Chapter 7: Central City [Part 3]
Luminous was looking at me, not saying a single word. This continued for a few minutes before she decided to break the silence.
"So you really don't remember anything?" She asked, looking me straight in the eyes.
"No," I replied simply.
"Then let me introduce myself. I'm Luminous Valentine, your adoptive mother." She said and then smiled.
"I see then, Lum..." She interrupted me before I could finish.
"Mom. You always called me mom." She said, and I could hear Louis sigh.
"I see then, Mom," I said, and her smile got brighter, and another sigh came from Louis. I could even swear I saw flowers appear around her.
I got the feeling Cale never called her mom; I deadpanned...
[Status has been updated.]
The system message appeared, but that wasn't important, so I continued. "Umm... Since I can't remember much, could you tell me more about... Me?"
"That's not a problem, but first, explain why you smell of blood." She asked with an innocent smile, but the aura around her intensified slightly.
"Ekhh... You see, in order to escape the slave traders. I needed to. Um. Kill them." I said and started sweating due to her aura.
"Slave traders? Didn't he protect you..." She paused, "I see I will need to punish him later." She said, and I thought of running away at this moment but couldn't even move an inch.
Seeing my current state, she stopped emitting her aura.
"Ekmm... Sorry, I got carried away. Louis, bring a healing potion." She ordered Louis, who bowed and was about to leave the room.
"There is no need. I'm not hurt." I said but got ignored.
"Now that then while we wait, I should explain everything." She said, taking a sip from the teacup that probably contained no tea.
"First, let's start with your name. It's Cale Valentine. Your mother was an orphan named Caroline and was one of my most trusted followers, but was k... passed away a few months after your birth. After that, I took care of you personally until two months ago, you found out our secret and ran away." She paused for a bit to see if I was following, "I had sent someone to protect you, but for some reason, he didn't..." She said with her eyes twitching.
I don't think that's how you handle your adoptive son running away, but I can't complain much. She did more than my family would do in my previous life.
"What was the secret?" I asked, already having an idea.
She seemed uncomfortable after I asked it but then sighed.
"You would find out sooner or later again, and it seems you are acting more mature now, so... We are Vampires. Your mother was also one."
"Am I one?" I asked, but I knew the possibility was little due to not requiring blood to survive unless I somehow became a high-ranking vampire and an Overcomer at birth. Well, she could probably always turn me into one.
But at the same time, am I fully human? I have a large amount of Magicules for an average human, and I don't think I'm Enlightened. Or it could be just because I have a reincarnated soul.
"No, she was still fully human, and I turned her into a Vampire while she was pregnant with you. So while you aren't a Vampire, you aren't a Human either," She said and looked at me before adding. "You are taking this better than I expected."
"Getting almost killed and needing to kill someone to survive probably does that. This just doesn't feel real to me yet." I told her, not knowing what to say otherwise.
But what does she mean by not being a Vampire or Human? Then what am I? A Dhampir or something completely new?
We sat in a comfortable silence until Louis returned with a healing potion, and I was forced to drink it even if I was perfectly fine. Is this what having a worried mother is like?
"So, what are you planning now." She asked after a while, having finished what was in the cup, and gave it to Louis to take away.
I thought about what to do from this point onwards.
Firstly I need to get stronger and then create an army so I can stay alive in this world.
I took a deep breath before saying what I was thinking, "I want to become stronger so I don't end up in the same situation. That's why I want to become a Holy Knight."
"I see that can be fixed. Your room has been kept clean so you can stay there. Louis will show you where it is. Oh, and don't worry about the two humans you brought. They will get their own personal rooms and special training." She said and stood up before hugging me, and I felt awkward.
"If you do something stupid like that next time, I will lock you in your room for a month." It sounded like a threat, but somehow I knew she cared for me, which was funny for me, considering she is a Vampire and a Demon Lord while I'm a human.
"I don't plan to get into any dangerous situations anytime soon... Mom."
---
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I couldn't help but have a sad smile on my face.
Cale had people who cared about him and just ran away due to finding out their race.
I couldn't help but laugh at his... my own stupidity. Who cares about anyone's race if they treat you like their own family?
Is it bad to envy myself? It's probably stupid, but I can't help but do that. He had everything he could ask for and just ran away.
I sighed. It's not time to cry about my past. What happened has happened, so I should fix the mistake and continue my life.
Status.
_____
Name: Cale Valentine
Titles: Adopted Prince
Level: 3 (50/400 EXP)
Magicules: 1800
[Stats]
Strength: 15
Vitality: 12
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 12
Remaining Points: 3
_____
She even gave me her last name, and I could only assume that the Valentine name is very important for Vampires.
Sigh... Didn't I tell myself to stop thinking about it?
I should just complete my daily quest.
[Daily Quest: Preparations to become strong.
Press-Up x100: Incomplete (0/100)
Sit-Up x100: Incomplete (0/100)
Squat x100: Incomplete (0/100)
Running 10km: Complete (10/10)
Warning: Incompletion of Daily Quests will result in appropriate levels of punishment.]
I started doing the press-ups, followed by the sit-ups and then finished with the squats.
It took me about half an hour to finish without rushing it.
[You've completed 'Daily Quest: Preparations to become strong.']
[Would you like to accept? Accept / Refuse]
Accept.
[The following rewards are available.
Reward #1: 3 Stats Points
Reward #2: +100 Magicules
Reward #3: +100 Magicules
Would you like to collect them all.]
Collect them all.
[Remaining Points: 3 -> 6]
[Magicules: 1800 -> 2000]
I won't be able to level up at all while in the Empire. I can complete the daily quest and grow stronger until I would be strong enough to enter high magicules zones where the mindless monsters would spawn.
At every level, all my stats increase by one point, and I get three extra points I can distribute due to the daily quest.
While going for strength, vitality, and agility is my first thought, it wouldn't help me much during the years I will train here.
While intelligence will not increase my mana or, in this world, magicules like in so many other novels, it will increase my memory and learning speed.
I could focus on learning different styles of martial arts and mastering different types of weapons. Then unlike skills that are gained through the Voice of the World, magic could be learned.
Yeah, I should focus primarily on intelligence and perceptions for now and change it later.
I looked at myself for the first time in the mirror since coming to this world. I had black hair and gray eyes, and if I would guess, then I would be around ten years old. It's a fresh start for me, and I should use it to the fullest.
---
Authors Note:
Thank you for reading this chapter.
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