Adam slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times until his vision cleared. The first thing he saw was Ravenna standing beside his bed, her hands clasped in front of her and a serene expression on her face.
"Your Excellency, it is time to wake up," she said softly, as if afraid of startling him awake.
Adam grunted, rubbing his eyes with one hand. That was when he noticed something was missing. He looked down at his chest, expecting to see Nox sleeping on top of him, but it wasn't there.
'Where…?' he thought, confused, until he felt that warm presence inside him. 'Ah, it hid on its own.'
At that moment, the system screen appeared in front of him, glowing with its characteristic blue hue.
[Tamer System]
[Notice: Today you will be evaluated to measure your mana core. Given that your current magical statistics are 5 points, the evaluation will reflect that level. However, your mana potential has increased considerably]
Previous potential: D+Current potential: A+
[Note: This change is due to the soul contract established with Nox. Potential evaluations measure future growth capacity, not current power]
Adam read the message with little attention, still half-asleep. 'A+ potential… great, I guess,' he thought without much enthusiasm as he sat up in bed.
Ravenna approached with a clean towel. "Your Excellency, your younger sister, Miss Seraphina, has requested that I inform you she is waiting for you in the courtyard to share tea."
Adam blinked, processing the information. 'Seraphina? The one from the hallway?'
He thought about it for a moment. He could refuse the invitation, but that would probably raise suspicion. Besides, the system had told him he could view her data if he spoke with her.
"Understood. I'll go," he replied, getting out of bed.
Ravenna nodded and helped him get dressed in a light white shirt and dark trousers.
***
Upon arriving, the courtyard was spacious, with carefully maintained gardens and stone paths weaving between shrubs and flowers. At the center stood a small wooden canopy supported by columns, beneath which Seraphina was seated on an elegant chair in front of a table with a teapot and two cups.
Standing beside her was the same maid Adam had seen the day before. A young woman with brown hair tied up in a bun, green eyes, and a calm expression.
Seraphina looked up as Adam approached. Her white hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her blue eyes watched him with curiosity.
"Good morning, brother," she said formally, making a slight gesture with her hand for him to sit.
Adam nodded and took a seat across from her. Ravenna remained standing behind him, just as Seraphina's maid did.
"Good morning," Adam replied, watching her carefully.
Seraphina picked up the teapot and poured tea into both cups. Then she slid one of the cups toward Adam.
"I heard about what happened yesterday in the forest," she commented, her tone gentle but somewhat strange. It wasn't exactly concern; it was more like… restrained curiosity. "It must have been an… intense experience."
Adam took the cup in his hands, feeling the warmth of the liquid. "You could say that," he replied without giving too many details.
Seraphina observed him for a moment longer before taking a sip of her own tea. "I'm glad you're well. Not everyone is fortunate enough to come out unharmed from an encounter with bandits."
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence. Adam noticed that his sister was evaluating him, as if trying to read between the lines. But before he could say anything else, Seraphina set her cup down on the table and smiled faintly.
"We should continue this conversation another time. It's time for you to go to the hall. Father and mother are waiting for you for the evaluation."
Adam nodded, internally grateful for the interruption. He stood up from the chair, and Seraphina did the same, inclining her head slightly.
"Have a good day, brother."
"You too," Adam replied before turning and following Ravenna back toward the mansion.
As he walked, he couldn't help but think about that conversation. 'What was that about? And I even forgot to check her data.'
Ravenna guided him through the corridors to a pair of dark wooden double doors. Before opening them, she stopped and bowed.
"Your Excellency, they are waiting for you inside. I will be here outside if you need me."
Adam nodded and pushed the doors open, entering the hall. The first thing he noticed was the number of people present.
His father stood near a window, arms crossed, wearing that same stoic expression as always. His mother sat in an armchair, hands resting on her lap, her expression softer, though clearly nervous.
But they weren't alone.
There were four more people in the room, lined up to one side. Two tall men, probably over thirty years old, both with dark hair and features that resembled his father's. Both were watching him with serious expressions.
And two women of his height or slightly taller. Both had black hair identical to their mother's; the first had gray eyes, while the second had intense blue eyes.
'Could they be my siblings?' Adam thought instantly, noticing the facial resemblance. 'What a big family.'
At the center of the room, atop a small platform, was a shining stone. It was about the size of a soccer ball, translucent, with a purple glow that pulsed faintly.
"Adam, step forward," his father ordered in a firm voice.
Adam walked toward the center of the room, feeling everyone's eyes on him. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. He wasn't used to being the center of attention like this.
'What a load of shit,' he thought, stopping in front of the stone.
His father approached, gesturing toward it. "Place your hand on the evaluation core. It will measure your growth potential."
Adam nodded, extending his right hand toward the stone. When his fingers touched the surface, he felt a strange tingling run up his arm.
The stone began to glow more intensely, pulsing faster and faster. Then, a faint light began to emanate from within, forming runes that floated in the air.
Adam didn't know what they meant, but judging by his father's expression, something had changed.
The duke's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't an exaggerated reaction, but it was enough to crack his stoic façade.
"This… you've increased in rank," he murmured, staring at the runes. "In just a few months, your potential went from D+ to A+."
A murmur spread among Adam's siblings. His mother rose from the armchair, approaching with eyes wide in shock.
"Is that true?" she asked, her tone caught between hope and confusion.
The duke nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off the stone. "It is. This means that what you said about the incident in the forest… might actually be true after all."
Adam withdrew his hand from the stone, feeling the tingling fade. He looked at his father, who was now watching him with a different expression. It wasn't exactly pride, but it wasn't disdain either.
The older siblings exchanged glances, some with surprise, others with something close to distrust. One of the men, the tallest, frowned slightly, as if unconvinced.
One of the women, the one with gray eyes, smiled faintly, though she said nothing.
The duke finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"With this, perhaps you'll stop being useless after all," he said in a tone meant to be encouraging, but which came out more like a verdict. "You will begin your training tomorrow. You cannot waste this potential."
Adam clenched his teeth at the comment, but didn't respond and only nodded.
"Understood."
His father took a step back, crossing his arms again. "You may leave. Prepare yourself for tomorrow."
Adam gave a slight bow before turning and leaving the hall. As he closed the doors behind him, he heard the voices beginning to murmur among themselves.
Ravenna was waiting outside, and Adam gestured for her to follow him. They walked back to his room in silence.
'Perhaps you'll stop being useless,' he repeated his father's words in his mind. 'What a shitty father.'
He didn't know what kind of relationship the original Adam had had with his family, but from what little he'd seen, it didn't seem very good.
'Training starts tomorrow… great,' he thought sarcastically as he entered his room.
Ravenna closed the door behind him, and Adam let himself fall into the chair at his desk, staring at the ceiling.
'One more day of keeping a low profile… and then I'll look at those memories.'