Suspicious Origin

"Where did you go yesterday?" Upon entering the room, Alice was greeted by the chilling gaze from her mother. She was holding ice cream in her hands with a cream stain on her left cheek.

"I-I'm. Of course, I will not get fat!" At first, she stammered when she noticed a vein on her mother's forehead but then she saw her father looking at her with a soft gaze which made her have sudden courage.

However, the treatment she was hoping for did not happen. Instead, her mother pulled up her ear, resulting in her ice cream falling to the ground.

"Who taught you this attitude? Where is your apology?" Placing Desmond back on the bed, Leona reprimanded her ungrateful daughter, who did not know when and how to stop.

Her cheeks began turning red while her eyes started to glisten, almost shedding a tear," I-I, I'm sorry, mother!"

Suddenly, Bastian held his wife's hand that finally gave Alice a break, "Honey, don't be so hard on her. She is still a child after all." He spoke while caressing Alice's head, who was hiding behind him and hugging his foot.

"No, you should stop protecting her. We should teach her in the right way..." Their argument kept clashing with each other.

With his elder sister being scolded by his mother due to her absence for the entire day while his father kept saying that she was still a child and it was normal for her.

The father would always protect their daughter, while the mother would always protect their son. As time went on, the conflict between his parents only ended when another knocking sound was heard.

"Excuse me, Captain. We have arrived at the border of the North Kingdom. Should we prepare to dock?" When his parents heard the crewmate, they looked at each other, and Bastian told him to enter.

"Have you seen anything suspicious on the harbour?" Bastian asked with a solemn face. The soft father's look of him was gone and was replaced by a magnificent and intimidating leader.

His wife Leona and his daughter Alice also stopped their activity. Now both of them were waiting for the crewmate's answer. Only Desmond was amused by the sudden change of atmosphere.

System, scan, he thought.

This had almost become his habit every time he met a new person. His gaze then shifted back to his elder sister, who was anxiously hiding behind his mother.

[Scanning the target...]

System, scan her too, Desmond commanded.

[Scanning the target...]

[Scan Complete!]

[Scan Complete!]

[Name: Alice

Gender: Female

Age: 3

Race: Human

Class: none

Occupation: none

Unique Energy: 3.28

Strength: 1.30

Agility: 5.30

Stamina: 0.30

Trait Effect:

Playful (Rare)

- Increases Agility by +5.00.

- Increases the Amount of Unique Energy Gathering +0.002]

A Rare trait again? This is not normal, he spoke inwardly and frowned. The fact that their identity was merchant, there was no way a typical merchant family would have a couple of Rare traits and Unique traits.

His hunch became stronger when he saw the stats of the crew.

[Name: Allen

Gender: Male

Age: 34

Race: Human

Class: 1st class swordsman

Occupation: Servant

Unique Energy: 12.41

Strength: 19.30

Agility: 17.30

Stamina: 2.48

Trait Effect: - - ]

A servant? Not a crewmate? And this servant is a 1st class swordsman? Wait, no trait effects? So is it possible to have no trait? Desmond thought.

Desmond pondered, how could they disguise a 2nd class witch? In his opinion, his mother could become a powerhouse in any kingdom because a 2nd class witch was only one step away from 3rd class.

There is no way his mother, who had beauty and power, would marry his father? A mere merchant?

As for his father, although he was not great like his mother, when compared to this crew who just arrived, it was not normal for him to only be a merchant. The crew was not normal too, because the crewmate should've been an average human.

"As far I can see, no suspicious group or person could be spotted, Captain. However, that was only at first glance."

"After I used the swordsman skill in my vision, I noticed some of the shop owners would occasionally look at the people who came into the harbour, including some new travelling merchants like us."

All of the people except Alice frowned upon hearing his answer. Leona and Bastian kept racking their brains while gazing at the calm seawater from the window.

As for Leona, she glanced at Desmond and then was dazed for a moment. The worry on her face could not be hidden from his eyes.

On the other hand, Desmond was thinking about possibilities related to the current event. There is no way a travelling merchant would be cautious like this unless they offended someone from the higher up in the past.

