Alden's first crawl earned him laughter and admiring gazes. And pain.
The laughter was theirs. The pain was his.
Of course, after that first show, he should have known they'd want more. He should have known that thanks to the consequences of his actions, he'd be expected to work like a dog.
Tiny limbs wobbling forward, the adults clapped and cooed. Liam, Sylvia, along with the rest of the household gathered around him like a court around its jester.
They had even brought out one of those strange crystal cubes—shimmering things that flickered faintly with internal light. Alden didn't realize what it was at first, but soon he understood. Cameras. This world's version of them, at least. They recorded. They replayed. Judging from the few new wooden frames scattered around the house, they probably even printed.
With sweet words and bribes of toys and treats, they coaxed him. Not that he truly cared about those bribes, but pride? Pride was his downfall.
Pride made him push his frail, newborn body past its limits. Made him grunt and strain and flop like a fish just to feel that warm glow of admiration again.
Also, the new toy trinkets weren't terrible.
To be alive is cruel. It is worse when you are a baby.
But eventually, the wave of excitement calmed. After days of labor, Alden was finally allowed to return to doing whatever he wanted, whenever. This time, with a bit more freedom of movement as Sylvia no longer coddles him all the time.
Like that, a week had quietly slipped by.
During that time, Alden had also made a few discoveries. Pretty big ones.
Currently, though, he is busy with morning snacks.
For today's picnic, Jenny had also decided to join Sylvia and Alden. The three of them are once again back under Myrr's protective shades.
With his condition, every day essentially began with the same visit to Myrr. But Alden had no complaints.
Myrr's blessing was very comfortable. Warm and humming with vitality. The increase even in his intelligence stat translated to his thoughts stopped scattering, his mind felt clean. So he did most of his internal planning here, anyway.
Besides, it wasn't boring.
Sometimes, the fairies would flit past, glowing softly and filling the space with their excited chimes. Occasionally, Idril would appear, and at other times, Liam would join them.
It was a good arrangement.
"Here you go, Al." Across from him, Jenny sat elegantly as she finished paring the fruits. She sat down the dish filled with small, golden bites in front of him. "Eat slowly."
Looking at her, though, Alden couldn't help but sigh internally.
Despite knowing his own statistics, Alden has never had a frame of reference on what it actually meant before. This was his first discovery of the week. His place in the hierarchy.
And it was depressing.
===Status===
Name: Jenny Marlowe
Age: 42
Race: Human
Title: None
Gift: Iron Matron
Overall Rank: C
Strength: 38 / 100
Dexterity: 41 / 100
Stamina: 72 / 100
Mana Affinity: 5 / 100
Intelligence: 69 / 100
Luck: 27
Charm: 38
———————————
Active skill:
[Commanding Voice - D]: Can issue short, firm directives that compel obedience. Limited 5 use per day.
Cost: None.
Cooldown: 60s
———————————
Passive skill:
[Situational Awareness - C]: Years of caution have honed Jenny's instincts. She can detect minor threats or deceit with high accuracy.
Mastery: 11%
[Enduring Spirit - D]: Recovers from fatigue and injury faster than average humans. Especially resistant to environmental stressors.
Mastery: 92%
[Domestic Mastery - C]: Impeccable control over household tasks, including cleaning, cooking, repair, and childcare. Efficiency is doubled.
============
The window shimmered open before him, rows of pristine numbers scrolling past as Alden's heart sank. It was still as demoralizing as when he first saw it.
This was Jenny's stats, the same familiar maid who is strict but warm, the same one sitting in front of him. Well, it turns out she had enough strength in her aging limbs to crush Alden with a flick. She could probably sneeze a bit hard and he would die.
It terrified him.
Not because he had suddenly grown scared of Jenny, she was still the same caring caretaker in his eyes. It was just that it made him feel a bit depressed.
