All magic changed drastically in its applications depending on the level of proficiency. If a new stat category were to open, it would make it easier to estimate the exact nature of one's abilities.
Two possible abilities that suited the Stat Window system came to mind. One was a skill that would undoubtedly be quite useful in life, and the other was so overpowered that it bordered on outright cheating. Given the circumstances, the latter seemed more likely, but even so, it was such an absurd ability that Ayra shook her head, forcing herself to temper her expectations.
Her physical condition was bad enough that she had been feeling dizzy for quite a while now—she was on the verge of collapsing at any moment. Rest was her top priority.
“There’s no time limit on the quest, right?”
The slightly sulky-looking pebble nodded its entire body. Finding it irresistibly cute, Ayra playfully nibbled at it, causing the little thing to squirm in what seemed like embarrassment. No matter how she looked at it, this thing had a weird personality. But as long as it was cute, that was enough.
Still shivering, she absentmindedly picked at the cold meal sitting on the bedside table before crawling under the covers. Her mind was so muddled that the moment her head touched the pillow, she passed out as if she had been knocked unconscious.
However, her poor condition led to a restless sleep.
In her dream, she was on her way back to her family's estate after hearing that her older brother was getting married. She was carrying a bundle of fascinating gifts crafted in the Mage City: Labyrinth, and her family welcomed her back warmly. Yet, they all looked significantly older since she had last seen them, so much so that their faces were barely recognizable.
Are they really my family?
It had been so long since she had seen them that she couldn't tell... Now that she thought about it, she couldn't recall the faces of her past life’s family either. Could she even remember the ones from this life? As she hesitated, her hazy-faced father placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ayra, you must protect the estate."
She was just about to answer, "Yes," when she recoiled in shock. The once-harmonious family scene had vanished, replaced by the shattered wreckage of a carriage. Blood seeped out from beneath the wreck, and a pale, lifeless hand protruded from the rubble. She couldn't even scream—staggering backward in horror, she nearly tripped.
A thunderous crash made her instinctively turn around. The towering spire, the proud symbol of Solar Estate, was crumbling.
A massive earthquake rocked the entire territory without mercy. Ayra sprinted away from the collapsing structure, only to stumble over something and fall. It was a wooden signboard that had once belonged to someone’s shop. Brushing her hand over the carefully carved four-leaf clover emblem, she looked around—every house that had once sheltered the estate’s people had been reduced to ashes and debris, burning in an inferno.
Not a single intact building. Not a single survivor. Only Ayra remained, bearing witness to the sheer devastation.
As she stood there in a daze, grotesque creatures with gaping black maws burst forth from the ground, wreathed in flames. These were no mere beasts; their monstrous forms defied imagination. Their roars sent shivers down her spine as they charged at her.
She knew she had to run, but her body wouldn’t budge. She stood frozen as one of the creatures lunged forward, its gaping jaws swallowing her whole—
She jolted awake with a gasp.
“W-What the hell...”
She was drenched in cold sweat, her body so soaked that she felt chilled to the bone. Exhaustion weighed on her, and the lingering cold gnawed at her senses, but the dream had unsettled her too much to stay in bed.
The Solar Estate was located at the highest elevation in the region, and within it, the lord’s chambers—where Ayra now resided—occupied the tallest floor. Thanks to this, she had a clear view of the entire estate through the window. Shivering, she stood for a long time, watching as the domain slowly came to life with the morning bustle.
The eerie remnants of her nightmare overlapped with reality—the bustling estate blurred into the vision of a ruined, ashen wasteland. She shut her eyes tightly before opening them again.
"Becoming the lord must have weighed on me more than I realized."
Sighing, Ayra gulped down a glass of water before crawling back into bed. Sleep overtook her instantly, but fortunately, this time, there were no more nightmares.
❄❄❄
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For any mage, Awakening was a coveted goal, yet at the same time, it was something to be feared. The process placed immense strain on both mind and body—on the milder side, it could leave one bedridden for days, but in extreme cases, it led to permanent disabilities or outright madness.
While some mages managed to undergo Awakening over ten times and still lived long, healthy lives, they were rare. On the other hand, there were those who perished, unable to withstand even a single Awakening.
For this reason, Ayra spent several days confined to bed. Fortunately, rather than being in pain, she was simply overcome by an uncontrollable drowsiness accompanied by dizziness. She would sleep soundly, wake up briefly at the presence of an attendant, eat, and then sleep again. When nature called, she would get up, take care of business, take the opportunity to bathe in hot water, eat the cold food left behind by the attendants, and then sleep once more.
