Two weeks have passed since Winfred resumed his Mana training with Wayne, and he has been repeatedly trying out his new ability, which he calls Spatial Perception. When he uses it, he finds that he can apply two modes. In the first mode which he named "Ping", he uses this ability by spreading Mana like sonar or echolocation, while in the second mode which he named "Sensor", he uses this ability continuously around himself.
"Ugh...I wish I could own that famous system or status window interface..."
Of course, as a former ordinary gamer, he sometimes complained and wished he had a status window or system that always appeared in reincarnation or fantasy stories. The reason he wanted this was so he could track and know how much Mana he had left when he used it.
However, he moved on from this after remembering that the sign of someone running out of Mana was dizziness. Of course, he was curious whether that was true, and after deliberately depleting the Mana in his body, the statement proved accurate, and he experienced an excruciating headache. He vowed to always monitor his Mana to prevent that unpleasant condition from recurring.
One more thing that clarified his abilities was that he did not predict the future like precognition or anything like that. He realized this when he first sparred with Wayne. He managed to guess the direction of his mentor's attacks but could not avoid the quick follow-up attacks.
Another incident occurred when he asked his mentor to throw a crumpled piece of paper at him with full power. He was aware of the incoming information, such as his mentor's posture, clenched fist, and the thrown paper.
However, he was not quick enough to dodge or catch the paper, which ended up hitting him in the face. He concluded that his ability did not extend to "predicting or seeing the future," but only to perceiving the movement and presence of things in the space around him.
From that point on, he began training his reflexes more frequently, reasoning that it would be pointless if he could see the direction of an attack or something approaching him but was not quick enough to avoid or block it.
Winfred is now taking Alcott's ethics class. For the next few days, he will continue to study under Alcott, as Wayne has sudden important business to attend to, so Mana's training has been temporarily suspended. Alcott is currently teaching Winfred about table manners, which happens to be the last day Alcott is teaching this particular lesson.
"Young Master, please remember the following things when you eat. Pay attention to the position of your hands, and don't forget to always remember the position of the fork and knife."
Alcott then repeatedly explained the importance of table manners, such as not chewing food while talking, always paying attention to posture, the food being served, and much more. Winfred initially had difficulty learning these table manners, but since he is now a nobleman, he had to blend in with his new environment. Besides, it didn't take him long to adapt to the customs of the nobility.
Winfred always practiced all his abilities whenever he had the chance, such as now while Alcott was explaining today's lesson. His training paid off, as he managed to eliminate the traces of Mana he released when using his spatial abilities, thus resulting undetectable by humans, including Wayne and Alcott.
Of course, he didn't get cocky and continued to train his abilities because he knew just because he had one advantage didn't mean he could be complacent, and he felt that it wasn't enough to survive in this world.
Winfred, who was quietly probing around him using his ability, received feedback such as the objects in Alcott's pocket, Alcott's hand movements as he wrote on the board, and the number of books on Alcott's desk. His senses were interrupted because he vaguely sensed someone standing at the door.
"Excuse me, Sir Alcott, Young Master Winfred."
That person was Head Butler Sebastian. As always, he appeared elegant and had an impressive demeanor, his cerulean eyes looking at Alcott and then at Emerdine's youngest child.
"I bring a message from Lord Victor. Starting tomorrow, Young Master Winfred may join the main family for mealtime in the main dining room."
Winfred remembered that once a noble child had been taught table manners, they could join the main family for meals. For some reason, Winfred had only been allowed to join this time, even though he should have been able to join several years ago. When he asked his mother and teacher about this, they simply replied that it was better for him to focus on his studies to get the best results.
Since then, he didn't ask any more questions about dining with the main family because it seemed to make the atmosphere awkward. And coincidentally, tomorrow was the weekend, when all the members of the main family, such as Ardyn and his mother, as well as Gerdan and his mother, would definitely be present.
After Sebastian's departure, the two of them continued their lessons as usual, and the next morning arrived for Winfred to face all the members of the Emerdine family.
***
Winfred stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his clothes. A white shirt with a lilac tie, long black pants, and dark brown shoes. His dull green eyes stared at the mirror, then shifted to someone else.
"How is it, Nina? Is it alright?