Low stats as a baby weren't surprising, but with his curse, Alden can't even imagine ever overtaking Jenny simply with growth. After a full week of crawling, he had managed to earn a grand total of 0.04 points in Strength. A number so minuscule that the system didn't bother to even display, Alden had to configure a new customization to keep track of it himself.
Something cold settled in Alden's chest.
If this was just a housekeeper… What would a real combatant look like? What about the Apostles that are after his head?
Maybe, hypothetically, Jenny could just be a hidden master. A tank master. Alden wouldn't know, he doesn't have any references for his reference.
As this thought, Alden silently turned to his side, at Sylvia who is currently humming softly as she plays with her son's thin hair.
[ Warning: Access Denied. The target status exceeds system current authority level ]
Again, he failed to open Sylvia's status window. This also happened with every other member of the Drukas other than Jenny.
While it was possible for the system to bypass the authority restriction like it did with Asta, the information retrieved wasn't guaranteed to be beneficial and the penalty would likely be too much for his current frail body.
It was frustrating.
After a few questions, the system described this status concept simply as the 'state of being'. While information inquiry on the 'authority level' was outright rejected. Vague. Very confusing.
Alden chose to drown out his anger with snacks.
Picking up a piece of solmira in front of him, Alden began to nibble on it in earnest.
This was a fruit textured and tasted similarly to an overly ripe melon on Earth. Dense and meaty that gave the bite a satisfying plush firmness, honeyed and rich like a melon, but with a slight tang and a flavor that Alden couldn't quite grasp. It was delicious.
"Is it yummy, Al?" Sylvia's voice rang out next to Alden, she was watching him keenly with that gentle smile of hers.
She leaned closer, brushing a smudge from the corner of his lips with the side of her thumb. It was a small gesture, but it filled the space between them with something soft.
Alden couldn't answer with words. So instead, he took another small piece of solmira off the plate and offered it to her with open palms.
Sylvia's smile bloomed even wider as she accepted his gift.
It is a bit funny, but this was something that he started doing recently. Operant conditioning.
Whenever someone did something nice to him, Alden would give them a gift. Just small ones, whatever he had in hand at the time, gifts that they won't decline. In theory, this would positively reinforce their kindness toward him just enough so none of them, especially Jenny, would kill him by mistake.
Hey, a man gotta do what he gotta do to survive.
Looking at Sylvia's bright smile, though, Alden couldn't help but feel a bit warm himself.
Not everything was bad.
Regarding the second discovery of the week, Alden has managed to learn a bit more about the system. Specifically its capabilities.
After being irked repeatedly, he had decided to fake a nap session, and take the time off to do a serious system exploration and questioning. It was very successful.
Currently, the system could be considered to have 3 core functions. Retrieving information, analyse information, and store information.
Retrieve was the biggest source of frustration. It granted access to external information—like viewing someone else's status—but also came with very strict limitations. The source of the retrieved data was unknown, but it seems to have the answer to all his questions. However, unless Alden's status or authority level increased, he would remain locked out of the majority of it. Basically, this is limited spoon-fed information.
But Analyze and Store? Those were real game-changers.
Alden focused his attention on the solmira in his hand, and familiar blue windows soon popped up.
[ Solmira: A golden, smooth-skinned fruit with soft amber flesh. Sweet, tangy, with traces of mineral.]
[ Classification: Edible ]
[ Effect: Satiates thirst and hunger mildly; refreshing and filling without heaviness. ]
Through some testing, the range of Analyze seemed to cover anything that affected Alden directly or anything he physically touched. Curses, blessings, food, water, pills. Like the solmira, if it entered his body, affected him, or sat in his hand, Analyze could be triggered to determine the basic properties or effects. Incredibly useful.
However, the best function was still undoubtedly Store.
This function essentially granted Alden perfect recall. Every moment he experienced, every word he read, every sight he witnessed—all saved within the system and could all be remembered with flawless clarity. It was his own database, one that he could proactively build with knowledge gained through books, words, and Analysis.
For the first time since awakening, Alden likes the system a lot.
