Several days had passed since the appraisal ceremony conducted by Winfred. Although he knew that his abilities were quite limited in this new world, it did not change his daily activities, which were breakfast, attending lessons, talking and playing with Nina, Olivyn, and Helina, and now he had started reading simple history and literature books.
Given the harsh reality of his abilities, Winfred tried to remain calm and distract himself by studying this world more intensely. Although he already knew most things thanks to information from the game, he thought there might be small details he didn't know, such as his current family.
When playing the Reaneus Saga game, most of the time and perspective of the game came from the activities of the main characters and their interactions with NPCs while carrying out both main and side missions.
Therefore, Winfred thought he had been reincarnated into an ordinary fantasy world when he learned that his family name was Emerdine, because the name "Emerdine" itself was never mentioned in the game. All he knew was that the Noggen Empire had many noble families of various ranks, with the third game focusing only on a few noble families.
Even in the first and second games, the name Emerdine was not present to his knowledge while playing the game series, which means his teacher was correct in stating that the Emerdine family was only formed a few hundred years ago.
Talking about family, Winfred is still nervous and hesitant when meeting his mother, Olivyn. He knows that in the noble society of Reaneus Saga, magical talent is a form of prestige and a symbol of recognition for the nobility. The more talented someone is in magic, the more popularity and prosperity will follow that person.
Although his mother Olivyn tells him that he is fine just the way he is, Winfred often doubts her words and fears that she is only pretending. However, he struggles with himself and convinces himself that his mother is not that kind of person, because even after discovering that his talent is almost ordinary, Olivyn still greets him and acts as usual.
"Young Master, are you ready to leave?"
"Oh...okay, Nina."
"Understood, Young Master. Would you like to wait for Lady Olivyn and leave with her as usual?"
"Uhh...about that. I just want to ask you one thing, Nina. Do you think Mother is disappointed in me about the results of my appraisal ceremony a few days ago?"
Nina was a little surprised to hear her master's question. During her time working as his companion, her master rarely expressed concern like he did now. Yes, Nina knew that society looked down on members of the noble family who were not talented in magic. Those who were often labeled as untalented usually covered up their shortcomings with arrogance and pride towards those around them, but not her master, Young Master Winfred.
He was still friendly to everyone, including the servants and other staff, always smiling like an innocent child whenever someone greeted him. However, behind that cheerfulness and innocence was a worried and confused child. Blinking her brown eyes, Nina then smiled softly and crouched down so she could look her master in the eye.
"This may seem like I'm meddling and acting like I know everything, but as the daughter of someone, I know that Lady Olivyn isn't pretending and still loves the Young Master as usual."
"Do you think so, Nina?"
"Yes, Young Master. All I can say right now is that the Young Master and Lady Olivyn will be fine. Young Master just needs to act as usual and study harder."
"I... understand. Yeah! Thank you, Nina!"
"Hmm. You're welcome, Young Master."
"Then we'll just wait for Mother!"
Winfred didn't know if his current emotions were influenced by his new body or not, which was still that of a child, but seeing Nina smile wholeheartedly and comfort him clearly calmed him down and made him feel better. While checking his appearance in the mirror, Olivyn and Helina arrived shortly after and entered his room.
"Hello, son! Well, are you ready for today's lessons?"
"Good morning, Mom! Yes, I'm ready. Oh! Hello, Miss Helina!"
"Good morning, Young Master. It looks like you're ready to go."
With renewed enthusiasm, Winfred set off for studies once again today. Nina was right, all he could do was act as usual and study harder. After a while, Winfred arrived at the study room, and after Alcott exchanged greetings with Olivyn and the two maids with him, the lesson began.
***
"...continuing our earlier discussion, elemental attributes are divided into four main attributes, namely Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. Furthermore, thanks to the determination and hard work of various races, especially humans, new attributes were discovered, which we then classified as secondary attributes, namely Light, Dark, Nature, Lightning, and Ice. Do you have any questions?"
"Yes, Sir Alcott! So, can someone possess all attributes at the same time?"
"Good question, Young Master. The answer is yes. Technically, a person can possess all the existing elemental attributes. However, to date, only two people have this ability."