As for a debt? His mother had power. What should they be afraid of? If he wasn't wrong, the rest of the crew could be filled with swordsmen like this one.

This is strange. Why would my parents keep insisting on docking on this harbour even after knowing the situation does not seem right? Is there any particular reason for that?

Because Desmond was in a daze when they were talking about docking on the harbour, he only heard the part where they should go to the church for some reason.

"Inform all of the men to be prepared to dock. Although the situation is a bit dangerous, we cannot let my son's precious time pass away as he needs to identify his trait as soon as possible," After a long time, Bastian spoke and immediately made a decision

As Alice entered the room, she was immediately struck by her mother's piercing gaze, sending a shiver down her spine. The atmosphere grew tense as her mother stood there, holding a melting ice cream cone in her hands, a creamy stain marring her left cheek.

"Where on earth did you disappear to yesterday?" her mother questioned sharply, her voice laden with a mix of frustration and concern.

Alice stumbled over her words, initially taken aback by the vein that seemed to throb on her mother's forehead. However, a glimmer of hope flickered within her as she noticed her father's gentle gaze upon her. It bolstered her courage and spurred her to find her voice.

"I-I'm... I promise I won't gain weight!" she stammered, her voice quivering. But her hopes were quickly dashed as her mother abruptly grabbed her ear, causing the ice cream in her hands to slip and crash onto the floor.

"Who taught you this insolence? Where is your apology?" Leona scolded, her grip firm as she reprimanded her unappreciative daughter, who seemed unaware of the boundaries.

A rush of embarrassment flooded Alice's cheeks, her eyes growing moist with unshed tears. "I-I... I'm sorry, mother!" she choked out, her voice barely audible.

In a sudden turn of events, Bastian intervened, grasping his wife's hand, providing Alice with a momentary respite. "Honey, don't be too harsh on her. Remember, she's still just a child," he interjected, his touch gentle as he caressed Alice's head. The young girl took refuge behind her father, clutching his leg tightly.

"No, you mustn't always shield her. We need to teach her the right way..." Their voices clashed, an ongoing argument that seemed to have no resolution.

Caught in the crossfire of her parents' dispute, Alice silently endured her mother's scolding for her absence throughout the day, while her father steadfastly defended her, asserting that she was merely a child and her actions were understandable.

The conflict between her parents seemed to stretch endlessly until a sudden knock broke the tension, momentarily redirecting their attention.

"Excuse me, Captain. We have arrived at the border of the North Kingdom. Should we prepare to dock?" The voice of a crewmate reverberated through the room, prompting Alice's parents to exchange a glance before Bastian instructed the crewmate to enter.

Bastian's expression turned grave as he inquired, "Have you noticed anything suspicious on the harbor?" The once gentle demeanor of the loving father had vanished, replaced by the commanding presence of a formidable leader.

Leona and Alice, sensing the change in atmosphere, paused their activities, their attention now fully focused on the impending response from the crewmate. Only Desmond, their younger son, found amusement in the sudden shift of dynamics.

Inwardly, Desmond activated his scanning ability, a habit he had developed whenever encountering new individuals. However, his gaze shifted back to his elder sister, who anxiously sought refuge behind their mother.

[Scanning the target...]

"System, scan her too," Desmond silently commanded.

[Scanning the target...]

[Scan Complete!]

[Scan Complete!]

[Name: Alice

Gender: Female

Age: 3

Race: Human

Class: None

Occupation: None

Unique Energy: 3.28

Strength: 1.30

Agility: 5.30

Stamina: 0.30

Trait Effect:

Playful (Rare)

- Increases Agility by +5.00.

- Increases the Amount of Unique Energy Gathering +0.002]

Desmond furrowed his brow as he noted the appearance of yet another Rare trait. "A Rare trait again? This isn't ordinary," he mused inwardly. Given their merchant background, it was highly unusual for a typical merchant family to possess multiple Rare and Unique traits.

His suspicions grew stronger as he observed the crew's statistics.

