New ecounters

After the cockatrice incident, we never find any strong monsters.

Skills I got from the cockatrice were: Petrification gaze, Resist petrification, Long sight and it’s unique skill, Loyalty.

The unique skill Loyalty makes it imposible to anyone who sweared loyalty to me to disobey me. In return, it gives the subject significant stat boost and I can leant them copies of my skills (not unique skills though). Also their mind isn't subdued like with other skills.

I turned ten years old, my training went smoothly enough to rise me to level 36, same as Kiira. We were now taller and together with my parents and sister Mina. I was going for new years debut party and Mina was getting ready for school in royal capital.

In this world, new year is celebrated at first day of spring, which is said to be also birthday of founding king and hero of the past.

As we were going through town to town, we were as father said: ‚stimulating economy‘ by buying stuff from people on the streets and in shops. That wasn’t something girls had to be forced to do. And I got some interesting gems, and metals. In those few years I found out that with combination of space and fire magics I can mold the metals with my hands, so I created some mini statues for my siblings of some metals I got here.

I was forced to follow girls anywhere they went by fathers orders, but I knew he just wanted to pass it on me. It kinda reminded me of my cousins back on earth. Six girls and me, the only boy.

It went all smoothly until we headed to castle of local lord.

„Welcome, dear Duke Netrose! I welcome you and your family in my humble abode.“

There’s nothing humble about this building though.

„Thank you, Viscount Sheernen. As our journey is approaching it’s end I am grateful for your hospitality.“

„The new years day is in a half a month, you really took it fast this time around.“

„Yes, as you can see, my youngest son Leo will be attending his debut in society of entire kingdom and my daughter Mina will be attending Royal academy starting in few months as well.“

„I see, you want to be prepared for long stay there. Then allow me to show you the best hospitality, my city can provide!“

After that we got a tour around his house, where I saw something interesting in one of the glass cases.

„Is that, a skill orb?“

„You have a really good eye young lord. Yes, this skill orb was found in dungeon near Monster mountain’s den. Sadly, no-one in family was able to use it and paying for appriser is too much for me.“

„Ah, yes. Most apprisers works either for king or church. Only a handful of apprisers work on their own, and those are usually really pricely,“ father said and I tugled his sleave.

When he lowered his head near mine I whispered in his ear: „It’s animal training skill, you can’t aquire it without taming skill.“

We looked into each others eyes and grined.

„Say, Viscount Sheernen, would you mind my son trying it? I will pay for it if it works for him.“

„Well, why not? But I paid two hundread gold coins for it, are you sure?“

Father looked at me with bold smile and said: „But of course!“

Viscount called for his handiman to remove the glass.

„Here you go Young lord,“ viscount smiled warmly, expecting me to fail.

I touched the crystal looking ball and my hand sunked into it. When that happened, [Animal training] skill was added to my skills and the crystal looking ball absorbed itself into my hand.

„Wha-“ the viscount exclaimed in supprise.

„Amazing!“ his wife said.

„I see, animal training skill. It requires taming skill in order to be aquired,“ I said with a big smile.

„Wait! I have taming skill as well, but I was unable to aquire it!“ youngest daughter of the viscount exclaimed angrily.

She was a girl with black hair like her father and emerald green eyes like her mother’s. She wasn’t as cute as Kiira or my sisters, but she definitely had some charm in her.

„Maybe it was becouse some hidden requirement? If you have taming, could you tell me what kind of monsters did you tamed?“

„I tamed slimes and some Azure parrots.“

„Maybe you need Bird training skill. You probably have talent for bird type monsters. Still, I don’t know my talent, I only know about bird, insect and water types being separate from other monsters. And animal training being the basic version of the specialized groups.“

„So I should continue training my birds?“

„If you do it diligently, you should be able to pick quite rare skill on your own.“

„Okay! I go train right now! Please excuse me!“ with that the girl run away.

That night my father called me in order to talk with him about what happened earlier that day.

„Spill it, how did you know what the skill was?“

„I gained a rare skill recently called Analyze Item. Not much information can be given on low level, so I trained by analyzing items I put my eyes on over and over again…“

„So you analyzed everything without anyone noticing? How?“ Mother asked worriedly.

„Why would they notice?“

„When someone uses skill like Apprisal and Analyze Item, their eyes glow dimly blue from usage of magic.“

„Maybe they didn’t notice, becouse I was using it constantly?“

„Y-you can use it constantly?!“ father exlaimed laudly.

„Dear, how are your mana reserves doing?“ mother grabed my shoulders.

