"What's wrong?" Suzanna noticed Muria's sudden pause and looked at him with a hint of curiosity.
"It's nothing!" Muria continued drying his hair. "I'm just a bit surprised."
He was indeed taken aback. Although he knew he'd gained some brief fame online, he hadn't paid it much mind, assuming it would fade over time. He hadn't expected this would be how he might reconnect with his parents, who had arrived in this world before him. But fate seemed to hold surprises—his mother might have found him. Of course, it was just a possibility, especially since Suzanna had hung up and even smashed the phone, making it impossible to verify.
Then again, it was still possible it was just someone trying to latch onto his fame. In a society as advanced as this, people seeking shortcuts to fortune were hardly surprising.
"A bunch of freeloaders hoping to strike it rich overnight! Why can't they do something worthwhile?" Suzanna snapped, venting her anger at the opportunists who'd been trying to get a glimpse of them lately.
Luckily, they lived in Dovalier's affluent district, where security was tight, preventing many unwanted intrusions. But they had to leave the house sometimes, and whenever they did, they'd be surrounded by a crowd of annoying gawkers.
"Just ignore them," Muria said to calm Suzanna. "Once my popularity fades, they'll vanish."
After all, the person who'd made her so upset might very well have been his actual mother, Atris, the Golden Dragon, which made the situation somewhat awkward.
After reassuring Suzanna, Muria went upstairs and, after a moment of thought, took out his communicator. He scrolled briefly through his contacts until he found his target.
Beep—
In less than three seconds, the call was answered.
"Young Master Jeros, what can I assist you with?" An elderly voice spoke on the line.
"Butler Pace, it's like this…" Muria explained the current situation he was facing.
"So, you'd like to have all the online reports about you suppressed?" the butler confirmed.
"Exactly," Muria replied.
"That shouldn't be an issue, though I must say I'm a bit surprised that at an age where most pursue fame, you'd want to suppress your own," the butler chuckled warmly.
"I'm not against fame or reputation, but this kind of attention only complicates my life. It's pointless, and I don't care for it," Muria said calmly. He figured that since this sudden fame had allowed his parents to locate him, there was no need to let the publicity continue. He didn't want to be surrounded by opportunists all the time.
"Understood, Young Master. Soon, you'll be back to your usual life, free from prying eyes," the butler replied with a smile, seemingly pleased with Muria's reasoning.
"That's ideal," Muria agreed. After exchanging a few more words, he ended the call.
The next day, Muria witnessed the Douglas family's efficiency. Overnight, every piece of news about him vanished without a trace, and the people loitering around him disappeared as well. By the following day, his life was back to normal.
A few days later, Cyril Academy officially opened for the school year. Muria, as a regular middle school student of the Azalea Federation, began his formal Star Armor training.
Of course, "regular" was relative in his case, as Cyril Academy was specifically established to train Star Armor users, setting it apart from other middle schools.
To become a Star Armor user, a person needed a compatibility rating of at least 20%. Without it, they couldn't operate a set of Star Armor and would need to find another career path.
After receiving the same elementary education, children in middle school were divided by their Star Armor compatibility, establishing social tiers at a young age.
Of course, failing to become a Star Armor user didn't equate to failure in life; it simply meant that other paths to success would be more challenging.
For children with good compatibility who came from humble backgrounds, joining a higher social class and changing their destiny was nearly guaranteed.
"So many people!" On the first day, as Suzanna led Muria to registration, he marveled at the crowds.
"Of course there are. Every child in Yakub Province with compatibility above 30% receives an admission offer from Cyril Academy," Suzanna explained with a touch of nostalgia; she had once studied here herself.
"So, all of these kids will eventually become Star Armor users!" Muria observed the excited, hopeful, and slightly anxious faces of the students around him, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Suzanna asked.
"There are too many Star Armor users," Muria said, voicing his concern. "At Cyril Academy alone, there are more than 30,000 freshmen. And this is just one academy in one year. Cyril Academy may be the best in Yakub Province, but it's not the only Star Armor school. Extrapolating from that, Yakub Province alone could be training around 50,000 Star Armor users each year. With 163 provinces in the Federation, that would mean about eight million new Star Armor users annually!"
Muria had calculated an alarming figure, though he knew the real number wasn't quite that high. Still, he hoped to get more information from his mother.
Sure enough, Suzanna chuckled when she heard his estimation. "Having talent alone doesn't make one a qualified Star Armor user. And Cyril Academy produces two-thirds of Yakub's best Star Armor users. The other schools struggle to train anyone competitive."
"Even so, the number of new Star Armor users each year is still astounding. But I thought the Federation's military only numbered fifty million. This doesn't align with the number of Star Armor users."
"Jeros, not every Star Armor user is suited for combat, and Star Armor has more uses than just fighting.
"For example, out of all the future Star Armor users you see here, at most one-fifth will join the military. Most of them, limited by their talent, will only become basic soldiers, and a few lucky ones may reach low-ranking officer positions, but that's as far as they'll go."
"Even so, the military's annual Star Armor recruits exceed a million, while civilian Star Armor users number over four million. Something still doesn't add up," Muria continued, frowning.
"Jeros, you have to remember: we humans aren't the only intelligent species in this world! Aberrations exist too!"
"But aren't aberrations like rats, hiding in the shadows, too afraid to reveal themselves? Humanity holds absolute dominance over them, right?"
"While aberrations are no secret, most people, like you, think they're harmless and no real threat to humanity. But the truth is far different."
"I see! That explains why we have so many new Star Armor users each year, yet the Federation's military numbers remain steady, and we rarely see Star Armor users around," Muria reflected.
"Out of sight, Star Armor users are engaged in constant, bloody battles with aberrations. The Federation's peace is maintained through the sacrifice of over a million Star Armor users each year," Suzanna said, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Muria. "You're an official member of the Douglas family. Once you don your Star Armor, you'll receive missions from the family to eliminate aberrations."
"That's only fair," Muria replied calmly. He'd long since accepted this reality. He'd enjoyed countless benefits as a member of the Douglas family, and in adulthood, he knew he'd have to fulfill his obligations. The Federation's top families, while wielding immense power, also bore responsibilities that ordinary people couldn't imagine.
"Jeros, you know, members of major families in the Federation have the highest average strength among Star Armor users their age. But they also have the highest death rate," Suzanna continued, watching him closely. "When I divorced your father, I wanted to take you out of the Douglas family, but Butler Pace stopped me."
"Some things have to be done," Muria said with a faint smile, understanding her concerns.
"I know, but I just don't want that person to be you. Unfortunately, I can't stop it."
"Don't worry. Fighting aberrations may come with high casualties, but plenty of us make it out alive too," Muria said, trying to reassure his mother.
As they chatted, they arrived at the registration area. Thanks to his 60% compatibility and his status as a member of a prominent family, Muria received special treatment and registered directly, without waiting in line.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]