Revelations and Trust

Ethan's Pov :"Well, seeing Lydia's reaction, I thought what could I do ?". "So, I just said I had gained the Pain Resistance skill due to this whole diabolical event that happened today." I barely got the words out when Rodrick's immediate response came, a single, blunt word: "LIE." I winced, remembering he had a truth-detecting skill. Lydia's anger flared again. "Calm down," I pleaded, turning to Lydia. "I wasn't trying to lie. Just give me a chance to explain." Lydia nodded, still frowning, and took a seat beside me on the bed. Rodrick stood in front of us, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "I took a deep breath and began. I need to explain everything, starting with how I learned my skills. It all began when I was learning to walk. That's when I gained the Balancing Skill and Body Coordination. Seeing 'Mana' in my status intrigued me, so I started trying to sense it, which led me to learn Mana Sense, Focus, and Meditation." I was speaking quickly, the words tumbling out. Rodrick raised a hand to slow me down. "Wait," he interrupted. "You learned Mana Sense on your own? That'quite a rare skill to learn. Even though it's only rare rank, its utility and potential for upgrades are significant. It's not something one just stumbles upon, especially not among several other skills. Usually, multiple skills are gained during life-or-death situations or moments of intense stress. Can you explain how you managed to learn so many at once?" His question made me pause, and we revisited the discussion about my traits. I made a decision to disclose everything. "It's my traits," I began. "They give me a 350% boost in skill gains." Initially, I had contemplated withholding the details of my traits from them. However, considering how much I had already shared and their supportive and understanding reactions, I felt it was time to be completely honest. So, I chose to reveal everything. Their faces showed shock, even though we had just talked about my stats. Lydia's eyes widened, while Rodrick's face remained impassive. I showed them the descriptions of my traits, fully expecting their disbelief:  Trait: Foreign Reincarnator Description: Reincarnators retain memories from their previous lives, granting them an unfair advantage in this world. This trait signifies a soul reincarnated from a different world many times, sent by alien gods to disrupt the world balance. Benefits:+100% skill gains.+2 stat points each level.Unlocks unique classes. Trait: Fate Chosen (Absolute) Description: One of the most powerful traits that can be granted to anyone, bestowed randomly. Benefits:+250% skill gains.+3 stat points every level.Removes restrictions over class selection.Grants hidden skill: Conceal (Conceal your power from anyone regardless of their level. You may choose what level and skills you want them to see).  I was nervous about how they would react to my true status, but decided to trust them. Silence filled the room after they read the traits. Lydia was the first to speak, her voice trembling slightly. "Why is there 'Heretic' in your title?" she asked, a hint of fear in her eyes. Rodrick's face was unreadable, a blank mask. He was likely using some skill to maintain his composure. "I tried to explain. 'I don't know why 'Heretic' is in my title,' I said. 'When I first accessed my system, the system also reacted violently to the title. However, due to my other title, Fate's Chosen, the world's will accepted me, and I gained access to the system.'" Their expressions morphed into pure astonishment. "The World Will" was evidently a significant term. "The World Will accepted you?" Lydia repeated with joy. "That means you're truly part of this world now. The World's Will is a sacred, unspoken law acknowledged by all continents and people of our world. When you will learn about the world's history, you'll understand more." When I asked her what the reason behind it was, she explained that the World's Will represents the collective consciousness and the very fabric of existence here. It's a force that maintains balance and order, granting acceptance or rejection to entities based on their alignment with the world's essence.I noticed relief on both Lydia's and Rodrick's faces. Driven by curiosity, I asked them, "What would you have done if I had been solely marked by the Heretic title? What would you have done to me?" I think Lydia sensed my fear, so she replied "Why would we do anything to you?" she asked. "Have you done something to deserve that title?" I shook my head. "No." "Then why would you think we'd harm you? Did you think we'd reject you if we knew everything?" Four eyes glared into me. Guilt washed over me. I looked down, feeling small. Rodrick's voice broke the silence. "Young master," he said gently, "did we do something to make you doubt us?" I simply replied with a quiet "no," knowing they might blame themselves. I went on to explain how insecurities from my past life and preconceived notions had shaped a false perception in me—that I was merely granted a second