"Hmm... Excuse me, Young Master. Your collar is a little messy."
Nina approached her master, then adjusted his collar, which was slightly out of place. Winfred noticed that he is now almost at the same height as her. He remembered clearly that whenever Nina wanted to tidy up his clothes or appearance, back then she always had to crouch down to be at the same height, but now he only needed to bend down slightly to do so.
"There you go, Young Master."
"Thanks as always, Nina!"
"Excuse me, is my son ready? Oh my, there you are! You look perfect!"
Olivyn and her personal maid Helina entered the room, and Olivyn was amazed by her son's appearance. As usual, Olivyn was dressed in luxurious clothes and wore a little too much makeup. Olivyn then made sure that her son was ready for his first meal with the Emerdine family.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, Mother!"
He had been informed beforehand that the main dining room was located on the second floor of the central wing, which meant it was not too far from where he was now, on the third floor of the east wing. Along the way, he met several servants whom he often encountered when exploring the mansion. They all greeted his mother's group as they passed by.
"Oh, yes, Mother. Do you always eat with the rest of the family?"
"Oh..."
Olivyn grimaced when her son asked that question, but she quickly hid it and smiled at him. Winfred somehow felt that the atmosphere had become awkward, and even Nina and Helina remained silent when he asked his question.
"Well...mother rarely eats with the rest of the family because she often helps your father with his work..."
Thanks to his experience working with all kinds of people in his previous life, Winfred knew his mother didn't want to talk about the subject, so he chose to remain silent and not ask any further questions. It seemed there was still a lot he didn't know about the Emerdine family at this point.
Olivyn and her entourage arrived at the bright brown double doors that Winfred thought were the main dining room. Helina and Nina opened the doors for their master, which impressed Emerdine's youngest son when he stepped inside the room.
The luxurious chandelier, the spacious room, the soft carpet, and the arrangement of large chairs and tables gave an aesthetic impression to anyone who entered. Not only that, Winfred also saw several servants, such as maids and butlers, who seemed to have finished preparing breakfast and setting the table.
"Good morning, Lady Olivyn, Young Master Winfred."
Winfred saw a total of five servants, consisting of three maids and two butlers. Maid '1' is a young woman with light rose hair styled in a short ponytail, brown eyes, and a height slightly taller than Nina.
Maid '2' had the same hair color, eye color, and height as Maid '1', but the difference was in her hairstyle, which was short and loose, almost reaching her shoulders.
Maid '3' was an elderly woman with pale blonde hair tied in a bun, wearing thick glasses that covered her bright maroon eyes. The wrinkles around her face were prominent, and among everyone in the room, she was the friendliest, with an expression that radiated a happy smile.
Winfred then looked at the two butlers. Butler '1' was a young man in his early twenties, according to his observation. He had shiny black hair combed neatly to the right, and his sharp cerulean eyes reminded him of someone.
Butler '2' was a middle-aged man with slicked-back hazelnut hair and purple eyes. For some reason, Winfred felt uncomfortable with this butler's gaze, reminding him of the 'sycophants' in his previous life who had caused him trouble.
"While waiting for the other family members, please have a seat. Lady Olivyn, Young Master Winfred."
"Oh, right. Thank you, Mary. Come on, son."
He then shifted his attention when Maid '3', whose name turned out to be Mary, told him and his mother to sit down first. Without further ado, Olivyn invited her son to sit at the corner. The dining table in the room was large enough for several people, but for some reason Winfred noticed that his mother preferred to sit at the corner.
While sitting and waiting for the arrival of other family members, Winfred practiced his skills by alternating between Ping and Sensor modes. He received various types of feedback, such as the number of forks and knives on the dining table, the food being served, and several people who had just stood at the entrance. From that brief moment, Winfred knew that four people were about to enter the room.
A few seconds later, the door opened and four people entered. Winfred recognized two of them.
"Hm? Hey, little brother! You're finally joining us for breakfast! Hahaha!"
"Indeed, this is unexpected."
The two people were Gerdan and Karl. As usual, his older brother flashed a broad smile, revealing his white teeth, and spoke in a fairly loud voice, while Karl just smiled and nodded.