At one point, an attendant, wearing a concerned expression, asked if she was ill and whether they should summon a physician. Ayra simply replied that she was just sleepy and assured them she was fine. She drank a glass of water and drifted off yet again.
And so the cycle continued—eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping...
Even after recovering from the aftereffects of Awakening and feeling completely refreshed, Ayra still lay in bed. The cold made her reluctant to step out, and more than that, she wanted to delay facing the uncertain future awaiting her.
"I’m just some backwater kid from the Mage City. How the hell am I supposed to manage an estate?"
Being told to govern a domain overnight felt overwhelming. Sighing, she idly fiddled with the pebble-like spirit. Just then, as if it could wait no longer, the steward entered the room once more.
"Lady Ayra, are you awake?"
"...Yeah."
At the sound of her response, the steward swung the door open and strode inside. Ayra recognized the cold and meticulous young man but couldn’t recall his name. The first time they met, she had been preoccupied with the funeral, and now, after sleeping for so long, she had forgotten again. The moment curiosity took hold, she felt a drain on her mana as the Stat Window popped up.
<Jinas>
HP: ???
MP: ???
Physical Attack Power: ???
Magic Attack Power: ???
Favorability: ???♡
Ah, right. His name was Jinas. She still couldn’t remember his surname, and it seemed the system hadn’t recorded it yet either.
Ayra checked the quest window she hadn’t updated in days.
<Quest!>
[Raise the Cute Pebble’s Level.]
✔ Check the stats of 10 people (1/10)
□ Introduce the Cute Pebble to 10 people (0/10)
Reward: New Stat Category Unlocked
Luckily, reviewing a previously seen Stat Window still counted toward quest progress. If she opened Jinas’ stats ten times, she could clear the first task, but that seemed rather inefficient. Just as she was contemplating it, Jinas spoke in a respectful yet subtly sharp tone.
"Are you feeling unwell? Should I call for a physician?"
"No, I’m fine now...."
Under Jinas’ cool gaze, Ayra felt a twinge of guilt and could no longer justify lazing around. Reluctantly, she began to sit up.
"I was worried since your illness seemed to be dragging on for quite some time, but I’m relieved to hear you’ve recovered. In that case, how about having breakfast with the castle retainers this morning?"
Somehow, it felt like there was extra emphasis on "dragging on for quite some time." Feeling guilty, Ayra obediently nodded.
"Mm, okay. Let’s do that."
"Understood. I will have the banquet hall prepared. Please take your time coming down."
With an air of rigid formality that almost felt like a barrier between them, Jinas left the room, closing the door behind him.
A beat later, Ayra realized she should have introduced the Cute Pebble to him to progress the quest. But before she could dwell on it, the next visitor arrived.
"Lady Ayra, good morning. I am Botello Dello, the head attendant. I cared for you during your childhood—do you happen to remember me?"
Before Ayra could summon the Stat Window, the man greeted her with a deep bow. His aged face felt familiar, and as she searched her memories, a hazy recollection surfaced.
"Oh, you... you used to make honey tea with dried flower petals, and you caught snow butterflies for me..."
"Ah! It is an honor that you remember me."
Botello was visibly moved that Ayra still recalled him after all these years. He quickly turned his head to discreetly wipe away his tears, and Ayra pretended not to notice.
"If it pleases you, I would like to serve as your personal attendant from now on."
"I’d appreciate that."
Botello tended to Ayra with utmost care, but his aged face occasionally revealed traces of deep sorrow for the Solar family he had served for so long. Having spent far more time with her family than Ayra herself had, he was likely much closer to them than she ever was.
As his eyes welled up again, Ayra, feeling awkward, decided to change the subject. She reached under the covers and pulled out the Cute Pebble, then summoned its Stat Window.
"Look! This is an adorable spirit I created. Its name is Pebble, and we’ll be sticking together from now on."
The reaction was... a bit excessive.
The tears in Botello’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a flicker of unease.
Spirits were common in the Mage City, but outside of it, mages were rare—most people never saw one in their entire lifetime. And mages were frequently associated with unsettling rumors. Unfortunately, a good number of those rumors were true, which left a bitter taste in Ayra’s mouth.
Even she had to admit that at least half of all mages were completely unhinged.
Of course, she was part of the other half.