Chương 58: The Answer Came Through the Roof

Silence lingered in front of the farmhouse after Edric explained the true nature of Lord Emberhart's employment offer. Sieghart continued holding the letter, although he had already read enough. The remaining paragraphs merely disguised servitude beneath formal language and promises of respectable compensation. His father apparently believed that paying Sieghart transformed an insult into an opportunity. Perhaps the amount written near the bottom was supposed to make everything acceptable.

Sieghart folded the letter once and looked at his grandparents. Their faces revealed enough discomfort to prove that neither of them considered the offer reasonable. Before rejecting it, however, Sieghart needed to understand the consequences. His father controlled the surrounding territory and possessed enough authority to create problems without approaching the farm personally.

"If I refuse, will that cause trouble for you?" Elara immediately shook her head.

"You don't need to worry about us."

"That wasn't an answer." Edric released a quiet sigh. Sieghart's directness sometimes made conversations difficult, but pretending that Lord Emberhart held no power over them would accomplish nothing.

"Your father might be displeased," Edric admitted.

"We cannot know how he will respond, but that should not decide your future."

"He can interfere with the farm."

"He could."

"He could send another order."

"He could." Sieghart looked toward Elara, but his grandmother did not contradict her husband. Instead, she stepped closer and placed one hand on Sieghart's shoulder.

"You must choose what is best for you." Sieghart glanced down at the folded letter. The salary was high enough to purchase several books each month while preserving most of his income. Living at the Emberhart estate would also give him access to enchanted equipment, professional instructors, military records, and information unavailable anywhere near the farm. From a purely practical perspective, the position offered several advantages.

Sieghart might observe powerful Aura users, study superior magical tools, and learn more about the world. Unfortunately, every advantage came attached to his father's authority. Sieghart would live inside the same house that had treated him like a disappointment from the moment he was born. He would also serve the younger sister who had taken his position as the recognized heir. The girl had done nothing wrong, but the arrangement was still insulting.

Elara's fingers tightened slightly against his shoulder as she continued.

"You may not possess an Aura, but you have an extraordinary talent for magic. We have seen enough to understand that." Sieghart remained silent.

"Unfortunately, some people will only see that talent as a tool instead of a blessing. They will think about what your magic can do for them before considering what you want." That description matched his experience almost perfectly. The military saw an endless supply of mana. The wounded soldiers saw a healer, while his father saw a profitable resource.

Even the old runesmith had initially treated Sieghart as a convenient replacement for mana stones, although their arrangement had at least been voluntary and mutually beneficial. Power did not guarantee freedom. If anything, valuable power attracted people who wanted to control it before its owner became strong enough to resist. Sieghart considered the offer one final time.

He imagined returning to the estate, receiving servant clothing, following his sister through her daily routine, and healing every scrape she earned during Aura training. His father might occasionally summon him to charge weapons or heal soldiers. His mother could look at him with the same complicated disappointment she had shown during his infancy. The money would not compensate for surrendering control over his life.

Sieghart had failed in countless ways across two lifetimes, but he still possessed enough shame to avoid sinking that far.

"I won't accept it." Edric and Elara looked at one another. Relief appeared in their expressions, accompanied by a concern neither of them could completely hide. Sieghart handed the letter back to his grandfather.

"I'll continue helping with the farm. I can find another way to earn money when things settle down."

"You are certain?" Edric asked.

"Yes." Elara lowered herself until they were at eye level.

"You don't have to refuse because you think we need your help."

"I'm refusing because I don't want to become my little sister's servant."

"That is a perfectly acceptable reason." Sieghart almost laughed at how quickly she agreed. Elara had clearly attempted to remain neutral, but her opinion of the offer was not difficult to determine. Edric folded the letter and placed it inside his coat. He looked toward the distant road before nodding slowly.

"I will send your answer tomorrow."

"Tell him no."

"I had planned to use more diplomatic language."

"It will also create fewer problems." Sieghart could not argue with that. He had already refused a powerful nobleman, so adding unnecessary insults would provide no practical benefit. His father probably expected resistance. Perhaps the generous payment represented an attempt to purchase cooperation without issuing a direct command. Once the offer was rejected, Alaric might simply search for another healer. The Emberhart household possessed enough money and influence to hire someone more experienced than Sieghart.