"The bygone heroes!"
"That's right. Thanks to the gifts from the gods and goddesses, the heroes were able to wield this power and destroy the evil in this world, such as the demon kings. But..."
Alcott adjusted his glasses and drew an illustration of a human next to the element attributes.
"Actually, various studies and experiments have been conducted by all races around the world on how to access and hold all element attributes together, but currently, all sentient races are only capable of holding one attribute."
"So... does that mean those who only have one or less elemental attribute are... um... weak?"
"Of course not, Young Master. Now, may I ask, do you still remember the profession I mentioned earlier?"
Pretending to think hard, Winfred furrowed his brow as he flipped through the notebook in front of him. After finding the page he was looking for, he then looked at Alcott and confidently answered his question.
"Well, besides Mage and Knight, there are many other professions in this world, such as Archer, Scout, Tank, Healer, Alchemist and many more. These professions also adhere to the Norman Scale, making it easier for people to gauge the strength of others. Each profession has its own strengths and weaknesses, and while a person's profession is largely determined by their natural talents, many also choose and obtain their desired profession through hard work."
"Splendid, Young Master. As we discussed, each profession has its strengths and weaknesses. Now I ask again, what is your father's profession, Lord Victor?"
"My father- I mean Lord Victor is a Master-rank Knight with Wind attribute, as far as I know."
Alcott drew again, what appeared to be an illustration of a human being with fuzzy lines. Then he looked at Winfred with a knowing smile.
"Just because someone has only one or less elements doesn't mean they're weak. Let's take Lord Victor as an example. He is a Master-rank Knight with one elemental attribute, Wind, but he managed to reach Master-rank thanks to his efforts."
"Hmm...does that mean professions other than Mage can use magic? Even a Knight and an Alchemist?"
"That's correct, Young Master. Knights can use some spells to empower themselves to achieve great feats, Alchemists can enhance their potions with magic for more effectiveness, Archers can coat their arrows with certain elemental attributes to penetrate their target further, and so on. However, what sets them apart is whether one's natural talent is suited for that profession..."
Alcott lowered his hand and looked toward the window. His face was a little gloomy, and he smiled wryly as he lowered his voice.
"In the end, those who are naturally talented will come out as the winner rather than those who put in effort..."
Winfred also turned his gaze toward the window, looking at the view outside. From a distance, he could see the entire Emerdine family property, including the garden and several buildings. He then looked at Alcott, and from the expression on his somber face, he could tell that there was a story behind his words.
"Ahem! Continuing our lesson, Knight, Archers, and other professions are also capable of using magic. However, their ability to use, process, and control mana is inferior to that of a Mage who has been educated and has natural talent within them."
"I understand, Sir Alcott. So, being a Mage means being the strongest, right!?"
"Hmm... not exactly, Young Master. Depending on their natural talent, training and their wit, Mages can lose to other professions. For instance, a Tank can force a Mage to fight at close range then exhaust their stamina and Mana to defeat them, since Mages generally are not trained for physical combat. "
"Uhh…I see…"
Winfred agreed with Alcott's explanation. One of the weaknesses of Mages is that their physical abilities are quite limited, so in games they are often depicted as easily fatigued, but this is covered up by their natural ability to control and manipulate Mana.
"In short, a Mage cannot necessarily defeat a Knight, Tank, or other profession just because those professions are not skilled with the way to manipulate and control Mana. There are many factors that can affect a person's combat abilities. Anything else you would like to ask?"
"Sir Alcott...if I may, could you tell me the attributes and professions of Brother Ardyn and Brother Gerdan?"
In recent days, Winfred had also been curious about the results of the appraisal ceremony for his two eldest siblings. Although he had heard rumors and news from Nina, Olivyn, and Helina, he still wanted to confirm it himself. He knew that the topic of a noble's attributes was quite sensitive, but he still dared to ask his current teacher.
"Hmm... Young Master Ardyn and Young Master Gerdan. Very well, I will tell you. Before I mention their attributes and professions, please remember that although attributes and professions are sensitive topics, both will be announced to the public with the permission of the head of the noble family concerned or when a person reaches the age of 10. Do you understand, Young Master?"
