The day after the family dinner — and the commotion caused by Liam's request — he waited calmly on one of the estate's many training grounds.
He had been told that his uncle would arrive any minute, and that his sword training would begin then.
"I've been waiting for almost thirty minutes and he's still not here…"
Apparently, his uncle wasn't exactly known for being punctual.
Anyone else might have taken it as a sign of disrespect — or even provocation. But Liam wasn't in the mood for that.
A translucent interface hovered before him.
[Quest: Master the first three techniques of the Moonveil family sword art.
Success: Obtain the Storage Mark skill (Rank B)
Failure: Intense pain for three days]
After last night's dinner, the system had assigned him this quest, with a rather appealing reward at stake.
"Storage Mark…"
As the name suggested, Storage Mark was a rank B skill. It wasn't offensive, nor was it a combat ability, but it was incredibly useful.
It manifested as a mark etched onto the body and allowed the creation of a dimensional storage space.
In other words, a sort of portable, discreet pocket dimension.
In short, something that could prove extremely practical in the future.
As Liam sat on the training ground, studying the quest before him, a voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.
"What's so fascinating about staring into the void, kid?"
Liam turned to face his uncle.
He was a man in his late forties, with short black hair and an imposing frame. Deep dark circles shadowed his red eyes, and his unkempt beard gave him a slightly disheveled look.
A cigarette hung from the corner of his lips, reeking of smoke. At his side rested an old two-handed sword, worn from battle, sheathed.
Liam quickly stood and greeted him respectfully.
"Hello, uncle Shaq. It's been a while since we last saw each other."
Shaquille Moonveil, Qamar's older brother, was a veteran of the war with several notable achievements to his name.
However, due to his eccentric personality, he had always been kept at a distance by other family members. And, lacking the exceptional talent of his younger brother, he had ultimately ceded the heir's title to him.
"Indeed… you've changed a bit since the last time," Shaquille said, drawing on his cigarette.
"That's normal. Last time we met, I was ten..." Liam replied.
"Is that so?" Shaquille shrugged lightly.
"Anyway. I've heard from your father what happened last night and what you plan to do. I'll be honest with you from the start, kid."
He exhaled a cloud of smoke before continuing.
"Training you doesn't exactly thrill me. But if you think you can master the three techniques of our family's art in just two months, you're dreaming. It would already be an achievement to master the first one in that time."
Shaquille didn't sugarcoat anything.
Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he abruptly grabbed Liam's arm.
"What are you doing, uncle…?" Liam asked, caught off guard.
Without answering, Shaquille transferred a wave of mana from his body into Liam's. After a few seconds, he stopped and released his arm.
"Ah… I forgot you had no foundation. Well, I knew that, but I thought you'd at least have formed a mana heart."
He shook his head with a light sigh.
"You know what? Forget what I said. If you can master the basics in two months, that's already good. Forget all about the family techniques for now."
Liam looked at his uncle and sighed.
"I hear what you're saying, but I fully intend to achieve what I announced in the next two months, no matter what you think."
Shaquille sighed as well and stepped forward.
"Anyway, I've said what I had to say. I don't care about your personal ambitions. Enough talk — let's start training. Two months fly by fast."
Liam nodded and followed his uncle to the center of the training ground.
Once there, Shaquille drove his sword into the ground and sat down next to it. He gestured for Liam to do the same.
Liam obeyed, taking a seat across from him.
"Before we begin training, I need to teach you the basics for a swordsman, and even more so for a Moonveil," he began.
"As you probably know, there are many classes in this world: swordsman, spearman, archer, healer, and many more. But, as you might have guessed, even though we often call them 'classes' in common speech, it's more accurate to call them subclasses," he said, holding up three fingers.
"All these subclasses are actually grouped into three main categories. First, we have the Vanguards: the weapon users. This includes everyone who fights with a weapon and channels mana through it. Swordsmen, assassins, archers, spearmen… you get the idea.
Next, we have the Casters, commonly called mages. They use mana directly, without weapons. They mostly attack from a distance with large-scale spells. They are formidable forces on the battlefield but very vulnerable in close combat.
Finally, there are the Specialists. They don't use mana to fight directly. Their role is more utility-based: healers, alchemists, scholars, and so on. Their impact isn't direct, but is just as crucial."
"You following so far?"
Liam nodded. He already knew all this, but it was always useful to review.
Shaquille continued.
"However, we, the weapon users — the Vanguards — have something different compared to the other two categories. It lies in how we use mana. While Casters and Specialists manipulate mana through a core, we do it through a mana heart, for greater efficiency."
He raised a finger to catch Liam's attention.
"The mana core is what most Casters and Specialists use. Your mana stays concentrated in a fixed point in your body, and from there you project it to cast spells, manipulate elements, or support allies. Simple, efficient, and much easier to master. That's why there are far more powerful Casters than high-level Vanguards."
"The mana heart, on the other hand, is extremely useful for those who wield weapons, as it allows them to channel mana with incredible precision and power. But it's also far more complex than the core: the process is long and demanding, and efficiency isn't always proportional to your mana. A large part depends on how well your body can handle the mana heart."
Shaquille tapped lightly on Liam's chest.
"This is where we, the Moonveil, make the difference. It's not special training from birth, nor an ancient secret… it's just that our physique is ideal for wielding a sword. The structure of our bodies, our balance, and natural strength allow us to exploit the mana heart at maximum efficiency. That's why our family is so highly valued: few are capable of using this system at such a level."
Shaquille straightened slightly, resting a hand on his sword planted in the ground. His gaze grew more serious.
"Now that you understand all this, you should know what the first step of your training will be, right?"
Liam nodded, focused.
"I'll have to form my mana heart."