Fresh from his bath, Yamato slipped into a loose shirt and simple trousers before walking into his mother's room.
The familiar scent greeted him immediately.
Everything looked the same as it always had.
The neatly folded blanket, the wooden dresser, the old curtains swaying gently in the evening breeze.
He sat on the edge of the bed and stared ahead in silence, his shoulders slumped as his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
After a moment, he slowly lay back.
Phew.
His eyes settled on the ceiling.
That god Lumei mentioned... who is he? What kind of god has a dual personality?
I've never seen any records about him and Lumei called him a Legend.
The questions circled endlessly inside his head, yet no answers came.
"Mmmhhh..."
A frustrated groan escaped him.
He rolled onto his stomach and buried his cheek into the mattress.
As he shifted, something caught his eye.
A flaw.
One of the floorboards beneath the bed looked slightly out of place.
It sat higher than the others, just enough to be noticeable.
Yamato blinked, then sat up immediately. Curiosity replaced his boredom.
He climbed off the bed and knelt beside the plank. His fingers traced along its edge until they found a small gap.
A place to lift it.
Prrnnn.
He pushed the bed aside. The scraping sound echoed through the house.
From the kitchen, Esther paused. A knowing smile appeared on her face.
"He found it."
She chuckled quietly.
"That's my baby."
Then she raised her voice.
"YAMATO!"
"Yes, Mom?"
"I'm heading out for a bit. We'll eat later tonight."
"Okay, Maa."
Prrnnn.
The front door creaked loudly as it closed. Far louder than necessary.
Esther had done that on purpose.
To make sure Yamato believed he was alone.
Back in the room, Yamato hooked his fingers beneath the loose plank and lifted.
Dust drifted into the air.
Hidden beneath the floorboard was a collection of books. Dozens of them.
His eyes widened.
S-Tier books.
The kind that could only be found inside The Library of Earth.
In this world, every planet possessed a Grand Library, each bearing the name of its world.
The Library of Earth.
The Library of Mars.
The Library of Aster.
Every planet had one.
And within those libraries existed books so valuable that entire noble families competed to acquire them.
S-Tier books stood at the top of that hierarchy.
They contained knowledge that most people would never touch in their entire lives.
Yamato stared.
It made no sense.
He knew his mother's financial situation.
Even if she saved every coin for two years, she still wouldn't be able to afford a single one.
Yet beneath the floorboard sat dozens, covered in dust.
Almost as though they were worthless.
But they weren't.
Their true value wasn't the information written inside them.
It was the memory of the person who had left them there.
"Huh?"
Yamato leaned closer.
One book stood out immediately.
Unlike the others, it wasn't dusty, not even slightly. It looked untouched by time.
Polished.
Clean.
As though someone had placed it there only yesterday.
He reached inside and carefully pulled it out, his eyes settled on the title.
Yàmàto's Penalty.
His brows furrowed.
"My name?"
He sat cross-legged on the floor and slowly opened the book.
The moment he saw the writing, he froze. The language was unfamiliar.
Completely foreign. Yet somehow...
He could understand every word.
The first sentence greeted him.
"Yàmàto, A God of Unknown."
His heart skipped.
A god? Was it talking about him?
No.
He knew immediately that it wasn't, but the coincidence was impossible to ignore.
His breathing quickened.
Without reading further, he began flipping through the pages.
Page after page, searching, looking, trying to understand.
Every book in existence carried illustrations, diagrams, symbols, charts, something visual.
But this one didn't, not a single diagram, nothing.
Only words.
Words that somehow felt alive. His curiosity grew stronger.
Eventually, he set the strange book aside and reached for one of the S-Tier books beneath the floor.
Truthfully, he had only ever seen one before. Never had the chance to properly read one.
Now dozens sat before him.
He opened the first, then another and another.
Each contained priceless knowledge, techniques, combat styles, magic stances, expressions, arts.
Even emotional states required to master certain branches of magic.
It was overwhelming, beautiful, a treasure trove of knowledge.
And before he realized it... Time disappeared.
---
Night arrived quietly.
Crickets chirped outside, creatures of the night moved through the darkness.
Some scurried across rooftops, others leapt between trees.
Branches rustled constantly.
Since the house sat only a few steps away from the forest, sounds like these were normal.
Then a voice called from the dining room.
"Baby, dinner is ready."
Yamato blinked.
His focus shattered, he looked around.
Darkness had already swallowed the room.
"Ah..."
He glanced at the stack of books beside him.
Four hours.
He had been reading for four straight hours.
"Oh... dinner."
Carefully, he closed the thirteenth book, he returned every volume to its hiding place.
The strange book included.
The floorboard slid back into position. The bed returned to its original spot.
