Opening my gifts

* Lucius POV *

We got into a big hall with plenty of different things, and as weird as it may sound, no one thought of putting their gift in a box, as this whole birthday party event is but a political opportunity for about every one of the guests that presented themselves, and they pretty much only came to achieve two goals; showing off in front of someone else, and sucking up to someone 'politically' stronger on the bigger scale of things, and 'putting the gift in a box' pretty much cancels both their goals or so they believe.

As a Mafia leader, I was the big boss of the underworld, and as a consequence, I was pretty much always invited to such 'High-Class' parties, but the one thing that the majority of these smaller time mice think they do right that they actually fuck up every time is that taking part of every party you are invited to only means that you are what I'd like to call a 'Common Grade individual', and you want to be just 'Common Grade', no, to be special, you need to, in the least, be a 'Rare Grade individual', and to achieve that, you have to become more private to everything around you, this includes your small circle, your daily life events, your job or study or even your gift because the more you become mysterious, the more people will like to know your secrets and the more time it takes them to, the more you prove that your grade is higher, better. But one thing you need to avoid doing no matter what, don't try hiding your little secrets when people try to find them, give them what they want, and believe me when I say that they only want to know the chit-chatty things, like where do you work and how did you meet your wife, not how do you make your money from a side hustle, or what habits do you want to build, they'll only get interested in them when they show results, like you becoming rich or your hair becoming smother due to some hair-care habits you built.

The strange thing though is that nobles here, who seem to be 'la creme de le creme', are the same ones who show those characteristics that only the most common to the uncommon kinds of people did show back in my world, and this made me think, how did what they call 'common People' actually think, do they think the same, worst, or actually better?

As I was thinking about all these random thoughts, I found myself opening the first gift, the "Evolving Dwarven Amulet of Resilience", the gift that the dwarves gave to me, the one I promised to wear for 4 years straight, and then some more. As I wore it, a notification popped up.

[ You have equipped the Evolving Dwarven Amulet of Resilience ]

[ Evolving Dwarven Amulet of Resilience

Effect 1: +10 in strength; +10 in Constitution; +20 in Will

Effect 2: This item is akin to a training tool as it applies a force all over the body of its wearer in every moment of its use, the force applied takes the wearer's physical abilities into consideration, and is canceled when sensing hostile individuals in the proximity

Effect 3: The more the amulet is worn the more it affects the spirit of the wearer, but it needs to be worn continually, all while training constantly. After completing 4 years of wearing it without ever taking it off, the wearer gets their spirit mutated in order to uphold all the dwarves' talents without any apparent physical mutation on their body.

P.S: They might become more resistant to poisons including alcohol, and might need more potent liquor to become intoxicated ]

I shared the window with my family. "Well, as part of your training, the moment I see you without this is the moment you know that a hellish one week of training is waiting for you, are my words clear, soldier?" Well, to say that Father loved this amulet is an understatement, he immediately started using it to frighten me. "Well, you will have to read way more about dwarves, you will share a lot with them so you better start working on how to make use of it, young man." Mother said her part, and that made it needless to ask her about it since she made it seem like I had to do it now, but all good for me. My grandparents didn't say anything, they just kept on warmly smiling, and I was surprised to see Grandfather wasn't in a quarrel with Father anymore.

We moved on to the next gift, the gnomes' Enhanced Sentient Scholar's Companion Box. As I was about to open it, Father stopped me and said "I suggest you leave it for last, it'll probably cause you to take a rest", while the others were looking knowingly at me and all I could reply was a simple "Okay". So, on to the next one, the Gloves of Verdant Passage, which came with Enchanted Grove Sapling from the nymphs.

As I touched the gloves, a notification popped up explaining their use to me.

[ You have equipped the Gloves of Verdant Passage ]

[ Effect 1: These gloves are a key item primarily made to access The Sanctum of Sylvan Whispers, a secret sanctuary that only this pair of gloves can access

Effect 2: This pair is able to make its wearer's connection to both the nature and mystical essence of the sanctum, thus marking him as the sanctum's master and providing help in recovering mana in the secret sanctuary.]

As for The Enchanted Grove Sapling.

[ You have made contact with The Enchanted Grove Sapling ]

[Effect 1: This sapling, after 1 year of being planted, starts its first purpose, it starts to emit a calming and tranquil aura, which is the best ingredient for meditation

Effect 2: The tree starts to emit Nature-type mana in grand quantities after one year of being planted, it not only strengthens the user's connection to Nature-type mana, but it also momentarily speeds up his mana recovery.

Effect 3: After 3 years of being planted, this sapling gives birth to a nature-type spirit that is born with the sole purpose of serving its master which it decides as the first creature it lays its vision on.

Effect 4: If the sapling reaches 5 years of age in a special environment while being taken care of by some individual, it marks him as an ally to Sanctaria, the kingdom of the nymphs.

