Clarity

As Grandma Elizabeth ends the hug, she leaves Leonvolt as she walks back inside the hall to join her friends with their conversation.

Leonvolt, now left alone, began to think about what exactly happened that caused the incident last night.

How come I am still alive while I was in that precarious condition?

The fat under my skin was squirming around terribly as though there were insects roaming about. Also, that terrible burst that I felt was the most painful thing I have ever felt in my whole life.

And, what else exactly happened?

Wait! There is another issue that I have noticed just now.

How am I still fine after taking on lady Issa's full blow?

Leonvolt begins to notice a new crucial point in the sequence of events that happened today.

The fact is, he has an aptitude of 1 in Inner Shell and Outer Shell Utility.

Even someone with a 25 point aptitude, an average aptitude in Inner Shell Utility, would have a hard time having to recover from that punch that blasts you with full physical force with no inhibitions.

Despite the fact that Leonvolt does not know Issa's aptitude, but considering the normal standards she is surely stronger than Leonvolt.

Shell Energy has two utilities that is widely used by humans ever since the beginning of the Continental Kingdom Era. It was categorized as Inner Shell Force and Outer Shell Force.

Inner Shell Force is the branch of Shell Energy utilization that focuses more in the refinement of energy and adhere it to the body.

Inner Shell experts uses the refined energy to improve physical traits and use it to burst forth with physical strength higher than any normal human being.

On the other hand, Outer Shell Force is the branch that focuses more in the invocation of various phenomena such as the manipulation of fire, water, air, and earth for their own purpose.

It has a wider set of applications but it is highly dependent upon the user's capacity to form a concrete image in mind.

Despite all these information, he, Leonvolt despite having the worst aptitude was able to easily recover, albeit slightly still out of it.

And somehow, it seems to be that his thinking was sharper than ever. He has never done so much deep thinking and internalization when he was in the Royal Palace.

He even seems to be brimming with sufficient energy to be continuously standing in place, when yesterday he couldn't even stand straight after he was forced to stand during the Royal trial.

These are traits that are truly unusual to appear, especially to someone such as Leonvolt. He knows that he is not capable of utilizing any natural gifts.

In fact, he never had anything special while growing up. He was just a foolish boy who wants more than he can possibly have.

"Maybe, there is something wrong with my body after all. The candy that I ate could be the cause. Or all those monster meat I ate are now causing a backlash and it is causing the abnormal changes that is happening in my body."

Leonvolt is now very worried that something very bad may be happening to himself.

"I just hope this condition can be fixed, I need to find a way to determine my condition and perhaps solve any possible problems."

As Leonvolt continues to focus on his own dilemma, Arnold came into view. Together with him was a girl wearing a white dress.

She had tied her hair into simple braids with some butterfly accessories that flutters about as she strides forward. She had on a white pair of sandals that perfectly coincides with her clothing of choice.

"Wow, look it's Issa. She is still as amazing as usual."

"Lady Issa, may I have the pleasure to invite you for a dance?"

"Issa my dear, I love your attire tonight. Please do join us ladies for a little gathering later if you are still available."

As Issa passes by the crowd of guests, she gathered quite a lot of looks from the people who have joined the celebrations.

She responds to them politely with a soft smile on her face. It seems that she has a good reputation among her peers and even the older generation.

"Young Lord, I have brought my daughter here for you. Please, by all means, enjoy your chat. Excuse me for a moment. Issa, my child, please maintain a good behaviour with the young lord. Just be good, for me. Okay?"

Issa responds with a reluctant nod towards Arnold's requests. Arnold greets Leon with a slight bow before leaving them alone for some privacy.

"Hello, lady Issa. It was truly a hectic first meeting. Once again allow me to express my apologies for the conduct that I have given you earlier this day."

"M-me too young Lord, I also did not mean to hurt you. I just meant to push you away from me. I did not expect to punch you that hard. I have never been able to punch that hard before. I am more talented in Outer Shell force than Inner Shell force so I was quite confident that I would not be able to hurt you. I did not know that you had an aptitude of 1 in both fields and you got hurt due to my careless behaviour."

Issa reveals her thoughts to Leon. It was quite an irony. However it cannot be denied that both sides indeed had done something wrong to each other.

"Um, lady Issa."

"Please, just call me Issa."

"Oh, okay. In that case, let us first introduce ourselves formally. I will start. I am Leonvolt Machia Oliver. As you may have heard, I am a banished royal. Now, I am a member of the Oliver House. Please, do call me comfortably as Leon. I am looking forward to knowing you more."

"Yes, young Lord Leon. I am Issa Bell. I am currently a student under your family's sponsorship. The Madam and the Lord took me and my father in their care when they noticed that we were homeless."

Issa explains the circumstances that led them to the Oliver family.

"That was 6 years ago. I volunteered to do the job of assisting you because I owe the Madame too much for her kindness. Somehow, I felt that by doing this, I can repay her for everything she did for us, even a little bit."

