Chapter 35 [Blessing festival]

[Mother and father there is something that I need to tell you and it's very important ... I am ... no I mean to say I think I am now ready to be trained to become mage just like mother. So I want to join the blessing festival. ] I said clearly, one of the shortest and safest ways for me to gain knowledge about the mana system of humans and to become strong enough so that my parents can not be worried when I leave to find the truth behind my current condition is to become a mage.

According to the Old hag, humans are able to sense mana at age of 6 to 7 after they go through the Blessing ritual at age of 5 or 6 and this is the only way for humans to be able to start on the path of mage and this ritual has to be performed in a church and the nearest church is three rays away from our village thus I need the help of my parents to cross this distance. the festival is the time where every child from nearing village gathers in the church town and thus after that, they are blessed in a blessing ritual.

I still don't know what happens in the blessing ritual and old hag said that it wasn't important but I am clearly interested to understand the way in which humans gain access to something that was never there's, to begin with.

[Really honey, that's very good, but your body is not quite strong yet if you wanna become like your mother you should wait and grow some more] said my mother with quite a pride on her nose and a teasing smile that was screening to my papa "see I told you he would wanna become like me".

Well it was the fact I want to become like mother, who was a renowned mage across several villages, but my papa had a reputation of his own, it is quite embarrassing to say but my whole childhood that when I lay in laps of my mother she would tell tales of my father adventures across the lands, how he would hunt different beast with his bow, how he would find some very rare herbs only to give them to needy elder. So overall he had quite a name for him in his adventuring days and I also heard aunt Lilly and uncle dason was in their adventure group too. and then they finally settled in this village and takes care of this village after getting married. So my mother being proud is quite understandable.

[Hey remove that smug look on your face, well whatever what your mother is true your body is currently to week and blessing ritual is not that easy you need to pass a test first and whether you can pass that test is dependent on your knowledge and strength I know you excel at knowledge department you are quite smart for your age but I don't think you are qualified for physical test, therefore you need to prepare for that first and normally kids start to prepare at age of 4. so you are quite ahead so don't worry and enjoy your childhood ok ...] my papa said.

The blessing is a very important point in a humans fate so a child has to be ready thus they test both the mental and physical capabilities of a child and then only allow selected few to be given blessing, and it's true according to them I am just a child but I know that the old hag test today was one of the criteria for the talk so I think I am ready and I just need to prove them of this.

[Papa I think I am ready, you know I caught a rabbit today. I am a strong boy...] I said confidently.

[cathing a rabbit is one thing and being able to pass that test is other.

I know you must have read about the blessing test ... but there is a hidden goal for this test... it is to measure talent.

all the ones that go through blessing don't get an equal start if your body and mind are not properly ready and you don't have enough talent you may have to start from the very back compared to others, thus you need to be ready. ] said, papa. His words may sound cruel if they were said to a 3-year-old child, but in our family, they never treated me as a child and always talk openly to me as if they know I would be able to hear the truth, I don't know why but I like their habit they always say the truth even if good or bad.

[So how can I prove to you that I am ready??] I said knowing that this was their final test to secretly test my resolve and I was not going to back down with this little intimidation of theirs. Old hag had already told me about this so i was ready.

[Good it looks like our son has at least the resolve to become a mage and that is the most important factor, but we will be giving you a test, that will test your capabilities, and if you pass then you can go, so are you ok.] said mother truly shocked me, I thought if I made puppy eyes with a cute enough face they would simply allow me I never expected a test to pop out.

And I didn't notice it but it all seems to be pre-planned to lead me to accept this test as if they knew today was the day of "the talk".

[How much Aunt greed sold my secret for ??] I said.

[quite a lot... so what you learn from this ...] said my mother with a smug look.

[Never keep a secret from parents if it's a secret with Aunt greed.]I said swearing I will kill that old hag once I get stronger than her... and with that both my parents had a great laugh.