chance in life, one that could vanish as swiftly as it came. Hearing my words, Lydia replied gently, "I don't know about your past life, and you don't have to tell us now. Whenever you feel comfortable, you can share it. But I want you to keep in mind that you are now a Runeblade, and we are family. I assure you, young master, you don't have to hide anything from us. We are here for you. If you think we will treat you differently just because you have memories from a past life, or these traits, or the skills—nothing matters." "We were once nothing, but now we hold this Runeblade name given by Master Raven. He gave us everything without asking for anything in return. He taught us, helped us surpass our past selves, and achieve our goals. We came from families with no wealth, power, or standing, yet he took us as his own and has cared for us. So, I can assure you that you will never feel alone. We are always with you as Master Raven had been for us." Hearing all this, it was like a weight had lifted from me. I thanked her again for caring so much. Sensing the mood, Rodrick soon changed the topic and asked how I had gained pain resistance. I felt Lydia's eyes on me again, so I explained how I had discovered mana pathways inside my body using mana sense. As I noticed improvement in my hand's mana usage, I started training my mana manipulation by condensing mana and passing it through my mana veins. Both Lydia and Rodrick had pained expressions as I recounted this. Rodrick replied, "I don't know whether to call you a genius or an idiot. What you attempted is normally done by warriors and mages to expand their mana channels, but it's a highly supervised process. Without healing skills or runes, it's one of the most foolish and painful things to attempt. Yet, I'm astonished by your ideas. Even after finding mana veins, you attempted to work on them. And to casually mention mana manipulation—mages of high levels only dream of mastering this skill, yet you've achieved it in just 18 months." Reflecting on his words, I admitted, "Yes, the idea seems foolish now, but mentioning mana manipulation made me realize how crucial the skill is." Rodrick interjected again, "Still, we haven't identified what led to this situation." I explained that I had gained Mana Absorption through mana manipulation and attempted to absorb ambient mana from the environment. I described how I enveloped the external mana with my internal mana and then absorbed it into my body. Rodrick finally seemed resigned, conjuring a chair into the room from thin air. He gestured for me to sit and spoke with a solemn tone, "Let me be clear. I don't mean to diminish the efforts and skills you've gained. I've never known anyone to acquire this many skills in such a short time. However, I must emphasize: never take ambient mana directly into your body. You'll learn more about it in the future, but for now, understand that ambient mana comprises various natures and complexities. When it mixes with the neutral mana inside your body, it can lead to situations like what you experienced." He continued, "Adding points to your mind stat was a wise decision. The natural mana present in your body enabled you to survive. If this had happened to any other child, they would have died instantly, as the ambient mana would have already overwhelmed their mana pathways. Do you understand why we were so concerned?" Rodrick asked, to which I nodded in affirmation. Rodrick stated firmly, "I'm not going to stop you from gaining any skills or leveling them up, but there are conditions, and you must follow them. Do you understand?" I confirmed my understanding. "The conditions are simple. Firstly, you will not hide things from us anymore. Secondly, Lydia will start allowing you to use the library, and I recommend you use it to learn more. The more you learn, the fewer mistakes you'll make." He continued, "I know you might think I'll prevent you from conducting experiments, but the only condition is that either Lydia or I must be present. Lydia has already told you this, but I'll emphasize it again—you are a Runeblade, you have nothing to fear. Whatever doubts you have, just ask. Whatever help you need, we will provide. Master Raven is like a father figure to me, and I consider you the little brother I never had. Please, never think you'll be treated differently." Tears welled up in my eyes at his words, and I cried for some time. Eventually, Lydia gently intervened, acknowledging that it had been a long day filled with many new discoveries, and that we all needed rest. With everything now clear, she guided me to a nearby room. Along the way, I couldn't help but notice the concerned faces of the cook, the maids, and even the guards from the wall gates, all waiting outside our room. Rodrick reassured them that everything was fine. Lydia settled me into the guest room, sitting beside me and bringing food. Afterwards, I watched as she placed runes around the room. As she prepared to leave, I thanked her and wished her goodnight. Within minutes, I was fast asleep.