[Name: Allen

Gender: Male

Age: 34

Race: Human

Class: 1st Class Swordsman

Occupation: Servant

Unique Energy: 12.41

Strength: 19.30

Agility: 17.30

Stamina: 2.48

Trait Effect: - - ]

"A servant? Not just a crewmate? And a 1st Class Swordsman at that?" Desmond questioned silently. He noted the absence of any trait effects, prompting him to wonder if it was possible to possess no traits at all.

Desmond pondered how they could conceal the identity of a 2nd Class Witch. In his estimation, his mother possessed enough beauty and power to become a force to be reckoned with in any kingdom, as 2nd Class Witches were only a step away from reaching the 3rd Class.

The notion that his mother, with her captivating allure and formidable abilities, would marry a mere merchant like his father seemed implausible to Desmond.

Meanwhile, Desmond couldn't help but consider his own father. Though not as remarkable as his mother, it seemed peculiar to him that his father would only be a simple merchant in comparison to the crew that had just arrived. Something felt off about the entire situation.

"From what I could observe, Captain, there doesn't appear to be any overtly suspicious groups or individuals," the crewmate replied. "However, upon utilizing my swordsman skills to enhance my vision, I noticed that some of the shop owners would occasionally cast glances towards the people entering the harbor, including newcomers like us."

Upon hearing this response, frowns etched themselves onto the faces of everyone present, excluding Alice. Leona and Bastian strained their minds as they gazed out at the serene expanse of the seawater through the window.

Leona's gaze briefly shifted to Desmond, her expression clouded with worry, a sentiment that was not lost on him.

Meanwhile, Desmond contemplated the various possibilities surrounding the current events. It seemed unlikely for a group of traveling merchants to exercise such caution unless they had somehow offended someone of higher authority in the past. But what debts could they owe? With his mother's power, what could they possibly be afraid of? If Desmond's intuition was correct, the remaining crew members might also be skilled swordsmen like the one before them.

"This is all so strange," Desmond thought to himself. "Why would my parents insist on docking in this harbor, even after realizing that something seems amiss? Is there a specific reason behind their decision?"

Having been lost in his thoughts during the conversation about docking, Desmond only caught the part where they mentioned going to the church for some reason.

"Notify all the men to prepare for docking," Bastian finally spoke after a prolonged silence, a resolute tone in his voice. "Though the situation may pose some dangers, we cannot let our son's precious time slip away. He needs to identify his trait as soon as possible."

With that, Bastian made a firm decision, prioritizing his son's well-being amidst the uncertainty that surrounded them.

As Bastian looked at his wife, he found her gazing at him with a passionate expression. "Thank you, my love," she whispered, her voice filled with warmth and affection. If they weren't in the presence of the crew and their daughter, they might have been tempted to indulge in a passionate kiss.

Even the crewmate, captivated by Leona's beauty and radiant smile, stood there momentarily stunned before awkwardly excusing himself and swiftly relaying the information to the rest of the crew.

On the other hand, Desmond couldn't help but feel a touch of confusion regarding his parents' words. Initially, he had assumed there might be some business transaction between the church and the merchant, but he hadn't anticipated it being related to himself.

"Why is there such a hurry to identify my trait?" Desmond wondered, his mind grappling with the intricacies of how people thought in this world. He struggled to comprehend the reasoning behind their urgency.

The danger looming in the harbor was apparent, and instead of seeking out a safer alternative, his parents had chosen to confront it head-on. Perhaps it was because they possessed power and had no reason to fear.

"Um, Mother, when we arrive, may I buy something?" Alice suddenly broke the dazed silence, her voice timid yet hopeful. She had been patiently awaiting their response, attempting to appear as polite as possible. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation as she directed her gaze toward her father.

"No," Leona firmly responded.

"Yes, my dear," Bastian countered.

Alice found herself caught in the crossfire of conflicting answers, her emotions wavering between joy and disappointment. Once again, her parents embarked on a spirited argument, temporarily dissipating the tense atmosphere that had hung over them earlier.