With his small hand, he raised a piece of solmira to Jenny. Not because anything happened in particular, he was just feeling a bit happy.
The maid was currently sitting gracefully at the near corner of the picnic blanket, enjoying reading a book while occasionally glancing to check on Sylvia and Alden.
"Jenny~" Sylvia's cheerful voice floated in the air in Alden's stead, patting his head approvingly. "Al has something he wanted to give you~"
"Thank you, Alden." Jenny sat down her book temporarily and gave the mother and son a rare soft smile. Gently, she accepted the small piece of fruit and then tossed it in her mouth. She barely even spent a moment chewing before she attended to them. "Do you want more?"
Alden shook his head in amusement, there was still plenty on the plate. Her small smile was enough reward for him.
Nibbling on his snack, Alden again cast his sight to the spanning grassland.
Today's weather was nice, as always. The meadow was soft and endless, the sun always warm but never sharp, like it knew exactly how much heat to give through the shades. And the air carried that kind of fresh crispness that only belonged to morning.
It was peaceful.
And that's when they appeared.
From the distant tree line, a shadow emerged. Slowly and measured, they approached.
It was Charles, with the little Idril perched like a crown atop her tousled hair.
Seeing the fierce girl approach snagged Alden's attention.
Even after all this time living under the same roof, Charles was still mostly a mystery to him. She kept to herself. Always outside, always foreign. During meals, she sat on the fringe of conversation, barely grazing the family's shared world.
Between her and Alden, there never was much of any interaction other than the occasional curious glance she flicked in his direction. It was never more than that—furtive, brief—but Alden always noticed.
Truth be told, his curiosity about her far outstripped hers of him.
That's why, when her boots crunched closer to their picnic, it felt strange. She had never come to visit them before. This was a special occasion.
Sylvia dabbed at the corner of Alden's mouth again as if everything was normal, but Jenny had closed her book with a small frown. By the time Sylvia was done attending to her child, Charles was already standing in front of them.
Her eyes, always sharp and burning, now darted between the member sitting with an edge Alden had never seen. Then they settled on Sylvia. Her lips parted, quivered. Her normal fierce expression seems very breakable today.
"...M-M-Master… I-I… can I—may I… speak with you…?" Charles's voice stuttered out, brittle and raw. It was painful to hear.
Alden was shocked. He hadn't known Charles could even stutter, let alone tremble. Fear and hesitation rippled off her like cold air, shivering her fingers and sinking her shoulders. But what was even more shocking was Sylvia's response.
"What is it, Charles?" she asked, her words flat as slate, her expression was unreadable. Thick tension weighed on the peaceful clearing along with her words.
That wasn't right. Sylvia never spoke like that.
Alden had only ever known her voice to be warm, calm, or gently teasing. Even with Charles around, she was always…normal. What has changed? How could something have happened between them when Sylvia had barely left his side?
Something was off.
"I-I c-can't… I know I—" Charles's lips barely worked, trying to form words, but only shattered stutters tumbled out. Her fingers twitched helplessly.
"Enough." Idril finally spoke, her wings beating once in irritation as she floated from her perch. She landed lightly on the picnic blanket, ruffling Alden's hair with a brief pat and casually renewed her signature blessing on him.
"I told her to come," Idril sighed tiredly, her attention drifting already, eyes narrowing at the solmira pieces. "She isn't improving, and the forest is growing agitated."
Alden glanced at Sylvia just as Idril spoke again. "Help her, Sylvia."
That was when Alden saw it. Real anger flickered across his mother's face. Her lips pressed thin. Her brow furrowed hard enough to shadow her eyes as she looked silently at Charles.
"I-I-I—" Charles faltered, her voice a whisper of desperation.
"Sylvia." Idril's tone sharpened slightly as she plucked the ripest solmira—the deep amber golden one Alden had been saving for last. "You're scaring the little one. Act properly."
Sylvia's gaze snapped to Alden. Horror dawned across her beautiful features, her face crumpling with sudden guilt. Her lips parted as if to apologize, but Alden simply met her eyes and gave a calm nod.
