Arthur sat quietly in the bathroom, the soft sound of water lapping around him as he practiced his spiritual magic.
It had been ten days since his brother woke up. Thankfully, he hadn't changed much. Just like Lily had said, he still treated them the same. The only difference was what he remembered—memories of someone else, someone who saw this world from a different angle, someone who knew what was coming.
The only real change in Kevin was his sudden obsession with working out. He'd been training in secret, pushing his body even though their mother had warned him to take it easy.
But Arthur understood. He knew Kevin wasn't just working out for fun. He was getting ready—for everything that was about to happen.
No one else knew what was coming. Only Kevin did. And Kevin was doing his best to prepare, trying to twist fate, trying to stop the plague called Argrouth before it spread too far.
As Arthur sat in the bathtub, the question tugged at his heart again.
'If Lunara knows the future, why didn't she tell anyone else? Why not Eric?'
The water spirits circled around him, laughing, glowing with energy. It was impossible to ignore them. Not just because there were so many—but because they always reached out to him. Always wanted to be noticed.
One time, he tried ignoring them. He was reading a book while practicing, trying to focus. But when he didn't respond, the spirits grew restless. The mana thickened in the air until it soared into the sky like a pillar of light. Moments later, knights and even Baron Stronghart stormed the library, searching for the cause of that overwhelming power.
Luckily, Arthur had slipped away just in time. No one ever found out it was him. Rumors spread that the Goddess of Water had been enraged. Some even thought that she was behind the strange flood that swept through the center of town that day.
After a moment of silence, the system responded at last.
[The future the Chosen One saw wasn't this world's fate. He was shown a life where you didn't exist. And even then… he never reached the end. Not even Goddess Lunara could see how that final battle would unfold.]
Arthur scoffed, his voice low with irritation.
"Pried into everyone's lives, predicted this and that, and wove it all into a story. But what if the prediction turns out wrong? Wouldn't her precious Chosen One lose all his faith then?"
The system responded calmly.
[As far as I know, the Chosen One still doesn't know who brought him here. And the prediction made by the Goddess… wasn't just a whim. At least, I believe it wasn't.]
Arthur's eyes narrowed. He stared at the water, quiet for a moment.
"She couldn't see the future of this world unless…" he stopped mid-sentence, then slowly breathed out. "Oh."
It hit him.
Aurelia—the Goddess of Fate and Fortune—must have broken a divine law. She peered into a future she wasn't meant to see. Then she gave that forbidden knowledge to Lunara.
And then she—the Goddess of Darkness—shared it with her Chosen One.
What a reckless, idiotic move.
Arthur clenched his fists, his jaw tight.
'So now Kevin… he's going to chase after a future he saw in someone else's memory. Try to save people who were meant to suffer… and might lose himself in the process.'
He bit down on his frustration. Was all of this… part of their plan? Did they know?
Of course they did.
They knew Arthur would grow attached. That he'd start to care. That he wouldn't sit still if something threatened his brother.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
'Tch.'
Rising from the water, droplets sliding down his skin, he muttered in a low voice to the system,
"Show me my stats.'
[Name: Arthur Stronghart]
[Age: 7]
[Bloodline Abilities: None]
[Str: 15/100]
[Spd: 18/100]
[End: 11/100]
[Mana Core: Beginner]
[Spiritual Tongue: 7.2%]
[Spirit Proficiency: 5.3%]
[Spells: Water Orb, Great Fall, Water Needles]
A few days ago, Arthur had asked Lily to update the system—to add his physical stats alongside his magical ones. He'd even asked her to estimate how much his body could grow over time, and based on that projection, she set an upper limit.
Right now, despite being only seven years old, Arthur had the strength to go toe-to-toe with an average, non-awakened adult. And when he channeled mana to enhance his body, his stats tripled.
Knock, knock.
"Arthur, we're ready to leave. Finish quickly, son."
His mother's voice broke through the stillness. Arthur quickly wiped himself down and stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist.
In the room, Virelle was neatly laying out his clothes on the bed.
"Are you really not going to wear formal clothes?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation.
Today was a special day. A ceremonial event in which her son—the boy who had helped protect the town—would be honored.
Kevin and Aston were already dressed in formal wear. But Arthur had refused.
"They're too uncomfortable," he replied while slipping into the shirt and trousers his mother had prepared. "It's hard to move properly in those clothes."
Virelle didn't argue. Instead, she picked up a comb and gently began fixing his slightly damp hair, smoothing it back with care.
As she worked, she lowered her voice. "Sweetie… you've stopped playing with Kevin. Did something happen between you two?"
Arthur raised his brows slightly and turned to look at her. She looked genuinely concerned.
A soft sigh left his lips. "He awakened his mana core," Arthur explained. "He's excited about it, and he's been training hard. It'd be unfair to ask him to stop and play with me right now."
But that didn't seem to comfort her much.
Virelle's expression grew sad. Her lips drooped, and she covered her face dramatically, like she was crying. "You're both still children… Just a few weeks ago, you two would run around the house, always laughing, always playing. Now it's all training and seriousness. Mama's a little heartbroken," she sniffled, peeking through her fingers. "Mama misses her sweet, silly children."
Sometimes she can be more childish than the old Arthur.
The raven-haired boy held her hand and told her, "I will ask him to play with me. Happy now?"
Virelle peeked through her fingers before she revealed a face full of smiles.
Leaning down, she kissed his head, "My sweet child. Now let's go." She offered him her hand which Arthur wordlessly took and walked out of the house with her
Kevin and Aston were already waiting near the carriage, as the Baron said, "What took you so long?"
The sun was too bright today and the suit he was wearing was quite stuffy.
Virelle smiled, "Just a little chat. Anyway, shall we go?"
Aston nodded before he opened the door for the three.
Arthur stepped inside followed by Kevin and Virelle.
As they sat inside, Aston asked if they had settled in there, and after getting the confirmation, the carriage rolled away from the residence.
Arthur was resting his back against the seat and was looking out.
The town has been rebuilt thanks to the labors provided by the Viscount. Arthur heard his parents saying that funds worth two months were provided to tackle the disaster.
'It was a relief that the flood didn't destroy any more lives,' Arthur muttered under his breath.
Just then, "Hey, Art...can you teach me how you use your mana to strengthen your body?"
Kevin asked, in a hesitant voice.
Arthur was surprised, "You didn't learn it by now?" He thought that since he had the blessing it would be easy for him.
Kevin, however, seemed lost, "I...couldn't channel mana properly now. So maintaining the skill for a long time is quite difficult."
Arthur hummed...unless you have absolute control over your mana, you can't fuel your body with it to enhance your abilities.
It was natural for Kevin to suffer since he was new to this whole concept.
That's why, "Okay, in the evening let's train together."
Kevin's expression brightened, "Really? Thank you!" He suddenly jumped on his brother to hug him.
Arthur groaned but didn't push him away.
Virelle smiled at the sight, thankful that her sons were still as close as ever.
********
A/N:- I will add Kevin's POV once in a while. Drop a comment.