Issa explains her side of the story. She has been very thankful for the opportunity that Madam Elizabeth and Lord Oliver has given their family.

After her mother died from a pandemic in the west, her dad decided that they must go back to the North and start fresh in his hometown. They were heartbroken when it all happened.

The Oliver family taking them in was the redemption in life that they needed during those times.

"I see, Grandma and Grandpa are really incredible people. To be able to see the potential of people, even extending their actions towards helping them find better opportunities. I think I understand a little bit where their philosophy lies."

The Oliver family of the North. Perhaps in this place, he may find what is truly worth living for.

Leonvolt's life was nothing but a life of dependence. He never really fit in with the rest of his family. His mother was always his cradle of safety.

When she was gone, he lost his self-confidence and he never felt as safe as before.

"This place is most definitely a very warm place. Perhaps you may be able to do something great to this place, young Lord. I am looking forward for the future."

Issa sincerely speaks of her honest expectations to Leonvolt.

"By the way Issa, you mentioned that you are an Outer Shell expert. How is it then, that you were able to punch me that hard?"

"To be completely honest with you Young Lord, I have never been able to exert strength of that level ever since my aptitude test. However, after thinking about it for a while, it suddenly feels like some sort of foreign energy filled my hands the moment we shook hands and I was completely startled as it, it, it felt like something, else."

Issa's voice gradually went silent as she thought of the event she had experienced earlier and the sensation that she felt.

"Can you explain exactly what you felt? I am really curious about my current condition as well. I am not supposed to be able to handle Shell Energy well but I easily survived the damage I took and even recovered fast enough to be able to walk around. I think there is something different about me as soon as I arrived here in the North."

"Hmm, I have no idea young Lord. I am not that well versed in scholarly and theoretical works. I am only a hardworking student who is willing to learn anything and everything my mind can take."

Issa continues hesitantly.

"But, if you need my help in exploring your abilities, please allow me to give my assistance in any way."

"Of course, lady Issa. You are always welcome to join me. I think the North is giving me lots of wonderful gifts as soon as I arrived. The peaceful atmosphere, the beautiful people, a new loving and caring family, a new friend, and perhaps maybe a change in constitution. The North may be hiding a mystical side that nobody knows, it seems."

Leonvolt expresses his admiration and excitement to Issa as he slowly adjusts to the Northern lifestyle.

People in the North has always lived simply. Even those who are migrants are easily influenced by how the Northerners live.

The Northern people have always lived by the day. They have less money, crappy technology, and even had to do hard labor to continue living.

But at the end of the day, everything just feels right.

Not having to worry of paying heavy taxes, no need to worry of lacking food to eat, not having to worry of a secure shelter to live in. The North was a paradise for the poor and weary.

But, there are always exceptions.

Many of the younger generations have heard of the glamour of the other territories, the lavish life, a life not having to worry about working.

Many of the fresh blood wanted a change of ways. And so, as they come of age, they left to seek a brighter future for themselves.

Anyone would wish for a better life. The North have been continuously ridiculed as a poverty zone.

Anyone who has nothing left in life would head to the North in search of a cheaper alternative. Everything here are many times cheaper than any other place.

The clothes are cheap.

Rooms and accommodation are cheap.

Food is as cheap as it can be, aside from the meat that only comes scarcely when people are willing to hunt.

The Silent Forest is a boon of resources. Almost everything in the outskirts of the forest is edible. As long as you are willing to work, you can live.

Add in the fact that the crime rate in the North is pitifully low. Perhaps acknowledging the territory's origin, criminals decided to steer clear from the North.

The Notherners have no qualms living poorly, as long as it is by honest means.

Never did those central nobles consider that the Oliver family had a part in all the cheap amenities in the North.

Merchants has always wanted to expand their businesses to the North. However, once they are allowed to proceed with the Northern trade, the trading of goods in the North will be under the oversight of the Kingdom's Tax and Revenue Department.

With additional taxes to pay, prices in the North may go up. Of course, for the T & R Department, it would be a welcome change.

The population of the North almost rivals the population of a major city. Cities are major capital sources that the Kingdom gets its money from.

They need to have a stable economy and a huge population in order to maintain the flow of money. These riches continuously flow towards the Royal treasury.

For this problem, the Oliver family have set up their plans. They instead trade some of their produce to other noble families who have lesser agricultural influence for very low and affordable prices.

In exchange for this service, all the extra revenue for selling will be taken by the noble family responsible for trading while the Oliver family will get flat money without the revenue to cover for the costs.

The noble families involved in this deal then takes care of any legal problems that may arise, but it is not a part of the Oliver family's problems already.

The Oliver's basically never profit, but it is a more welcome solution than making the people suffer. They have already achieved their goals.

It is a diversion strategy that any noble family would welcome. More goods, means more business.

Other nobles do not really care much about the welfare of their people. They even welcome the North's strategy in order to artificially boost their economy.

They also get richer as long as they continue this deal.

And so, the North, as it was before, is as unremarkable as it seemed.