Reluctant Attendance at the Birthday Party (1)
“What do you think you're doing, sitting on the filthy floor and exposing your ankles like that? Are you trying to brag about inheriting the blood of some vulgar slut?”
You knocked me down yourself.
Elijah didn't point out the simple fact. She had no desire to argue back, so she simply stayed silent. In this moment, she was the sinner. Narcissus before her was both judge and executioner. The crime: bastard child. The blue eyes looking down were cold and sharp. But they'd repeated so often that they no longer felt chilling. They no longer stung even when they pierced her. Elijah simply stood straight, meeting those eyes head-on.
“How dare you glare at me like that!”
Narcissus couldn't hold back her boiling rage and kicked Elijah's body. A lady lifting her leg to kick like that—it was exactly the unladylike behavior she'd just condemned. But she couldn't rein in her emotions. Whenever she saw that impassive face, as if nothing—no matter what was done to her—mattered, her feelings spiraled out of control.
Elijah rose silently from the kick to her stomach, without so much as a groan. Once, she'd acted just as Narcissus demanded. Kneeling, weeping, begging forgiveness for wrongs she didn't even understand. Yet Narcissus never stopped the violence. She claimed a noble shouldn't cry easily or beg others. Despite her shouts, a smile of smug superiority never left Narcissus's face back then.
Now Elijah understood. It wasn't that she hit her for reasons. She invented plausible excuses because she wanted to hit her. The truth was uglier still: contempt for the bastard. More precisely, jealousy toward Elijah's birth mother, who had toyed with her husband. Digging deeper, it was rage and disgust toward the husband who had given his heart to that woman. That loathing had merely circled back to land on Elijah.
Elijah's birth mother had died in a fire. Of course, Elijah knew it wasn't an accident. Narcissus did too.
“So you brought a boy into the guest room.”
Narcissus wiped her hands with a handkerchief as she spoke.
“Trying to flaunt your filthy bloodline? Spreading your legs at that age... Just like your whore of a mother, stripping and dancing for anyone in front of crowds. I've been uneasy about you since my hunting tournament.”
It was excessive filth for a child. Yet Elijah replied calmly.
“I brought him in out of necessity. To tame a spirit beast of the Moon Church—a moon deer.”
Elijah was weak in power. She had no foundation. She couldn't kill Narcissus yet. Narcissus lacked power but had backing and influence. However, Elijah's innate magical talent wasn't something to be trifled with lightly. And despite being a bastard, she was the most likely heir. Not just for her mage potential. Elijah excelled in every way: looks, grace, refinement, intellect.
Elijah knew what Narcissus wouldn't admit: she feared her. If Elijah ever became family head. Or if her mage talent fully bloomed into true power. Narcissus would be first on the purge list. Her own children would be overshadowed.
But would it really end in mere death?
“Taming it and keeping it under me feels far rarer and more valuable than killing it for meat.”
Elijah smiled faintly. Narcissus gasped audibly despite herself. The girl was half her size. Yet sometimes, she sent chills down her spine. What hid beneath that mask? Those red eyes like her father's were eerily beautiful jewels. Meanwhile, the black hair like that lowly wretch reeked of disgust, like an unwashed rag.
“You filthy bitch—!”
She understood the intent behind the words. Narcissus finally laid hands on Elijah's face.
Slap!
The sharp crack echoed. She'd never touched her face before. It was Elijah's first slap there, but she wasn't startled. She merely caressed her burning cheek and looked up at Narcissus.
“The birthday banquet is soon, I hear.”
Narcissus spoke as if nothing had happened.
“Don't cause any scandals. Your mere existence already stains the family name.”
“Yes.”
“It's a gathering for the whole family on account of trash like you, so keep some dignity.”
Meaning, don't let anyone know she touched her face. No doctor or priest for treatment. Elijah nodded obediently.
“Understood. But please replace one tutor.”
“...What? How much have you learned that you dare judge and replace them?”
“A tutor more interested in the trainee herself than her learning isn't competent. Sir Sardis does that.”
“He has his reasons. What would a wretch like you know...”
Hiring tutors was Narcissus's domain. Elijah wasn't disappointed—it was the expected response. But recalling Sardis's gaze made her skin crawl like insects on her flesh.
“So many demands when you don't know your place. Tsk... As if being born wasn't sin enough, why celebrate...”
Narcissus muttered as she left. Words meant to be overheard. Elijah raised her hand toward the door Narcissus had exited. Yellow flames gathered and dispersed in her palm.
Still not enough.