"My dear son, could you lower your voice a little? It is so unbecoming for a noble to act like that."
A beautiful woman with long, fiery red hair just like Gerdan's, dull crimson eyes, a pale red dress, and jewelry adorning her, such as rings, necklaces, and bracelets, advised Gerdan. If she called Gerdan "my dear son," it meant she was Berthy, one of his father's wives.
As soon as Gerdan and Berthy entered the room, all the servants, including Nina and Helina, bowed to greet them. Berthy and her servant, a maid with short, pale ginger hair and light golden eyes who wore glasses, looked towards Olivyn and her entourage sitting at the end of the table. Karl and the maid then greeted Olivyn and Winfred with a bow.
"Good morning to you, Lady Berthy, Mister Gerdan."
"Oh? Good morning, Miss Olivyn...and little Winfred. I thought you would be absent again, due to your 'important' business."
Olivyn and Winfred stood up to greet Gerdan and Berthy. After saying hello, Winfred chose to remain silent and observe the situation because, for some reason, he felt that it was not the right moment to say anything.
Then Gerdan and Berthy took their seats on the right side of the table. The atmosphere became a little awkward, but thanks to Gerdan, who was oblivious to the situation, the atmosphere improved.
"Hey, hey! Little brother, you should have already done your Mana training, right? What weapon did you choose!?"
"Eh, um... I chose the spear, Brother Gerdan."
"Huh!? Why not use a sword like me!? No matter. Then let's spar after breakfast this morning!"
"Silence, Gerdan! What are you saying at this early hour! Mind your manners!"
"Ehhh...Mother!"
Berthy snapped at Gerdan and told him to be quiet because he was too noisy in the morning. Gerdan pouted and returned to his original position, silent. Calm returned to the room, and Winfred took advantage of it to focus on his training again.
Switching between Ping and Sensor modes, Winfred felt that today would be a long day. After feeling a little dizzy, he stopped his training and turned his attention back to the dining table.
Not long after, a knock sounded and a maid and a butler opened the door and invited two people in. Winfred recognized the two people: Zune and his eldest brother, Ardyn. The other two people he did not recognize: a beautiful woman with light blond hair and soft gray eyes wearing a grayish-white dress, and a middle-aged butler who was slightly chubby with dark blue hair and sharp black eyes.
"Lady Leni, Young Master Ardyn. Good morning to you."
"Hm. Good morning to you, Lady Berthy."
"Aha, no wonder something was missing on this bright morning, apparently the first wife is late. Do you have anything to say, Lady Leni?"
Ardyn responded to Berthy's greeting but Leni did otherwise. She glanced briefly at Berthy, then ignored her and continued walking toward the dining table. All the servants greeted Ardyn and Leni, as did Olivyn and Winfred, but they only gave a casual greeting without saying a word. Leni saw Olivyn and her son sitting at the end of the table with blank expressions.
Ardyn just stared at them both and nodded his head with an indifferent look on his face. Leni and her son sat on the left side of the table, and the atmosphere became awkward again. Gerdan squirmed in his seat, seemingly wanting to talk to Ardyn, but his mother glared at him before he could do so.
"Which means...only Father is left. Where is he? Please come quickly, Father...the atmosphere is unpleasant..."
His request was answered because a few minutes later his father Victor and Head Butler Sebastian entered the room. Victor then looked around the room and found that all members of the Emerdine family were present for breakfast that morning.
Victor then sat in a chair that Winfred considered to be the head of the family's chair, because no one had occupied it.
"Good. Everyone is here. Let's start our breakfast then."
The servants quickly prepared and helped the Emerdine family with breakfast. Personal servants such as Helina, Nina, Zune, and Karl set the napkin for their masters, while other servants such as Maid '1', Maid '2', and Mary uncovered the breakfast dishes. The aroma of meat, soup, and stewed fruit filled the room.
Winfred saw that today's breakfast menu consisted of chicken soup, meat sticks, and stewed fruit covered in honey and milk. Butler '1' and Butler '2' poured water into each glass for the members of the Emerdine family.
After Victor's signal, the Emerdine family began their breakfast, including Winfred. He applied the table manners that Alcott had instilled in him over the past few years and calmly went about his breakfast. He elegantly sliced the meat with a knife and then used a fork to eat it, chewing slowly and savoring it.