Effect 5: If used along a personal sanctuary, it upgrades that sanctuary and every other sapling already planted in it. ]

Wow, I guess that is why I almost caused the nymph to cry, I turned to my Mother and showed her both the notifications, then said "Bring me any plant if it's rare or useful, anyone that you can share at least".

And Mother turned to a maid, asked her to bring paper and a pen, then she started writing a list, after she finished, she ordered her to bring them. We moved to the next gift, already excited by the ones we already saw.

Well, we were bound to be disappointed. The next one was the elves' Ethereal Mirror of Noble Reflections. It was useless, at least in front of anything else.

[ Ethereal Mirror of Noble Reflections ]

[ Effect 1: The mirror reveals images of the user's ancestors, tracing back generations. These spectral figures come to life, recounting their stories, wisdom, and achievements.

Effect 2: The mirror shows potential paths the user might take in the future, hinting at the legacy he could leave for his descendants.

P.S: The mirror's reflection is not always straightforward; it can be veiled in riddles and cryptic messages, playing into the enigmatic nature of the elves. ]

After that came the gift that my first slave left behind, The Astral Amulet of Starbinding, it appears she gave me quite a useful gift, but I chose not to wear it in front of my Mother.

[ Effect 1: +10 in Intelligence; +10 in Wisdom

Effect 2: It enhances the user's connection to astral magic, granting him the ability to communicate with celestial beings, such as distant star spirits and ethereal messengers. These beings can provide insights, guidance, and occasionally even assistance in times of need.

Effect 3: The amulet serves as a conduit for harnessing astral magic, allowing the prince to weave spells that draw upon the power of the stars and the night sky. This unique form of magic is both awe-inspiring and harmonious, aligning with the ethereal nature of Starhaven and House Astralheart.

Effect 3: The Astral Amulet of Starbinding symbolizes the connection between the Lumina kingdom and the celestial realm through House Astralheart. It reflects the enchantment of Starhaven and the House's affinity for cosmic energies. The gift encourages the user to seek guidance beyond the earthly plane and embrace the mystical possibilities that lie in the stars. ]

I told them that I like to personally keep the gift as it seems useful, and Mother just ignored it. Moving on, I found the "Arcane Chronicles.", but chose to put it in my sanctuary as it doesn't seem I'll read it any time soon, needless to say, the book contained all I could possibly need to know about the Lumina Kingdom, but just not until I am able to correctly analyze it.

The next gift I remembered I got was the Crystalheart Pendant, it serves as a conduit to Valerius' magical guidance. When worn, it provides insights into enchantments, magical lore, and the intricate art of crystal manipulation. Additionally, it can serve as a protective amulet, attuned to Valerius' magical aura, and it carries a subtle charm that aligns my energies with the city's enchanting essence. Or so I remember, as this one gift promised a lot of knowledge, and that's what I lack the most in this world.

The last gift I remembered was my first servant's gift, as I like to differentiate between him and that woman. He got me a Shadow's Cloak, and as I wore it, a notification popped up.

[ Effect 1: This cloak grants the wearer the ability to blend seamlessly into shadows.

Effect 2: When worn, this cloak emanates an aura of protection, thus attacking any hostiles in the area with a weakened version of Lord Gareth Duskwood's Killing Intent.

Effect 3: The cloak can channel Lord Gareth's skills to enhance the prince's stealth and combat abilities

Effect 4: This cloak symbolizes Lord Gareth's loyalty to its user, thus informing any servant of Lord Gareth that the wearer's security is their first priority ] Well, can't say I was disappointed, but this just makes my Butler even more mysterious.

We then moved to the gifts that I received from the other guests and that I 'unfortunately' didn't receive.

I got a lot of gifts, rare ingredients that I sent to the sanctuary, sentient familiars that I sent to a special part of the palace where they were taken care of until I made a pact with every single one of them, portal scrolls to the nobles' different households, custom enchanted items cards that I could exchange for one-time custom made items, just that I got many of those, fine artworks depicting both my parents while holding a baby, who of course, wasn't properly painted, but I could accept it as it showed my parents as happy as they could, I even got magical beasts that I sent to a special corner in our royal stable, and among them, I got multiple exotic mounts, I also got tens of different magical tomes explaining how to use mana in many ways, and someones, if learned correctly can grant me skills that can be recorded in my lifestream interface.

In total, I got 278 gifts other than what I already personally recognized, as all the others were counted and noted by the maids, all I had to do was to choose what to do with them, Mother even promised to provide a building that has all I need to take care of my gifts without mixing them with the royal properties, which I did appreciate. Some of the gifts were what I needed, like the Garden of Wonders, an exquisite and enchanting garden filled with rare flora and fauna which I put immediately in my secret sanctuary they perfectly merged, making the garden take part in the sanctuary.

After that, I finally chose to merge with the Enhanced Sentient Scholar's Companion Box, I, again got a notification before I backed out.