"Yes, Sir Alcott!"
Straightening his back and holding chalk in his hand, Alcott began drawing illustrations of two people and then looked at Winfred.
"For Young Master Ardyn, his attribute is Wind. As for his profession, I can only tell you that he will become a Mage. For Young Master Gerdan, his attribute is Fire, while his chosen profession is likely to be a Knight."
Wow! He didn't expect his two older brothers to each have elemental attributes. Of course, if he were Ardyn, he would choose to be a Mage because of his curiosity about wielding an elemental attribute. Meanwhile, Gerdan had the same potential talent and profession as his father, namely one attribute and a Knight. He can imagine why Gerdan chose to become a Knight since according to rumor around the house, he is quite blessed in physical aspects.
"Whoa! That's awesome! They're definitely going to be strong individuals!"
"Of course, Young Master. They will grow stronger as they gain training and combat experience. Oh yes, speaking of training, basic training in Mana and combat will be taught when a noble child reaches the age of 10."
"Hm? 10 years old? Why is that, Sir Alcott? Isn't earlier better?"
"Ahem, it's true that Mana training is better when started earlier. However, due to certain reasons and several fatal incidents, the Imperial Palace eventually issued an order to begin Mana training at the age of 10."
This is something new for Winfred, because the game itself rarely explores the background of nobility and politics very much and focuses more on the adventure element. Speaking of training, it makes sense because it reminds Winfred when he met his two older brothers in the greenhouse and Gerdan invited Ardyn to spar.
Even though two years have passed and he has never spoken to them directly again, only seeing them from a distance, Winfred knows that they have undergone intense training as part of their responsibility as members of the imperial nobility and Emerdine family.
"Ugh...what a pity...I wanted to be as strong as them..."
"Don't be discouraged, Young Master. Remember what I said earlier, just because someone lacks certain attributes doesn't mean they are weak."
"Hm...if you say so, Sir Alcott..."
Alcott erased the illustration on the blackboard and was about to continue the lesson when there was a knock at the door.
"Sir Alcott, excuse me for interrupting your lesson."
"Hm? Ah, please come in. Oh, Head Butler, I see."
An elderly man with slicked-back white hair, expensive-looking glasses, and elegant, neat butler attire, including a dark blue vest, black tie, white shirt and gloves, black tailcoat, and shiny black shoes. His bright cerulean eyes looked at Alcott and then at Winfred, his expressionless face seemingly devoid of emotion, yet he exuded a dignified aura. He bowed gracefully and greeted the two people in the room.
"Please forgive me for disturbing both of you, Young Master Winfred and Sir Alcott. I have come here on important business."
"It's all right, Head Butler. Young Master and I don't mind it."
"That's... right. Don't worry about it."
"I'm glad to hear that. Without further ado, allow me to explain the reason for my visit. Sir Alcott, these are some important documents from Lord Victor and..."
From inside his coat, the butler took out several documents and handed them to Alcott. Then the two of them talked and left Winfred to his own imagination. He noticed the butler's gestures and manner of speaking caught his attention, because it seemed that this butler was a great person.
Speaking of butlers, he remembered several comics and anime that also had butlers like the one in front of him now. Those butlers were known for their authority, elegance, and politeness toward the families they served, just like now.
"That is all I have to say, Sir Alcott."
"Thank you for the information, Head Butler. Please convey my regards to Lord Victor."
The conversation between the two ended and the butler was about to leave the room, but Winfred unconsciously stared at the butler for quite a long time and he stared into his cerulean eyes.
"Young Master?"
"Hmm...yes, this is the first time I have met Young Master Winfred in person. Please forgive my rudeness for not introducing myself when I entered the room. Young Master Winfred, I am the Head Butler of the Emerdine family and assist Lord Victor in his daily affairs."
Suddenly Winfred felt uneasy and a little anxious, for some reason he remembered incidents where a sudden feeling of heat had attacked him.
"My name is Sebastian. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Hah!? Ugh!"
As the name left the old man's mouth, a burning sensation rose within Winfred's body once more.