[Acquired new class: Apprentice[Craftsmen path]]

[Class attribute gained: Memory]

[Class perk gained: 10% fire resistance]

[Fire affinity increased]

[Acquired new skill: Runesmithing]

Alan closed the distracting notifications but hesitated when it came to the Fire Source. It was the first reward he got from the system and was curious to see what it did. After deliberating, he decided to accept it when he was alone. It would be difficult to explain away an object materializing out of nowhere.

Focusing his attention on the shining weapon, he picked it up and observed the floating white lines hovering over the surface. One after another, they merged with the blade and formed an elegant diagram on the exterior.

The dagger lost its glow, but it felt alive and a sensation of power coursed through his arm. He swung the weapon and noticed the white trace it left along its path. Laughing loudly, he enthused over the sight. "Did you see that?"

"More times than I care to count."

Ignoring Niall's dull response, he kept swinging the dagger and appreciated the sight. After the fourth swing, the sword became dull and inert. He thrust his hand into the air and whooped, giving voice to his feelings.

Niall rolled his eyes. "It's unbecoming to celebrate over that trinket."

Alan didn't let the words destroy his mood. His uncle would never understand his feelings; no one would. Ever since he became Alan Ross, he lived the life of a different person. Every one of his interactions happened under the false impression that he was someone else. While he remained same on the outside, no one saw him for the person he truly was. He felt like he was Alan's shadow and his existence lacked any meaning without the shell. Similar to shadows, he didn't have any defining features and depended on the body to sustain his being.

When he watched the dagger, he felt a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. The result wasn't due to some miracle but a fruit of hard work and dedication, something he could call his own. At that moment, another truth hit him. Ever since the reincarnation, he tried to blend in to the new environment by acting as the original Alan. His actions had been a mistake from the beginning. The decision did injustice to both himself and his parents. No matter how hard he tried, he could never be the original Alan. Instead, he should focus on changing everyone’s perception and get them to accept the new him. After coming to the decision, a huge burden lifted off his shoulders, and he felt truly relaxed for the first time since becoming Alan.

Done with the internal monologue, he examined the dagger.

You activated Inspect

Item: Iron Dagger (Common)

Iron [95%]

Carbon [4%]

Sulphur [0.5%]

???

Mana: 0/8 [Mana recovery rate is 1 per 3 hours]

Item is brittle and liable to shatter.

The dagger's mana capacity and its ability to replenish its reserves were awful. Even the most basic magic weapons sold on the market had a mana reading greater than 20. Anything below that threshold had an unstable rune and was liable to self-destruct. The Crafting Association kept an eye on the market and made sure such products didn't appear in the registered shops.

Alan wasn't bothered by the weapon's lackluster performance. For his first successful attempt, the result was decent. It wasn't like he wanted to sell or use the weapon. Its value purely came from the sentiments he attached to it. The most he would do was store it as a souvenir.

He shifted his attention to the other pop-up window.

Item: Iron Dagger (Common)

Damage: 19 (+24)(max)

Due to the short-range, agility is important for wielding the weapon efficiently.

The burst from mana surpassed the dagger's original attack. He could only use it once as the attack would drain the energy reserves, but it would be useful in a moment of crisis.

Unsurprisingly, the dagger didn’t evolve into the uncommon tier. All he had done was give the weapon a mana source. Before using the energy to add effects, the dagger would remain in the same tier. He wouldn’t be creating an uncommon weapon anytime soon and was satisfied with what he achieved.

"I can't wait to show it to mother!" Alan gushed. Anticipating her reaction, he moved towards the door with a spring in his step.

"Hold your horses kid," Niall said. "Before leaving, there's something I want you to do."

"What is it?"

"Don't let other people know you can use mana."

Alan non-committally stared at Niall. How could he hide something everyone knew? While he didn't flaunt the gift, he couldn't hide the repeated visits to the workshop. Being a Duke's son, he was sure a lot of people kept an eye on him. If he had to conceal it, Niall should've mentioned it six months ago.

His uncle seemed to have read his mind as his response answered Alan's thoughts. "I've taken measures to make sure your activities stay hidden."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It wasn't too difficult. In the entire Ross family, you're the person outsiders pay the least amount of attention to." Understanding the way he phrased the words, his eyes widened and hastily added, "Not in a bad way! People are more concerned about your sisters and often ignore you. They pose more threat than you ever will. I meant .... "

"Ugh." Niall palmed his face and stopped talking.

Alan watched his uncle's struggle in amusement, not the least bit depressed by the words he heard. There was no point in crying over something he didn't have and wallowing in self-pity. Instead of resenting other people's talents, he believed in working hard and achieving results.

"Let me start from the beginning," Niall said. "In the current era, the Ross family is one of the strongest powers in the Bodwen empire, even capable of rivaling the royal family. The two factions represent one-third of the empire’s military strength. Our family has loyally served the kings and queens for many generations, and we have their trust, but the same couldn't be said about the other nobles. They're dissatisfied with our rising fortunes and the amount of clout we have in the court. It wasn't a cause for concern as rivalry among the nobles was common, but everything changed with Lily's birth. Her ability was too powerful and had the capability of tilting the balance of power that had existed."

Alan wondered if Niall was exaggerating. The only thing he had seen Lily do was firing blood bullets. While it packed quite a punch, it was a far cry from the way Niall described it. What she displayed shouldn't be the extent of her abilities. Maybe he'll see more of it after she masters her powers. He didn't interrupt his uncle's words to clear his doubts and kept listening.

"The other noble families haven't acted for now as our family both gained and lost a powerful asset. Without a mana user, no one could inherit our core legacy, but the situation has changed. If they find out you manifested the gift, they’ll no longer sit still. The peace talks with Shizar gives them the perfect opportunity to pull something off."

Alan more or less understood Alaya's reasons for wanting the peace talks to succeed. Sure enough, Niall confirmed his doubts. "If war erupts, the Amaris duchy will be forced to take the frontline. In the past 15 years, there haven't been any major battles between the two empires, and everyone's accumulating their strengths. Once war breaks out, the destruction it would cause is beyond your comprehension. The Ross family would likely be annihilated by the enemies from the front and back."

Alan wrinkled his brow, thinking over what he heard. He didn't think the Ross family’s fate lay on such a precarious balance. The slightest mistake would doom them. He could hardly imagine the burden present on Alaya's shoulders.

“Why didn’t you mention it before?” It was a good thing he never exposed his ability, or it would’ve led to disastrous consequences.

“We didn’t think it was necessary to burden you with the knowledge. Alaya tasked Arlo with making sure you didn’t blurt anything unnecessary and it worked.”

“Why mention it now?”

“Because I think you deserve more credit,” Niall said. “I’ve watched you in the past six months and know you’re more mature than Alaya makes you to be.”

His compliment surprised Alan. His uncle’s carefree attitude made him drop his guard and act freely, never thinking Niall paid so much attention. Previously, he would’ve panicked and blurted an excuse, but after deciding to act like himself, he was happy he changed his uncle’s perception.

Thinking over everything he heard, there was one point he couldn't understand. "Doesn't the gift for mana manifest randomly?"

Niall understood what he was trying to convey and answered his real doubt. "Our enemies don't care about you because they don't think you'll manifest mana."

"Why?"

Niall didn't answer it and instead, scrutinized Alan's face. He opened and closed his mouth many times, hesitating about something. Alan neither interrupted nor forced him to answer, and waited for his uncle to come to a decision.

The struggle continued for a long while when Niall bent down and sighed, muttering words too quiet for Alan to hear. When he looked up, Alan saw the determination in his set jaw and intense eyes.

"How much do you know about your affliction?"