The clinking of the plate and knife was barely audible, and occasionally he took a sip of water from his glass to quench his thirst. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ardyn, Berthy, Leni, and Victor looking intently at him several times. He thought that the family members wanted to make sure that he had really learned table manners.
"What a fearsome society..."
After saying that to himself, Winfred calmly continued eating. A few minutes later, Victor invited his family to talk.
"Ahem. How's your training going, Ardyn? How far have you gotten?"
"Yes, Father. I'm currently learning Airstep with Master Aram. Once I've mastered it, he says he'll teach me another spell."
"Good. Keep up the good work. How about you, Gerdan?"
"Father! I've mastered High Jump and almost defeated all the knights in our house. Please invite someone strong to spar with me!"
"Gerdan!"
"It's fine, Miss Berthy. Hm…I'll consider your request, Gerdan."
Realizing that his father's topic of conversation was about training progress, Winfred thought about what he would say if his father asked him.
"What about you, Winfred?"
"Lord Victor, Winfred is-"
"I just learned how to use a spear and combat theory, Father. I might not be as good as my brothers, but I think it's a step forward."
Before Olivyn could answer, Winfred answered his father's question first. There was no point in lying just to get his father's attention at this moment, so he chose to tell him about his training progress with Wayne as it was, but hid some facts, such as his unique abilities.
The menu changed, and this time it was a bowl of fruit soaked in honey and milk. For a moment, the Emerdine family sat in silence and enjoyed the dish. Leni then broke the silence by speaking to her husband.
"About training, it seems that the entrance exam for the Academy will be held next week. It would be good if Ardyn's training could be more intense so that he can get the best results in the entrance exam."
"Is it time already? Sebastian, is there any new information or changes to the rules regarding the Academy entrance exam?"
"As far as I know, nothing has changed, Lord Victor. However, it seems that this year will be quite difficult if Young Master Ardyn or Young Master Gerdan want to earn the title of Honorary Freshman."
"You're right, Sebastian. The sons and daughters of the great nobles will be entering the Academy this year."
"My son Gerdan will win that title!"
Berthy proudly announced that Gerdan would receive the title. Meanwhile, Winfred was lost in his own world.
"Academy, huh..."
Winfred just prayed that Berthy wouldn't be too hard on Gerdan if his brother didn't get the title. On the other hand, he also sometimes wondered if he should enter the Academy too, to see the protagonist's progress and which route he chose, even though the main story would begin several years away. Before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, Victor said something.
"Speaking of entrance exams, there's no harm in making sure you're both ready. It just so happens that today is the weekend, and I don't have any important work. How about you two spar and show me the results of your training?"
"Of course I'm ready, Father!"
"Hm. If that's what Father wants, I'll comply. Besides, I also want to see how far Gerdan has progressed against me."
"You two are so excited that you've forgotten someone. Isn't there someone else who also seems to want to show off their abilities?"
Hearing Berthy's words, Victor and the entire Emerdine family turned to look at Olivyn and Winfred. Olivyn smiled stiffly at Berthy's provocation, which seemed to want her son to fight his two older brothers. Berthy smiled haughtily at the mother and son duo, while Leni just looked on with an uninterested expression.
"Miss Olivyn, would Winfred like to spar with his two older brothers?"
"Ah...about that..."
Seeing his mother hesitate at his father's question, Winfred thought that perhaps his mother didn't want him to get hurt or have anything happen to him, but just playing safe wasn't enough to survive in this world. That's why Winfred thought that sparring was a good opportunity to see how far he could go against an opponent using his unique powers.
"Please let me join Brother Ardyn and Brother Gerdan, Father!"
"Ahem. Very well. Prepare yourself, Winfred. Then we shall begin when the sun is directly above our head."
"Winfred..."
Hearing the words of their youngest brother, Gerdan smiled broadly, revealing his white teeth. He seemed happy that he had one more opponent. Ardyn just sighed deeply with a blank expression and went back to eating the fruit salad.
His mother Olivyn wore a worried expression, but he held his mother's hand and smiled cheerfully, wanting to reassure his mother that everything would be okay.