With his bronze awakener badge secured in his pocket, Draco made his way back to the House of Von Ashblade.
The Von Ashblade estate sprawled across several acres on the outskirts of Silsom City, befitting the status of a Marquis.
Tall stone walls topped with iron spikes enclosed the entire property, while massive wrought-iron gates bearing the family crest, a sword wreathed in flames, stood open during daylight hours.
The main mansion dominated the center of the grounds, a three-story structure built from white marble and dark oak.
Well trimmed gardens surrounded the mansion, with stone pathways winding between hedges and flowering trees.
To the left of the main building stood the training grounds - an open courtyard where family members and honored guests could practice their combat skills.
Weapon racks lined the edges, while enchanted dummies served as practice targets for magical abilities.
The stables occupied the right side of the estate, housing the family's prized warhorses and magical mounts. Beyond them lay the guards' barracks, a long rectangular building that could house fifty soldiers comfortably.
Scattered throughout the grounds were smaller structures: the servants' quarters, storage buildings, and workshops where the estate's craftsmen worked.
A well-maintained road connected all the buildings, wide enough for carriages to pass comfortably.
As Draco approached the main gates, the two guards stationed there barely glanced in his direction.
They were engaged in a casual conversation about their upcoming shift rotation, treating his arrival with the same indifference they'd show to any servant returning from errands.
"…told him the night watch pays better, but he insists on staying with morning duty…" one guard was saying.
Neither bothered with a greeting or acknowledgment. To them, Draco was just another fixture of the estate - present but not worth noticing.
Walking along the stone pathway, Draco passed several groundskeepers tending to the gardens. They looked up briefly, their expressions neutral but cold. Even among the estate's workers, there was a hierarchy, and Draco occupied the very bottom.
Zephyr remained perched on his shoulder, his tiny head turning to observe the grounds with clear interest.
The servants' quarters were located behind the main mansion, a collection of modest two-story buildings arranged around a small courtyard.
Unlike the main estate's marble construction, these buildings were made of simple stone and timber - functional but unremarkable.
Draco entered the largest building, which housed the majority of the unmarried servants. The narrow hallway was dimly lit by enchanted stones that provided just enough light to walk safely.
As he walked toward his room, he passed several servants going about their evening routines.
A middle-aged cook's assistant carrying a basket of vegetables looked up as he approached, her expression changing to one of disdain before she quickly looked away when Draco's eyes met hers.
Two housekeepers standing near the communal washroom fell silent as he passed, their conversation resuming in hushed whispers once he was out of earshot.
"Did you see that bird on his shoulder?" one whispered.
"Probably thinks he's special now that he's got some pet…well…he is special." came the reply with a suppressed laughter at the end.
Even here, among those who should have been his servants in the estate's social structure, Draco was an outsider.
The other servants had awakened talents - mostly F or E-rank abilities related to their work.
Enhanced strength for the stable hands, improved dexterity for the seamstresses, minor wood magic for the gardeners.
They were servants, yes, but they were awakened servants with useful abilities. Draco had been something less - a noble by blood but talentless, occupying an awkward position that earned him contempt from above and below.
Reaching his door at the end of the hallway, Draco pulled out his key and entered his small room. It was barely large enough for a single bed, a wooden desk, and a small wardrobe. A single window provided natural light during the day, though now it showed only the darkening evening sky.
He closed the door behind him and finally allowed himself to exhale deeply. The weight of maintaining his composure throughout the day's events; the system, the awakening, the registration process, made him tense.
Zephyr flew from his shoulder to perch on the windowsill, gazing out at the estate grounds with those bright, intelligent eyes of his.
"Well, little friend," Draco said quietly, settling onto his bed. "Today changes everything. Tomorrow… we start planning how to use what we've gained."
The bronze awakener badge laid on his hand as he glanced at it for a while, it was clear proof that he was no longer the same powerless outcast he'd been that morning.
Though he still faced the same contempt and dismissal, now he had the tools to eventually change his circumstances.
…
The next day arrived with a surprise that made Draco excited.
—-
Daily Mission:
100 Press-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Pull-ups
10 km run
15 minutes of cultivation with a contracted Beast.
Practice basic communication exercises with Zephyr.
Reward: 2 EXP, 1 Stat point
Penalty for failure: -1 random stat point
Reading through the daily mission, Draco couldn't wait to get started. He washed up, ate some leftover bread from the day before and started his daily mission.
The first objective he completed was the 15 minutes of cultivation with Zephyr.
Draco followed the tutorial he was given by the system, and it was cool.
Cultivating with a beast could happen in two ways. Either with a Beastmaster manual that makes the effect significantly better, no matter the manual rank, or normally.
Unfortunately, Draco had to do it the normal way, since he didn't have the manual or the money to pay for one.
The cultivation went by quickly, Zephyr was incredibly supportive and didn't trouble him at all. The hummingbird sat on his head and chirped softly alongside his soft breathing.
Chirp! Chirp!
After completing the cultivation objective, Draco felt his connection with Zephyr improve ever so slightly.
'I wonder when I would be able to see my beast's status.' He thought looking at the hummingbird
As if answering his question, a status screen for Zephyr flashed across his retina.
"Woah!"
[Pet no.1] Hummingbird
[Rank: Common]
[Talent] E (Hidden Potential: SSS)
[Connection] Low
[Skills]
[Super-Sonic] [Micro-Vision]
Reading through Zephyr's status, Draco felt an inexplicable rush of excitement course through his body.
The low ranking didn't worry him at all, nor did the displayed E-rank talent. The line that mattered most was blazingly clear: "Hidden Potential: SSS."
That single line overshadowed everything else and confirmed what his Dragon Lord talent had hinted at during their first meeting.
As a beastmaster, it was well known that contracted beasts could share their abilities with their master, provided the skills were compatible with human physiology. Draco wouldn't be able to use abilities that required wings or a bird's specialized anatomy, but speed enhancement and improved vision were definitely within the realm of possibility.
Although he wanted to continue with the remaining daily quest objectives, curiosity overwhelmed his discipline. He decided to postpone the physical exercises for a few minutes to test Zephyr's abilities firsthand.
"Alright, Zephyr," he whispered, extending his finger for the bird to perch on.
"Let's see what you can really do."
The hummingbird tilted its tiny head, those bright eyes seeming to understand his intent.