„Full, all time.“

„How’s that possible?“ Father asked supprisely.

„My Increased mana recovery is level 6. The Analyze item skill is taking two mana points per second while activated. My mana recovery is 5 points per second.“

„Sareen, dear… our son is probably stronger then Great mage of south…“

„Seems like it… he even have his magic skills. Not to speak about his mana recovery being over level 5... which is said to be human strongest point.“

„Great mage of south? Who’s that?“ I asked.

„We didn’t tell you right? We should have fixed that before going to capital then. Sareen, would you mind?“

„It’s okay dear. So, Leo listen, you know that our kingdom was founded by Hero, who later became the first king right?“

„Yes, he married saintess who summoned him to our world.“

„Yes. The legend says that the hero found along the way comarades who he could trusted his life to. Mage, Warrior, Scout and Archer. These four after subjugation of Great Devil split up and founded their own dominions. The mage in south beyond the sea created floating island and founded kingdom of sorcery Gantagi upon it. Warrior moved west, where he founded Knightly kingdom Kastena, The archer went to endless forests in north, where he founded the Arrow kingdom. Lastly, the scout of the party moved east and Founded Mist kingdom.“

„After so many years, the Mist kingdom perrished. Many kingdoms formed in those lands and even Arrow kingdom and Knightly kingdom are no more bordering our kingdom.“

„So I have same abilities as the Mage in south?“

„Yes, your Space magic and high mana recovery would be a sign of his revival for certain individuals…“

„His revival?“

„It’s said that when the world will be heading to the great peril again the hero and his party will revive as descendants of their family,“ father said with arms crossed on his chest.

„Wait does that mean…“ I looked at mother, who had, same as me, absurdly high Mana reserves. While I am at level thirty and mom is over level 50 we have same mana capacity of 2,38 million MP.

„That’s correct. Before I came to Ostilian kingdom, I was princess of Kingdom of sorcery,“ mother said matter-of-factly.

„Then, the reason why my physical stats are so high is becouse of Father?“

„Yes. The Founder of Netrose family was descendant of royal family in Knightly kingdom and princess of our kingdom. So we are de facto also of royal blood and normaly we would be grand dukes, but that idiot of grandfather of mine got full of himself and almost destroyed our family. If father didn’t cut him down when he did, we would be here no longer,“ father said angrily.

Later I found out that my great grandfather and his eldest son lead rebellion against the kingdom, but were stopped by his second son, my grandfather. For that his rank was lowered to that of duke and our lands were cut in half. Our standing as is now, is only thanks to fathers hard work as Minister of dungeon resources and grandfather’s leadership skills during last war, which saved many people, including heir to the throne.

After the talk I went back to my room and checked my status:

Name: Leo Netrose
Level: 30
Titles: Third son, Father’s boy, Reincarnator

Skill: King of greed (U), King of Wisdom (U), Loyalty (U), Magic manipulation (6), Increased mana recovery (6), Increased stamina recovery (5), Fire magic (4), Water magic (4), Wind magic (5), Earth magic (5), Ice magic (5), Lightning magic (7), Space magic (5), Item box (5), Transmute (5), Apprisal (6), Paralyze spore (3), Taming (2), Swordsmanship (4), Self-regeneration (5), Sense temperature (1), Harden skin (4), Sticky thread (1), Hide presence (5), Sense presence (4), Leap (4), Kick (5), hand to hand combat (5), Petrification gaze (1), Fly (2), Long sight (3), Analyze item (4), Animal training (1), Dissolve (4)

Resist: Paralyze (5), Poison (5), Petrification (1)

Blessings: Magic goddess (5), War god (5), Merchant god (5), Alchemy god (5), Skill god (5)

„It’s as absurd as ever… I could use some skill to combine skills… I also need to train my Fly skill, it sucked almost all my magic to steal it, and it also burns too much magic while I’m using it.“

„That’s right, I can’t use it without runing out of magic,“ Kiira said and sit next to me.

She was so close I could smell her parfume clearly.

„So you bought a parfume when we were in town?“

„Your sister helped me choose it. You like it?“ she said beet-red in face.

„It smells nice,“ I whispered in her ear. This night same as every other she fell asleep while holding my hand.

The next day we resumed our journey to the capital city, where my brothers Gavin and Noel, alongside sisters Hina and Eru.

I was ten years old this year. Gavin and Hina were already 21, with Gavin’s marriage around the corner. Noel, was seventeen and one year before his graduation. Eru as the youngest of the four, was in middle of her first three year curriculum, her age is 14 now.