Only then did he leave the room.
The smell reached him immediately.
Rich.
Warm.
Comforting. His stomach growled.
At the dining table sat Esther.
Her soft blue hair was tied loosely behind her head.
A gentle smile greeted him as he entered.
"There you are."
She looked amused.
"What have you been doing all day?"
"Nothing."
Yamato sat down.
"Just reading."
The aroma grew stronger. His eyes lit up.
"Ooooh..."
He inhaled deeply.
"We're having yam pottage."
"Hahaha."
Esther laughed.
The sound filled the room. Yamato immediately dug in.
The first bite melted across his tongue.
"Mmm."
His eyes nearly closed.
"I really missed your cooking."
"I know."
Esther smiled proudly.
"You can't get food like this at school."
She watched him eat for a moment, her smile softening.
"My baby is growing into a fine young man."
Then her gaze lingered on his face.
"And your face..."
She paused and took a bite from her own plate.
Then she spoke quietly.
"Just like your daddy."
Yamato froze.
The spoon stopped halfway to his mouth, his heart skipped.
Dad.
The forbidden topic, the one that had always ended in silence.
When he was younger, he had asked. Many times.
But every attempt brought sadness to his mother's face.
Eventually, he stopped, not because he lost interest, but because he hated seeing her smile disappear.
Slowly, he lowered the spoon.
"Maa..."
His voice was careful.
"You just said Dad."
Esther's expression changed immediately, the warmth faded from her eyes.
She looked down at her plate.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up."
"No."
Yamato placed the spoon down.
One soft clink echoed through the room.
"For seventeen years, you've avoided talking about him."
His gaze never left her.
"But I need to know."
Silence.
"One of the reasons I came home wasn't just to rest."
He hesitated then continued.
"I want to know about Dad."
His voice lowered.
"I need to know whether I should be proud of him... or not."
Another pause.
"And I think I found something beneath your bed."
Esther's head snapped upward. Her expression hardened instantly.
"Do you think I didn't know?" she suddenly shouted.
Yamato flinched.
"I left that book there hoping you would decipher it."
Her voice trembled.
"As you saw, only you can understand the language."
Pain surfaced in her eyes, raw, unfiltered.
"I miss your father so much."
Her breathing shook.
"So much that if I could simply read that book..."
Her voice cracked.
"I would've been satisfied."
Tears formed in her eyes.
"Do you think I was happy when his final wish was for you to read it only after turning nineteen?"
Her fists clenched.
"After he warned me that legions would come for you?"
Yamato sat frozen, speechless.
For the first time in his life, he saw his mother truly angry.
Not upset.
Not sad.
Angry.
And breaking apart at the same time.
The smile he always wanted to protect had vanished completely.
Esther stood abruptly.
Her hands trembled.
"Go to your room."
Her voice shook.
"And don't come out."
Yamato's chest tightened.
What if she hates me? No... Mom wouldn't.
But what if... I...
Unable to find the right words, he stood and walked away, the hallway felt longer than usual.
The house fell silent.
Esther slowly lowered herself into her chair. Her strength disappeared.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Rory..."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"He wants to know more about you."
A broken smile appeared.
"We promised not to tell him until he turns nineteen."
She wiped at her eyes but more tears followed.
"But I don't want him to know."
Her shoulders shook.
"He'll come looking for you."
Another pause.
"And he'll stir up trouble."
The thought alone terrified her.
"What if he gets killed?"
Her voice broke completely.
"What would I do?"
A tear splashed onto the floor.
"He is my light."
Eventually she stood.
She walked to the sink and turned on the water.
The dishes waited.
Her hands trembled as she washed them.
Several minutes later, footsteps approached.
She turned.
Yamato stood there.
Guilt sat heavily on his face.
"Mom."
His voice was gentle.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up."
Esther looked surprised. Yamato stepped beside her.
"I'll do the dishes."
For a while, neither spoke. Water ran. Plates clinked.
And together they washed the dishes in silence. Later that night, the sitting room was dimly lit.
Yamato sat on the couch with a thin blanket wrapped around him.
Esther stood nearby, drying her hands.
"Mom."
He looked up.
"I'll sleep here tonight."
A pause.
"You can have your room."
Esther stared at him for a long moment. The pain remained in her eyes, but so did the warmth.
Finally, she nodded.
"Goodnight, Yamato."
"Goodnight, Mom."
She walked away.
Yamato leaned back and looked at the ceiling. His thoughts were heavy.
Questions still lingered.
About his father, about the hidden books, about the mysterious Yàmàto.
But one thing had become clear.
No matter what secrets waited ahead...
He would uncover the truth.
Visuals of Esther, Yamato's mother. -