Mariah's eyes widened in horror. "Degradation of the soul…"
"Don't look so stricken, dear. It was bound to happen eventually," Minerva said gently. "It's been years since I started losing points from my physical stats."
She gave a small, wistful smile. "I've come close to the end of my mortal life. My time is short now. But at least I wasn't taken by an untimely death."
Mariah looked down, her hands tightening into fists.
Minerva reached over, squeezing her hand. "I didn't summon you here on your child's birthday to grieve for me. I have a responsibility to pass on—if you're willing to take it."
She let out a soft chuckle. "I've tried time and again to convince Joseph to take my place as village elder. I thought entrusting the role to someone both trustworthy and martially capable would put the village in good hands."
Her smile faded slightly. "But alas, he refuses. Amalia, too, has no interest in the role."
Mariah's breath hitched. "You mean…?"
"Yes, I've spoken to plenty of people, and they agree," Minerva said.
Mariah shook her head. "But I don't think I'm qualified, Elder."
"You are," Minerva assured her. "You may not be as skilled in combat as your husband, but where you lack martial strength, you make up for it with management skills. Don't worry—I'll teach you everything I can. You won't have to take the title immediately."
Mariah sighed. "Let's say you're right. What about Peter?"
Minerva chuckled. "What about him? He's completed his first advancement. He's not such a small child that he needs you watching over him every moment."
Mariah still looked uncertain, so Minerva continued. "Most of the time, he's out playing with other kids.
And now that he's old enough, he'll be studying as well. Besides, he's not just your son—his father should take some responsibility too. Let Joseph train him for a few hours each day."
Mariah exhaled, glancing at her husband. "Alright, I'll think about it. But I haven't said yes yet."
"Take a few days," Minerva said, handing Peter another cookie.
The conversation shifted to lighter topics—the upcoming harvest festival, the traveling merchants, and village happenings.
An hour later, they said their goodbyes to Minerva and made their way home.
Once inside, Mariah patted the seat beside her. "Come, sit with me for a bit," she said, motioning for Joseph to join them.
Peter climbed onto the seat. "Okay."
Mariah took a deep breath. "I want to remind you again—not to accept any Skills without telling us first."
Peter tilted his head. "Why?"
"This is for your own good, love. You just turned five. At this age, we don't always know what we truly want."
She gave him a gentle look before continuing, "Today, you might want to be a swordsman like your father. Tomorrow, a mage. The day after that, maybe an alchemist."
Peter furrowed his brows, thinking it over.
"Right now, your soul can only hold one more Skill," Mariah explained. "We have to be careful with it. Since your Spirit is at 28, with enough hard work, you might be able to raise it to 30 in a year."
Joseph crossed his arms. "Raising stats naturally isn't easy, son. You'll likely only gain room for two more Skills before you acquire a class."
Peter looked between them. "Does that mean I can't learn swordsmanship from Dad?"
He glanced at Joseph, waiting for an answer.
Joseph chuckled. "Of course, you can. You just won't be accepting any Skills for now. Give yourself a year before making that decision."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Skills aren't everything, Peter. They offer advantages, sure, but that doesn't mean you can't become proficient with a sword without one."
Peter listened intently as Joseph continued, "Every adult in the village knows some form of self-defense, even if they don't take the specific Skill for it. Skill slots are limited, and most people only choose Skills they know they'll use regularly."
"You'll do the same when the time comes," he added.
Mariah took over, her tone gentle but firm. "For today, you can play as much as you want. But starting tomorrow, your routine will change."
Peter perked up at that.
"In the morning, you'll train with your father," she explained. "After that, we'll have breakfast. Then, you'll spend time learning to read and write, studying mathematics, and understanding the moral code of conduct."
She met his gaze, ensuring he was paying attention. "We'll have lunch after that, and only then will you be free to play for the rest of the day. Is that understood?"
Peter swallowed, nodding. "Understood."
"Yes, Mom!" Peter gave a playful salute.
Mariah chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Good, soldier."
She leaned back with a satisfied smile. "Now, go on and do whatever you like until dinner."
Peter didn't need to be told twice. He quickly dashed toward his room.
The sun was still high in the sky, making it too hot to play outside. His friends were probably busy with their own tasks at home.
…
IDE…
[
Weapon handling: Common
Martial Combat: Uncommon
Weapons Mastery: Rare
Weapons Prodigy: Epic
Omni-Weapons Master, Limitless Arsenal: Legendary
Perfect Weapons Synchronization: Fabled
Divine Arsenal: Divine
]
Peter studied his options carefully.
The reason he was considering the highest-tier generalized weapon skills was that he might not suffer from the same experience-gaining limitations as others.
Divine Arsenal was a no-go. It didn't use mana as fuel but instead required Aether, a higher-tier energy source.
No way to access that. He discarded the skill without hesitation.
Perfect Weapons Synchronization was his next choice, but unfortunately, he didn't meet the necessary qualifications.
The same went for Legendary-tier skills.
Weapons Prodigy was within reach, but the time investment to acquire it might be too great.
Any skill above Rare rarity was too complex and expansive for him to copy and modify with his current stats in less than two years.
He couldn't afford that.
Weapons Mastery it is, then. He nodded to himself.
It had the same rarity as Status Camouflage, but unlike that, it was a level-based skill.