Her guilt was misplaced, Idril was obviously referring to the poor Charles.
He picked up the second most golden piece of solmira and popped it into his mouth, deliberately casual. Just consider him not here, adults need to make up if they fight.
Relief slightly loosened Sylvia's shoulders. She reached down and patted his leg softly, once, then rose to face Charles.
"We are dueling." Her voice cut cleanly through the meadow air.
Alden froze.
Huh?
"Sister, protect them," Sylvia added, her decision final.
"M'kay," Idril mumbled around a mouthful of fruit.
Without another word, Sylvia strode past Charles, her steps slow and exact as she headed for the open grassland. Charles swallowed visibly and followed, her hands still trembling faintly at her sides. For some twisted reason, the girl was glad.
The earth stirred in response to their movement. Myrr, the ever-silent ancient tree, suddenly roused. Its massive branches creaked, giant roots twisting under the soil as they curled protectively around the now three-person picnic.
Before Alden could even catch his breath from all the crazy events, Sylvia had already stopped. Below in the grass field, she extended a hand toward the ground—and the ground answered. A sword rose from the soil, hilt-first, settling into her palm as if summoned by sheer will.
Charles didn't falter as a blade shimmered into existence within her grasp too. Though it didn't materialize as majestically, the sword snapped into her hand like a flash of lightning caught midair.
Before long, the two had already stood faced each other, silent, swords glinting in the soft daylight.
Alden grew agitated.
"No mana. Non-lethal. First to surrender loses," Sylvia announced, sliding smoothly into a stance that spoke of discipline honed far beyond casual practice. "Show me how much you've grown."
"Understood," Charles answered. Her voice was steadier now, but her posture coiled and rough, blade dragging against the grass as she crouched low and forward.
There was no signal. The duel simply began.
Charles lunged—impossibly fast, low, reckless. Her blade slashed a savage jagged line meant to cleave through anything in its path. In a blink of an instant, what Alden saw was no longer a girl—she was a beast surrendering to raw hunger.
Sylvia didn't budge. She shifted only as Charles's blade tore near, and the strike simply missed.
"Fix your posture," Sylvia's voice cracked across the clearing like a whip. "Or abandon it completely. Don't do things half-assed."
Charles spun back without answering, this time quicker, blade rising in a sharp arc that would have torn through lesser opponents.
Sylvia advanced. One step. Two.
Her movements were almost lazy but precise, efficient. Her sword flicked once. Charles blocked, but the impact rang out like a struck bell, the force knocking her back, boots tearing furrows in the grass.
Alden's breath hitched, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the half-eaten solmira. Alarms screaming in his head.
Sylvia pressed forward, her blade cutting arcs faster than his eyes could cleanly follow. Charles threw everything she had into meeting her—strength, stubborn grit, sheer refusal to fall—but it was like tossing pebbles into a cyclone.
"Immature." Sylvia judged flatly. She closed the distance.
Then it ended.
A single swing.
Even from where Alden sat, he felt it. The force behind that cut cracked the air itself, a silent thunderhead breaking loose. Surrounding grass flattened, Myrr's roots thrummed, and leaves tore free from branches.
Charles's blade shattered. Not bent. Shattered—splinters of steel spiraling violently through the air, biting into her hand. Her swordless form crumpled to the ground a heartbeat later, breath sawing raggedly in her chest as she lay stunned.
Sylvia didn't even lower her sword. Her stance remained sharp, unwavering as if nothing had happened.
"Yield."
A cold spike ran down his back as Alden saw Charles silently bled.
He had never seen real swordplay before, but he understood. This wasn't just training. It wasn't even a duel. It was discipline. In a more violent, terrifying way than he can possibly imagine.
Alden desperately looked around for the other people with him.
However, unlike him, they were completely unaffected. Jenny has resumed reading, while Idril has already moved on to her second piece of fruit.
It was madness.
These people, his family? They weren't normal. They never had been.