I stared at the floating blue screen in disbelief. My chest was still tight, the metallic taste of blood coating the back of my throat, and this "Guide Book" was giving me a technicality?
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Error: Stat Cap Reached for Current Evolution.
Constraint: Manual point allocation is limited to +20 per update cycle.
Reason: Your "Dormant" vessel cannot withstand a sudden 100-point surge in physical density. You would literally explode from the inside out.
"Explode? I'm already bleeding out!" I hissed under my breath, clutching my ribs.
I had no choice. I funneled the points into the only thing that would stop me from collapsing in front of the children.
Strength: 0→20Agility: 1→21Remaining Points: 60
A sudden, searing heat surged through my marrow. It wasn't the god-like power my father possessed, but the trembling in my legs ceased. The internal bleeding didn't vanish, but it slowed—my body was finally robust enough to hold itself together.
I stood up, adjusting my coat. 20 Strength was still pathetic for an Aurelion, but for a Mastermind, it was a start.
"Mister? Are you okay?" Ezekiel asked, pausing his animated story about a "giant squirrel" he saw in the garden. Even Liam looked up, his blonde fringe shadowing his wary eyes.
"I'm fine, Ezekiel. Just a dizzy spell," I lied smoothly, already calculating the next move. "The three of you, go to the kitchens. Tell the chef I ordered a 'Welcome Feast.' I have to speak with my father."
The kids scrambled off, Ezekiel practically dragging a confused Liam by the sleeve. I watched them go, then turned toward the heavy oak doors of my father's study.
My 150 Luck had gotten me this far, but as I knocked on the door, I knew that no amount of luck would hide Liam's face from the man inside.
"Come in," the booming voice commanded.
I entered. My father wasn't sitting. He was standing by the window, his golden eyes glowing with a sharp, dangerous intensity as he stared down at the courtyard where the children had just been.
"Erik," he said, not turning around. "That boy. The blonde one."
The air in the room grew heavy enough to crush a normal man.
"He looks exactly like the man who sent me to the front lines to die twenty years ago. Care to explain why a Prince of the Realm is currently eating candy in our lobby?"
Mastermind Choice:
A) The Truth: Tell him Liam is the King's bastard and a future key to the throne.B) The Feint: Claim he's a distant relative of a fallen noble family (Smith) and deny the royal connection.C) The Gamble: Use your 150 Luck to "accidentally" drop a hint that the King is trying to kill the boy, triggering your father's protective instincts.
I looked at the choices presented by the system and selected the most logical path. I pressed Option A and told my father everything—the auction, the King's involvement, and the sheer desperation I saw in the boy's eyes.
"I see. It must have been difficult for you to witness," my father said, his voice low. "But that King... he is a man who cannot even look a commoner in the eye. He would never dare do something as lowly as taking in a common girl."
He paused, his golden eyes narrowing in thought. "I heard a rumor long ago regarding the late King. He was desperately searching for a child, a true heir."
"But that was ages ago," I countered, feeling a sense of bewilderment. "That child would have been an adult by now."
My father shook his head slowly. "Unless there was magic involved—magic to stop his growth. If the current King heard whispers of a surviving sibling, he would do anything to get rid of him."
I watched as my father reached for the Second Golden Stamp—the one reserved for high-stakes military mobilization. It was a heavy, silent acknowledgement of the war we had just invited into our home.
"So, the boy isn't a bastard son," I mused, my 100 Intelligence rapidly re-indexing every political scroll I had ever read in my first life. "He's a brother. A Prince of the old bloodline, kept small by a growth-stunting curse. No wonder the current King wants him to rot in an Underground fighting pit."
A sibling is a much greater threat to a throne than a bastard. If the public found out the "True Heir" was still a child—untainted by the current King's corruption—the nation would burn in a heartbeat.
"He could be the key," I whispered, more to myself than my father. "A King who knows what it's like to be a slave will be a King who truly knows how to serve his people."
"Do not get ahead of yourself, Erik," my father warned, his golden eyes flashing. "The current King is a snake. If he finds out a 'Dormant' son of the Aurelions is harboring his greatest rival, he won't send collectors. He'll send the Royal Guard."
"Let them come," I replied, a cold confidence settling over me. "Between your strength and the Golden Mask, we can hold the walls. And in the meantime..."
I looked at my status window. The 60 Talent Points were still sitting there, a golden glow in the corner of my vision.
"I'll make sure those three kids become a force that even the King will fear."
I bowed to my father and left the study, the heavy doors thudding shut behind me. As I walked back toward the dining hall where the "Welcome Feast" was being prepared, I felt a strange vibration from my hand.
[NEW SUB-QUEST: THE PRINCE'S CURSE]
Objective: Find a way to break the growth-stunting magic on Liam.
Clue: The Mage, Olivia, has a Magic stat of 150. Perhaps she can 'see' the curse?
Reward: 200 Talent Points & Liam's Loyalty MAX.
I entered the hall to see a chaotic, heart-warming sight. Ezekiel was trying to show Liam how to properly "attack" a giant roasted chicken leg, while Olivia was using a tiny spark of magic to keep the gravy warm—much to the chef's horror.
"Olivia," I called out, pulling a chair up to the table. "I want you to try something. Look at Liam... not with your eyes, but with your mana. Tell me if you see anything 'dark' tied around his heart."
The room went quiet. Ezekiel stopped mid-chew, and Liam froze, his blonde hair falling over his eyes. Olivia blinked, her crimson hair shimmering as she focused. Her eyes began to glow with a faint, iridescent light.
"Mister..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "He's... he's wrapped in black chains. They're so tight, they're squeezing his soul."
Liam dropped his fork. A single, silent tear tracked through the dirt still smudged on his cheek.
"Can you break them?" I asked.
"I... I don't know how," she cried, looking down at her small hands. "I'm not strong enough yet!"
I reached out and patted her head. "Not yet. But that's why we're here. We're going to get stronger. All of us."
"Yeah we will" she said happily
Mastermind's Training Phase
You have a few weeks of "peace" before the King's spies arrive. How do you spend your 60 Talent Points to prepare your team?
[The Scholar]: Spend them to unlock Magic Theory for Olivia, giving her the knowledge to break Liam's curse sooner.[The Drill Sergeant]: Spend them on Ezekiel's Training Gear, boosting his Strength even further to protect the estate.[The Shadow Master]: Spend them to upgrade the Golden Mask, ensuring no spy ever makes it past the front gate.