She practiced and trained in spare moments, but her firepower remained lacking. The wild power that once raged beyond control had weakened after a certain incident. Far too feeble to kill.
Lia approached, wiping Elijah's body and changing her clothes. She'd watched it all from start to finish. Nothing was more humiliating than a servant witnessing her mistress's abuse, but Elijah ignored it. She knew Lia was planted by Narcissus to spy. Even the flame she'd just conjured would be reported.
It didn't matter. She wanted it that way. She'd provoked Narcissus on purpose.
“How's the banquet prep from this morning?”
Elijah spoke to her mirror as if nothing happened. Whenever she stayed so composed, Lia bit her lip unconsciously. Black pus seemed to fester in her heart.
But only for a moment. Lia schooled her face into ladylike poise.
“They're starting work on space for the mansion beasts soon. But the carpenters, stonemasons, and lighting artisans aren't yet.”
“Fine. Tell Miguel to hurry.”
“Yes, miss.”
Lia applied makeup to Elijah's swollen cheek, tinting both the same rosy hue to hide the blow. With simple blush done, Elijah looked like a healthy girl.
“Anna came by earlier and left.”
“Anna?”
Judas's maid. She recalled instantly.
“What for?”
“A guest has something to deliver.”
“...Judas? To me? Bring her.”
Anna soon arrived, holding flowers. Two red ones. Unaware of Elijah's ordeal, she stated her business politely.
“Lord Judas prepared these for you, miss.”
“...Ha!”
Elijah let out an involuntary laugh. She hadn't realized it was her first audible laugh in years. It was absurd. Utterly.
Just two flowers?
She'd received flowers endlessly. Bouquets of a hundred at once, too huge to hold. That was the minimum. The most came from an imperial branch seeking marriage alliance—enough to fill the mansion and more. She'd tossed them all. She didn't care what became of them.
Yet to her, just two.
Anna fidgeted at Elijah's dismissive reaction. It was clearly from Judas, yet she felt ashamed.
Lia quickly checked Elijah's mood.
“Shall I toss them ri—”
“No.”
Elijah cut her off.
“Bring them.”
Anna handed over the flowers, hiding her reluctance. Red blooms wrapped in cheap paper. The max for Judas's 10 florins.
Wonder how much these cost.
So cheap they defied valuation, yet Elijah couldn't guess.
“Get a vase.”
“Pardon?”
Elijah stared at Lia as if to say, Do I need to repeat?
“Sorry.”
Lia hurried with a sleek glass vase. Elijah shook her head.
“Another.”
On the fourth try, Elijah nodded. A special vase with ornate thorny vines embossed in glass. Never used before.
Elijah arranged the flowers herself.
“Fill with water and put on my desk.”
“Yes.”
Lia obeyed, incredulous. Elijah had treated every prior bouquet like trash. These two paltry blooms didn't even qualify. Yet she'd accepted them gladly. What did it mean? Lia pondered deeply as she left.
Elijah eyed the vase and chuckled. Absurd. Judas with his meager gift. Herself, not hating it.
It's fresh.
Truly novel and precious. Elijah knew the red flower's name: anemone. Its meaning too.
'Love that torments because it cannot be fulfilled.'
Insolent. He couldn't have chosen knowingly.
“Anna.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Why'd he want to give me flowers?”
“To thank you for taking him in and always looking on him kindly.”
“Hmm.”
Really? She plainly saw his discomfort around her. Their first meeting, he'd shown open hostility. He didn't seem the type to fawn now. What was his angle? Not obvious.
“He has another gift too, to deliver personally.”
“Another? I'm thrilled.”
Sincere. What fresh surprise awaited?
“Go now. Oh—tell Judas I can't see the moon deer today.”
Dismissing Anna, Elijah summoned Miguel and Gawain. The upcoming birthday banquet. A way to screw Narcissus came to mind.
“I'm inviting trainees to the birthday banquet.”
Miguel nearly objected but held his tongue. Even allowing Judas to stay days was trouble enough. Inviting trainees to a nobles-only event? Scandal certain.
But if Elijah willed it, it happened.
“Need some justification, at least?”
“Yes.”
“Make it trainee battles. Invite the top contender for my guard knight. But one-on-one takes too long, easy for rumors.”
Elijah devised plan and pretext on the spot.
“So room-vs-room reps. Five per side daily. Winners get... Last prize to Judas was 1,000 florins?”
“100 florins, miss.”
“That each. Winning room joins my banquet, feasts freely.”
Miguel noted swiftly.
“Won't disrupt training?”
“No, miss. Consider it done.”
