Awakening Ceremony

4 years later -

"Oh mother you must eat, it's not healthy to go so long without a meal."

Saying that I watched day after day as my mother's former luxurious and silk like black hair has slowly lost its shine, her skin devoured of fat no shines of her pink undertones at all. Yet I hung onto hope of her waking from her nap soon.

"Dies iræ, dies illa."

I slowly close the book I was reading while feeding my mother who's been in a sleep for a very long time, I'm the only one who CAN take care of her.

Everyone else has given up hope telling me she's been long gone from this world but I know my mother there's no way she'd leave me.

"After all even after an entire month your body hasn't rotten a single bit."

I put my hand over my mother's thin tiny chin as I kissed her thinning lips enjoying the embrace of the only person who loved me in this world until I heard the sound of knocking.

"Young master it's time for the awakening ceremony."

Ah yes! The awakening ceremony an activity mandatory for all children who turn 14 years of age to test for magic affinity usually the only ones who can afford it are the wealthy from what I've read, if I was still the same boy from years ago I would've never been afforded such a luxury.

But I'd prefer that over being some trash scorned by everyone around me in this dreadful outfit of peasant and noble my beautiful mother not able to provide me with her care.

"Yes...I'm coming now."

I open the door and see a pretty girl with golden hair in a ponytail honey brown eyes facial features wise she was nothing special but her thin figure reminded me of my mother catching my attention.

Almost immediately she turns her head down like everyone who saw my face they'd either be filled with fear or scorn.

"Tell me your name."

Despite her clear discomfort being in my presence with the difference in our status she was unable to resist me I was still the son of a noble even if illegitimate.

"Melody mi'lord, please we must hurry to the ceremony"

I only chuckled at the pathetic attempts to escape me if my elder brother Nathan was the prince in the stories I've read as a child I was the clear opposite.

While in the beginning I was filled with many emotions hating the way I was born mother showed me it was nothing to dislike.

Now I take pleasure in causing emotional discomfort towards those I meet like recently I've even started to feel attraction towards the opposite sex as I pulled the maid into my embrace not letting her escape me an inch.

"Oh is that so Melody? Do tell me why none of you have visited mother to help her recover, I've been the only one to look after HER!"

The little maid girl almost broke down instantly as I forced her to look at mother in her sickened state.

"Aaaah!...We were told she passed away mi'lord."

This peaked my interest as I asked her who told them that, apparently both my spineless father and that witch declared her to have been dead. I knew little of this as despite my new found confidence I'm aware of my low status in this house, so I stay away from the main family sticking to my vila where I have power.

I have to do as much as possible not to be driven away therefore I ended my little game there with Melody but we'd have more in store later telling her to bring me to where the ceremony would be hosted.

Halfway there I heard the giggling of a few girls clearly spoiled rotten to no surprise I saw my sister Jean with the daughters of some knights seeing me they all went quiet.

"Hmph! Of course you came and ruined the mood disfigured freak."

I could hear her bootlickers laugh with her in response I just smiled amusingly.

"Oh? if you wanted to take a closer look at your favorite brothers scars you could've just asked sis."

This enraged her as a red aura started to appear in her hands.

"Who are you calling sis you bastard! I should make you disappear like that whore mother of yours!"

Inwardly I felt like she'd deliver on that threat which both delighted me and made my hairs stand.

"Ok, that's enough you two."

A confident voice came out full of charm in the form of a tall teen with thick brows and azure blue eyes it was Nathan like usual he'd obnoxiously stick his nose in the business of others enjoying the worship he got from pretending to be a hero.

But I knew the true nature of humans none of them could be trusted especially the ones that appeared good I've been betrayed countless times growing up in this household to know.

"Especially you Adam you shouldn't provoke her like that, she's a legitimate member of this family you are not that's your lot to be below her. You coming into our lives was hard on everyone but we're trying to make it work."

I only bitterly shallowed the words in my mouth

drowning out the hypocrisy as I remembered those words from that book muttering it in my head.

"Dies iræ, dies illa."

By time I finished everyone had all ready went their separate ways.

"Well that was exciting, I guess we should carry on huh Melody?"

The girl looked scared out of her mind as we started to approach the ceremony field, as both Nathan and Jean were awakened under a mage all ready the only ones to attend were some of the kids by my fathers retainers as well as my younger sister Morgana. If Jean was one of the people who had scorn for me then Morgana was one of fear, even now she kept twitching trying her best not to notice my presence.

An intelligent voice ringed out as I was lost in my thoughts, he had a well groomed beard and salt pepper like hair his eyes a dark brown build thin.

"Welcome everyone! You'll refer to me as Mr.Ivar I'm a C rank Adept mage of the Life Path that will be in charge of determining both your attributes and potentials, if you have any questions ask them now."

A kid with a bowl cut raised his hand then got permission to speak.

"What does the rank stand for and are there any other different paths than life."

Mr.Ivar held his hand on his chin as he answered the question.

"The best way to explain this would be by example"

Taking a dagger from his belt he cut a small wound across his hand some turned away but I was fasicanted as his eyes had a tint of green as he spoke in a strange language immediately flowers surrounded the cut before disappearing completely.

"This is the life path just a taste of it of course giving me the power to heal myself. The seven most common paths to humanity as doctrines of magic by the god of light is life, light, water, fire, wind, lighting and earth."

"As for rank the lucky few who do have mana usually besides rare geniuses will have it in one element and a permanent cap on the amount for the rest of your lives. This is what the C stands for it defines my magic about a medium level not trash but not quite a genius either. It'll likely take me until the end of my lifetime to advance from adept that is if I'm lucky the majority of mages are this rank."

Going on about magic he detailed the ranks from F to SSS he told many of us to not get our hopes up even being a D rank was rare let alone A or SSS.

"Think of rank in terms of a fencer as an example I'm sure the nobles here are familiar with. You have Master Fencers like Kallen de Anov that've mastered the art in its very essence and amateurs like say..."

Looking around he settled his eyes on me

"The young son of your lord Adam."

Most would feel embarrassed but I long ago got rid of that emotion in this situation I decided to do a little bow instead earning a chuckle from the man and some other kids but most stopped laughing the more they looked at my disfigured face whispering weirdo to each other. Fencing wasn't something that came naturally to me it was much too elaborate.

"Now enough discussion we'll save the rest for latter let's begin let's start with the beautiful young lady from The Goland family."

My sister was the first one up a nervous wreck her chestnut brown hair swayed in the wind falling on her largely growing breasts all ready big for her age.

"Hold your hand on this ball."

Doing as instructed suddenly it grew a bright mixture of white and brown. Mr.Ivars face looked beyond disbelief as he reported the results

"...A rank duo element light and earth magic."

Everyone went insane as even some of the knights tasked with overseeing the process immediately went to fetch my father, within minutes the lord of the castle himself with his witch of a wife was personally overseeing the other results as he pulled his daughter into an embrace.

"A genius, your mother would be proud of you if she were here today."

Apparently Jean and Her didn't share the same mother so with her mother being married to my father at the time dying in childbirth she was not considered illegitimate yet with being a girl there was zero chance she'd succeed the county over Nathan so the witch had little to fear from her step-daughter but this..this definitely changed things.

Turning towards me my father eyes had guilt yet signs of hope for me also inheriting talented genes.

After 10 children got their results most were only D rank the majority had no mana and some lucky C rankers with common single elements.

"Step fourth Adam Goland!"