mansion?"
While Zeun was pondering, a knock sounded on the door.
"Sir Zeun, I have come to serve dinner," a female voice announced.
"Come inside. The door is unlocked," Zeun said aloud. For the last few days, he'd asked the maid to send meals to his room.
The door creaked open, revealing a vision of middle-aged beauty framed in the doorway. Her sun-kissed skin and ample curves sent a familiar ache to Zeun's groin. 'What in the heavens...?' he thought, startled by the sudden surge of hormones. This was the first time since his rebirth—the first time other than with his mother—that a woman had such an effect on him.
'Sigh... Puberty, I guess. Now it's another headache to focus, thanks to excited hormones.' He understood his body now; hormones wouldn't make focusing on his mother's cure any easier.
After dinner, he politely requested the maid, "Would you be so kind as to inform the butler of my wish to visit the city tomorrow before heading to the assigned mansion?"
Seeing Zeun's sincere and polite tone, she couldn't help but feel happy inside. It came as a surprise that the King's own guest would be this polite to her, a mere maid. The maid, accustomed to harsh orders and reprimands over the years, was struck by his sincerity and courtesy.
Feeling touched, the maid beamed with newfound joy as she replied, "Sure, sir. I'll inform him right away," before leaving to carry out the task.
~~
The next morning, a knock sounded on the door.
"Mr. Zeun, the carriage is ready for your departure. Please come out when you are ready," announced the butler, Mr. Ken Mort.
The Mort family had served the Voldemort family for generations, maintaining an impeccable reputation that transcended political upheavals. Despite changes in leadership, their loyalty to the family remained unwavering since their ancestors were first appointed as butlers by the inaugural Voldemort King.
The Mort children were groomed from a tender age in the art of service, honing skills reserved exclusively for the royals of Voldemort. However, circumstances now dictated that Mr. Ken Mort, a scion of the Mort lineage, extend his services to a commoner.
The door opened, and a boy with red-ruby eyes entered Ken's view. Mr. Ken Mort felt unhappy as he looked at Zeun, who was just a commoner. In his thoughts, he thought, 'It's embarrassing to serve someone below our status. It's not right for our family. But I have to do my job and act polite, even though I really don't like it.'
As Zeun emerged from his room, he noticed the unmistakable displeasure in Mr. Mort's expression but remained unfazed. Without acknowledging the butler's silent resentment, he calmly made his way to the waiting carriage.
Mr. Mort, seething with inner rage at the perceived insolence, wordlessly took the reins and silently drove the carriage, his hands tightening around them as he struggled to contain his simmering anger.
In the tense atmosphere of the carriage, Zeun broke the silence, his tone composed yet tinged with subtle defiance. "I appreciate your assistance, Mr. Mort. Let us proceed without delay." His words hung in the air, adding to the palpable tension between the two men.
---
End of Chap
I don't know whether my readers are appreciating the chapter elaboration and explanation or not. If you like it plz comment, else I would think its un necessary and remove them from future chapters.
Persistent Discomfort: The final two sentences re-emphasize the "gnawing discomfort" and "heavy weight in his lower abdomen" that has been plaguing him for a week, linking it directly to his "nose-deep dives into dusty tomes of discarded grimoires and fervent lessons at the Academy." This suggests the physical change in his penis might be a symptom of a larger, ongoing magical or physiological transformation related to his studies and practices. The use of "discarded grimoires" hints that he might be venturing into risky or forgotten knowledge.
"Another Headache": Zeun's reaction, viewing puberty and "excited hormones" as "another headache" that will hinder his focus on his mother's cure, is characteristic of his pragmatic and goal-oriented personality. He's annoyed by the distraction rather than thrilled by the new sensations. This sets up potential future conflicts where his human desires might clash with his singular focus on his mission.
Zeun's Politeness and Its Impact: Zeun's "sincere and polite tone" is noted by the maid, which makes her "happy inside." This is a significant detail. Despite his internal "shamelessness and arrogance" practice and his frustration with puberty, Zeun consciously chooses to be courteous when it serves his immediate purpose (getting something done) or simply because it's part of his practiced "Earthling" social grace.