“Good. Trust you to fine-tune rules.”
“Yes. I'll finalize and announce to trainees soon.”
“Mm. You're dismissed.”
What would Judas show now? She felt he'd win. Baseless hunch. If he attended, faced her family? He'd defied stronger senior Kael without hesitation. Would he here? Unpredictable, hence fun. Untamed beast. The plan risked her noble rep. She didn't care. Tarnishing Bebel pretense mattered more. Judas's show too. Could he exceed expectations again?
Study time. Elijah headed to her study. The vase's two anemones greeted her. Another absurd chuckle. So trivial. Yet that triviality didn't irk.
Seated, she checked time and pulled a philosophy book.
The Dialectic of Master and Slave
Full of concepts and rhetoric tough for her age, yet Elijah devoured it fluidly. Glancing at the anemones occasionally drew chuckles. Then Judas came to mind. The moon deer too. Stroking its back...
...So soft.
Her small hand wriggled idly. She ignored her stinging cheek.
'First Moon Deer Tamer'
Mana (Lv. 3) - Moon Attribute
“Holy shit...”
The curse slipped out aloud. Mana. Levels 1 and 2 were basic mana, but 3 was different. You could truly sense and wield it.
But what shocked wasn't the level 3.
Moon attribute...?
This world had one chief god and many lesser ones. Moon was a lesser branch. In other words, moon attribute meant divine power.
Insanely rare...
Attributes usually came partially from specific items. Rare ones like moon, even more so. But innate mana with moon attribute meant all her mana would manifest as such.
Problem: How to use mana?
What's mana even?
From a world without magic. Even knowing this as a game didn't teach mana.
She'd tried near the moon deer: focus, sense inner flow, imagine outward force. Useless.
Learn slowly.
Checked status window after ages. Vitality jumped from egg mushroom, others ticked up slightly.
Vitality:10.5 ↑
Strength:5.6 ↑
Agility:12.1 ↑
Mana:3.0(Moon Attribute)NEW
Biggest change: new mana stat. Proof it was real in her body—no rush. Mana use boosted physicals explosively: Mana Liberation. Effect scaled to stat.
But no need for such power yet.
“Good boy.”
I ruffled the moon deer's neck. Useful beast. It nuzzled happily. Coincidental taming, staying near Elijah's mansion thanks to it—felt good. Grateful to her for sparing it too.
...Ah. That wrist. Again.
Why? Unanswerable.
*
Morning. Devoured Anna's sandwich heartily. Tasty, filling—but protein-poor.
One day of protein heaven... Boosts stat growth too.
Back to camp pre-morning training. Felt ages. Left Saturday morn, back Monday.
13th room. Richard spotted me, jumped like seeing a ghost.
“Wh-wha... J-Judas! Hey, man! Y-you okay? Huh?”
He rushed, shaking my shoulders.
“What happened? No weird shit, right?”
Nobles like demons in his head? Didn't he know that half-insulted Elijah?
“Worried all weekend since you didn't show. Heard from Sir Thomas you'd return Monday.”
Dillon calmer. Noblewoman abduction for days? Wild imaginings natural. Some eyed me sleazily. Perverts.
I explained briefly why I stayed.
“...Anyway, bunking there till moon deer fully tamed.”
“Dude's basically made it.”
“Lady's mansion...”
Questions flooded: mansion size? Room? Guard offer? Etc. Answered vaguely. Ignored romantic delusions crossing class lines. Insane.
“Smells oily on him?”
Richard noted. Argon agreed. Buddies now.
“Cheesy, salty too...”
“Solo feasting, jerk?”
“Cookies, chocolate I brought still left?”
“Meant you should share! Uh, eat it all!”
Richard pivoted smoothly. Laughter spread.
Changed, to training field. Sandy arena. Zone 5 overseer Sir Thomas announced.
“All know Lady Elijah's birthday nears. Pleased with last hunt.”
Glances my way.
“Grants another honor. Afternoon spars now room-vs-room tourneys.”
Room tourneys?
“Rules: Daily random event and rooms. Each picks 5 reps. Winners advance. Top room joins her birthday banquet.”
Noble party access—dream for most trainees. I wasn't keen. Elijah's birthday...
Wait. Protein there?
Mind changed. Worth attending.
“And here.”
Thomas held paper.
“Bracket set. Memorize as I read.”
Prickling glare. Big youth from hunt haters— their leader. Chased deer longest.
...Name again?
15th room by line. His mates glared too.
“Next. 13th room's first foe...”
I met their stares unflinchingly.