That possibility made the entire offer stranger. A professional healer would probably know more spells, work faster, and possess formal training. Sieghart's greatest advantage was infinite mana, but First Aid still caused mental exhaustion when maintained for long periods. His father could not know every limitation. Perhaps Alaric merely wanted to bring him under control before another noble recruited him.

Assigning Sieghart to his sister would keep both children inside the estate while preserving the official heir's position. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The reason no longer mattered. Sieghart had made his decision, and his grandparents accepted it without trying to convince him otherwise. They entered the house and prepared breakfast, leaving the letter on a shelf near the front door. Nobody mentioned the offer again that morning.

Elara appeared happier while cooking, although she occasionally glanced toward Sieghart as if confirming that he had not changed his mind. Edric remained more cautious. His grandfather probably understood Lord Emberhart well enough to know that silence would not necessarily mean acceptance. The response left the farm the next afternoon with a merchant traveling toward town. Edric sealed it carefully and asked the man to deliver it directly to the Emberhart estate.

Sieghart did not ask what his grandfather had written. The exact wording mattered less than the refusal waiting beneath it. Several days passed without a reply. Nothing changed around the farm, and no soldiers arrived to force Sieghart into servant clothing. After the first week, the tension surrounding the letter began to fade. Elara returned to discussing ordinary matters, while Edric stopped watching every rider traveling along the road. Sieghart also relaxed.

His father had far more important responsibilities than arguing with a six-year-old who refused employment. The recent war had damaged several settlements along the eastern border, and House Emberhart needed to rebuild defenses while preparing for another possible attack. Forcing Sieghart to serve his sister would waste time and create unnecessary complications. Alaric was cold, but he appeared practical enough to understand that. Sieghart therefore returned his full attention to the farm and his magical training.

He refined Water Cannon, Wind Blade, and Earth Bullet while continuing his experiments with levitation. His greatest priority remained White Magic. Sieghart attempted to create a defensive barrier capable of remaining separate from his body, but the mana always collapsed after leaving his skin. Protection could extend across another person through physical contact. Creating a free-standing shield required control over raw mana, which overlapped with the limitations of Arcane Magic.

Sieghart began suspecting that White and Arcane Magic were connected more closely than the system revealed. Both required him to manipulate mana without transforming it into an element. Elemental mana responded to emotions and familiar concepts. Fire burned, water flowed, wind moved, and earth gathered into solid forms. Raw mana possessed no natural behavior for Sieghart to imitate. It remained inside his body unless a spell, enchanted object, or physical connection provided somewhere for it to travel.

If Sieghart learned to control that transition directly, he might unlock both paths. The challenge involved discovering how to make mana recognize empty space as a valid destination. He practiced with the magic bow whenever physical exhaustion did not interfere. The weapon allowed him to study mana after it left his body and became stored arrows. Mana Transfusion reached Level Seventeen after Sieghart reduced the time required to charge all fifty arrows. The improvement granted another point of Mentality.

Mana Transfusion reached Level 17. Mentality +1 Arcane Magic remained at Level One. Sieghart accepted the partial progress. Increasing Mentality improved every type of magic, even if the broader path continued refusing to cooperate. The second week after his refusal passed quietly. By then, Sieghart believed his concerns had been unnecessary. No response arrived from his father. The old runesmith remained silent, and the surrounding territory showed no signs of military trouble.

The farm entered a peaceful period between planting and harvest. Most fields required maintenance rather than constant attention, giving Sieghart additional time to train. He even began planning an expansion of the irrigation system. Water Cannon could clear narrow channels quickly, while earth control reinforced the sides afterward. Once completed, the improvements would reduce his grandparents' workload and increase the amount of land they could cultivate during the following season.

Making the farm more profitable seemed far more satisfying than earning money as his sister's personal servant. Sieghart could develop magic while producing something useful. If his father believed agricultural work belonged beneath an Emberhart, that merely proved how little the man understood about feeding the soldiers he commanded. Sieghart went to bed after another ordinary day. The night was cool, quiet, and apparently no different from hundreds he had already spent inside the farmhouse.

He kept Protection active while falling asleep, as usual. The spell would deactivate once his concentration disappeared completely, but maintaining it until then continued strengthening his mental endurance. Several hours later, pressure inside his bladder dragged Sieghart back to consciousness. He opened his eyes and stared into the dark room. For several seconds, he considered ignoring the problem and returning to sleep. His body immediately rejected that plan.

Sieghart sighed, pushed aside the blanket, and climbed out of bed. Moonlight entered through the window, illuminating the books stacked beside the wall. His magical bow rested near the desk where he could reach it quickly. Sieghart walked toward the door while rubbing one eye. The floorboards felt cold beneath his feet, and his thoughts remained foggy from sleep. He had crossed half the room when something made him stop. The sensation was faint enough that he initially could not identify it.

Nothing moved, and no unfamiliar sound reached him from outside. Sieghart lowered his hand and looked around more carefully. His room appeared exactly as it had before he went to sleep. The books remained undisturbed. The window was closed, his bow rested near the desk, and the wooden ceiling showed no visible damage. Still, something felt wrong. Sieghart listened for the ordinary sounds of the farm. He expected insects beyond the window, animals shifting inside the barn, or wind moving through the nearby crops.

He heard nothing. The silence was too complete, as though every living creature outside had decided to remain still at the same moment. Sieghart's drowsiness began disappearing. He spread his awareness as far as possible, but sensing magic directly remained beyond his abilities. A faint smell reached him next. It reminded Sieghart of heated stone mixed with something sharp and unfamiliar. The air near the ceiling also felt warmer than the rest of the room. Sieghart looked upward. Nothing changed.

He remained still for several seconds before releasing a quiet breath. Perhaps the room felt warm because he had just left his blanket. The smell might have come from the fireplace downstairs. Edric occasionally left embers burning through the night when the temperature dropped. Sieghart shook his head and continued toward the door. Spending too much time preparing for danger had probably made him suspicious of ordinary silence. He was halfway through another step when the ceiling exploded.

The entire room flashed orange and white. A deafening impact tore through the roof before the wooden ceiling bulged inward and shattered. Burning beams, roof tiles, and pieces of stone descended toward Sieghart. The shockwave struck him before he could understand what had happened. Protection activated through pure instinct. Mana spread beneath his skin as Sieghart raised both arms and reacted without forming a conscious plan. He pointed his right palm upward and released the strongest wind blast he could create.

Compressed air slammed into the collapsing ceiling. Smaller pieces of debris flew back through the opening, while larger beams slowed before reaching him. The wind did nothing against the heat. Flames spread across the broken wood, surrounding Sieghart with an intense wave that burned the air inside his lungs. He thrust his left hand toward the destruction and activated Water Cannon. A concentrated torrent erupted from his palm and struck the falling debris.

Water collided with fire, producing a violent cloud of steam that filled the room. The force of Water Cannon pushed the largest section of ceiling sideways. It crashed against his bed instead of landing directly on top of him. The wooden frame shattered beneath the impact. Burning fragments scattered across the floor while water spread through the room. Sieghart staggered backward as wind, steam, dust, and smoke surrounded him.

His bare feet slipped against the soaked floorboards, but Protection kept him from falling. A roof tile struck his shoulder and shattered. Another grazed the side of his face before the wind carried it away. Sieghart maintained Water Cannon until most of the visible flames disappeared. The continuous blast drove the remaining debris toward the far wall. His spell ended after ten seconds, leaving water pouring through gaps in the broken floor. Steam continued rising from the ruined ceiling.

Sieghart lowered his aching arms and coughed violently. Smoke and dust entered his mouth, forcing tears from his eyes. His ears rang from the explosion. He could barely hear pieces of wood falling around him or the distant panic of animals outside. Moonlight poured through the enormous hole where the roof had once been. Smoke twisted across the opening, concealing whatever had caused the attack. Sieghart wiped dust from his face and stared upward.

"What the hell is happening?" Something moved beyond the smoke.